Price and Wage Setting in Japan: An Empirical Investigation

This paper empirically analyzes whether a hypothesis from Aukrust (1977) applies to two phenomena in Japan: wage spillover between internationally competitive industries (exposed sectors) and domestically protected industries (sheltered sectors), and wage- and price- setting in those industries. We find that Aukrust's assumptions hold in the case of Japan, as all three of the cointegrating relations assumed by the Aukrust model are confirmed to exist. We also find the causal relations in Japan are more complex than the relations assumed by Aukrust.

Physical Gelation by Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds and Development of Gelators

We discuss low-molecular-weight compounds, which undergo physical gelation, as gelators. There is a close relationship between crystallization and gelation with respect to the driving forces. Both crystallization and gelation are driven by non covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, electrostatic interactions, and pi-pi interactions. Typical gelators, which include amino acid derivatives, trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane derivatives, and cyclic(dipeptide)s, are discussed. A concept of "gelation-driving segment" has been proposed. Hydrogelators, functional gelators, and polymer-type gelators are developed by using gelation-driving segments.ArticleBULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN.89(2):174-182(2016)journal articl

Monetary Policy and Economic Inequality in Japan

本研究は，JSPS科研費『非伝統的金融政策実施による所得･消費格差に関する研究』 (16K17149) ，『金融政策正常化を規定する社会経済的要因を考慮したマクロ経済分析 : 理論･実証･歴史』 (16H03618) から研究助成を受けた

Factors Influencing Home Death in a Japanese Metropolitan Region

To examine factors influencing home death, an anonymous survey was mailed to 998 home care supporting clinics (HCSCs) in the 23 wards of Tokyo, Japan. We classified the HCSCs into two types (single physician practice and multiple physician practice) and identified factors of each type of practice that predict home death. The factors associated with a greater probability of dying at home were as follows: in the multiple physician practices, collaboration with hospitals and teaching coping skills to the family members and, in the single physician practices, collaboration with clinics. Our findings suggest that home end-of-life care services are unlikely to be achieved without cooperation among service providers and without improvement of the family members' coping skills

Physical gelation by amides derived from trans-1, 2-diaminocyclohexane and their tetrasiloxane-based gelators

Four compounds were prepared from trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane and were subsequently studied as gelators. These two compounds were chiral trans-(1R,2R)-1-(2-heptylundecanoylamino)-2-(10-undecenoylamino) cyclohexane and the corresponding racemate. The other two compounds were 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octamethyltetrasiloxane-containing chiral and racemic compounds prepared by a hydrosilylation reaction. Their gelation abilities were evaluated on the basis of the minimum gel concentration, using seven solvents. The thermal stability and transparency of the gels were investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy using three-component mixed solvents of hexadecyl 2-ethylhexanoate, liquid paraffin, and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (66 combinations). The gel-to-sol phase-transition temperatures were also studied. The viscoelastic behavior of the gels was studied by rheology measurements in the strain sweep mode. Aggregates consisting of three-dimensional networks were studied by transmission electron microscopy. Circular dichroism spectroscopy was performed to verify the existence of helical aggregates in the gel.ArticlePOLYMER JOURNAL.49(5):439-447(2017)journal articl

Detection of Amine Vapors using Luminescent Xerogels from Supramolecular Metal-Containing

Supramolecular fluorescent gelators containing a tris(beta-diketonato) complex are synthesized by using gelation-driving chelates, and their gelation abilities are studied with 15 solvents. Thin-layer films are prepared on quartz plates from the solutions and they are studied as chemosensors for amines. Fluorescence-quenching of the thin-layer films upon exposure to saturated primary and secondary amine vapors is monitored to evaluate the abilities of the chemosensors to detect amines. The morphologies of the thin-layer films are observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and discussed in relation to their fluorescence-quenching. The fluorescence-quenching efficiencies upon exposure to saturated primary and secondary amines depend on the basicity and bulkiness of the amines rather than the vapor pressure. The fluorescence-quenching is caused by decomposition of a complex through nucleophilic addition of primary or secondary amines to its carbonyl group. The detection of tertiary amines is performed by monitoring the fluorescence emission from the thin-layer films, which are composed of a ligand and EuCl3. The emergence of fluorescence originates from the formation of fluorescent Eu3+-containing gelator, in which dehydrochloric acid by tertiary amines is a trigger for the complexation.ArticleBULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN.91(4):538-547(2018)journal articl

Diffraction Plane Dependence of Micro Residual Stresses in Uniaxially Extended Carbon Steels

In the stress measurement using X-ray or neutron diffraction, an elastic anisotropy as well as a plastic anisotropy of crystal must be carefully considered. In the X-ray and neutron diffraction stress measurement for polycrystalline materials, a particular {hkl} plane is used in measuring lattice strains. The dependence of an X-ray elastic constant on a diffraction plane is a typical example caused by an elastic anisotropy of the crystal. The yield strength and the work hardening rate of a single crystal depend on a crystallographic direction of the crystal. The difference in the yield strength and the work hardening rate relating to the crystallographic direction develops different residual stresses measured on each {hkl} diffraction after plastic deformation of a polycrystalline material. The present paper describes the result of the neutron stress measurement on uniaxially extended low and middle carbon steels. A tri-axial residual stress state developed in the extended specimens was measured on different kind of {hkl} diffraction plane. The measurement on the {110}, {200} and {211} diffraction showed that residual stresses increased with increasing the plastic elongation and the residual stresses on {110} were compressive, {200} were tensile and those on {211} were the middle of the former two planes. Received: 30 September 2010; Revised: 28 October 2010; Accepted: 1 November 201

Transformative Policies Supporting Equitable Workforce Progress

As the need for Green Workforce jobs rises, it is essential that companies are transparent about pay. The California Pay Transparency Law (SB 1162) enforces job descriptions that explicitly outline employee compensation, which is also a step towards closing gender and race-based pay gaps. It also prohibits employers from using hiring practices that may be discriminatory against certain groups of people. SB 1162 builds honesty, trust, and equity in the workplace for job seekers today and for generations to come.https://digital.sandiego.edu/npi-sdlife/1008/thumbnail.jp

Synthesis of Fluorescent Gelators and Direct Observation of Gelation with a Fluorescence Microscope

Fluorescein-, benzothiazole-, quinoline-, stilbene-, and carbazole-containing fluorescent gelators have been synthesized by connecting gelation-driving segments, including l-isoleucine, l-valine, l-phenylalanine, l-leucine residue, cyclo(l-asparaginyl-l-phenylalanyl), and trans-(1R,2R)-diaminocyclohexane. The emission behaviors of the gelators were investigated, and their gelation abilities studied against 15 solvents. The minimum gel concentration, variable-temperature spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy (FM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to characterize gelation. The intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the N-H and C=O of amide, van der Waals interactions and pi-pi stacking play important roles in gelation. The colors of emission are related to the fluorescence structures of gelators. Fibrous aggregates characterized by the color of their emission were observed by FM. 3D images are produced by the superposition of images captured by CLSM every 0.1 mu m to a settled depth. The 3D images show that the large micrometer-sized aggregates spread out three dimensionally. FM observations of mixed gelators are studied. In the case of gelation, two structurally related gelators with the same gelation-driving segment lead to the gelators build up of the same aggregates through similar hydrogen-bonding patterns. When two gelators with structurally different gelation-driving segments induce gelation, the gelators build up each aggregate through individual hydrogen-bonding patterns. A fluorescent reagent that was incorporated into the aggregates of gels through van der Waals interactions was developed. The addition of this fluorescent reagent enables the successful observation of nonfluorescent gelators' aggregates by FM.ArticleCHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL.22(47):16937-16947(2016)journal articl

Easy preparation of graphite-containing gel electrolytes using a gelator and characterization of their electrochemical properties

Cyclo(L-beta-3,7-dimethyloctylasparaginyl-L-phenylalanyl) was used as a gelator to synthesize gel electrolytes using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, propylene carbonate (PC), and -butyrolactone in 1M LiBF4. Gel strengths and thermal stabilities were studied with regard to the effect of graphite as a helper additive. Ionic conductivities, activation energies for ionic conductivity, and the electrochemical stabilities of the graphite-containing gel electrolytes were studied.ArticleSOFT MATERIALS.15(3):214-221(2017)journal articl