INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY AND TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS IN REGIONAL REVITALISATION; INSIGHTS FROM JAPANESE PRACTICES

This study examines the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions and advanced technology practices and their coexistence with conventional systems and initiatives that have been operating in different regions of Japan to address some of the socio-economic challenges. The methodological approach of the study includes three facets, namely government initiatives, technology involvement and local society actors. The study examines government visions and initiatives that emphasize the use of advanced technology as a key factor and tool to enable solutions and realize the target vision. The ageing population and economic stagnation are common challenges in different regions of Japan. The adaptation of technology and the integration of technological advances across sectors with an impact on productivity have been explored in the Vision Action Plans. With an ageing farming community, smart agriculture is one of the developments highlighted, as is the use of artificial intelligence and big data analytics, and autonomous systems in the image of the \u27smart city\u27 plan of a case study local government of Nago-city, in the southern prefecture of Okinawa. The study notes that Society 5.0 is seen as a blueprint for harnessing the potential of technological advances to address social and economic issues and build a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient society that balances economic growth with societal well-being and regional revitalizatio

A General Scavenging Rate Constant for Reaction of Hydroxyl Radical with Organic Carbon in Atmospheric Waters

Hydroxyl radical (OH) is an important oxidant in atmospheric aqueous phases such as cloud and fog drops and water-containing aerosol particles. We find that numerical models nearly always overestimate aqueous hydroxyl radical concentrations because they overpredict its rate of formation and, more significantly, underpredict its sinks. To address this latter point, we examined OH sinks in atmospheric drops and aqueous particles using both new samples and an analysis of published data. Although the molecular composition of organic carbon, the dominant sink of OH, is extremely complex and poorly constrained, this sink behaves very similarly in different atmospheric waters and even in surface waters. Thus, the sink for aqueous OH can be estimated as the concentration of dissolved organic carbon multiplied by a general scavenging rate constant [<i>k</i>_C,OH = (3.8 ± 1.9) × 10⁸ L (mol C)⁻¹ s^–1], a simple process that should significantly improve estimates of OH concentrations in atmospheric drops and aqueous particles