Japan’s investment in the domestic construction industry has fallen to less than half its peak in 1992. Given the country’s declining population, Japanese construction companies must go global to remain profitable. To what extent the Japanese government and Japanese companies can contribute to meeting the growing infrastructure needs in the region is unclear as Japanese companies have long been operating primarily in Japan. The Japanese government has in recent years passed a series of new laws that encourage private sector participation in financing, building and operating public infrastructure. Through involvement in such public projects, Japanese companies have developed the skills and technologies to build a variety of infrastructures that are resilient to natural disasters and adaptable to various geographical conditions and social and economic development. But the major challenge for Japanese companies is to transform their business model drastically from one that relies on the domestic market to one that contributes to the social and economic development of third countries.

The provided material presents a priority article on the scientific discovery titled “The phenomenon of simultaneous destruction of water-oil and oil-water emulsions”. The authors propose the corresponding formula: the previously unknown phenomenon of simultaneous destruction of water-oil and oil-water emulsions occurs when polynanostructured surfactant demulsifiers with characteristics akin to crystalline liquids, intramolecular interblock activity, and enduring intramolecular nanomotors (such as block copolymers of ethylene and propylene oxides, which act as sources of oligomer homologues of oxyethylene ethers) are added to crude oil during primary oil processing. This phenomenon is attributed to the redistribution of oligomer homologues, with the most hydrophobic oxyethylene ethers being dispersed in water-oil emulsions and the most hydrophilic ones in oil-water emulsions, resulting in robust nanodispersed phases with crystalline liquid properties.

Flower-visiting insects may be pollinators or, conversely, unrelated to the reproductive process of plants. Interactions between pollinating and non-pollinating flower visitors can negatively influence pollen transfer. Little is known about the effects of bee visits on pollination of squash (Cucurbita spp.) flowers and their interactions with the presence of other floral visitors. The study was conducted at the Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias (Universidad Nacional de Rosario) in the south of Santa Fe (Argentina) and evaluated the effect of the presence of non-pollinating floral visitors on bee foraging in the flowers of two cultivated squash species. Flower sex and squash species C. maxima and C. moschata were included as variables. A total of 937 visitors were recorded in 403 flowers. Bees of the tribes Eucerini and Apini were the most abundant pollinators with an average of 2.3 individuals per flower during 10 minutes of observation. Diptera, flower sex and squash species did not influence the number of bee visits, whereas the prolonged stay of coleoptera and formicids negatively affected the presence of bees on both squash species. The presence of coleoptera reduced bee visits by 38%, while in the presence of ants, bees did not visit the flowers. The theft of nectar and pollen by non-pollinating floral visitors could have a negative effect on the reproductive success of squash.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted education from traditional in-person classes to remote, online-dependent learning, often resulting in reduced learning effectiveness and satisfaction due to limited face-to-face interaction. To address these challenges, interactive teaching strategies, such as the flipped classroom approach, have gained attention. The flipped classroom model emphasizes individual preparation outside class and collaborative learning during class time, relying heavily on in-person interactions. To adapt this method to remote learning, the Remote Flipped Classroom (RFC) integrates the flipped classroom approach with online learning, allowing flexibility while maintaining interactive opportunities. RFC has incorporated short films as teaching tools, leveraging their ability to contextualize knowledge and cater to the preferences of visually-driven younger learners. However, research on the effectiveness of RFC with films remains limited, particularly in fields like nursing education, where practical engagement is crucial. This article shares the practical experience of applying RFC with films in a nursing education context. Positive feedback was observed, though many students still expressed a preference for in-person classes. These insights suggest that strategies like RFC with films could be valuable in maintaining engagement and learning efficiency in remote classrooms.

This study investigates the potential of developing a maritime tourism project within the blue economy of Pakistan and explores the factors influencing blue growth and maritime tourism. A quantitative research approach has been adopted. The research gathered primary data from diverse experts and stakeholders within the maritime sector and related industries. The study’s target population comprised on various entities involved in these sectors. A sample of around 250 individuals was selected using a convenient sampling technique. The collected data underwent analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. This approach was chosen to explore and understand the intricate relationships between variables in the context of the maritime industry. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) techniques were then employed to scrutinize the data further, allowing for a comprehensive examination of the interconnections among the variables identified in the study. This robust methodological approach enhances the study’s credibility and provides valuable insights into the dynamics of the maritime sector and its associated industries. The findings indicate that a balanced approach, valuing business sustainability, top management support, and enabling innovation structures positively impact blue growth. Additionally, uncertainty avoidance and promoting short-term goals have an appositive impact on the blue economy. Moreover, two potential barriers, Functional strategy, and weak competency, do not significantly affect the blue economy. This study lays the foundation for further exploration and implementation of strategies that promote sustainable growth and development in Pakistan’s blue economy. By integrating the insights gained from this study into policy and decision-making processes, stakeholders can work together to create a vibrant and sustainable maritime tourism sector that benefits both local communities and the environment.

The development of the personal innovative competences in workers is of capital importance for the competitiveness of organizations, where the ability of the employees must respond in an innovative way to diverse situations that arise in specific contexts. Considering this, the question arises: How do innovative employees' competences affect the sustainable development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)? Therefore, the objective of this work is to present a multi-criteria method based on the Analytic Network Process (ANP), to relate innovative personal competences and the sustainable development of MSMEs. An instrument was applied to groups of experts from 31 Ecuadorian fruit-exporting MSMEs, to develop a multi-criteria decisional network that allowed identifying the innovative personal abilities that have the greatest impact on the sustainable development of these organizations. The results demonstrate the relevance of the elements of innovative personal competencies, with a cumulative participation of 39.15%, Sustainable Export Development with 32.18% and Improvements with 28.66%. It also presents three types of analysis: i) Global to establish the weight of each variable; ii) Influences, to establish solid cause-effect relationships between the variables and iii) Integrated. The most relevant innovative personal competences for sustainable development and improvements for exporting SMEs are teamwork, critical thinking, and creativity within the international context.