bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Crisis Management
Authors: Okamoto Masakatsu 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThroughout the half-century after World War II, natural disasters occurred frequently in Japan, but major crises were not faced either domestically or externally. In the 1990s, however, Japan experienced unprecedented large-scale natural disasters domestically, while internationally, North Korea and China increased their military power and threats to Japan materialized.Japan’s crisis management objectives include major natural disasters, security and new infectious disease outbreaks.Previously, national crisis management had not been an important issue for Japanese politics and public administration, and organizational and legal readiness were not sufficient. However, serious crises have been directly faced, and organizations and the legal system have been successively enhanced. There has also been a shift from the principle of ministries sharing the affairs to that of the Prime Minister’s initiative, whereby information is centralized in the Prime Minister’s hands, and he takes command of it.
Constitutional State and Public Administration
Authors: Harada Hisashi 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis chapter examines the impact of the constitutional reforms of the 1990s on the Japanese administrative state. We describe the development of the Japanese administrative state in terms of the roles and functions of the executive branch and the administrative resources to fulfil them. Considering the total number of administrative affairs under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet Office and ministries, the roles and functions of the Japanese executive branch are quite extensive. However, there are fewer financial and human resources available to fulfil these roles and functions than in other industrialised countries. We then demonstrate the characteristics of the Japanese executive government as a parliamentary cabinet system. The prime minister’s leadership was strengthened by the electoral and cabinet system reforms in the 1990s. Although these reforms did not involve constitutional amendments, they are comparable to constitutional reforms in a substantial sense. Finally, we investigated the impact of the strengthened leadership of the prime minister on the Japanese administrative state with its extensive jurisdiction and few administrative resources. We concluded that even the prime minister’s enhanced leadership through the abovementioned reforms could not significantly change the Japanese administrative state.
Structure of Trust in Government and Public Administration in Japan
Authors: Oyama Kosuke 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis chapter examines the structure of government trust and administrative trust in Japan. First, the level of trust in government and public administration in Japan will be located based on an international comparison. Second, the independent variables that determine the level of trust in government and public administration will be examined. The relationship between factors such as perceptions of policy performance, trust-building factors (professional ethics, sense of fairness, etc.), and citizen factors (social participation, media contact, life satisfaction, etc.) and trust will be explored. Third, the varying degrees of trust in the state and local governments and the factors that contribute to this will be reviewed. In addition, the recent shift in the performance goals of government and public administration (from economic growth to distribution, and emphasis on life satisfaction, etc.) and the possible impacts of such shift on trust in government and public administration will be explored.
Central and Local Government Relations
Authors: Ito Masatsugu 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn this chapter, the historical development of the relationship between the central and local governments in Japan will be analyzed in terms of three aspects – administration, finance, and politics – and the characteristics of the relationship between the central and local governments in Japan will be clarified by setting a framework of interfusion and separation. When modernizing, Japan studied the local government systems in place throughout the European continent and chose to adopt the interfusion model of the relationship between central and local governments, whereby the central government delegates its policies to local governments to ensure their implementation. The relationship between the central and local governments in Japan has undergone changes through functional centralization during the wartime regime, decentralization through reforms implemented during the Occupation, and decentralization reforms that have been taking place since the 1990s. However, the characteristics of interfusion have been maintained and reinforced through municipal mergers and the development of a system of fiscal adjustments. While Japan has a high ratio of local government to total government activities relative to other countries, this characteristic of Japan is supported by an interfusion-type relationship between the central and local governments.
Structure and Functions of the Central Government
Authors: Makihara Izuru 
Published: September 2024

AbstractJapan’s central government, traditionally dominated by the bureaucracy in policy-making, has seen a shift toward a more politically led decision-making process following the change of government in 2009 and 2012. This transformation is supported by key organizational changes, including a departure from the previous ministry-dominant system to one that bolsters the auxiliary functions of the Cabinet. The 2001 reorganization of ministries and agencies played a pivotal role in firmly establishing this new direction. In this chapter, we will explore these shifts within the Cabinet, the Cabinet Secretariat, the ministries, and independent bodies.
Aristotelian Diagrams as Logic Diagrams
Authors: Frijters Stef , Erbas Atahan 
Published: September 2024

AbstractRecently, diagrams are more seen as logical systems. Curiously, Aristotelian diagrams, such as the square of opposition, have mostly been excluded from this. In this paper we challenge this prejudice and show that Aristotelian diagrams can be considered as proper logic diagrams that can be used to draw inferences. We do so by describing a logical system of Aristotelian diagrams: we provide a diagrammatic vocabulary and syntax, a set of axioms and (transformation) rules, and a formal semantics. We show how this diagrammatic logic system can be used to make inferences and argue that the crucial step here is to not only consider finished diagrams, but also unfinished diagrams; it is in the process of (re)constructing the diagram that the reasoning steps are made. We finish the paper by commenting on the soundness and completeness of the system.
Elevated atmospheric CO2 alters the multi-element stoichiometry of pollen-bearing oak flowers, with possible negative effects on bees
Authors: Filipiak Zuzanna M. , Mayoral Carolina , Mills Sophie A. , Hayward Scott A. L. , Ullah Sami 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIncreasing atmospheric CO2 levels change the elemental composition in plants, altering their nutritional quality and affecting consumers and ecosystems. Ecological stoichiometry provides a framework for investigating how CO2-driven nutrient dilution in pollen affects bees by linking changes in pollen chemical element proportions to the nutritional needs of bees. We investigated the consequences of five years of Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) in a mature oak-dominated temperate forest on the elemental composition of English oak (Quercus robur) pollen. We measured the concentrations and proportions of 12 elements (C, N, P, S, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn) in Q. robur pollen-bearing flowers collected from the Birmingham Institute for Forest Research (BIFoR) FACE facility. An elevated CO2 (eCO2) level of 150 ppm above ambient significantly reduced the S, K, and Fe levels and altered the multi-element ratio, with different elements behaving differently. This shift in pollen multi-element composition may have subsequent cascading effects on higher trophic levels. To assess the impact on bees, we calculated the stoichiometric mismatch (a measure of the discrepancy between consumer needs and food quality) for two bee species, Osmia bicornis (red mason bee) and Apis mellifera (honey bee), that consume oak pollen in nature. We observed stoichiometric mismatches for P and S, in pollen under eCO2, which could negatively affect bees. We highlight the need for a comprehensive understanding of the changes in pollen multi-element stoichiometry under eCO2, which leads to nutrient limitations under climate change with consequences for bees.
A Lost Opportunity? Environmental Investment Tax Incentive and Energy Efficient Technologies
Authors: Tchorzewska Kinga B. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis paper examines the impact of the Spanish Environmental Investment (EI) tax credit on adoption of green technologies by employing data from 2567 industrial firms for 6 years. It makes use of the sudden re-introduction of the tax incentive in March 2011, that aimed at favouring energy efficient over solely pollution abating technologies. I exploit this unexpected change and perform a difference-in-differences analysis to study its effect on green investments and as an extention on green employment outcomes. The policy change, aimed at switching financing to energy efficient technologies, is assessed as semi-effective. Admittedly, it decreased investment in end-of-pipe technologies, but the investment in superior cleaner production technologies increased only for the small firms (below 50 employees), which are especially vulnerable to the capital market failure. Unfortunately, the policy change had also a few unexpected indirect effects, firms in response to the tax incentive regime modification reduced the number of their green employees and their associated salaries. In stark contrast to the decision of the Spanish government on this EI tax credit, the results of this analysis seem to be quite encouraging for the continued use of this green fiscal policy and show that the modifications in the precision of the existing fiscal policies can be successful.
Reduction of the acquisition time needed to obtain somatosensory evoked potentials by estimation of the required averaging sweep count by an algorithm
Authors: Bothe Clemens , Winterling Charlotte , Berndt Kai , Ahmeti Hajrullah , Balandin Alina , Steinfath Markus , Helmers Ann-Kristin , Fudickar Axel 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSomatosensory evoked potentials are frequently acquired by stimulation of the median or tibial nerves (mSEPs and tSEPs) for intraoperative monitoring of sensory pathways. Due to their low amplitudes it is common practice to average 200 or more sweeps to discern the evoked potentials from the background EEG. The aim of this study was to investigate if an algorithm designed to determine the lowest sweep count needed to obtain reproducible evoked potentials in each patient significantly reduces the median necessary sweep count to under 200. 30 patients undergoing spinal surgery at the Department of Neurosurgery were included in the study. Beginning with a sweep count of 200 an algorithm was designed to determine the lowest sweep count that yielded reproducible evoked potentials in each patient. By this algorithm the minimal sweep count was determined in 15 patients for mSEPs and in 15 patients for tSEPs. The required sweep count was below 200 in 14 of 15 patients for mSEPs (93.3%) with a mean sweep count of 56 ± 51. For tSEPs the sweep count was below 200 in 11 of 15 patients (73.3%) with a mean sweep count of 106 ± 70 (mean ± SD). The calculated mean time to average the potentials could thereby be reduced from 48.8s to 13.7s for mSEPs and from 48.8s to 25.9s for tSEPs. The proposed algorithm allowed sweep count and acquisition time reduction in roughly 90% of all patients for mSEPs and in 70% of all patients for tSEPs.
Highly stable wavelength converting composite based on sol–gel derived siloxane-encapsulated luminescent nanocrystals
Authors: Shin Yongmin , Park Somin , Um Byung Jo , Kim Seungwan , Jang Junho , Bae Byeong-Soo 
Published: September 2024

AbstractLuminescent nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as the high-performance wavelength converting materials in next-generation displays and energy conversion devices due to their unique optophysical properties, such as large Stokes or anti-Stokes shifts, narrow emission bandwidth, and tunable bandgap depending on size or composition. However, poor long-term stability in high temperature and humidity remains a critical issue for device applications. This instability is primarily due to irreversible changes in surface ligands or chemical structures/compositions when exposed to various severe environments. Various strategies have been reported to address these issues, such as the formation of inorganic shell layers and the fabrication of polymer-based nanocomposites. Although these strategies have improved stability, they exhibit degraded properties during long-term aging. Recently, sol–gel derived siloxane hybrid materials have been introduced to achieve stability for various NCs under actual operating conditions of displays and optoelectronic devices. This review will address recent progress in developing siloxane-encapsulated NCs with high stability in high temperature/humidity and under continuous light exposure. It will also introduce results on enhancing the environmental stability of various NCs, including lanthanide-doped transition metal-based NCs, semiconducting NCs, and metal halide perovskite NCs, as well as demonstrations of reliable devices.
Graphical Abstract
Exploring Potential Human Health Risks Linked to Heavy Metal(Loid)s in Dietary Fishes: Utilizing Data-Driven and Computational Modelling Approaches
Authors: Akash Pritom Bhowmik , Kumar Sazal , Jahan Md. Saikoth , Rahman Muhammad Shafiqur , Seddiky Md. Assraf , Sorker Anti , Islam Rafiquel 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThere are significant concerns about the risks to human health posed by metal(loid) contamination in dietary fishes in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate heavy metal(loid) contamination in fish and their associated health risks using published data from 2000 to 2022. Additionally, the safe limit of fish consumption was estimated using the target hazard quotient (THQ) followed by computational modelling and artificial neural networks (ANN). Results showed that freshwater and herbivorous fishes pose the least non-cancer risks, whereas saltwater and carnivorous fishes pose the highest non-cancer risks to Bangladeshi consumers. However, freshwater and omnivorous fish consumption pose the highest cancer risks compared to all studied metal(loid)s. In particular, among the heavy metal(loid)s, As, Cr, Hg, and Ni pose significant cancer and non-cancer risks to Bangladeshi consumers. On the contrary, the ANN and Decision tree regression (DTR) characterized the dataset, simulation model, or data testing condition, reaching 94.7% accuracy and allowing us to measure the safest fish consumption limit. The herbivorous fishes are less contaminated and allow greater consumption (175.09 g day−1). Contrarily, the allowable intake rates of carnivorous and omnivorous fishes are 153.05 and 168.63 g day−1, respectively. Besides, the safe consumption rate of saltwater fishes was 156.51 g day−1, which was lower than freshwater (180.59 g day−1) and euryhaline fishes (182.17 g day−1). Therefore, this study will assist fish consumers in selecting less contaminated fish, ensuring safe consumption levels, and ultimately reducing health risks associated with metal(loid) contamination in fish.
Generic diversity and septal complexity in Cretaceous ammonoids. Effects of oceanic anoxic events on the ammonoid evolutionary dynamic
Authors: Pérez-Claros Juan Antonio 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis paper analyzes the relationship between the number of genera of Cretaceous planiespiral ammonoids and their sutural complexity estimated by their fractal dimension. It is confirmed that the dynamics of generic diversity is associated with the appearance/disappearance of simple suture genera, which are not ascribed to a particular family. The maximum oscillations of generic diversity occur in the Aptian and Albian which are associated with large variations in the number of genera with simple sutures. From the Middle Campanian there is a continued loss of diversity until the end of the Maastrichtian linked to a net reduction of single suture genera. The direct relationship between the number of genera and the range of septal complexity in each substage indicates that different degrees of septal complexity are different ecomorphological strategies of adaptation to different niches. This result confirms that the specialist forms are those with simple sutures while the genera with complex septa are either generalist forms or are adapted to environments that do not undergo major fluctuations over geological time. The ammonoid generic diversity recorded dynamics is different from that of other marine invertebrates, reflecting paleobiological and/or taphonomic differences. The symmetrical distribution of septal complexity values points to the relative fidelity of the fossil record of Cretaceous ammonoids. The effect of seven oceanic anoxic events of the Cretaceous on the number of genera and septal complexity is analyzed, obtaining no statistically distinguishable effects of the oscillations of these variables with respect to those occurring in other intervals where such events are not recorded.
Harvesting low grade waste heat through environment friendly n-Ag2Se/p-MgAgSb based thermoelectric module
Authors: Patra Soumyabrata , Patro Pankaj , Gupta Pankaj , Singh Surjeet , Singh Ajay 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe majority of the primary energy in any process is wasted as low-grade heat (< 373 K). Thermoelectric power generators are ideally suited for conversion of such low-grade waste heat into electricity. So far Bi2Te3-based alloys based thermoelectric generators are commercially ruling such energy conversion applications. From long term commercial sustainability point of view the scarcity of elemental Te in earth crest and the presence of heavy element Bi are issues of concern. Here we report environment friendly and Te free n-Ag2Se and p-MgAgSb combination as an alternative to the Bi2Te3-based alloys. The mechanically strong and low specific contact resistivity electrical contacts based on Ni and Ag were directly bonded on Ag2Se and MgAgSb respectively using deformation bonding method. For a temperature difference (∆T) of ~ 82 K, the uni-leg device displayed a conversion efficiency of ~ 1.9% that is comparable to the state-of-the-art Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric module for a similar ∆T. Finally, a thermoelectric power generator module comprising of 18 p-n legs was coupled with a DC-DC boost converter for demonstration an application by harvesting low grade waste heat.
Graphical Abstract
Unraveling the Extensive Impact of Subthermocline Eddies on the Western Pacific Undercurrent System
Authors: Azminuddin Fuad , Jang Chan Joo , Susanto Raden Dwi , Mubarrok Saat 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSubthermocline eddies (SEs) influencing ocean circulation are progressively known, yet their extensive impact on the western Pacific undercurrent system remains largely unexplored and, in some regions, often underestimated. Okubo‐Weiss parameter analysis reveals a distinctive meridional pattern of cyclonic and anticyclonic SE distribution in the interior western Pacific basin that aligns with zonally elongated mean flows. These westward‐propagating SEs play a pivotal role in regulating the formation of zonal undercurrents, particularly off‐equatorial regions, through the convergence of eddy potential vorticity flux. Along the Pacific western boundary region, anticyclonic SEs typically enhance (reverse) the velocity of boundary currents flowing northward (southward), primarily through barotropic energy conversion, while cyclonic SEs do the opposite. To summarize, we provide a schematic map of the circulation system in the western Pacific and emphasize the interconnected framework of undercurrents, particularly in relation to SEs.
Global Maps of Plasmaspheric Erosion and Refilling for Varying Geomagnetic Conditions
Authors: Bishop Tyler B. , Blum Lauren W. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe plasmasphere accounts for the majority of the mass of Earth's magnetosphere and contains most of the cold ion (1 eV) population. The plasmasphere is extremely dynamic, undergoing a constant cycle of erosion and refilling. In this paper we perform a statistical study of erosion and refilling rates using 6 years of data from the Van Allen Probes from the beginning of 2013 through the end of 2018. Using in‐situ density measurements derived from the upper hybrid resonance line, we create global maps of the erosion and refilling rates over a wide range of L shells and local times. Sorting the data by L shell, magnetic local time, and distance to the plasmapause, we characterize the absolute and relative rates of erosion and refilling during a variety of geomagnetic conditions. We also examine three case studies of geomagnetic storms and compare their density evolutions during the recovery period. Our results are in agreement with refilling rates found by previous statistical studies using different methods, but somewhat lower than many of the case studies reported. We find median erosion rates of 164, 83, and 43 cm−3/day and refilling rates of 87, 42, and 27 cm−3/day at L = 3, 4 and 5, respectively when Kp 3. We also find little local time dependence for both erosion and refilling rates.
Merging Mesoscale Magnetotail Features and Ground B‐Field Perturbation Network Connectivity During Substorm Activity
Authors: Adewuyi M. , Keesee A. , Ferdousi B. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe connection between the magnetosphere and ionosphere is particularly dynamic during substorms. Mesoscale features in the magnetotail are consistent with substorm activity, including magnetic reconnection in the tail, flow channels, and particle injections. Observations of substorm related phenomena can be made using energetic neutral atom (ENA) imagers, in situ satellite measurements, and ground based magnetic field perturbation measurements. Analysis of the 10 October 2014 isolated substorm event is presented. Comparison of the spatial and temporal dynamics of the features seen in equatorial maps generated from ENA data are made with inner magnetosphere in situ measurements and ionospheric features with network analysis of the SuperMAG data. An MHD simulation of the event using OpenGGCM is also compared with the data.
Protein phosphatase 4 maintains the survival of primordial follicles by regulating autophagy in oocytes
Authors: Dong Ming-Zhe , Ouyang Ying-Chun , Gao Shi-Cai , Gu Lin-Jian , Guo Jia-Ni , Sun Si-Min , Wang Zhen-Bo , Sun Qing-Yuan 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn mammalian ovary, the primordial follicle pool serves as the source of developing follicles and fertilizable ova. To maintain the normal length of female reproductive life, the primordial follicles must have adequate number and be kept in a quiescent state before menopause. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying primordial follicle survival are poorly understood. Here, we provide genetic evidence showing that lacking protein phosphatase 4 (PPP4) in oocytes, a member of PP2A-like subfamily, results in infertility in female mice. A large quantity of primordial follicles has been depleted around the primordial follicle pool formation phase and the ovarian reserve is exhausted at about 7 months old. Further investigation demonstrates that depletion of PPP4 causes the abnormal activation of mTOR, which suppresses autophagy in primordial follicle oocytes. The abnormal primordial follicle oocytes are eventually erased by pregranulosa cells in the manner of lysosome invading. These results show that autophagy prevents primordial follicles over loss and PPP4-mTOR pathway governs autophagy during the primordial follicle formation and dormant period.