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As a super-aging society, health promotion activities in local Japanese communities are increasingly essential. Developing the health-promotion programs must include the perspective of older people residing in these communities and what they believe to be their regional strengths. This study aimed to clarify the elements of regional strengths perceived by older people living in local Japanese communities from the literature review. Using the internet edition of the Japan Medical Abstracts Society (Ichu-shi), the authors examined papers on Japanese regional residents using relevant keywords. Of 342 considered papers, 14 papers were extracted in this study. As a result, the contents related to the regional strengths perceived by the older people living in the local Japanese community were extracted, classified based on the similarity of the meanings and contents, and then summarized into the elements of the strengths. As the regional strengths, three categories were cited for individual elements: "Actions or behaviors underpinned by experience," "Continuing to live with positivity and vigor," and "Extensive support for the subject and their family." Three categories were cited for environmental elements: "A comfortable environment," "Maintaining intimate and friendly interpersonal relations," and "Support that meets the regional characteristics." Along with individual and environmental elements, support from experts in the region was cited. Hence, it was concluded that the active participation of experts is essential for promoting activities in local communities, and that deepening relationship with older people has the potential to improve their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the concept of life-environmentalism (seikatsu kankyō shugi), which emerged in the 1980s as a shared research framework among Japanese social scientists studying the adverse effects of modern industrialization of everyday life in rural communities. Despite its recognition in Japan, the life-environmentalist approach remains largely unknown to Anglophone literature. While the recently published book, Everyday Life-Environmentalism, provides an introductory English-language text, it lacks thorough theoretical articulation of the approach in relation to contemporary Anglophone approaches. This paper centers on actor-network theory, a widely circulated approach within post-human and more-than-human geographies, as a comparative frame of reference to elucidate key characteristics of life-environmentalism. Through a comparative examination of the applications of these approaches to a local case study, we suggest that life-environmentalism offers valuable insights when analyzing socioenvironmental controversies and community-level responses, particularly in contexts where a long-standing social community is central to the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted labor markets around the world. Workers and corporations scrambled to adjust their workstyles to a new normal, by avoiding the commute and working remotely from their homes or elsewhere. Japan is a country that stood out for its inability to adjust to the remote work imperative. Comparative statistics show that Japan reported the lowest number of people engaged in remote work among the OECD countries, as well as the lowest percentage of corporations that offered remote work policies. In this article, I investigate why telework in Japan is difficult. The lack of telework in Japan may seem paradoxical, given the country's reputation for being technologically advanced. I argue that it is not the technological infrastructure that is lacking in the Japanese workplace, but distinct features of work embedded in Japanese culture and its collectivist roots that prevent the effective implementation of telework. I rely on recently published data from various sources, and apply key sociological theories such as implicit contracts, gift exchange, dramaturgy, and impression management to substantiate my main arguments. The paper concludes by drawing on implications for the future of work in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: During Japan's initial pandemic prevention and control period, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (MEXT) issued several notifications to ensure students' continuous learning according to the "leave no one behind" philosophy. This study focused on the comprehensive measures comprising top-level arrangements to implement the "suspending classes without stopping learning" initiative. Design/Approach/Methods: The study reviewed MEXT's guide on ensuring learning for Japanese primary and secondary school students during the pandemic. Findings: The pandemic has accelerated the development of the information and communications technology educational environment and the implementation of the Global and Innovation Gateway for All (GIGA) schools initiative. These developments laid the foundation for the evolution of diverse pedagogical models and feasible methods for promoting equity. The home schooling experience during the pandemic provided a natural base for students to practice and foster survivability. Originality/Value: This paper provides scholars with an understanding of the opportunities and challenges encountered in educational innovation in Japan. It provides insights into the future direction of pedagogical development, capability development, and effective educational arrangements for extraordinary circumstances to facilitate educational development from a broader perspective, particularly under the new normal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the role of mandatory interim financial reporting in financial analysts' annual earnings forecast errors. We provide large-scale evidence from 49 countries that a mandatory quarterly (as compared to semi-annual) reporting regime is associated with lower analysts' annual earnings forecast errors. This conjecture is further supported when we exploit an exogeneous change in the mandatory frequency regime from a semi-annual to a quarterly reporting mandate in Japan. Consistent with an improvement in the information environment, our findings are more pronounced for firms and analysts subject to higher information acquisition costs and in countries where the institutional setting is less able to meet analysts' information needs. We corroborate this conjecture by documenting that more frequent mandatory reporting decreases analysts' forecast dispersion and improves the profitability of their stock recommendations. Overall, our findings extend the research on the role of the institutional setting in analysts' output, suggesting that the mandate of more frequent reporting improves analysts' forecasting process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We revisit the predictive ability of dividend changes for firms' future earnings and extend the literature by examining the effect of management forecasting ability. Although prior studies have examined the relationship between dividend changes and future earnings, the empirical evidence is mixed. The belief that dividend changes have implications for future earnings depends on the assumption that managers can accurately assess future earnings prospects. In this regard, we posit that the predictive ability of dividends can vary with managers' forecasting ability. Analyzing a large sample of Japanese dividend-paying firms, we find that dividend changes, particularly dividend increases, are positively associated with increases in future earnings. Consistent with our hypothesis, this positive association is more pronounced for firms with high-forecasting ability managers. Our findings support the signaling theory of dividend changes and indicate that management forecasting ability has a moderating effect on the linkage between firms' dividend changes and future earnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although researchers have suggested that work–life programs (WLPs) help increase the representation of women in management (WIM), stigmatization and gender stereotyping can prevent this beneficial effect. We adopt a contingency approach by taking the roles of time, gender context, and the purposes of different practices into consideration and examine the effects of WLPs on WIM longitudinally. Our analysis of a sample of Japanese public firms spanning 14 years addresses endogeneity concerns and shows that: (1) increases in WLPs are weakly associated with subsequent increases in the proportion of WIM within firms; (2) this positive effect is stronger in organizations where the percentage of female employees is growing; and (3) there is no evidence to suggest an effect in the opposite direction. We further propose different temporal patterns by which the effects of flexibility practices (e.g., remote work) and resource practices (e.g., childcare benefits) emerge due to the varying degree of changes in job structures and work norms involved in their implementation. Our analysis provides supportive evidence that the effects of flexibility practices that require more changes inconveniencing decision-makers, users, and coworkers take longer to emerge compared to resource practices that incur fewer changes and inconveniences. These findings contribute to a more detailed understanding of the WLPs–WIM relationship and offer insights for research on WLPs and women's career advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While far-right movements are commonly associated with masculinity and women are in the minority, it is notable that they often play significant roles within these movements. To deepen our understanding of the motivations behind women's participation, this study challenges Blee's argument that women's motivations for participating are shaped by their interactions with other members. By using the psychosocial method devised by Hollway and Jefferson and developed by Gadd, the present study argues that women's pre-participation experiences can play a vital part in drawing them to the movements. Through analyzing the life stories of six far-right women in Japan and conducting an in-depth case study of three of them, the study aims to uncover a wide range of experiences that may initially appear unrelated to far-right ideology but ultimately led these subjects to become involved in far-right movements. It highlights the importance of paying attention to their complex subjectivities, which are formed by the interplay between their unique trajectories and societal transitions concerning gender norms, particularly within the era of neoliberal "emancipation." The study finds that the duality of far-right movements, which combine conservatism with deviance, enables some women to express paradoxical desires that they experience in response to living through a transitional era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Few studies have used rigorous causal analysis to examine the difference in health effects between abrupt and gradual transitions from full-time employment to full retirement. Methods: Data were obtained from 10,253 individuals aged 50 years and older from the 2005–2019 Longitudinal Survey of Middle-aged and Older Adults conducted in Japan. An instrumental variable approach was used to determine the causal relationship between retirement pathways and health by exploiting the public pension eligibility age as the instrument. Results: Abruptly retired individuals were more likely to have physical limitation and less likely to have depression than those not yet retired. In contrast, those who fully retired through a gradual transition were less likely to have physical limitation and more likely to have depression than those not yet retired. Discussion: Retirement pathways have different effects on physical and mental health, providing important implication for labor and health policies in aging societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media communication makes visible the linkages between governments' actions to diplomatic events and domestic audiences' reactions. This study analyses tweets that discuss the recent diplomatic crisis between Japan and Korea. Through the detection of clusters of Twitter users and the content analysis of the tweets in the two countries, this study shows the public's interpretation of a crisis widely differs by their stances towards their country's government. The analysis finds that the clusters are aligned with their pro- and anti-stances towards the current government and that pro-government clusters tend to interpret the diplomatic crisis through a historical perspective, while anti-government clusters interpret it as a matter of present-day politics. Furthermore, we find strong negativity in the tweets discussing the opponent online groups, especially by the anti-government cluster against the pro-government online camp. These findings suggest that a diplomatic crisis may create or deepen domestic polarisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is a process in which adults engage in an ongoing dialogue about future medical treatment and care. Though ACP is recommended to improve the quality of end-of-life care, the details of the dialogue experience in ACP are unknown. Objective: To explore participants' experiences of dialogue in an ACP educational program that encouraged them to discuss the value of a way of life. Research design: This qualitative descriptive study used the focus group interview method. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Participants and research context: A dialogue-based ACP educational program was conducted in four regions in Japan for local citizens to discuss the value of their way of life. A total of 66 individuals (mean age = 55.5 ± 17.2 years; 50 women and 16 men) participated in focus group interviews. Ethical considerations: This study was approved by the Ethical Review Committee of Tokyo Women's Medical University (no. 4723) and Kyoto University (no. R2099). Findings: Five main themes were extracted: discussing one's thoughts with others in a considerate manner, reflecting on one's way of life through others, feeling a sense of connection with others through storytelling, realizing the difficulties of talking about "what if" topics, and turning one's eyes toward the future through the dialogue. These themes were interrelated and illustrated the complexity of the experience of discussing values. Conclusions: The results suggest that dialogue in ACP is useful in clarifying values. They also indicated the need for dealing with the ethical challenges of discussing value and the importance of caring for the interlocutor to have a safe dialogue. In the ACP process, safety in dialogue may improve readiness in ACP, and health practitioners who support ACP need to address the ethical challenges entailing dialogue about values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal study investigated the roles of elementary schoolers' executive function (EF) and theory of mind (ToM) as predictors in their academic achievements in Japanese language skills (e.g., speaking and listening ability, writing ability, reading ability, and linguistic knowledge) from first through fifth grade. We assessed the EF, ToM, and academic achievements of 85 Japanese elementary schoolers, when they were grade 1 (M = 90.19 months) and grade 3 (M = 114.34 months). Moreover, academic achievements of same children tested in grade 5 (M = 137.92 months). A path analysis revealed that EF abilities in Grades 1 and 3 predicted Japanese language achievement via ToM ability, and EF and ToM in Grade 1 had an indirect effect on achievements in Grades 3 and 5. Further, Japanese language skills achievement in Grade 1 predicted EF ability in Grade 3 and EF predicted achievement in Grade 5. These findings indicate the vital role of elementary schoolers' EF on academic achievement in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mental health is a serious concern among novice school nurses in Japan. Numerous novice school nurses with various health problems experience high stress levels, affecting their mental health. They may be experiencing reality shock, a known risk factor for burnout and turnover, or its factor, the "reality gap." Objective: This study aimed to examine the hypothetical model by which the reality gap affects the mental health of novice school nurses. Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey, and responses were obtained from 102 novice school nurses. A path model was created based on a hypothetical model. Results: After several revisions on the hypothesis model, a modified path model was generated (CFI =.98, TLI =.93, RMSEA =.06). The path model showed that reality gaps negatively affected work engagement, work engagement positively affected intention to stay, and intention to stay positively affected mental health. Reality gap was also directly negatively associated with mental health. Having various support networks reduced the effects of reality gaps on mental health. Additionally, social support in the workplace boosted work engagement. Conclusion: Unique from other studies, this study contributed to understanding the effects of reality gaps on mental health. School managers and administrators should establish a support system that enables school nurses to receive various supports from within and outside the school. In addition, novice school nurses should take advantage of networks and support inside and outside school to reduce reality gaps and grow as professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the patterns of educational attainment and first employment among young Japanese, and their effects on the likelihood of first marriage, using micro-level data drawn from a national family survey in 2004 and its follow-up in 2007. Attainment of higher education increased dramatically in postwar Japan, and such gains were especially notable for women. Meanwhile, regular employment has decreased, and temporary employment has risen rapidly among young Japanese since the 1990s. The study reveals that obtaining regular employment as the first job strongly enhances the likelihood of first marriage for both genders although the marriage-enhancing effect is stronger for men than for women. First entry to the labor market as a temporary worker also significantly diminishes the likelihood of first marriage for men. Like other industrialized economies in Asia, improving educational attainment is found to be a factor causing declining first marriage among young Japanese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to analyse Japanese elementary school teachers' learning experiences during professional development (PD) regarding immigrant parental involvement in physical education (PE) at public schools in Japan. Based on andragogy theory, this study used an explanatory case study research design. Nine Japanese elementary teachers participated in the study. Data were collected from digital portfolios about immigrant parental involvement in PE, self-reflective journal logs, and semi-structured online interviews. Three major interrelated and complex themes were constructed from the data analysis: (a) digital portfolios as a problem-based learning tool, (b) transformative learning experience regarding communication with immigrant parents, and (c) the need for Kenshu (teacher training) for all elementary school teachers. The findings suggest that the PD focusing on immigrant parental involvement in relation to PE allowed teachers to transform their practices and perceptions in order to minimize psychological, cultural, and social distance from immigrant parents. This study may help teachers, school administrators, and researchers develop new insights and motivation to integrate the concept of immigrant parental involvement regarding PE into the PD systems of public elementary schools in order to enhance teachers' problem-solving knowledge and skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The legal system for renewable energy in Japan, Feed-in Tariff system, was deregulated in 2021 by the central government to reflect the international calls to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, this sudden change has raised concerns about social, environmental, and long-term economic sustainability. Thus, we conducted a state-of-the-art review of legal and policy frameworks of wind power projects in Japan and discussed the multi-layered structure at national- and municipal-level ordinances. By doing so, several gaps are highlighted. First, there are procedural gaps that business operators can de facto bypass by checking the environmental procedures. Second, there are issues at the scale (national or local), where the decisions are met. For example, while the overall framework is decided at the national level, the most contentious issues of the location of wind power facilities are left at the local level, where residents, municipalities, and developers are burdened to solve these issues. Third, in the current legal system, environmental impacts on popular natural landscapes are not taken into consideration. In the face of deregulation and concerns about multiple factors, there has been an increase in the number of municipalities opposing the construction of wind farms. Finally, existing legal cases related to wind power projects are provided to illustrate changes and disputes at different sites across Japan. These cases demonstrated how landscape elements (e.g. biodiversity) can be vital for wind power project development in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid-19 precipitated a food crisis that reconfigured food systems in unprecedented directions. While much research on Covid-19 and food crises focuses on food insecurity, we argue for a critical agrarian approach to food crises that extends beyond food insecurity. We emphasize how food crises enact disruptions that can lead to the reconfiguration of food systems. Further, we distinguish between specific crises that disrupt food systems from the general Crisis of the corporate food regime. This article draws on interviews with key actors to explore how changes to social distance in response to Covid-19 rippled through Japanese food systems as segments of Japanese food economies expanded, adjusted, and contracted. Although Japan avoided the harshest consequences of food insecurity arising from Covid-19, the pandemic reconfigured Japanese food systems in novel directions. This reconfiguration does not neatly correspond to the general Crisis of the corporate food regime because of the prominence of the hybrid zone and scalar politics of local food within Japanese food systems. We urge critical agrarian scholarship to closely examine the situated dynamics enacted by specific food crises, because such crises introduce key inflection points for reshaping food system trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tooth loss is prevalent in older adults and associated with functional capacity decline. Studies on the susceptibility of some individuals to the effects of tooth loss are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the heterogeneity of the association between tooth loss and higher-level functional capacity in older Japanese individuals employing a machine learning approach. This is a prospective cohort study using the data of adults aged ≥65 y in Japan (N = 16,553). Higher-level functional capacity, comprising instrumental independence, intellectual activity, and social role, was evaluated using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence (TMIG-IC). The scale ranged from 0 (lowest function) to 13 (highest function). Doubly robust targeted maximum likelihood estimation was used to estimate the population-average association between tooth loss (having <20 natural teeth) and TMIG-IC total score after 6 y. The heterogeneity of the association was evaluated by estimating conditional average treatment effects (CATEs) using the causal forest algorithm. The result showed that tooth loss was statistically significantly associated with lower TMIG-IC total scores (population-average effect: −0.14; 95% confidence interval, −0.18 to −0.09). The causal forest analysis revealed the heterogeneous associations between tooth loss and lower TMIG-IC total score after 6 y (median of estimated CATEs = −0.13; interquartile range = 0.12). The high-impact subgroup (i.e., individuals with estimated CATEs of the bottom 10%) were significantly more likely to be older and male, had a lower socioeconomic status, did not have a partner, and had poor health conditions compared with the low-impact subgroup (i.e., individuals with estimated CATEs of the top 10%). This study found that heterogeneity exists in the association between tooth loss and lower scores on functional capacity. Implementing tooth loss prevention policy and clinical measures, especially among vulnerable subpopulations significantly affected by tooth loss, may reduce its burden more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homicide followed by suicide (HS) is a tragic event with varied characteristics across countries and regions. Compared to Western countries, there are limited studies on HS in Asian countries. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the characteristics of recent HS cases by examining forensic autopsy records from 2008 to 2020 collected from the Department of Legal Medicine, Chiba University, in Japan. A total of 77 HS cases were identified, involving 77 perpetrators (52 completed suicides, 25 attempted suicides), with 28 perpetrator and 89 victim autopsies. Our findings showed that older adults accounted for nearly half of the victims; victims were mostly females, whereas most perpetrators were male. The most common HS relationship was that between a parent and a child. Autopsy findings showed that the most common cause of death was strangulation, and illegal drugs were detected only in a few cases; however, psychotropic drugs were detected in child victims. No obvious evidence of past child physical abuse by caregivers was found. In contrast, intimate partner violence (IPV) was present, with a history of IPV found in half of HS cases involving adult intimate partner relationships. Notably, gender differences in age and relationship to the victim were identified. Likewise, some perpetrators may have expressed their plans and intentions for HS before the event, which may represent an important sign for HS prevention. However, to accurately reveal the course of HS, nationwide integrated statistics, forensic autopsies, including toxicological analyses of the deceased; and forensic psychiatric perspectives, including psychological autopsy, are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The development of cultural sensitivity is essential for health care professionals but there are few tools to measure this quality in Japan. The purpose of this study was to develop a scale of cultural sensitivity for Japanese health care professionals and examine its reliability and validity. Method: A draft scale was created through conceptual analysis and a questionnaire was completed by 515 health care professionals and 1,322 college students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine suitable scale items and examine model fitness. Results: The four-factor 18-item scale showed acceptable model fitness. Cronbach's α coefficient exceeded.90 and correlation coefficients for criterion-related validity were over.29. Construct validity was confirmed by the significantly higher score of the cross-culturally experienced groups. The intraclass correlation coefficient was.642 (professionals) and.722 (students). Discussion: This reliable and valid scale for Japanese health professionals and college students may be used to evaluate training programs to increase their cultural sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes unit nonresponse bias of establishment surveys, drawing on two major government wage surveys in Japan. We find that unit nonresponse is prevalent among establishments with fewer employees, in urban prefectures, and operating in the service industry. Further, while low-wage establishments are less likely to respond, the resulting bias is quantitatively negligible. Regarding establishment sampling of employees, we find that the sampled establishments randomly choose workers in an appropriate manner. Overall, with proper weighting, nonresponse bias is negligible in Japanese wage statistics to the extent that the mean estimate is concerned. In addition to nonresponse bias, we also assess potential bias due to limited coverage of the sampling population and find substantial bias at the tails of the wage distribution. In particular, excluding corporate executives and establishments with few employees results in an underestimation of wage inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the differences in business continuity of Japanese and American small organizations during the Covid-19 pandemic since early 2020 in terms of organizational adaptation empowered by loans, grants, and aid and created through processes of visioning, and relationship building. The 28 Japanese and 21 American small organizations collected through snowball sampling were asked about their level of preparedness, the types of aid earned, the vision that an organization developed, and how they used their organization to advance community life. We used semi-structured interviews in the participants' native languages for 40 min to 1.5 h. Coding results identified 36 codes, nine subcategories, and three broad categories common among small organizations in Japan and the United States. A comparison of the coding results showed three results that we focus on in our comparative analysis. First, loans, grants, and aid provided by the government were effectively used as a business continuity resource in both countries. Second, visioning, a process of setting goals and understanding purpose, was observed in Japan and the United States. Lastly, Japanese organizations emphasized maintaining relationships with business partners, even providing monetary support to them. Conversely, in the United States, new relationships were observed but organizations did not provide as much mutual support. Thus, the study clarified two different types of resilience among small organizations: trust-based resilience seen frequently in Japan, which seeks to maintain relationships with employees and business partners rather than investing in the organization, and the change-based resilience in the United States, which aims to change the organization and build new relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan's recent enunciation of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" policy aims to promote principles such as free trade, freedom of navigation, and encouraging economic prosperity with building commitment to stability and peace connecting the economic hub of Asia to Africa (MFA, 2019). Natural gas use continues to dominate Japan's energy mix despite efforts to improve environmental protection and attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Also, increasing production and investment typically leads to a better quality of life and more disposable income for the populace, which promotes economic growth. To this end, the study investigates the relationship between economic growth, trade openness, and natural gas consumption, as well as gross fixed capital formation and carbon dioxide emissions to overcome omitted variable problems to explore the natural gas-economic growth hypothesis in Japan over the period 1980–2020. Empirical results reveal a long-run relationship among the variables under consideration. By applying the Toda and Yamamoto approach to Granger causality testing, a two-sided causality running from CO2 and economic growth was revealed, while a one-sided causality from economic growth to natural gas consumption. This outcome suggests that the natural gas-economic growth hypothesis is not valid for Japan. According to these outcomes, policymakers in the energy sector should consciously diversify their energy portfolio in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Japan. Also, it is recommended that there should be a provision of access to skilled labor to increase productivity and export finished products to boost a nation's economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 influenced the depreciation disclosure practice adopted by Japanese companies in the years that followed. Prior to World War II, corporate accounting behaviour varied widely in Japan, as there were few substantive rules regulating the contents of financial statements. Assessing how a large-scale extrinsic shock such as a major earthquake affects and shapes corporate accounting practices in an unregulated disclosure environment such as this would seem important to understand the intrinsic impact of exogenous shocks. By statistically analysing the contents of 547 financial statements issued by 51 machinery, electrical and transportation equipment manufacturers during the six years from 1921 to 1926, this study shows that the substantial damage inflicted by the Great Kanto Earthquake discouraged companies from disclosing depreciation expenses by reducing or failing to recognise them at all and rendering them less important in their financial statements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Workers and students are often stressed and distressed by a variety of factors, including work and study. However, support for individual psychological stress is not yet well established. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of mindfulness breathing on the mental load of college students using an electroencephalogram (EEG). Methods: Twenty participants were randomly allocated into treatment or control groups, with 10 participants in each group. Mindfulness breathing was applied to participants in the treatment group, while those in the control group received no treatment. The regression equation was evaluated from the EEG, and time series analysis was performed based on autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation. Results: In the After condition after mindfulness breathing exercises in the Mi group, the alpha wave content of the regression equation at eye closure after task performance showed an upward trend, and the autocorrelation coefficient showed repeated upward and downward fluctuations. Conclusion: It was suggested that alpha wave content may increase over time with mindfulness breathing exercises. The EEG after mindfulness breathing exercises was shown not to be constant and to have non-linear characteristics. This suggested that the effects of mindfulness breathing exercises could be evaluated using time series data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Culturally appropriate communication training programs for a wide range of professions that can be used during infection epidemics are crucial for advance care planning implementation. Starting in 2018, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare made a major policy change, and doctors, nurses, and social workers, and care managers were identified in the guidelines as the professions that promote advance care planning. Motivated by the lack of online programs for Japanese care managers, we proposed a new one-day program. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the changes in the positive attitude of care managers toward dying patients compared to that of nurses, which has been used in past literature as an outcome of advance care planning educational interventions, after administering the program in Japan. Design: Before-after comparison study. Methods: Care managers were recruited through our website, ACP-Piece, http://plaza.umin.ac.jp/~acp-piece/piece.html. A questionnaire survey concerning positive attitudes toward dying patients was administered before and after the program on 28 August 2021. Sixty-six subjects participated in the training and 60 participants, including 14 care managers, consented to the study and completed the questionnaire surveys before and after the program. Results: The Frommelt attitude toward care of the dying scores for care managers increased after the program (p -values, confidence intervals, and effect sizes: p < 0.001, −11.90 to −4.388, −1.252). After training, care managers had a significantly higher maximum score occurrence than nurses. Older care managers with advance care planning experience may have had a higher maximum score occurrence compared to younger, inexperienced participants. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first to demonstrate the increased positive attitude scores toward dying patients after online communication training for Japanese care managers. The limitations of this study include the lack of evidence regarding reasons for score changes, long-term score changes, and effectiveness for patients and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of this research are threefold. First, it revisits the "normative powers in Central Asia" debate, which largely ignores an important stalwart supporter of the rule-based international order—Japan. The traditional exclusion of Japan often appears to be related to the belief that Japan plays second (if not third) fiddle at best and has limited power to influence developments in the region. While this thinking for the most part continues to organize much that is written about Japan–Central Asia relations, this article asserts that Japanese normative power should be taken more seriously than many studies understand. Second, using a combination of document analysis (in Japanese, Kazakh, Russian and English) and key stakeholder interviews, it examines how Japan socializes Kazakhstan into a set of norms of appropriate behavior in the field of foreign aid. Finally, highlighting that Kazakhstan embraces a hybrid identity as an official development assistance provider, this study asserts that Japan's ODA has become a key reference model for Kazakhstan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) has been investigated widely in the past 30 years, resulting in many research achievements in this field. Purpose: To perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to evaluate the 100 top-cited articles on the MPFL. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: We searched the Scopus database in December 2022 using the terms "medial patellofemoral ligament" OR "MPFL." The search was confined to English-language articles, including technical notes, systematic reviews on clinical outcomes and/or complications, clinical studies, studies regarding complications, and basic science articles (either cadaveric or biomechanical); we excluded letters, case reports, personal opinions, guidelines, editorials, and narrative or other types of reviews. Analysis of the 100 top-cited articles was performed according to total number of citations, average citations per year (ACY), study type, country of origin, journal of publication, affiliated institution, and most published authors. Results: The total number of citations was 16,358 (range of citations per article, 72-692). The majority of articles were published as clinical studies (54%), with cadaveric studies being the second most common (21%). Most studies originated in the United States (32%), with Japan (15%) and Germany (13%) following. The American Journal of Sports Medicine published the majority of the 100 top-cited articles (37/100; 6304 citations) as well as the 10 top-cited articles according to ACY (7/10; mean, 285.14 citations). The most prolific authors were Nomura (8 articles); Burks (6 articles); and Inoue, Sillanpää, and Dreyhaupt (5 articles each). Conclusion: By analyzing the characteristics of the 100 top-cited articles, this study demonstrated that the MPFL is a growing and popular area of research, with the focus varying through timeline trends. Questions regarding MPFL anatomy, isometry, and biomechanics might have been answered adequately, but research regarding optimal fixation technique under various circumstances is still ongoing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we explore the interaction between fiscal and monetary policies in Japan over a period including the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and a phase of the Covid-19 pandemic under the presupposition that policy regimes are fixed and there are random switches between the two regimes. Using the Regime switching model, the results show that fiscal policy is more active in Japan than monetary policy, especially during the GFC and the Covid-19 pandemic. By using the Bayesian VAR model, we continue to further analyze the response of macroeconomic factors to an expansionary fiscal policy to verify the above findings once again. The results indicate that government expenditure helps boost the economy in the short-run. The positive impact of a government expenditure shock on GDP, PPI, and Investment lasts about three to four quarters, while private consumption only increases in one next quarter. These positive responses can increase the inflation rate and make the local currency overvalued, reflected in the increase in the effective exchange rate. A fiscal policy shock does not have much impact on the monetary policy, specifically, the money supply and interest rates of long-term government bonds still tended to decrease as expected by Japan. This is the basis for studying policy implications for some countries pursuing similar policies to Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines regional price elasticities in electricity consumption to offer valuable insights for policymaking in electricity demand-side management in Japan. By employing a partial adjustment model and utilizing data from regional electric utilities, the study estimates regional electricity demand functions. The analysis reveals that, within the residential sector, the size of houses plays a significant role in explaining regional variations in price elasticity. Likewise, in the industrial sector, the presence or absence of private power generation facilities in firms significantly influences regional disparities in price elasticity. These findings hold substantial implications for enhancing the cost-effectiveness of electricity consumption regulations and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (eCRS) is a type 2 inflammatory disease that frequently recurs after surgery. In recent years, dupilumab has been available for the treatment of refractory chronic rhinosinusitis since 2020 in Japan. Although there are some reports of its usefulness, there are not enough reports of its clinical efficacy for longer than 1 year, especially for olfactory recovery. Methods: Twenty patients with eCRS who had recurrence after surgery and had been receiving dupilumab were enrolled retrospectively. The nasal polyp score (NPS), computed tomography (CT) score, T&T olfactometer, and olfactory cleft opacification on CT were evaluated at baseline, at an average of 5.1 months later (short term), and at an average of 18.3 months later (long term). Results: At the short-term evaluation, there were significant improvements in the NPS and CT scores (P <.001, P =.008, respectively). The CT score was further improved at the long-term evaluation compared to the short-term evaluation (P =.018) and baseline (P =.008). T&T detection/recognition thresholds and olfactory cleft opacification showed significant improvements only at the long-term evaluation compared to baseline (P =.002, P =.006, and, P =.006, respectively). Conclusion: The NPS remained improved, and the CT score showed further improvement with long-term treatment, whereas olfactory function and olfactory cleft opacification showed significant improvement only after long-term treatment. There was a dissociation between the time to improve in the NPS and CT scores and the time to improve in olfactory function and olfactory cleft opacification. Based on these results, dupilumab should be administered for longer than 1 year, especially for olfactory function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]