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This paper maps the influences exerted by the changes related to the period 2016-2021 on the tax inspection activity in Romania, characterized by permanent regulation adaptation, the slow adoption of information technology in public administration, and inefficient crisis management. The data relating to the activity of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (NAFA) considered in the paper were extracted from the Statistical Bulletins and the Biannual Activity Reports of NAFA. The analysis of contemporary challenges and their effects on the fiscal inspection activity can be found in this study. A detailed trend estimation and correlation analysis between the variables that define the tax activity was made through a model of simultaneous equations using EViews. Our results reveal that the tightening of regulations in specific sectors, the implementation of IT systems in economic activity, and the measures taken in the context of the pandemic are directly reflected in the number of tax inspections and the number of active taxpayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nawa and Nadarajah [Statistics, 2023, doi: ] proposed closed form estimators for a bivariate gamma distribution. But these estimators do not have a direct multivariate extension. In this paper, we propose alternative closed form estimators with direct extensions to the trivariate and multivariate cases. These estimators can have smaller asymptotic variances and smaller asymptotic covariances compared to Zhao et al.'s estimators, method of moments estimators and Nawa and Nadarajah's estimators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the Naha Confucius Temple case, resolved by the Supreme Court in February 2021, in light of postwar decisions on Articles 20 and 89 of the Japanese constitution. Religion is a contested category in Japanese legislation, appearing both in the constitution and in laws regulating the freedoms and restrictions of legally registered religious organizations. While the organization behind the Confucius Temple in Naha was registered as a general corporate juridical person, the majority opinion sided with the plaintiffs' argument that the free lease granted to the temple by the municipality of Naha constituted a violence of the ban on public sponsorship of religious institutions and activities. In order to reach their decision, the Supreme Court and the lower courts not only had to decide on whether Confucianism was a religion or not, but also on whether the organization behind the temple—a group dedicated to the history and memory of the Chinese immigrant community in Naha—should in fact be considered a religious organization. The outcome of the case is a good example of religion-making in courts of law, with a central institution of power employing notions of sui generis religion to regulate and define civil actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firefly algorithm (FA) is one of most important nature-inspired algorithm based on swarm intelligence. Meanwhile, FA uses the full attraction model, which results too many unnecessary movements and reduces the efficiency of searching the optimal solution. To overcome these problems, this paper presents a new job, how the better fireflies move, which is always ignored. The novel algorithm is called multiple swarm strategy firefly algorithm (MSFFA), in which multiple swarm attraction model and status adaptively switch approach are proposed. It is characterized by employing the multiple swarm attraction model, which not only improves the efficiency of searching the optimal solution, but also quickly finds the better fireflies that move in free status. In addition, the novel approach defines that the fireflies followed different rules in different status, and can adaptively switch the status of fireflies between the original status and the free status to balance the exploration and the exploitation. To verify the robustness of MSFFA, it is compared with other improved FA variants on CEC2013. In one case of 30 dimension on 28 test functions, the proposed algorithm is significantly better than FA, DFA, PaFA, MFA, NaFA,and NSRaFA on 24, 23, 23, 17, 15, and 24 functions, respectively. The experimental results prove that MSFFA has obvious advantages over other FA variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the processes of decolonization in the Pacific and the Atlantic regions have been separately analyzed, this paper finds connections between these processes by examining how British and Japanese colonial regimes were reinforced by the US empire and the military, respectively. Here, Naoki Sakai's concept of translation as the process of creating cofigurative relations can be reframed as the Cold War regime of translation: namely, translating everything suspicious into communism and simultaneously anti-Americanism. This framework, all-encompassing and nebulous enough to arbitrarily create enemies within and without national borders, has served to strengthen the complicities among the empires such as Britain, Japan, and the US during and after the WWII. While the networks of surveillance in the colonial regions were instrumental in enhancing these complicities, the term "anti-Americanism" used by the occupiers at the height of the Cold War has undermined the voices from below and diminished the international nature of democratic movements. Samuel Selvon's A Brighter Sun (1952) demonstrates how deeply the construction of the US military bases in Trinidad affected its community in the early 1940s. Sadao Shinjo, a tanka poet in Okinawa, highlights the liminality of ideological and racial codes in the US-occupied Okinawa. His works records the presence of the colored GIs in Okinawa in the late 1960s, who participated in the local demilitarization movement. The two instances above stretch the limit of collaborative governance, questioning racialized and gendered selves under duress amidst the Cold War regime of translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Now marketed as a tropical beach destination, Okinawa's identity is also forever linked with the horrors of war. Okinawa's tumultuous past encompasses the Ryukyu Islands, which had close economic ties to China until being annexed by mainland Japan, were invaded by the US in the Second World War, were occupied until 1972 and, more recently, have become the centre of heated debates over the continued presence of US military bases. The Battle of Okinawa was one of the bloodiest of the Second World War and the inhabitants faced not only the American invasion but also the tactics of the Japanese army, who viewed the islands as expendable in order to slow invading forces from reaching mainland Japan. In the context of the seventieth anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa in 2015, and beyond, it is argued here that these conflicting geopolitical disputes present significant challenges in terms of the messages presented to educational dark tourists visiting the Okinawa Peace Park and Memorials. The Peace Park Story Tellers or kataribe who are the Second World War survivors, have the critical task of mediating the message to both domestic and international tourists, some of whom are not prepared to hear anti-Japan sentiment. Through an examination of the historical and geographic background, and an analysis of the tourist experience at the Peace Park and Memorials, this paper explores the complexity of educational dark tourism where competing messages collide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Warburg Effect is a longstanding enigma in cancer biology. Despite the passage of 100 yr since its discovery, and the accumulation of a vast body of research on the subject, no convincing biochemical explanation has been given for the original observations of aerobic glycolysis in cancer cell metabolism. Here, we have worked out a first-principles quantitative analysis of the problem from the principles of stoichiometry and available electron balance. The results have been interpreted using Nath's unified theory of energy coupling and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, and the original data of Warburg and colleagues have been analyzed from this new perspective. Use of the biomass yield based on ATP per unit substrate consumed, ${{Y}_{X/S}}\ ATP$ , or the Nath-Warburg number, NaWa has been shown to excellently model the original data on the Warburg Effect with very small standard deviation values, and without employing additional fitted or adjustable parameters. Based on the results of the quantitative analysis, a novel conservative mechanism of synthesis, utilization, and recycling of ATP and other key metabolites (eg, lactate) is proposed. The mechanism offers fresh insights into metabolic symbiosis and coupling within and/or among proliferating cells. The fundamental understanding gained using our approach should help in catalyzing the development of more efficient metabolism-targeting anticancer drugs. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The depression of pyrite in the flotation separation of molybdenum-sulfur (Mo-S) mixed concentrate has become a significant issue. This study aimed to examine the process of separating molybdenite and pyrite in the presence of sodium humate (NaHA). The results of micro-flotation tests indicated that NaHA exhibited significant pyrite depression capabilities and displayed remarkable selectivity toward both pyrite and molybdenite. Real ore flotation experiments have shown that adding 22.5 mg/L of NaHA to the pulp of Mo-S mixed concentrate at a pH of 6.5, the flotation indexes achieved 46.01% Mo grade and 90.11% Mo recovery. It is noteworthy that the dosage of NaHA was significantly lower compared to the 505 utilized in the mineral processing plant. Contact angle measurements revealed that NaHA effectively increased the surface hydrophilicity of pyrite. Adsorption amount measurements, zeta potential measurements, and Fourier infrared spectroscopic (FT-IR) analysis indicated that the adsorption capacity of NaHA on pyrite was higher than on molybdenite. NaHA had a highly selective inhibitory capacity for Mo-S mixed concentrate and is an ideal separation depressant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensifying disputes between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands today have reminded both academia and the general public of the Ryukyu problem. Reportedly, during the Cairo Conference in 1943, Chiang Kai-shek let slip opportunities to recover the Ryukyus, which later resulted in Japanese control of the Diaoyu Islands. Until now, scholarship has maintained that Chiang narrowly missed regaining Okinawa at Cairo, which never again appeared on his agenda. However, a more nuanced historical account can be found in rarely accessed primary resources such as Chiang's diaries and presidential papers, which yield a different conclusion—that he was, in fact, committed to the Ryukyu issue throughout his political career. However, Chiang lost multiple opportunities to resolve the issue as a result of competition with his communist rival, the security dynamics of the Cold War, and his personality. Chiang eventually failed to stop America from returning the Ryukyus to Japan, which, thereafter, generated the Diaoyu Islands disputes and continues to serve as a primary source of nationalist friction today in Sino–Japanese relations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Loco-regional chemotherapy is a strategy used to achieve more precise anticancer drug effect directly on tumor mass, while decreasing whole body exposure, which can lead to undesirable side effects. Thus, the loco-regional chemotherapy is conceptually similar to the targeted drug delivery systems for delivering chemotherapeutics to cancer cells in a certain location of the body. Recently, it has been demonstrated that a novel polymeric film containing the complex between cisplatin (cisPt) and hyaluronan (sodium salt of hyaluronic acid; NaHA) enhanced in vivo efficacy and safety of cisplatin (cisPt) by loco-regional delivery in pleural mesothelioma. Biologically, hyaluronic acid (HA) binds with the CD44 receptor, which is a transmembrane glycoprotein overexpressed by other cancer cells. Thus, administering both cisPt and hyaluronan together as a complex loco-regionally to the tumor site could target cancer cells locally and enhance treatment safety. A slight excess of hyaluronan was required to have more than 85% cisPt complexation. In cell monolayers (2D model) the cisPt/NaHA complex in solution demonstrated dose- and time-dependent cytotoxic effect by decreasing the viability of pancreatic, melanoma, and lung cell lines (they all express CD44). At the same concentration in solution, the complex was as effective as cisPt alone. However, when applied as film to melanoma spheroids (3D model), the complex was superior because it prevented the tumor spheroid growth and, more importantly, the formation of new cell colonies. Hence, cisPt/NaHA complex could work in preventing metastases loco-regionally and potentially avoiding systemic relapses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pleural mesothelioma is a lung diffuse tumor, whose complete resection is unlikely. Consequently, metastases reappear where the primary tumor was removed. This paper illustrates the orphan medicine designation procedure of an intracavitary cisplatin film and related pharmaceutical development aspects requested by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in its Scientific Advice. Since cisplatin pharmacokinetics from the implanted film in sheep resulted substantially modified compared to intravenous administration, the formation of a cisplatin/hyaluronan complex had been hypothesized. Here, the interaction between sodium hyaluronate (NaHA) and cisplatin (CisPt) was demonstrated. Size exclusion chromatography qualitatively evidenced the complex in the film-forming mixture, only showing the NaHA peak. Atomic absorption spectroscopy of the corresponding fraction revealed platinum, confirming the interaction. Reverse phase HPLC quantified about 5% free cisplatin in the film-forming mixture, indirectly meaning that 95% was complexed. Finally, a study of CisPt release from the film assessed how CisPt/NaHA complex affected drug availability. In water, a medium without chloride ions, there was no release and the film remained intact for 48 h and longer, whereas the placebo film dissolved in 15 min. In 0.9% NaCl medium, the film became more soluble, dissolving within 3–4 h. However, cisplatin release was still controlled by the existing complex in solution until chloride ions displaced it. While the film modified its dissolution with aging, CisPt release remained unaffected (90% released in 48 h). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozonesonde measurements from Hong Kong and Naha are combined with satellite observations to investigate the vertical structure of ozone and water vapor around the tropopause during typhoon Soudelor over the northwestern Pacific in 2015. The results show that the tropopause height is decreased compared to the mean tropopause during 2000–2017 in the western Pacific mode of the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone (ASMA). The vertical transport associated with Soudelor decreases the ozone concentration by 60% in the upper troposphere. Further the equatorward transport from high latitudes around the western Pacific mode of the ASMA increases ozone concentration by 40% in the lower stratosphere. Cross‐tropopause transport of water is observed above typhoon Soudelor, and water vapor to be enhanced at 80–100 hPa compared to nontyphoon regions. Dehydration is observed below the tropopause around the eye of Soudelor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fire started in Shurijo Seiden, or the main hall of Shurijo Castle, Naha-city, Okinawa, Japan on the morning of October 30th, 2019. The fire resulted in loss of 8 structures and many important Okinawan cultural assets. The original Shurijo Castle was destroyed many years ago and a replica was constructed and rebuilt to be as close as possible to the original building. The replica was fabricated mainly from wood (Chamaecyparis taiwanensis). Firebrands were reported during the fire. In this study, firebrands from Shurijo Castle was collected and analyzed. The data was compared with those from other investigation as well as experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Humic substance and hydrogen peroxide are promising depressants on galena. • The hydrogen peroxide can accelerate dissolution of galena lattice. • An adsorption model is finally obtained. To reduce the environmental impact caused by highly toxic dichromate in flotation separation of copper-lead sulfide, the replacement of dichromate with depressants mixture (humic substance and hydrogen peroxide) was investigated in this paper. The single mineral flotation and the mixed binary minerals experiment at pH 6.5 showed that combined depressants could be efficient in separating galena from chalcopyrite and achieve a lead concentrate comparable to conventional method using dichromate as typical depressant. The contact angle measurement and atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging indicated that, for the same concentration of sodium humate, the treatment by hydrogen peroxide could increase surface wettability and largely enhance chemical adsorption of humate on galena surface. Ion dissolution tests and adsorption tests indicated that the hydrogen peroxide can accelerate dissolution of galena lattice and the hydrogen peroxide or Pb2+ could promote the adsorption of NaHA on the surface of galena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper describes the functionalization of sodium hyaluronate (NaHA) with a small molecule (2-((N -(6-aminohexyl)-4-methoxyphenyl)sulfonamido)- N -hydroxyacetamide) (MMPI) having proven inhibitory activity against membrane metalloproteins involved in inflammatory processes (i.e. MMP12). The obtained derivative (HA-MMPI) demonstrated an increased resistance to the in-vitro degradation by hyaluronidase, viscoelastic properties close to those of healthy human synovial fluid, cytocompatibility towards human chondrocytes and nanomolar affinity towards MMP 12. Thus, HA-MMPI can be considered a good candidate as viscosupplement in the treatment of knee osteoarticular disease. • Sodium hyaluronate was grafted with a MMP inhibitor (HA-MMPI). • HA-MMPI showed an increased resistance to in-vitro degradation by hyaluronidase. • HA-MMPI resembled viscoelastic properties of healthy human synovial fluid. • HA-MMPI demonstrated cytocompatibility towards human chondrocytes. • HA-MMPI demonstrated a nanomolar affinity towards MMP 12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The challenge of algorithm runtime has been addressed. • The graph modification step of the algorithm is focused. • The proposed algorithm has two steps of adding and deleting edges. • It uses an efficient algorithm to select the most appropriate edges. • It improves the algorithm runtime and the utility of the graph. Privacy on social networks is one of the most important and well-known issues. Various algorithms have been proposed to preserve the privacy of social network, all of which try to change the graph structure such that the utility of the graph is maintained. Although these algorithms have been successful in protecting the privacy and the utility of social networks, they are not suitable for anonymizing big data, because of the high cost of processing. Some of these algorithms have a high runtime. In addition, they should be improved from the aspect of preserving graph utility. In this paper, an effective algorithm has been introduced to increase the anonymization speed, as well as improving the graph utility. This algorithm uses number factorization to remove the best edges from the graph in the graph modification step of the algorithm. Since the appropriate edges are selected just through one scan of the edges, the runtime is reduced. In order to add edges to the graph, all the appropriate edges are selected simultaneously and added to the graph using NaFa algorithm. Some limitations are applied to the selection of edges to choose the correct ones. Taking into account the appropriate criteria to select edges in both the removal and addition steps improves the graph utility. The evaluation results of the proposed algorithm on real data sets show the efficiency of the algorithm to sharply reduce the runtime and increase the graph utility, simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typhoons play a key role in causing low ozone concentrations in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) over the western Pacific. In this study, 18 years records (2000–2017) of balloon‐borne ozone measurements in Hong Kong (22.3°N, 114.2°E) and Naha (26.2°N, 127.7°E) are combined with trajectory calculations to quantitatively assess the impact of western Pacific typhoons on ozone in the UTLS. The results show that 46.3% (44.9%) of the ozone profiles in Hong Kong (Naha) are impacted by western Pacific typhoons from July to October, with negative ozone anomalies exceeding −20%. Vertical transport by intense typhoons affects 16.8% (18.8%) of the ozone profiles in Hong Kong (Naha) with even larger negative anomalies (<−40%). Vertical transport of tropical cyclones reduces ozone by about 20–60 ppbv compared to the mean ozone profile near the tropopause. Ozone values below 60 ppbv in the upper troposphere in Hong Kong and Naha are mainly caused by the uplift in the western Pacific typhoons and by horizontal transport within the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) anticyclone. The horizontal transport in the ASM anticyclone has larger contributions to the low ozone values measured over Hong Kong than over Naha. Plain Language Summary: Ozone profiles from July to October during 2000–2017 in Hong Kong and Naha are used to analyze the impact of western Pacific cyclones on ozone in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. During the summer season, typhoons over the western Pacific influence 46.3% (44.9%) of the ozone profiles in Hong Kong (Naha) based on the trajectory calculations of air masses. We also find that in Hong Kong (Naha) intense typhoons contribute to large negative ozone anomalies (<−40%) for 16.8% (18.8%) of the profiles. Vertical transport associated with typhoons and the horizontal transport of the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone reduces ozone by about 20–60 ppbv near the tropopause in Hong Kong and Naha. Key Points: Western Pacific typhoons impact 46.3% (44.9%) of ozone profiles in Hong Kong (Naha) from July to October of 2000–2017Ozone values below 60 ppbv near the tropopause in Hong Kong and Naha are caused by vertical transport of ozone‐poor air by typhoon convectionTyphoons reduce ozone by 20–60 ppbv compared to 18 years mean ozone profile in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined in situ monazite dating, mineral equilibria modelling and zircon U–Pb detrital zircon analysis provide insight into the pressure–temperature–time (P–T–t) evolution of the western Gawler Craton. In the Nawa Domain, pelitic and quartzo-feldspathic gneisses were deposited after ca 1760 Ma and record high-grade metamorphic conditions of ∼7.5 kbar and 850 °C at ca 1730 Ma. Post-peak microstructures, including partial plagioclase coronae and late biotite around garnet, and subtle retrograde garnet compositional zoning, suggest that these rocks cooled along a shallow down-pressure trajectory across an elevated dry solidus. In the northwest Fowler Domain (Colona Block), monazite grains from pelitic gneisses record two stages of growth/recrystallisation interpreted to represent discrete parts of the P–T path: (1) ca 1710 Ma monazite growth during prograde to peak conditions, and (2) ca 1690 Ma Y-enriched monazite growth/recrystallisation during partial garnet breakdown and cooling towards the solidus. Relict prograde growth zoning in garnet suggests rocks underwent a steep up-P path to peak conditions of ∼8 kbar at 800 °C. The new P–T–t results suggest basement rocks of the southwestern Nawa and northwestern Fowler were buried to depths of 20–25 km during the Kimban Orogeny, ca 10 Myrs after the sedimentary precursors were deposited. The P–T path for the Kimban Orogeny is broadly anti-clockwise, suggesting that at least the early phase of this event was associated with extension. Exhumation of rocks from both the southwestern Nawa and northwestern Fowler domains may have occurred during the waning stages of the Kimban Orogeny (

Dynamically dimensioned search (DDS) is a well-known optimization algorithm in the field of single solution-based heuristic global search algorithms. Its successful application in the calibration of watershed environmental parameters has attracted researcher's extensive attention. The dynamically dimensioned search algorithm is a kind of algorithm that converges to the global optimum under the best condition or the good local optimum in the worst case. In other words, the performance of DDS is easily affected by the optimization conditions. Therefore, this algorithm has also suffered from low robustness and limited scalability. In this work, an improved version of DDS called DDS-POBL is proposed. In the DDS-POBL, two effective methods are applied to improve the performance of the DDS algorithm. Piecewise opposition-based learning is introduced to guide DDS search in the right direction, and the golden section method is used to search for more promising areas. Numerical experiments are performed on a set of 23 classic test functions, and the results represent significant improvements in the optimization performance of DDS-POBL compared to DDS. Several experimental results using different parameter values demonstrate the high solution quality, strong robustness, and scalability of the proposed DDS-POBL algorithm. A comparative performance analysis between the DDS-POBL and other powerful algorithms has been carried out by statistical methods by using the significance of the results. The results show that DDS-POBL works better than PSO, CoDA, MHDA, NaFA, and CMA-ES and gives very competitive results when compared to INMDA and EEGWO. Moreover, the parameter calibration application of the Xinanjiang model shows the effectiveness of the DDS-POBL in the real optimization problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sediments from a piston core ECS12A recovered from the middle Okinawa Trough in the East China Sea were measured for total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and other biogenic elements to provide constraints on the sources and burial rates of depositional organic matter (OM) and on the changes in primary productivity since 19 ka. The last glacial sediments (ca. 17–19 ka) are characterized by low contents of biogenic elements and well-developed turbidite layers, suggesting low primary productivity but a high component of terrigenous sediment. With rising sea level and enhanced monsoons during the deglacial period, the proportion of marine OM gradually increased. The least negative δ 13 C org values and the smallest grain size of sediments deposited ca. 10–14.5 ka indicate high primary productivity and a sedimentary environment dominated by the marine component. The source and burial rates of OM in the Holocene sediments (ca. 5.4–10 ka) were largely controlled by the intensification of the Kuroshio Current, which caused a slight decrease in primary productivity, but strengthened the oceanic circulation in the East China Sea. Overall, the source-to-sink process of OM in the Okinawa Trough is governed by complex interactions between sea level, climate and ocean circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discontent over US military bases in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture has long been a prominent “thorn in the side” of US–Japan relations. But what exactly has been the effect of Okinawa’s base politics on the management of the alliance? We examine Okinawa’s significance on the US–Japan alliance—the “Okinawa effect”—in terms of the alliance’s strategic coherence. Through an examination of the post–Cold War history of the base issue, we argue that, while there little to suggest that the Okinawa issue has undermined the alliance’s strategic effectiveness, alliance efficiency in dealing with burden sharing problems has been diminished, at times substantially. While reduced efficiency may often be inevitable in alliances between democracies, this persistent inability to resolve burden sharing disputes in the Okinawan case means that there is still potential for deteriorating efficiency to eventually undermine the alliance’s solidarity and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]