Individual alcohol consumption by the population of Russia versus regional living conditions

Background:There are substantial regional differences in drinking alcohol in Russia,both at the population and individual levels.However,the causes of these differences have not been studied yet.Objective:The goal of our study was to examine the effect of regional living conditions on individual alcohol consumption by the population of Russia.Methods:For the analysis,we used data from a cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted in 2013-2014.The final analytical sample included 18,130 people aged 25-64 years.We conducted the interviews face to face,based on which any drinking in the last year,as well as alcohol abuse,were considered as a response.Alcohol abuse was recorded when the respondent consumed 5.75 or more grams of pure ethanol per day(75th percentile of average daily alcohol consumption among alcohol drinkers).The assessment of the regional living conditions was accomplished via integral indexing,which was previously performed based on publicly available data for 2010-2014.Associations were assessed using generalized scoring equations with unchanging standard errors.The associations were expressed by odds ratios(OR)and 95%confidence intervals(C).Results:Deterioration of social conditions and increase in demographic depression in the region of residence increased the odds of any drinking(OR 1.51,95%CI:1.33 to 1.72,P<0.001 and OR 1.22,95%CI:1.05 to 1.41,P=0.oo9,respectively).The odds of alcohol abuse increased with the deterioration of social living conditions and the growth of the industrial development in the region:OR 1.35,95%CI:1.14 to 1.59,P<0.001 and OR 1.16,95%CI:1.05 to 1.28,P=0.002,respectively.Conclusion:Our analysis allowed assessing the impact of the regional living conditions on individual drinking alcohol in the population of Russia.

Comparison on the Origin and Development of Sophora flavescens in China and Japan

Sophora flavescens , which was first recorded in Shen Nong s Herbal Classic , has the functions of clearing away heat, drying dampness, killing parasites and promoting urination. In its long-term application, traditional Chinese medicine has gradually deepened its understanding of the origin and efficacy of S. flavescens . In order to explore changes in the origin and efficacy of traditional Chinese herb S. flavescens in the history of China and Japan, in this paper, the origin and development of S. flavescens in China and Japan were compared from three aspects: the origin, medicinal efficacy, and processing methods of S. flavescens in China and Japan, hoping to provide clear understanding of the medicinal plant S. flavescens .

Exploring well-being disparities between urban and rural areas:A case study in the Stavropol Territory,Russia

Rural areas are crucial for a country’s sustainable economy.New strategies are needed to develop rural areas to improve the well-being of rural population and generate new job opportunities.This is especially important in countries where agricultural production accounts for a significant share of the gross product,such as Russia.In this study,we identified the key indicators of satisfaction and differences between rural and urban citizens based on their social,economic,and environmental backgrounds,and determined whether there are well-being disparities between rural and urban areas in the Stavropol Territory,Russia.We collected primary data through a survey based on the European Social Survey framework to investigate the potential differences between rural and urban areas.By computing the regional well-being index using principal component analysis,we found that there was no statistically significant difference in well-being between rural and urban areas.Results of key indicators showed that rural residents felt psychologically more comfortable and safer,assessed their family relationships better,and adhered more to traditions and customs.However,urban residents showed better economic and social conditions(e.g.,infrastructures,medical care,education,and Internet access).The results of this study imply that we can better understand the local needs,advantages,and unique qualities,thereby gaining insight into the effectiveness of government programs.Policy-makers and local authorities can consider targeted interventions based on the findings of this study and strive to enhance the well-being of both urban and rural residents.

The Volga River Is Russia’s Lifeline and in Need of Maintenance, Mitigation and Restoration

The Volga River flows entirely through Russia and the watershed includes three of the country’s ten largest cities. The river is the longest in Europe and western Russia’s principal waterway. The Volga River basin is home to approximately half of Russia’s population and occupies almost two-fifth of European Russia. It covers much of the Volga region and stretches 3530 kilometers from its source in the Valdai Hills to the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest inland water body. Its economic, cultural, and historic importance makes it one of the world’s greatest rivers. The Volga basin makes up 8 percent of the Russian territory. Stalingrad, located on the banks of the Volga River, has been described as the site of the greatest de-feat in the history of the German Army. It is often identified as the turning point on the Eastern Front of WWII, in the war against Germany, and in the entire WWII. The meeting point of the Eurasian Civilization was historically the Volga River. The river has some of the world’s largest reservoirs and is a major source of livelihood for millions of people. Many factories and cities empty their waste including sewage, industrial waste, fertilizers, and pesticides into the Volga River. Pollutants tend to settle in the reservoirs and contain several meters of heavily contaminated muck. The primary objectives are to assess lessons learned, manage, and restore the Volga River system lifeline in Russia.

Measures and Strategic Conception of Japan to Deal with the Russia–Ukraine Crisis

After the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine conflict, Japan wasted no time in advancing its national strategy and actively promoted shuttle diplomacy with the United States(U.S.), Europe, East Asia, and neighboring countries of Ukraine around sanctions against Russia based on strategic considerations and the goal of maximizing national interests. Japan regarded this conflict as an important opportunity for an international strategic game, in an attempt to move and overturn the postwar international order and reconstruct the new global order with the U.S., Europe, and Japan as the core countries dominating the military, science and technology, and economic spheres. In response to the crisis, Japan made a brief policy adjustment—from the initial hesitation to the imposition of active sanctions and pressure on Russia—to reverse the passive situation on the issue of the Four Northern Islands and weaken Russia’s strength. Japan also took the opportunity to promote the “China threat theory”;strengthen the quadrilateral mechanism between the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia;provoke regional confrontation;and try to gain a new Cold War dividend.

Cost-profit analysis for Japan-Russia and Japan-South Korea interconnectors

This paper describes the results of cost-profit analysis related to interconnectors for Japan-Russia and JapanSouth Korea based on the Asia International Grid Connection Study Group 2^(nd) report. The Group has been established in 2016 for conducting research on international electric power networks in Asia from the viewpoint of technology, investment and legal framework. 2^(nd) report of the Group was published in June 2018, examining the profitability of an interconnectors between Japan and neighboring countries. The Group has calculated expected profit from operation of these interconnectors.The Group has categorized interconnector business into four models from the survey of preceding and current business on grids and interconnectors. To clarify profitability, expected internal rate of return(IRR) was calculated for each business model based on estimated investment cost for each route. When interconnector is dedicated to specific power plants or suppliers and electricity can be sold at Japan wholesale market at 2016-2017 price level, positive IRR levels are expected in case that Free on Board(FOB) price lower than 7 JPY/kWh. When the investment will be covered by electricity tariff by final consumers, tariff for consumers will just slightly increase by approximately 0.1 JPY/kWh.

Route designs and cost estimation for Japan-Russia and Japan-South Korea interconnections

This paper describes route designs and cost estimation for possible interconnections between Japan-Russia and between Japan-South Korea based on the Asia International Grid Connection Study Group 2^(nd) report. The Group has conducted a desktop study to design several cable routes as possible options. To optimize the route, the group studied a wide range of open data, regarding sea depth, fishery zones, geographic condition, available transmission capacity in connecting points inside Japan and so on. The result of desktop study shows that it is possible to keep sea depth for planned routes less than 300 m and length for most of designed routes is less than 600 km. Compare to existing undersea cables in Europe, proposed routes are not challenging from technical and geological viewpoints.The study shows that investment cost range, including cost for grid enhancement inside Japan, is from around 200 bn JPY to 600 bn JPY, depending on the routes. Annualized cost range is from around 8 to 24 bn JPY(for 25-year operation), which is not so large compare to 1800 bn JPY-average annual investment in transmission infrastructure by 10 power utilities in the past 23 years.

On the Road for Friendship and Cooperation:Sidelights on the Visit of Liu Hongcai,Vice President of CAFIU to Russia,Japan and Cambodia

At the invitation of Civic Chamber of Russian Federation,Junior Chamber International Japan and Civil Society Alliance Forum, Cambodia, Liu Hongcai,Deputy Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

China's Investment Rockets in Russia and Japan

China’s foreign trade of2014 Q1According to Customs figuresChina’s total import and export inthe first quarter of 2014 reached 5.9trillion yuan,down 3.7%year on yea(the same below).Export was 3 trillionyuan,a decrease of 6.1%,and impor2.9 trillion yuan,down 1.2%.Tradsurplus was 102.8 billion yuan,a sharpdecrease of 60.9%.

Japan-Russia Rapprochement： Will It Last Long？

Driven by both countries' inherent demands for development as well as external geopolitical pressures, the Japan-Russia relations have witnessed rapprochement in recent years. Nevertheless, some deep-rooted disagreements and constraints remain obstacles to smooth cooperation between the two countries.

Imposition of Energy Sanctions by the Western World on Russia in the Context of Geopolitical Conflicts:the Logic Behind and Its Implications

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis on February 24,2022,the Western world led by the US has imposed rounds of extensive and intensive sanctions against Russia,among which energy sanctions are a powerful policy instrument.

Biomanufacturing in Japan:frontier research from 2018 to 2023

Biomanufacturing(BM)is a multidisciplinary area incorporating the characteristics of living organisms and engineering principles to create valuable products for various sectors,including medicine,energy,and the environment.BM has undergone a remarkable transformation in the last two decades,entering the era of BM4.0 and becoming a pivotal driver of the sustainable revolution.Notably,Japan has made significant advances in BM,contributing to its development through the creation of innovative materials,advanced processes,and interdisciplinary applications.However,because of certain development policies,this research has not been widely recognized on an international level.This paper provides a comprehensive summary of the research progress made by renowned Japanese laboratories and researchers in biomedical materials,bio-three-dimensional(3D)printing,and biomedical applications in the last five years.Their unique contributions are introduced and analyzed,illuminating the distinctive approaches and breakthroughs within each domain.Additionally,this review highlights the current challenges and prospects of BM.The viewpoints presented in this paper are intended to serve as a valuable reference for scholars studying BM in Japan.

Prevalence of Anxiety and Associated Factors among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Japan

Mental health difficulties can impact students’motivation,focus,and ability to communicate with others.Students attending medical universities are more likely to experience anxiety,depression,and other mood changes for thefirst time.However,no study has examined their prevalence among Japanese rehabilitation students.This study investigated the prevalence of anxiety among Japanese rehabilitation students and aimed to identify its predictors.A cross-sectional study was conducted among 148first-year physical and occupational therapy students at a private medical university in Japan in June 2022.Data on sociodemographic and personal characteristics,such as gender,age,subject major,regular exercise,place of residence,and sleeping hours,were recorded using an original questionnaire.Instruments included the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory,COVID-19 questionnaire,and Beck Depression Inventory–Second Edition(BDI-II).The results indicated that 83(56%)and 77(52%)students exhibited state anxiety and trait anxiety symptoms,respectively.Thirty-four(23%)students experienced mild depressive symptoms.Associations were further determined between gender,subject major,handling of stress,loneliness,satisfaction with life,satisfaction with social connections,anxiety about the future,satisfaction with school life,fulfillment of friendships,and depression.Several variables demonstrated a statistically significant association:handling stress(p<0.05;95%CI 0.409–2.472),satisfaction with life(p<0.01;95%CI 0.500–0.897),anxiety about the future(p<0.01;95%CI 1.397–4.087),and depression(total score of BDI-II,p<0.01;95%CI 1.555–100.742).Our results emphasize that universities must establish a system for early identification and support of anxiety and depression in students.

Development Thoughts on Promoting China's Tea Export——Analysis Based on the Experience of India and Japan

Ranking the first in tea production and sales globally,China occupies a decisive position in the global tea market.However,China’s tea export still faces problems such as low average export price,few international brands,single export market,and weak ability of market entities to deal with technical barriers to trade.Therefore,the analysis and summary of promotion measures for tea export taken by India and Japan is of great significance to the formulation of China’s tea export promotion policies.

Vice-President Liu Hongcai Meets Takami Kunio,Deputy Representative of GEN,Japan

On August 2nd,Vice-President Liu Hongcai met Takami Kunio,Deputy Representative of the Green Earth Network,Japan.The two sides exchanged views on China-Japan relations and people-to-topeople exchanges.

Abstract of Speech by Alexey N.Aleksakhin,Vice-Chairman of Russia-China Friendship Association of Russia,Professor of Moscow State Institute of International Relations

In his speech themed Chinese Modernisation,How and Why it matters to the World and Cultural Confidence,Prof.Alexey N.Aleksakhin discussed cultural governance in the context of modernisation from the perspective of global civilisation.

THE SEA IS NOT A SEWER ASEAN countries protested the release of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water as Japan completed its first round of ocean dumping

A total of 7,788 tons of treated radioactive water had been discharged into the Pacific Ocean from Japan’s wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant by September 11 in the first round of disposal as planned,said the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company(TEPCO),according to Japanese daily newspaper Sankei Shimbun.The second round of discharge scheduled for early October will release some 7,800 tons of nuclear-contaminated water.

Current Implementation and Experience of Natural Farming in Japan

The natural farming in Japan mainly includes Mokich Okadas natural farming theory and Masanobu Fukuokas natural farming theory in terms of genre.Natural farming was proposed and implemented to deal with the anabatic soil degradation and food safety problems.Among themꎬMokich Okadas natural farming theory advocates the restoration of the agricultural tradition of the past and combination with modern agricultural science and technologyꎻMasanobu Fukuokas natural farming theory advocates a complete return to natural and traditional farming and puts forward a set of green agricultural cultivation methods focusing on injurious insect control with beneficial insectꎬweed control with green herbaceous plantsꎬsoil reclamation with grassꎬnontoxic and cost￣reducing method based on the Japanese ancient agricultural books.Their natural farming theories have been widely popularized and applied in Japanꎬand its successful experience is worthy of study and reference for China.

The accumulation characteristics and exploration potential of oil and gas in the back-arc basin of Japan under the background of high heat flow

The Sea of Japan is located in the southeast margin of Eurasia, in the triangle area of the western Pacific Ocean. Due to the interaction of the Pacific plate, Eurasian plate and Philippine plate, its tectonic environment is complex, forming a typical trench-arc-basin system. At present, 148 oil and gas fields have been discovered in Japan, with an oil and gas resource of 255.78×10^(6) t, showing a good prospect for oil and gas exploration. Based on the previous research and the recently collected geological and geophysical data, the characteristics of tectonic-sedimentary evolution and geothermal field in the basins around the Sea of Japan are analyzed. The results show that the tectonic evolution of the basin is mainly controlled by plate subduction and back-arc oceanic crust expansion, and it mainly undergone four tectonic-sedimentary evolution stages: Subduction period, basin development period, subsidence period and compression deformation period. The overall heat flow value of Japan Sea is high, and it is distributed annularly along Yamato Ridge. The geothermal heat flow value is about 50–130 MW/m^(2), and the average heat flow is75.9±19.8 MW/m^(2), which has a typical “hot basin ”. The high heat flow background provides unique thermal evolution conditions for hydrocarbon generation, which leads to the high temperature and rapid evolution. The authors summarized as “early hydrocarbon generation, rapid maturity and shallow and narrow hydrocarbon generation window”. The type of oil and gas is mainly natural gas, and it mainly distributed in Neogene oil and gas reservoirs. The trap types are mainly structural traps, lithologic traps and composite traps. In addition, the pre-Neogene bedrock oil and gas reservoirs also show a good exploration prospect. The resource prospecting indicates that Niigata Basin, Ulleung Basin and kitakami Basin are the main target areas for future exploration and development.

Financial literacy,behavioral traits,and ePayment adoption and usage in Japan

This study investigates how financial literacy and behavioral traits affect the adoption of electronic payment(ePayment)services in Japan.We construct a financial literacy index using a representative sample of 25,000 individuals from the Bank of Japan’s 2019 Financial Literacy Survey.We then analyze the relationship between this index and the extensive and intensive usage of two types of payment services:electronic money(e-money)and mobile payment apps.Using an instrumental variable approach,we find that higher financial literacy is positively associated with a higher likelihood of adopting ePayment services.The empirical results suggest that individuals with higher financial literacy use payment services more frequently.We also find that risk-averse people are less likely to adopt and use ePayment services,whereas people with herd behavior tend to adopt and use ePayment services more.Our empirical results also suggest that the effects of financial literacy on the adoption and use of ePayment differ among people with different behavioral traits.