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Abstract Background Human resource management may become complex for community pharmacists owing to recent changes in work volume and content. Few studies have examined job satisfaction, well-being, and quality of work life (QWL) among community pharmacists in Japan. This study focused on QWL, a more comprehensive concept than job satisfaction, and aimed to develop the QWL questionnaire for Japanese community pharmacists (the QWLQ for JCP) and assess its reliability and validity. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among 2027 pharmacists who worked in pharmacies with the cooperation of 20 corporations running pharmacies. Collected data were subjected to principal component factor analysis with Promax rotation via SPSS Windows version 28. Results The factor analysis used data from 1966 pharmacists. In total, five significant components, which formed the basis of the QWLQ for JCP, were identified. These included “Influence of work on mind and body,” “Relationships with colleagues,” “Relationship with the boss,” “Meaning of existence in the workplace,” and “Pride in work.” Cronbach’s alpha, which expressed reliability, ranged from 0.585 to 0.854 for all the subscales. Conclusion The QWLQ for the JCP significantly explained the concept of QWL, which indicated that its validity was sufficient.

Background: In Japan, pharmacists' role has drastically changed in recent years. However, previous studies have not performed internal marketing analysis for Japanese community pharmacists so that they improve the quality of work life (QWL) and be satisfied with it. Further, few studies are conducted on Japanese community pharmacists' QWL and its effect on the quality of pharmaceutical services. Objectives: This study aimed to reveal associations between community pharmacists' QWL and their subjective evaluations of pharmaceutical service. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 2027 pharmacists, with the cooperation of 20 corporations that run pharmacies. The collected data were subjected to multiple regression analysis, using SPSS 29. Results: Standard multiple regression shows that 27.4% of variance in pharmacists' subjective evaluations of their service was explained by QWL and other control variables, such as age, gender, and employee status (p

Summary: Inert naive CD4+ T (TN) cells differentiate into functional T helper (Th) or regulatory T (Treg) cell subsets upon encountering antigens, mediating properly directed immune responses. Although all TN cells can differentiate into any of the Th and Treg cell subsets, heterogeneity exists among TN cells. By constructing reporter mice to detect ongoing T cell receptor (TCR) signaling, we identify that interleukin (IL)-1β signaling affects TN cell characteristics, independent of tonic TCR signaling, which also alters TN cell phenotypes. IL-1β reversibly attenuates the differentiation potential of TN cells toward Treg cells. IL-1β signaling is elevated in the splenic TN cells, consequently attenuating their differentiation potential toward Treg cells. Aberrant elevation of IL-1β signaling augments colitogenic activities of TN cells. TN cells in patients with colitis exhibited elevated IL-1β signaling. We demonstrate that phenotypic alteration in TN cells by IL-1β is an important mechanism in the regulation of immune responses.

Abstract Power devices (PD) are ubiquitous elements of the modern electronics industry that must satisfy the rigorous and diverse demands for robust power conversion systems that are essential for emerging technologies including Internet of Things (IoT), mobile electronics, and wearable devices. However, conventional PDs based on “bulk” and “single-crystal” semiconductors require high temperature (> 1000 °C) fabrication processing and a thick (typically a few tens to 100 μm) drift layer, thereby preventing their applications to compact devices, where PDs must be fabricated on a heat sensitive and flexible substrate. Here we report next-generation PDs based on “thin-films” of “amorphous” oxide semiconductors with the performance exceeding the silicon limit (a theoretical limit for a PD based on bulk single-crystal silicon). The breakthrough was achieved by the creation of an ideal Schottky interface without Fermi-level pinning at the interface, resulting in low specific on-resistance R on,sp (

Although the “lymphoid” function of regulatory T (Treg) cells is crucial for organismal homeostasis, these cells are also known to suppress the antitumor immune response in the tumor microenvironments. Thus, a detailed understanding of Treg cell maintenance and function in both lymphoid organs and tumor environments may help to establish novel methods for the reactivating antitumor immunity, while retaining necessary immune tolerance towards self and non-hazardous antigens. Previous studies have hypothesized that Treg cells behave similarly in lymphoid organs and in tumor environments; however, few studies have been conducted specifically researching Treg cell activity in tumor environments. In addition, several recent studies identified a novel mechanism regulating Treg cell function in tumor environments. Our group has previously described the critical roles of the Nr4a family of nuclear orphan receptors, comprising Nr4a1, Nr4a2, and Nr4a3, in the differentiation and maintenance of Treg cells in lymphoid organs. Subsequently, it was found that Nr4a factors help to maintain Treg cell function in tumor environments, thereby playing a suppressive role against T cell antitumor immunity. Importantly, there were some differences between the activities of these Nr4a factors under these conditions, including the specific function of the COX/PGE2 axis in tumor environments. This review was designed to investigate the role of Nr4a factors in the regulation of Treg cell activities both in the lymphoid organs and tumor environments, highlighting the commonalities and differences in their behaviors between Treg cells in these two different environments.

Abstract Background n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are thought to exert protective effects in cardiovascular diseases. In addition, n-3 PUFAs have demonstrated anti-cancer effects in vitro and in vivo. Objective We investigated the anti-cancer effects and mechanism of action of EPA on PC3 prostate cancer cells in vitro. Methods PC3 cells were treated with various concentrations of EPA, and cell survival and the abilities of migration and invasion were evaluated. The time course of the growth inhibitory effect of EPA on PC3 cells was also assessed. The mechanism underlying the anti-cancer effects of EPA was investigated by human phosphokinase and human apoptosis antibody arrays, and confirmed by western blot analysis. We also examined the contribution of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to the effects of EPA using the ROS inhibitor N-acetyl cysteine. Results EPA decreased the survival of PC3 cells in a dose-dependent manner within 3 h of application, with an effective concentration of 500 μmol/L. EPA inhibited proline-rich tyrosine kinase (Pyk)2 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation as determined by western blotting and the antibody arrays. The growth of PC3 cells was inhibited by EPA, which was dependent on ROS induction, while EPA inhibited Pyk2 phosphorylation independent of ROS production. Conclusions Inhibition of Pyk2 phosphorylation and ROS production contribute to the anticancer effects of EPA on PC3 cells.

Abstract We present the results from a global 0.56°‐resolution chemical data assimilation that integrates satellite observations of ozone, NO2, CO, HNO3, and SO2 from OMI, GOME‐2, SCIAMACHY, TES, MOPITT, and MLS. The assimilation is based on an ensemble Kalman filter technique and simultaneously optimizes ozone precursor emissions and concentrations of various species. The data assimilation at 0.56° resolution reduced model errors against independent surface, aircraft, and ozonesonde observations, which was larger than at coarser resolutions for many cases. By the data assimilation, surface model errors over major polluted regions were reduced by 33%–75% for NO2 and by 15%–18% for ozone. Agreements against assimilated observations for NO2 were improved using the data assimilation at 0.56° resolution by a factor of 1.5–3 compared to 2.8° resolution over major polluted regions. The estimated global total NOx emission over medium and strong source areas were smaller by 15% at 0.56° resolution than at 2.8° resolution associated with resolving small‐scale transport and chemistry processes, while 2%–26% smaller emissions were found for regional total emissions over Europe, the United States, China, India, and South Africa, with larger differences over megacities such as Los Angeles (−41%). The estimated ship emissions were 5%–7% smaller at 0.56° resolution over the Pacific and Atlantic. The 0.56°‐resolution data assimilation provides globally consistent analyses of the emissions and concentrations on a megacity scale, which benefit studies on air quality and its impact on human health at various spatial scales over different regions of the world.

Summary: Helper T (Th) and regulatory T (Treg) cell differentiation programs promote the eradication of pathogens, while minimizing adverse immune reactions. Here, we found that Nr4a family of nuclear receptors supports Treg cell induction and represses Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation from naive CD4+ T cells. Nr4a factors are transiently induced in CD4+ T cells immediately after antigen stimulation, thereby mediating epigenetic changes. In differentiating Treg cells, Nr4a factors mainly upregulated the early responsive genes in the Treg cell-specifying gene set, either directly or in cooperation with Ets family transcription factors. In contrast, Nr4a factors repressed AP-1 activity by interrupting a positive feedback loop for Batf factor expression, thus suppressing Th2 cell-associated genes. In an allergic airway inflammation model, Nr4a factors suppressed the pathogenesis, mediating oral tolerance. Lastly, pharmacological activation of an engineered Nr4a molecule prevented allergic airway inflammation, indicating that Nr4a factors may be novel therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases.

Sintered materials are superior in productivity because of their simple process, but they are not applied to high-load gears because of their insufficient strength. To improve the fatigue strength of sintered materials, the authors have developed liquid-phase sintering which can achieve high-density without using secondary processing. In this study, the effect of boron addition (0-0.4 mass%) on the rolling contact fatigue strength of Fe-Ni-Mo-B-C sintered and carburized material was evaluated. In addition, in order to evaluate only the boron addition effect excluding the influence of density, the sintered density of each specimen was controlled to be the same. In the test range of this study, the rolling contact fatigue limit (pmax)lim of material with an additional quantity of boron of 0.1 mass% showed the highest value exceeding 1700 MPa. This value was not only significantly higher than the (pmax)lim of the boron-free material (1100 MPa), but also an extremely high value comparable to the (pmax)lim of wrought steel (1900 MPa). The reason why the (pmax)lim of a 0.1B roller was remarkably high was investigated from the viewpoints of both pore structure and material structure. As for the pore structure, the pore shape of the boron-free roller was irregular, whereas the pore shape of the 0.1B roller was spherical. As a result of CAE analysis of the orthogonal shear stress inside the roller during the rolling contact fatigue test, it was found that the maximum value of orthogonal shear stress around the pores of the 0.1B roller was about 35 % lower than that of the boron-free roller. This result suggests that cracks are less likely to occur in the 0.1B roller than in the boron-free roller. In other words, it is thought that the pore shape of 0.1B material affects the improvement of rolling contact fatigue strength.

Tumour-specific T cells can be expandedin vitroand adoptively transferred for therapy, but this strategy is limited by induction of short-lived T cell populations. Here the authors activate Notch signalling in cultured mouse or human T cells, resulting in the production of a long-lived stem cell memory T cell population that can fight tumours in mice.

Sintered materials are superior in productivity because of their simple process, but their mechanical properties are low. To improve the mechanical properties of sintered materials, we focus on liquid-phase sintering. In this study, we selected boron as sintering aids and evaluated on the effect of the addition quantity of boron (0-0.6 mass%) to the mechanical properties of liquid-phase sintered and heat-treated materials. In the test range of this study, the tensile strength of material with an additional quantity of boron of 0.1 mass% showed the highest value, 1386 MPa, which is about 35% higher compared to the tensile strength of material without adding boron. On the other hand, materials with an additional quantity of boron of 0.2 mass% or higher showed higher-density than material with an additional quantity of boron of 0.1 mass%, but both their elongation and tensile strength were significantly decreased. The precipitates changed between the boundary of the quantity of boron added of 0.1 and that of 0.2 mass%. Only Fe23B6 was formed in the material with the boron addition amount of 0.1 mass% or less, and Fe23B6 and Fe2B were formed in the material with the boron addition amount of 0.2 mass% or more. By cross-sectional observation of the test specimen after the tensile test, it was confirmed that in the material with the boron addition amount of 0.2 mass% or more cracks occurred and propagated at the Fe23B6/Fe2B interface and finally resulted in fracture. In the material with the boron addition amount of 0.1 mass%, however, such a fracture was not confirmed. The phenomena could be explained the fact that the mechanical properties were sharply changed between the quantity of boron added of 0.1 mass% and 0.2 mass%. The existence of Fe23B6/Fe2B interface would significantly affect the strength of the liquid-phase sintered materials.

The interdependence of selective cues during development of regulatory T cells (Treg cells) in the thymus and their suppressive function remains incompletely understood. Here, we analyzed this interdependence by taking advantage of highly dynamic changes in expression of microRNA 181 family members miR-181a-1 and miR-181b-1 (miR-181a/b-1) during late T-cell development with very high levels of expression during thymocyte selection, followed by massive down-regulation in the periphery. Loss of miR-181a/b-1 resulted in inefficient de novo generation of Treg cells in the thymus but simultaneously permitted homeostatic expansion in the periphery in the absence of competition. Modulation of T-cell receptor (TCR) signal strength in vivo indicated that miR-181a/b-1 controlled Treg-cell formation via establishing adequate signaling thresholds. Unexpectedly, miR-181a/b-1-deficient Treg cells displayed elevated suppressive capacity in vivo, in line with elevated levels of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated 4 (CTLA-4) protein, but not mRNA, in thymic and peripheral Treg cells. Therefore, we propose that intrathymic miR-181a/b-1 controls development of Treg cells and imposes a developmental legacy on their peripheral function.

Summary: Regulatory T (Treg) cells develop from a self-reactive, CD4-single positive (CD4SP) precursor cell pool. Thus, Treg-fated developing thymocytes are expected to possess the potential to generate pathogenic self-reactive cells. However, no such pathogenic conversion has been observed, indicating mechanisms of defense to prevent such a deleterious event. Here, we show that, after the initial developmental phase, the Nr4a family of nuclear receptors promotes the development of Treg cells by cooperating with other Treg cell developmental machineries, as well as by forming a reinforcing loop with Foxp3. Nr4a-deficient Treg-fated thymocytes survive and can elicit autoimmunity, highlighting their roles in elimination of developing Treg precursors that fail to complete their development. Our findings reveal that the defective development of Treg-fated thymocytes is a potential route for the generation of pathogenic self-reactive cells, which is normally suppressed by Nr4a factors at both developmental and cell death levels. : Sekiya et al. find that developing precursors of Treg cells are a labile population compared to mature Treg cells and can convert to pathogenic self-reactive cells. They show that Nr4a family nuclear receptors prevent this pathogenic conversion of Treg precursors at the level of both development and cell death. Keywords: Treg, Nr4a, Foxp3, negative selection, immune tolerance, inflammatory cytokine

The rate of graft survival has dramatically increased using calcineurin inhibitors, however chronic graft rejection and risk of infection are difficult to manage. Induction of allograft-specific regulatory T-cells (Tregs) is considered an ideal way to achieve long-term tolerance for allografts. However, efficient in vitro methods for developing allograft-specific Tregs which is applicable to MHC full-mismatched cardiac transplant models have not been established. We compared antigen-nonspecific polyclonal-induced Tregs (iTregs) as well as antigen-specific iTregs and thymus-derived Tregs (nTregs) that were expanded via direct and indirect pathways. We found that iTregs induced via the indirect pathway had the greatest ability to prolong graft survival and suppress angiitis. Antigen-specific iTregs generated ex vivo via both direct and indirect pathways using dendritic cells from F1 mice also induced long-term engraftment without using MHC peptides. In antigen-specific Treg transferred models, activation of dendritic cells and allograft-specific CTL generation were suppressed. The present study demonstrated the potential of ex vivo antigen-specific Treg expansion for clinical cell-based therapeutic approaches to induce lifelong immunological tolerance for allogeneic cardiac transplants.

This study presents a critical literature review exploring the variables influencing student learning motivation between 2017 and 2023. The study analyzes 84 empirical studies to identify trends and patterns across diverse demographics, including varied age groups and cultural backgrounds, focusing on contrasting Eastern and Western educational contexts. This study aims to fill the existing gap by examining a wider range of populations in recent years to assess the relationship between learning motivation and the factors that influence it. Six pivotal factors influencing learning motivation were identified: psychological values, cognitive factors, social and environmental influences, demographic factors, academic background and study habits, and interventions and programs, each contributing uniquely to the understanding of student motivation. Moreover, the findings underscore the predominance of psychological values in Eastern countries, whereas the Western literature focuses on social and environmental influences. This review acknowledges the nuanced relationship between cultural constructs and learning motivation research, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive educational policies and practices. Additionally, by taking into account the recent advancements in technology and the effects of global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, this study considers additional motivational factors, presenting a holistic view that could inform future educational interventions and academic policies. For example, the revised categorization in our study emphasizes the complex and interconnected nature of the factors affecting learning motivation, highlighting the interaction among psychological, social, cognitive, and demographic dimensions.

While there is no clear answer to the overall impact of Official Development Assistance (ODA) on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), it has been pointed out that Japanese ODA promotes its FDI. However, the mechanism of ODA’s impact on FDI has not been fully examined at the micro level, as most previous studies have used macro-level data. Therefore, this study examines the impact of ODA on FDI at the micro level in India, where an increase in ODA and FDI from Japan have been observed in recent years. Interviews were conducted with three Japanese firms and five Japanese public organizations, while questionnaires were administered to 33 Japanese firms. The results reveal that ODA effectively promotes FDI, albeit to a lesser extent than other FDI determinants. Economic infrastructure development through ODA, the expectations of such development, and the reception of orders for ODA Loan projects, promote FDI. Furthermore, the role of public institutions, including providing information to firms and acting as intermediaries with the government, is more effective in promoting FDI than ODA. Based on these results, in light of the OLI theory, it is suggested that a possible mechanism is that Japanese ODA promotes FDI by enhancing the “Ownership Specific Advantages” of Japanese firms and the “Location Advantages” of recipient countries. The novelty of this study lies in its clarification of the mechanism through which ODA promotes FDI from a micro-perspective, as revealed by a questionnaire survey conducted among firms. The FDI-promoting effects of ODA for economic infrastructure and ODA Loan suggested in this study not only contributes to the academic community but also have important implications for ODA policymakers.

Iodine compounds destroy ozone (O3) in the global troposphere and form new aerosols, thereby affecting the global radiative balance. However, few reports have described the latitudinal distribution of atmospheric iodine compounds. This work reports iodine monoxide (IO) measurements over unprecedented sampling areas from Arctic to the Southern Hemisphere and spanning sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of approximately 0°C to 31.5°C. The highest IO concentrations were observed over the Western Pacific warm pool (WPWP), where O3 minima were also measured. There, negative correlation was found between O3 and IO mixing ratios at extremely low O3 concentrations. This correlation is not explained readily by the "O3-dependent" oceanic fluxes of photolabile inorganic iodine compounds, the dominant source in recent global-scale chemistry-transport models representing iodine chemistry, and rather implies that "O3-independent" pathways can be similarly important in the WPWP. The O3-independent fluxes result in a 15% greater O3 loss than that estimated for O3-dependent processes alone. The daily O3 loss rate related to iodine over the WPWP is as high as approximately 2 ppbv despite low O3 concentrations of ~10 ppbv, with the loss being up to 100% greater than that without iodine. This finding suggests that warming SST driven by climate change may affect the marine atmospheric chemical balance through iodine–ozone chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionThe ideal second/foreign language (L2) self, a concept in second-language acquisition theory, is a learner’s future vision about their language ability. Research on the ideal L2 self is important for finding ways to improve motivation for learning a new language, foreign language teaching strategies, and personalization of instruction for individuals with different backgrounds and aspirations. The present study aimed to better understand the factors that might influence the ideal L2 self among Japanese elementary school students. While there have been numerous studies about the ideal L2 self in English language learning, few have focused on elementary school students’ motivation to learn English.MethodsData were collected from 225 4th- and 6th-grade elementary school students in Japan. The data were analyzed by performing t-tests and a hierarchical linear regression to understand the relationships between the pertinent variables and the ideal L2 self.ResultsThe analysis results revealed three characteristics of the relationship between elementary school students’ English language skills and their ideal L2 selves. First, the results of the t-test suggested that international travel and English cram school experiences were differentiating factors for the ideal L2 self, suggesting that the groups of participants with and without those factors (experiences) had significantly different ideal L2 selves. Second, the experience of living abroad was not a significant differentiating factor for the ideal L2 self. Third, the results of the regression analysis suggested that school, home, and foreign media influences are significant contributors to the formation of the ideal L2 self. These factors may therefore subsume international travel and English cram school experiences.DiscussionBy understanding the factors that contribute to the ideal L2 self, educators and policymakers can strive to establish a more effective environment to improve students’ motivation to learn English.

ABSTRACT Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is an inherited disease caused by variants of the ALPL gene encoding tissue‐nonspecific alkaline phosphatase. Adult‐onset HPP (adult HPP), known as a mild form of HPP, develops symptoms involving osteomalacia after the age of 18 years. Asfotase alfa (AA) is a modulated recombinant human alkaline phosphatase (ALP) that has been established as a first‐line therapy for severe forms of HPP, such as perinatal and infantile forms. We described a 64‐year‐old female who presented with pseudofractures in bilateral femur diaphyses and impaired mobility. Low serum ALP activity and a high concentration of urine phosphoethanolamine indicated the diagnosis of HPP, which was confirmed by the identification of a homozygous variant in the ALPL gene (c.319G > A; p.Val107Ile). An in vitro transfection experiment to measure the ALP activity of this novel variant protein was performed, resulting in 40% of the residual enzymatic activity compared with the wild type. AA was initiated to facilitate the union of pseudofracture and to improve mobility. After 6 months, radiographic images revealed the disappearance of fracture lines, and improvement of ambulatory ability was confirmed by the 6‐minute walk test (525 to 606 m). The EQ‐5D‐5L index was also improved (0.757 to 0.895). Within a follow‐up period, the levels of urine pyrophosphate corrected by urine creatinine (uPPi/Cre) declined in parallel with the level of plasma PPi (plasma PPi: 6.34 to 1.04 μM, uPPi/Cre: 226.8 to 75.4 nmol/mg). The beneficial effect of AA on pseudofracture healing in adult HPP was presented, although the application of AA should be restricted to patients exhibiting relatively severe manifestations. In addition, a novel pathogenic variant of the ALPL gene was identified with the supportive result of functional analysis. Furthermore, when monitoring patients with HPP treated with AA, uPPi/Cre might be a convenient substitute for plasma PPi, which requires immediate filtration after blood sampling. © 2023 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

In response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), California issued statewide stay-at-home orders, bringing about abrupt and dramatic reductions in air pollutant emissions. This crisis offers us an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of emission reductions on air quality. Here we use the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) in combination with surface observations to study the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown measures on air quality in southern California. Based on activity level statistics and satellite observations, we estimate the sectoral emission changes during the lockdown. Due to the reduced emissions, the population-weighted concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) decrease by 15% in southern California. The emission reductions contribute 68% of the PM2.5 concentration decrease before and after the lockdown, while meteorology variations contribute the remaining 32%. Among all chemical compositions, the PM2.5 concentration decrease due to emission reductions is dominated by nitrate and primary components. For O3 concentrations, the emission reductions cause a decrease in rural areas but an increase in urban areas; the increase can be offset by a 70% emission reduction in anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOC). These findings suggest that a strengthened control on primary PM2.5 emissions and a well-balanced control on nitrogen oxides and VOC emissions are needed to effectively and sustainably alleviate PM2.5 and O3 pollution in southern California. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although electoral systems are a traditional focus in political science, limited research exists on the characteristics of overseas constituency representation. This study aims to quantitatively elucidate these characteristics through a comparative analysis of the election systems in eight countries. This study analyzes overseas constituency representative systems while focusing on key factors such as the number of eligible voters, seats, voter turnout, and representativeness (value of a single vote). Voter turnout in overseas districts varies significantly among these countries. Notably, Croatia and Romania exhibit exceptionally high voter turnouts in overseas districts. Common characteristics in high-turnout countries include a higher representativeness in overseas districts than the home country and a small proportion of overseas voters in the total electorate. This dynamic incentivizes overseas voters to participate in elections to reflect their minority opinions in national politics. Furthermore, it potentially leads to a higher voter turnout in overseas districts than in the home country.

This study examined the impact of Official Development Assistance (ODA) on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by aid type, which has been largely overlooked in previous studies. Using the Generalized Method of Moments with a gravity model, five major donor countries (France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and 63 recipient country pairs from 1996 to 2020 were analyzed. Granger causality tests, impulse response analyses and variance decomposition analyses using a panel vector autoregressive model were conducted to identify causal relationships in the time series and to quantitatively capture the impact. The results suggest that ODA Loans from Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom promote FDI. Their ODA Loans have a high proportion of economic infrastructure and productive-sector support. Hence, their ODA Loans may attract FDI to recipient countries by developing infrastructure in recipient countries such as transportation, telecommunications, energy, and finance. This study contributes to an academic community by highlighting the differences of aid type in attracting FDI and provides practical implications for policymakers and practitioners in the field of international development.

Global tropospheric ozone reanalyses constructed using different state-of-the-art satellite data assimilation systems, prepared as part of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS-iRean and CAMS-Rean) as well as two fully independent Tropospheric Chemistry Reanalyses (TCR-1 and TCR-2), have been inter-compared and evaluated for the past decade. The updated reanalyses (CAMS-Rean and TCR-2) generally show substantially improved agreements with independent ground and ozonesonde observations over their predecessor versions (CAMS-iRean and TCR-1) for the diurnal, synoptical, seasonal, and decadal variability. The improved performance can be attributed to a mixture of various upgrades, such as revisions in the chemical data assimilation, including the assimilated measurements, and the forecast model performance. The updated chemical reanalyses agree well with each other for most cases, which highlights the usefulness of the current chemical reanalyses in a variety of studies. Meanwhile, significant temporal changes in the reanalysis quality in all the systems can be attributed to discontinuities in the observing systems. To improve the temporal consistency, a careful assessment of changes in the assimilation configuration, such as a detailed assessment of biases between various retrieval products, is needed. Even though the assimilation of multi-species data influences the representation of the trace gases in all the systems and also the precursors' emissions in the TCR reanalyses, the influence of persistent model errors remains a concern, especially for the lower troposphere. Our comparison suggests that improving the observational constraints, including the continued development of satellite observing systems, together with the optimization of model parameterisations, such as deposition and chemical reactions, will lead to increasingly consistent long-term reanalyses in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the prevalence and factors influencing domestic abuse victimization among high-income women in Japan, including physical, psychological, economic, and sexual abuse. The background factors and reality of domestic abuse faced by high-income women have not been sufficiently addressed, although some academic studies contend that economically disadvantaged women are more susceptible to domestic abuse. This study collected data from 359 high-income women in Japan using an online questionnaire survey. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the contributing factors. Approximately one-fifth of high-income women had suffered physical, economic, and sexual domestic abuse, and approximately two-fifths had experienced psychological violence. Adverse childhood experiences, the degree of approval of traditional gender norms, quarrels over opposing views on traditional gender norms, and partners’ education levels considerably influenced the prevalence of domestic abuse among high-income female victims. In contrast with the literature, the earnings gap between female victims and their partners did not yield meaningful results. This study examines the experiences of four types of domestic abuse among high-income women in East Asia and highlights the factors that contribute to it, as exemplified by Japan, which is a research direction that has not received sufficient attention. It also offers valuable insight into domestic abuse support policies that target low-income women in contemporary society.

IntroductionThis study conducted a survey of domestic violence victimization among women in China. Previously little research has been conducted on the subject of domestic violence against Chinese women as well as its relevance to their own economic power.MethodsUsing online questionnaires, this study collected data about 412 women with current or previous marital status who came from four income brackets in Beijing and Shanghai.ResultsIt revealed that the proportions of physical, emotional, economic, and sexual violence they experienced were about 27.91%, 62.38%, 21.12%, and 30.10%, respectively. Women belonging to the highest income bracket faced almost the same risk of domestic violence compared with other income groups. Furthermore, there was a slight upward tendency in physical and emotional violence victimization in the highest-income group. The binary logistic regression analysis showed that adverse childhood experiences, arguments between couples due to different opinions regarding gender ideologies, and the approval level for specific gender ideologies were common significant factors across different income brackets. When all income brackets were considered, a higher income was tested as a protective factor with regard to sexual violence. As for the income gap between couples, women whose incomes were “once higher than that of the husband but now lower/almost the same” or “always higher than that of the husband” faced a higher risk of physical violence than women whose incomes were “always lower than/almost the same as that of the husband.”DiscussionThis study not only revealed the reality of domestic violence victimization in China but also suggested that more attention should be paid to high-income women's domestic violence victimization as well as the importance of helping them both through academia and domestic violence support institutions.

Haze has been severely affecting the densely populated areas in China during recent years. While many of the pilot studies have been devoted to investigate the contributions from local anthropogenic emission, limited attention has been paid to the influence from long-range transport. In this study, we use simulations from 6 participating models supplied through the Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution Phase 2 (HTAP2) exercise to investigate the long-range transport impact of Europe and Russia/Belarussia/Ukraine on the surface air quality in East Asia, with special focus on their contributions during the haze episodes over China. The impact of 20 % anthropogenic emission perturbation from the source region is extrapolated by a factor of 5 to estimate the full impact. We find that the full impacts from EUR and RBU are 0.99 µg/m3 (3.1 %) and 1.32 µg/m3 (4.1 %) respectively during haze episodes, while the annual averaged full impacts are only 0.35 µg m3 (1.7 %) and 0.53 µg/m3 (2.6 %) respectively. By estimating the aerosol response within and above the planetary boundary layer (PBL), we find that long-range transport within the PBL contributes to 22–38 % of the total column density of aerosol response. Comparison with the HTAP Phase 1 (HTAP1) assessment reveals that from 2000 to 2010, the long-range transport from Europe to East Asia has decreased significantly by a factor of 2–10 for surface aerosol mass concentration due to the simultaneous emission reduction in source region and emission increase in the receptor region. By investigating the visibility response, we find that the long-range transport from the Europe and RBU region increases the number of haze events in China by 0.15 % and 0.11 % respectively, and the North China Plain and southeast China receives 1–3 extra haze days. This study is the first investigation into the contribution of long-range transport to haze in China with multiple model experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of humanitarian access has been widely recognized by practitioners and scholars. Nevertheless, the factors behind its success have been not yet fully clear. This study, therefore, conducted a quantitative analysis of the International Committee of the Red Cross's (ICRC) access to detainees' visits to elucidate the success factors of humanitarian access. It analyzed a government's attributes that grant the ICRC access and engagements to soften the government's refusal of its access. The results revealed the following findings: (1) a government's capacity is required to an extent to keep public services in armed conflict; (2) material incentive (MI) in a government is working, and the ICRC assistance for civilians is effective; (3) conceptual incentive (CI) to seek the international legitimacy is irrelevant; (4) conceptual disincentive (CD) to avoid disclosure of the government's violation of humanitarian norms is working, and a high-level meeting with the ICRC is less likely to lessen the government's concern. These findings supplement insights of previous research on general humanitarian access in a quantitative way, implying the possibilities and the limits of humanitarian agency's engagements. Further research on various types of humanitarian success can clarify its success factors in a more specific way.