Seijo University

In Japan, rapid population aging and the weakening of local communities have heightened the importance of promoting community participation among middle-aged and older adults. To this end, it is necessary to examine the psychological factors that facilitate such engagement. The present study aimed to investigate the association between generative concern and community participation, specifically focusing on involvement in community activities and interactions with neighbors. An online survey was conducted with middle-aged and older Japanese adults, and data from 540 participants (aged 50–87) were analyzed. Results from generalized linear models indicated that individuals with higher levels of generative concern reported greater involvement in community activities and more frequent interactions with neighbors, even after controlling for loneliness and demographic variables. Furthermore, exploratory analyses focusing on the interaction between generative concern and employment status revealed that the association between generative concern and community participation was particularly strong among participants who were not employed. These findings suggest that generative concern may serve as a psychological resource that promotes community participation among middle-aged and older adults in Japan, compensating for the loss of social roles that often accompanies retirement.

This paper investigates the efficiency of equilibrium policies and public expenditure composition under labor market imperfection in a fiscal competition model. The sources of the inefficiency in supplying public goods and inputs with a capital tax are the employment stimulus and fund-raising effects of public inputs and fiscal and employment externalities. Public goods and public inputs are provided optimally if public expenditures are financed by capital and lump-sum taxes. However, if the capital tax is solely available, then public goods and public inputs can be either undersupplied or oversupplied in the second-best sense because jurisdictional governments seek to attract capital and create employment and tax revenues. Hence, in contrast to reports of the earlier literature on fiscal competition, an increase in public input expenditure financed by a decrease in public goods expenditure improves social welfare, depending on the inefficiencies of public goods and public input supplies.

The prevalence of lipid metabolism disorders, including obesity, increases with age in cats and humans. Obesity is a condition characterized by systemic low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress caused by excessive visceral fat accumulation. Resveratrol (RSV), a natural plant polyphenol, modulates the expression of anti-inflammatory factors. This study aimed to investigate the effects of resveratrol supplementation on lipid metabolism in both healthy and obese cats and assess its potential as a dietary supplement for improving lipid metabolism disorders in this population. Plasma metabolite and hormone concentrations, and enzyme activities were measured in healthy, obese, and overweight cats supplemented with RSV for 4 weeks. RVS was supplemented at 1 mg/kg body weight/day (low dose) and 5 mg/kg/day (high dose) in capsules for 4 weeks. Body weight, body condition score, BUN, and insulin concentrations did not change in obese or overweight cats with RSV supplementation for 4 weeks. Plasma triglyceride, free fatty acids, and serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities decreased, and adiponectin concentrations increased markedly in obese and overweight cats after RSV supplementation. Decreased plasma SAA concentrations and LDH activities and increased plasma adiponectin concentrations in obese and overweight cats seem to be induced by the improvement in liver function and the anti-inflammatory effect of RSV. Moreover, RSV supplementation may be useful in treating lipid metabolism disorders, including obesity, in cats.