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Religions have traditionally been free from proving their credibility based on evidences and logics employed in science. However, as today’s science has highly developed to deal with mysterious existences such as dark energy along with technological development allowing artificial intelligence and cloning, religions cannot ignore their discoveries and capabilities that may infiltrate the religious territory. Religions can be interpreted as the pursuit of the spiritual truth that includes the purpose of life and the cosmos. In this respect, religions are expected to base on facts and utilize scientific methods. Examples of scientific revolutions and how religions interfered with them can be good guidance for humanity to pursue such reformation of religions, which can allow unity between science and religion. On the other hand, today’s science often tend to be influenced by politics in pursuit of funding from governments supported by tax payers who can be influenced by biased media. For science to perform its role, it has to stand firmly on scientific methods with no human bias. While Unificationism has been attempting to unify science and religion, its teaching materials may need to be updated according to today’s scientific and historical facts and also be free from any internal politics.

Several most obvious physical principles are regarded in this paper as a textbook to learn about spiritual reality. Three of these laws which are respectively the most fundamental, the most important and the most needed now to my understanding are addressed and 3 spiritual principles: Giving is prior to receiving, Life for higher purpose and Keeping purity (chastity before marriage and fidelity in marriage) are introduced to be natural expressions of well-known physical laws.

The current vision of the Science Council of Japan's Committee on Dentistry as its mid-to-long-term strategy is "Extending 'healthy life expectancy' and 'happy life expectancy' in a super-smart society. A vision for the future, envisioned by Japan's top research organization, aims not only at physical health but also mental health and mental well-being. The times are changing. Although Western medicine, as well as the field of dentistry to which I belong, has made great progress in diagnosing diseases through segmented analysis, treating mental illness is still a conflicting field of work, and it isn't easy to provide a good strategy in modern medicine. In addition, there are too few researchers to discuss how mental states such as anxiety and stress affect allergic diseases and malignant tumors or how these cognitive factors affect treatment outcomes. The group of scientists seeking to enrich the mind is still seeking to establish a unified medicine by integrating Eastern and Western medicine. The establishment of unified medicine will start with the accumulation of evidence in daily medical practice, such as how the mind affects the body or how improvements in the body affect the mind. With the support of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), I am clarifying some aspects of the mind-body relationship based on a comprehensive analysis of saliva metabolites and a well-being survey. As various interdisciplinary pieces of research are encouraged, I would like to realize the extension of the life span of happiness for the permanent peace of humankind through further development of research on the relationship between the human mind and body by an interdisciplinary organization that includes􀀃 researchers in the humanities and social sciences as well as the biological science and engineering fields of work. This proposal will provide implications of our joint meeting between ICHJA and ICUMS from the interdisciplinary research point of view.

The polar regions are home to a variety of microorganisms. These microorganisms have been reported to have developed adaptive methods for survival in extreme conditions and resist varieties of abiotic stress such as heavy metals (HMs). Despite this, very limited studies have been done in bacteria from polar regions than bacteria from non-polar regions. The main aim of this study is to explore microorganisms from polar regions that could tolerate abiotic stress of HMs. In this study, microorganisms from polar areas have been isolated and various bioinformatics tools were used for understanding the genomic features, comparison, and analysis. The wet-lab experiments were performed for the validation where the isolated bacteria were exposed to the abiotic stress of HMs. The genome analysis of all the isolated bacteria showed presence of heavy metal resistance genes. Furthermore, the three isolated bacterial strains showed some ability to tolerate HM at 15°C. This study is very helpful to explore diversity of abiotic stress resistant microorganisms, to monitor environmental health, and to utilize these potential microorganisms for betterment of the environment, agriculture, and ultimately humankind.

This study aims to examine the chemical composition, medicinal properties, and pharmacological activities of Catharanthus roseus. The medicinal properties of Catharanthus roseus are attributed to diverse bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, flavonoids, and glycosides, each exhibiting unique pharmacological activities. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the chemical composition, medicinal applications, and pharmacological effects of Catharanthus roseus, with a primary focus on its potential in combating cancer and diabetes. Furthermore, considerations regarding the plant's toxicity and safe usage will be addressed. Catharanthus roseus contains several alkaloids with anticancer properties, including vinblastine, vincristine, ajmalicine, and reserpine, which contribute to its effectiveness in cancer treatment. Vinblastine and vincristine, chemotherapy drugs derived from the plant, have shown efficacy against lymphoma and leukemia. Conversely, ajmalicine and reserpine are utilized for hypertension management. Additionally, Catharanthus roseus contains a range of flavonoids like quercetin, kaempferol, and rutin, known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These flavonoids possess anti-cancer and anti-cardiovascular disease properties. Furthermore, Catharanthus roseus is rich in various glycosides such as oleandrin and digitoxin, which exhibit cardiac glycoside activity and are employed in treating heart failure and arrhythmias. The presence of alkaloids in the plant can result in adverse effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and convulsions. Additionally, some individuals may experience allergic reactions upon contact with the plant. However, caution should be exercised to avoid excessive consumption, which may lead to toxicity.

Africa's cities and rivers face threats from solid waste and wastewater pollution. These rivers no longer support people and environmental functions. A good example of cities with rivers are Nairobi, Kampala, Juba, Khartoum, Cairo, and Addis Ababa. This research adopted a mixed-methods inquiry on solid waste management in Africa. The research finds that Africa's rivers have become canals of waste, posing public health concerns and threatening the sustainability of environmental functions. Studies have reported heavy metal contamination, chemicals, and organic pollution that are above the recommended levels by the WHO. Citizen engagement, awareness, and instruction on waste segregation are extremely poor. Africa's cities are often characterized by informal settlements, which suffer from inadequate sanitation, waste management practices, and water-borne diseases, resulting in deterioration of both surface and groundwater quality and environmental health. The situation could get worse as the continent lacks well-engineered waste management infrastructure, enforcement, and technical capacity. In conclusion, the study indicates that African cities rivers are under threat from poor solid waste management practices, as most of these cities lack infrastructure, resources, and technological capacity to address these problems. The study recommends exploration of river engineering principles and practices, capacity building of the city river authorities, institutionalizing city river water quality monitoring to selected and suitable academia, and appreciating the private sector's efforts to promote waste recycling technologies to benefit cities circular economies.

The global surface temperature, whether measured through traditional thermometry or modern satellite radiometry, is clearly increasing. Empirical analysis of temperature datasets show global temperatures increasing at about 0.15oC/decade, and “business-as-usual” forecasts of time to breach a 1.5oC threshold vary from 10 to 20 years, and 2.0 oC thresholds from 15 to 50 years hence. Warming primarily at the poles have reduced the meridonial thermal gradient, giving rise to loopy meridonial jets that tend to stall causing deluge or excessive heat culminating in floods or wildfire disasters such as those in Maui, Canad, Greece and California. A simple model greenhouse gas driven radiative imbalance yields a surprisingly accurate comparison with the temperature record. If left unchecked, continued reliance on fossil fuels will lead to accelerating natural disasters which will inevitably increase the on-going melt of the great ice-sheets in Greenland and the Antarctic; this could yield an Eemian-like world in a few hundred years resulting in sea-levels 5m or higher than today. Alternative energy sources such as solar, and small module nuclear are discussed which can reduce or eliminate CO2 increases. More radical strategies such solar-geoengineering to affect the solar constant may be necessary, but whether such a cure may be worse than the disease must be very carefully considered.

The futurist David Wood predicts that abundance for all – beyond a world of scarcity and conflict is possible. The word 'abundance” here means that there will be enough for everyone to have an excellent quality of life. No one will lack access to healthcare, accommodation, nourishment, essential material goods, information, education, social engagement, free expression, or artistic endeavour. This is good start to define what ‘mutual prosperity’ should look like. However, for abundance and prosperity to occur mutuality must come into play. Mutuality is the sharing of a feeling, action, or relationship between two or more parties, namely co-operation for that benefits people based on the principle of mutuality. Happiness is ensured by the relationships with other human beings which leads to prosperity and abundance for all. Wood (2020) maintains that for abundance to occur a sense of transcendence is needed in which humanity can soar beyond the limits which have stunted human experience and development. An updated social contract is needed. Today, at a time when the ideology of proletarian public ownership has come to an end, humanity is faced with a new ideology on private ownership called neoliberalism which aspires for the maximization of profit and globalization of private ownership, the elimination of price controls, deregulation of capital markets, lowering trade barriers and reducing state influence in the economy. However, this does not mean that public ownership ideology has completely disappeared or is going to disappear, since it is an alternative ideal set forth by humanity. Private ownership could be argued to be a human right that needs to be protected since we all feel a deep sense of satisfaction and joy with what we own. Capitalism, socialism and communism are all based on ownership. Capitalism focuses on private ownership whereas socialism and communism mainly focus on social ownership. What is ownership under the Principle of Interdependence n Unification Thought? It is “joint ownership based on true love” which is an important requisite in ownership - a psychological element of love. Private ownership in capitalism where capital monopolizes ownership our shared communal resources leads to egoistic lives that place priority on matter and disregard humanity. The Principle of Interdependence believes that, rather than this capitalism, socialism with its aim of joint ownership is much closer to an ideal. Historically, resource scarcity and the resulting competition has led to conflict. Some may believe that the fair distribution is simply not possible, and therefore, grabbing the pie is justifiable. Finding the best way to achieving mutual prosperity is one of the great challenges of our time. Public-private research collaboration should be structured towards building knowledge and human capital to benefit all. If a winner-takes-all dynamic plays itself out between countries as well as within them, this will increase social tensions and conflicts and create a less cohesive world. Unless public and private sector leaders assure that citizens have an opportunity to better their lives, social unrest, mass migration and violent extremism could intensify. Ensuring that people are not left behind is not just a moral imperative; it is a critical goal that will mitigate the risk of global instability. I maintain that the values and practices that underpin mutual prosperity are an entrepreneurship, the equalization of wealth and technology, strengthening social nets, co-ownership, connectivity, inclusivity, sustainable development, food security and good governance.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations and the international community are consisted of 17 goals and 169 specific goals and are to solve the global poverty problem and realize sustainable development between 2016 and 2030. No poverty, Zero hunger, Good health and well-being, Quality education, Gender equality, Clean water and sanitation, Affordable and clean energy, Decent work and economic growth, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Reduced inequalities, Sustainable cities and communities, Responsible consumption and production, climate action, Life below water, Life on land, Peace, justice and strong institutions, Partnerships for the goals are 17 goals. Transition to the Circular Economy and a Carbon-Neutral Society could be the main structure to realize these SDGs. A Prognostic Inspection and Proactive Maintenance System (PIPM) of rolling bearings which could renewal service life repetitively about three times and thus it could be an innovative solution to change rolling bearing supply chain. PIPM system of rolling bearings will be a good solution to realize circular economy system and to reduce CO2 emission significantly. 1 ton bearing of PIPM system can save more than 20 ton CO2 emissions. PIPM system could be applied to mechanical components which needs replacement repetitively due to fatigue stress and so it could bring snowball effects on the transition to the Circular Economy and a Carbon-Neutral Society.

Following the inquiry “What requirements may be used for performance and qualification criteria of surface stress improvement processes (SSIP) to mitigate the potential for stress corrosion cracking (SCC) for Section III, Division 1 and 3 items?” The code case N-931 “Performance and Qualification Criteria for Mitigation of Stress Corrosion Cracking by Surface Stress Improvement: Section III, Division 1 and 3’ was developed since 2017 by the task group “Advanced Surface Stress Improvement Technology” in Korea International Working Group of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers). This case provides performance and qualification criteria for the pre-service application of a surface stress improvement process (SSIP) to Section III Division 1 and 3 items potentially susceptible to SCC, as a means to prevent crack initiation. Mitigation of items to the requirements of this case does not modify or change the in-service inspection (ISI) requirements for those items. Items with base material potentially susceptible to SCC due to environmental conditions that have been identified in the design specification, as required by NCA-3211.19(b) (Division 1) or by WA-3351.2 (Division 3). Items with weld material potentially susceptible to SCC due to tensile residual stresses caused by weld repairs at the wetted surface. Paragraphs NB- 4451, NCD-4451, and NG-4451 prohibit weld repairs on the wetted surface of items susceptible to SCC unless a mitigation action is applied. This Code Case is to be used for surface stress improvement processes such as ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM), water jet peening, or laser peening that satisfy the performance criteria and qualification criteria defined in this case. Two major technical bases for this code case are PVP2022-85151 and EPRI Report 3002018458. Brief summary of UNSM technology and two technical bases is introduced.

As environmental problems such as warming and air pollution have recently emerged, countries around the world are expanding the supply of electric vehicles as part of their eco-friendly policies. However, as electric vehicles are distributed, electric vehicle fires continue to occur. The main cause of such an electric vehicle fire is battery overload caused by battery management system (BMS) malfunction. The existing BMS measured the voltage of the battery by physically connecting each battery cell and controller. However, in electric vehicles, batteries operate up to 1,000 volts or more. BMS, which is a circuit that manages a battery in such a high voltage environment, operates at a low voltage of 5 Volt or less, and thus if a high voltage battery voltage incorrectly affects a BMS board operating at a low voltage, the BMS board is destroyed, causing battery malfunction and battery explosion. Thus, indirect measurement technology that physically isolates battery cells and low voltage control boards is important to compensate for these problems. In the indirect measurement method of the isolation structure obtained from the previous research for safe battery voltage measurement, the voltage monitoring result of battery cells of several mV~several tens of mV was caused by an error due to the device imbalance and temperature characteristics of battery cells found in the parallel structure. To resolve this problem, battery voltage was monitored sequentially on all battery cells with a single indirect measurement path, and thus an inaccurate battery cell voltage monitoring result was overcome at once due to device imbalance and temperature characteristic difference. In a process to sequentially recognize the battery cell voltage as a single path, the voltage (REF_V) to compensate for a change in monitoring voltage according to temperature could be compensated by also applying the voltage (REF_V) to compensate for temperature, so the exact battery voltage was recognized at any temperature. As a result of the design, temperature compensation was performed within 5.12 usec based on 16 battery cells, and the proposed single path Multi-Cell technology drove 1.6 mW to reduce power consumption to 1/3 of the existing research results. The research result of this paper automatically generates REF_V and battery cell voltage, which are temperature compensation voltages, together with a code value so that a battery voltage of multi-cell could be sequentially known, so that the BMS operation could be accurate without the control of the CPU.

Ultrasonic Nanocrystal Surface Modification (UNSM) technology was developed by IMST(Institute for Manufacturing System and Technology) of Sun Moon University and DesignMecha Co., Ltd. Since the first development, UNSM treatment had been applied in several industrial field. For the industrial application, UNSM device and equipment had to be implemented by the different way. Service life extension of industrial knife for steel industry, paper industry, etc. was the beginning of industrial application. Service life extension of new rolling bearings and restoring or even improving service life of remanufactured bearings for steel industry and cement industry were another success in industrial application. An innovative solution to prolong the service life of the mechanical fuse or breaker “shear pin’ in stainless hot rolling line was implemented. Recently several customized UNSM devices to mitigate the PWSCC in Nuclear vessel was developed and application results was filed to the ASME Code Case N-931. In this paper, UNSM devices and equipment depending on the application of products with their effects are introduced and what is ongoing challenge for the future innovation shows.

Recently, batteries used in electric vehicles have been at risk of thermal runaway, which is a major safety concern. This is because the constant charging and discharging of the battery causes the cells to deteriorate, resulting in a voltage difference between the cells, which leads to overcharging. In an electric car, there are more than 7,000 battery cells that make up the battery pack. Most fires are reported to be caused by poor management of the battery cells. The battery cells must all operate at the same voltage during charge and discharge operations. For this behavior, we need to monitor the unit battery cells on a per-cell basis and perform a balancing action if we encounter a battery cell with a different voltage to bring it to the same voltage. In traditional balancing behavior paper [1], the direct connection between the battery cell and the electrical and electronic balancing behavior circuits causes the high voltage of the battery to cause problems for the low voltage circuits. Another paper [2] proposed to implement self-balancing based on the resistance and current behavior characteristics of battery cells so that the battery voltage behaves evenly, but aged battery cells have incorrect behavior if the battery cell does not follow the resistance and current behavior characteristics of the cell. The paper in [3] proposed an active balancing behavior structure using a photo detector, but it still has a structure where the high battery voltage can affect the low voltage circuit. In this paper, a balancing circuit is proposed as an isolated structure balancing circuit to secure stable balancing behavior in order to overcome the problems of balancing circuit caused by voltage difference and heating caused by high voltage even in the battery combination environment operating up to thousands of volts in the electric vehicle environment. To realize this, we proposed and designed a separate controller interface circuit block and a balancing circuit block.

Cardiometabolic disorders such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are reported to be strongly associated with adiponectin (APN) deficiency. APN modulators activate nuclear receptors located on adipocytes known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR); the latter regulate APN production and both APN and PPARs are linked to lipid and glucose metabolism. We discovered two APN and PPAR modulators made of biomaterial from Japan-grown edible Sujiaonori alga only (NBF1), and NBF2 which combines NBF1 and junos citrus-derived biomaterial. We conducted clinical and experimental studies from 2016 to 2022 that evaluated the effects of NBF1 and NBF2 on metabolic health.Metabolic markers were assayed using real-time PCR for rat biospecimens and ELISA for human plasma. Results showed that NBF1 induced 2 to 3-fold increase in APN,and markedly reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) (N=32), improved fasting blood lipids (total cholesterol, LDL-c, triglycerids) and glucose (FBG) levels (N=3). In obese and diabetic OLETF rats (N=26), NBF2 increased brown fat mass (~3 times higher vs. placebo controls) and reduced white fat mass; it upregulated PPAR-alpha-mRNA, PPAR-gamma-mRNA and Sirt2-mRNA (2 to 4-fold increase), and normalized fasting blood lipids (cholesterols, triglycerides) and glucose within 6 weeks. Furthermore, in T2DM patients (N=22) who received NBF2 only or combined with metformin (vs. usual medication for controls,) marked decrease of HbA1c (8.8% to 6.7% in NBF2 group vs. 7.5 to 7.1 in controls) and blood glucose (321 to 138.5 mg/dL in NBF2 group vs. 195.6 to 187.5 mg/dL in controls) were observed within 8-12 weeks. This report suggests that both NBF1 and NBF2 have a potential to prevent obesity-associated metabolic disorders, and reverse hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia.

Ginseng holds significant value in traditional Chinese medicine to improve insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar levels. It is believed that certain African communities incorporate ginseng into their traditional medicinal practices. One way that ginseng aids in weight management is by enhancing metabolism and raising energy expenditure called thermogenesis that ginseng may promote this process. Ginseng also improves insulin sensitivity by: enhancing glucose uptake in cells and regulating fat cells. Adipokine levels have been demonstrated to be regulated by ginseng in a way that may increase insulin sensitivity. Ginseng increases the pancreas' production of insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels by promoting glucose absorption and utilization, blood sugar levels can be better controlled, and insulin resistance, a condition linked to high blood sugar, can be avoided. The efficacy of ginseng in regulating blood sugar levels can be attributed to its active constituents known as ginsenosides for their potential anti-hyperglycemic effects, enhancement of insulin sensitivity, and protection of pancreatic cells. In the context of African cultures, ginseng is sometimes employed in conjunction with other herbal remedies or conventional treatments, reflecting a holistic approach to managing metabolic disorders.

The average life expectancy of people has increased due to the development of science and technology and medical progress, and Japan has become the world's most aged country. It can be said that the elderly do not die so easily and live longer with anxiety and helplessness. In such a background, the problems related to "nursing care" have increased more than "medical care". Both medical care and nursing care have in common that they are directly involved in the care of people, but medical care does not have a radical technique for aging, and especially in the terminal stage of life, "Care" is more important than "Cure". “Nursing care” is not easy, however, most people cannot avoid it in this super-aging society. What should be done to realize better end-of-life care through better nursing care, and what is the value of terminal period? I would like to discuss the rebuilding of family relationships through nursing care and the importance of nursing care for three generations, based on my experience of taking care of many patients in terminal period.

Evidence from epidemiologic studies indicate that metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes are high-risk factors for severe COVID-19 and related mortality. Over 30% of people with COVID-19 who require hospitalization suffer from diabetes. This study explored the association between severe COVID-19 outcomes and metabolic disorders, at regional level, across countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We conducted an ecological study using COVID-19 data of high- and middle-income countries belonging to OECD (N=38), with an estimated total population of 1.4 billion, divided into 3 regions: region 1: Europe& Middle-east; region 2: the Americas (north, central & south America); region 3: East-Asia & Pacific region. The main outcome variables were: (1) COVID-19 case fatality rate (COVID-19 CFR) and (2) the disability-adjusted life years (COVID-19 DALYs). The country-level COVID-19 CFR were calculated using freely available cumulative COVID-19 cases and deaths statistics; similarly, data on overweight & obese population rate, diabetes prevalence and regional COVID-19 DALYs were obtained from both OECD and WHO databases. Overall cumulative deaths were 65,000 per million; regional COVID-19 CFR was highest in the Americas, 2.4(2.6) %. Highest DALYs were found in East-Asia & Pacific region, 22 (0.0) years. Pearson correlation analysis showed that diabetes prevalence was correlated with both COVID-19 DALYs (OR=0.52; p=0.009), and COVID-19 CFR (OR=0.58; p=0.000). The logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes prevalence was strongly associated with COVID-19 CFR (OR=2.65 (1.8); 95%CI: 1.71–9.97; p=0.038) and COVID- 19 DALYS (OR=1.39 (0.3); 95%CI: 1.66-2.02; p=0.046). Findings from this study confirm that diabetes is as a major predictor of severe COVID-19 outcomes in OECD countries at regional level.