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The United Nations has announced the Inclusive Wealth Index as a new measure of prosperity with the aim of looking beyond GDP. Using this index, it is possible to visualize the value of natural and human capitals (such as health), which contribute to raising the well-being of people but cannot be measured by GDP. The degradation of natural capital has emerged as a significant global challenge, which has prompted an accelerated movement toward nature positivity. Corporations are increasingly expected to disclose information regarding their environmental, social, and governance practices, which highlights the undeniable importance of addressing environmental degradation and human rights issues. Natural capital is the foundation not only for economic activities but also for sustaining life. The degradation of this capital poses significant risks both to human society as a whole and to businesses. Halting the degradation of natural capital including the food system, which serves as the foundation for survival and aiming for nature positivity will be extremely important for maintaining a happy, sustainable society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the changes in shape and extinction intensity of Au nanorod arrays by rapid thermal annealing (RTA). RTA was performed at 400~800°C for 3 min in an N2 atmosphere using a halogen lamp as a heater. With increasing annealing temperature, the surface roughness of the rod decreases, the long axis of the rod shrinks while the short axis inflates, and finally some rods split. The wavelength and intensity of localized surface plasmon resonance varied with the rods shape. In particular, annealing at 800°C shifts the high-order (3λ/2) mode along the long axis from the near infrared to the visible region. Also surface lattice resonance is observed, showing that the periodicity of the array is retained even after annealing at 800°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on effect of rhodium addition on degradation behavior of Ir-10 mass％Rh alloy for a spark plug during oxidation at elevated temperatures. Oxidation tests were conducted at the temperature range from 1173 K to 1473 K in Ar-21％O2 gas mixture to clarify the effect of rhodium addition on degradation behavior of the alloy. As a result, there are three effects of rhodium addition to prevent the alloy from the degradation: (1) dissolution of rhodium into iridium oxide scale at below 1273 K, which decreases activity of iridium oxide in the oxide scale, (2) dissolution of rhodium into the alloy at above 1273 K, which decreases activity of iridium in the alloy and (3) formation of rhodium oxide, which decreases surface area of the alloy. All effects contribute to decrease vapor pressure of volatile iridium oxide, resulting in suppression of the degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nervous System in Children is the property of Japanese Society for Pediatric Neurosurgey and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of the Society of Plant Engineers Japan is the property of Society of Plant Engineers Japan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, data availability and measurement accuracy for offshore wind assessment using a single Doppler scanning Lidar are investigated. Firstly, the effect of measurement distance as well as rainfall and snowfall on data availability of the Doppler scanning Lidar are examined. The accuracy of measurement for offshore wind speed and direction using a single Doppler scanning Lidar is evaluated, by comparing with those from a met mast. In addition, one year offshore wind measurements are conducted using two single Doppler scanning Lidars to investigate wind climate in a coastal region in Northerly Japan. It is found that the accuracy of 15-second mean wind speed by PPI scan depends on the sector size, and the 10-minute mean wind speed and wind direction are accurate enough when the sector size in each scan sequence is larger than 30 degrees and the number of data acquisition is more than 10%. The vertical and horizontal distributions of offshore wind speed in each wind direction are also analyzed and the effects of onshore topography on offshore wind climate are clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ingesting yogurt fermented with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (OLL1073R-1) on the immune function of healthy university men track and field athletes. Study design Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. A total of 37 track and field athletes aged ≥18 years were randomly assigned into two groups. For 2 weeks, two bottles of yogurt fermented with OLL1073R-1 and Streptococcus thermophilus OLS3059 or placebo sour milk were ingested daily to the participants. During the intake period, a 1-week training camp was held and participants were subjected to strenuous exercise. Natural killer (NK) cell activity, which is the primary endpoint, was significantly lower in the placebo group after ingestion than that at baseline; however, it remained unchanged during the pre-exercise level of the yogurt group. The two-way repeated measures analysis of variance showed an interaction effect in the NK cell activity change (P=0.018) and a significant difference between the groups after the 2-week ingestion (P=0.015). Among the secondary endpoints, cytokines and chemokines levels involved in activating innate immunity maintained or enhanced only in the yogurt group. ALT, LDH, and CK significantly elevated only in the placebo group. Furthermore, amino acid levels were significantly lower in the placebo group after ingestion than that at baseline; however, it remained unchanged during the pre-exercise level in the yogurt group. Consuming yogurt fermented with OLL1073R-1 prevents the decline in immune function associated with strenuous exercise. Additionally, the yogurt may contribute to stable physical condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements and modeling studies were conducted on the evaporation and decomposition rates of urea adsorbed on a SCR catalyst using a lab-scale atmospheric pressure flow reactor system. For the evaporation behavior, an equilibrium concentration equation for urea in the vapor phase was derived. For the decomposition behavior, a first-order decomposition rate constant equation for the adsorbed urea was obtained. Using these experimental equations, an evaporation/decomposition model for urea based on the BET adsorption equation has been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kokusai Keizai is the property of Japan Society of International Economics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Seikagaku Journal of Japanese Biochemical is the property of Japanese Biochemical Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Management & Training for Industries is the property of Institute of Industrial Applications Engineers and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)