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This article seeks to address an empirical puzzle: 'why do community-based labour organizations (CLOs) in China and Japan play a similarly marginal role in facilitating social change, despite drastic differences in national circumstances?' Theoretically, special importance is given to a cross-disciplinary approach that combines anthropology and business and management perspectives. Methodologically, the comparative study draws on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews to explore how leadership activism is embedded in and shaped by an intricately interwoven web of political, economic and cultural forces, what anthropologists refer to as 'a total social phenomenon'. The findings highlight a series of agential and structural challenges, especially those arising from the tension between culture and social institutions. More generally, the work contributes to an alternative, critical understanding of leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was prompted by an empirical puzzle: why is sex education in schools so underdeveloped in Japan compared to many other industrialised societies? On the one hand, formal pedagogy under state policy is conservative, emphasising reproductive and prophylactic purposes rather than a comprehensive understanding of sexuality. On the other hand, however, Japan has a highly visible sexual environment where a variety of commercial sex activities are tolerated and even encouraged. The aim of the paper is to provide an integrated picture of these apparently contradictory trends by examining the nexus of political, economic and sociocultural factors that affect sex education in contemporary Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) poses a global health threat, with the oral microbiome increasingly implicated in its pathogenesis. This study leverages Mendelian Randomization (MR) to explore causal links between oral microbiota and CRC using data from the China National GeneBank and Biobank Japan. By integrating multi-omics approaches, we aim to uncover mechanisms by which the microbiome influences cellular metabolism and cancer development., Methods: We analyzed microbiome profiles from 2017 tongue and 1915 saliva samples, and GWAS data for 6692 CRC cases and 27178 controls. Significant bacterial taxa were identified via MR analysis. Single-cell RNA sequencing and enrichment analyses elucidated underlying pathways, and drug predictions identified potential therapeutics., Results: MR identified 19 bacterial taxa significantly associated with CRC. Protective effects were observed in taxa like RUG343 and Streptococcus_umgs_2425, while HOT-345_umgs_976 and W5053_sp000467935_mgs_712 increased CRC risk. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed key pathways, including JAK-STAT signaling and tyrosine metabolism. Drug prediction highlighted potential therapeutics like Menadione Sodium Bisulfite and Raloxifene., Conclusion: This study establishes the critical role of the oral microbiome in colorectal cancer development, identifying specific microbial taxa linked to CRC risk. Single-cell RNA sequencing and drug prediction analyses further elucidate key pathways and potential therapeutics, providing novel insights and personalized treatment strategies for CRC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that this research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Gu, Jiang, Shui, Luo, Zhou, Zhang, Jiang, Huang, Chen, Tang, Fu, Luo, Yang, Xu, Chi, Liu and Huang.)