Developing and validating the Japanese version of the situational Awe cale (SAS-J)

The experience of awe, an emotional response to vast stimuli overwhelming ones’ current mental structure, has often been measured using a questionnaire method. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate the Japanese version of the Situational Awe Scale (SAS), which is a useful tool for measuring awe experiences from the perspective of the discriminability between positive- and threat-awe. The present study investigated the factor structure and validity of the Japanese version of the SAS (SAS-J) using awe-inducing video clips, through three online surveys (N = 1034; mean age = 38.74, SD = 10.95, range = 18–75). Results revealed that the SAS-J consisted of the same four factors as the original SAS (i.e., connection, oppression, chills, and diminished self) and had the convergent, criterion, and discriminative validity in measuring both positive- and threat-awe experiences. Additionally, results showed that the SAS-J could distinguish between positive- and threat-awe experiences. These results suggested that the SAS-J could measure both positive- and threat-awe experiences with validity. This study would make a methodological contribution to awe research

Assessment of traffic accidents in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic vs. previous years: a preliminary report

Beginning in April 2020, social distancing measures were implemented to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. We assessed whether traffic accident rates had decreased from April 2020 to December 2021 as compared with previous years. The analysis included 2,934,477 traffic accidents, and the trend of decreasing rates of traffic accidents in recent years and seasonal fluctuations in traffic accidents were considered. The yearly change in the traffic accident rate between 2015 and 2019 was estimated, and the traffic accident rate in 2020 and 2021 was predicted. This was followed by the comparison of observed vs. predicted traffic accident rate. In 2020, the observed vs. expected rates of traffic accidents were lower in April to December 2020, and the rate of traffic accidents in Japan was 30–40% lower in April–May 2020 than would be expected based on trends from previous years. In 2021, rates of traffic accidents remained lower than expected between January and November, but the magnitude of decrease was not as pronounced. These findings could be explained by social distancing policies, including the declaration of the state of emergency, and the relaxation of public health and social measures over time

Development of Fluorescent Gelators and Detectionof Explosives Using Fibrous Xerogel Films

Fluorescent gelators containing stilbene segments were synthesized, and their gelation abilities were studied. Fibrous xerogel films were prepared from the gels on quartz plates, and their abilities to detect explosives were evaluated by the fluorescence quenching of the xerogel films upon exposure to saturated TNT or RDX vapor. The morphologies of the xerogel films were studied by TEM and DFM. The xerogel films that showed effective fluorescence quenching were found to have 3D fibrous networks with widths of several tens of nanometers and entangled fibrous aggregates with very uneven surfaces. The mechanism for detecting TNT was discussed from the viewpoint of HOMO and LUMO levels.ArticleMacromolecular Symposia.364(1):7-18(2016)journal articl

Tracking sectoral allocation of official development assistance: a comparative study of the 29 Development Assistance Committee countries, 2011–2018

Background: Official development assistance (ODA) is one of the most important means for donor countries to foster diplomatic relations with low- and middle-income countries and contribute to the welfare of the international community. Objective: This study estimated the sectoral allocation of gross disbursements of ODA of the 29 Development Assistance Committee (DAC) member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for the duration of 2011 to 2018, by aid type (bilateral, multilateral, and both aids). Methods: Data from the OECD iLibrary were used. The sector definition was based on the OECD sector classification. For core funding to multilateral agencies that do not specialize in each aid sector, we estimated ODA and its flows based on the OECD methodology for calculating imputed multilateral ODA. Results: For all 29 countries, during the period of 2014–2018 where data were available for all the countries, the sector with the highest average annual ODA contribution was health at 20.34 billion USD (13.21%), followed by humanitarian aid at 18.04 billion (11.72%). Humanitarian aid has increased in the sectoral share rankings in both bilateral and multilateral aid, and the sectoral share for refugees in donor countries has increased in bilateral aid. While the 29 countries show relatively similar trends for sectoral shares, some countries and sectors display unique trends. For instance, infrastructure and energy sectors in bilateral aid of Japan are particularly high accounts for 48.48% of the total bilateral ODA of the country in 2018. Conclusions: This paper evaluated ODA trends by major donors of DAC countries in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic periods. We hope that our estimates will contribute to the review of the strategic decision-making and the effective implementation of future ODA policy discussions in the DAC countries while ensuring transparency

COVID-19 and heat illness in Tokyo, Japan: implications for the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021

The 2020 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo were postponed to July– September 2021 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While COVID-19 has emerged as a monumental health threat for mass gathering events, heat illness must be acknowl-edged as a potentially large health threat for maintaining health services. We examined the number of COVID-19 admissions and the Tokyo rule for emergency medical care, in Tokyo, from March to September 2020, and investigated the weekly number of emergency transportations due to heat illness and weekly averages of the daily maximum Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) in Tokyo in the summer (2016–2020). The peak of emergency transportations due to heat illness overlapped the resurgence of COVID-19 in 2020, and an increase of heat illness patients and WBGT has been observed. Respect for robust science is critical for the decision-making process of mass gathering events during the pandemic, and science-based countermeasures and implementations for COVID-19 will be warranted. Without urgent reconsiderations and sufficient countermeasures, the double burden of COVID-19 and heat-related illnesses in Tokyo will overwhelm the healthcare provision system, and maintaining essential health services will be challenging during the 2021 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games

Effect of vagus nerve stimulation against generalized seizure and status epilepticus recurrence

ObjectiveVagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a palliative surgery for drug-resistant epilepsy. The two objectives of this study were to (1) determine the seizure type most responsive to VNS and (2) investigate the preventive effect on status epilepticus (SE) recurrence.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 136 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent VNS implantation. We examined seizure outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 months following implantation of VNS as well as at the last visit to the Juntendo Epilepsy Center. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the prognostic factors.Results125 patients were followed up for at least 1 year after VNS implantation. The percentage of patients with at least a 50% reduction in seizure frequency compared with prior to VNS implantation increased over time at 6, 12, and 24 months after VNS implantation: 28, 41, and 52%, respectively. Regarding overall seizure outcomes, 70 (56%) patients responded to VNS. Of the 40 patients with a history of SE prior to VNS implantation, 27 (67%) showed no recurrence of SE. The duration of epilepsy, history of SE prior to VNS implantation and seizure type were correlated with seizure outcomes after VNS implantation in univariate analysis (p = 0.05, p < 0.01, and p = 0.03, respectively). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, generalized seizure was associated with VNS response [odds ratio (OR): 4.18, 95% CI: 1.13–15.5, p = 0.03]. A history of SE prior to VNS implantation was associated with VNS non-responders [(OR): 0.221, 95% CI: 0.097–0.503, p < 0.01]. The duration of epilepsy, focal to bilateral tonic–clonic seizure and epileptic spasms were not significantly associated with VNS responders (p = 0.07, p = 0.71, and p = 0.11, respectively).ConclusionFollowing 125 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy for an average of 69 months, 56% showed at least 50% reduction in seizure frequency after VNS implantation. This study suggests that generalized seizure is the most responsive to VNS, and that VNS may reduce the risk of recurrence of SE. VNS was shown to be effective against generalized seizure and also may potentially influence the risk of further events of SE, two marker of disease treatment that can lead to improved quality of life