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Since Marx reported on osteonecrosis of the jaw caused by the injectable bisphosphonates (BPs) pamidronate and zoledronate, there have been numerous reports not only in Western countries, but in Japan as well, of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) as a pathology similar to radiation-related osteonecrosis/osteomyelitis of the jaw, which is accompanied by exposure of the bone. Osteonecrosis of the jaw similar to that occurring with BPs is also produced with the anti-receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL) antibody denosumab, a bone resorption inhibitor that has a different mode of action from BPs, and there is also a report of osteonecrosis of the jaw related to bevacizumab, an angiogenic inhibitor. Because of this, in its newest position paper (2014), the AAOMS changed the nomenclature from BRONJ to "medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw" (MRONJ). This article presents an overview of the position paper on medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw and the current status of the MRONJ in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Using the Kobe earthquake of 1995 and the Mid-Java earthquake of 2006 as case studies, this paper discusses the process of providing cultural recovery assistance; it also analyses the term ‘civil society’, a term that reflects efforts to make assistance activities sustainable. The Kobe earthquake should be seen as a point of departure for citizen activism by volunteers; because of it, cultural recovery support was vigorously provided. Since people influenced by those support efforts later became involved in providing Mid-Java earthquake recovery assistance, both earthquake recovery support initiatives can be seen as part of an ongoing chain of events. In analysing the Kobe earthquake, it becomes clear that while there are many semantic meanings for and usages of the term ‘civil society’, it was incorporated into policy guidelines for recovery during a period of low economic growth, and a new civil society was envisioned in this period of social transformation. Organisations participating in assistance efforts following the Mid-Java earthquake sought to make ‘civil society’ a reality; this continued after the earthquake recovery was complete, and it comprised an attempt to build the connections within a civil society by looking to overcome many persistent social problems. The power of communication that ‘culture’ holds plays a large role in this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines consumer factors of paper recycling in Japan. The study specifically focuses on toilet paper as a paper product and attempts to reveal how individuals evaluate recycled toilet paper, howthe evaluation relates to toilet paper consumption, and why people use or do not use recycled toilet paper. The study also examines what factors influence collection recycling behavior, and what people believe as necessary to achieve a society with better recycling. Responses were obtained from 1242 respondents in Japan. Four results were found. (1) People cannot judge the raw material of virgin toilet papers correctly, while people can correctly judge the raw material of recycled toilet paper. The quality and appearance of recycled toilet paperwas not high enough to compete with virgin toilet paper. Furthermore, the image of recycled toilet paper also had negative impact on the willingness to use recycled toilet paper. (2) The primary criterion for purchasing recycled toilet paper was pro-environmental attitude. For the virgin toilet paper, it was brand. As expected, recycled toilet paper users had a positive evaluation and image of recycled toilet paper, while virgin toilet paper users had a negative evaluation and image of it. (3) Actual recycling behavior might not relate directly to consumption behavior of recycled paper. Rather, it was determined by the knowledge of waste collection system and payment system. (4) Most people have not realized that without the consumption of recycledproducts, the recycling system is not completed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper passes through many hands. In the present paper, key parts of this cycle in Japan were examined, using questionnaire surveys of households and paper makers. The study aimed to examine the paper makers' strategy for paper production and their attitude to recycling, in comparison with those of the consumers. The study especially focused on toilet paper because consumers have a lot of freedom in purchasing toilet paper. A total of 1242 consumers and 60 paper makers responded. The major findings were as follows. First, we compared the criteriaof consumers for purchasing toilet paper with the conjectures of paper makers. Brand, advertisements and the appearance of shopping displays received 60% support from paper makers, but less than 12% of consumers selected these criteria even if we exclude those who do not buytoilet paper or do not have any particular criteria. On the other hand, multiple plies and benefit to the earth were selected by moderatenumbers (between 20 and 25%) of consumers, while only 16.77 and 5.69%, respectively of paper makers marked these criteria. Paper makers strongly believe that many retailers sell toilet paper as a loss-leader. By comparing those matters considered important for recycling by consumers with those considered important by makers, it was shown thatmany makers have a clear awareness of the particular problem, the lack of used paper consumption, in the current paper recycling situation in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the recycling attitudes of consumers in Germany and Japan, based on our nationwide questionnaires. We analyzed consumption behavior as well as recycling behavior in narrow sense, becauseit is important to study the former to see how the supply of recycled materials is balanced with the demand, particularly in Japan which exports little recycled materials. Toilet paper was adopted as a specific good for study, because consumers have options of buying virgin products and recycled products. It was found that German households pay for waste collection specifically and have higher recycling rates than Japanese households. On the other hand, similar figures in German and Japanese consumers were observed with regard to consumption of recycled products. Their purchasing criteria and preference on virginand recycled products of toilet paper were examined by self-report and blind test with 2x 2 experimental design for toilet paper (German versus Japanese, virgin versus recycled). Blind test showed that people prefer domestic and virgin products in both countries. Half of respondents rating virgin products guessed that the products contained recycled material. For Japanese, the material of the sample toilet paper, made from virgin pulp, seems to be a more determining factor thanthe nationality of products, i.e. made in Japan. On the other hand, for Germans, the domestic nature seems to be a more dominant factor than the material, i.e. made from virgin material. Canonical discriminant analysis in conjunction with logistic regression based on self-reporting data detected the characters `multiplied', `appearance' and `brand' as major factors making the difference in preference between the two countries. The possible reasons causing the similarity and dissimilarity between the two countries are discussed with reference to the background history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the extent to which banks use public credit guaranteed loans for distant small business borrowers. Existing studies argue that when banks offer loans for these borrowers, the information asymmetry between them is often severe. These studies then empirically demonstrate how banks can mitigate this problem. We focus instead on the role of Japan's public credit guarantee scheme in mitigating these same information problems, an approach unaddressed in the literature. If banks offer credit guaranteed loans, they suffer few losses from borrower default because the public credit guarantee corporations (not the small business borrowers) make payments to the banks. Therefore, banks can offer loans to informationally opaque and distant borrowers. To conduct the econometric analysis, we use semiannual bank-region-level data from Japan, which allows us to control for several unobserved fixed effects. The results reveal that credit guarantee loan size is larger and the default rate higher when banks offer credit guaranteed loans to distant borrowers. These findings suggest that banks successfully mitigate the losses of distant lending using the public credit guarantee scheme, thereby providing a valuable contribution to the small business finance literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active thin film electrochromic or thermochromic coatings have been used in smart windows. However, the current cost of active thin film windows is approximately 10 times that of passive film windows. This paper proposes an inexpensive passive thin metal film for all-season energy savings. The proposed passive thin metal film allows heat to flow preferentially in one direction. Thin metal films attached to glass indoor can absorb solar heat and the solar can radiate the heat to a room and to the glass respectively until thermal equilibrium. Because of the heated metal film against the room, as long as the temperature of the film is higher than that of the room, there is no heat flux from the room to the thin metal film which is called perfect thermal insulation. The 960m2 film was installed in an actual hotel in Japan over 10 years and contributed to reducing the energy cost of air conditioning from 54 million yen to 43 million yen, demonstrating an annual energy savings of 11 million yen (US$0.1 million). This paper briefly describes how the proposed economical passive thin metal film will provide all-season energy savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 2020, the Japanese government launched the "Go To Travel" campaign, providing subsidies for domestic travel, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. While the campaign aimed to revitalize the declining tourism industry, concerns were raised about its potential to spread infection. Although the literature indicates that the campaign increased hotel reservations, its causal effects on infection are not well-known. Using a difference-in-differences framework, this paper examines whether the campaign increased the number of domestic hotel guests and caused the virus to spread. The results show that the campaign increased the number of domestic hotel guests, as travel was not a Giffen good even at the risk of contracting COVID-19. However, the campaign did not increase infection spread in Japan, as it did not increase the transient population in the downtown areas. Moreover, this study provides a comprehensive cost–benefit analysis of the campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Devising an appropriate dental treatment plan for patients with pre-existing medical conditions is a demanding task. Dentists must consider the sometimes life threatening, interactions between ongoing medical conditions and dental treatment. Stakes are particularly high for the elderly on prescription drugs and other therapies for medical conditions while they seek dental care for advanced oral diseases. Given that Japan is an ageing society, it is crucial to create avenues for medical and dental practitioners to share patient information and collaborate.to,improve care This paper examined trends from demographic data to suggest that there is an impending further rise in the number of medically compromised elderly seeking dental treatment. For patient safety and improved public health, it is important that dental practitioners evaluate the nature and ongoing treatment of pre-existing medical conditions amongst new patients and account for their impact on dedicated and dental status. This paper supports the relevance of comprehensive clinical practice guidelines and the need to train dental practitioners to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to dental care. In order to meet the future needs of an ageing population, the Japanese Society of Dentistry for Medically Compromised Patients needs to take initiative and suggest mechanisms to exchange patient information freely and encourage multidisciplinary dental practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the macroeconomic effects of the Bank of Japan's expansionary monetary policies since the introduction of Quantitative and Qualitative Monetary Easing (QQE) using the Bank of Japan's large-scale macroeconomic model, the Quarterly Japanese Economic Model. We consider counterfactual paths of major financial variables, such as real interest rates, constructing hypothetical scenarios where the QQE and subsequent easing measures had not been introduced. We then conduct counterfactual simulations to examine how Japan's macroeconomic variables, such as real GDP and CPI, would have evolved under those hypothetical scenarios. In these settings, we estimate the policy effects on the macroeconomic variables as the difference between actual values and the counterfactual values. The estimation results demonstrate that, on average, during the period from the introduction of QQE to the July–September quarter of 2020, the policy effect on the level of real GDP is between around 0.9 and 1.3 percent, and on the year-on-year rate of change in the CPI (all items less fresh food and energy) is between around 0.6 and 0.7 percentage points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For policymakers who intend to make decisions on the policy to stimulate economic growth and enhance job opportunities, business demography statistics serve as important data sources for promoting entrepreneurship, which is a key for the policy. Business demography, which usually consists of annual demographic information such as the number of births, deaths, and survivals of businesses, can be produced from a business register in many countries. In Japan, however, it is difficult to produce business demography directly from the Japanese business resister called Establishment Frame Database because the major data source for the database is the Economic Census, conducted twice every five years. Alternatively, business demography can be estimated using the data of the Economic Census. However, it has been pointed out that short-lived births of businesses are hardly grasped by the estimation using the data of statistical surveys such as the Economic Census at intervals of more than one year. This paper introduces a stochastic model to cope with the above issue and proposes a calculation formula to estimate the number of short-lived births of businesses as well as other demographic indicators of business demography. Then the paper is followed by a numerical example, which proves to overcome the shortcomings of previous methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan is one of the world's leading super-aging societies, with the highest average life expectancy in the world. 30.3% of the population will be 65 years old or older by 2025, and 13.0% will be 75 years old or older. In addition, the number of heart failure patients is increasing yearly. The number of heart failure patients is increasing by about 10,000 each year and is estimated to reach 1.2 million by 2020 and 1.3 million by 2030. The reason for the rapid increase in the number of heart failure patients in Japan is the aging of the population. Therefore, machine learning to predict atrial fibrillation is employed in this paper. We conducted a trial using risk assessment of cerebral infarction and other factors. As a result of the analysis, we extracted highly influential evaluation indices for each characteristic of atrial fibrillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes three creative teaching activities that motivate and engage students into active learning. The teaching methods used include hybrid e-learning and virtual reality. The hybrid e-learning style is a combination of e-learning and a hands-on activity in a laboratory setting. For one hybrid e-learning project, students are asked to design, build, and test seawalls to help protect Japan from future tsunamis. In the other hybrid e-learning project, student teams are challenged to invent the best tasting nutritious fruit juice by using various fruits, blenders, water, plasticware, and other items. For the third project, participants use virtual reality (VR) headsets to learn about rollercoasters and to experience the thrill of riding on one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the simultaneous effects of oil shocks on stock markets under different regimes in Norway (as an oil-exporting economy) and Japan (as an oil-importing economy). We use a Structural Threshold VAR model and rely on the monetary policy's effectiveness. Our results show that oil shocks, mainly oil demand shocks, are significantly associated with the oil structure of the country (oil-exporting or oil-importing), channels of the effectiveness of the monetary policy, and the stock market regimes. Furthermore, the channel through which the money supply growth affects Norway's economic growth depends on the stock market regimes. Moreover, the results persist for the money growth-inflation nexus. Similarly, the impact of oil demand shocks depends on the Japanese stock market's regime and the monetary policy's effectiveness. Finally, we find that positive output shocks positively affect the stock markets of both countries in the long run regardless of the stock market conditions. In the short run, a positive inflation shock has a negative (positive) impact on Norway (Japan) during bullish and bearish market conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University campuses are known to be a driving force of knowledge. Moreover, due to campuses' impact on their surroundings, they are also considered as a driving force of physical, social, cultural, and economic change. Therefore, this paper conducts a statistical multi-variate analysis to uncover campus-neighbourhood interaction and the following socio-economic outcomes. Thirteen different variables related to 43 university campuses in Japan and their neighbourhoods' attributes have been collected and measured. Principal component analysis and multi-linear regression analysis have been applied to uncover associations between selected variables. Additionally, k-means cluster analysis has been applied to discover hidden spatial trends between selected cases studies. Findings have shown that campuses located in highly urbanised accessible neighbourhoods create numerous benefits for students such as maximising students' residential preferences and modes of transportation. The main outcome of this paper lies in providing the grounds for a holistic framework towards a better decision making for campus development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed at explore international ocean governance issues through the perspective of Japan's nuclear contaminated water discharge to the sea. This paper analyzes the core issue of Japan's plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the ocean from the perspectives of Japan's international legal obligation, law enforcement issues, and judicial issues after integrated analyzing academic research paper and cases. Japan has obligations such as timely notification, information disclosure, environmental impact assessment, and avoidance of transboundary harm. Intergovernmental and non-governmental international organizations, such as IAEA, IMO and WHO should play a role in setting up an international group of experts to carry out monitoring and assessment, and whose positions and attitudes are important references for judging Japan's behavior. Cases heard before ICJ, ITLOS, and advisory opinion proceeding could provide reference from the judicial perspective on the issue of transboundary harm and proof of damages. Furthermore, this paper discusses the response strategies that the international community especially the opponents may adopt, including promoting the adoption of relevant treaties, take a combination of requesting advisory opinion and file arbitration, establish effective international monitoring mechanism, and engage in close communication with stakeholders. • This paper explored international ocean governance issues through the discharge of Japan's nuclear contaminated water. • This paper majored in Japan's international legal obligation, law enforcement issues, and judicial issues. • This paper discussed the response strategies that the international community especially the opponents may adopt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape pressures in fisheries governance systems ranging from the impacts of climate change to the detrimental impacts of overfishing are beginning to pressure regime actors to act. One way regime actors have responded to fisheries issues is through the promotion of sustainable seafood certification. In this paper, we utilize the Pathway for Transitions (Geels and Schot, 2007) as a theoretical lens to examine how the sustainable seafood certification innovation represents a transformation pathway through regime actors' power. In addition, we bring light to alternative niche groups which base their governance strategies on local ecological knowledge and work to be inclusive of small-scale fishers. In many traditional fishing communities in Japan, local knowledge structures regarding social-ecological systems are crucial for sustainable governance. While some studies have been done on sustainable seafood certification, how they impact local knowledge structures has yet to be fully examined. We found, despite local knowledge structures theoretically acknowledged, powerful political-economic actors do not draw from them, but instead push for sustainable seafood certification as a way to cope with external shocks. Our research illuminates three groups which highlight important aspects of sustainable governance at the niche level, demonstrating the need to incorporate power dynamics as a factor in sustainability transitions. They include; 1) a NGO actively governing through local knowledge, 2) inclusive governance activities, and, 3) a platform for small-scale fishers' agency. If regime-level innovations, such as sustainable seafood certification, continue to determine how sustainability should be practiced, local knowledge structures will be lost to standardization. We contend that by acknowledging and utilizing local knowledge from local actors, it could contribute to a more just form of governance through equitable participation of small-scale fishers and their local ecological knowledge validated. • Popular works reflect a unilateral image fisheries, overlooking local knowledge. • In Japan, the governance structure reinforces power over sustainability discourse. • Certifications are regime-led transitions via western ecological knowledge. • Alternatives include; diversity, advocacy, and features local knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing number of dementia patients is one of the major social problems in Japan. Early detection and prevention of dementia is important. Many welfare facilities use check tests to measure the progression of dementia. However, some elderly people can be very nervous about assessment tests. In addition, the evaluation tests should be conducted regularly to assess the cognitive function of the patient over time, which can be a huge burden for medical and care providers. On the other hand, research papers have recently reported that it is possible to measure cognitive functions by focusing on brain functions and eye movements. In this paper, the authors aimed to develop a new dementia evaluation system to reduce the burden on medical staff and elderly persons. As the first step of this project, we focused on eye movement and employed a simple puzzle game to collect a patient's eye movement. Because of COVID-19, we could not conduct experiments at care houses; instead, we conducted a preliminary experiment with healthy subjects and collected eye movement data during the puzzle game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper develops a trust-based framework of participation in the energy transitions context. • We test the framework in the case study of a national energy deliberative polling in Japan in 2012. • We found that distrust in information, motives, and competence were three key dimensions in the trust gap. • The co-existence of the vertical, horizontal, and temporal dimensions revealed the complexity of trust gap. • The design of the deliberative principles, the distrust context, and the politics of energy policy-making were found to be the three critical factors that impeded gap-closing processes. A global decline in public trust has created a strong need for governments worldwide to engage citizens in order to enhance policy legitimacy and ensure effective post-Fukushima energy transitions. Deliberative policy-making – an advanced form of participatory policy-making that emphasises dialogue and debate – is widely regarded as an intervention that can enhance trust and subsequently legitimacy of energy transitions policies. However, the potential and limits of deliberative policy-making remain the subject of debate. This paper contributes to this debate by exploring deliberative policy-making from a trust perspective. We develop a trust-based systems framework of deliberative policy-making in the energy transitions context to understand, examine, and conceptualise the quality of such policy-making processes. Our framework is tested and applied to a case study of a national deliberative poll (DP) on energy held in Japan in 2012. This study draws on qualitative and quantitative data derived from the DP, in particular from a two-day deliberative forum involving 285 citizens. The findings indicate that the existence of a trust gap may jeopardise the quality of deliberative processes where citizen participation is considered as an input and enhanced policy legitimacy as an output of a policy-making system. We also show that the trust gap is a complicated concept consisting of three dimensions (trust in information, motives, and competence) and three types of directional dynamics (vertical, horizontal, and temporal). Our study identifies the context of public distrust as well as the broader political environment as two critical contextual conditions that may inhibit the closure of the trust gap. Our study contains rich insights on deliberative policy-making in the energy context, arguing that it carries no guarantee of enhanced policy legitimacy. Policy-makers in the energy transitions field need to focus attention on creating the conditions to build public trust in order to enhance policy legitimacy and thus realise the potential benefits of deliberative practices of policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local food is often explained by drawing on fixed ideas of scale or value, but such fixed notions of local food inevitably oversimplify the diversity of situated local food mosaics. This paper develops the application of scalar politics to strengthen analysis of the situated initiatives, institutions, discourses, and practices that shape scalar impacts and aspects of local food. I develop this approach through a case study of jidori chicken, a prominent symbol of local food in Japan. Through archival research and semi-structured interviews with key actors, I analyze the emergence of jidori as a category of artisan chicken linked to notions of local food. The national government introduced a standard that set minimum levels for the commercial use of jidori and made jidori legible to industrial and corporate approaches. Even though I trace the material and discursive construction of jidori from a municipality in Akita prefecture to jidori's recognition in international haute cuisine, I argue that the mosaic of local food initiatives linked through jidori defies simple hierarchical relationships. This case study of jidori from a non-Western context helps to destabilize common assumptions of local food's scale and political orientation in the Anglophone literature. This article has two main contributions. First, the application of scalar politics to local food better recognizes the mosaic-like spatial entanglements of local food. Second, in moving beyond fixed notions of scale or values, this paper encourages a broader exploration of local food in non-Western contexts. • Develops the application of scalar politics to local food to advance theoretical approaches to local food beyond fixed notions of scales or values. • Analyzes the emergence of jidori as a category of artisan chicken linked to notions of local food through archival research and semi-structured interviews with key actors. • Encourages a broader exploration of local food in non-Western contexts. • The application of scalar politics to local food better recognizes the mosaic-like spatial entanglements of local food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender imbalance in academia has been confirmed in terms of a variety of indicators, and its magnitude often varies from country to country. Europe and North America, which cover a large fraction of research workforce in the world, have been the main geographical regions for research on gender imbalance in academia. However, the academia in East Asia, which accounts for a substantial fraction of research, may be exposed to strong gender imbalance because Asia has been facing persistent and stronger gender imbalance in society at large than Europe and North America. Here we use publication data between 1950 and 2020 to analyze gender imbalance in academia in China, Japan, and South Korea in terms of the number of researchers, their career, and citation practice. We found that, compared to the average of the other countries, gender imbalance is larger in these three East Asian countries in terms of the number of researchers and their citation practice and additionally in Japan in terms of research career. Moreover, we found that Japan has been exposed to the larger gender imbalance than China and South Korea in terms of research career and citation practice. • We quantify gender imbalance in the academia in China, Japan, and South Korea. • The three countries have had a small fraction of female researchers. • Papers from the three countries under-cite female-led papers. • Japan is largely subject to stronger gender imbalance than China and South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on evidence-based marine policymaking is still immature, especially regarding the utilization of text data. This study visualized the transition of ocean policy in Japan using text mining technique applied to the text data of three annual reports: the Fishery white paper from 2007 to 2020, Environmental white paper from 2008 to 2020, and Ocean white paper from 2004 to 2020. The results of the analysis were compared with the expert interviews on each subject. Based on latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic model analysis, significant differences in topics were observed among these white papers, while they all clearly responded to the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in 2011 with their unique topics. Major transitions in topics occurred several times over the years for all white papers. For the Fishery white paper and Environmental white paper issued by the government agencies, notable transitions occurred in 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2012, 2018, respectively, which were mainly caused by the revisions of relevant laws; while for the Ocean white paper issued by non-government organization, transitions occurred in 2009 and 2016, which were closely related to the development of worldwide ocean initiatives. The expert interviews revealed that the experts' views on the topics and the transitions of policy focuses were generally consistent with the unsupervised analysis results. Automated visualization of policy transition in each organization accelerates the extraction of their directions and roles in policymaking which will help provide scientific evidence for identifying future opportunities for inter-organizational collaboration. • Three types of ocean-related white papers in Japan were analyzed using topic model. • Significant differences in topics were observed among these white papers. • Chronological transition in topics occurred for all white papers over time. • Topic transition mainly caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and related laws. • Expert interviews validated the plausibility of the analysis results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper simulates the effects of intergenerational earnings mobility on individual welfare and future demography in an aging and depopulating Japan. A simulation analysis finds that increased intergenerational mobility across income classes promotes economic growth, and from a long-term perspective, a higher mobility potentially achieves Pareto improvements. In the long run, however, it will hinder economic growth. This is because increased mobility increases the population share of individuals with a higher labor productivity, enhancing economic growth in the initial stage, but because of their lower fertility, an increase in their population ratio negatively effects the total population over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to reveal the kinds of public investment that create a fiscal common pool problem through municipal mergers in Japan. In particular, we focus on whether municipal mergers increase road and public park construction immediately before the mergers because previous papers reveal that municipal mergers increase only local bonds. The empirical results show that subordinate merger partners rapidly increase their road and public park expenses just before mergers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the entrepreneurship strategy is demonstrated by evidence as a path to enhance the performance of service firms, the question of how it happens has yet to be adequately studied in the tourism and hospitality (T&H) realm. More specifically, how an entrepreneurial strategy enables a T&H firm to enhance its performance through service innovation exploration-exploitation ambidexterity has created a strategic dilemma in extant T&H literature. Constructed on the dynamic capabilities view and organizational ambidexterity theory, our paper addresses this dilemma using data from a drop-and-collect survey of 303 T&H firms in Japan. The findings reveal that entrepreneurial strategy fosters service innovation exploitation and service innovation exploration within T&H firms. In contrast, service innovation exploitation helps T&H firms design unique service offerings, yielding a sustained competitive advantage and superior corporate performance in the long run. Further, the availability of slack resources within T&H firms fosters service innovation exploration and service innovation exploitation. • The effect of service innovation exploration and exploitation and their effects on service design and sustained competitive advantage • The findings reveal that service innovation exploration and exploitation have differential effects on sustained competitive advantage. • This research shows that service innovation exploitation is significantly related to sustained competitive advantage, whereas service innovation exploration is not. • The link between entrepreneurial strategy and performance is mediated by service innovation exploitation, service design, and sustained competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the automatic analysis of natural environment images acquired with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) has rapidly gained popularity. UAVs are specially important in mountainous forests where access is difficult and large areas need to be surveyed. In Zao mountains in northeastern Japan, regenerated fir saplings are competing with sub-alpine vegetation shrubs after a severe fir tree mortality caused by bark beetle infestation. A detailed survey of vegetation distribution is key to improve our understanding of species succession and the influence of climate change in that process. To that end, we evaluated the suitability of deep-learning-based automatic image classification of UAV images in order to map sub-alpine vegetation succession in large areas and the potential of fir regeneration. In order to assess the contribution of this technology in this research field, we first conducted an observer study to assess the difficulty for humans of the task of classifying vegetation from images. Afterwards, we compared the observers' accuracy to four state-of-the art deep learning networks for automatic image classification. The best observer accuracy of 55% demonstrates the limitations of species classification using only images. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the sources of error showed that even though humans could differentiate between deciduous and evergreen species with an accuracy of 96%, identifying the correct species within each group proved much more challenging. In contrast, deep learning networks achieved accuracy values in the range of 70–80% for species classification, clearly demonstrating capabilities beyond human experts. Our experiments also indicated that the performance of these networks was significantly influenced by the similarity between the datasets used to fine-tune them and evaluate them. This fact highlights the importance of building publicly available images databases to further improve the results. Nevertheless, the results presented in this paper show that the analysis of UAV-acquired with deep learning networks can usher in a new type of large-scale study, spanning tenths or even hundreds of hectares with high spatial resolution (of a few cms per pixel), providing the ability to assess challenging vegetation dynamics problems that go beyond the ability of conventional fieldwork methodologies. • UAV Shrub image classification. • Deep Learning vs human expert comparison. • Focus on Practical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies urban–rural mobilities in contemporary Japan using several island communities in the Setouchi region of the Seto Inland Sea as a case study. It seeks to examine the phenomenon of den-en kaiki (rural return) with a focus on young Japanese urbanites moving to depopulated regions outside large cities. Based on a 15-month ethnographic study, the paper draws on original in-depth qualitative interviews with 35 individuals in their 20s–40s. The findings show that while some may be more traditional "lifestyle migrants," many are adopting rural living as a temporary escape from the city and are not necessarily committed to staying long term. The narratives reveal diverse mobilities as a reflection of the changing attitudes of young Japanese attempting to find meaning and satisfaction while sustaining a livelihood in post-growth Japan. The growing importance of the "relationship population," referring to urbanites who spend extended time in rural communities but do not live there, is discussed to broaden existing conceptions of rural mobilities from the Japanese context. The messiness of rural mobilities in contemporary Japan highlights the need for an expanded understanding of concepts such as counter-urbanization to include various forms of exchange and consider how they can contribute to the future sustainability of rural spaces. • Fluid urban-rural mobilities are reflective of new values amongst young Japanese. • I-turners displayed varying levels of commitment to rural living while U-turners are more likely to settle. • Ethnographic data reveal a desire to explore alternatives to traditional lifelong employment. • Urban-rural migrants struggle to balance financial security with lifestyle aspirations. • More study on the 'relationship population' as a growing influence on the future of rural Japan is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors regret to inform readers of the following corrections required in the article. Upon meticulous examination, an error has been identified in the data concerning the fixed-capital utilization matrix C, detailed in Section 2.2 of the paper. Regrettably, this discrepancy has resulted in an inaccurate calculation of the material carbon footprint, encompassing the effect of fixed-capital supply chain. The authors regret that the values of the material footprint (MF) in the sentences [Our results show that the fixed-capital formation was responsible for 454 million tons MF,...] and [The fixed-capital formation for the service sector produced an MF of 168 million tons ...] are incorrect. The correct value are 428 million tons and 145 million tons, respectively. [Display omitted] The authors regret that the values of the material and carbon footprint are incorrect. The correct version of graphical abstract is the one provided here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a fractional-order SIRD mathematical model is presented with Caputo derivative for the transmission of COVID-19 between humans. We calculate the steady-states of the system and discuss their stability. We also discuss the existence and uniqueness of a non-negative solution for the system under study. Additionally, we obtain an approximate response by implementing the fractional Euler method. Next, we investigate the first and the second waves of the disease in Iran and Japan; then we give a prediction concerning the second wave of the disease. We display the numerical simulations for different derivative orders in order to evaluate the efficacy of the fractional concept on the system behaviors. We also calculate the optimal control of the system and display its numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyze the relationship between the marketing mix and new product diffusion models. The goal is to obtain a general new product diffusion model that incorporates the classic 4Ps model of the Marketing Mix: Product, Price, Place, Promotion. An empirical study was conducted using mobile broadband adoption data in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose necessary conditions for antifragile project management, based on the Deming paradigm (a much richer version of statistical process control), named after W.E.Deming, who revolutionized the industry in Japan. We analyze in detail the concept of antifragility and extend it from probability theory to epistemology by proposing mechanisms that make a system antifragile, with application to knowledge as a complex system. These mechanisms are related with the internal dynamics of the system such as recursiveness, rather than the response to external stimuli. We built upon a previous work in which we propose quality of product or service as a payoff instead of short-term revenue. An antifragile project management strategy therefore means convexity of quality as a function of random events, uncertainty and lack of information, with quality itself being the random variable towards which the probability density distribution is locally convex. We propose Deming paradigms of management as necessary conditions in achieving antifragility of project management. They are related to the ability to extract the maximum of information from the smallest of errors – i) understanding variation ii) having a theory, iii) managing teams as complex systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The infection dynamics of COVID-19 show frequent phases in which the infection spreads rapidly, resembling explosive infection. However, despite the repeated increases and decreases, there is a process of convergence even within a relatively short period of time. While it is obvious that the growth rate of the cumulative number of infected people slows down as it increases, considering the infectious disease process, we also observe a slowdown in the growth rate of the net number of infected people. Moreover, there exists a special type of convergence whereby areas with initially many infected people exhibit low rates of increase in the numbers of infected people subsequently. This paper uses prefectural panel data from Japan through March 2021 to confirm the convergence process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The five functions of government-market dynamics are critical to SG deployment. • China and Japan differ in the ways that government actors engage market actors. • China's approach is hierarchical; Japan's approach is more systemic. • National contextual differences can explain the variety of dynamics and outcomes. • Optimising government-making dynamics is vital to realising SG potentials. Smart grids (SGs) have been increasingly regarded as an enabling technology for post-Fukushima energy transitions. SGs require new policies and market infrastructures to deliver their potential, but the roles of governments in increasingly market based energy systems have not been well conceptualised. Advancing the socio-technical energy transitions literature, this paper proposes five functions of government-market dynamics in an integrated framework, and applies the framework in the field of smart grid developments in two Asian countries, China and Japan. Based on interviews with 38 key stakeholders, this study has three main findings. First, both countries have in common that the five functions of government-market dynamics are critical in developing, diffusing and utilising SG technologies. Second, China and Japan exhibit distinctive characteristics in the ways that government actors engage market actors. While the Chinese approach is more hierarchical, fragmented and homogenous led by two monopolised grid companies, the Japanese approach is a relatively systemic, bottom-up, and heterogeneous system mainly operated through four large-scale SG demonstration projects. Third, national contextual differences, most notably the advancement of electricity market reforms, explain the variety of the dynamics and outcomes. This paper concludes that consideration of optimising government-market dynamics is vital to create conductive conditions for realising the potential that SGs can offer in energy transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on multi-year fieldwork in two wine regions in two emerging wine producing counties, namely Erlin in Taiwan and the Kofu Basin in Japan, this paper discusses key institutional arrangements contributing the development processes of wine sector in the New-New World. Unlike existing studies on the catch-up experiences of wine industries in the New World with emphases on the capability-enhancing mechanisms embedded in the state- or MNC-initiated trans-local networks, this paper finds that the development of Taiwanese and Japanese wine sectors in these two regions has been driven mainly by local actors' active exploration of competence residing in their regional networks. This article employs the Triple Helix (TH) and Innovation systems (IS) as principal frameworks to narrow the research focus on the industry-government-university interaction, and examine the development process and nature of critical institutions supporting the interactive learning and collaboration among the TH actors. Through studying the cases of Taiwanese and Japanese wine industries, this paper goes beyond stating "institutions matter" as in existing IS and TH literature, by illuminating on how to develop institutions to allow actors' interaction to occur and be boosted especially when their local TH are still in the early phase of formation. • This article explains key mechanisms influencing the development of two newly-emerged wine-producing countries. • It provides cases demonstrating the effectiveness of the Triple Helix and Innovation systems as principal frameworks. • It illuminates how to develop institutions to allow enhanced interaction between actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the order acceptance and scheduling problem with worker–operation assignment considering the precedence constraint in the divisional seru production system, which is a new production type derived from Japan and can achieve responsiveness, flexibility, and efficiency simultaneously. With limited production capacity and workers with different skill sets and skill levels, the problem considered in this paper includes three sub-problems: (i) assigning workers to each seru , (ii) making the order acceptance and scheduling plan, and (iii) allocating workers to operations for each order. Subsequently, a nonlinear integer programming model is established for improving the total net revenue, and a bi-level nested heuristic algorithm is designed due to its intractable computation. Computational experiments are made finally, and results show that the objective value obtained by the bi-level nested heuristic algorithm is 3% better than the bi-level genetic algorithm, and the running time is shortened by 99.23%. That is, the proposed bi-level nested heuristic algorithm can achieve better results and higher efficiency for divisional seru order acceptance and scheduling problems. • A new production system, seru , is introduced and the divisional seru order acceptance and scheduling problem is studied. • The integer programming model for the studied problem is presented, and a bi-level nested heuristic algorithm is designed. • The experimental results indicate that the proposed solution methodology is effective and robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to many high-income countries, there is no clear positive relationship between maternal education and employment in Japan. However, recent policy, normative, and labor market changes are expected to have encouraged highly educated women to continue working, especially in regular employment, resulting in an increasing positive educational gradient. Despite this expectation, little is known about the changes in the educational gradient in recent cohorts. This paper examines the changes in the educational gradient in women's employment around their first and second births using nationally representative panel survey data of women born in the 1960–1989 cohorts in Japan. The results show a significant increase in the positive educational gradient in employment rates around the first and second births in the 1980s cohort. Highly educated women are more likely to be in regular employment and less likely to leave employment, which contributes to their higher employment continuity. Conversely, the employment rates of women with lower levels of education have not increased to the same extent across the cohorts, and they have become more likely to be in nonstandard employment. These findings suggest that the weak relationship between maternal education and employment is changing in Japan, which may contribute to greater inequality in the labor market, household, and offspring outcomes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the Japanese government has shown great interest in automated driving and has invested in related projects. This paper first aims to investigate the government's expectations of automated driving at three levels: project, function, and societal, and how the sociotechnical vision "Society 5.0″ is used to justify and drive automated driving-related policies. Second, it discusses how Japan's sociotechnical imaginaries of state-led national development and the corresponding governance approach synergistically relate to the performativity of expectations in the policy process. I analyze "Society 5.0″, and expectations of automated driving, in eleven governmental documents released between 2013 and 2020. The results show a strong emphasis on the benefits to the older population and the economy. This reflects imaginaries of national security and success based on economic growth and scientific and technological superiority, which contribute to inflating expectations. Both the government's historical intervention in technology development and Shinzo Abe's exercise of political leadership contribute to the fact that "Society 5.0″ is considered a "common understanding", and technological expectations are easily bound on policymakers in policy planning and implementation. While the government tries to be agile and responsive to global change, its approach stifles creativity in designing future sociotechnical systems. • Expectations for automated driving are interrelated at the project-, function-, and societal-levels. • The Abe administration made sense of expectations of productivity gains from automated driving by linking them to the issues of Japan's aging population and economic recession. • A top-down and systematic policy process based on imaginaries of state-led national development accelerates the diffusion of visions and expectations. • The national sociotechnical vision "Society 5.0″ has successfully legitimated the Government's R&D initiatives as a common understanding of the times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Able-bodied, and increasingly people with disabilities, represent a key audience for mega-events; occasions that act as crucibles where social problems endemic to host destinations can be exposed and tackled through targeted social policy. Drawing on the social model of disability, the paper examines how Japan utilised Tokyo 2020 as a field configuring event to disrupt systems of ableist thinking and tackle physical and attitudinal barriers restricting Persons with Disabilities (PwD) to accessible tourism. Qualitative evidence reveals national commitments to relegitimise, improve accessibility for - and acceptance toward - PwD in Japanese society, through transformations to the built environment, national awareness, and educational campaigns in the build up to Tokyo 2020. An over-emphasis on physical as opposed to social structural change mean negative attitudes often persist, where disability remains stigmatised, leading to PwD immobility and social exclusion. Our policy recommendations and managerial implications, alongside research directions attend to this disability-attitude gap. • Mega-events can disrupt systems of ableist thinking, restricting tourist mobility. • Social model of disability recognises physical and attitudinal barriers must be equally attended to. • Tokyo 2020 levered to improve accessibility for and acceptance toward Persons with Disabilities. • Transformations to the built environment and positive representations illustrated across Japan. • Over-emphasis on physical as opposed to social structural change reveals 'disability-attitude gap'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We used airborne topo-bathymetric LiDAR to obtain both vegetation and bed data. • A LiDAR point cloud was used to assess flow resistance in vegetated flooded rivers. • The proposed method was checked using Asahi River flooding simulations. • Results demonstrate that the method estimates the distributed flow resistance well. • These reported findings can support flood control work design for vegetated rivers. This paper describes application of airborne LiDAR bathymetry (ALB) with near-infrared and green pulsed lasers for gathering distributed vegetation conditions and topo-bathymetric data for rivers. For the lower Asahi River of Okayama Prefecture in Japan, the ALB data validity was verified using field observation data. This study also examined the applicability of ALB data for numerical simulations of the lower Asahi River flooding in early July 2018 in Japan, comparing simulated and observed data. Results demonstrated that the methodology for this study works well for parameterization of distributed vegetation on a reach scale. This study also applied numerical tests to investigate the effects of vegetation establishment on flood control plans for the lower Asahi River using parameters validated for flood flow simulations. Results demonstrate that the predicted water level markedly exceeds the high water level because of thick vegetation presently established along few-kilometer-long upstream sections of the targeted river reach. Therefore, we conclude that the present findings can support cost-effective management tasks for vegetated rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global population is concentrating unprecedentedly into urban areas, raising concerns on global sustainability and human well-being. There also exists a niche trend of migration from urban to rural areas particularly in countries with post-industrial economies. This paper investigated values of migration expressed by the migrants arrived in Hokuto City, a Japanese rural municipality experiencing pervasive population decline but is also a popular destination for migrants from urban areas. Statistical analyses of 868 responses to a Hokuto City's migrant survey between April 2017 and January 2019 identified their common values of migration, i.e., nature, housing and food. In addition to these common values, households with different demographic characteristics had different priorities: employment for singles in ages between 16 and 29; favorable environment for raising children for married couples in their 30s and 40s; not specific or 'lifestyle' for migrants in 50s; and staying with or near family for retirees over 60 years. Knowledge of heterogeneity in migrants and of their values, as described herein, will enable targeted policies and public services concerning migration. Widespread acceptance of teleworking after experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic might offer people of working age, particularly in their 20s and younger, a wider range of options of places to work and live, and thus is likely to influence future urban-rural population flow. A more detailed analysis of the region's natural attributes which are central to the values of migration to rural areas, such as Hokuto City, will be useful to inform regional land use planning that is salient to the values of migrants. • The natural environment, comfortable housing and food are important and common values for the migrants to Hokuto City. • Households of different traits had different priorities of some value types that were decisive in their migration decision. • Migrants in 20s or less prioritized job, implying that now widespread teleworking potentially influences migration decision. • More detailed analyses of the nature-related values can help landscape management that is salient to the values of migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper reviews the recent environmental deterioration in Ariake Sea, Japan, including an increased frequency of red tides and hypoxic waters and decreased fishery production. Analysis of the mechanisms of environmental deterioration suggests that it is possibly induced by the decrease in tidal flat area, decreases in the tide and tidal current and changes in the sediment environment. The Isahaya Bay reclamation project resulted in the loss of 1550 ha of tidal flats, and is one of the possible reasons for the decreases in the tide and tidal current. Therefore, some fishermen and researchers believe that opening the reclamation project dike's floodgates is an effective environmental restoration countermeasure for Ariake Sea. However, the central government decided not to open the floodgates at present due to strong opposition from local farmers, and some researchers believe that the influences of the Isahaya Bay reclamation project on the environmental changes outside of Isahaya Bay are minor. Several lawsuits regarding these relationships and the opening of the dike's floodgates are currently under dispute. To revive Ariake Sea as a sustainable ecosystem, other countermeasures for environmental restoration are suggested and discussed in this paper. Highlights • Ariake Sea has displayed signs of environmental deterioration in recent years. • Possible mechanism is decrease in tidal amplitude, tidal current and tidal flats. • The Isahaya Bay reclamation is one of the potential causes for environmental changes. • Dispute has arisen concerning opening the reclamation project dike's floodgates. • Countermeasures for reviving Ariake Sea as a sustainable ecosystem are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When confronted with challenging conditions, becoming innovative by recombining available resources is considered a critical determinant of tourism and hospitality (T&H) SMEs' resilience to risk and staying ahead of rivals. Grounded on the resource-based view theory and dynamic capabilities paradigm, this paper investigates how entrepreneurial bricolage drives the sustained competitive advantage of T&H SMEs despite resource constraints. Following the mixed-methods research design, empirical data from nine in-depth interviews and a survey with 246 T&H SMEs in Japan reveal that differences in strategic management initiatives in the form of risk management and differentiation advantage mediate the positive effects of entrepreneurial bricolage on achieving sustained competitive advantage. Consequently, this paper extends the potential of the dynamic capabilities view as an underlying theory in tourism and hospitality literature. • Discusses the recombining available resources as a critical determinant of organizational resilience on risk management. • Proposes a theoretically-driven model showing how entrepreneurial bricolage enables T&H SMEs to achieve a SCA. • Uncovers entrepreneurial bricolage and risk management functioned as dynamic capabilities to seize and leverage market opportunities. • Extends the potential of the dynamic capabilities view as an underlying theory in tourism and hospitality literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April 2021, the Japanese government decided to release tonnes of radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, a decision that will likely to pose a direct threat to the marine environment of not only Japan, but also the jurisdictional waters of neighboring countries. Legal measures such as litigation against Japan has been an option for the neighboring countries, although they require more time than available, unless interim measure are ordered. Based on a multidisciplinary research approach that integrates open-source research data, authoritative data and conclusions, this paper shows that since the ocean is a complex and changeable system and radionuclides could be redistributed by the ocean currents and eddies, the radioactive wastewater discharge will cause or likely to cause contamination in fish products and fishing grounds and have negative impact on marine life and humans. In response to the widely known skepticism regarding the application and efficiency of international law concerning the 2011 Fukushima Daichii accident, this paper argues that the nuclear law, ocean law and general principles of international law do provide sufficient constraints on the forthcoming radioactive wastewater discharge. Among the IAEA's legal documents, the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) and the Convention on Early Notification are the most applicable conventions to the Fukushima radioactive wastewater discharge. Treaty interpretation of the "at sea" element in the London Dumping Convention and its Protocol is crucial to determine the legitimacy of the planned oceanic discharge activity of Japan. In addition, legal characterization of sources of pollution, the place in which the oceanic discharge activity occurred and Japan's substantive and procedural obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) will also affect the treaty application in the forthcoming oceanic discharge. This paper proposes that for the international community as a whole, long term (regional and global cooperation) and short-term measures (inter-State cooperation) need to be taken into consideration in order to tackle Japan's decision as well as laying the framework for any similar discharges that could follow Japan's example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) are non-biodegradable substances that can sustain our environment for up to a century. What is more worrying is the incapability of modern technologies to annihilate MPs from om environment. One ramification of MPs is their impact on every kind of life form on this planet, which has been discussed ahead; that is why these substances are surfacing in everyday discussions of scholars and researchers. This paper discusses the overview of the global occurrence, abundance, analysis, and remediation techniques of MPs in the environment. This paper primarily reviews the event and abundance of MPs in coastal sediments and agricultural soil of three major Asian countries, India, China, and Japan. A significant concentration of MPs has been recorded from these countries, which affirms its strong presence and subsequent environmental impacts. Concentrations such as 73,100 MPs/kg in Indian coastal sediments and 42,960 particles/kg in the agricultural soil of China is a solid testimony to prove their massive outbreak in our environment and require urgent attention towards this issue. Conclusions show that human activities, rivers, and plastic mulching on agricultural fields have majorly acted as carriers of MPs towards coastal and terrestrial soil and sediments. Later, based on recorded concentrations and gaps, future research studies are recommended in the concerned domain; a dearth of studies on MPs influencing Indian agricultural soil make a whole sector and its consumer vulnerable to the adverse effects of this emerging contaminant. [Display omitted] • Film & fibre shaped microplastics (MPs) are more abundant in India, China and Japan. • Plastic mulching is the root cause of major MPs pollution in soil and sediment. • Estuarian soil/sediment are more prone to MPs pollution than terrestrial and coastal. • FT-IR is highly used for MPs identification; mass spectrometry & microscopy are least. • MPs work as a vector for metals, PPCPs, surfactants and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID 19 pandemic, the importance of global academia-industrial alliances has increased. It is hoped that the alliances will help us to solve the current problems caused by the pandemic. In this paper, we introduce the application of IT tools and communication skills utilized in a special educational project for an academia-industrial collaboration. Some concrete examples from 2020 are provided from the viewpoint of the national alliance project in Japan. A discussion is included that describes the plans available to increase and strengthen the national project in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary role of a teacher from a technical high school in Japan is to teach the students the specialized knowledge and skills for the target industry such as manufacturing. At the same time, it is nothing to say to enhance the humanity of the students. The society of teachers is aging same as the aging and the birth rate decline society as the whole environment of Japan. From those backgrounds, teachers in the technical high school with educational capability who can teach students appropriately are required. One of the methods to improve the educational capability of teachers more than ever, we propose a method to quantify the educational capability in this paper. The educational capability of each teacher can be confirmed objectively at the same time by our proposed method. From the result of analyses, the educational capability of teachers is obtained from the results of the questionnaire. Based on our proposed method, the optimal composition of teachers by each subject is generated. This is research in progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When judging a population's health to determine disability-adjusted life years, disability weight is a tool for measuring the severity of disability caused by a disease. However, previous studies have pointed out that surveys targeting ordinary citizens produce unclear disability weight values. Therefore, in an attempt to obtain clearer estimations, we conduct a paper-based questionnaire survey of medical professionals – nurses with over ten years of experience – believed to have extensive knowledge of diseases and experience in patient care. We find that disability weight estimations based on the survey of medical professionals presents higher values than those based on a survey of ordinary citizens using the same estimation approach, especially for non-terminal-stage diseases. This suggests that medical-professionals-based surveys may correct the underestimated disability weights of non-terminal diseases (e.g., early stage of cancers and mellitus) found through ordinary-citizens-based surveys. Moreover, we illustrate that depressive disorder and early-stage cancers have almost the same health loss since their disability weights are similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, many elderly people choose to live in nursing homes with the high-speed advancement of the aging society in Japan. In the aging society, the shortage of nurses in nursing homes is growing and the demand for medical staff is also increasing. Recording the daily distribution of medicines for the elderly in a nursing home is difficult, which is a time-consuming and labor-consuming task. With the development of artificial intelligence, researchers have tried to realize the automatic recognition of characters using deep learning and achieved exciting performance. This paper aims to realize the automatic medicine package character recognition by combining image processing and deep learning, which may help distribute medicines in nursing home. To be specific, we first detect character area on the image of medicine package, then use dilation and erosion to extract characters. Finally, we design a slight seven-layer deep learning model for character recognition. The experimental results show the deep learning based character recognition accuracy achieved at 97.16%. Furthermore, the tablets are also recognized correctly, which may help staff check the medicine information in the package. Insert here your abstract text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved understanding of the cascading structure of recycling isimportant for increasing resource productivity. The cascading theory, developed to analyze resource cascading, has two major dimensions; resource quality and resource lifetime. The latter is the only dimension for which a quantitative evaluation has been carried out in the previous research. In this study, we propose new tools to quantify both dimensions. These tools enable statistical estimation of the times of utilization of the material cascaded. The pre-circulation index (pre-CI) counts how many times the material has been utilized before consumption. For material in which quality deterioration is measurable largely on the basis of the number of utilization times, pre-CI can be an index of resource quality. The post-circulation index (post-CI) counts how many times the material will be utilized after consumption. The higher the number of utilization times, the longer the lifetimeof the material. Thus, post-CI can be an index of resource lifetime.Total-circulation index (TCI) is the sum of pre- and post-CIs. This can be an overall index of resource productivity. We apply the methodpresented herein to an analysis of the paper recycling system in Japan. Some important features of the CIs are demonstrated by the results; certain potential remains for further improvements in paper recycling in Japan. In the case that two products have the same utilizationrates, their pre-CIs can still differ according to the positions they occupy in the cascade. In the case that two recycling policies achieve the same size of primary raw material reduction, they can still differ in their impact to the whole cascade. By the method described herein, the CIs can represent the structure of a material cascade quantitatively and offer important knowledge by which to increase resource productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents investigating the fraud transaction detection in the mail order industry. These kinds of detection made intensively but the outcome of the research was not shared among the industry. As the B2C industry expands their market size, the fraud transactions increase in number. As a matter of course, this phenomenon is not only continuing but cleverly. One of the conclusive factors for this phenomenon is payment method. That is, the deferred payment method is primarily employed in Japan. The conventional primary indicator for the fraud detection is the ordered time-based information. They are the shipping address, the recipient name, and the payment method. Since conventional detecting method for the fraud depends on some heuristic knowledge, their market size enlargement makes hard to detect fraud transaction. For this background, this paper is presented investigating for comparing algorithms with the actual transaction data gathered from the mail-order industry in Japan. The comparison of weaker learner algorithms is made. The analytical results suggest Random forest is more accurate than XGBoost not only AUC score but parameter tuning costs. This result will make it use for the decision support knowledge for screening customer at the order received phase in the mail order industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]