University of Shiga Prefecture

The escalating concerns surrounding single-use plastics, particularly in packaging, have attracted substantial attention since 2015. A previous study employing material flow analysis in Japan unveiled a considerable portion of plastic packaging consumption linked to food product and service sales. The structural change of household food consumption behaviors, such as COVID-19 pandemic, might affect plastic packaging use across the food supply chain. This study developed a model to estimate the quantity of plastic packaging use along the supply chain induced by household consumption, and applied the model to examine its changes before, during, and after the spread of COVID-19 in Japan. Results demonstrated that direct use of plastic packaging in households increased due to increased demand for food delivery and take-out services and that indirect use upstream in the supply chain decreased due to the decrease in dine-in food services during the pandemic. After the pandemic, plastic packaging use associated with home cooking and the indirect use in food services are returning to the prepandemic level, whereas the direct use in food services and prepared foods remains elevated. These findings indicated that the pandemic resulted in structural changes in the use of plastics.

The density and ultrasonic velocities of a commercial alumino-borosilicate glass were measured under hydrostatic compression; pressure-induced structural changes were investigated by in situ high-pressure Raman spectroscopy. Density increased with pressure, showing an increasing compressibility up to-5 GPa. At higher pressures, up to-12 GPa, the compression behavior became more nearly monotonic. Both the longitudinal and transverse acoustic velocities exhibited a clear negative pressure dependence up to 5-6 GPa-the so-called acoustic anomaly. Consistently, the bulk modulus showed a negative pressure dependence up to around 6 GPa, indicating an elastic anomaly. Raman spectra at low pressures suggest that densification proceeds primarily by simple contraction of network rings (e.g., six-membered rings), corresponding to elastic deformation of the glass network. Above-5 GPa, signatures of three-membered ring formation emerge, implying that larger rings collapse and reorganize into smaller ones once the elastic limit is exceeded. Indeed, glasses recovered from pressures >= 5 GPa retain enhanced Raman scattering attributable to three-membered rings.

This study examines how the construal level of thought influences the perceived abstraction of social norms. Based on construal level theory, we hypothesized that individuals with higher abstract thinking would evaluate norm-violating behaviors using more abstract (e.g., legal) norms, while those with lower-level thinking would rely on more concrete (e.g., group) norms. Using vignette-based questionnaires and the evaluated scenarios involving norm violations by either significant or unknown others. Results showed that higher construal levels were associated with more abstract normative evaluations, particularly when evaluating unfamiliar actors. These findings suggest that abstraction in thought modulates how individuals cognitively access social norms, with implications for understanding moral reasoning, legal judgment, and the evolution of complex social systems.

This article explores the underlying rationale of Gandhi's 'sudden' decision to suspend the Non-Cooperation Movement following the Chauri Chaura incident through the lens of his experiments with brahmacarya (celibate self-control). Although existing scholarship has extensively studied the incident, a crucial paradox remains unexplained: Gandhi halted the movement after Chauri Chaura with its 22 deaths, yet remained 'silent' about other mass violence, including the devastating Malabar Rebellion which reportedly claimed 10,000 lives. This article reveals that Gandhi's practice of v & imacr;ryasangrah (semen concentration), previously overlooked in historical analyses, holds a key to understanding this decision. Within his corporeal cosmology, mastery over sensual desires manifested as 'peace (& sacute;& amacr;nti)' and generated the 'power (bal, & sacute;akti)' of non-violence. Conversely, failure in sexual self-control materialized in 'violence (hims & amacr;)', disrupting individual and social harmony. Through this embodied spiritual framework, Gandhi ultimately interpreted Chauri Chaura as a manifestation of his failed inner experiments, compelling him to suspend the movement.

The effect of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) on the processability of a tubular-blown film of isotactic polypropylene (PP) was determined by evaluating its structure and mechanical properties. The LDPE addition provided strain hardening in transient elongational viscosity, and furthermore enhanced the flow-induced crystallization of the PP. This phenomenon occurred even when the LDPE content was only 5%. Consequently, a bubble formed during film blowing was stabilized by the LDPE. This decreased the frost zone height, which provided a wide processing window. A PP/LDPE (95/5) film had marked chain orientation to the flow direction, which resulted in a high modulus in the machine direction. Furthermore, a PP/LDPE (85/15) film had a balanced tear strength, which was attributable to the isotropic orientation of PP chains in the film plane.