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It has been hypothesized that the ocean mesoscale (particularly ocean fronts) can affect the strength and location of the overlying extratropical atmospheric storm track. In this paper, we examine whether resolving ocean fronts in global climate models indeed leads to significant improvement in the simulated storm track, defined using low level meridional wind. Two main sets of experiments are used: (i) global climate model Community Earth System Model version 1 with non-eddy-resolving standard resolution or with ocean eddy-resolving resolution, and (ii) the same but with the GFDL Climate Model version 2. In case (i), it is found that higher ocean resolution leads to a reduction of a very warm sea surface temperature (SST) bias at the east coasts of the U.S. and Japan seen in standard resolution models. This in turn leads to a reduction of storm track strength near the coastlines, by up to 20%, and a better location of the storm track maxima, over the western boundary currents as observed. In case (ii), the change in absolute SST bias in these regions is less notable, and there are modest (10% or less) increases in surface storm track, and smaller changes in the free troposphere. In contrast, in the southern Indian Ocean, case (ii) shows most sensitivity to ocean resolution, and this coincides with a larger change in mean SST as ocean resolution is changed. Where the ocean resolution does make a difference, it consistently brings the storm track closer in appearance to that seen in ERA-Interim Reanalysis data. Overall, for the range of ocean model resolutions used here (1° versus 0.1°) we find that the differences in SST gradient have a small effect on the storm track strength whilst changes in absolute SST between experiments can have a larger effect. The latter affects the land-sea contrast, air-sea stability, surface latent heat flux, and the boundary layer baroclinicity in such a way as to reduce storm track activity adjacent to the western boundary in the N. Hemisphere storm tracks, but strengthens the storm track over the southern Indian Ocean. A note of caution is that the results are sensitive to the choice of storm track metric. The results are contrasted with those from a high resolution coupled simulation where the SST is smoothed for the purposes of computing air-sea fluxes, an alternative method of testing sensitivity to SST gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzed how South Korea’s intra-industry trade (IIT) with her major trading countries (i.e., China, the USA, and Japan (CUJ)) in the manufacturing sector changed over time for the period of 1994–2011. It was found that South Korea’s IIT with China mainly increased through economies of scale (ES), the ratio of inward and outward foreign direct investment to total investment (FDI), the ratio of intermediate cost to total cost (II), and R&D intensity (RD). On the other hand, South Korea’s IIT with the USA was found to mainly increase through ES, FDI, and RD. Finally, RD, FDI, and II variables are found to be the most important determinants for South Korea’s IIT with Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Just-in-time (JIT) provisioning of manufacturing inventories is a notable feature of Japanese manufacturing management. Kawasaki Motors, USA, has committed itself to JIT objectives, which result in moving toward lotless repetitive manufacturing, a streamlined mode of operation characterized by minimal inventories and "shop paper," plus flexible market response. Kawasaki USA has forged a hybrid process of effecting change, featuring Japanese JIT objectives but without Japanese-style consensus mechanisms for making decisions and effecting changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper identifies similarities and differences in the emphases and patterns that U.S. and Japanese managers attribute to a set of 22 generic competitive methods. It highlights the different ways that Japanese and American managers combine these methods to form general business strategies. Using factor analyses and smallest space analyses, the study shows differences in business strategy patterns between managers in Japan and the U.S. Such differences reflect the organizing principles underlying the strategy approaches in U.S. and Japanese firms. The organizing principle underlying U.S. responses is the desire to find way to differentiate a firm from its competitors. In contrast, the organizing principle underlying Japanese responses is a desire to establish a comprehensive, stable and defensible position. The paper discusses the implications of these results for strategic management and suggests directions for future U.S. and Japanese comparative strategy research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests the hypothesis that country-specific advantage embedded in firms of a particular nationality is a motivation for international interfirm cooperation. A sample of domestic and international cooperative relationships formed by Japanese firms in the commercialization of biotechnology is used to identify factors which differentiate domestic from foreign partners. The findings support our hypothesis that country-specific advantage is a significant variable in explaining differences between cooperative relationships with partners of different countries. The results of this study indicate that interfirm cooperation has implications for the international competitiveness of both firms and nations in high technology industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1950s and 1960s, the modern Japanese state employed overseas cultural promotion as a way to maximise its interests and image not only in international contexts but also at home. By juxtaposing the Takarazuka Revue’s performances in the United States and Japan during the postwar period, this paper argues that the overseas promotion of this Japanese theatre troupe both depended upon and reinforced the Japanese populace’s nationalistic pride in its culture. The paper also addresses the ways in which the Japanese government used Takarazuka’s theatrical presentations as a means of pursuing its domestic and diplomatic agendas: improving Japan’s international position by proposing shared aspects of popular culture with the US and increasing its sense of nationalism by propagating cultural pride. In doing so, the paper explicates the ways in which Japanese popular cultural considerations interfaced with political concerns in the shaping of postwar Japan’s national identity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background/objectives: Sedentary behavior (SB), defined as sitting (nonexercising), reclining, and lying down (posture), or by low energy expenditure, is a public health risk independent to physical activity. The objective of this systematic literature review was to synthesize the available evidence on amount of SB reported by and measured in older adults. Data source: Studies published between 1981 and 2014 were identified from electronic databases and manual searching. Large-scale population studies/surveys reporting the amount of SB (objective/ subjective) in older adults aged ≥ 60 years of age were included. Appraisal and synthesis was completed using MOOSE guidelines. Results: 349,698 adults aged ≥ 60 within 22 studies (10 countries and 1 EU-wide) were included. Objective measurement of SB shows that older adults spend an average of 9.4 hr a day sedentary, equating to 65-80% of their waking day. Self-report of SB is lower, with average weighted self-reports being 5.3 hr daily. Within specific domains of SB, older adults report 3.3 hr in leisure sitting time and 3.3 hr watching TV. There is an association with more time spent in SB as age advances and a trend for older men to spend more time in SB than women. Conclusion/ implications: Time spent sedentary ranges from 5.3-9.4 hr per waking day in older adults. With recent studies suggesting a link between SB, health, and well-being, independent of physical activity, this is an area important for successful aging. Limitations: Different methodologies of measurement and different reporting methods of SB made synthesis difficult. Estimated SB time from self-report is half of that measured objectively; suggesting that most self-report surveys of SB will vastly underestimate the actual time spent in SB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why does the US government and some of its allies persist in controversial defence procurement projects? Using the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) as a case study, this paper suggests that a contingency discourse created by key actors in the United States (US) military industrial complex has been internalized by policy makers. This is the case not only in the United States but also internationally among the decision-making elites of those countries involved in the production of the F-35. By focusing on the discursive evolution of key actors' responses to concerns of additional costs, delays, technical failures and waning innovative superiority of the F-35, this paper attempts to comprehend how the US and its allies have justified continued investment in such a controversial defence procurement project. This paper shows that a contingency discourse on the spectre of China's military build-up and the resulting arms race between the US and China is being deployed by policy makers in the US, Australia and Japan to make the F-35 look like a continuing necessity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the creation and the development of biotechnology start-ups in Japan known as "bioventures". In the early 1990s, the Japanese government began to introduce new policies to promote the development of bioventures. Within the span of a decade, the number of bioventures grew five times. However, majority of them continued to operate at the seed or start-up stage. This paper seeks to explore the underdeveloped state of bioventures in Japan, based on the case study method which includes the use of interviews and reviews of several policies and regulations. This paper also compares the development of Japanese biotechnology industry with the biotechnology industry in the US and Europe. This paper concludes that the lack of a sustainable system of funding is the real issue hindering the development of bioventures in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the contents of the "NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1999," focusing primary on explanations of current notable macroeconomics phenomena. Arguments of Takeo Hoshi and Anil Kashyap on their view of the causes and implications of the Japanese banking crisis; Aims of John Heaton and Deborah Lucas on their claim that the stock-market boom in the U.S. can be explained by increases in stock -market participation; Discussion of Roberto Chang and Andrés Velasco on the properties of financial-market crises as well as the policy implications derived by considering a very specific interpretation of these crises.

The various possibilities that social media offers to language learners and teachers have long been recognized by researchers within the field of language instruction, and many studies have been carried out in an attempt to address and unpack its potential contributions. This paper aims to review such research on the use of mainstream social media in language teaching and learning published in "Computer Assisted Language Learning," a top tier (i.e., Q1) journal indexed in major citation index systems (e.g., Arts & Humanities Citation Index, the Social Sciences Citation Index and Scopus), between the years 2016-2020 inclusive. For the purposes of the study, a total of 23 articles that meet the selection criteria is reviewed and presented in five sections. The first section deals with the majority of the articles, which are found to be on the use of social networking in language teaching and learning. In the following sections, studies on the use of videoconferencing, wikis, blogging and forums are discussed. Collectively, the studies reviewed in this paper outline a critical role for the use of social media in language instruction and the study aims to provide valuable insights for researchers, teachers and learners.

This paper presents a compilation of personal reflections from 66 contributors on the impact of, and responses to, COVID-19 in accounting education in 45 different countries around the world. It reveals a commonality of issues, and a variability in responses, many positive outcomes, including the creation of opportunities to realign learning and teaching strategies away from the comfort of traditional formats, but many more that are negative, primarily relating to the impact on faculty and student health and well-being, and the accompanying stress. It identifies issues that need to be addressed in the recovery and redesign stages of the management of this crisis, and it sets a new research agenda for studies in accounting education.

An extensive body of literature explains features of the highly co-operative relationship between Japanese firms, particularly Toyota, and their supplier-firm network. The literature does not explore when these networks emerged or the factors conducive to their emergence. This paper uses transaction cost analysis and issues. It indicates that the networks emerged in the 1950s, and that the initiating factors were exogenous to the networks, centring on the unusual business environment that then prevailed in Japan. The analysis indicates why firms like Toyota gained an advantage over competitors in America. They were relieved of two major transaction costs: those linked to internalization and decomposed subcontracting. In addition, successful networks developed intragroup understandings that led to significant reductions in both interfirm co-ordination costs and direct production costs per unit of output. the paper questions the extent to which Toyota-type networks are prevalent in Japan. It questions the advantage that firms in America or elsewhere (even Japan) can gain from emulating Toyota practices such as unguarded subcontracting. It offers a different interpretation to standard business practices in firms like Toyota, such as relational contracting. It provides a basis for a reinterpretation of Japanese business history and the role of Japan Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper first asks whether the working of market forces in Japanese manufacturing industries is unique to them or similar to US counterparts. It is found that autoregressive profit equations for 376 Japanese firms over 1964-82 are on average similar to those for 413 US firms over 1964-80. The paper next asks whether the inter-industry pattern of profit adjustments in Japan is related to industry traits in a manner analogous to the US. In this case specific national differences between the two countries in the effects of imports, industry growth, and capital intensity on the profit adjustment process are found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article takes a look at the American attitudes toward Japan and China in 1937-38. The Chinese Cultural Society of New York published in October 1937 a reprint of 39 editorials from American papers on the Far Eastern crisis. The editor, M. Hsitien Lin wrote in the foreword "Of some 5,000 editorials which have been examined, there is none that justifies Japanese aggression or condemns Chinese resistance. In the American press Japan is almost universally treated as the aggressor and China as the victim in the undeclared war. As to American policy, the press generally favors neither extreme isolationism nor political entanglements or alliances, but a golden mean, whereby world peace, it is hoped, may be maintained." The present study is designed to test the validity of this impression as well as to test the utility of a method of attitude measurement by press sampling. It is impossible here to enter into a discussion of the relationship between beliefs as to facts and emotional attitudes such as are measured by the indices used, except to suggest that attitudes, which are at first accompanied by emotions, may in time become beliefs regarding "facts" which are taken for granted.

Abstract: This paper uses a comprehensive and detailed bank‐level data set to study how the divergence of central bank balance sheet policy in the US vis‐à‐vis the euro area and Japan would affect the supply of international US dollar loans by global banks. Our empirical findings support the view that the contractionary effect of US monetary normalization on global dollar liquidity would be offset by an expansionary effect from continued supply of US dollar loans by euro area and Japanese banks. The net effect, however, is crucially dependent on the stability of global foreign exchange markets and investor perceptions of the default risks of global banks. Our findings show that there could be a significant contraction of the supply of international US dollar loans if and when the US monetary normalization coincides with a dislocation of the FX swap market and a rise of bank default risks. Our results are robust to alternative model specifications and different data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The returns on yen carry trade during the period October 2007 through August 2011 were found to be negative defying the conventional notion of highly speculative but profitable short-term yen carry trade. Carry trade is a bet against the Interest Rate Parity under the interest rate differentials and temporary mispricing of the target currency. 2008 Global financial crisis narrowed the interest rate differential between Japan and the U.S., and yen carry trade unwound during the period. The objective of the paper is to investigate whether the unwinding yen carry trade was profitable for the U.S. reverse yen carry traders who would have borrowed dollar before conversion into yen and investment in yen that appreciated despite low interest rate. I found that the yen carry trades were not profitable with negative returns for 1-month, 3-month, and 1-year investment horizons. I also investigated whether interest rate differential and market volatility as measured in VIX can explain the positive returns on 1-month, 3-month, and 1- year horizons. Volatility index (VIX) is found to be negatively related to the yen reverse carry trade returns. As market becomes more volatile, the return on the reverse yen carry trade declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As constraints on government funding to public universities become a trend in higher education internationally, clarifying the impact of government policies on donor behavior from a comparative perspective is an issue of higher education research. This paper aims to explore the impact of government appropriations and tax policies on macro trends in donations to public research universities in Japan and USA. Panel data of donation revenue to public research universities in both countries is used to answer the following two research questions: (1) whether the trends in capital markets affect the donation revenue of public research universities operating under different tax systems in Japan and USA, and (2) how the level of government support to higher education affects donations to American and Japanese public research universities. The primary finding is that stock prices are positively associated with donations in USA; however, there is no evidence that stock prices have a positive impact on donations to Japanese public research universities. These contrasting results imply that higher stock prices do not always induce donations to universities and that it is important to consider each country's tax structure when looking for possible links between stock prices and donations to universities. Also, donor behavior is independent of the amount of government appropriations received by universities in both Japan and USA; therefore, the recent decreasing trends in government appropriations in both countries do not necessarily attract donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Research identifies unique challenges for younger women diagnosed with breast cancer at or before 45 years of age. This paper explores the experiences of younger women from diverse cultural backgrounds with breast cancer to see if there are differing healthcare provision needs across cultures. Sandelowski and Barroso's framework for undertaking a meta-synthesis is used in this paper. Initial searches in academic databases returned 42 papers of interest. Re-reading the papers in the context of the research question identified 12 studies which met the inclusion criteria. Five key themes were identified in these 12 studies. The overarching finding is that, irrespective of cultural background, the confrontation with breast cancer transforms the younger woman's life. It seems that healthcare provision needs do not differ substantially across cultures. Health professionals should address the unique psychosocial effects of cancer in the context of the lifestage of the woman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To identify the current state of knowledge about the use of the sit‐to‐stand intervention with older people and to identify implications for further research. Background: Many older people experience mobility challenges which can negatively affect their well‐being. Physical activities are vital to improving or maintaining mobility. Although there is evidence that mobility challenged older people benefit from the sit‐to‐stand intervention, there is a need to systematically examine the state of knowledge about this intervention. Design: Scoping review using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework. Methods: A systematic search of three databases was completed. Abstracts were evaluated for relevance using predetermined inclusion criteria. Studies that met the inclusion criteria had data extracted and were appraised for internal and external validity. Narrative synthesis was based on methods described by Popay and colleagues. Results: Of 3,041 papers, six studies met the inclusion criteria. Publications provided a range of sit‐to‐stand interventions with durations varying from four weeks to six months. The frequency of each intervention fluctuated from three to seven times/week with a duration of 15–45 min. Different professionals prompted the activity. Three themes were identified the following: (a) sit‐to‐stand activity as an intervention; (b) generalisability of findings; and (c) sustainability. Conclusions: Most of the studies reviewed indicated improvements in performance of the sit‐to‐stand activity and in motor function. However, issues with studies rigour do not allow us to make generalisations. Further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of the intervention. Implications for practice: Healthcare providers are expected to offer evidence‐based patient care. This review details current knowledge about the sit‐to‐stand intervention with older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on training and development ( T&D) policies and practices to explore how multinational companies ( MNCs) localise their human resources within their subsidiaries in a developing country. It uses qualitative research methods to examine three US and three Japanese MNCs operating in the automotive and fast-moving consumer goods ( FMCG) industry in Vietnam. The paper identifies both home- and host-country effects as significant factors in the transfer of MNCs' T&D policies and practices. Clear home-country effects are evident in rigorous attempts of both US and Japanese MNCs to transfer and implement formalised and centrally controlled training programs. Host-country effects manifest themselves in the instability of the institutional environment, weak associations among employers' groups, and fragmented bargaining practices that encourage employer and employee opportunism, particularly 'poaching' and 'job-hopping'. These lead to MNCs' hesitation to invest in T&D, and the lack of job rotation and a tendency to train 'specialists' rather than 'generalists' in the Japanese firms. The paper also discusses the interaction of foreign owned and indigenous firms in a very tight labour market at the highly skilled end that results in a 'brain drain' phenomenon on human resource development ( HRD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the co-movement and transmission of distress through money markets during the global financial crisis by analyzing LIBOR-OIS spreads. It focuses on the US, Eurozone, UK and Japan. The sample is divided into two periods around the time of Lehman Brothers shock to investigate the asymmetrical impact of global financial crisis on LIBOR-OIS spreads. The first period (Sample A) runs from August 9, 2007 to September 12, 2008 and the second (Sample B) from September 15, 2008 to May 20, 2009. The results show that for Sample A, distress moved synchronously across the US, Eurozone, UK and Japan through the process of global transmission. However, in Sample B such a coordination was found only between UK and Eurozone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S.-Japan security alliance faced major challenges when the liberal Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) replaced the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as ruling party in 2009. This paper traces the evolution of the DPJ's alliance management over the last three years from brash idealism to sober pragmatism as the party was forced to discard campaign promises to "equalize" and "reassess" the alliance, and came to realize that the changing security environment required a stronger alliance and not a diminished one. A major turning point was the unprecedented massive joint cooperation by U.S. and Japanese troops to respond to the 2011 earthquake disaster. The paper concludes that the alliance is as operationally strong now as it was under the LDP, but that the same problems exist, too, particularly the inability to resolve contentious issues regarding U.S. bases in Okinawa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disposal of waste plastics has become a major worldwide environmental problem. The USA, Europe and Japan generate annually about 50 million tons of post-consumer plastic waste, previously landfilled, generally considered as a non-sustainable and environmentally questionable option. Landfill sites and their capacity are, moreover, decreasing rapidly, and legislation is stringent. Several European directives and US legislation concern plastic wastes and the required management. They are briefly discussed in this paper. New processes have emerged, i. e., advanced mechanical recycling of plastic waste as virgin or second grade plastic feedstock, and thermal treatments to recycle the waste as virgin monomer, as synthetic fuel gas, or as heat source (incineration with energy recovery). These processes avoid land filling, where the non-biodegradable plastics remain a lasting environmental burden. The paper reviews these alternative options through mostly thermal processing (pyrolysis, gasification, and waste-to-energy). Additional research is, however, still needed to confirm the potential on pilot and commercial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to examine a development model of the Korean IT industry based on the concept of open and cluster innovation and reveal the synergistic effects between the textile and electronic industries. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; The analytical data on the Gumi Cluster are panel data mostly from the 1970s-2000s. The specific case studies are based on the field research and in-depth executive interviews for four firms. Findings |!|#8211; Through analysis of the innovation structure of the Gumi Cluster, the paper found that the Korean electronics industry has successfully caught up with first movers like the Japanese and US electronics industries. In this catch-up process, industrial clusters of the Korean electronic industry took on an open cluster and sought open and cluster innovation through collaborating with foreign firms and the other industries like the textile industry for making a rapid catch-up. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; The contribution of this study is to highlight the essential characteristics of cluster innovation and the practical growth patterns in the context of Korea which has achieved rapid technological catch-up. Future studies may involve the innovation patterns of other industries. Originality/value |!|#8211; Prior cluster research does not necessarily integrate the two streams of research: development of national industries; open innovation processes within the clusters. This paper represents a unique approach to integrate two streams through analyzing the electronic industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reflects on the phenomenon of the liquidity trap in the U.S. during 2008- financial crisis. The modern history of economics indentyfied strictly only one such a case: Japan since mid - 1990s. The main focus is to collect evidence on the liquidity trap using both: monetary approach and Neo-keynesian. Standard Johansen cointegration anlaysis is used to catch the structural macroeconomic change since the Lehman Bros, collapse. Findings provide the evidence for: a) money demand function change due to zero-bond policy; b) the role of expectations in the liquidity trap condition; c) excessive raise of 'lemon cost on the financial intermediation market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]