Sample records for jhf n-arena japan

  1. Arena entry stair to left and stair to arena top ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    Arena entry stair to left and stair to arena top level entry bridge at right. Drop siding is on second floor of recreation center. - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Bloch Recreation Center & Arena, Between Center Drive & North Road near Nimitz Gate, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

  2. Arena geometry and path shape: when rats travel in straight or in circuitous paths?

    PubMed

    Yaski, Osnat; Portugali, Juval; Eilam, David

    2011-12-01

    We show here that the global geometry of the environment affects the shape of the paths of travel in rats. To examine this, individual rats were introduced into an unfamiliar arena. One group of rats (n=8) was tested in a square arena (2 m × 2 m), and the other group (n=8) in a round arena (2 m diameter). Testing was in a total darkness, since in the absence of visual information the geometry is not perceived immediately and the extraction of environment shape is slower. We found that while the level of the rats' activity did not seem to differ between both arenas, path shape differed significantly. When traveling along the perimeter, path shape basically followed the arena walls, with perimeter paths curving along the walls of the round arena, while being straight along the walls of the square arena. A similar impact of arena geometry was observed for travel away from the arena walls. Indeed, when the rats abandoned the arena walls to crosscut through the center of the arena, their center paths were circuitous in the round arena and relatively straight in the square arena. We suggest that the shapes of these paths are exploited for the same spatial task: returning back to a familiar location in the unsighted environment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Aerosols Observations with a new lidar station in Punta Arenas, Chile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barja, Boris; Zamorano, Felix; Ristori, Pablo; Otero, Lidia; Quel, Eduardo; Sugimoto, Nobuo; Shimizu, Atsushi; Santana, Jorge

    2018-04-01

    A tropospheric lidar system was installed in Punta Arenas, Chile (53.13°S, 70.88°W) in September 2016 under the collaboration project SAVERNET (Chile, Japan and Argentina) to monitor the atmosphere. Statistical analyses of the clouds and aerosols behavior and some cases of dust detected with lidar, at these high southern latitude and cold environment regions during three months (austral spring) are discussed using information from satellite, modelling and solar radiation ground measurements.

  4. [Mass casualty incidents : preparedness of German soccer arenas].

    PubMed

    Luiz, T; Preisegger, T; Madler, C

    2013-04-01

    Each weekend soccer arenas attract hundreds of thousands of spectators with the German Bundesliga being one of the most attractive sport series worldwide. In 2006 when the FIFA soccer World Cup™ took place in Germany, the precautions in the participating arenas against mass casualty incidents (MCI) reached a level formerly unknown in Germany. However, it is unknown how soccer arenas are prepared to deal with such incidents in everyday life. In 2011 all German major soccer league clubs were questioned about medical precautions in case of MCIs occurring in the stadium. The questionnaire included the following items: stadium capacity, the number of paramedic personnel, emergency physicians and ambulance vehicles, the command and communication structures, the availability of MCI plans, recent MCI drills and the frequency of MCI. Out of 39, 15 (38.4 %) participated, 50 % from the first league and 20.8 % from the second league. The mean stadium capacity was 41,800 spectators (minimum 10,600, maximum 80,700). Depending on the number of spectators and the individual risk score of the match the following resources were available within the stadiums (average, minimum, maximum,): emergency medical technicians 61-67 (15, 120), emergency physicians 2.3-2.5 (1, 5) and transport capacity 5.3-5.8 patients (1, 15). In 14 arenas (93.3 %) the medical personnel were trained in mass casualty care and had prepared MCI operation schedules. All stadiums had mission control centers equipped with a variety of wired and wireless communication tools, although only eight (52.3 %) arenas used a joint command structure and five (33.3 %) arenas reported MCIs (defined as a scenario involving more than 10 patients) within the past 10 years. In 40 % of the participants the last MCI-related exercise was conducted more than 36 months ago. Most of the participating arenas were adequately staffed to manage the first phase of MCIs but in contrast command structures and transport capacities often

  5. n-hexane polyneuropathy in Japan: a review of n-hexane poisoning and its preventive measures.

    PubMed

    Takeuchi, Y

    1993-07-01

    n-Hexane is used in industry as a solvent for adhesive, dry cleaning, and vegetable oil extraction. In 1963, the first case of severe polyneuropathy suspected to be caused by n-hexane was referred to us. Case studies, animal experiments, and field surveys on n-hexane poisoning were conducted, and preventive measures like threshold limit value revision and biological monitoring were also studied. I review a brief history of our investigations on n-hexane poisoning and its preventive measures in Japan. n-Hexane could cause overt polyneuropathy in workers exposed to more than 100 ppm time-weighted average concentrations [TWA]. The present threshold limit value of 40 ppm in Japan is considered low enough to prevent subclinical impairment of peripheral nerve caused by n-hexane. Urinary 2,5-hexanedione could be a good indicator for biological monitoring of n-hexane exposure. About 2.2 mg/liter of 2,5-hexanedione measured by our improved method corresponds to exposure of 40 ppm (TWA) of n-hexane.

  6. Arms production in Japan: The military applications of civilian technology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Drifte, R.

    1986-01-01

    The author examines both the domestic and international environments encouraging Japan's leaders not only to strengthen the country's defense, but to do so more independently. Until recently, the arms industry has been nurtured by U.S. weapons technology, but growing dependence on electronics dramatically increases Japan's contribution to modern weapons systems. The electronics revolution is creating more and more dual-purpose products, undermining the Japanese cabinet policy of prohibiting arms export. The discovery of wider applications for Japanese manufacturers' most advanced civilian technology is a strong motivation for entering the arms arena. The book illustrates that Japan's entry into the field ismore » a dynamic example of the success of Japanese industry as it enters new technological areas. The author discusses: Development and the Present Situation of Japan's Arms Production Capability; Research and Development; The Shipbuilding Industry; The Aircraft Industry; The Space and Missile Industry; and Arms Exports with conclusions.« less

  7. New Acoustic Arena Qualified at NASA Glenn's Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wnuk, Stephen P.

    2004-01-01

    A new acoustic arena has been qualified in the Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory (AAPL) at the NASA Glenn Research Center. This arena is outfitted specifically for conducting fan noise research with the Advanced Noise Control Fan (ANCF) test rig. It features moveable walls with large acoustic wedges (2 by 2 by 1 ft) that create an acoustic environment usable at frequencies as low as 250 Hz. The arena currently uses two dedicated microphone arrays to acquire fan inlet and exhaust far-field acoustic data. It was used successfully in fiscal year 2003 to complete three ANCF tests. It also allowed Glenn to improve the operational efficiency of the four test rigs at AAPL and provided greater flexibility to schedule testing. There were a number of technical challenges to overcome in bringing the new arena to fruition. The foremost challenge was conflicting acoustic requirements of four different rigs. It was simply impossible to construct a static arena anywhere in the facility without intolerably compromising the acoustic test environment of at least one of the test rigs. This problem was overcome by making the wall sections of the new arena movable. Thus, the arena can be reconfigured to meet the operational requirements of any particular rig under test. Other design challenges that were encountered and overcome included structural loads of the large wedges, personnel access requirements, equipment maintenance requirements, and typical time and budget constraints. The new acoustic arena improves operations at the AAPL facility in several significant ways. First, it improves productivity by allowing multiple rigs to operate simultaneously. Second, it improves research data quality by providing a unique test area within the facility that is optimal for conducting fan noise research. Lastly, it reduces labor and equipment costs by eliminating the periodic need to transport the ANCF into and out of the primary AAPL acoustic arena. The investment to design, fabricate, and

  8. [C57BL/6 mice open field behaviour qualitatively depends on arena size].

    PubMed

    Lebedev, I V; Pleskacheva, M G; Anokhin, K V

    2012-01-01

    Open field behavior is well known to depend on physical characteristics of the apparatus. However many of such effects are poorly described especially with using of modern methods of behavioral registration and analysis. The previous results of experiments on the effect of arena size on behavior are not numerous and contradictory. We compared the behavioral scores of four groups of C57BL/6 mice in round open field arenas of four different sizes (diameter 35, 75, 150 and 220 cm). The behavior was registered and analyzed using Noldus EthoVision, WinTrack and SegmentAnalyzer software. A significant effect of arena size was found. Traveled distance and velocity increased, but not in proportion to increase of arena size. Moreover a significant effect on segment characteristics of the trajectory was revealed. Detailed behavior analysis revealed drastic differences in trajectory structure and number of rears between smaller (35 and 75 cm) and bigger (150 and 220 cm) arenas. We conclude, that the character of exploration in smaller and bigger arenas depends on relative size of central open zone in arena. Apparently its extension increases the motivational heterogeneity of space, that requires another than in smaller arenas, strategy of exploration.

  9. Open-field arena boundary is a primary object of exploration for Drosophila

    PubMed Central

    Soibam, Benjamin; Mann, Monica; Liu, Lingzhi; Tran, Jessica; Lobaina, Milena; Kang, Yuan Yuan; Gunaratne, Gemunu H; Pletcher, Scott; Roman, Gregg

    2012-01-01

    Drosophila adults, when placed into a novel open-field arena, initially exhibit an elevated level of activity followed by a reduced stable level of spontaneous activity and spend a majority of time near the arena edge, executing motions along the walls. In order to determine the environmental features that are responsible for the initial high activity and wall-following behavior exhibited during exploration, we examined wild-type and visually impaired mutants in arenas with different vertical surfaces. These experiments support the conclusion that the wall-following behavior of Drosophila is best characterized by a preference for the arena boundary, and not thigmotaxis or centrophobicity. In circular arenas, Drosophila mostly move in trajectories with low turn angles. Since the boundary preference could derive from highly linear trajectories, we further developed a simulation program to model the effects of turn angle on the boundary preference. In an hourglass-shaped arena with convex-angled walls that forced a straight versus wall-following choice, the simulation with constrained turn angles predicted general movement across a central gap, whereas Drosophila tend to follow the wall. Hence, low turn angled movement does not drive the boundary preference. Lastly, visually impaired Drosophila demonstrate a defect in attenuation of the elevated initial activity. Interestingly, the visually impaired w1118 activity decay defect can be rescued by increasing the contrast of the arena's edge, suggesting that the activity decay relies on visual detection of the boundary. The arena boundary is, therefore, a primary object of exploration for Drosophila. PMID:22574279

  10. Indoor Air Quality and Ice Arenas

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    All recreational facilities including ice arenas should use good ventilation practices especially where children are present. It is critical that indoor air quality is protected particularly when using fuel-burning equipment indoors.

  11. English education for healthcare professionals in Japan.

    PubMed

    Moross, Janelle; Seki, Naoko; Morio, Ikuko

    2017-11-01

    In a global environment, education for healthcare professionals should include cultivating human resources who have the necessary skills to work in an international arena. This article will review the current status of English education for dental healthcare professionals in Japan. After conducting a literature search using the keywords: English education, Japan, and dental, only a few studies were found that investigated and proposed suggestions for dental professional English education. Even so, these were still in the early stages with outcomes yet to be fully evaluated. Even though English is thought indispensable for global professionals, and that increasing chances for communication skills is necessary, little attention has been addressed to English education for dental professionals or the implementation of such education in the Japanese undergraduate dental curricula. With the current reality of field expansion in dentistry, the need for not only improved English communication skills for Japanese dentists, but also the acquisition of essential expertise, psychomotor, teambuilding, critical thinking, and creative thinking skills in English as well as Japanese, is a definite probability. In order to reach this level of knowledge, further efforts and research would be necessary for the advancement and development of dental professional English education in Japan.

  12. Modeling Drosophila Positional Preferences in Open Field Arenas with Directional Persistence and Wall Attraction

    PubMed Central

    Soibam, Benjamin; Goldfeder, Rachel L.; Manson-Bishop, Claire; Gamblin, Rachel; Pletcher, Scott D.; Shah, Shishir; Gunaratne, Gemunu H.; Roman, Gregg W.

    2012-01-01

    In open field arenas, Drosophila adults exhibit a preference for arena boundaries over internal walls and open regions. Herein, we investigate the nature of this preference using phenomenological modeling of locomotion to determine whether local arena features and constraints on movement alone are sufficient to drive positional preferences within open field arenas of different shapes and with different internal features. Our model has two components: directional persistence and local wall force. In regions far away from walls, the trajectory is entirely characterized by a directional persistence probability, , for each movement defined by the step size, , and the turn angle, . In close proximity to walls, motion is computed from and a local attractive force which depends on the distance between the fly and points on the walls. The directional persistence probability was obtained experimentally from trajectories of wild type Drosophila in a circular open field arena and the wall force was computed to minimize the difference between the radial distributions from the model and Drosophila in the same circular arena. The two-component model for fly movement was challenged by comparing the positional preferences from the two-component model to wild type Drosophila in a variety of open field arenas. In most arenas there was a strong concordance between the two-component model and Drosophila. In more complex arenas, the model exhibits similar trends, but some significant differences were found. These differences suggest that there are emergent features within these complex arenas that have significance for the fly, such as potential shelter. Hence, the two-component model is an important step in defining how Drosophila interact with their environment. PMID:23071591

  13. Sibling competition arena: selfing and a competition arena can combine to constitute a barrier to gene flow in sympatry.

    PubMed

    Gibson, A K; Hood, M E; Giraud, T

    2012-06-01

    Closely related species coexisting in sympatry provide critical insight into the mechanisms underlying speciation and the maintenance of genetic divergence. Selfing may promote reproductive isolation by facilitating local adaptation, causing reduced hybrid fitness in parental environments. Here, we propose a novel mechanism by which selfing can further impair interspecific gene flow: selfing may act to ensure that nonhybrid progeny systematically co-occur whenever hybrid genotypes are produced. Under a competition arena, the fitness differentials between nonhybrid and hybrid progeny are then magnified, preventing development of interspecific hybrids. We investigate whether this "sibling competition arena" can explain the coexistence in sympatry of closely related species of the plant fungal pathogens (Microbotryum) causing anther-smut disease. The probabilities of intrapromycelial mating (automixis), outcrossing, and sibling competition were manipulated in artificial inoculations to evaluate their contribution to reproductive isolation. We report that both intrapromycelial selfing and sibling competition significantly reduced rates of hybrid infection beyond that expected based solely upon selfing rates and noncompetitive fitness differentials between hybrid and nonhybrid progeny. Our results thus suggest that selfing and a sibling competition arena can combine to constitute a barrier to gene flow and diminish selection for additional barriers to gene flow in sympatry. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution © 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  14. Yamaguchia toyensis n. sp., n. gen. (Annelida, Clitellata, Lumbriculidae) from profundal lake habitat in Japan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fend, S.V.; Ohtaka, A.

    2004-01-01

    Yamaguchia toyensis n. sp., n. gen. is described from an oligotrophic caldera lake, Lake Toya, Hokkaido, Japan. Although the taxonomic affinities are unknown, the genus differs from all other Lumbriculidae in having the combination of testes and atria in X, a single, prosoporous male funnel per atrium, and spermathecae in XI. Unlike other Japanese lakes that have thus far been surveyed, Lake Toya supports abundant populations of lumbriculids in the profundal benthos.

  15. [Takeki Kudoh's Research on Modern Medical Science and Japanized Confucianism in Colonial Korea (Chosŏn)].

    PubMed

    Ch'oi, Jae-Mok; Kim, Jeŏng-Gon

    2015-12-01

    This paper reviews Kudoh Takeki's activity critically during the colonial Korea period, regarding his research on Medical Science and Japanized Confucianism. He managed 'The Seoul Gynecological Hospital'for approximately 35 years in the Chosŏn period as a Japanese resident with Chosŏn status. He published medical knowledge about obstetrics through more than 280 articles, and attempted to improve the hygiene and health of 'Korean Women'. He tried to complete his will toward 'One Unity of Chosŏn and Japan'by terminating the Chosŏn culture 'gene'as an intention. The purpose would enlighten Chosŏn by Japanese blessing. This paper aims to confirm his intention by two aspect of analysis by 'Medical Science'as an occupation and 'Confucianism'and the background of his thought. The content of Kudoh Takeki's research in Chosŏn regarding Medical Science-Confucianism is described as below. First, the purpose and mission of Kudoh Takeki regarding Chosŏn was analyzed. The papers revealed the Kudoh Takeki mentioned only the 'HusbandMurders of Corean Women', which was defined by Kudoh Takeki as 'A Special Crime of Corea'. This paper examined his intensions. Second, writings by Kudoh Takeki were listed to verify the 'medical'field and 'non-medical'field according to the subject. No list of contents was found for his more than 280 articles or essays in magazines/newspapers/ publications, and these papers only described the Kudoh paper "A Special Crime of Corea"and studied the separate book publication by Kudoh THE GYNAECOLOGICAL RESEARCH OF HUSBANDMURDERS OF COREAN WOMEN, A SPECIAL CRIME OF COREA. Third, the genealogy of Confucianism of Kudoh Takeki was analyzed as his background of mental·thought by his hometown and the school he graduated from. The people from Kumamoto and Seiseiko school who were influenced by 'Yi Toegye'of Chosŏn Confucianism were more active than general Japanese. Fourth, the practical activity of Kudoh Takeki in Chosŏn was described. The paper

  16. Analyse des interactions energetiques entre un arena et son systeme de refrigeration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seghouani, Lotfi

    La presente these s'inscrit dans le cadre d'un projet strategique sur les arenas finance par le CRSNG (Conseil de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles et en Genie du Canada) qui a pour but principal le developpement d'un outil numerique capable d'estimer et d'optimiser la consommation d'energie dans les arenas et curlings. Notre travail s'inscrit comme une suite a un travail deja realise par DAOUD et coll. (2006, 2007) qui a developpe un modele 3D (AIM) en regime transitoire de l'arena Camilien Houde a Montreal et qui calcule les flux de chaleur a travers l'enveloppe du batiment ainsi que les distributions de temperatures et d'humidite durant une annee meteorologique typique. En particulier, il calcule les flux de chaleur a travers la couche de glace dus a la convection, la radiation et la condensation. Dans un premier temps nous avons developpe un modele de la structure sous la glace (BIM) qui tient compte de sa geometrie 3D, des differentes couches, de l'effet transitoire, des gains de chaleur du sol en dessous et autour de l'arena etudie ainsi que de la temperature d'entree de la saumure dans la dalle de beton. Par la suite le BIM a ete couple le AIM. Dans la deuxieme etape, nous avons developpe un modele du systeme de refrigeration (REFSYS) en regime quasi-permanent pour l'arena etudie sur la base d'une combinaison de relations thermodynamiques, de correlations de transfert de chaleur et de relations elaborees a partir de donnees disponibles dans le catalogue du manufacturier. Enfin le couplage final entre l'AIM +BIM et le REFSYS a ete effectue sous l'interface du logiciel TRNSYS. Plusieurs etudes parametriques on ete entreprises pour evaluer les effets du climat, de la temperature de la saumure, de l'epaisseur de la glace, etc. sur la consommation energetique de l'arena. Aussi, quelques strategies pour diminuer cette consommation ont ete etudiees. Le considerable potentiel de recuperation de chaleur au niveau des condenseurs qui peut reduire l'energie requise par

  17. Antigenic variation of H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2 swine influenza viruses in Japan and Vietnam.

    PubMed

    Takemae, Nobuhiro; Nguyen, Tung; Ngo, Long Thanh; Hiromoto, Yasuaki; Uchida, Yuko; Pham, Vu Phong; Kageyama, Tsutomu; Kasuo, Shizuko; Shimada, Shinichi; Yamashita, Yasutaka; Goto, Kaoru; Kubo, Hideyuki; Le, Vu Tri; Van Vo, Hung; Do, Hoa Thi; Nguyen, Dang Hoang; Hayashi, Tsuyoshi; Matsuu, Aya; Saito, Takehiko

    2013-04-01

    The antigenicity of the influenza A virus hemagglutinin is responsible for vaccine efficacy in protecting pigs against swine influenza virus (SIV) infection. However, the antigenicity of SIV strains currently circulating in Japan and Vietnam has not been well characterized. We examined the antigenicity of classical H1 SIVs, pandemic A(H1N1)2009 (A(H1N1)pdm09) viruses, and seasonal human-lineage SIVs isolated in Japan and Vietnam. A hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay was used to determine antigenic differences that differentiate the recent Japanese H1N2 and H3N2 SIVs from the H1N1 and H3N2 domestic vaccine strains. Minor antigenic variation between pig A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses was evident by HI assay using 13 mAbs raised against homologous virus. A Vietnamese H1N2 SIV, whose H1 gene originated from a human strain in the mid-2000s, reacted poorly with post-infection ferret serum against human vaccine strains from 2000-2010. These results provide useful information for selection of optimal strains for SIV vaccine production.

  18. Tokyo, Japan

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1981-01-01

    Tokyo, (35.5N, 140.0E) the capital city of Japan, Tokyo Bay and the neighboring cities of Yokohama, Kawasaki and Chiba are seen in this view of Japan. This great international seaport facility covers almost all of the bayfront and is home to over thirty million people.

  19. How do features of dressage arenas influence training surface properties which are potentially associated with lameness?

    PubMed

    Murray, Rachel C; Walters, Juli; Snart, Hannah; Dyson, Sue; Parkin, Tim

    2010-11-01

    Results from a previous study indicated that there are specific arena surface characteristics that are associated with an increased likelihood of lameness in dressage horses. It is important to understand what modifiable arena factors lead to these detrimental surface characteristics. The aim of this study was to describe the use of training surfaces and arenas for United Kingdom dressage horses and to investigate any relationships between arena/surface variables and detrimental surface characteristics. Data from a questionnaire returned by 22.5% of all 11,363 registered members of British Dressage were used for the study. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were developed with each of the previously identified surface characteristics as dependent variables. Respondents reported that the majority of arenas were privately owned, sized 20 × 40 m and had a sand and rubber surface. The results indicated that wax-coated and sand and rubber surfaces were associated with less detrimental surface properties than sand, sand and PVC, woodchips or grass. Woodchips were most strongly associated with the detrimental characteristic of slipping, and sand with tripping. The findings indicated that any arena surface should have a base, with limestone the recommended surface, and that crushed concrete was best avoided. This information supported previous studies in racehorses that indicated that surface maintenance is essential, especially when many horses are using an arena daily. Problems were less likely if an arena was privately owned. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. A novel lenticular arena to quantify locomotor competence in walking fruit flies.

    PubMed

    Tom Mekdara, Nalong; Goto, Joy June; Choudhury, Songita; Jerry Mekdara, Prasong; Yingst, Nicholas; Cao, Yu; Berg, Otto; Katharina Müller, Ulrike

    2012-07-01

    Drosophila melanogaster has become an important invertebrate model organism in biological and medical research, for mutational and genetic analysis, and in toxicological screening. Many screening assays have been developed that assess the flies' mortality, reproduction, development, morphology, or behavioral competence. In this study, we describe a new assay for locomotor competence. It comprises a circular walking arena with a lenticular floor and a flat cover (the slope of the floor increases gradually from the center to the edge of the arena) plus automated fly tracking and statistical analysis. This simple modification of a flat arena presents a graduated physical challenge, with which we can assess fine gradations of motor ability, since a fly's time average radial distance from the arena center is a direct indicator of its climbing ability. The time averaged distribution of flies as a function of slope, activity levels, and walking speed, yields a fine grained picture of locomotory ability and motivation levels. We demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of this assay (compared with a conventional tap-down test) by observing flies treated with a neurotoxin (BMAA) that acts as a glutamate agonist. The assay proves well suited to detect dose effects and progression effects with higher statistical power than the traditional tap-down, but it has a higher detection limit, making it less sensitive to treatment effects. © 2012 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

  1. Nanofluidics: A New Arena for Materials Science.

    PubMed

    Xu, Yan

    2018-01-01

    A significant growth of research in nanofluidics is achieved over the past decade, but the field is still facing considerable challenges toward the transition from the current physics-centered stage to the next application-oriented stage. Many of these challenges are associated with materials science, so the field of nanofluidics offers great opportunities for materials scientists to exploit. In addition, the use of unusual effects and ultrasmall confined spaces of well-defined nanofluidic environments would offer new mechanisms and technologies to manipulate nanoscale objects as well as to synthesize novel nanomaterials in the liquid phase. Therefore, nanofluidics will be a new arena for materials science. In the past few years, burgeoning progress has been made toward this trend, as overviewed in this article, including materials and methods for fabricating nanofluidic devices, nanofluidics with functionalized surfaces and functional material components, as well as nanofluidics for manipulating nanoscale materials and fabricating new nanomaterials. Many critical challenges as well as fantastic opportunities in this arena lie ahead. Some of those, which are of particular interest, are also discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Agency, contract and governance: shifting shapes of accountability in the health care arena.

    PubMed

    Tuohy, Carolyn Hughes

    2003-01-01

    Current ideas about the role of the state include an enthusiasm for mechanisms of "indirect" or "third-party" governance. The health care arena, in which models of indirect governance have a long history, is an important test bed for these ideas. Classically, the arena was marked by trust-based, principal-agent relationships established to overcome information gaps. Over time (and to different degrees across nations), emphasis shifted to contractual relationships assuming relatively well-informed actors and then to performance monitoring and information sharing within complex and loosely coupled networks. In this latest stage, there is a risk that some important features of democratic leadership, and of decision making in the health care arena, will be eclipsed. Accountability mechanisms must clearly locate responsibility for actions and must allow for the exercise of professional judgment.

  3. [History of pandemic influenza in Japan].

    PubMed

    Matsumoto, Keizo

    2010-09-01

    In Japan, influenza like epidemics were described many times since Heian era. However, Spanish flu as the modern medicine invaded Japan in 1918, thus almost infected 390,000 patients died with associated pneumonia. After the discovery of influenza virus in 1933, Japan experienced pandemic influenza--Asian flu(H2N2) in 1957. After about 10 years, Hong Kong flu (H3N2) came to Japan at 1968. However, we had many reliable antibiotics but had not any antiviral drug at the early time. After year 2000, we fortunately obtained reliable three antiviral drugs such as amantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir. Moreover, very useful rapid test kits for influenza A and B viruses were developed and used in Japan. 2009 H1N1 influenza epidemic occured in Japan after the great epidemic in Mexico and North America but elderly patient was few. With together, host conditions regarding with high risk are changing. Lessons from past several pandemic influenza are those that many issues for changing high risk conditions, viral genetic changes, developing antiviral agents, developing new useful vaccins and determinating bacterial secondary pathogens are important.

  4. Measures against transmission of pandemic H1N1 influenza in Japan in 2009: simulation model.

    PubMed

    Yasuda, H; Suzuki, K

    2009-11-05

    The first outbreak of pandemic H1N1 influenza in Japan was contained in the Kansai region in May 2009 by social distancing measures. Modelling methods are needed to estimate the validity of these measures before their implementation on a large scale. We estimated the transmission coefficient from outbreaks of pandemic H1N1 influenza among school children in Japan in summer 2009; using this transmission coefficient, we simulated the spread of pandemic H1N1 influenza in a virtual community called the virtual Chuo Line which models an area to the west of metropolitan Tokyo. Measures evaluated in our simulation included: isolation at home, school closure, post-exposure prophylaxis and mass vaccinations of school children. We showed that post-exposure prophylaxis combined with isolation at home and school closure significantly decreases the total number of cases in the community and can mitigate the spread of pandemic H1N1 influenza, even when there is a delay in the availability of vaccine.

  5. RICA: a reliable and image configurable arena for cyborg bumblebee based on CAN bus.

    PubMed

    Gong, Fan; Zheng, Nenggan; Xue, Lei; Xu, Kedi; Zheng, Xiaoxiang

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we designed a reliable and image configurable flight arena, RICA, for developing cyborg bumblebees. To meet the spatial and temporal requirements of bumblebees, the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus is adopted to interconnect the LED display modules to ensure the reliability and real-time performance of the arena system. Easily-configurable interfaces on a desktop computer implemented by python scripts are provided to transmit the visual patterns to the LED distributor online and configure RICA dynamically. The new arena system will be a power tool to investigate the quantitative relationship between the visual inputs and induced flight behaviors and also will be helpful to the visual-motor research in other related fields.

  6. Development and characterization of microsatellite markers in the Point Arena mountain beaver Aplodontia rufa nigra

    Treesearch

    Kristine L. Pilgrim; William J. Zielinski; Mary J. Mazurek; Frederick V. Schlexer; Michael K. Schwartz

    2006-01-01

    The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is an endangered subspecies. Efforts to recover this sub-species will be aided by advances in molecular genetics, specifically the ability to estimate population size using noninvasive genetic sampling. Here we report on the development of nine polymorphic loci for the Point Arena mountain...

  7. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide in an indoor ice arena - New Hampshire, 2011.

    PubMed

    2012-03-02

    In January 2011, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NHDHHS) investigated acute respiratory symptoms in a group of ice hockey players. The symptoms, which included cough, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, and chest pain or tightness, were consistent with exposure to nitrogen dioxide gas (NO), a byproduct of combustion. Environmental and epidemiologic investigations were begun to determine the source of the exposure and identify potentially exposed persons. This report summarizes the results of those investigations, which implicated a local indoor ice arena that had hosted two hockey practice sessions during a 24-hour period when the arena ventilation system was not functioning. A total of 43 exposed persons were interviewed, of whom 31 (72.1%) reported symptoms consistent with NO exposure. The highest attack rate was among the hockey players (87.9%). After repair of the ventilation system, no additional cases were identified. To prevent similar episodes, ice arena operators should ensure ventilation systems and alarms are operating properly and that levels of NO and carbon monoxide (CO) are monitored continuously for early detection of increased gas levels.

  8. Mass Media and Global Warming: A Public Arenas Model of the Greenhouse Effect's Scientific Roots.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neuzil, Mark

    1995-01-01

    Uses the Public Arenas model to examine the historical roots of the greenhouse effect issue as communicated in scientific literature from the early 1800s to modern times. Utilizes a constructivist approach to discuss several possible explanations for the rise and fall of global warming as a social problem in the scientific arena. (PA)

  9. Characterization of H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from wild and captive birds in the winter season of 2016-2017 in Northern Japan.

    PubMed

    Hiono, Takahiro; Okamatsu, Masatoshi; Matsuno, Keita; Haga, Atsushi; Iwata, Ritsuko; Nguyen, Lam Thanh; Suzuki, Mizuho; Kikutani, Yuto; Kida, Hiroshi; Onuma, Manabu; Sakoda, Yoshihiro

    2017-09-01

    On 15 November 2016, a black swan that had died in a zoo in Akita prefecture, northern Japan, was strongly suspected to have highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI); an HPAI virus (HPAIV) belonging to the H5N6 subtype was isolated from specimens taken from the bird. After the initial report, 230 cases of HPAI caused by H5N6 viruses from wild birds, captive birds, and domestic poultry farms were reported throughout the country during the winter season. In the present study, 66 H5N6 HPAIVs isolated from northern Japan were further characterized. Phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin gene showed that the H5N6 viruses isolated in northern Japan clustered into Group C of Clade 2.3.4.4 together with other isolates collected in Japan, Korea and Taiwan during the winter season of 2016-2017. The antigenicity of the Japanese H5N6 isolate differed slightly from that of HPAIVs isolated previously in Japan and China. The virus exhibited high pathogenicity and a high replication capacity in chickens, whereas virus growth was slightly lower in ducks compared with that of an H5N8 HPAIV isolate collected in Japan in 2014. Comprehensive analyses of Japanese isolates, including those from central, western, and southern Japan, as well as rapid publication of this information are essential for facilitating greater control of HPAIVs. © 2017 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  10. Monitoring and Characterization of Oseltamivir-Resistant Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus, Japan, 2009–2010

    PubMed Central

    Ujike, Makoto; Ejima, Miho; Anraku, Akane; Shimabukuro, Kozue; Obuchi, Masatsugu; Kishida, Noriko; Hong, Xu; Takashita, Emi; Fujisaki, Seiichiro; Yamashita, Kazuyo; Horikawa, Hiroshi; Kato, Yumiko; Oguchi, Akio; Fujita, Nobuyuki; Tashiro, Masato

    2011-01-01

    To monitor and characterize oseltamivir-resistant (OR) pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus with the H275Y mutation, we analyzed 4,307 clinical specimens from Japan by neuraminidase (NA) sequencing or inhibition assay; 61 OR pandemic (H1N1) 2009 viruses were detected. NA inhibition assay and M2 sequencing indicated that OR pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus was resistant to M2 inhibitors, but sensitive to zanamivir. Full-genome sequencing showed OR and oseltamivir-sensitive (OS) viruses had high sequence similarity, indicating that domestic OR virus was derived from OS pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. Hemagglutination inhibition test demonstrated that OR and OS pandemic (H1N1) 2009 viruses were antigenically similar to the A/California/7/2009 vaccine strain. Of 61 case-patients with OR viruses, 45 received oseltamivir as treatment, and 10 received it as prophylaxis, which suggests that most cases emerged sporadically from OS pandemic (H1N1) 2009, due to selective pressure. No evidence of sustained spread of OR pandemic (H1N1) 2009 was found in Japan; however, 2 suspected incidents of human-to-human transmission were reported. PMID:21392439

  11. Counselor Advocacy: Affecting Systemic Change in the Public Arena

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Courtland C.; Rodgers, Roe A.

    2009-01-01

    This article provides direction for developing advocacy competency in the public arena. Direction for increasing public awareness, affecting public policy, and influencing legislation is presented. A process of creating change entailing establishing a sense of social/political urgency regarding an issue, organizing and educating a group of people…

  12. Novel reassortant influenza A(H1N2) virus derived from A(H1N1)pdm09 virus isolated from swine, Japan, 2012.

    PubMed

    Kobayashi, Miho; Takayama, Ikuyo; Kageyama, Tsutomu; Tsukagoshi, Hiroyuki; Saitoh, Mika; Ishioka, Taisei; Yokota, Yoko; Kimura, Hirokazu; Tashiro, Masato; Kozawa, Kunihisa

    2013-12-01

    We isolated a novel influenza virus A(H1N2) strain from a pig on January 13, 2012, in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the strain was a novel type of double-reassortant virus derived from the swine influenza virus strains H1N1pdm09 and H1N2, which were prevalent in Gunma at that time.

  13. PREFACE: ARENA 2006—Acoustic and Radio EeV Neutrino detection Activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thompson, Lee

    2007-06-01

    The International Conference on Acoustic and Radio EeV Neutrino Activities, ARENA 2006 was jointly hosted by the Universities of Northumbria and Sheffield at the City of Newcastle Campus of the University of Northumbria in June 2006. ARENA 2006 was the latest in a series of meetings which have addressed, either separately or jointly, the use of radio and acoustic sensors for the detection of highly relativistic particles. Previous successful meetings have taken place in Los Angeles (RADHEP, 2000), Stanford (2003) and DESY Zeuthen (ARENA 2005). A total of 50 scientists from across Europe, the US and Japan attended the conference presenting status reports and results from a number of projects and initiatives spread as far afield as the Sweden and the South Pole. The talks presented at the meeting and the proceedings contained herein represent a `snapshot' of the status of the fields of acoustic and radio detection at the time of the conference. The three day meeting also included two invited talks by Dr Paula Chadwick and Dr Johannes Knapp who gave excellent summaries of the related astroparticle physics fields of high energy gamma ray detection and high energy cosmic ray detection respectively. As well as a full academic agenda there were social events including a Medieval themed conference banquet at Lumley Castle and a civic reception kindly provided by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle and hosted at the Mansion House. Thanks must go to the International Advisory Board members for their input and guidance, the Local Organising Committee for their hard work in bringing everything together and finally the delegates for the stimulating, enthusiastic and enjoyable spirit in which ARENA 2006 took place. Lee Thompson

    International Advisory Board

    G. Anton, ErlangenD. Besson, Kansas
    J. Blümer, KarlsruheA. Capone, Rome
    H. Falcke, BonnP. Gorham, Hawaii
    G. Gratta

  14. Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) isolated from whooper swans, Japan.

    PubMed

    Uchida, Yuko; Mase, Masaji; Yoneda, Kumiko; Kimura, Atsumu; Obara, Tsuyoshi; Kumagai, Seikou; Saito, Takehiko; Yamamoto, Yu; Nakamura, Kikuyasu; Tsukamoto, Kenji; Yamaguchi, Shigeo

    2008-09-01

    On April 21, 2008, four whooper swans were found dead at Lake Towada, Akita prefecture, Japan. Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of the H5N1 subtype was isolated from specimens of the affected birds. The hemagglutinin (HA) gene of the isolate belongs to clade 2.3.2 in the HA phylogenetic tree.

  15. Revision of the subgenus Tinotus Sharp, stat. n., of the parasitoid rove-beetle genus Aleochara Gravenhorst (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae) from Japan, Taiwan, and the Russian Far East

    PubMed Central

    Yamamoto, Shûhei; Maruyama, Munetoshi

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The subgenus Tinotus Sharp, 1833, stat. n., of the genus Aleochara Gravenhorst, 1802 (Aleocharini: Aleocharina) from Japan, Taiwan, and the Russian Far East is revised. Tinotus is a new record from the latter two regions. Three species are recognized: Aleochara (Tinotus) morion Gravenhorst, 1802, comb. n. [Japan (new record), the Russian Far East (new record)], Aleochara (Tinotus) eoa nom. n. [replacement name for Tinotus japonicus Cameron, 1933; Japan, Taiwan (new record)], and Aleochara (Tinotus) takashii sp. n. (central Honshû, Japan). The systematic position of Tinotus is discussed. All species are (re-)described, keyed, and figured. A world checklist of Tinotus species, comprising 40 valid species, is provided in an appendix. Additional taxonomic changes are proposed, including a new synonymy, a revalidation, 13 new replacement names, and 27 new combinations. PMID:27006606

  16. Novel Reassortant Influenza A(H1N2) Virus Derived from A(H1N1)pdm09 Virus Isolated from Swine, Japan, 2012

    PubMed Central

    Kobayashi, Miho; Takayama, Ikuyo; Kageyama, Tsutomu; Tsukagoshi, Hiroyuki; Saitoh, Mika; Ishioka, Taisei; Yokota, Yoko; Kimura, Hirokazu; Tashiro, Masato

    2013-01-01

    We isolated a novel influenza virus A(H1N2) strain from a pig on January 13, 2012, in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the strain was a novel type of double-reassortant virus derived from the swine influenza virus strains H1N1pdm09 and H1N2, which were prevalent in Gunma at that time. PMID:24274745

  17. Competitive Arenas and Schools' Logics of Action: A European Comparison

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Zanten, Agnes

    2009-01-01

    This article analyses the impact of competitive arenas on schools' logics of action in six local European contexts (London, Paris, Lille, Charleroi, Budapest and Lisbon). It first examines how competitive processes affect different schools' activities (recruitment, provision of options, promotion, tracking, provision for children with special…

  18. Behavioral research in pigeons with ARENA: An automated remote environmental navigation apparatus

    PubMed Central

    Leising, Kenneth J.; Garlick, Dennis; Parenteau, Michael; Blaisdell, Aaron P.

    2009-01-01

    Three experiments established the effectiveness of an Automated Remote Environmental Navigation Apparatus (ARENA) developed in our lab to study behavioral processes in pigeons. The technology utilizes one or more wireless modules, each capable of presenting colored lights as visual stimuli to signal reward and of detecting subject peck responses. In Experiment 1, subjects were instrumentally shaped to peck at a single ARENA module following an unsuccessful autoshaping procedure. In Experiment 2, pigeons were trained with a simultaneous discrimination procedure during which two modules were illuminated different colors; pecks to one color (S+) were reinforced while pecks to the other color (S−) were not. Pigeons learned to preferentially peck the module displaying the S+. In Experiment 3, two modules were lit the same color concurrently from a set of six colors in a conditional discrimination task. For three of the colors pecks to the module in one location (e.g., upper quadrant) were reinforced while for the remaining colors pecks at the other module (e.g., lower quadrant) were reinforced. After learning this discrimination, the color-reinforced location assignments were reversed. Pigeons successfully acquired the reversal. ARENA is an automated system for open-field studies and a more ecologically valid alternative to the touchscreen. PMID:19429204

  19. Satellite‐tracking of Northern Pintail Anas acuta during outbreaks of the H5N1 virus in Japan: Implications for virus spread

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yamaguchi, Noriyuki; Hupp, Jerry W.; Higuchi, Hiroyoshi; Flint, Paul L.; Pearce, John M.

    2010-01-01

    We fitted Northern Pintail Anas acuta in Japan with satellite transmitters and monitored their spring migration movements relative to locations where the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus was detected in Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus in 2008. Pintails were assumed not to be infected with the H5N1 virus at the time they were marked because capture occurred between 2 and 5 months before reported outbreaks of the virus in Japan. We assessed spatial and temporal overlap between marked birds and occurrence of the virus and tracked Pintails after they departed outbreak locations. Eight of 66 (12.1%) Northern Pintails marked with satellite transmitters used wetlands in Japan where the H5N1 virus was detected in Whooper Swans. Apparent survival did not differ between Pintails that used H5N1 sites and those that did not. However, the proportion of Pintails that migrated from Japan was significantly lower among birds that used H5N1 sites compared with those that did not (0.50 vs. 0.79). Northern Pintails were present at the H5N1 sites from 1 to 88 days, with five birds present at the sites from 0 to 7 days prior to detection of the virus in Swans. The six Pintails observed to depart H5N1 sites did so within 2–77 days of the reported outbreaks and moved between 6 and 1200 km within 4 days of departure. Four Pintails migrated to eastern Russia. After their departure from outbreak sites, Northern Pintails made long‐distance migrations within the period when newly infected ducks would shed the H5N1 virus. This supports a hypothesized mechanism by which a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus could be spread by migratory birds.

  20. Connections 2014: Taking Stock of the Civic Arena. Annual Newsletter

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilmore, Melinda, Ed.; Holwerk, David, Ed.

    2014-01-01

    Each issue of this annual newsletter focuses on a particular area of the Kettering Foundation's research. The 2014 issue focuses on taking stock of the civic arena, which includes organized projects in civic renewal, civic engagement, civic education, and civic capacity building in communities. This issue contains the following articles that…

    1. An Examination of College and University Athletic Directors' Perception of Management Models Utilized to Operate Intercollegiate Athletic Arenas

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Palmero, Mauro R.

      2010-01-01

      Demands for enhanced accountability and effectiveness in higher education have also affected athletic departments, requiring a more cost-efficient managerial approach to the administration of athletic facilities, especially arenas. The purpose of this study was to examine athletic directors' perceptions towards the arena management models they…

    2. Temporal changes in the attitude towards smoking bans in public arenas among adults in the Capital Region of Denmark from 2007 to 2010.

      PubMed

      Lykke, Maja; Helbech, Bodil; Glümer, Charlotte

      2014-07-01

      The population's attitude towards smoking bans in public arenas is important for their passing, implementation and compliance. Smoking bans are believed to reduce the social acceptability of smoking, and once people experience them, public support increases--also among pre-ban sceptics. This study aimed to examine the temporal changes in public attitude towards smoking bans in public arenas from 2007 to 2010 and whether these changes differed across educational attainment, smoking status and intention to quit among smokers. Data from two surveys among adults (aged 25-79 years) in 2007 and 2010 in the Capital Region of Denmark (n=36,472/42,504, response rate = 52.3) was linked with data on sex, age and educational attainment from central registers. Age-standardised prevalence of supportive attitude towards smoking bans was estimated. Temporal changes in supportive attitude were explored in workplaces, restaurants and bars using logistic regression models. The prevalence of supportive attitude towards smoking bans increased significantly in all arenas from 2007 to 2010. Positive temporal changes in supportive attitude towards smoking bans were seen across educational attainment, smoking status and intention to quit smoking in restaurants and across smoking status for smoking bans in workplaces and bars. The results of this study show that the public's attitude towards smoking in public arenas has changed after the implementation of a comprehensive smoking ban. This change in attitude can support implementation of future legislation on smoking and may lead to positive changes in smoking norms. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

    3. Keeping gay and bisexual men safe: The arena of HIV prevention science and praxis.

      PubMed

      Green, Adam Isaiah

      2016-04-01

      Abstract In this article, I draw from an ongoing ethnographic study of HIV prevention for gay, bisexual, and 'men who have sex with men' to develop an institutional analysis of HIV behavioral intervention science and praxis. I approach this analysis through the lens of the social worlds framework, focusing on the institutional arena in which HIV behavioral interventions are devised and executed. Toward this end, I focus on two fundamental points of contention that lie at the heart of the prevention enterprise and put its social organization in high relief: (1) conceptions of health and lifestyle practices and (2) attributions of expertise. These core contentions reveal less the steady advance of normal science than an arena of actors ensconced in boundary work and jurisdictional struggles over how to engineer behavior change and reduce the scale of the HIV epidemic. Their resolution, I argue, has occurred in a historically contingent process determined by the political economy of the US HIV prevention arena and the differential structural location of its social worlds.

    4. ARENA - A Collaborative Immersive Environment for Virtual Fieldwork

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Kwasnitschka, T.

      2012-12-01

      Whenever a geoscientific study area is not readily accessible, as is the case on the deep seafloor, it is difficult to apply traditional but effective methods of fieldwork, which often require physical presence of the observer. The Artificial Research Environment for Networked Analysis (ARENA), developed at GEOMAR | Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel within the Cluster of Excellence "The Future Ocean", provides a backend solution to robotic research on the seafloor by means of an immersive simulation environment for marine research: A hemispherical screen of 6m diameter covering the entire lower hemisphere surrounds a group of up to four researchers at once. A variety of open source (e.g. Microsoft Research World Wide Telescope) and commercial software platforms allow the interaction with e.g. in-situ recorded video, vector maps, terrain, textured geometry, point cloud and volumetric data in four dimensions. Data can be put into a holistic, georeferenced context and viewed on scales stretching from centimeters to global. Several input devices from joysticks to gestures and vocalized commands allow interaction with the simulation, depending on individual preference. Annotations added to the dataset during the simulation session catalyze the following quantitative evaluation. Both the special simulator design, making data perception a group experience, and the ability to connect remote instances or scaled down versions of ARENA over the Internet are significant advantages over established immersive simulation environments.

    5. Identification of VanN-type vancomycin resistance in an Enterococcus faecium isolate from chicken meat in Japan.

      PubMed

      Nomura, Takahiro; Tanimoto, Koichi; Shibayama, Keigo; Arakawa, Yoshichika; Fujimoto, Shuhei; Ike, Yasuyoshi; Tomita, Haruyoshi

      2012-12-01

      Five VanN-type vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium strains were isolated from a sample of domestic chicken meat in Japan. All isolates showed low-level resistance to vancomycin (MIC, 12 mg/liter) and had the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profile. The vancomycin resistance was encoded on a large plasmid (160 kbp) and was expressed constitutively. The VanN-type resistance operon was identical to the first resistance operon to be reported, with the exception of a 1-bp deletion in vanT(N) and a 1-bp substitution in vanS(N).

    6. Curriculum Code, Arena, and Context: Curriculum and Leadership Research in Sweden

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Forsberg, Eva; Nihlfors, Elisabet; Pettersson, Daniel; Skott, Pia

      2017-01-01

      This article describes the development of the Swedish curriculum-theory tradition with a focus on different curriculum practices, educational message systems, arenas, and curriculum makers. Attention has been paid to different places, spaces, and times in relation to the selection, ordering, and manifestation of knowledge, norms, and values, as…

    7. Japan.

      PubMed

      1987-02-01

      Japan is composed of 4 main islands and more than 3900 smaller islands and has 317.7 persons/square kilometer. This makes it one of the most densely populated nations in the world. Religion is an important force in the life of the Japanese and most consider themselves Buddhists. Schooling is free through junior high but 90% of Japanese students complete high school. In fact, Japan enjoys one of the highest literacy rates in the world. There are over 178 newspapers and 3500 magazines published in Japan and the number of new book titles issued each year is greater than that in the US. Since WW1, Japan expanded its influence in Asia and its holdings in the Pacific. However, as a direct result of WW2, Japan lost all of its overseas possessions and was able to retain only its own islands. Since 1952, Japan has been ruled by conservative governments which cooperate closely with the West. Great economic growth has come since the post-treaty period. Japan as a constitutional monarchy operates within the framework of a constitution which became effective in May 1947. Executive power is vested in a cabinet which includes the prime minister and the ministers of state. Japan is one of the most politically stable of the postwar democracies and the Liberal Democratic Party is representative of Japanese moderate conservatism. The economy of Japan is strong and growing. With few resources, there is only 19% of Japanese land suitable for cultivation. Its exports earn only about 19% of the country's gross national product. More than 59 million workers comprise Japan's labor force, 40% of whom are women. Japan and the US are strongly linked trading partners and after Canada, Japan is the largest trading partner of the US. Foreign policy since 1952 has fostered close cooperation with the West and Japan is vitally interested in good relations with its neighbors. Relations with the Soviet Union are not close although Japan is attempting to improve the situation. US policy is based on

    8. Relevance of visual cues for orientation at familiar sites by homing pigeons: an experiment in a circular arena.

      PubMed Central

      Gagliardo, A.; Odetti, F.; Ioalè, P.

      2001-01-01

      Whether pigeons use visual landmarks for orientation from familiar locations has been a subject of debate. By recording the directional choices of both anosmic and control pigeons while exiting from a circular arena we were able to assess the relevance of olfactory and visual cues for orientation from familiar sites. When the birds could see the surroundings, both anosmic and control pigeons were homeward oriented. When the view of the landscape was prevented by screens that surrounded the arena, the control pigeons exited from the arena approximately in the home direction, while the anosmic pigeons' distribution was not different from random. Our data suggest that olfactory and visual cues play a critical, but interchangeable, role for orientation at familiar sites. PMID:11571054

    9. Japan.

      PubMed

      1989-02-01

      Japan consists of 3900 islands and lies off the east coast of Asia. Even though Japan is one of the most densely populated nations in the world, its growth rate has stabilized at .5%. 94% of all children go to senior high school and almost 90% finish. Responsibility for the sick, aged, and infirmed is changing from the family and private sector to government. Japan was founded in 600 BC and its 1st capital was in Nara (710-1867). The Portuguese, the 1st Westerners to make contact with Japan in 1542, opened trade which lasted until the mid 17th century. US Navy Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to reopen in 1854. Following wars with China and Russia in the late 1800s and early 1900s respectively, Japan took part in World Wars I and II. In between these wars Japan invaded Manchuria and China. The US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Japanese surrendered in September, 1945 ending World War II (WWII). Following, WWII, the Allied Powers guided Japan's establishment as a nonthreatening nation and a democratic parliamentary government (a constitutional monarchy) with a limited defense force. Japan remains one of the most politically stable of all postwar democracies. The Liberal Democratic Party's Noboru Takeshita became prime minister in 1987. Japan has limited natural resources and only 19% of the land is arable. Japanese ingenuity and skill combine to produce one of the highest per hectare crop yields in the world. Japan is a major economic power, and its and the US economies are becoming more interdependent. Its exports, making up only 13% of the gross national product, mainly go to Canada and the US. Many in the US are concerned, however, with the trade deficit with Japan and are seeking ways to make trade more equitable. Japan wishes to maintain good relations with its Asian neighbors and other nations. The US and Japan enjoy a strong, productive relationship.

    10. A STUDY OF INFORMAL GROUP ACTIVITY WITHIN A COMMUNITY'S EDUCATIONAL ARENA.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      BARNES, WILLIAM D.

      THIS LONGITUDINAL FIELD STUDY EXAMINED THE INFORMAL RELATIONSHIPS BY WHICH SCHOOL ORIENTED LEADERS INFLUENCED THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY IN THE EDUCATIONAL ARENA OF AN OREGON COMMUNITY. CONSIDERED WERE 15 BUSINESSMEN AND PROFESSIONALS WHO WERE NAMED AS LEADERS BY MANY OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND WERE ALSO RECOGNIZED AS BEING INFLUENTIAL IN LOCAL…

    11. Further definition on the multiple partner choice arena: a potential animal model for the study of premature ejaculation.

      PubMed

      Olayo-Lortia, Jesús; Ferreira-Nuño, Armando; Velázquez-Moctezuma, Javier; Morales-Otal, Adriana

      2014-10-01

      The multiple partner choice arena (MPCA) is an experimental setup in which male rats display a significant shortening of ejaculation latency, which is the main characteristic of premature ejaculation (PE) in men. Thus, the MPCA is a potential animal model for PE. In this study, we further analyze whether the features of the MPCA satisfy the validity criteria for it to be considered an animal model as well as the possible participation of the serotoninergic system in the faster ejaculation exhibited by male rats in the MPCA. In Experiment 1, male rats were tested in a standard arena to assess their sexual behavior, then were assessed 1 week later in the MPCA. Another group was first tested in the MPCA, then in a standard arena. In Experiment 2, male rats divided into two groups were treated daily with WAY-100635 (5-HT(1A) antagonist) or vehicle for 15 days. In each group, half of the subjects were tested in a standard arena and half were tested in the MPCA on days 1, 8, and 15 of treatment. Number of intromissions and intromission and ejaculation latencies were the main outcome measures. In Experiment 1, males tested in the MPCA ejaculated significantly faster, regardless of the order in which they were evaluated in both arenas. In Experiment 2, the administration of WAY-100635 increased intromission and ejaculation latencies, and the number of intromissions in the MPCA. The results obtained in the MPCA support its use as an animal model for PE evaluation. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

    12. Morphological and genetic characterization of Kudoa whippsi (Myxosporea: Multivalvulida) from Cheilodactylus zonatus in the western Pacific Ocean off Japan, and two new Kudoa spp. (K. akihitoi n. sp. and K. empressmichikoae n. sp.) from Acanthogobius hasta in the Sea of Ariake, Japan.

      PubMed

      Kasai, Akihiro; Setsuda, Aogu; Sato, Hiroshi

      2017-02-01

      Molecular genetic characterization using the ribosomal RNA (rDNA) gene accrues a wealth of knowledge regarding the true nature of species diversity of Kudoa Meglitsch, 1947 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Multivalvulida) and the biogeographical relationships of isolates from different host fish and sea areas. In the present study, we characterized morphologically and genetically three Kudoa spp. with four shell valves and polar capsules (SV/PC), forming pseudocysts in the myofiber of trunk muscles of Cheilodactylus zonatus or Acanthogobius hasta in the natural seawater around Japan. Myxospores from C. zonatus fished in the western Pacific Ocean off Kochi, Japan, were unequal quadrangular pyramids with one large and three smaller SV/PC, morphologically closest to Kudoa whippsi recorded in various pomacentrid and apogonid fish from the Australian Coral Sea. The 18S and 28S rDNA nucleotide sequences of the Japanese isolate were highly similar to some Australian K. whippsi isolates, but also displayed less similarity to other K. whippsi isolates from the same sea mainly due to instability of nucleotides at certain base positions and/or segments of different isolates. All the K. whippsi isolates including the present Japanese isolate, however, were distinct from Kudoa gunterae, K. whippsi's closest kudoid species in morphology, molecular phylogeny, and biogeography. Our detection of K. whippsi from C. zonatus in the natural seawater around Japan is a new host and geographical record. Kudoid myxospores from A. hasta from the Sea of Ariake, a deep bay of the western part of Japan, exhibited two morphotypes, one resembling K. whippsi and the other Kudoa quadricornis with distinct posteriolateral SV projections. However, rDNA nucleotide sequencing revealed that these two Kudoa spp. were distinct from any known congeners; thus, Kudoa akihitoi n. sp. and Kudoa empressmichikoae n. sp. were erected. The morphological differentiation of K. akihitoi n. sp. from multiple Kudoa spp. with

    13. Outcomes in EMS-transported attendees from events at a large indoor arena.

      PubMed

      Chan, Shu B; Quinn, James E

      2003-01-01

      Many emergency departments (EDs) receive patients from concert or other mass gathering events. The study objective was to determine whether routine emergency medical services (EMS) transport to a hospital from an indoor arena facility is warranted. Retrospective review of transport medical records from an approximately 20,000-seat arena in a major metropolitan area from January 1, 1998, to June 30, 1999. Outcomes studied included inpatient admission rate, diagnoses, treatments, and length of ED stay. The authors reviewed 96 patients transported from 29 separate concert or professional wrestling events. The mean age was 23.2 years (SD, 10.4 yr). Only three patients (3.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65%-8.9%) required inpatient admission. The mean length of stay in the ED was 158 minutes (95% CI, 132-185). Thirty-one percent of the patients had diagnoses of alcohol or drug use; trauma accounted for 33%; and medical reasons represented 35% of transports. Alcohol and/or drug cases stayed in the ED 207 minutes (mean), which was 59% longer than trauma cases (130 min) and 47% longer than the 141 minutes for medical cases (p = 0.007). Rock concerts had 45% alcohol/drug-related cases versus 22% for pop concerts and 0% for professional wrestling events (p = 0.001). Patients transported from indoor arena events rarely result in inpatient admissions. Alcohol- and drug-related problems were the primary diagnoses in 31% of these patients and required the most time in the ED. Rock concerts had more alcohol and drug cases than other events.

    14. Best Practices of Small IT Services Providers in the Federal Arena

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Trammell, Stacy Dacole

      2009-01-01

      Today, more than 139,294 (43%) small businesses registered in the CCR and DSBS databases offer IT services to the federal government. Providing IT services to the federal government is an affordable and feasible low risk approach for emerging and seasoned small IT businesses in the federal arena. This dissertation captures how successful small…

    15. Effect of superficial harrowing on surface properties of sand with rubber and waxed-sand with fibre riding arena surfaces: a preliminary study.

      PubMed

      Tranquille, C A; Walker, V A; Hernlund, E; Egenvall, A; Roepstorff, L; Peterson, M L; Murray, R C

      2015-01-01

      A recent epidemiological study identified various aspects of arena surfaces and arena surface maintenance that were related to risk of injury in horses and that arena maintenance is important in reducing injury risk. However, there has been little research into how properties of arena surfaces change with harrowing. This study aimed to compare the properties of different arena surface types pre- and post-harrowing. The Orono Biomechanical Surface Tester fitted with accelerometers and a single- and a three-axis load cell was used to test 11 arenas with two different surfaces types, sand with rubber (SR) and waxed-sand with fibre (WSF). Three drop tests were carried out at 10 standardised locations on each arena. Mixed models were created to assess the effect of surface type, pre- or post-harrowing, and drop number on the properties of the surface, including maximum horizontal deceleration, maximum vertical deceleration, maximum vertical load and maximum horizontal load. Post-harrowing, none of the parameters were altered significantly on SR. On WSF, maximum vertical deceleration and maximum vertical load significantly decreased post-harrowing. The differences in the effects of superficial harrowing on SR and WSF could be attributed to the different compositions and sizes of the surface material. The results suggest that different maintenance techniques may be more suitable for different surface types and that the effects of superficial harrowing are short-lived due to the rapid re-compaction of the surface with repeated drops on WSF. Further work is required to determine the effects of other maintenance techniques, and on other surface types. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    16. Reproductive characteristics of the Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

      Treesearch

      William Zielinski; M. J. Mazurek

      2016-01-01

      Little is known about the ecology and life history of the federally endangered Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra). The distribution of this primitive burrowing rodent is disjunct from the balance of the species’ range and occurs in a unique maritime environment of coastal grasslands and forests. Fundamental to protecting this taxon...

    17. Knowledge Translation for Cardiovascular Disease Research and Management in Japan

      PubMed Central

      Shommu, Nusrat S

      2017-01-01

      Knowledge translation is an essential and emerging arena in healthcare research. It is the process of aiding the application of research knowledge into clinical practice or policymaking. Individuals at all levels of the health care system, including patients, healthcare professionals, and policymakers, are affected by the gaps that exist between research evidence and practice; the process of knowledge translation plays a role in bridging these gaps and incorporating high-quality clinical research into decision-making. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) management is a crucial area of healthcare where information gaps are known to exist. Although Japan has one of the lowest risks and mortality rates from CVDs, an increasing trend of cardiovascular incidence and changes in the risk factor conditions have been observed in recent years. This article provides an overview of knowledge translation and its importance in the cardiovascular health of the Japanese population, and describes the key steps of a typical knowledge translation strategy. PMID:28757537

    18. Knowledge Translation for Cardiovascular Disease Research and Management in Japan.

      PubMed

      Shommu, Nusrat S; Turin, Tanvir C

      2017-09-01

      Knowledge translation is an essential and emerging arena in healthcare research. It is the process of aiding the application of research knowledge into clinical practice or policymaking. Individuals at all levels of the health care system, including patients, healthcare professionals, and policymakers, are affected by the gaps that exist between research evidence and practice; the process of knowledge translation plays a role in bridging these gaps and incorporating high-quality clinical research into decision-making. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) management is a crucial area of healthcare where information gaps are known to exist. Although Japan has one of the lowest risks and mortality rates from CVDs, an increasing trend of cardiovascular incidence and changes in the risk factor conditions have been observed in recent years. This article provides an overview of knowledge translation and its importance in the cardiovascular health of the Japanese population, and describes the key steps of a typical knowledge translation strategy.

    19. [Establishment of anatomical terminology in Japan].

      PubMed

      Shimada, Kazuyuki

      2008-12-01

      The history of anatomical terminology in Japan began with the publication of Waran Naikei Ihan-teimŏ in 1805 and Chŏtei Kaitai Shinsho in 1826. Although the establishment of Japanese anatomical terminology became necessary during the Meiji era when many western anatomy books imported into Janan were translated, such terminology was not unified during this period and varied among translators. In 1871, Tsukumo Ono's Kaibŏgaku Gosen was published by the Ministry of Education. Although this book is considered to be the first anatomical glossary terms in Japan, its contents were incomplete. Overseas, the German Anatomical Society established a unified anatomical terminology in 1895 called the Basle Nomina Anatomica (B.N.A.). Based on this development, Kaibŏgaku Meishŭ which follows the BNA, by Buntarŏ Suzuki was published in 1905. With the subsequent establishment in 1935 of Jena Nomina Anatomica (J.N.A.), the unification of anatomical terminology was also accelerated in Japan, leading to the further development of terminology.

    20. Outcome of hospitalised heart failure in Japan and the United Kingdom stratified by plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide.

      PubMed

      Shiraishi, Yasuyuki; Nagai, Toshiyuki; Kohsaka, Shun; Goda, Ayumi; Nagatomo, Yuji; Mizuno, Atsushi; Kohno, Takashi; Rigby, Alan; Fukuda, Keiichi; Yoshikawa, Tsutomu; Clark, Andrew L; Cleland, John G F

      2018-05-21

      Mortality subsequent to a hospitalisation for heart failure is reported to be much lower in Japan than in the United Kingdom (UK). This could reflect differences in disease severity or in management. Accordingly, we directly compared patient backgrounds and outcomes between Japan and UK. Consecutive patients admitted to academic hospitals in the UK and Japan with heart failure had a common set of variables, including plasma concentrations of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), collected during admission. Mortality during hospitalisations, at 90 and 180 days was recorded and stratified by quintile of NT-proBNP. Overall, 935 patients were enrolled; 197 from UK and 738 from Japan. Median (interquartile range) age [UK: 78 (71-88) vs. Japan: 78 (70-84) years; p = 0.947], glomerular filtration rate [UK: 49 (34-68) vs. Japan: 49 (33-65) ml/min/1.73 m 2 ; p = 0.209] and plasma NT-proBNP [UK: 4957 (2278-10,977) vs. Japan: 4155 (1972-9623) ng/l; p = 0.186] were similar, but systolic blood pressure was lower in the UK [118 (105-131) vs. 137 (118-159) mmHg; p < 0.001]. Patients with a higher plasma NT-proBNP had a worse prognosis in both countries; in-hospital and post-discharge mortality rates were higher in the UK even after adjusting for prognostic variables including NT-proBNP. This analysis suggests that either unobserved differences in patient characteristics or differences in care (formal or informal) rather than greater heart failure severity may account for the worse outcome of heart failure in the UK compared to Japan.

    1. Combating corruption in the pharmaceutical arena.

      PubMed

      Lexchin, Joel; Kohler, Jillian Clare; Gagnon, Marc André; Crombie, James; Thacker, Paul; Shnier, Adrienne

      2018-03-15

      Corruption in healthcare generally and specifically in the pharmaceutical arena has recently been highlighted in reports by Transparency International. This article focuses on four areas of corruption: legislative/regulatory, financial, ideological/ethical, and communications. The problems identified and the solutions considered focus on structural considerations affecting how pharmaceuticals are discovered, developed, distributed, and ultimately used in clinical settings. These include recourse to user fees in the regulatory sphere, application of intellectual property rights to medical contexts (patents and access to research data), commercial sponsorship of ghost writing and guest authors, linkage/delinkage of the funding of research and overall health objectives to/from drug pricing and sales, transparency of payments to healthcare professionals and institutions, and credible regulatory sanctions. In general, financial and other incentives for all actors in the system should be structured to align with desired social outcomes - and to minimise conflicts of interest among researchers and clinicians.

    2. U.S.-Japan Seminar on Dielectric and Piezoelectric Ceramics Held in Kyoto, Japan on 11-14 December 1990

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1991-10-01

      Hydrothermal Electrochemical Method" Y. Sakabe, Y. Hamaji, M. Hayashi . Y. Ogino, N. Ishizawa* and M. Yoshimura* (Murata Mfg. Co., Ltd., *Research Laboratory of...Koya Hayashi Research and Development Division Research and Development Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Shoei Chemical Inc. 5-1 Ebisujima, Sakai...Shinagawa 14-18 Takatsuji-cho, Mizuho-ku Tokyo 141, Japan Nagoya 467-91, Japan Akira Nagai Tomeji Ohno Odawara Research Center TOKIN Corporation

    3. Distant Mt. Fuji, Island of Honshu Japan

      NASA Image and Video Library

      1992-11-01

      This distant view of Mt. Fuji, on the main home island of Honshu, Japan (34.0N, 139.0E) was taken from about 450 miles to the south. Evan at that great distance, the majestic and inspiring Mt. Fuji is still plainly visible and easily recognized as a world renowned symbol of Japan. The snow capped extinct volcano lies just a few miles south of Tokyo.

    4. Edwardsia sojabio sp. n. (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Edwardsiidae), a new abyssal sea anemone from the Sea ofJapan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Sanamyan, Nadya; Sanamyan, Karen

      2013-02-01

      The paper describes new deep-water edwardsiid sea anemone Edwardsia sojabio sp. n. which is very common on soft muddy bottoms at lower bathyal and upper abyssal depths in the Sea of Japan. It was recorded in high quantity in depths between 2545 and 3550 m and is the second abyssal species of the genus Edwardsia.

    5. The 'medical body' as philosophy's arena.

      PubMed

      Evans, M

      2001-01-01

      Medicine, as Byron Good argues, reconstitutes the human body of our daily experience as a "medical body," unfamiliar outside medicine. This reconstitution can be seen in two ways: (i) as a salutary reminder of the extent to which the reality even of the human body is constructed; and (ii) as an arena for what Stephen Toulmin distinguishes as the "intersection" of natural science and history, in which many of philosophy's traditional (and traditionally abstract) questions are given concrete and urgent form. This paper begins by examining a number of dualities between the medical body and the body familiar in daily experience. Toulmin's epistemological analysis of clinical medicine as combining both universal and existential knowledge is then considered. Their expression, in terms of attention, respectively, to natural science and to personal history, is explored through the epistemological contrasts between the medical body and the familiar body, noting the traditional philosophical questions which they in turn illustrate.

    6. Imported melioidosis in Japan: a review of cases.

      PubMed

      Hadano, Yoshiro

      2018-01-01

      Fourteen cases of reported melioidosis in Japan were reviewed. The mean age was 52.4 years (33-69 years), and all patients were male. All of the presumed exposures originated in Southeast Asia. The most common underlying disease was diabetes mellitus, including those patients with impaired glucose tolerance (n=8). As for mode of onset, 13 patients had acute infections and one had chronic infection. Of these 14 patients, the most common infection site on admission was lung (n=8), followed by bone (n=5), skin (n=4), gastrointestinal abscess formation (n=3), urinary tract (n=3), aorta (n=2), mediastinal lymph node swelling (n=1), and central nervous system (n=1). Bacteremia was observed in nine patients, and Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates were mostly susceptible to ceftazidime and carbapenem. Overall mortality was 14.3%. Melioidosis is a rare infection in Japan, with all known cases to date having been imported from Southeast Asia. Diabetes was a common risk factor.

    7. Preschool as an Arena of Gender Policies: The Examples of Sweden and Scotland

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Edstrom, Charlotta

      2009-01-01

      As many countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development have developed more universal provision for early childhood education during the last decades, preschool increasingly has become a central policy arena. Gender politics, especially with an aim to promote female labour market participation, but also policies addressing…

    8. Reintroduction of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus by migratory water birds, causing poultry outbreaks in the 2010-2011 winter season in Japan.

      PubMed

      Sakoda, Yoshihiro; Ito, Hiroshi; Uchida, Yuko; Okamatsu, Masatoshi; Yamamoto, Naoki; Soda, Kosuke; Nomura, Naoki; Kuribayashi, Saya; Shichinohe, Shintaro; Sunden, Yuji; Umemura, Takashi; Usui, Tatsufumi; Ozaki, Hiroichi; Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi; Murase, Toshiyuki; Ito, Toshihiro; Saito, Takehiko; Takada, Ayato; Kida, Hiroshi

      2012-03-01

      H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) was reintroduced and caused outbreaks in chickens in the 2010-2011 winter season in Japan, which had been free from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) since 2007 when HPAI outbreaks occurred and were controlled. On 14 October 2010 at Lake Ohnuma, Wakkanai, the northernmost part of Hokkaido, Japan, H5N1 HPAIVs were isolated from faecal samples of ducks flying from their nesting lakes in Siberia. Since then, in Japan, H5N1 HPAIVs have been isolated from 63 wild birds in 17 prefectures and caused HPAI outbreaks in 24 chicken farms in nine prefectures by the end of March in 2011. Each of these isolates was genetically closely related to the HPAIV isolates at Lake Ohnuma, and those in China, Mongolia, Russia and Korea, belonging to genetic clade 2.3.2.1. In addition, these isolates were genetically classified into three groups, suggesting that the viruses were transmitted by migratory water birds through at least three different routes from their northern territory to Japan. These isolates were antigenic variants, which is consistent with selection in poultry under the immunological pressure induced by vaccination. To prevent the perpetuation of viruses in the lakes where water birds nest in summer in Siberia, prompt eradication of HPAIVs in poultry is urgently needed in Asian countries where HPAI has not been controlled.

    9. Huffmanela hamo sp. n. (Nematoda: Trichosomoididae: Huffmanelinae) from the dagger-tooth pike conger Muraenesox cinereus off Japan.

      PubMed

      Justine, Jean-Lou; Iwaki, Takashi

      2014-06-01

      Huffmanela hamo sp. n. is described from eggs only, which were found in black spots in the somatic musculature of a dagger-tooth pike conger, Muraenesox cinereus (Forsskål), caught off Japan. The eggs are 66-77 microm (mean 72 microm) in length and 33-38 microm (mean 35 microm) in width. The surface of the eggs is smooth and bears neither envelope nor filaments. The species is distinguished from other members of the genus by the dimensions of its eggs and the characteristics of their surface. This is the first species of Huffmanela Moravec, 1987 to be described from an anguilliform fish, and the twentieth nominal species in the genus. Similar black spots with eggs were reported four times in ten years from this fish caught off Japan; although eggs could not be examined, it is likely that the same species was involved in all cases.

    10. Okinawa, Japan

      NASA Image and Video Library

      1991-08-11

      The southern half of the island of Okinawa, Japan (26.5N, 128.0E) can be seen in this nearly cloud free view. Okinawa is part of the Ryuku Islands which extend from Taiwan northeastward to Kyushu, southernmost of the Japanese Home Islands. The large military base at Kadena, with large runways, is visible near the center of the scene. Kadena is one of several emergency landing sites around the world for the space shuttle.

    11. Influence of tensor interactions on masses and decay widths of dibaryons

      DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

      Pang Hourong; Ping Jialun; Chen Lingzhi

      The influence of gluon and Goldstone boson induced tensor interactions on the dibaryon masses and D-wave decay widths has been studied in the quark delocalization, color screening model. The effective S-D wave transition interactions induced by gluon and Goldstone boson exchanges decrease rapidly with increasing strangeness of the channel. The tensor contribution of K and {eta} mesons is negligible in this model. There is no six-quark state in the light flavor world studied so far that can become bound by means of these tensor interactions besides the deuteron. The partial D-wave decay widths of the IJ{sup p}=(1/2)2{sup +}N{omega} state tomore » spin 0 and 1 {lambda}{xi} final states are 12.0 and 21.9 keV, respectively. This is a very narrow dibaryon resonance that might be detectable in those production reactions with rich high strangeness particles through the reconstruction of the vertex mass of the decay product {lambda}{xi} by existing detectors at RHIC and COMPASS at CERN or at JHF in Japan and FAIR in Germany in the future.« less

    12. Standardization as an Arena for Open Innovation

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Grøtnes, Endre

      This paper argues that anticipatory standardization can be viewed as an arena for open innovation and shows this through two cases from mobile telecommunication standardization. One case is the Android initiative by Google and the Open Handset Alliance, while the second case is the general standardization work of the Open Mobile Alliance. The paper shows how anticipatory standardization intentionally uses inbound and outbound streams of research and intellectual property to create new innovations. This is at the heart of the open innovation model. The standardization activities use both pooling of R&D and the distribution of freely available toolkits to create products and architectures that can be utilized by the participants and third parties to leverage their innovation. The paper shows that the technology being standardized needs to have a systemic nature to be part of an open innovation process.

    13. Structural health monitoring system of soccer arena based on optical sensors

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Shishkin, Victor V.; Churin, Alexey E.; Kharenko, Denis S.; Zheleznova, Maria A.; Shelemba, Ivan S.

      2014-05-01

      A structural health monitoring system based on optical sensors has been developed and installed on the indoor soccer arena "Zarya" in Novosibirsk. The system integrates 119 fiber optic sensors: 85 strain, 32 temperature and 2 displacement sensors. In addition, total station is used for measuring displacement in 45 control points. All of the constituents of the supporting structure are subjects for monitoring: long-span frames with under floor ties, connections, purlins and foundation.

    14. Applying AI systems in the T and D arena. [Artificial Intelligence, Transmission and Distribution

      DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

      Venkata, S.S.; Liu, Chenching; Sumic, Z.

      1993-04-01

      The power engineering community has capitalized on various computer technologies since the early 1960s, with most successful application to solving well-defined problems that are capable of being modeled. Although computing methods have made notable progress in the power engineering arena, there is still a class of problems that is not easy to define or formulate to apply conventional computerized methods. In addition to being difficult to express in a closed mathematical form, these problems are often characterized by the absence of one or both of the following features: a predetermined decision path from the initial state to goal (ill-structured problem);more » a well-defined criteria for whether an obtained solution is acceptable (open-ended problem). Power engineers have been investigating the application of AI-based methodologies to power system problems. Most of the work in the past has been geared towards the development of expert systems as an operator's aid in energy control centers for bulk power transmission systems operating under abnormal conditions. Alarm processing, fault diagnosis, system restoration, and voltage/var control are a few key areas where significant research work has progressed to date. Results of this research have effected more than 100 prototype expert systems for power systems throughout the US, Japan, and Europe. The objectives of this article are to: expose engineers to the benefits of using AI methods for a host of transmission and distribution (T and D) problems that need immediate attention; identify problems that could be solved more effectively by applying AI approaches; summarize recent developments and successful AI applications in T and D.« less

    15. Exploring Digital Encounters in the Public Arena

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Schieck, Ava Fatah Gen.; Kostakos, Vassilis; Penn, Alan

      In this chapter, we explore the types of encounters that technology enables. We consider the differences between digital and nondigital encounters through two pilot studies carried out in the city of Bath, United Kingdom. We investigate how technology can be appropriated for shared interactions that support conscious (or unconscious) social encounters, and highlight the importance of space and the role of place in providing temporal and spatial mechanisms facilitating different types of shared encounters. Here, we apply a method based on intervention through "sensing and projecting" Bluetooth names and digital identity in the public arena, and describe initial observations about people's reaction toward the projection of their Bluetooth names in public. In particular, we note the significance of constructing socially meaningful relations between people mediated by these technologies. We discuss initial results and outline issues raised in detail before finally describing the ongoing work.

    16. Characterization of neuraminidase inhibitor-resistant influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses isolated in four seasons during pandemic and post-pandemic periods in Japan.

      PubMed

      Takashita, Emi; Fujisaki, Seiichiro; Kishida, Noriko; Xu, Hong; Imai, Masaki; Tashiro, Masato; Odagiri, Takato

      2013-11-01

      Japan has the highest frequency of neuraminidase (NA) inhibitor use against influenza in the world. Therefore, Japan could be at high risk of the emergence and spread of NA inhibitor-resistant viruses. The aim of this study was to monitor the emergence of NA inhibitor-resistant viruses and the possibility of human-to-human transmission during four influenza seasons in Japan. To monitor antiviral-resistant A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses, we examined viruses isolated in four seasons from the 2008-2009 season through the 2011-2012 season in Japan by allelic discrimination, NA gene sequencing, and NA inhibitor susceptibility. We found that 157 (1·3%) of 12 026 A(H1N1)pdm09 isolates possessed an H275Y substitution in the NA protein that confers about 400- and 140-fold decreased susceptibility to oseltamivir and peramivir, respectively, compared with 275H wild-type viruses. The detection rate of resistant viruses increased from 1·0% during the pandemic period to 2·0% during the post-pandemic period. The highest detection rate of the resistant viruses was found in patients who were 0-9 years old. Furthermore, among the cases with resistant viruses, the percentage of no known exposure to antiviral drugs increased from 16% during the pandemic period to 44% during the post-pandemic period, implying that suspected human-to-human transmission of the resistant viruses gradually increased in the post-pandemic period. A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses resistant to oseltamivir and peramivir were sporadically detected in Japan, but they did not spread throughout the community. No viruses resistant to zanamivir and laninamivir were detected. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

    17. Complete Genomic Sequences of H3N8 Equine Influenza Virus Strains Used as Vaccine Strains in Japan

      PubMed Central

      Yamanaka, Takashi; Bannai, Hiroshi; Tsujimura, Koji; Kokado, Hiroshi

      2018-01-01

      ABSTRACT We sequenced the eight segments of influenza A virus strains A/equine/Ibaraki/1/2007 and A/equine/Yokohama/aq13/2010, which are strains of the Florida sublineage clades 1 and 2 of the H3N8 subtype equine influenza virus. These strains have been used as vaccine strains in Japan since 2016 in accordance with World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recommendations. PMID:29567739

    18. Complete Genomic Sequences of H3N8 Equine Influenza Virus Strains Used as Vaccine Strains in Japan.

      PubMed

      Nemoto, Manabu; Yamanaka, Takashi; Bannai, Hiroshi; Tsujimura, Koji; Kokado, Hiroshi

      2018-03-22

      We sequenced the eight segments of influenza A virus strains A/equine/Ibaraki/1/2007 and A/equine/Yokohama/aq13/2010, which are strains of the Florida sublineage clades 1 and 2 of the H3N8 subtype equine influenza virus. These strains have been used as vaccine strains in Japan since 2016 in accordance with World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recommendations. Copyright © 2018 Nemoto et al.

    19. Views of the Workplace as a Health Promotion Arena among Managers of Small Companies

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Wiman, Virginia; Lydell, Marie; Nyholm, Maria

      2016-01-01

      Introduction: Several studies have shown that workplace health promotion leads to better health, increased productivity, as well as reduced absenteeism and presenteeism among employees. The objective of this study was to describe how managers in small companies (10-19 employees) perceive their company as an arena for promoting employees' health.…

    20. Discrete event simulation modelling of patient service management with Arena

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Guseva, Elena; Varfolomeyeva, Tatyana; Efimova, Irina; Movchan, Irina

      2018-05-01

      This paper describes the simulation modeling methodology aimed to aid in solving the practical problems of the research and analysing the complex systems. The paper gives the review of a simulation platform sand example of simulation model development with Arena 15.0 (Rockwell Automation).The provided example of the simulation model for the patient service management helps to evaluate the workload of the clinic doctors, determine the number of the general practitioners, surgeons, traumatologists and other specialized doctors required for the patient service and develop recommendations to ensure timely delivery of medical care and improve the efficiency of the clinic operation.

    1. Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Geiger, Rita; And Others

      The document offers practical and motivating techniques for studying Japan. Dedicated to promoting global awareness, separate sections discuss Japan's geography, history, culture, education, government, economics, energy, transportation, and communication. Each section presents a topical overview; suggested classroom activities; and easily…

    2. Habitat characteristics at den sites of the Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

      Treesearch

      William J. Zielinski; John E. Hunter; Robin Hamlin; Keith M. Slauson; M. J. Mazurek

      2010-01-01

      The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is a federally listed endangered species, but has been the subject of few studies. Mountain beavers use burrows that include a single subterranean den. Foremost among the information needs for this subspecies is a description of the above-ground habitat features associated with dens. Using...

    3. Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

      NASA Image and Video Library

      1992-09-20

      The city of Sapporo on the northernmost of the Japanese Home Island of Hokkaido (43.5N, 141.5E), host to the 1986 Winter Olympic Games is situated along the margin of a large valley which extends across the island from the Sea of Japan to the Pacific Ocean. The Valley is largely cultivated (the lighter green of the cultivated land distinguishes it from the gray urban development of Sapporo), but much of the island remains heavily forested.

    4. Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine effective against influenza A(H3N2) variant viruses in children during the 2014/15 season, Japan

      PubMed Central

      Sugaya, Norio; Shinjoh, Masayoshi; Kawakami, Chiharu; Yamaguchi, Yoshio; Yoshida, Makoto; Baba, Hiroaki; Ishikawa, Mayumi; Kono, Mio; Sekiguchi, Shinichiro; Kimiya, Takahisa; Mitamura, Keiko; Fujino, Motoko; Komiyama, Osamu; Yoshida, Naoko; Tsunematsu, Kenichiro; Narabayashi, Atsushi; Nakata, Yuji; Sato, Akihiro; Taguchi, Nobuhiko; Fujita, Hisayo; Toki, Machiko; Myokai, Michiko; Ookawara, Ichiro; Takahashi, Takao

      2016-01-01

      The 2014/15 influenza season in Japan was characterised by predominant influenza A(H3N2) activity; 99% of influenza A viruses detected were A(H3N2). Subclade 3C.2a viruses were the major epidemic A(H3N2) viruses, and were genetically distinct from A/New York/39/2012(H3N2) of 2014/15 vaccine strain in Japan, which was classified as clade 3C.1. We assessed vaccine effectiveness (VE) of inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) in children aged 6 months to 15 years by test-negative case–control design based on influenza rapid diagnostic test. Between November 2014 and March 2015, a total of 3,752 children were enrolled: 1,633 tested positive for influenza A and 42 for influenza B, and 2,077 tested negative. Adjusted VE was 38% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 28 to 46) against influenza virus infection overall, 37% (95% CI: 27 to 45) against influenza A, and 47% (95% CI: -2 to 73) against influenza B. However, IIV was not statistically significantly effective against influenza A in infants aged 6 to 11 months or adolescents aged 13 to 15 years. VE in preventing hospitalisation for influenza A infection was 55% (95% CI: 42 to 64). Trivalent IIV that included A/New York/39/2012(H3N2) was effective against drifted influenza A(H3N2) virus, although vaccine mismatch resulted in low VE. PMID:27784529

    5. Evolutionary genetics of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses isolated from whooper swans in northern Japan in 2008.

      PubMed

      Usui, Tatsufumi; Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi; Ito, Hiroshi; Ozaki, Hiroichi; Murase, Toshiyuki; Ito, Toshihiro

      2009-12-01

      In April and May 2008, highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses subtype H5N1 were isolated from dead or moribund whooper swans in Aomori, Akita and Hokkaido prefectures in northern Japan. To trace the genetic lineage of the isolates, the nucleotide sequences of all eight genes were determined and phylogenetically analyzed. The Japanese strains were nearly identical to chicken viruses isolated in Russia in April 2008 and closely related to viruses isolated from dead wild birds in Hong Kong in 2007-2008. Their HA genes clustered in clade 2.3.2. On the other hand, NA and the other internal genes were closely related to those of clade 2.3.4 viruses (genotype V) whose NP genes originated from an HA clade 2.3.2 virus. In conclusion, the H5N1 viruses isolated in Japan, Russia and Hong Kong were derived from a common ancestor virus belonging to genotype V that was generated from genetic reassortment events between viruses of HA clades 2.3.2 and 2.3.4.

    6. Walking behavior in a circular arena modified by pulsed light stimulation in Drosophila melanogaster w1118 line.

      PubMed

      Qiu, Shuang; Xiao, Chengfeng

      2018-05-01

      The Drosophila melanogaster white-eyed w 1118 line serves as a parental stock, allowing genetic recombination of any gene of interest along with a readily recognizable marker. w 1118 flies display behavioral susceptibility to environmental stimulation such as light. It is of great importance to characterize the behavioral performance of w 1118 flies because this would provide a baseline from which the effect of the gene of interest could be differentiated. Little work has been performed to characterize the walking behavior in adult w 1118 flies. Here we show that pulsed light stimulation increased the regularity of walking trajectories of w 1118 flies in circular arenas. We statistically modeled the distribution of distances to center and extracted the walking structures of w 1118 flies. Pulsed light stimulation redistributed the time proportions for individual walking structures. Specifically, pulsed light stimulation reduced the episodes of crossing over the central region of the arena. An addition of four genomic copies of mini-white, a common marker gene for eye color, mimicked the effect of pulsed light stimulation in reducing crossing in a circular arena. The reducing effect of mini-white was copy-number-dependent. These findings highlight the rhythmic light stimulation-evoked modifications of walking behavior in w 1118 flies and an unexpected behavioral consequence of mini-white in transgenic flies carrying w 1118 isogenic background. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    7. Mechanically ventilated children with 2009 pandemic influenza A/H1N1: results from the National Pediatric Intensive Care Registry in Japan.

      PubMed

      Tokuhira, Natsuko; Shime, Nobuaki; Inoue, Miho; Kawasaki, Tatsuya; Sakurai, Yoshio; Kurosaka, Norimasa; Ueta, Ikuya; Nakagawa, Satoshi

      2012-09-01

      To outline the characteristics, clinical course, and outcome of pediatric patients requiring mechanical ventilation with influenza A/H1N1 infection in Japan. Prospective case registry analysis. Eleven pediatric or general intensive care units in Japan. Consecutive patients infected with A/H1N1, aged from 1 month to 16 yrs old admitted to the intensive care unit for mechanical ventilation between July 2009 and March 2010. None. Eighty-one children, aged 6.3 [0.8-13.6] (median [interquartile range]) years, were enrolled. Seventy-four (91%) had mechanical ventilation with tracheal intubation. Median duration of mechanical ventilation was 4 days (range 0.04-87) and 18 patients (23%) required mechanical ventilation >7 days. Two patients (2%) required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The in-hospital mortality was 1%. Forty-one patients (50%) had at least one underlying chronic condition, including 31 with asthma. Associated clinical symptoms and diagnosis were as follows: acute respiratory distress syndrome (9%), asthma or bronchitis (37%), pneumonia (68%) with 8 (14%) having bacterial pneumonia, neurological symptoms (32%), myocarditis (2%), and rhabdomyolysis (1%). Therapeutic interventions include inotropic support (21%), methylprednisolone therapy (33%), and antimicrobial therapy (88%). Multivariate analysis revealed that inotropic support was the only statistically significant factor associated with mechanical ventilation for more than a week (odds ratio 5.5, 95% confidence interval 1.5-20.5, p = .005). The clinical presentations of pediatric patients requiring mechanical ventilation for A/H1N1 in Japan were diverse. In-hospital mortality of this population was remarkably low. Rapid access to medical facilities in combination with early administration of antiviral agents may have contributed to the low mortality in this population.

    8. Upper Ocean Measurements of Water Masses and Circulation in the Japan Sea

      DTIC Science & Technology

      2003-09-30

      Japan Sea via Tsugaru Strait into the N. Pacific and through Soya Strait into the Okhotsk Sea. On float entered the Okhotsk Sea through Soya Strait and...Riser (2003) Connections between the Japan Sea and Okhotsk Sea through Soya Strait. Submitted to Journal of Geophysical Research. Riser, S., M...PUBLICATIONS Danchenkov, M. and S. Riser (2003) Connections between the Japan Sea and Okhotsk Sea through Soya Strait. Submitted to Journal of Geophysical

    9. EnerCage: A Smart Experimental Arena With Scalable Architecture for Behavioral Experiments

      PubMed Central

      Uei-Ming Jow; Peter McMenamin; Mehdi Kiani; Manns, Joseph R.; Ghovanloo, Maysam

      2014-01-01

      Wireless power, when coupled with miniaturized implantable electronics, has the potential to provide a solution to several challenges facing neuroscientists during basic and preclinical studies with freely behaving animals. The EnerCage system is one such solution as it allows for uninterrupted electrophysiology experiments over extended periods of time and vast experimental arenas, while eliminating the need for bulky battery payloads or tethering. It has a scalable array of overlapping planar spiral coils (PSCs) and three-axis magnetic sensors for focused wireless power transmission to devices on freely moving subjects. In this paper, we present the first fully functional EnerCage system, in which the number of PSC drivers and magnetic sensors was reduced to one-third of the number used in our previous design via multicoil coupling. The power transfer efficiency (PTE) has been improved to 5.6% at a 120 mm coupling distance and a 48.5 mm lateral misalignment (worst case) between the transmitter (Tx) array and receiver (Rx) coils. The new EnerCage system is equipped with an Ethernet backbone, further supporting its modular/scalable architecture, which, in turn, allows experimental arenas with arbitrary shapes and dimensions. A set of experiments on a freely behaving rat were conducted by continuously delivering 20 mW to the electronics in the animal headstage for more than one hour in a powered 3538 cm2 experimental area. PMID:23955695

    10. EnerCage: a smart experimental arena with scalable architecture for behavioral experiments.

      PubMed

      Uei-Ming Jow; McMenamin, Peter; Kiani, Mehdi; Manns, Joseph R; Ghovanloo, Maysam

      2014-01-01

      Wireless power, when coupled with miniaturized implantable electronics, has the potential to provide a solution to several challenges facing neuroscientists during basic and preclinical studies with freely behaving animals. The EnerCage system is one such solution as it allows for uninterrupted electrophysiology experiments over extended periods of time and vast experimental arenas, while eliminating the need for bulky battery payloads or tethering. It has a scalable array of overlapping planar spiral coils (PSCs) and three-axis magnetic sensors for focused wireless power transmission to devices on freely moving subjects. In this paper, we present the first fully functional EnerCage system, in which the number of PSC drivers and magnetic sensors was reduced to one-third of the number used in our previous design via multicoil coupling. The power transfer efficiency (PTE) has been improved to 5.6% at a 120 mm coupling distance and a 48.5 mm lateral misalignment (worst case) between the transmitter (Tx) array and receiver (Rx) coils. The new EnerCage system is equipped with an Ethernet backbone, further supporting its modular/scalable architecture, which, in turn, allows experimental arenas with arbitrary shapes and dimensions. A set of experiments on a freely behaving rat were conducted by continuously delivering 20 mW to the electronics in the animal headstage for more than one hour in a powered 3538 cm(2) experimental area.

    11. Genetic diversity of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza viruses at a single overwintering site of migratory birds in Japan, 2014/15.

      PubMed

      Ozawa, M; Matsuu, A; Tokorozaki, K; Horie, M; Masatani, T; Nakagawa, H; Okuya, K; Kawabata, T; Toda, S

      2015-05-21

      We isolated eight highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza viruses (H5N8 HPAIVs) in the 2014/15 winter season at an overwintering site of migratory birds in Japan. Genetic analyses revealed that these isolates were divided into three groups, indicating the co-circulation of three genetic groups of H5N8 HPAIV among these migratory birds. These results also imply the possibility of global redistribution of the H5N8 HPAIVs via the migration of these birds next winter.

    12. Prevention of overweight in the school arena.

      PubMed

      Lissau, Inge

      2007-04-01

      This paper gives an overview of studies with the main purpose to intervene against obesity in children at the school arena. Through databases and Cochrane reviews, 14 studies fulfilled the criteria for inclusion. Most of the studies are American and none were performed in Scandinavia. The European studies were performed in Germany and in the United Kingdom. The studies, which had a significant effect on overweight were 'Dance for Health', 'Planet Health', 'San Jose Study', 'Kiel Obesity Prevention Study', 'Healthy Schools' programme, 'El Paso Catch', and 'Medical College of Georgia FitKid Project'. The studies differ greatly in regards to age group, type of and length of intervention and type and amount of actions. Furthermore, the measures used to evaluate the effect differed. It seems to be important to use several measures of obesity in order to accurately detect a possible effect. In conclusion, half of the studies were successful and had an effect on either overweight or obesity. Much more research is needed in order to effectively prevent paediatric obesity.

    13. Dietary intake of fish and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and risks of perinatal depression: The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).

      PubMed

      Hamazaki, Kei; Takamori, Ayako; Tsuchida, Akiko; Kigawa, Mika; Tanaka, Tomomi; Ito, Mika; Adachi, Yuichi; Saito, Shigeru; Origasa, Hideki; Inadera, Hidekuni

      2018-03-01

      The results of several epidemiological studies and clinical trials investigating the effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on antenatal and postnatal depression remain controversial. We investigated the possible association of dietary intake of fish and n-3 PUFAs with the risks of maternal and paternal psychological distress during pregnancy and of maternal postpartum depression in Japan. From a dataset comprising 104,102 maternal registrations and 52,426 paternal registrations in The Japan Environment and Children's Study, this study analyzed complete data on questionnaires for 75,139, 79,346, and 77,661 women during early pregnancy, mid-late pregnancy, and after pregnancy, respectively, and for 41,506 male partners. Multivariable logistic regression showed reduced risk of psychological distress in the second and third quintiles for fish intake in early pregnancy and in the second to fifth quintile in mid-late pregnancy. No reductions were observed for n-3 PUFA intake in early pregnancy but in the second to fourth quintile in mid-late pregnancy. For postpartum depression, reductions were observed in the second to fourth quintile for fish intake but only in the first quintile for n-3 PUFA intake. As for paternal psychological distress, only the fourth quintile for fish intake showed a significant reduced risk but none were shown for n-3 PUFA intake. In conclusion, fish intake was associated with some reduced risk of psychological distress during pregnancy, even for male partners. The associations were weaker for n-3 PUFA intake than for fish intake. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

    14. Historical δ15N records of Saccharina specimens from oligotrophic waters of Japan Sea (Hokkaido)

      PubMed Central

      Kuribayashi, Takanori; Abe, Tsuyoshi; Montani, Shigeru

      2017-01-01

      Historically Saccharina spp. beds occurred along the west coast of Hokkaido, an oligotrophic area, and were commercially exploited. Currently extensive commercial Saccharina spp. beds do not form due to nutrient limitations. Here, we postulate that nutrients assimilated by paleo-Saccharina spp. beds may have been derived from spawning herrings (Clupea pallasii) acting as organisms that formed a vector from their feeding grounds (Okhotsk Sea and Pacific Ocean) to their spawning area (west coast of Hokkaido, Japan Sea). To test this hypothesis we examined stable nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) of 100– to 135–year-old Saccharina specimens preserved at the Herbarium (Hokkaido University Museum). δ15N values of the paleo-Saccharina specimens collected from this region were in the range of 10‰, which is significantly higher than the current 3–7‰ in freshly sampled Saccharina spp. This high δ15N indicates that spawning herring (Clupea pallasii) had potentially been a significant source of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) absorbed by Saccharina, acting as an organism forming a vector for transporting nutrients from eutrophic to oligotrophic coastal ecosystems. Our findings support the hypothesis of so-called “herring-derived nutrients.” PMID:28704453

    15. 75 FR 49926 - Arena Energy, L.P. v. Sea Robin Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Complaint

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2010-08-16

      ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RP10-1045-000] Arena Energy, L.P. v. Sea Robin Pipeline Company, LLC; Notice of Complaint August 3, 2010. Take notice that on... against Sea Robin Pipeline Company, LLC (Respondent) alleging that the Respondent impermissibly terminated...

    16. Estimating abundance and survival in the endangered Point Arena Mountain beaver using noninvasive genetic methods

      Treesearch

      William J. Zielinski; Fredrick V. Schlexer; T. Luke George; Kristine L. Pilgrim; Michael K. Schwartz

      2013-01-01

      The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is federally listed as an endangered subspecies that is restricted to a small geographic range in coastal Mendocino County, California. Management of this imperiled taxon requires accurate information on its demography and vital rates. We developed noninvasive survey methods, using hair snares to sample DNA and to...

    17. Heterogeneous structure of the incoming plate in the Japan Trench

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Nakamura, Y.; Fujie, G.; Yamaguchi, A.; Kodaira, S.; Miura, S.

      2017-12-01

      We have conducted seismic surveys in around the Japan Trench subduction zone, northeastern Japan, to investigate the structural features of the incoming Pacific plate and the frontal prism. Thickness of the hemiplegic sediments on the deposited on the incoming Pacific plate shows the variation along trench axis between 200 and 600 ms two-way travel time (TWT). This is remarkably thinner than other subduction zones with megathrust earthquakes like Sumatra subduction zone. Off Miyagi, central part of the Japan Trench which is the main ruptured region of 2011 Tohoku earthquake, has 200 - 300 ms TWT of the incoming sediments thickness. Off Iwate, northern part of the Japan Trench, has thicker incoming sediments 500 ms TWT, and Off Fukushima, southern part of the Japan Trench, has 300 - 400 ms TWT. We found at least three areas with anomalously thin sediments; Area I: 38N 145N, Area II: 39.5N 144.5E, Area III: 39N 144.5N. At the Area I, located on the outer rise off Miyagi, the receiver function analysis using Ocean Bottom Seismograph data revealed the existence of PS conversion surfaces below the interpreted basement on the seismic sections. This implies that the interface between sediments and the igneous basement is located below the interpreted basement reflections. Previous studies suggested the existence of the petit spots in this Area I. Area II shows apparently very thin sediments near the trench axis on seismic profiles, where the petit spot volcanism was observed. Shallow sediment sampling conducted in this area indicates no major surface erosion. These observations suggest that the petit spot volcanism, like sill intrusion, masked the original deeper basement reflections and caused the apparent thin sediments on seismic profiles. Area III also has thin sediments and rough basement topography, which has possibly been caused by another petit spot activity. Petit spot area with apparent very thin sediments in the trench axis (Area II) is located next to the

    18. Studies on Dendrothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) from Japan, with new records and one new species.

      PubMed

      Masumoto, Masami; Okajima, Shûji

      2017-12-05

      Pseudodendrothrips maculatus sp.n. is described from Morus leaves in Japan, and the following five species of Dendrothripinae are newly recorded from Japan: Leucothrips furcatus Hood, L. nigripennis Reuter, L. piercei (Morgan), Pseudodendrothrips darci (Girault) and P. lateralis Wang. Moreover, P. bhattii is newly recorded from Taiwan. An identification key to Pseudodendrothrips species from Japan and Taiwan is provided, and the metathoracic pleural area is compared between several Dendrothripinae genera.

    19. Antigenic and genetic analysis of H3N8 influenza viruses isolated from horses in Japan and Mongolia, and imported from Canada and Belgium during 2007-2010.

      PubMed

      Motoshima, Masayuki; Okamatsu, Masatoshi; Asakura, Shingo; Kuribayashi, Saya; Sengee, Sugar; Batchuluun, Damdinjav; Ito, Mika; Maeda, Yukiko; Eto, Mariko; Sakoda, Yoshihiro; Sodnomdarjaa, Ruuragchaa; Kida, Hiroshi

      2011-08-01

      A/equine/Kanazawa/1/2007 (H3N8), A/equine/Hokkaido/I828/2008 (H3N8) and A/equine/Mongolia/1/2008 (H3N8) were isolated from infected horses. A/equine/Yokohama/aq19/2009 (H3N8) and A/equine/Yokohama/aq13/2010 (H3N8) were isolated from horses imported from Canada and Belgium examined at the Animal Quarantine Service in Yokohama, Japan. In the present study, these five isolates were genetically and antigenically analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes showed that three isolates from horses in Japan and imported from Canada belonged to the same branch, clade 1 of the Florida sublineage, while the isolates from horses in Mongolia and imported from Belgium belonged to another branch, clade 2 of the Florida sublineage. Reactivity patterns of a panel of monoclonal antibodies to the HA of A/equine/Kanazawa/1/2007 (H3N8) with the five isolates indicate that the HAs of these viruses were antigenically similar to each other and to the reference strains A/equine/La Plata/1/1993 (H3N8) and A/equine/Avesta/1/1993 (H3N8). The present findings indicate that extensive antigenic variation has not accumulated among H3N8 influenza viruses in horses.

    20. Child Development and Childcare in Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Anme, Tokie; Segal, Uma A.

      2010-01-01

      With increasing numbers of women joining the workforce, there is a need for quality childcare. This project, conducted in Japan and using a large number of participants, sought to standardize an evaluation scale to measure the development of children. The development of children under six years of age (N = 22,819) who are enrolled in childcare…

    1. Characteristics That Differentiate Telecommuting from Non-Telecommuting Professionals in the Quality Assurance and Quality Control Arena

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Claybon, Tina S.

      2013-01-01

      The interest in working from home in contrast to going to an office continues to be a growing phenomenon. This research examined personal characteristics of telecommuters and non-telecommuters including age, gender, years of working for the organization, and job satisfaction in the quality control and quality assurance arena. This study aimed to…

    2. Citrulline for urea cycle disorders in Japan.

      PubMed

      Tanaka, Kenichi; Nakamura, Kimitoshi; Matsumoto, Shirou; Kido, Jun; Mitsubuchi, Hiroshi; Ohura, Toshihiro; Endo, Fumio

      2017-04-01

      The amino acid l-citrulline is used as a therapeutic agent for urea cycle disorders (UCD) including ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD), carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency (CPSD), and N-acetylglutamate synthase deficiency. There are few reports, however, on the use of l-citrulline in Japan and little consensus regarding the effects of l-citrulline. We conducted a questionnaire survey of patients undergoing l-citrulline treatment for a UCD to evaluate the current status of this therapy. The survey included patient background, details of l-citrulline treatment, clinical examination data, treatment, frequency of vomiting, and liver transplantation. We retrospectively investigated 43 questionnaire respondents (OTCD, n = 33; CPSD, n = 10). The weight of male OTCD patients improved by +0.79 SD, and the ammonia level decreased by a mean of 44.3 μmol/L in all patients. The protein intake of all patients and of male OTCD patients increased by 0.14 g/kg/day and 0.17 g/kg/day, respectively. l-Citrulline effectively reduced ammonia level, increased protein intake, and improved weight gain in UCD patients. l-Citrulline should be considered a standard therapy in OTCD and CPSD patients. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.

    3. Northeast Coast, Hokkaido, Japan

      NASA Image and Video Library

      1992-04-02

      The northeast coast of Hokkaido and Kunashir Island, Japan (44.0N, 143.0E) are seen bordered by drifting sea ice. The sea ice has formed a complex pattern of eddies in response to surface water currents and winds. Photos of this kind aid researchers in describing local ocean current patterns and the effects of wind speed and direction on the drift of surface material, such as ice floes or oil. Kunashir is the southernmost of the Kuril Islands.

    4. Think Tanks and the Media: How the Conservative Movement Gained Entry into the Education Policy Arena

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      McDonald, Lauren

      2014-01-01

      This research examines how the conservative movement has used both conservative think tanks and the media to gain entry into the field of education policy. The study examines how the conservative movement has attempted to use think tanks as legitimating organizations to enter the education policy arena by (a) measuring the historical growth in the…

    5. A characteristic of polymorphic membrane protein F of Chlamydia trachomatis isolated from male urogenital tracts in Japan.

      PubMed

      Yamazaki, Tomohiro; Matsuo, Junji; Takahashi, Satoshi; Kumagai, Shouta; Shimoda, Tomoko; Abe, Kiyotaka; Minami, Kunihiro; Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki

      2015-12-01

      Although sexually transmitted disease due to Chlamydia trachomatis occurs similarly in both men and women, the female urogenital tract differs from that of males anatomically and physiologically, possibly leading to specific polymorphisms of the bacterial surface molecules. In the present study, we therefore characterized polymorphic features in a high-definition phylogenetic marker, polymorphic outer membrane protein (Pmp) F of C. trachomatis strains isolated from male urogenital tracts in Japan (Category: Japan-males, n = 12), when compared with those isolated from female cervical ducts in Japan (Category: Japan-females, n = 11), female cervical ducts in the other country (Category: Ref-females, n = 12) or homosexual male rectums in the other country (Category: Ref-males, n = 7), by general bioinformatics analysis tool with MAFFT software. As a result, phylogenetic reconstruction of the PmpF amino acid sequences showing three distinct clusters revealed that the Japan-males were limited into cluster 1 and 2, although there were only four clusters even though including an outgroup. Meanwhile, the phylogenetic distance values of PmpF passenger domain without hinge region, but not its full-length sequence, showed that the Japan-males were more stable and displayed less diversity when compared with the other categories, supported by the sequence conservation features. Thus, PmpF passenger domain is a useful phylogenetic maker, and the phylogenic features indicate that C. trachomatis strains isolated from male urogenital tracts in Japan may be unique, suggesting an adaptation depending on selective pressure, such as the presence or absence of microbial flora, furthermore possibly connecting to sexual differentiation. Copyright © 2015 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    6. Reconsidering Japan's underperformance in pharmaceuticals: evidence from Japan's anticancer drug sector.

      PubMed

      Umemura, Maki

      2010-01-01

      Unlike its automobile or electronics industries, Japan's pharmaceutical industry did not become a global leader. Japan remains a net importer of pharmaceuticals and has introduced few global blockbuster drugs. Alfred Chandler argued that Japan's pharmaceutical firms remained relatively weak because Western firms enjoyed an insurmountable first first-mover advantage. However, this case study of the anticancer drug sector illustrates that Chandler's explanation is incomplete. Japanese medical culture, government policy, and research environment also played a substantial role in shaping the industry. In the 1970s and 1980s, these factors encouraged firms to develop little few effective drugs with low side effects, and profit from Japan's domestic market. But, these drugs were unsuitable to foreign markets with more demanding efficacy standards. As a result, Japan not only lost more than a decade in developing ineffective drugs, but also neglected to create the infrastructure necessary to develop innovative drugs and build a stronger pharmaceutical industry.

    7. Pathology of whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) infected with H5N1 avian influenza virus in Akita, Japan, in 2008.

      PubMed

      Ogawa, Shuji; Yamamoto, Yu; Yamada, Manabu; Mase, Masaji; Nakamura, Kikuyasu

      2009-10-01

      Two (1 adult and 1 young bird) of 4 H5N1-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza (HPAI)-virus-infected whooper swans in Akita, Japan, in 2008 were investigated pathologically. Macroscopically, white spots with hemorrhages were scattered in the pancreas in the adult bird. Histologically, the adult bird had severe necrotizing pancreatitis and mild nonpurulent encephalitis. The young bird had severe nonpurulent encephalitis and nonpurulent enteric ganglionitis, and intestinal venous wall thickening. Virus antigens were detected in the lesions of pancreatitis in the adult bird and of encephalitis in adult and young birds. These findings suggest that the swans died or became moribund due to neurological disorders and necrotizing pancreatitis caused by H5N1 HPAI virus infection.

    8. 21 CFR 186.1555 - Japan wax.

      Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

      2010-04-01

      ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Japan wax. 186.1555 Section 186.1555 Food and Drugs... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 186.1555 Japan wax. (a) Japan wax (CAS Reg. No. 8001-39-6), also known as Japan... fruits of the oriental sumac, Rhus succedanea (Japan, Taiwan, and Indo-China), R. vernicifera (Japan...

    9. Personality and Participation in a Japan-Taiwan Online Intercultural Exchange

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Kelsen, Brent; Flowers, Simeon

      2017-01-01

      This article examines personality and participation in an online intercultural exchange (OIE) between 57 university students in Japan (n = 28) and Taiwan (n = 29). The two-month OIE used Facebook (FB) as the medium of communication. During the online exchange, participants communicated linguistically using English as their common language and…

    10. Academic Libraries in Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Cullen, Rowena; Nagata, Haruki

      2008-01-01

      Academic libraries in Japan are well resourced by international standards, and support Japan's internationally recognized research capability well, but there are also ways in which they reflect Japan's strong bureaucratic culture. Recent changes to the status of national university libraries have seen a new interest in customer service, and…

    11. Japan's funding supremo

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Durrani, Matin

      2018-02-01

      Yasuhiro Iye, a condensed-matter physicist who is executive director of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, talks to Matin Durrani about the pressures and challenges facing Japan's biggest funding agency

    12. Paleovegetation changes recorded by n-alkyl lipids bound in macromolecules of plant fossils and kerogens from the Cretaceous sediments in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Miyata, Y.; Sawada, K.; Nakamura, H.; Takashima, R.; Takahashi, M.

      2014-12-01

      Resistant macromolecules composing living plant tissues tend to be preserved through degradation and diagenesis, hence constituate major parts of sedimentary plant-derived organic matter (kerogen), and their monomer compositions vary widely among different plant taxa, organs and growth stages. Thus, analysis of such macromolecule may serve as new technique for paleobotanical evaluation distinctive from classical paleobotnical studies depends on morphological preservation of fossils. In the present study, we analyzed plant fossils and kerogens in sediments from the Cretaceous strata in Japan to examine chemotaxonomic characteristics of fossil macromolecules and to reconstruct paleovegetation change by kerogen analysis. The kerogens were separated from the powdered sediments of Cretaceous Yezo Group, Hokkaido, Japan. All kerogens have been confirmed to be mostly originated from land plant tissues by microscopic observation. Mummified angiosperm and gymnosperm fossil leaves were separated from carbonaceous sandstone of the Cretaceous Ashizawa Formation, Futaba Group. The kerogens and plant fossils were extracted with methanol and dichloromethane, and were subsequently refluxed under 110°C to remove free compounds completely. The residues are hydrolyzed by KOH/methanol under 110°C. These released compounds are analyzed by GC-MS. As main hydrolyzed products (ester-bound molecular units) from all kerogens, C10-C28 n-alkanoic acids and C10-C30 n-alkanols were detected. Recent studies on the hydrolysis products of plant tissues suggested the long chain (>C20) n-alkanols were predominantly abundant in deciduous broadleaved angiosperms. Correspondingly, the stratigraphic variation of the ratios of long chain (>C20) n-alkanols to fatty acids was concordant with the variation of angiosperm/gymnosperm ratios recorded by land plant-derived terpenoid biomarkers. In addition, we found that the long chain n-alkanols/fatty acids ratio in the angiosperm fossil leaf was

    13. Consensus document regarding cardiovascular safety at sports arenas: position stand from the European Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (EACPR), section of Sports Cardiology.

      PubMed

      Borjesson, Mats; Serratosa, Luis; Carre, Francois; Corrado, Domenico; Drezner, Jonathan; Dugmore, Dorian L; Heidbuchel, Hein H; Mellwig, Klaus-Peter; Panhuyzen-Goedkoop, Nicole M; Papadakis, Michael; Rasmusen, Hanne; Sharma, Sanjay; Solberg, Erik E; van Buuren, Frank; Pelliccia, Antonio

      2011-09-01

      Mass gathering events in sports arenas create challenges regarding the cardiovascular safety of both athletes and spectators. A comprehensive medical action plan, to ensure properly applied cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and wide availability and use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), is essential to improving survival from sudden cardiac arrest at sporting events. This paper outlines minimum standards for cardiovascular care to assist in the planning of mass gathering sports events across Europe with the intention of local adaptation at individual sports arenas, to ensure the full implementation of the chain of survival.

    14. Geo-Demography of HIV/AIDS in Japan from 1985 to 2011: Incidence and Transmission Mode under Influence of Population Size/Density.

      PubMed

      Yoshikura, Hiroshi

      2016-01-01

      A stable relation was found between number of HIV/AIDS patients (P) and population size (N) and between HIV/AIDS incidence (I) and population density (D). The relation could be expressed as P = kN(m) or I = hD(n), where k, h, m, and n are constants. For "AIDS"/"AIDS diagnosis", the constant m was 1.5 for Japan and 1.3 for the United States of America (USA); n was 0.38 for both Japan and the USA. These observations indicated that larger population sizes related to disproportionately larger numbers of HIV/AIDS patients, and denser populations had disproportionately higher incidences of HIV/AIDS. Considering the wide geo-demographic difference between the two countries, it was striking that the same equations with constants within a narrow range were applicable to both Japan and the USA. Modes of HIV transmission appeared to be variable among prefectures in Japan. Homosexual transmission was suggested as being more predominant in more populated prefectures.

    15. JPRS Report; Science & Technology Japan.

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1989-05-02

      jwmitod JPRS-JST-89-009 2 MAY 1989 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JAPAN CONTENTS ADVANCED MATERIALS Properties of S-SiAlON Prepared by HIP [Kazuya...Yabuta, Hiroaki Nishio, et al.; 8TH HIGH TEMPERATURE MATERIALS KISO TORONKAI, 10-11 Nov 88] 1 Properties of SißN^-SiC Whisker Ceramics lYasuhiro...Goto, Takeyuki Yonezawa, et al,; 8TH HIGH TEMPERATURE MATERIALS KISO TORONKAI, 10-11 Nov 88] 6 Si-Nz-SiC Nanocomposites [Koichi Shinhara, Atsushi

    16. Japan: Shikoku Island

      Atmospheric Science Data Center

      2016-08-24

      ... and island stations in the waters surrounding Japan and Korea. They characterized meteorological conditions, measured the atmospheric ... flew overhead. These MISR images, centered just north of Shikoku Island in southwest Japan, were acquired on April 13, 2001 ...

    17. Has Massification of Higher Education Led to More Equity? Clues to a Reflection on Portuguese Education Arena

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Dias, Diana

      2015-01-01

      Massification is an undeniable phenomenon in the higher education arena. However, there have been questions raised regarding the extent to which a mass system really corresponds to an effective democratisation not only of access, but also of success. With regards to access, this article intends, through a brief analysis of the expansion of higher…

    18. Physics in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Khan, Sameen Ahmed

      2018-04-01

      I read your Japan special report with a keen interest. My first visit to Japan was in March 1994 to attend the JSPS-KEK International Spring School: High Energy Ion Beams – Novel Beam Techniques and their Applications.

    19. Japan's aging economics.

      PubMed

      Ezrati, M

      1997-01-01

      "Japan's population is aging faster than that of any other country in the world. The unprecedented increase in retirees relative to the size of Japan's work force will force radical change if the nation is to avoid a fiscal crisis, or worse. These seemingly innocent demographic changes will force Japan to shrink its famously high savings rate, reverse its proud trade surplus, send more industry overseas, liberalize its tightly controlled markets, and take on a more active, high-profile foreign policy. Ultimately, these changes will shift the balance of power in East Asia." excerpt

    20. 21 CFR 186.1555 - Japan wax.

      Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

      2013-04-01

      ... fruits of the oriental sumac, Rhus succedanea (Japan, Taiwan, and Indo-China), R. vernicifera (Japan), and R. trichocarpa (China, Indo-China, India, and Japan). Japan wax is soluble in hot alcohol, benzene...

    1. 21 CFR 186.1555 - Japan wax.

      Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

      2012-04-01

      ... fruits of the oriental sumac, Rhus succedanea (Japan, Taiwan, and Indo-China), R. vernicifera (Japan), and R. trichocarpa (China, Indo-China, India, and Japan). Japan wax is soluble in hot alcohol, benzene...

    2. 21 CFR 186.1555 - Japan wax.

      Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

      2011-04-01

      ... fruits of the oriental sumac, Rhus succedanea (Japan, Taiwan, and Indo-China), R. vernicifera (Japan), and R. trichocarpa (China, Indo-China, India, and Japan). Japan wax is soluble in hot alcohol, benzene...

    3. Barbarian medicine in feudal Japan.

      PubMed

      Fodstad, Harald; Hariz, Marwan I; Hirabayashi, Hidehiro; Ohye, Chihiro

      2002-10-01

      THE FIRST EUROPEANS to discover Japan were Portuguese traders who arrived in 1542. Fifteen years later, the Portuguese Jesuit priest and surgeon Luis De Almeida (1525-1583) founded the first Western hospital in Japan, for the care of lepers, syphilitics, and orphans. Because the hospital had a negative influence on the spread of Christianity, the Jesuits closed it in 1586. During the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868), when Japan was secluded from the rest of the world, the only foreign physicians allowed to enter Japan were those employed by the Dutch factory at Dejima in Nagasaki. Only four of those physicians left behind seeds for the foundation of Western medicine in Japan, namely Caspar Schambergen, who founded a Japanese school of surgery in 1650; Engelbert Kämpfer, who visited Japan in 1691 to 1692; Carl Peter Thunberg, who botanically explored Japan in 1775 to 1776; and Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold, who practiced medicine in Nagasaki in 1823 to 1829 and 1859 to 1861. On the whole, Western medicine and surgery never established a real foothold in Japan until the fall of the shogunate and the restoration of the emperor in 1868.

    4. Foraging distance and population size of juvenile colonies of the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in laboratory extended arenas

      USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

      The relationship between colony size and foraging distance was examined in extended foraging arenas with incipient colonies of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Our results showed that as long as the royal pairs are present, larger colonies foraged at longer distance...

    5. Exposure to Elevated Carbon Monoxide Levels at an Indoor Ice Arena--Wisconsin, 2014.

      PubMed

      Creswell, Paul D; Meiman, Jon G; Nehls-Lowe, Henry; Vogt, Christy; Wozniak, Ryan J; Werner, Mark A; Anderson, Henry

      2015-11-20

      On December 13, 2014, the emergency management system in Lake Delton, Wisconsin, was notified when a male hockey player aged 20 years lost consciousness after participation in an indoor hockey tournament that included approximately 50 hockey players and 100 other attendees. Elevated levels of carbon monoxide (CO) (range = 45 ppm-165 ppm) were detected by the fire department inside the arena. The emergency management system encouraged all players and attendees to seek medical evaluation for possible CO poisoning. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) conducted an epidemiologic investigation to determine what caused the exposure and to recommend preventive strategies. Investigators abstracted medical records from area emergency departments (EDs) for patients who sought care for CO exposure during December 13-14, 2014, conducted a follow-up survey of ED patients approximately 2 months after the event, and conducted informant interviews. Ninety-two persons sought ED evaluation for possible CO exposure, all of whom were tested for CO poisoning. Seventy-four (80%) patients had blood carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels consistent with CO poisoning; 32 (43%) CO poisoning cases were among hockey players. On December 15, the CO emissions from the propane-fueled ice resurfacer were demonstrated to be 4.8% of total emissions when actively resurfacing and 2.3% when idling, both above the optimal range of 0.5%-1.0%. Incomplete fuel combustion by the ice resurfacer was the most likely source of elevated CO. CO poisonings in ice arenas can be prevented through regular maintenance of ice resurfacers, installation of CO detectors, and provision of adequate ventilation.

    6. Current status of pregnancy-related maternal mortality in Japan: a report from the Maternal Death Exploratory Committee in Japan.

      PubMed

      Hasegawa, Junichi; Sekizawa, Akihiko; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Katsuragi, Shinji; Osato, Kazuhiro; Murakoshi, Takeshi; Nakata, Masahiko; Nakamura, Masamitsu; Yoshimatsu, Jun; Sadahiro, Tomohito; Kanayama, Naohiro; Ishiwata, Isamu; Kinoshita, Katsuyuki; Ikeda, Tomoaki

      2016-03-21

      To clarify the problems related to maternal deaths in Japan, including the diseases themselves, causes, treatments and the hospital or regional systems. Descriptive study. Maternal death registration system established by the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (JAOG). Women who died during pregnancy or within a year after delivery, from 2010 to 2014, throughout Japan (N=213). The preventability and problems in each maternal death. Maternal deaths were frequently caused by obstetric haemorrhage (23%), brain disease (16%), amniotic fluid embolism (12%), cardiovascular disease (8%) and pulmonary disease (8%). The Committee considered that it was impossible to prevent death in 51% of the cases, whereas they considered prevention in 26%, 15% and 7% of the cases to be slightly, moderately and highly possible, respectively. It was difficult to prevent maternal deaths due to amniotic fluid embolism and brain disease. In contrast, half of the deaths due to obstetric haemorrhage were considered preventable, because the peak duration between the initial symptoms and initial cardiopulmonary arrest was 1-3 h. A range of measures, including individual education and the construction of good relationships among regional hospitals, should be established in the near future, to improve primary care for patients with maternal haemorrhage and to save the lives of mothers in Japan. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

    7. Geographic and temporal trends in influenzalike illness, Japan, 1992-1999.

      PubMed

      Sakai, Takatsugu; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Sasaki, Asami; Saito, Reiko; Tanabe, Naohito; Taniguchi, Kiyosu

      2004-10-01

      From 1992 to 1999, we analyzed >2.5 million cases of influenzalike illness (ILI). Nationwide influenza epidemics generally lasted 3-4 months in winter. Kriging analysis, which illustrates geographic movement, showed that the starting areas of peak ILI activity were mostly found in western Japan. Two spreading patterns, monotonous and multitonous, were observed. Monotonous patterns in two seasons featured peak ILI activity that covered all of Japan within 3 to 5 weeks in larger epidemics with new antigenic variants of A/H3N2. Multitonous patterns, observed in the other five seasons, featured peak ILI activity within 12 to 15 weeks in small epidemics without new variants. Applying the kriging method allowed better visualization and understanding of spatiotemporal trends in seasonal ILI activity. This method will likely be an important tool for future influenza surveillance in Japan.

    8. Condoned or condemned: the situational affordance of anger and shame in the United States and Japan.

      PubMed

      Boiger, Michael; Mesquita, Batja; Uchida, Yukiko; Feldman Barrett, Lisa

      2013-04-01

      Two studies tested the idea that the situations that people encounter frequently and the situations that they associate most strongly with an emotion differ across cultures in ways that can be understood from what a culture condones or condemns. In a questionnaire study, N = 163 students from the United States and Japan perceived situations as more frequent to the extent that they elicited condoned emotions (anger in the United States, shame in Japan), and they perceived situations as less frequent to the extent that they elicited condemned emotions (shame in the United States, anger in Japan). In a second study, N = 160 students from the United States and Japan free-sorted the same situations. For each emotion, the situations could be organized along two cross-culturally common dimensions. Those situations that touched upon central cultural concerns were perceived to elicit stronger emotions. The largest cultural differences were found for shame; smaller, yet meaningful, differences were found for anger.

    9. Japan Report

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1985-03-18

      increased profitability, productivity and more effective management ." Members of the British side also called for an increase in Japan’s defense...copyright transfer, or rental permission is called technology trade. According to the Statistic Bureau of the Management and Coordina- tion Agency...1- 8.8 -Swizerland 6.3 5.6 Others 13.1 Source: Statistics Bureau of the Management and Coordination Agency China. 66.2% of Japan’s imported

    10. A range-wide occupancy estimate and habitat model for the endangered Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

      Treesearch

      William J. Zielinski; Fredrick V. Schlexer; Jeffrey R. Dunk; Matthew J. Lau; James J. Graham

      2015-01-01

      The mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) is notably the most primitive North American rodent with a restricted distribution in the Pacific Northwest based on its physiological limits to heat stress and water needs. The Point Arena subspecies (A. r. nigra) is federally listed as endangered and is 1 of 2 subspecies that have extremely...

    11. Latin American immigrants have limited access to health insurance in Japan: a cross sectional study

      PubMed Central

      2012-01-01

      Background Japan provides universal health insurance to all legal residents. Prior research has suggested that immigrants to Japan disproportionately lack health insurance coverage, but no prior study has used rigorous methodology to examine this issue among Latin American immigrants in Japan. The aim of our study, therefore, was to assess the pattern of health insurance coverage and predictors of uninsurance among documented Latin American immigrants in Japan. Methods We used a cross sectional, mixed method approach using a probability proportional to estimated size sampling procedure. Of 1052 eligible Latin American residents mapped through extensive fieldwork in selected clusters, 400 immigrant residents living in Nagahama City, Japan were randomly selected for our study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire developed from qualitative interviews. Results Our response rate was 70.5% (n = 282). Respondents were mainly from Brazil (69.9%), under 40 years of age (64.5%) and had lived in Japan for 9.45 years (SE 0.44; median, 8.00). We found a high prevalence of uninsurance (19.8%) among our sample compared with the estimated national average of 1.3% in the general population. Among the insured full time workers (n = 209), 55.5% were not covered by the Employee's Health Insurance. Many immigrants cited financial trade-offs as the main reasons for uninsurance. Lacking of knowledge that health insurance is mandatory in Japan, not having a chronic disease, and having one or no children were strong predictors of uninsurance. Conclusions Lack of health insurance for immigrants in Japan is a serious concern for this population as well as for the Japanese health care system. Appropriate measures should be taken to facilitate access to health insurance for this vulnerable population. PMID:22443284

    12. Industrial lasers in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Karube, Norio

      1991-03-01

      I am to report on some aspects of industrial lasers in Japan. Mostly centering on the market. In Japan, the history of laser developnent is rather profound. And long. Ever since the first invention of the laser in this country in 1960. This is partly because of the fact that in Japan the spectroscopic studies of the ruby was very popular in the late 1950's. Ever since niost of the work has been done in the research laboratories of the industry, not in the universities or not in the governmental laboratories. And since that time our first activity was mainly centering on the basic research, but after that time we have the evolution of the technology. One of the features in Japan is that the activity of developement and research of laser technology from the very basic phase up to the present commercialization has been done by the same group of people, including ine. We had a national project which ended about six years ago which was sponsored by MITI. MITI is Ministry of International Trade and Industry in Japan. And because of this national project, the effect of this project had a very enlightening effect in Japan. And after that our Japanese laser market became very flourishing.

    13. Small geographic range but not panmictic: how forests structure the endangered Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

      Treesearch

      William J. Zielinski; Fredrick V. Schlexer; Sean A. Parks; Kristine L. Pilgrim; Michael K. Schwartz

      2012-01-01

      The landscape genetics framework is typically applied to broad regions that occupy only small portions of a species' range. Rarely is the entire range of a taxon the subject of study. We examined the landscape genetic structure of the endangered Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra), whose isolated geographic range is found in a...

    14. Investigation of an Influenza A (H3N2) outbreak in evacuation centres following the Great East Japan earthquake, 2011.

      PubMed

      Kamigaki, Taro; Seino, Jin; Tohma, Kentaro; Nukiwa-Soma, Nao; Otani, Kanako; Oshitani, Hitoshi

      2014-01-14

      The Great East Japan Earthquake of magnitude 9.0 that struck on 11 March 2011 resulted in more than 18000 deaths or cases of missing persons. The large-scale tsunami that followed the earthquake devastated many coastal areas of the Tohoku region, including Miyagi Prefecture, and many residents of the tsunami-affected areas were compelled to reside in evacuation centres (ECs). In Japan, seasonal influenza epidemics usually occur between December and March. At the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011, influenza A (H3N2) was still circulating and there was a heightened concern regarding severe outbreaks due to influenza A (H3N2). After local hospital staff and public health nurses detected influenza cases among the evacuees, an outbreak investigation was conducted in five ECs that had reported at least one influenza case from 23 March to 11 April 2011. Cases were confirmed by point-of-care tests and those residues were obtained and subjected to reverse transcription PCR and/or real time RT-PCR for sub-typing of influenza. There were 105 confirmed cases detected during the study period with a mean attack rate of 5.3% (range, 0.8%-11.1%). An epidemiological tree for two ECs demonstrated same-room and familial links that accounted for 88.5% of cases. The majority of cases occurred in those aged 15-64 years, who were likely to have engaged in search and rescue activities. No deaths were reported in this outbreak. Familial link accounted for on average 40.5% of influenza cases in two ECs and rooms where two or more cases were reported accounted for on average 85% in those ECs. A combination of preventative measures, including case cohorting, personal hygiene, wearing masks, and early detection and treatment, were implemented during the outbreak period. Influenza can cause outbreaks in a disaster setting when the disaster occurs during an epidemic influenza season. The transmission route is more likely to be associated with sharing room and space and

    15. Creating a duet: The Couples Life Story Approach in the United States and Japan

      PubMed Central

      Ingersoll-Dayton, Berit; Spencer, Beth; Campbell, Ruth; Kurokowa, Yukiko; Ito, Mio

      2015-01-01

      There is a global need for interventions that help couples who are dealing with dementia. This paper describes the way in which interventionists from the United States and Japan participated in the development of an intervention for dyads in which one person is experiencing memory loss. The 5-week intervention, the Couples Life Story Approach, helps dyads to reminisce about their life together as a couple, to work on their patterns of communication, and to develop a Life Story Book. Based on an analysis of cases conducted in the United States (n = 20 couples) and Japan (n = 9 couples), this paper highlights the cross-fertilization process that has occurred as interventionists from the two countries have shared their experiences with one another. Using case illustrations, the discussion focuses on the clinical themes that have emerged for couples in the United States and Japan. PMID:24627456

    16. Reassortant swine influenza viruses isolated in Japan contain genes from pandemic A(H1N1) 2009.

      PubMed

      Kanehira, Katsushi; Takemae, Nobuhiro; Uchida, Yuko; Hikono, Hirokazu; Saito, Takehiko

      2014-06-01

      In 2013, three reassortant swine influenza viruses (SIVs)-two H1N2 and one H3N2-were isolated from symptomatic pigs in Japan; each contained genes from the pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 virus and endemic SIVs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the two H1N2 viruses, A/swine/Gunma/1/2013 and A/swine/Ibaraki/1/2013, were reassortants that contain genes from the following three distinct lineages: (i) H1 and nucleoprotein (NP) genes derived from a classical swine H1 HA lineage uniquely circulating among Japanese SIVs; (ii) neuraminidase (NA) genes from human-like H1N2 swine viruses; and (iii) other genes from pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 viruses. The H3N2 virus, A/swine/Miyazaki/2/2013, comprised genes from two sources: (i) hemagglutinin (HA) and NA genes derived from human and human-like H3N2 swine viruses and (ii) other genes from pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 viruses. Phylogenetic analysis also indicated that each of the reassortants may have arisen independently in Japanese pigs. A/swine/Miyazaki/2/2013 were found to have strong antigenic reactivities with antisera generated for some seasonal human-lineage viruses isolated during or before 2003, whereas A/swine/Miyazaki/2/2013 reactivities with antisera against viruses isolated after 2004 were clearly weaker. In addition, antisera against some strains of seasonal human-lineage H1 viruses did not react with either A/swine/Gunma/1/2013 or A/swine/Ibaraki/1/2013. These findings indicate that emergence and spread of these reassortant SIVs is a potential public health risk. © 2014 The Societies and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

    17. Separate Spheres or Increasing Equality? Changing Gender Beliefs in Postwar Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Lee, Kristen Schultz; Tufis, Paula A.; Alwin, Duane F.

      2010-01-01

      This research investigates change in gender beliefs in Japan during a period of economic hard times in the late 1990s. Using data from the International Social Survey Programme on the Japanese population from 1994 (n = 1,054) and 2002 (n = 872), we examined how cohort replacement and intracohort change contributed to changes in gender beliefs. We…

    18. Japan Report.

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1987-02-03

      of Keidanren’s U.S. Investment Mission, who is also vice chairman of the Industrial Bank of Japan; Mamoru Sakai, leader of the B Group of...Keidanren’s U.S. Investment Mission, who is also a director of the Japan Long-Term Credit Bank ; Masayoshi Tozaki, leader of the C Group of Keidanren’s U.S...Constitution. At the same time, Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Volcker has repeatedly stressed that maintaining the value of the dollar is essential. In

    19. Japan: Teaching Units.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Hadley, Marilyn, Ed.; And Others

      This teaching guide was developed by undergraduate elementary education students as part of the requirements for a social studies methods course. The guide presents nine teaching units about various aspects of Japan. The unit topics range from the broad to the specific, and reflect a variety of approaches for teaching about Japan in the public…

    20. Japan's High Schools.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Rohlen, Thomas P.

      The author, an anthropologist, spent 14 months (1974-75) in the industrial port city of Kobe (Japan) observing a cross section of urban high schools, including Japan's most elite private school and a night vocational school plagued by absenteeism and delinquency. He reports on the character of the institutions and of the experience via…

    1. BioArena studies: unique function of endogenous formaldehyde and ozone in the antibiotic effect--a review.

      PubMed

      Tyihák, Erno; Móricz, Agnes M; Ott, Péter G

      2012-01-01

      The investigations demonstrated clearly a unique function and role of endogenous formaldehyde (HCHO) and ozone (O3) in the antibiotic effect of diverse molecules having different chemical structure. Elimination of HCHO and/or O3 from the layer chromatographic spots resulted in a decrease in the antimicrobial activity. On the basis of detection and measure of endogenous HCHO and O3 BioArena enables to both direct isolation and biological evaluation of new bioactive compounds.

    2. Perceived Environmental Pollution and Its Impact on Health in China, Japan, and South Korea.

      PubMed

      Kamimura, Akiko; Armenta, Bianca; Nourian, Maziar; Assasnik, Nushean; Nourian, Kimiya; Chernenko, Alla

      2017-01-01

      Environmental pollution is a significant global issue. Both objective (scientifically measured) environmental pollution and perceived levels of pollution are important predictors of self-reported health. The purpose of this study was to compare the associations between perceived environmental pollution and health in China, Japan, and South Korea. Data were obtained from the East Asian Social Survey and the Cross-National Survey Data Sets: Health and Society in East Asia, 2010 (n=7938; China, n=3866; Japan, n=2496; South Korea, n=1576). South Koreans perceived environmental pollution to be the most severe, while Japanese participants perceived environmental pollution to be the least severe. Although the Japanese did not perceive environmental pollution to be very severe, their self-rated physical health was significantly related to perceived environmental pollution, while the analogous relationships were not significant for the Chinese or Korean participants. Better mental health was related to lower levels of perceived air pollution in China, as well as lower levels of perceived all types of pollution in Japan and lower levels of perceived noise pollution in South Korea. Physical and mental health and individual socio-demographic characteristics were associated with levels of perceived environmental pollution, but with different patterns among these three countries.

    3. Perceived Environmental Pollution and Its Impact on Health in China, Japan, and South Korea

      PubMed Central

      2017-01-01

      Objectives Environmental pollution is a significant global issue. Both objective (scientifically measured) environmental pollution and perceived levels of pollution are important predictors of self-reported health. The purpose of this study was to compare the associations between perceived environmental pollution and health in China, Japan, and South Korea. Methods Data were obtained from the East Asian Social Survey and the Cross-National Survey Data Sets: Health and Society in East Asia, 2010 (n=7938; China, n=3866; Japan, n=2496; South Korea, n=1576). Results South Koreans perceived environmental pollution to be the most severe, while Japanese participants perceived environmental pollution to be the least severe. Although the Japanese did not perceive environmental pollution to be very severe, their self-rated physical health was significantly related to perceived environmental pollution, while the analogous relationships were not significant for the Chinese or Korean participants. Better mental health was related to lower levels of perceived air pollution in China, as well as lower levels of perceived all types of pollution in Japan and lower levels of perceived noise pollution in South Korea. Conclusions Physical and mental health and individual socio-demographic characteristics were associated with levels of perceived environmental pollution, but with different patterns among these three countries. PMID:28605887

    4. Microelectronics in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Boulton, William R.

      1995-02-01

      The purpose of this JTEC study is to evaluate Japan's electronic manufacturing and packaging capabilities within the context of global economic competition. To carry out this study, the JTEC panel evaluated the framework of the Japanese consumer electronics industry and various technological and organizational factors that are likely to determine who will win and lose in the marketplace. This study begins with a brief overview of the electronics industry, especially as it operates in Japan today. Succeeding chapters examine the electronics infrastructure in Japan and take an in-depth look at the central issues of product development in order to identify those parameters that will determine future directions for electronic packaging technologies.

    5. Microelectronics in Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Boulton, William R.

      1995-01-01

      The purpose of this JTEC study is to evaluate Japan's electronic manufacturing and packaging capabilities within the context of global economic competition. To carry out this study, the JTEC panel evaluated the framework of the Japanese consumer electronics industry and various technological and organizational factors that are likely to determine who will win and lose in the marketplace. This study begins with a brief overview of the electronics industry, especially as it operates in Japan today. Succeeding chapters examine the electronics infrastructure in Japan and take an in-depth look at the central issues of product development in order to identify those parameters that will determine future directions for electronic packaging technologies.

    6. Fever screening during the influenza (H1N1-2009) pandemic at Narita International Airport, Japan.

      PubMed

      Nishiura, Hiroshi; Kamiya, Kazuko

      2011-05-03

      Entry screening tends to start with a search for febrile international passengers, and infrared thermoscanners have been employed for fever screening in Japan. We aimed to retrospectively assess the feasibility of detecting influenza cases based on fever screening as a sole measure. Two datasets were collected at Narita International Airport during the 2009 pandemic. The first contained confirmed influenza cases (n = 16) whose diagnosis took place at the airport during the early stages of the pandemic, and the second contained a selected and suspected fraction of passengers (self-reported or detected by an infrared thermoscanner; n = 1,049) screened from September 2009 to January 2010. The sensitivity of fever (38.0 °C) for detecting H1N1-2009 was estimated, and the diagnostic performances of the infrared thermoscanners in detecting hyperthermia at cut-off levels of 37.5 °C, 38.0 °C and 38.5 °C were also estimated. The sensitivity of fever for detecting H1N1-2009 cases upon arrival was estimated to be 22.2% (95% confidence interval: 0, 55.6) among nine confirmed H1N1-2009 cases, and 55.6% of the H1N1-2009 cases were under antipyretic medications upon arrival. The sensitivity and specificity of the infrared thermoscanners in detecting hyperthermia ranged from 50.8-70.4% and 63.6-81.7%, respectively. The positive predictive value appeared to be as low as 37.3-68.0%. The sensitivity of entry screening is a product of the sensitivity of fever for detecting influenza cases and the sensitivity of the infrared thermoscanners in detecting fever. Given the additional presence of confounding factors and unrestricted medications among passengers, reliance on fever alone is unlikely to be feasible as an entry screening measure.

    7. Fever screening during the influenza (H1N1-2009) pandemic at Narita International Airport, Japan

      PubMed Central

      2011-01-01

      Background Entry screening tends to start with a search for febrile international passengers, and infrared thermoscanners have been employed for fever screening in Japan. We aimed to retrospectively assess the feasibility of detecting influenza cases based on fever screening as a sole measure. Methods Two datasets were collected at Narita International Airport during the 2009 pandemic. The first contained confirmed influenza cases (n = 16) whose diagnosis took place at the airport during the early stages of the pandemic, and the second contained a selected and suspected fraction of passengers (self-reported or detected by an infrared thermoscanner; n = 1,049) screened from September 2009 to January 2010. The sensitivity of fever (38.0°C) for detecting H1N1-2009 was estimated, and the diagnostic performances of the infrared thermoscanners in detecting hyperthermia at cut-off levels of 37.5°C, 38.0°C and 38.5°C were also estimated. Results The sensitivity of fever for detecting H1N1-2009 cases upon arrival was estimated to be 22.2% (95% confidence interval: 0, 55.6) among nine confirmed H1N1-2009 cases, and 55.6% of the H1N1-2009 cases were under antipyretic medications upon arrival. The sensitivity and specificity of the infrared thermoscanners in detecting hyperthermia ranged from 50.8-70.4% and 63.6-81.7%, respectively. The positive predictive value appeared to be as low as 37.3-68.0%. Conclusions The sensitivity of entry screening is a product of the sensitivity of fever for detecting influenza cases and the sensitivity of the infrared thermoscanners in detecting fever. Given the additional presence of confounding factors and unrestricted medications among passengers, reliance on fever alone is unlikely to be feasible as an entry screening measure. PMID:21539735

    8. Globalization and Education in Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Ohkura, Kentaro; Shibata, Masako

      2009-01-01

      In this paper, the authors contend that globalization in Japan is the gradual process in which Japan's positioning of "self" within international relations, which had formerly been dominated by the West, has changed. Accordingly, Japan's relationships with the West and the rest of the world, for example, Asia, have also been reviewed and…

    9. Survey of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Japan by the Japan 3-D Conformal External Beam Radiotherapy Group

      DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

      Nagata, Yasushi; Hiraoka, Masahiro; Mizowaki, Takashi

      2009-10-01

      Purpose: To recognize the current status of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in Japan, using a nationwide survey conducted by the Japan 3-D Conformal External Beam Radiotherapy Group. Methods and Materials: The questionnaire was sent by mail to 117 institutions. Ninety-four institutions (80%) responded by the end of November 2005. Fifty-three institutions indicated that they have already started SBRT, and 38 institutions had been reimbursed by insurance. Results: A total of 1111 patients with histologically confirmed lung cancer were treated. Among these patients, 637 had T1N0M0 and 272 had T2N0M0 lung cancer. Metastatic lung cancer was found in 702 and histologicallymore » unconfirmed lung tumor in 291 patients. Primary liver cancer was found in 207 and metastatic liver cancer in 76 patients. The most frequent schedule used for primary lung cancer was 48Gy in 4 fractions at 22 institutions (52%), followed by 50Gy in 5 fractions at 11 institutions (26%) and 60Gy in 8 fractions at 4 institutions (10%). The tendency was the same for metastatic lung cancer. The average number of personnel involved in SBRT was 1.8 radiation oncologists, including 1.1 certified radiation oncologists, 2.8 technologists, 0.7 nurses, and 0.6 certified quality assurance personnel and 0.3 physicists. The most frequent amount of time for treatment planning was 61-120min, for quality assurance was 50-60min, and for treatment was 30min. There were 14 (0.6% of all cases) reported Grade 5 complications: 11 cases of radiation pneumonitis, 2 cases of hemoptysis, and 1 case of radiation esophagitis. Conclusion: The current status of SBRT in Japan was surveyed.« less

    10. On the relationship between atmospheric rivers (ARs) and heavy precipitation over Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Yatagai, A. I.; Takayabu, Y. N.

      2016-12-01

      Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) are known as the water-vapor rich part of the broader warm conveyor belt. Recently, several AR detection algorithms are proposed, and structures and that of statistical features are studied globally. Since Japan is a humid country located in the north of the warm pool, ARs, middle tropospheric fast moisture transport, might be an important moisture source for heavy precipitation events in Japan. The purpose of this study is to develop an algorithm of detection of ARs over Japan, and to investigate the possible relationship between them and Japanese heavy precipitation events. Since high spatial correlations were obtained between ERA-Interim reanalysis PW and that of SSM/I (microwave images), we used daily PW (0.75 degree grid) for detection of the ARs. Using 36 years (1979-2014) ERA-Interim, we defined daily smoothed PW climatology. Then, we detected AR area with daily anomaly of PW exceeding 10 mm. However, we exclude round-shaped (caused by Typhoon etc) area and the case of moisture transport not exceeding 30N/30S. The daily AR events over Japan (123-146E, 24-46N) are; 1013 cases for winter (DJF), 1722 for spring (MAM), 2229 for summer (JJA) and 1870 for autumn (SON) during the 36 years. They successfully include Hiroshima disaster event (19 August 2014, Hirota et al., 2015) and Amami heavy precipitation event (20 October 2010). The summer with large AR appearance (1998 and 2010) had negative SOI (La Nina), and lowest appearance year (1992) was the year of El Nino (positively significant SOI). Totally, more ARs come over Japan area in La Nina years, however, the seasonal statistics between SOI and the number of AR is not straightforward, indicating that it is difficult to explain ARs over Japan with only tropical inter-annual variability. We use APHRO-JP (Kamiguchi et al., 2010) daily gridded (0.05 degree) precipitation (1979-2011) over Japanese land areas for comparison. Among the 32 years (1979-2011), we had 82 cases of heavy

    11. The role of civil society in health care reforms: an arena for hegemonic struggles.

      PubMed

      Filc, Dani

      2014-12-01

      The present paper argues that current mainstream understandings of civil society as ontologically different from the state and essentially positive (either normative or functionally) are problematic in order to understand the development of health care reforms. The paper proposes to ground an explanation of the role of civil society in health care reforms in a Gramscian understanding of civil society as analytically different from the state, and as an arena for hegemonic struggles. The study of health care reform in Israel serves as a case study for this claim. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    12. Diagnosis and treatment of urea cycle disorder in Japan.

      PubMed

      Nakamura, Kimitoshi; Kido, Jun; Mitsubuchi, Hiroshi; Endo, Fumio

      2014-08-01

      Urea cycle disorder (UCD) is an inborn error of the metabolic pathway producing urea from ammonia, which occurs primarily in the liver. Decreased excretion of nitrogen in the urea cycle due to deficiency of carbamoyl phosphate synthase I (CPSI), ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC), argininosuccinate synthase (ASS), argininosuccinate lyase (ASL), and N-acetyl glutamate synthase (NAGS) causes hyperammonemia. We examined the clinical manifestations, treatment, and prognosis of 177 patients with UCD from January 1999 to March 2009 in Japan. Compared with a previous study conducted in Japan, a larger number of patients survived without mental retardation, even when the peak blood ammonia was >360 μmol/L. In those with peak blood ammonia >360 μmol/L, an indicator of poor prognosis, the frequency of convulsions, mental retardation, brain abnormality on magnetic resonance imaging, hemodialysis, liver transplantation, and intake of non-protein formulas was significantly higher than in those with peak blood ammonia <360 μmol/L. In this article, we have reported the current state of UCD to evaluate prognosis and its relationship with peak blood ammonia and hemodialysis. © 2014 Japan Pediatric Society.

    13. The new school absentees reporting system for pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 infection in Japan.

      PubMed

      Suzue, Takeshi; Hoshikawa, Yoichi; Nishihara, Shuzo; Fujikawa, Ai; Miyatake, Nobuyuki; Sakano, Noriko; Yoda, Takeshi; Yoshioka, Akira; Hirao, Tomohiro

      2012-01-01

      To evaluate the new Japanese School Absentees Reporting System for Infectious Disease (SARSID) for pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 infection in comparison with the National epidemiological Surveillance of Infectious Disease (NESID). We used data of 53,223 students (97.7%) in Takamatsu city Japan. Data regarding school absentees in SARSID was compared with that in NESID from Oct 13, 2009 to Jan 12, 2010. Similar trends were observed both in SARSID and NESID. However, the epidemic trend for influenza in SARSID was thought to be more sensitive than that in NESID. The epidemic trend for influenza among school-aged children could be easily and rapidly assessed by SARSID compared to NESID. SARSID might be useful for detecting the epidemic trend of influenza.

    14. Free Resources for Teaching about Japan. Revised Edition.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Wojtan, Linda S.

      A collection of sources of information about Japan and resource materials available for teaching about Japan are included in this document. Part one, "Who and Where" lists names and addresses from a variety of sources including the Embassy and Consulates General of Japan, the Japan Foundation, Japan Trade Centers (Japan External Trade…

    15. Tohoku Tsunami Debris, Japan

      NASA Image and Video Library

      2011-06-14

      The Mar. 11, 2011, Tohoku, Japan earthquake and tsunami devastated a large extent of the northeastern Japan coast, and virtually erased many villages and cities from the map. NASA Terra spacecraft acquired this image of Sendai on Mar. 14, 2011.

    16. FBIS report. Science and technology: Japan, December 10, 1996

      DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

      NONE

      1996-12-10

      Contents (partial): Japan: Fabrication of Diamond Single Crystal Thin Film by Ion Beam Deposition; Japan: Hitachi Metal Develops New Semi Solid Metal Processing Technology; Japan: NTT Develops Fuel Cell System That Uses Both City Gas, LPG; Japan: Daihatsu Motor Completes Prototype EV; Japan: NIRIM Announces Success With Synthetic Bone Development; Japan: Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Plans Clinical Trials of Gene Therapy to Cerebral Tumor in Japan; Japan: MITI To Provide Aid for Residential Solar Power Generation Systems; Japan: MELCO To Provide Satellite Solar Cell Panel for SSL, USA; Japan: Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute Leads Nuclear Research; Japan: Kobe Steel`s Superconducting Magnetmore » Ready to Go Fast; Japan: MPT To Begin Validation Test for Electric Money Implementation; and Japan: Defense Agency to Send ASDF`s Pilots to Russia for Training.« less

    17. [Building epilepsy care network in Japan].

      PubMed

      Otsuki, Taisuke

      2012-01-01

      Number of epilepsy patient in Japan officially surveyed by our government in 2008 is 219,000, which is only 0.17% of the total population and less than one third of the prevalence rate reported in Western countries. Number of epilepsy surgery per year in Japan is also low and less than half of other countries such as US, UK and Korea. These numbers may suggest that epilepsy care in Japan is not sufficient to cover all hidden medical needs of people with epilepsy at present. To solve this issue, our research group funded by the government have started to build an epilepsy care network among primary care physicians, secondary care neurology specialists and tertiary care epilepsy centers by utilizing a web site: Epilepsy Care Network-Japan (http://www.ecn-japan.com/) from July 2012. We are also proposing an epilepsy care algorithm suitable for our complex medical community consisted with various neurology specialists such as pediatric and adult neurologists, neurosurgeons and psychiatrists. Building Epilepsy Care Network in Japan may facilitate better medical and social support for people with epilepsy in Japan.

    18. Occurrence of a pig respiratory disease associated with swine influenza A (H1N2) virus in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

      PubMed

      Yoneyama, Shuji; Hayashi, Tsuyoshi; Kojima, Hirokazu; Usami, Yoshihide; Kubo, Masanori; Takemae, Nobuhiro; Uchida, Yuko; Saito, Takehiko

      2010-04-01

      In February 2008, a feeder pig herd of the affected farm in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, showed increasing respiratory symptoms; by April, the situation worsened with 12-16 pigs dying daily. Diagnostic tests revealed the presence of H1N2 subtype of swine influenza virus (SIV) and Pasteurella multocida from nasal swab and lung emulsion. Serological tests by hemagglutination inhibition method and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method (ELISA; imported from U.S.A.) indicated the spread of SIV into the pig herds of the affected farm around April 2008. The severe infection and subsequent damage were considered as a result of the combined infection of SIV (H1N2) and bacteria that may have been prevalent in the pig farm. Genetic homology search of sequences for the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of A/swine/Tochigi/1/08 showed high homology to Japanese SIVs (H1N2) isolated in the 2000s. Therefore, we considered that Japanese SIV (H1N2) has established an independent stable lineage and participated in infecting pig populations as one of the factors of the pig respiratory disease complex. Consistent surveillance would contribute to clarifying the prevalence of dominant SIVs.

    19. Reproductive mode and the shifting arenas of evolutionary conflict.

      PubMed

      Furness, Andrew I; Morrison, Keenan R; Orr, Teri J; Arendt, Jeff D; Reznick, David N

      2015-12-01

      In sexually reproducing organisms, the genetic interests of individuals are not perfectly aligned. Conflicts among family members are prevalent since interactions involve the transfer of limited resources between interdependent players. Intrafamilial conflict has traditionally been considered along three major axes: between the sexes, between parents and offspring, and between siblings. In these interactions, conflict is expected over traits in which the resulting phenotypic value is determined by multiple family members who have only partially overlapping fitness optima. We focus on four major categories of animal reproductive mode (broadcast spawning, egg laying, live bearing, and live bearing with matrotrophy) and identify the shared phenotypes or traits over which conflict is expected, and then review the empirical literature for evidence of their occurrence. Major transitions among reproductive mode, such as a shift from external to internal fertilization, an increase in egg-retention time, modifications of embryos and mothers for nutrient transfer, the evolution of postnatal parental care, and increased interaction with the kin network, mark key shifts that both change and expand the arenas in which conflict is played out. © 2015 New York Academy of Sciences.

    20. Solving the energy dilemma at Seven Bridges Ice Arena

      DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

      Louria, D.

      1996-08-01

      Seven Bridges Ice Arena with three ice skating rinks is among the largest ice skating facilities in the US. A complete fitness center, pro shop, second level observation gallery, restaurant, aerobics room, dance studio and children`s play room round out the 120,000 ft{sup 2} (11,215 m{sup 2}) world class facility. The Olympic Hockey League ice rink has seating for 800 spectators; and the National Hockey League ice rink has 1,200 spectator seats. The collegiate ice sheet has participant seating only. When building the one-year-old facility, the management initially solicited HVAC design/build system plans based on the usual Package Roof Topmore » (RTU) heat/cool units or split system parameters. Such a plan could have been a disaster because high energy costs have contributed directly to the closing of 20 rinks in the Chicago area. This article describes a HVAC system that would take advantage of every Energy Conservation Opportunities (ECO) possible to ensure the economic well being of this property. This included a plan that uses the refrigeration for both cooling and heating, which eliminated the need for commercial packaged units.« less

    1. Stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen and mercury concentrations in 13 toothed whale species taken from the western Pacific Ocean off Japan.

      PubMed

      Endo, Tetsuya; Hisamichi, Yohsuke; Kimura, Osamu; Haraguchi, Koichi; Lavery, Shane; Dalebout, Merel L; Funahashi, Naoko; Baker, C Scott

      2010-04-01

      Stable isotope ratios of carbon (partial differential(13)C) and nitrogen (partial differential(15)N) and total mercury (T-Hg) concentrations were measured in red meat samples from 11 odontocete species (toothed whales, dolphins, and porpoises) sold in Japan (n = 96) and in muscle samples from stranded killer whales (n = 6) and melon-headed whales (n = 15), and the analytical data for these species were classified into three regions (northern, central, and southern Japan) depending on the locations in which they were caught or stranded. The partial differential(15)N in the samples from southern Japan tended to be lower than that in samples from the north, whereas both partial differential(13)C and T-Hg concentrations in samples from the south tended to higher than those in samples from northern Japan. Negative correlations were found between the partial differential(13)C and partial differential(15)N values and between the partial differential(15)N value and T-Hg concentrations in the combined samples all three regions (gamma= -0.238, n = 117, P < 0.01). The partial differential(13)C, partial differential(15)N, and T-Hg concentrations in the samples varied more by habitat than by species. Spatial variations in partial differential(13)C, partial differential(15)N, and T-Hg concentrations in the ocean may be the cause of these phenomena.

    2. Characteristics of Wet Deposition in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Iwasaki, A.; Arakaki, T.

      2017-12-01

      Acid deposition survey in Japan has started since 1991 by Japan Environmental Laboratories Association (JELA). The JELA has about 60 monitoring sites for wet deposition including remote, rural and urban area. The measured constituents of wet deposition are; precipitation, pH, electric conductivity, major Anions, and major Cations. From those data, we analyze spatial and temporal variations of wet deposition components in Japan. Among the 60 monitoring sites, 39 sampling sites were selected in this study, which have kept sampling continuously between 2003JFY and 2014JFY. All samples were collected by wet-only samplers. To analyze area characteristics, all the areas were divided into 6 regions; Northern part of Japan (NJ), Facing the Japan Sea (JS), Eastern part of Japan (EJ), Central part of Japan (CJ), Western part of Japan (WJ) and Southern West Islands (SW). NO3- and non-sea-salt-SO42- (nss-SO42-) are major components of rain acidification. Especially, between December and February (winter) the air mass from west affected the temporal variations of those acid components and the concentrations were higher in JS and WJ regions than those in other regions. Japanese ministry of the Environment reported that mixing ratio of NO2 in Japan has been less than 0.04ppm since 1976, and that of SO2 has been less than 0.02ppm since 1978. Their concentrations in Japan have remained flat or slowly decreased recently. However the temporal variations of NO3-/nss-SO42- ratio in winter in JS region were significantly increased on average at 2.2% y-1 from 2003JFY to 2014JFY. The results suggest that long-range transboundary air pollutants increased NO3- concentrations and NO3-/nss-SO42- ratio.

    3. Advances in food composition tables in Japan-Standard Tables Of Food Composition in Japan - 2015 - (Seventh Revised Edition).

      PubMed

      Watanabe, Tomoko; Kawai, Ryoko

      2018-01-01

      The latest version of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan-2015- comprises the main food composition table (Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan-2015-[Seventh revised Edition)) and three supplementary books. The supplementary books are Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan - 2015 - (Seventh Revised Edition) - Amino Acids -, Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan - 2015 - (Seventh Revised Edition) - Fatty Acids - and Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan - 2015 - (Seventh Revised Edition) - Available Carbohydrates, Polyols and Organic Acids-. We believe understanding these food composition tables can give greater insight into Japan's gastronomic culture and changes in eating habits. We expect them to play important roles as part of the East Asia food composition tables. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

    4. Japan's electronic packaging technologies

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Tummala, Rao R.; Pecht, Michael

      1995-01-01

      The JTEC panel found Japan to have significant leadership over the United States in the strategic area of electronic packaging. Many technologies and products once considered the 'heart and soul' of U.S. industry have been lost over the past decades to Japan and other Asian countries. The loss of consumer electronics technologies and products is the most notable of these losses, because electronics is the United States' largest employment sector and is critical for growth businesses in consumer products, computers, automobiles, aerospace, and telecommunications. In the past there was a distinction between consumer and industrial product technologies. While Japan concentrated on the consumer market, the United States dominated the industrial sector. No such distinction is anticipated in the future; the consumer-oriented technologies Japan has dominated are expected to characterize both domains. The future of U.S. competitiveness will, therefore, depend on the ability of the United States to rebuild its technological capabilities in the area of portable electronic packaging.

    5. High definition systems in Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Elkus, Richard J., Jr.; Cohen, Robert B.; Dayton, Birney D.; Messerschmitt, David G.; Schreiber, William F.; Tannas, Lawrence E., Jr.; Shelton, Duane

      1991-01-01

      The successful implementation of a strategy to produce high-definition systems within the Japanese economy will favorably affect the fundamental competitiveness of Japan relative to the rest of the world. The development of an infrastructure necessary to support high-definition products and systems in that country involves major commitments of engineering resources, plants and equipment, educational programs and funding. The results of these efforts appear to affect virtually every aspect of the Japanese industrial complex. The results of assessments of the current progress of Japan toward the development of high-definition products and systems are presented. The assessments are based on the findings of a panel of U.S. experts made up of individuals from U.S. academia and industry, and derived from a study of the Japanese literature combined with visits to the primary relevant industrial laboratories and development agencies in Japan. Specific coverage includes an evaluation of progress in R&D for high-definition television (HDTV) displays that are evolving in Japan; high-definition standards and equipment development; Japanese intentions for the use of HDTV; economic evaluation of Japan's public policy initiatives in support of high-definition systems; management analysis of Japan's strategy of leverage with respect to high-definition products and systems.

    6. Pathogenicity of H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from a wild bird fecal specimen and a chicken in Japan in 2014.

      PubMed

      Tanikawa, Taichiro; Kanehira, Katsushi; Tsunekuni, Ryota; Uchida, Yuko; Takemae, Nobuhiro; Saito, Takehiko

      2016-04-01

      Poultry outbreaks caused by H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) occurred in Japan between December 2014 and January 2015. During the same period; H5N8 HPAIVs were isolated from wild birds and the environment in Japan. The hemagglutinin (HA) genes of these isolates were found to belong to clade 2.3.4.4 and three sub-groups were distinguishable within this clade. All of the Japanese isolates from poultry outbreaks belonged to the same sub-group; whereas wild bird isolates belonged to the other sub-groups. To examine whether the difference in pathogenicity to chickens between isolates of different HA sub-groups of clade 2.3.4.4 could explain why the Japanese poultry outbreaks were only caused by a particular sub-group; pathogenicities of A/chicken/Miyazaki/7/2014 (Miyazaki2014; sub-group C) and A/duck/Chiba/26-372-48/2014 (Chiba2014; sub-group A) to chickens were compared and it was found that the lethality of Miyazaki2014 in chickens was lower than that of Chiba2014; according to the 50% chicken lethal dose. This indicated that differences in pathogenicity may not explain why the Japanese poultry outbreaks only involved group C isolates. © 2016 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

    7. Current Status of Doping in Japan Based on Japan Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panels of the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA): A Suggestion on Anti-Doping Activities by Pharmacists in Japan.

      PubMed

      Imanishi, Takashi; Kawabata, Takayoshi; Takayama, Akira

      2017-01-01

      In 2009, the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) established the "Sports Pharmacist Accreditation Program" to prevent doping in sports. Since then, anti-doping activities in Japan have been attracting attention. In this study, we investigated research about the current status of doping from 2007 to 2014 in Japan to make anti-doping activities more concrete, and we also discussed future anti-doping activities by pharmacists. In Japan, bodybuilding was the sporting event with the highest number and rate of doping from 2007 to 2014. Many of the positive doping cases were detected for class S1 (anabolic agents), S5 (diuretics and masking agents), and S6 (stimulants). Within class S1, supplements were the main cause of positive doping. Within class S5, medicines prescribed by medical doctors were the main cause of positive doping. Within class S6, non-prescription medicines (e.g., OTC) were the main cause of positive doping. When we looked at the global statistics on doping, many of the positive doping cases were detected for class S1. On comparing the Japanese statistics with the global statistics, the rate of positive doping caused by class S1 was significantly lower, but that caused by classes S5 and S6 was significantly higher in Japan than in the world. In conclusion, pharmacists in Japan should pay attention to class S1, S5, and S6 prohibited substances and to the sport events of bodybuilding. Based on this study, sports pharmacists as well as common pharmacists should suggest new anti-doping activities to prevent doping in the future.

    8. Japan's advanced medicine.

      PubMed

      Sho, Ri; Narimatsu, Hiroto; Murakami, Masayasu

      2013-10-01

      Like health care systems in other developed countries, Japan's health care system faces significant challenges due to aging of the population and economic stagnation. Advanced medicine (Senshin Iryou) is a unique system of medical care in Japan offering highly technology-driven medical care that is not covered by public health insurance. Advanced medicine has recently developed and expanded as part of health care reform. Will it work? To answer this question, we briefly trace the historical development of advanced medicine and describe the characteristics and current state of advanced medical care in Japan. We then offer our opinions on the future of advanced medicine with careful consideration of its pros and cons. We believe that developing advanced medicine is an attempt to bring health care reform in line rather than the goal of health care reform.

    9. Dust over Japan

      NASA Image and Video Library

      2017-12-08

      March 24, 2010 - Dust over Japan This image of gray/brown dust being blown over Japan was captured on March 21, 2010 by the MODIS on the Terra satellite. On the left is the Korean peninsula. Japan stretches diagonally across the image, up to the top right corner. The dust is likely from the sandstorm that swept across the China the previous day. The sand and dust originated from the south and east of Inner Mongolia. In this image from March 20, the dust is nearly obscuring the Bohai Sea, which is just west of the Korean peninsula. Here is a handy map. For more information related to this image go to: modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2010-0... For more information about Goddard Space Flight Center go here: www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html

    10. Genomic reassortants of pandemic A (H1N1) 2009 virus and endemic porcine H1 and H3 viruses in swine in Japan.

      PubMed

      Kirisawa, Rikio; Ogasawara, Yoshitaka; Yoshitake, Hayato; Koda, Asuka; Furuya, Tokujiro

      2014-11-01

      From 2010 to 2013 in Japan, we isolated 11 swine influenza viruses (SIVs) from pigs showing respiratory symptoms. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses showed that 6 H1N1 viruses originated from the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (pdm 09) virus and the other 5 viruses were reassortants between SIVs and pdm 09 viruses, representing 4 genotypes. Two H1N2 viruses contained H1 and N2 genes originated from Japanese H1N2 SIV together with internal genes of pdm 09 viruses. Additionally, 1 H1N2 virus contained a further NP gene originating from Japanese H1N2 SIV. One H1N1 virus contained only the H1 gene originating from Japanese H1 SIV in a pdm 09 virus background. One H3N2 virus contained H3 and N2 genes originating from Japanese H3N2 SIV together with internal genes of pdm 09 virus. The results indicate that pdm 09 viruses are distributed widely in the Japanese swine population and that several reassortments with Japanese SIVs have occurred.

    11. The burden of insomnia in Japan

      PubMed Central

      Mishima, Kazuo; DiBonaventura, Marco daCosta; Gross, Hillary

      2015-01-01

      Objectives Several studies have suggested that patients who experience insomnia report a number of significant impairments. However, despite this literature, fewer studies have focused on the burden of insomnia among patients in Japan. The objective of the current study is to extend this work in Japan to further understand the effect of insomnia on health-related quality of life (hrQOL). Further, another objective is to understand general predictors of hrQOL among patients with insomnia. Methods Data from the 2012 Japan National Health and Wellness Survey, an annual, cross-sectional study of adults aged 18 years or older, were used (N=30,000). All National Health and Wellness Survey respondents were categorized based on the incidence of self-reported insomnia diagnosis and prescription medication usage (clinical insomniacs under treatment versus [vs] good sleepers without insomnia or insomnia symptoms). Comparisons among different groups were made using multiple regression models controlling for demographics and health history. Results Clinical insomniacs (n=1,018; 3.4%) reported significantly worse hrQOL compared with good sleepers (n=20,542) (mental component summary: 34.2 vs 48.0; physical component summary: 48.0 vs 52.8; health utilities: 0.61 vs 0.76; all P<0.05). Health behaviors (smoking, exercise, alcohol use) and comorbidities were the strongest predictors of health utilities for clinical insomniacs. For all three clinical insomniac subgroups of interest, those with a physical comorbidity but not a psychiatric one, those with a psychiatric comorbidity but not a physical one, and those without either a physical or psychiatric comorbidity, large decrements in health utilities were observed for respondents who did not engage in any positive health behaviors (0.61, 0.57, 0.64, respectively) relative to good sleepers (0.78). However, the gap in health utility scores between these subgroups and good sleepers diminishes with an increasing number of positive

    12. Groundwater contamination in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Tase, Norio

      1992-07-01

      Problems on groundwater contamination in Japan are briefly summarized in this paper. Although normal physical conditions in Japan restrict the possibilities of groundwater contamination, human activities are threatening groundwater resources. A survey by the Environment Agency of Japan showed nationwide spreading of organic substances, such as trichloroethylene as well as nitrogen compounds. Synthetic detergents have also been detected even in rural areas and in deep confined aquifers, although their concentrations are not as high. Public awareness of agrichemical or pesticides abuse, especially from golf courses, is apparent. Other problems such as nitrate-nitrogen, leachate from landfills, and the leaking of underground storage tanks are also discussed.

    13. Neuroethological validation of an experimental apparatus to evaluate oriented and non-oriented escape behaviours: Comparison between the polygonal arena with a burrow and the circular enclosure of an open-field test.

      PubMed

      Biagioni, Audrey Francisco; dos Anjos-Garcia, Tayllon; Ullah, Farhad; Fisher, Isaac René; Falconi-Sobrinho, Luiz Luciano; de Freitas, Renato Leonardo; Felippotti, Tatiana Tocchini; Coimbra, Norberto Cysne

      2016-02-01

      Inhibition of GABAergic neural inputs to dorsal columns of the periaqueductal grey matter (dPAG), posterior (PH) and dorsomedial (DMH) hypothalamic nuclei elicits distinct types of escape behavioural reactions. To differentiate between the variety and intensity of panic-related behaviours, the pattern of defensive behaviours evoked by blockade of GABAA receptors in the DMH, PH and dPAG were compared in a circular open-field test and in a recently designed polygonal arena. In the circular open-field, the defensive behaviours induced by microinjection of bicuculline into DMH and PH were characterised by defensive alertness behaviour and vertical jumps preceded by rearing exploratory behaviour. On the other hand, explosive escape responses interspersed with horizontal jumps and freezing were observed after the blockade of GABAA receptors on dPAG neurons. In the polygonal arena apparatus, the escape response produced by GABAergic inhibition of DMH and PH neurons was directed towards the burrow. In contrast, the blockade of GABAA receptors in dPAG evoked non-oriented escape behaviour characterised by vigorous running and horizontal jumps in the arena. Our findings support the hypothesis that the hypothalamic nuclei organise oriented escape behavioural responses whereas non-oriented escape is elaborated by dPAG neurons. Additionally, the polygonal arena with a burrow made it easy to discriminate and characterise these two different patterns of escape behavioural responses. In this sense, the polygonal arena with a burrow can be considered a good methodological tool to discriminate between these two different patterns of escape behavioural responses and is very useful as a new experimental animal model of panic attacks. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

    14. Recent meteor observing activities in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Yamamoto, M.

      2005-02-01

      The meteor train observation (METRO) campaign is described as an example of recent meteor observing activity in Japan. Other topics of meteor observing activities in Japan, including Ham-band radio meteor observation, the ``Japan Fireball Network'', the automatic video-capture software ``UFOCapture'', and the Astro-classroom programme are also briefly introduced.

    15. Stroke and death in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation in Japan compared with the United Kingdom.

      PubMed

      Senoo, Keitaro; An, Yoshimori; Ogawa, Hisashi; Lane, Deirdre A; Wolff, Andreas; Shantsila, Eduard; Akao, Masaharu; Lip, Gregory Y H

      2016-12-01

      Data on stroke, mortality and associated comorbidities in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in Japan may differ from Western countries. There have been few systematic comparisons between stroke risk profiles and outcomes among community-based elderly (aged ≥75 years) patients with AF in Japan and the UK. We compared clinical characteristics, stroke risk and outcomes among elderly patients with AF from the Fushimi AF Registry (Japan; N=1791) and the Darlington AF Registry (UK; N=1338). The Fushimi cohort had a mean age 81.8 (standard deviation (SD) 5.3) years and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 years (double), diabetes mellitus, previous thromboembolism (double), vascular disease, age 65-74 years and female gender) score 4.3 (1.4), whereas the Darlington cohort had a mean age 83.6 (5.7) years and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score 4.4 (1.4). Over a 12-month follow-up period, observed stroke and mortality rates in Fushimi were 3.4% (n=61) and 11.5% (n=206), while corresponding event rates in the Darlington cohort were 4.4% (n=59) and 14.1% (n=188), respectively. Appropriate use of oral anticoagulation (OAC, essentially a vitamin K antagonist) was <60% in both registries.On multivariable analysis, ethnicity (Japan vs UK) was neither associated with the risk of stroke (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.36; p=0.69) nor death (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.27; p=0.92). In a subgroup analysis of elderly patients not receiving OAC (n=1489), a history of stroke was associated with the risk of stroke (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.39 to 4.12; p=0.002), but not ethnicity (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.50 to 1.47; p=0.58). Elderly (age ≥75 years) patients with AF in both Japan and the UK are at similarly high risk of stroke and death, with OAC still underused in both populations. Ethnicity was not independently associated with the risk of stroke, regardless of OAC use or non-use. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already

    16. Differences in incidence and trends of haematological malignancies in Japan and the United States

      PubMed Central

      Chihara, Dai; Ito, Hidemi; Matsuda, Tomohiro; Shibata, Akiko; Katsumi, Akira; Nakamura, Shigeo; Tomotaka, Sobue; Morton, Lindsay M; Weisenburger, Dennis D; Matsuo, Keitaro

      2014-01-01

      The incidence of a malignant disease reflects the genetic and cumulative exposure to the environment of a population. Therefore, evaluation of the incidence and trends of a disease in different populations may provide insights into its aetiology and pathogenesis. To evaluate the incidence of haematological malignancies according to specific subtypes, we used population-based registry data in Japan (N = 125 148) and the United States (US; N = 172 925) from 1993 to 2008. The age-adjusted incidence of haematological malignancies in Japan was approximately one-half that in the US but has been increasing significantly, whereas no significant change was seen in the US [annual percent change (95% C confidence interval): Japan, +2·4% (1·7, 3·1); US, +0·1% (−0·1, 0·2)]. Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) showed the largest differences in incidence, with the most remarkable differences observed for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, HL-nodular sclerosis, mycosis fungoides and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. HL and NHL are increasing substantially in Japan but not in the US, suggesting that environmental exposures, such as Westernization of the life style may be causing this increase. Differences in the incidence and trends for specific subtypes also showed a marked contrast across subtypes, which, in turn, may provide significant new insights into disease aetiology in the future. PMID:24245986

    17. A Cultural Experience: Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Wood, Robert W.; And Others

      This activities unit for teaching about Japan is designed for use with elementary students. The activities reflect the growing importance of Japan in today's world, and the belief that the social studies curriculum should reflect principles of global education. The unit is intended to explore seven major goals included in the social studies…

    18. Teaching about Japan: Lessons and Resources.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Bernson, Mary Hammond, Ed.; Wojtan, Linda S., Ed.

      This document is a revised and updated version of two publications: "Modern Japan: An Idea Book for K-12 Teachers" and "Resources for Teaching About Japan." These lesson plans were developed by teachers who participated in a summer institute on Japan, sponsored by the East Asia Resource Center at the Jackson School of…

    19. Possible precursors to the 2011 3/11 Japan earthquake:

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Hayakawa, M.; Hobara, Y.; Schekotov, A.; Rozhnoi, A.; Solovieva, M.

      2012-04-01

      The purpose of this paper is to present a possible precursor to the 2011 March 11 Japan earthquake. First of all, we present the results on subionospheric VLF/LF propagation anomaly (ionospheric perturbation) by means of Japan-Russia VLF network. It is found that the ionospheric perturbation is clearly detected on March 4, 5 and 6 on the propagation paths of NLK (Seattle, USA) to Japanese stations and on a path of JJI (Miyazaki, Kyushu) to Kamchatka. Next, we present the results on the ULF depression (horizontal component) on the same days, which is interpreted in terms of the absorption in the disturbed lower ionosphere of the downgoing magnetospheric Alfve'n waves. These two precursors are considered to be due to the same effect of the lower ionospheric perturbation about one week before the earthquake.

    20. Can wolves help save Japan's mountain forests?

      USGS Publications Warehouse

      Barber-Meyer, Shannon

      2017-01-01

      Japan’s wolves were extinct by 1905. Today Japan's mountain forests are being killed by overabundant sika deer and wild boars. Since the early 1990s, the Japan Wolf Association has proposed wolf reintroduction to Japan to restore rural ecology and to return a culturally important animal. In this article I discuss whether the return of wolves could help save Japan's mountain forests.

    1. FBIS report. Science and technology: Japan, February 20, 1996

      DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

      NONE

      1996-02-20

      ;Partial Contents: Energy (Japan: MHI Discovers Maritime Photo Plankton that Produces Ethanol from CO2, Japan: Tokyo Electric Power Co.`s PAFC Development); Telecommunications (Japan: Report on 1st Asian Telecommunications Industry Exchange, Japan: MPT Reports Test Evaluation Results for PHS); Defense Industries (Japan: Expert on Shipbuilding, Welding Technology, Japan: Komatsu R&D Chief on Dream of Ground Robots; Japan: Defense Simulator Series, Part 7: Torpedo Simulator).

    2. First isolation of Actinobacillus genomospecies 2 in Japan.

      PubMed

      Murakami, Miyuki; Shimonishi, Yoshimasa; Hobo, Seiji; Niwa, Hidekazu; Ito, Hiroya

      2016-05-03

      We describe here the first isolation of Actinobacillus genomospecies 2 in Japan. The isolate was found in a septicemic foal and characterized by phenotypic and genetic analyses, with the latter consisting of 16S rDNA nucleotide sequence analysis plus multilocus sequence analysis using three housekeeping genes, recN, rpoA and thdF, that have been proposed for use as a genomic tool in place of DNA-DNA hybridization.

    3. Yoga Therapy in Japan.

      PubMed

      Kimura, By Keishin

      2017-08-01

      This perspective piece gives an overview of the current situation of yoga therapy in Japan today. Traditional yoga in Japan suffered a serious setback in 1995 with a nerve gas terrorist attack on the Tokyo subway, which was carried out by a cult that recruited members through yoga classes. But with the increase in popularity with modern forms of yoga such as Iyengar yoga, Ashtanga yoga and hot yoga in the West, the general public in Japan today is forgetting its aversion to yoga and considers it to be something that can contribute to good health. In 2012, the Japan Yoga Therapy Society (JYTS) conducted a study on adverse events in yoga classes throughout Japan with the University of Kyushu School of Medicine, with support from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. This study indicated that more than half of people attending yoga classes have some form of chronic illness, with 42.3% receiving outpatient care. This survey was the beginning of growing interest from both the government and universities in yoga therapy. JYTS is beginning to make inroads into bringing yoga therapy into cancer and palliative care, senior citizen homes, alcohol and drug addiction rehabilitation, cardiovascular rehabilitation, and research on trauma and schizophrenia. While there are still limited opportunities for yoga therapists to work in mainstream healthcare services, there is growing interest among medical professionals in both physical and mental health. JYTS is beginning to make inroads into bringing yoga therapy into cancer and palliative care, senior citizen homes, alcohol and drug addiction rehabilitation, cardiovascular rehabilitation, and research on trauma and schizophrenia. While there are still limited opportunities for yoga therapists to work in mainstream healthcare services, there is growing interest among medical professionals in both physical and mental health. This perspective piece introduces some of the developments in yoga therapy research and practice in

    4. Yoga Therapy in Japan.

      PubMed

      Kimura, Keishin

      2017-11-01

      This perspective piece gives an overview of the current situation of yoga therapy in Japan today. Traditional yoga in Japan suffered a serious setback in 1995 with a nerve gas terrorist attack on the Tokyo subway, which was carried out by a cult that recruited members through yoga classes. But with the increase in popularity with modern forms of yoga such as Iyengar yoga, Ashtanga yoga and hot yoga in the West, the general public in Japan today is forgetting its aversion to yoga and considers it to be something that can contribute to good health. In 2012, the Japan Yoga Therapy Society (JYTS) conducted a study on adverse events in yoga classes throughout Japan with the University of Kyushu School of Medicine, with support from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. This study indicated that more than half of people attending yoga classes have some form of chronic illness, with 42.3% receiving outpatient care. This survey was the beginning of growing interest from both the government and universities in yoga therapy. JYTS is beginning to make inroads into bringing yoga therapy into cancer and palliative care, senior citizen homes, alcohol and drug addiction rehabilitation, cardiovascular rehabilitation, and research on trauma and schizophrenia. While there are still limited opportunities for yoga therapists to work in mainstream healthcare services, there is growing interest among medical professionals in both physical and mental health. JYTS is beginning to make inroads into bringing yoga therapy into cancer and palliative care, senior citizen homes, alcohol and drug addiction rehabilitation, cardiovascular rehabilitation, and research on trauma and schizophrenia. While there are still limited opportunities for yoga therapists to work in mainstream healthcare services, there is growing interest among medical professionals in both physical and mental health. This perspective piece introduces some of the developments in yoga therapy research and practice in

    5. TWELVE DOORS TO JAPAN.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      BEARDSLEY, RICHARD K.; HALL, JOHN WHITNEY

      THE TWELVE DOORS OF THIS COLLEGE-LEVEL TEXT ARE TWELVE CHAPTERS ON ASPECTS OF JAPAN AND JAPANESE CULTURE AS TREATED BY VARIOUS ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES. THE AUTHORS' PURPOSE IN CHOOSING THIS FORMAT WAS TO PRESENT INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION ABOUT JAPAN AND TO ACQUAINT STUDENTS WITH THE AIMS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS OF DISCIPLINES OTHER THAN THE ONE THEY…

    6. Analysis of gender-based differences among surgeons in Japan: results of a survey conducted by the Japan Surgical Society. Part 1: Working style.

      PubMed

      Kawase, Kazumi; Nomura, Kyoko; Tominaga, Ryuji; Iwase, Hirotaka; Ogawa, Tomoko; Shibasaki, Ikuko; Shimada, Mitsuo; Taguchi, Tomoaki; Takeshita, Emiko; Tomizawa, Yasuko; Nomura, Sachiyo; Hanazaki, Kazuhiro; Hanashi, Tomoko; Yamashita, Hiroko; Kokudo, Norihiro; Maeda, Kotaro

      2018-01-01

      To assess the working styles of men and women working as surgeons in Japan. In July, 2014, the Japan Surgical Society invited all their members (n = 29,861), through an internet campaign, to participate in a nationwide survey of surgeons. The items investigated in this descriptive study included demographic information and working styles, based on a questionnaire. In total, 6211 surgeons participated (response rate 20.8%, 5586 men and 625 women). The largest age stratum was 40-49 years for men and 30-39 years for women. Overall, respondents identified their labor contract, including salary and work hours, as the highest priority for improvement. Women with children were more likely to be part-time employees, work fewer hours, and take fewer house calls/on-calls than their male counterparts. Moreover, women of all ages earned a lower annual income than men, irrespective of whether they had children. Perception scores for discrimination related to work and promotion were significantly higher among women than men (p < 0.01 and p = 0.011, respectively). A significant difference in working style was observed between men and women working as surgeons in Japan.

    7. Helicobacter pylori infection in Japan

      PubMed Central

      Shiota, Seiji; Murakawi, Kazunari; Suzuki, Rumiko; Fujioka, Toshio; Yamaoka, Yoshio

      2013-01-01

      The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection is gradually decreasing in Japan. On the main island of Japan, nearly all H. pylori isolates possess cagA and vacA with strong virulence. However, less virulent H. pylori strains are frequently found in Okinawa where cases of gastric cancer are the lowest in Japan. Eradication therapy for peptic ulcer, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma and early gastric cancer after endoscopic resection has been approved by the Japanese national health insurance system. However, the Japanese Society for Helicobacter Research recently stated that all ‘H. pylori infection’ was considered as the indication for eradication irrespective of the background diseases. To eliminate H. pylori in Japan, the Japanese health insurance system should approve the eradication of all H. pylori infections. PMID:23265147

    8. Non-physician communities in Japan: are they still disadvantaged?

      PubMed

      Kashima, S; Inoue, K; Matsumoto, M; Takeuchi, K

      2014-01-01

      Non-physician community' (NPC) is a policy term that indicates a medically underserved area in Japan. Designated NPCs are politically targeted as the foci of medical resource allocation. NPC is defined as a specified district where 50 or more persons dwell within a geographic diameter of 4 km and medical care is not easily accessible. The definition of NPC was first introduced in 1960 and has been unchanged for more than half a century despite radical social changes in rural Japan. This study examines whether designated NPCs are still more disadvantaged in terms of geographical access to healthcare in comparison to other communities. Hiroshima prefecture, which has the largest number of NPCs in terms of tertiary healthcare areas of Japan, was used as the study area. Targeted communities were all the NPCs in the prefecture, and, as controls, two community groups were selected: non-NPC adjacent to NPC, and municipal center. We measured driving time from NPCs and control communities to the nearest healthcare facilities, which were classified into the following two types: primary or secondary care facilities (n=2636) and tertiary care facilities (equal to tertiary emergency care centers; n=6). We further calculated the driving time to the nearest facilities for secondary emergency care (n=246) extracted from the 2636 primary or secondary care facilities. The median driving times to the nearest primary or secondary healthcare facility for NPC, non-NPC, and municipal center were 11 minutes, 11 minutes, and 1 minute, respectively; the times to a tertiary healthcare facility (equal to an accident and emergency care center) were 80 minutes, 84 minutes, and 68 minutes, respectively; and the times to a secondary emergency care facility were 24 minutes, 18 minutes, and 15 minutes, respectively. Although a municipal center was significantly more advantageous in driving time compared to a primary or secondary care facility, the disadvantage of a NPC in access was no more obvious

    9. Regional differences in infant 25-Hydroxyvitamin D: Pilot study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

      PubMed

      Ayabe, Tadayuki; Yamamoto-Hanada, Kiwako; Mezawa, Hidetoshi; Konishi, Mizuho; Ishitsuka, Kazue; Saito, Mayako; Fukami, Maki; Michikawa, Takehiro; Yamazaki, Shin; Senju, Ayako; Kusuhara, Koichi; Kawamoto, Toshihiro; Sanefuji, Masafumi; Kato, Kiyoko; Oda, Masako; Mitsubuchi, Hiroshi; Katoh, Takahiko; Monden, Yukifumi; Mise, Nathan; Kayama, Fujio; Saito, Hirohisa; Ohya, Yukihiro

      2018-01-01

      In recent years, a resurgence in the number of infants with vitamin D deficiency has been noted. In addition to seasonal differences in exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, regional differences in dietary habits and lifestyles may affect susceptibility to vitamin D deficiency. No studies have been conducted, however, on infants in multiple regions of Japan to determine the extent of differences in vitamin D status. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was measured on radioimmunoassay in 126 infants aged 2-4 years, who participated in the Pilot Study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) by the Ministry of Environment of Japan. A multiple regression model with 25OHD level as the outcome variable, and season and region as explanatory variables, was generated. Both region and season during which infants participated in this study significantly affected 25OHD level (P = 0.0087 and <0.0001, respectively; Wald test). Reflecting decreased exposure to UV rays, infants who were examined in winter had lower 25OHD than those examined in summer. Infants from both Fukuoka Prefecture (33°N) and Kumamoto Prefecture (32°N), however, had lower 25OHD than those from Tochigi Prefecture (36°N), contrary to expectations given the extent of UV exposure. Regional differences in daily habits and/or environmental factors affect 25OHD level in Japanese infants. The JECS is expected to identify those factors to provide guidance on preventing infantile vitamin D deficiency. © 2017 Japan Pediatric Society.

    10. Occupational Class Differences in Body Mass Index and Weight Gain in Japan and Finland

      PubMed Central

      Silventoinen, Karri; Tatsuse, Takashi; Martikainen, Pekka; Rahkonen, Ossi; Lahelma, Eero; Sekine, Michikazu; Lallukka, Tea

      2013-01-01

      Background Occupational class differences in body mass index (BMI) have been systematically reported in developed countries, but the studies have mainly focused on white populations consuming a Westernized diet. We compared occupational class differences in BMI and BMI change in Japan and Finland. Methods The baseline surveys were conducted during 1998–1999 among Japanese (n = 4080) and during 2000–2002 among Finnish (n = 8685) public-sector employees. Follow-up surveys were conducted among those still employed, in 2003 (n = 3213) and 2007 (n = 7086), respectively. Occupational class and various explanatory factors were surveyed in the baseline questionnaires. Linear regression models were used for data analysis. Results BMI was higher at baseline and BMI gain was more rapid in Finland than in Japan. In Finland, baseline BMI was lowest among men and women in the highest occupational class and progressively increased to the lowest occupational class; no gradient was found in Japan (country interaction effect, P = 0.020 for men and P < 0.0001 for women). Adjustment for confounding factors reflecting work conditions and health behavior increased the occupational class gradient among Finnish men and women, whereas factors related to social life had no effect. No statistically significant difference in BMI gain was found between occupational classes. Conclusions The occupational class gradient in BMI was strong among Finnish employees but absent among Japanese employees. This suggests that occupational class inequalities in obesity are not inevitable, even in high-income societies. PMID:24140817

    11. Review of Stantonia Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Orgilinae) from Vietnam, China, Japan, and Russia, with descriptions of six new species

      PubMed Central

      van Achterberg, Cornelis; Long, Khuat Dang; Chen, Xue-xin

      2017-01-01

      Abstract The genus Stantonia Ashmead, 1904 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Orgilinae) is reviewed for Vietnam, China, Japan, and Russia. Six new species of the genus Stantonia are described and illustrated: Stantonia brevicaudata van Achterberg, sp. n., S. dickyyui van Achterberg & Long, sp. n., S. granulata Long & van Achterberg, sp. n., S. robustifemur van Achterberg & Long, sp. n., S. stilpnosoma Long & van Achterberg, sp. n., and S. vietnamica van Achterberg, sp. n. A new subgenus (Planitonia subg. n.: type species Stantonia robustifemur van Achterberg & Long, sp. n.) is proposed for the species with a flat clypeus and face, and reduced vein r-m of the fore wing. Three species are newly recorded from Vietnam: Stantonia gracilis van Achterberg, 1987, S. sumatrana Enderlein, 1908, and S. tianmushana Chen, He & Ma, 2004. A key to species of Stantonia from Vietnam, China, Russia, and Japan is provided. PMID:29362527

    12. Factors associated with motivation and hesitation to work among health professionals during a public crisis: a cross sectional study of hospital workers in Japan during the pandemic (H1N1) 2009.

      PubMed

      Imai, Hissei; Matsuishi, Kunitaka; Ito, Atsushi; Mouri, Kentaro; Kitamura, Noboru; Akimoto, Keiko; Mino, Koichi; Kawazoe, Ayako; Isobe, Masanori; Takamiya, Shizuo; Mita, Tatsuo

      2010-11-04

      The professionalism of hospital workers in Japan was challenged by the pandemic (H1N1) 2009. To maintain hospital function under critical situations such as a pandemic, it is important to understand the factors that increase and decrease the willingness to work. Previous hospital-based studies have examined this question using hypothetical events, but so far it has not been examined in an actual pandemic. Here, we surveyed the factors that influenced the motivation and hesitation of hospital workers to work in Japan soon after the pandemic (H1N1) 2009. Self-administered anonymous questionnaires about demographic character and stress factors were distributed to all 3635 employees at three core hospitals in Kobe city, Japan and were collected from June to July, 2009, about one month after the pandemic (H1N1) in Japan. Of a total of 3635 questionnaires distributed, 1693 (46.7%) valid questionnaires were received. 28.4% (N = 481) of workers had strong motivation and 14.7% (N = 249) had strong hesitation to work. Demographic characters and stress-related questions were categorised into four types according to the odds ratios (OR) of motivation and hesitation to work: some factors increased motivation and lowered hesitation; others increased motivation only; others increased hesitation only and others increased both motivation and hesitation. The strong feeling of being supported by the national and local governments (Multivariate OR: motivation; 3.5; CI 2.2-5.4, hesitation; 0.2; CI 0.1-0.6) and being protected by hospital (Multivariate OR: motivation; 2.8; CI 2.2-3.7, hesitation; 0.5; CI 0.3-0.7) were related to higher motivation and lower hesitation. Here, protection included taking precautions to prevent illness among workers and their families, providing for the care of those who do become ill, reducing malpractice threats, and financial support for families of workers who die on duty. But 94.1% of the respondents answered protection by the national and local

    13. Prenatal care services in the public and private arena.

      PubMed

      Blackwell, Deborah A

      2002-12-01

      This exploratory study described the prenatal care experience in the public and private arena from the perceptions of childbearing women using interpretive interactionism. A face-to-face interview comprised of eight open-ended questions was used to obtain pregnant women's perceptions of their prenatal care experience and prenatal care needs. The purposive sample consisted of six women who received private prenatal care and 14 women who received public prenatal care. Five essential elements of the prenatal care experience were identified. Prenatal care was viewed as a cooperative effort between informal self-care and formal care by health professionals. Issues related to individuality and normality were important considerations in the delivery of prenatal care. Controversy exists over the effectiveness of prenatal care in preventing poor outcomes, as the definition of what constitutes adequate prenatal care remains unclear. Advanced practice nurses (APNs) continue to play a pivotal role in the provision of prenatal care services. The expanded knowledge and skills possessed by APNs place them in a pivotal position to develop and implement individualized, developmentally appropriate prenatal care that the women in this study so desperately wanted. In addition, they can assist women in continuing the health promoting behaviors initiated prenatally through out their lifespan.

    14. Theropod courtship: large scale physical evidence of display arenas and avian-like scrape ceremony behaviour by Cretaceous dinosaurs.

      PubMed

      Lockley, Martin G; McCrea, Richard T; Buckley, Lisa G; Lim, Jong Deock; Matthews, Neffra A; Breithaupt, Brent H; Houck, Karen J; Gierliński, Gerard D; Surmik, Dawid; Kim, Kyung Soo; Xing, Lida; Kong, Dal Yong; Cart, Ken; Martin, Jason; Hadden, Glade

      2016-01-07

      Relationships between non-avian theropod dinosaurs and extant and fossil birds are a major focus of current paleobiological research. Despite extensive phylogenetic and morphological support, behavioural evidence is mostly ambiguous and does not usually fossilize. Thus, inferences that dinosaurs, especially theropods displayed behaviour analogous to modern birds are intriguing but speculative. Here we present extensive and geographically widespread physical evidence of substrate scraping behavior by large theropods considered as compelling evidence of "display arenas" or leks, and consistent with "nest scrape display" behaviour among many extant ground-nesting birds. Large scrapes, up to 2 m in diameter, occur abundantly at several Cretaceous sites in Colorado. They constitute a previously unknown category of large dinosaurian trace fossil, inferred to fill gaps in our understanding of early phases in the breeding cycle of theropods. The trace makers were probably lekking species that were seasonally active at large display arena sites. Such scrapes indicate stereotypical avian behaviour hitherto unknown among Cretaceous theropods, and most likely associated with terrirorial activity in the breeding season. The scrapes most probably occur near nesting colonies, as yet unknown or no longer preserved in the immediate study areas. Thus, they provide clues to paleoenvironments where such nesting sites occurred.

    15. Development of a reliable method for determining sex for a primitive rodent, the Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

      Treesearch

      Kristine L. Pilgrim; William J. Zielinski; Fredrick V. Schlexer; Michael K. Schwartz

      2012-01-01

      The mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) is a primitive species of rodent, often considered a living fossil. The Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra) is an endangered subspecies that occurs in a very restricted range in northern California. Efforts to recover this taxon have been limited by the lack of knowledge on their demography, particularly sex and age...

    16. Will Japan Rearm.

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1977-06-10

      Faculty Accepte d th is _________ day of~~~U)~4 l977~c~y.11 -~~~~~~~~~~~~D i rector , Master of Militar y Art Science . The opinions and...j~ s’ri : ‘~~~~ ~ IC . _ __~~~~~~ i 1~~~~~n Unhi ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 150 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ L~ MASTER OF MILITARY ART ... SCIENCE THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Name of Candidate Joseph Bertrand Berger, Jr. Major, Air Defense Artillery T it le of Thes i s W i l l Japan Rearm

    17. Sleep, serotonin, and suicide in Japan.

      PubMed

      Kohyama, Jun

      2011-01-01

      This article reviews evidence supporting the hypothesis that suicide rates in Japan could be reduced by elevating serotonin levels via increasing the average duration of sleep. Seven major relevant findings were apparent in the literature: 1) Sleep loss is associated with suicide, but the direction of causality is equivocal. 2) Decreased serotonergic activity may be involved in suicidal behavior. 3) Sleep debt may decrease serotonergic activity. 4) The suicide rate in Japan has remained at a heightened level for the past 12 years. 5) The average sleep duration in Japan has decreased over the past 40 years. 6) The average sleep duration in Japan is among the lowest in the world. 7) The average sleep duration in Japan plateaued in 1995 and has been relatively stable since. From the research reviewed, two major problematic issues were apparent: 1) Most people in Japan receive inadequate sleep. 2) Individuals whose sleep is inadequate are unlikely to be sufficiently physically active to stimulate serotonergic systems to a desirable level. I propose that public health initiatives encouraging a longer duration of sleep may provide a relatively simple way of addressing the disturbing current trend in Japan. The combination of actigraph and brain serotonin level measurement could allow large population-based cohort studies to be designed, to elucidate the causal links between sleep duration, serotonin levels, and suicide rates.

    18. Epidemiological factors associated to spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea in Japan.

      PubMed

      Sasaki, Yosuke; Alvarez, Julio; Sekiguchi, Satoshi; Sueyoshi, Masuo; Otake, Satoshi; Perez, Andres

      2016-01-01

      Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is an emerging disease of pigs that has recently led to large numbers of piglet deaths in a number of countries of Eastern Asia and The Americas. The objective of the present study was to identify and compare risk factors associated with PED infection in locally and non-locally PED-exposed farms in Japan. A questionnaire was administered to a convenience selection of pig farms located throughout Japan. Questionnaires were administered between November 2013 (when the first case was reported in Japan) and August 2014. PED-positive farms (cases, n=124) were asked to provide information on their status (positive or negative) and select herd management practices for the two weeks prior to onset of PED clinical signs. Negative farms (controls, n=128) were given the same questionnaire and asked herd management practices for the two weeks prior to a given reference date. This date was assigned based on the date of PED occurrence in the town/prefecture in which the farm was located. Case and control farms were categorized as "locally exposed" if they were located within a 5km radius from a PED-infected farm and "non-locally exposed", otherwise. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with PED infection. Two separate regressions were done for locally exposed and non-locally exposed farms using PED status (positive/negative) as the dependent variable. PED in locally-exposed farms was associated (P<0.05) with increased farm size (in 100 pig increments), shorter distances to the closest PED-positive farm (less than1,001m), and a disinfectant contact time of less than 20min. In non-locally exposed farms, PED was associated (P<0.05) with increased feed truck visits to the farm, no visit of the veterinarian, and again a disinfectant contact time of less than 20min. These findings suggest that the mechanisms of PED spread in Japan were different for farms closer to case-farms compared to farms that were further away from

    19. Psychology in Japan.

      PubMed

      Imada, Hiroshi; Tanaka-Matsumi, Junko

      2016-06-01

      The purpose of this article is to provide information about Japan and its psychology in advance of the 31st International Congress of Psychology (ICP), to be held in Yokohama, Japan, in 2016. The article begins with the introduction of the Japanese Psychological Association (JPA), the hosting organization of the ICP 2016, and the Japanese Union of Psychological Associations consisting of 51 associations/societies, of which the JPA is a member. This is followed by a brief description of a history of psychology of Japan, with emphasis on the variation in our approach to psychology in three different periods, that is, the pre- and post-Pacific War periods, and the post-1960 period. Next, the international contributions of Japanese psychology/psychologists are discussed from the point of view of their visibility. Education and training in psychology in Japanese universities is discussed with a final positive remark about the long-awaited enactment of the Accredited Psychologist Law in September, 2015. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

    20. δ13C and δ15N Values of Sediment-trap Particles in the Japan and Yamato Basins and Comparison with the Core-top Values in the East/Japan Sea

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Khim, Boo-Keun; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Park, Kyung-Ae; Noriki, Shinichiro

      2018-03-01

      Investigation of sediment-trap deployments in the East/Japan Sea (EJS) showed that distinct seasonal variations in particulate organic carbon (POC) fluxes of intermediate-water sediment-traps clearly corresponded to changes in chlorophyll a concentrations estimated from SeaWiFS data. The prominent high POC flux periods (e.g., March) were strongly correlated with the enhanced surface-water phytoplankton blooms. Deep-water sedimenttraps exhibited similar variation patterns to intermediate-water sediment-traps. However, their total flux and POC flux were higher than those of intermediate-water sediment-traps during some months (e.g., April and May), indicating the lateral delivery of some particles to the deep-water sediment-traps. Distinct seasonal δ13C and δ15N variations in settling particles of the intermediate-water sediment-traps were observed, strongly supporting the notion of seasonal primary production. Seasonal variations in δ13C and δ15N values from the deep-water sediment-traps were similar to those of the intermediate-water sediment-traps. However, the difference in δ13C and δ15N values between the intermediate-water and the deepwater sediment-traps may be attributed to degradation of organic matter as it sank through the water column. Comparison of fluxweighted δ13C and δ15N mean values between the deep-water sediment-traps and the core-top sediments showed that strong selective loss of organic matter components (lipids) depleted in 13C and 15N occurred during sediment burial. Nonetheless, the results of our study indicate that particles in the deep-water sediment-trap deposited as surface sediments on the seafloor preserve the record of surface-water conditions, highlighting the usefulness of sedimentary δ13C and δ15N values as a paleoceanographic application in the EJS.

    1. A proposal for clinical genetics (genetics in medicine) education for medical technologists and other health professionals in Japan.

      PubMed

      Kohzaki, Hidetsugu

      2014-01-01

      Since the completion of the Human Genome Project, technology has developed markedly in fields such as medical genetics and genetic counseling in the medical arena. In particular, this technology has advanced the discovery of and ways of understanding various genes responsible for genetic diseases, and genetic polymorphisms thought to be associated with disease. Some have been implicated as factors in common lifestyle diseases and have increased the significance of genetic testing. In Japan, doctors and other health professionals, such as nurse and medical technologists have been engaged in genetic testing and genetic disease treatment. Chromosomal and gene aberrations were detected mainly by medical technologists. However, due to the nature of medical technologists who have to provide various clinical tests, such as blood test, pre-medical technology students are required to cover tremendous knowledge of different academic fields to pass the national exam. Therefore, the time allowed for such students to study chromosomal and gene analysis is quite limited. Moreover, they are forced to enter the medical setting without receiving sufficient training. Among them, only few medical technologists specialize in chromosomal and gene analysis. However, with the advancement of clinical genetics and development of chromosomal and gene analysis, conducting clinical practice is becoming more and more difficult for medical technologists who just passed the national exam. Also, doctors and other health professionals have not been able to keep up with service demands either. This paper attempts to address knowledge and skills gaps (especially clinical genetics, English, and ICT literacy) of medical technologists and we propose educational methods to prepare medical genetics professionals in Japan to meet these gaps.

    2. Guidelines for obstetrical practice in Japan: Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) and Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (JAOG) 2014 edition.

      PubMed

      Minakami, Hisanori; Maeda, Tsugio; Fujii, Tomoyuki; Hamada, Hiromi; Iitsuka, Yoshinori; Itakura, Atsuo; Itoh, Hiroaki; Iwashita, Mitsutoshi; Kanagawa, Takeshi; Kanai, Makoto; Kasuga, Yoshio; Kawabata, Masakiyo; Kobayashi, Kosuke; Kotani, Tomomi; Kudo, Yoshiki; Makino, Yasuo; Matsubara, Shigeki; Matsuda, Hideo; Miura, Kiyonori; Murakoshi, Takeshi; Murotsuki, Jun; Ohkuchi, Akihide; Ohno, Yasumasa; Ohshiba, Yoko; Satoh, Shoji; Sekizawa, Akihiko; Sugiura, Mayumi; Suzuki, Shunji; Takahashi, Tsuneo; Tsukahara, Yuki; Unno, Nobuya; Yoshikawa, Hiroyuki

      2014-06-01

      The 'Clinical Guidelines for Obstetrical Practice, 2011 edition' were revised and published as a 2014 edition (in Japanese) in April 2014 by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The aims of this publication include the determination of current standard care practices for pregnant women in Japan, the widespread use of standard care practices, the enhancement of safety in obstetrical practice, the reduction of burdens associated with medico-legal and medico-economical problems, and a better understanding between pregnant women and maternity-service providers. The number of Clinical Questions and Answers items increased from 87 in the 2011 edition to 104 in the 2014 edition. The Japanese 2014 version included a Discussion, a List of References, and some Tables and Figures following the Answers to the 104 Clinical Questions; these additional sections covered common problems and questions encountered in obstetrical practice, helping Japanese readers to achieve a comprehensive understanding. Each answer with a recommendation level of A, B or C was prepared based principally on 'evidence' or a consensus among Japanese obstetricians in situations where 'evidence' was weak or lacking. Answers with a recommendation level of A or B represent current standard care practices in Japan. All 104 Clinical Questions and Answers items, with the omission of the Discussion, List of References, and Tables and Figures, are presented herein to promote a better understanding among English readers of the current standard care practices for pregnant women in Japan. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research © 2014 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

    3. Microsystems Research in Japan

      DTIC Science & Technology

      2003-09-01

      microsystems applications, like microfluidic systems, will require more than planar lithography -based fabrication processes. The committee was impressed by the...United States focused on exploiting silicon planar lithography as the core technology for microstructure fabrication, whereas Japan explored a wide...including LIGA and its extensions, micro-stereolithography, and e-beam lithography . The range of materials seen in Japan was broader than in the

    4. Anaerobic digestion of organic waste in Japan: the first demonstration plant at Kyoto City.

      PubMed

      Komatsu, T; Kimura, T; Kuriyama, Y; Isshiki, Y; Kawano, T; Hirao, T; Masuda, M; Yokoyama, K; Matsumoto, T; Takeda, M

      2002-01-01

      Recycling of Municipal Solid Waste is vigorously promoted in Japan and the necessity of energy recovery from organic waste is increasing. An anaerobic digestion demonstration plant for organic waste in Kyoto City, Japan has been operated for about two years. Three kinds of wastes (garbage and leftovers from hotels, yard waste and used paper) mixed at various ratios are used. The plant has maintained stable operations with each mixture, generating biogas by the decomposition of VS at the rate of about 820 m3N/ton-VS.

    5. First isolation of Actinobacillus genomospecies 2 in Japan

      PubMed Central

      MURAKAMI, Miyuki; SHIMONISHI, Yoshimasa; HOBO, Seiji; NIWA, Hidekazu; ITO, Hiroya

      2015-01-01

      We describe here the first isolation of Actinobacillus genomospecies 2 in Japan. The isolate was found in a septicemic foal and characterized by phenotypic and genetic analyses, with the latter consisting of 16S rDNA nucleotide sequence analysis plus multilocus sequence analysis using three housekeeping genes, recN, rpoA and thdF, that have been proposed for use as a genomic tool in place of DNA-DNA hybridization. PMID:26668165

    6. 75 FR 38119 - Polychloroprene Rubber From Japan

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2010-07-01

      ... Rubber From Japan AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION: Institution of a five-year review concerning the antidumping duty finding on polychloroprene rubber from Japan. SUMMARY: The... on polychloroprene rubber from Japan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of...

    7. Electronic manufacturing and packaging in Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Kelly, Michael J.; Boulton, William R. (Editor); Kukowski, John A.; Meieran, Eugene S.; Pecht, Michael; Peeples, John W.; Tummala, Rao R.

      1995-01-01

      This report summarizes the status of electronic manufacturing and packaging technology in Japan in comparison to that in the United States, and its impact on competition in electronic manufacturing in general. In addition to electronic manufacturing technologies, the report covers technology and manufacturing infrastructure, electronics manufacturing and assembly, quality assurance and reliability in the Japanese electronics industry, and successful product realization strategies. The panel found that Japan leads the United States in almost every electronics packaging technology. Japan clearly has achieved a strategic advantage in electronics production and process technologies. Panel members believe that Japanese competitors could be leading U.S. firms by as much as a decade in some electronics process technologies. Japan has established this marked competitive advantage in electronics as a consequence of developing low-cost, high-volume consumer products. Japan's infrastructure, and the remarkable cohesiveness of vision and purpose in government and industry, are key factors in the success of Japan's electronics industry. Although Japan will continue to dominate consumer electronics in the foreseeable future, opportunities exist for the United States and other industrial countries to capture an increasingly large part of the market. The JTEC panel has identified no insurmountable barriers that would prevent the United States from regaining a significant share of the consumer electronics market; in fact, there is ample evidence that the United States needs to aggressively pursue high-volume, low-cost electronic assembly, because it is a critical path leading to high-performance electronic systems.

    8. Beyond learning fixed rules and social cues: abstraction in the social arena.

      PubMed Central

      Call, Joseph

      2003-01-01

      Abstraction is a central idea in many areas of physical comparative cognition such as categorization, numerical competence or problem solving. This idea, however, has rarely been applied to comparative social cognition. In this paper, I propose that the notion of abstraction can be applied to the social arena and become an important tool to investigate the social cognition and behaviour processes in animals. To make this point, I present recent evidence showing that chimpanzees know about what others can see and about what others intend. These data do not fit either low-level mechanisms based on stimulus-response associations or high-level explanations based on metarepresentational mechanisms such as false belief attribution. Instead, I argue that social abstraction, in particular the development of concepts such as seeing in others, is key to explaining the behaviour of our closest relative in a variety of situations. PMID:12903652

    9. Contested visions of American democracy: citizenship, public housing, and the international arena.

      PubMed

      Argersinger, Jo Ann E

      2010-01-01

      This essay reexamines the history of public housing and the controversy it generated from the Great Depression to the Cold War. By recasting that history in the global arena, it demonstrates that the debate over public housing versus homeownership was also a debate over the meaning of American citizenship and democracy, pointing up starkly divergent notions about what was and was not American. Through an examination of national conflicts and neglected local struggles, this article further shows that the fight over public housing was far more meaningful and volatile than traditionally assumed. Both critics and advocates of public housing drew from international experiences and imagery in positioning the home as a constitutive feature of citizenship in American democracy. Fears of Bolshevism, fascism, and communism served to internationalize issues of race, space, and housing and together shaped the decision of whether a decent home was an American right or privilege.

    10. Analysis on flexible manufacturing system layout using arena simulation software

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Fadzly, M. K.; Saad, Mohd Sazli; Shayfull, Z.

      2017-09-01

      Flexible manufacturing system (FMS) was defined as highly automated group technology machine cell, consisting of a group of processing stations interconnected by an automated material handling and storage system, and controlled by an integrated computer system. FMS can produce parts or products are in the mid-volume, mid-variety production range. The layout system in FMS is an important criterion to design the FMS system to produce a part or product. This facility layout of an FMS involves the positioning of cells within given boundaries, so as to minimize the total projected travel time between cells. Defining the layout includes specifying the spatial coordinates of each cell, its orientation in either a horizontal or vertical position, and the location of its load or unloads point. There are many types of FMS layout such as In-line, loop ladder and robot centered cell layout. The research is concentrating on the design and optimization FMS layout. The final conclusion can be summarized that the objective to design and optimisation of FMS layout for this study is successful because the FMS In-line layout is the best layout based on effective time and cost using ARENA simulation software.

    11. Electronics manufacturing and assembly in Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Kukowski, John A.; Boulton, William R.

      1995-01-01

      In the consumer electronics industry, precision processing technology is the basis for enhancing product functions and for minimizing components and end products. Throughout Japan, manufacturing technology is seen as critical to the production and assembly of advanced products. While its population has increased less than 30 percent over twenty-five years, Japan's gross national product has increase thirtyfold; this growth has resulted in large part from rapid replacement of manual operations with innovative, high-speed, large-scale, continuously running, complex machines that process a growing number of miniaturized components. The JTEC panel found that introduction of next-generation electronics products in Japan goes hand-in-hand with introduction of new and improved production equipment. In the panel's judgment, Japan's advanced process technologies and equipment development and its highly automated factories are crucial elements of its domination of the consumer electronics marketplace - and Japan's expertise in manufacturing consumer electronics products gives it potentially unapproachable process expertise in all electronics markets.

    12. Japan’s Role in the New Era

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1992-04-15

      JAPAN’S ROLE IN THE NEW ERA BY .1 Colonel Yasuhiro Naomi ELECTE .F Japan Ground Self Defense Force ,4aY 1.4 19,92 A DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved...Colonel Yasuhiro Naomi D.ti ibltof Japan Ground Self Defense Force ,v’ilti~ity Cod - A~a~i ardj r Colonel Donald W. Boose, Jr...Pennsylvania 17013 ABSTRACT AUTHOR: Colonel Yasuhiro Naomi, Japan Ground Self -Defense Force TITLE: Japan’s Role in the New Era FORMAT: Individual Study

    13. Explaining Meiji Japans Top Down Revolution

      DTIC Science & Technology

      2017-12-01

      enabled Japan to become a great power also provides insights into how Japan became what it is today—an economically strong but militarily weak country...top- down nature of the Japanese revolution allowed for effective decision-making that centralized domestic politics and boosted economic ...other road focuses on changes made to compete with the West in the economic and military realm. Since Meiji Japan began in reaction to hostile Western

    14. Identity Exploration, Commitment, and Distress: A Cross National Investigation in China, Taiwan, Japan, and the United States

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Berman, Steven L.; You, Yu-Fang; Schwartz, Seth; Teo, Grace; Mochizuki, Kohei

      2011-01-01

      This study tested cross cultural measurement equivalence of three identity constructs by testing the factor invariance among participants from four nations. Data from measures of identity exploration, commitment, and distress were collected from university students in Mainland China (n = 85), Taiwan (n = 117), Japan (n = 117), and the United…

    15. Determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in marine fish obtained from tsunami-stricken areas of Japan.

      PubMed

      Uekusa, Yoshinori; Takatsuki, Satoshi; Tsutsumi, Tomoaki; Akiyama, Hiroshi; Matsuda, Rieko; Teshima, Reiko; Hachisuka, Akiko; Watanabe, Takahiro

      2017-01-01

      We determined the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in 101 marine fish obtained from tsunami-stricken areas following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. In particular, to determine the degree of PCB contamination in the fish, we investigated the concentration of total PCB (∑PCB) and the proportions of 209 individual PCB congeners by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry. The ∑PCB concentration was 1.7-33 ng/g in fat greenling (n = 29), 0.44-25 ng/g in flounder (n = 36), and 1.6-86 ng/g in mackerel (n = 36), all values being much lower than the provisional regulatory limit in Japan. In the congener analysis, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, and hepta-chlorinated PCB congeners dominated in all samples (comprising over 86% of the ∑PCB). The proportions of the chlorinated PCB congeners were similar to the contamination patterns derived from Kanechlor in the environment, implying that the marine fish were not contaminated with fresh PCBs.

    16. Contraception in Japan: Current trends.

      PubMed

      Yoshida, Honami; Sakamoto, Haruka; Leslie, Asuka; Takahashi, Osamu; Tsuboi, Satoshi; Kitamura, Kunio

      2016-06-01

      High proportion of Japanese uses condoms; lower proportion uses oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). We examined the longitudinal patterns for contraceptive usage in Japan and evaluated differences before and after OCP government approval. We accessed nationally representative survey data for women aged 16-49years from 1950 to 2014. Usage of condoms and OCP was 83.4% and 3.0%, respectively in 2014. OCP use before (1.21%) and after (1.97%) government approval did not differ significantly (p=.58). The prevalence of OCP usage remains low in Japan. A wide gap in use between Japan and other developed countries exists. Through a wide gap in OCP use between Japan and other countries, we revealed how choices of contraceptive methods and their benefits could be openly available for women of reproductive age, and how health care professionals disseminate appropriate knowledge about contraception for women in need. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    17. Analysis of gender-based differences among surgeons in Japan: results of a survey conducted by the Japan Surgical Society. Part. 2: personal life.

      PubMed

      Kawase, Kazumi; Nomura, Kyoko; Tominaga, Ryuji; Iwase, Hirotaka; Ogawa, Tomoko; Shibasaki, Ikuko; Shimada, Mitsuo; Taguchi, Tomoaki; Takeshita, Emiko; Tomizawa, Yasuko; Nomura, Sachiyo; Hanazaki, Kazuhiro; Hanashi, Tomoko; Yamashita, Hiroko; Kokudo, Norihiro; Maeda, Kotaro

      2018-03-01

      To assess the true conditions and perceptions of the personal lives of men and women working as surgeons in Japan. In 2014, all e-mail subscribed members of the Japan Surgical Society (JSS, n = 29,861) were invited to complete a web-based survey. The questions covered demographic information, work environment, and personal life (including marital status, childcare, and nursing care for adult family members). In total, 6211 surgeons (5586 men and 625 women) returned the questionnaires, representing a response rate of 20.8%. Based on the questionnaire responses, surgeons generally prioritize work and spend most of their time at work, although women with children prioritize their family over work; men spend significantly fewer hours on domestic work/childcare than do their female counterparts (men 0.76 h/day vs. women 2.93 h/day, p < 0.01); and both men and women surgeons, regardless of their age or whether they have children, place more importance on the role of women in the family. The personal lives of Japanese surgeons differed significantly according to gender and whether they have children. The conservative idea that women should bear primary responsibility for the family still pertains for both men and women working as surgeons in Japan.

    18. Qualitative Investigation of the Earthquake Precuesors Prior to the March 14,2012 Earthquake in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Raghuwanshi, Shailesh Kumar; Gwal, Ashok Kumar

      Abstract: In this study we have used the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) method in conjunction with the Cross Correlation analysis to analyze ionospheric foF2 parameter Japan earthquake with magnitude M = 6.9. The data are collected from Kokubunji (35.70N, 139.50E) and Yamakawa (31.20N, 130.60E) ionospheric stations. The EMD method was used for removing the geophysical noise from the foF2 data and then to calculate the correlation coefficient between them. It was found that the ionospheric foF2 parameter shows anomalous change few days before the earthquake. The results are in agreement with the theoretical model evidencing ionospheric modification prior to Japan earthquake in a certain area around the epicenter.

    19. Development and applicability of Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS) in Japan.

      PubMed

      Ito, Shinya; Seto, Kanako; Kigawa, Mika; Fujita, Shigeru; Hasegawa, Toshihiko; Hasegawa, Tomonori

      2011-02-07

      Patient safety culture at healthcare organizations plays an important role in guaranteeing, improving and promoting overall patient safety. Although several conceptual frameworks have been proposed in the past, no standard measurement tool has yet been developed for Japan. In order to examine possibilities to introduce the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS) in Japan, the authors of this study translated the HSOPS into Japanese, and evaluated its factor structure, internal consistency, and construct validity. Healthcare workers (n = 6,395) from 13 acute care general hospitals in Japan participated in this survey. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the Japanese HSOPS' 12-factor model was selected as the most pertinent, and showed a sufficiently high standard partial regression coefficient. The internal reliability of the subscale scores was 0.46-0.88. The construct validity of each safety culture sub-dimension was confirmed by polychoric correlation, and by an ordered probit analysis. The results of the present study indicate that the factor structures of the Japanese and the American HSOPS are almost identical, and that the Japanese HSOPS has acceptable levels of internal reliability and construct validity. This shows that the HSOPS can be introduced in Japan.

    20. Recent trends for drug lag in clinical development of oncology drugs in Japan: does the oncology drug lag still exist in Japan?

      PubMed

      Maeda, Hideki; Kurokawa, Tatsuo

      2015-12-01

      This study exhaustively and historically investigated the status of drug lag for oncology drugs approved in Japan. We comprehensively investigated oncology drugs approved in Japan between April 2001 and July 2014, using publicly available information. We also examined changes in the status of drug lag between Japan and the United States, as well as factors influencing drug lag. This study included 120 applications for approval of oncology drugs in Japan. The median difference over a 13-year period in the approval date between the United States and Japan was 875 days (29.2 months). This figure peaked in 2002, and showed a tendency to decline gradually each year thereafter. In 2014, the median approval lag was 281 days (9.4 months). Multiple regression analysis identified the following potential factors that reduce drug lag: "Japan's participation in global clinical trials"; "bridging strategies"; "designation of priority review in Japan"; and "molecularly targeted drugs". From 2001 to 2014, molecularly targeted drugs emerged as the predominant oncology drug, and the method of development has changed from full development in Japan or bridging strategy to global simultaneous development by Japan's taking part in global clinical trials. In line with these changes, the drug lag between the United States and Japan has significantly reduced to less than 1 year.

    1. Advanced composites in Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Diefendorf, R. Judd; Hillig, William G.; Grisaffe, Salvatore J.; Pipes, R. Byron; Perepezko, John H.; Sheehan, James E.

      1994-01-01

      The JTEC Panel on Advanced Composites surveyed the status and future directions of Japanese high-performance ceramic and carbon fibers and their composites in metal, intermetallic, ceramic, and carbon matrices. Because of a strong carbon and fiber industry, Japan is the leader in carbon fiber technology. Japan has initiated an oxidation-resistant carbon/carbon composite program. With its outstanding technical base in carbon technology, Japan should be able to match present technology in the U.S. and introduce lower-cost manufacturing methods. However, the panel did not see any innovative approaches to oxidation protection. Ceramic and especially intermetallic matrix composites were not yet receiving much attention at the time of the panel's visit. There was a high level of monolithic ceramic research and development activity. High temperature monolithic intermetallic research was just starting, but notable products in titanium aluminides had already appeared. Matrixless ceramic composites was one novel approach noted. Technologies for high temperature composites fabrication existed, but large numbers of panels or parts had not been produced. The Japanese have selected aerospace as an important future industry. Because materials are an enabling technology for a strong aerospace industry, Japan initiated an ambitious long-term program to develop high temperature composites. Although just starting, its progress should be closely monitored in the U.S.

    2. Will Japan Become a Military Superpower?

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1993-04-15

      SOURCE OF FUNDING NUMBERS PROGRAM PROJECT TASK WORK ý;NiT ELEMENT NO. NO. NO. CCESSiON NO 11. TITLE (Include Security Ciassification) Will Japan Become a... competition , Japan can no longer continue with status quo. Security relationships within the Asia-Pacific region are changing. The end of the Cold War...of the work on the aircraft while Mitsubishi would pick up the remaining 60 percent. This aircraft will use leading-edge technology. Japan wants to

    3. Urologic cancer in Japan: role of Japan at the frontier of issues in Asia.

      PubMed

      Akaza, Hideyuki

      2016-01-01

      The characteristics of urological cancer in Japan can be summarized in the following points. (i) As the onset of this type of cancer is typically seen in elderly patients, it is becoming a major social issue in Japan that has already become an aging society. (ii) Many diverse treatment methods are available and a response is required that prioritizes quality of life. (iii) Although vigorous research and development efforts into new drugs are being carried out on a global level, resulting in beneficial medical agents becoming more readily available, unless concepts relating to cost vs. effectiveness are further developed and there is a real risk that medical systems and structures in their current form will become unsustainable. (iv) Although at the current point there are no original large-scale clinical trials being conducted in Asia, Japan has a wealth of experience of participating in many international joint clinical trials and it is therefore an urgent and pressing challenge to organize joint clinical trials in Asia and amass a body of knowledge that is unique to Asia. In view of this current situation and given Japan's position at the frontier of issues, it is important for Japan to take the initiative in Asia in cooperating with other Asian nations in efforts to resolve and overcome various challenges. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

    4. Simulated settings; powerful arenas for learning patient safety practices and facilitating transference to clinical practice. A mixed method study.

      PubMed

      Reime, Marit Hegg; Johnsgaard, Tone; Kvam, Fred Ivan; Aarflot, Morten; Breivik, Marit; Engeberg, Janecke Merethe; Brattebø, Guttorm

      2016-11-01

      Poor teamwork is an important factor in the occurrence of critical incidents because of a lack of non-technical skills. Team training can be a key to prevent these incidents. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of nursing and medical students after a simulation-based interprofessional team training (SBITT) course and its impact on professional and patient safety practices, using a concurrent mixed-method design. The participants (n = 262) were organized into 44 interprofessional teams. The results showed that two training sequences the same day improved overall team performance. Making mistakes during SBITT appeared to improve the quality of patient care once the students returned to clinical practice as it made the students more vigilant. Furthermore, the video-assisted oral debriefing provided an opportunity to strengthen interprofessional teamwork and share situational awareness. SBITT gave the students an opportunity to practice clinical reasoning skills and to share professional knowledge. The students conveyed the importance of learning to speak up to ensure safe patient practices. Simulated settings seem to be powerful arenas for learning patient safety practices and facilitating transference of this awareness to clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    5. Construction of a policy arena: the case of public health in France.

      PubMed

      Bergeron, Henri; Nathanson, Constance A

      2012-02-01

      In this article we examine the transformation over the past two decades of public health as a policy arena in France from a backwater of little interest to politicians, bureaucrats, the media, and the public into a central preoccupation of the state. Recent dramatic health crises (the scandal over HIV-contaminated blood, mad cow disease, etc.) have substantially raised the political profile of (and corresponding state investment in) public health in France, offering opportunities and incentives for political actors not traditionally associated with public health to enter the field and challenging more traditional actors to galvanize themselves and compete for this newly attractive policy terrain. We use the occasion of the passage of a public health law in 2004, labeled by its proponents as the "first" public health law in one hundred years, to show how, in a context of national struggle to contain both risks and costs, "public health" -- chameleonlike -- has taken on various meanings and forms to serve highly conflicting political interests.

    6. Competing actors in the climate change arena in Mexico: A network analysis.

      PubMed

      Ortega Díaz, Araceli; Gutiérrez, Erika Casamadrid

      2018-06-01

      This paper analyzes the actors in the climate change arena and their influence in directing Mexico toward policies that decrease greenhouse gas emissions, such as the carbon tax and climate change law. The network analysis of the agreement of these laws and public policies in Mexico is a lesson for any country that is in the process of designing and adopting environmental laws. The research is performed using a network analysis that is derived from interviews with various main actors and a discourse analysis of the media. Results show that actors do not coordinate their efforts-they meet frequently but in different inter-ministerial commissions-and do not enforce the same policies. The actors in the industry have formed strong coalitions against the carbon tax and the General Law on Climate Change, whereas international institutions have formed coalitions that support these policies and laws. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    7. The US Occupation and Japan's New Democracy

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Kumano, Ruriko

      2007-01-01

      During the US Occupation of Japan (1945-1952), a victorious America attempted to reform Japanese education by replacing Japan's tradition system of values with one that promoted American democratic values. The United States had considered the source of Japan's militarism to lie in the selfless loyalty and love of country that many older Japanese…

    8. History Textbook Controversies in Japan. ERIC Digest.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Masalski, Kathleen Woods

      Currently, there is a controversy in Japan about textbook treatments of Japanese military actions during World War II. This digest examines: (1) the importance of history textbooks in schools in Japan and the United States; (2) the context of history textbook controversies in Japan; (3) the current issues and contending positions in the Japanese…

    9. Legislative Basis of Pedagogical Education in Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Kuchai, Tetiana

      2014-01-01

      Legal framework policy of Japan in the field of education has been analyzed. The problem of influence of legislative materials on the development of education in Japan, its legislative support has been considered. It has been defined that directive materials affect the development of education system in Japan. Legislation policy of the country is…

    10. Concentration of iodine-129 in surface seawater at subarctic and subtropical circulations in the Japan Sea

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Suzuki, Takashi; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Togawa, Orihiko

      2013-01-01

      To investigate the migration of anthropogenic 129I in the environment, we measured 129I concentrations at both subarctic (above 40oN) and subtropical (below 40oN) circulations in the surface seawater of the Japan Sea. The averaged concentrations of stations 193, 194, 201, 206 and 210 above 200 m were (2.1 ± 0.3) × 1010 atoms/m3, (2.0 ± 0.2) × 1010 atoms/m3, (1.6 ± 0.3) × 1010 atoms/m3, (1.4 ± 0.3) × 1010 atoms/m3 and (1.7 ± 0.3) × 1010 atoms/m3, respectively. The averaged concentration at the subarctic circulation in the Japan Sea above 200 m (1.9 × 1010 atoms/m3) was higher than that in the subtropical circulation (1.5 × 1010 atoms/m3). This latitudinal distribution pattern of 129I is not consistent with those of bomb-derived radionuclides such as 14C, 90Sr and 137Cs. Taking into account latitudinal location and the total amount of releases from reprocessing plants, this discriminating latitudinal distribution of 129I in the Japan Sea would indicate that a significant amount of 129I originating from active reprocessing plants in Europe is supplied to the surface of the Japan Sea.

    11. Ehrlichia chaffeensis Infection of Sika Deer, Japan

      PubMed Central

      Kawahara, Makoto; Tajima, Tomoko; Torii, Harumi; Yabutani, Mitsutaka; Ishii, Joji; Harasawa, Makiko; Isogai, Emiko

      2009-01-01

      To determine whether Ehrlichia chaffeensis exists in Japan, we used PCR to examine blood from sika deer in Nara, Japan. Of 117 deer, 36 (31%) were infected with E. chaffeensis. The E. chaffeensis 16S rRNA base and GroEL amino acid sequences from Japan were most closely related to those of E. chaffeensis Arkansas. PMID:19961683

    12. The Japan Medical Association's disaster preparedness: lessons from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

      PubMed

      Ishii, Masami; Nagata, Takashi

      2013-10-01

      A complex disaster, the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, consisted of a large-scale earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident, resulting in more than 15 000 fatalities, injuries, and missing persons and damage over a 500-km area. The entire Japanese public was profoundly affected by "3/11." The risk of radiation exposure initially delayed the medical response, prolonging the recovery efforts. Japan's representative medical organization, the Japan Medical Association (JMA), began dispatching Japan Medical Association Teams (JMATs) to affected areas beginning March 15, 2011. About 1400 JMATs comprising nearly 5500 health workers were launched. The JMA coordinated JMAT operations and cooperated in conducting postmortem examination, transporting large quantities of medical supplies, and establishing a multiorganizational council to provide health assistance to disaster survivors. Importantly, these response efforts contributed to the complete recovery of the health care system in affected areas within 3 months, and by July 15, 2011, JMATs were withdrawn. Subsequently, JMATs II have been providing long-term continuing medical support to disaster-affected areas. However, Japan is at great risk for future natural disasters because of its Pacific Rim location. Also, its rapidly aging population, uneven distribution of and shortage of medical resources in regional communities, and an overburdened public health insurance system highlight the need for a highly prepared and effective disaster response system.

    13. Cultural Perspectives on Aging and Well-Being: A Comparison of Japan and the United States

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Karasawa, Mayumi; Curhan, Katherine B.; Markus, Hazel Rose; Kitayama, Shinobu S.; Love, Gayle Dienberg; Radler, Barry T.; Ryff, Carol D.

      2011-01-01

      This study investigated age differences in multiple aspects of psychological well-being among midlife and older adults in Japan (N = 482) and the United States (N = 3,032) to test the hypothesis that older Japanese adults would rate aspects of their well-being (personal growth, purpose in life, positive relations with others) more highly that…

    14. Space robotics in Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Whittaker, William; Lowrie, James W.; Mccain, Harry; Bejczy, Antal; Sheridan, Tom; Kanade, Takeo; Allen, Peter

      1994-01-01

      Japan has been one of the most successful countries in the world in the realm of terrestrial robot applications. The panel found that Japan has in place a broad base of robotics research and development, ranging from components to working systems for manufacturing, construction, and human service industries. From this base, Japan looks to the use of robotics in space applications and has funded work in space robotics since the mid-1980's. The Japanese are focusing on a clear image of what they hope to achieve through three objectives for the 1990's: developing long-reach manipulation for tending experiments on Space Station Freedom, capturing satellites using a free-flying manipulator, and surveying part of the moon with a mobile robot. This focus and a sound robotics infrastructure is enabling the young Japanese space program to develop relevant systems for extraterrestrial robotics applications.

    15. Two species of Nilothauma Kieffer (Diptera, Chironomidae) from Japan, with description of a new species.

      PubMed

      Niitsuma, Hiromi

      2016-02-16

      The male and female adults and pupa of Nilothauma niidaense n. sp. are described and illustrated on the basis of the material collected from a fontal stream in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. N. sasai Adam & Sæther is treated as a junior synonym of N. hibaratertium Sasa, of which the male is redescribed. The Adam & Sæther key to Nilothauma males is revised.

    16. Bonding at Metal-Ceramic Interfaces in Hybrid Materials.

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1990-12-31

      an arena where America, Europe, and Japan will compete . Aerospace transport technologies will form the first link in this human endeavor. The...mechanical properties such as tranverse strength and shear properties and, more importantly, due to their high temperature capabilities [1]. The

    17. [Abortion in Japan].

      PubMed

      Yamamoto, K; Yamamoto, Y; Hayase, T

      1993-01-01

      In Japan, the artificial abortion is a penal offence; only in the presence of certain conditions it is authorized under the provision of the Eugenic Protection Law which was promulgated in 1948. According to the law, the artificial abortion is restricted to the period, in which the fetus is not viable outside of the uterus. This period is prescribed by notification from the Ministry of Public Welfare; up to now it has been shortened twice (1976, 1991). Due to the introduction of economic reasons in the list of conditions and the simplification of the procedure the artificial abortion in Japan was virtually liberalized. Prosecution for illegal abortion is very rare in recent years. The number of reported artificial abortions decreases; in the about last 30 years it reduced by half. However, the increase in the number of abortions in women younger than 20 years of age is a problem. The abortion in teenagers is late compared with that in other age groups. Although the number of neonaticides does not seem to increase, the increase in the number of abortions in teenagers remains a serious problem in Japan.

    18. Japanese-U.S. Economic Relations. Japan Digest.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Ellington, Lucien

      World War II was the last time when overall U.S.-Japan relations, and the economic relationship in particular, were as bad as appears to be the case in the 1990s. The United States and Japan are, respectively, the two largest economies in the world. The Japanese have the second leading market for U.S. products trailing only Canada. Japan buys more…

    19. Higher Education Studies in Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Kaneko, Motohisa

      2010-01-01

      The rapid development of higher education in the postwar period has given rise to various problems, and higher education studies in Japan have developed in response to them. What have been the major issues, and how did academic research respond to them, in postwar Japan? This article delineates an outline of higher education studies in general,…

    20. Disaster relief activities of the Japan self-defense force following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

      PubMed

      Nishiyama, Yasumasa

      2014-06-01

      Cooperation between civilian and military forces, including the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF), enabled wide-ranging disaster relief after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Nevertheless, many preventable fatalities occurred, particularly related to an inability to treat chronic disease, indicating the need to plan for the provision of long-term medical aid after natural disasters in stricken areas and evacuation shelters. To assist in this effort, this report (1) provides an overview of the consequences of the medical response to the Great East Japan Earthquake, the largest natural disaster ever to hit Japan, focusing on the role and actions of the JSDF; (2) discusses the lessons learned regarding the provision of medical aid and management by the JSDF after this disaster, looking at the special challenges of meeting the needs of a rapidly aging population in a disaster situation; and (3) provides recommendations for the development of strategies for the long-term medical aid and support after natural disasters, especially with regard to the demographics of the Japanese population.

    1. Neurosurgeons in Japan Are Exclusively Brain Surgeons.

      PubMed

      Asamoto, Shunji

      2017-03-01

      In Japan, neurosurgeons have traditionally mainly treated brain diseases, with most cases involving the spine and spinal diseases historically being treated by orthopedists. Nowadays, spinal surgery is 1 of the many subspecialties in the neurosurgical field in Japan. Most patients with neurological deficits or suspected neurological diseases see board-certified neurosurgeons directly in Japan, not through referrals from family physicians or specialists in other fields. Problems originating in the spine and spinal cord have been overlooked or misdiagnosed in these situations. Neurosurgeons in Japan must rethink the educational program to include advanced trauma life support and spinal surgery. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

    2. Epidemiological Study of Fusarium Species Causing Invasive and Superficial Fusariosis in Japan.

      PubMed

      Muraosa, Yasunori; Oguchi, Misato; Yahiro, Maki; Watanabe, Akira; Yaguchi, Takashi; Kamei, Katsuhiko

      2017-01-01

      In Japan, Fusarium species are known etiological agents of human fungal infection; however, there has been no report of a large-scale epidemiological study on the etiological agents of fusariosis. A total of 73 Fusarium isolates from patients with invasive fusariosis (IF, n= 36) or superficial fusariosis (SF, n= 37), which were obtained at hospitals located in 28 prefectures in Japan between 1998 and 2015, were used for this study. Fusarium isolates were identified using Fusarium- and Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) -specific real-time PCR and partial DNA sequences of the elongation factor-1 alpha (EF-1α) gene and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. FSSC was predominately isolated from both patients with IF and SF (IF, 77.8% and SF, 67.6%). Distribution of the phylogenetic species of FSSC isolates from patients with IF and SF exhibited different spectra; specifically, F. keratoplasticum (FSSC 2) (25.0%) was the most frequent isolate from patients with IF, whereas F. falciforme (FSSC 3+4) (32.4%) was the most frequent isolate from patients with SF. Fusarium sp. (FSSC 5) was the second most frequent isolate from both patients with IF and SF (IF, 22.2% and SF, 24.3%). Notably, F. petroliphilum (FSSC 1) was isolated only from patients with IF. Each species was isolated from a broad geographic area, and an epidemic was not observed. This is the first epidemiological study of Fusarium species causing IF and SF in Japan.

    3. Japan: Tsunami

      Atmospheric Science Data Center

      2013-04-16

      ... tsunami triggered by the March 11, 2011, magnitude 8.9 earthquake centered off Japan's northeastern coast about 130 kilometers (82 ... inland from the eastern shoreline is visible in the post-earthquake image. The white sand beaches visible in the pre-earthquake view are ...

    4. Within-country variation of salt intake assessed via urinary excretion in Japan: a multilevel analysis in all 47 prefectures.

      PubMed

      Uechi, Ken; Asakura, Keiko; Masayasu, Shizuko; Sasaki, Satoshi

      2017-06-01

      Salt intake in Japan remains high; therefore, exploring within-country variation in salt intake and its cause is an important step in the establishment of salt reduction strategies. However, no nationwide evaluation of this variation has been conducted by urinalysis. We aimed to clarify whether within-country variation in salt intake exists in Japan after adjusting for individual characteristics. Healthy men (n=1027) and women (n=1046) aged 20-69 years were recruited from all 47 prefectures of Japan. Twenty-four-hour sodium excretion was estimated using three spot urine samples collected on three nonconsecutive days. The study area was categorized into 12 regions defined by the National Health and Nutrition Survey Japan. Within-country variation in sodium excretion was estimated as a population (region)-level variance using a multilevel model with random intercepts, with adjustment for individual biological, socioeconomic and dietary characteristics. Estimated 24 h sodium excretion was 204.8 mmol per day in men and 155.7 mmol per day in women. Sodium excretion was high in the Northeastern region. However, population-level variance was extremely small after adjusting for individual characteristics (0.8 and 2% of overall variance in men and women, respectively) compared with individual-level variance (99.2 and 98% of overall variance in men and women, respectively). Among individual characteristics, greater body mass index, living with a spouse and high miso-soup intake were associated with high sodium excretion in both sexes. Within-country variation in salt intake in Japan was extremely small compared with individual-level variation. Salt reduction strategies for Japan should be comprehensive and should not address the small within-country differences in intake.

    5. Universal varicella vaccine immunization in Japan.

      PubMed

      Yoshikawa, Tetsushi; Kawamura, Yoshiki; Ohashi, Masahiro

      2016-04-07

      In 1974, Japanese scientists developed a live attenuated varicella vaccine based on the Oka strain. The efficacy of the vaccine for the prevention of varicella has been primarily demonstrated in studies conducted in the United States following the adoption of universal immunization using the Oka strain varicella vaccine in 1996. Although the vaccine was developed by Japanese scientists, until recently, the vaccine has been administered on a voluntary basis in Japan resulting in a vaccine coverage rate of approximately 40%. Therefore, Japan initiated universal immunization using the Oka strain varicella vaccine in November 2014. Given the transition from voluntary to universal immunization in Japan, it will also be important to monitor the epidemiology of varicella and herpes zoster. The efficacy and safety of co-administration of the varicella vaccine and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine have been demonstrated in many countries; however, there was no data from Japan. In order to adopt the practice of universal immunization using the Oka strain varicella vaccine in Japan, data demonstrating the efficacy and safety of co-administration of varicella vaccine and measles and rubella (MR) vaccine were required. Additionally, we needed to elucidate the appropriate time interval between the first and second administrations of the vaccine. It is also important to differentiate between wild type and Oka vaccine type strains in herpes zoster patient with past history of varicella vaccine. Thus, there are many factors to consider regarding the adoption of universal immunization in Japan to control varicella zoster virus (VZV) infections. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    6. A penguin near Punta Arena, Chile, photographed in its natural summer habitat during NASA's AirSAR 2004 campaign

      NASA Image and Video Library

      2004-03-13

      A penguin near Punta Arena, Chile, photographed in its natural summer habitat during NASA's AirSAR 2004 campaign. AirSAR 2004 is a three-week expedition in Central and South America by an international team of scientists that is using an all-weather imaging tool, called the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR), located onboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory. Scientists from many parts of the world are combining ground research with NASA's AirSAR technology to improve and expand on the quality of research they are able to conduct.

    7. A test of present-day plate geometries for northeast Asia and Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Demets, Charles

      1992-01-01

      Alternative geometries for the present-day configuration of plate boundaries in northeast Asia and Japan are tested using NUVEL-1 and 256 horizontal earthquake slip vectors from the Japan and northern Kuril trenches. Statistical analysis of the slip vectors is used to determine whether the North American, Eurasian, or Okhotsk plate overlies the trench. Along the northern Kuril trench, slip vectors are well-fit by the NUVEL-1 Pacific-North America Euler pole, but are poorly fit by the Pacific-Eurasia Euler pole. Results for the Japan trench are less conclusive, but suggest that much of Honshu and Hokkaido are also part of the North American plate. The simplest geometry consistent with the trench slip vectors is a geometry in which the North American plate extends south to 41 deg N, and possibly includes northern Honshu and southern Hokkaido. Although these results imply that the diffuse seismicity that connects the Lena River delta to Sakhalin Island and the eastern Sea of Japan records motion between Eurasia and North America, onshore geologic and seismic data define an additional belt of seismicity in Siberia that cannot be explained with this geometry. Assuming that these two seismic belts constitute evidence for an Okhotsk block, two published kinematic models for motion of the Okhotsk block are tested. The first model, which predicts motion of up to 15 mm/yr relative to North America, is rejected because Kuril and Japan trench slip vectors are fit more poorly than for the simpler geometry described above. The second model gives a good fit to the trench slip vectors, but only if Okhotsk-North America motion is slower than 5 mm/yr.

    8. Incorrect diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection in a university hospital in Japan.

      PubMed

      Mori, Nobuaki; Yoshizawa, Sadako; Saga, Tomoo; Ishii, Yoshikazu; Murakami, Hinako; Iwata, Morihiro; Collins, Deirdre A; Riley, Thomas V; Tateda, Kazuhiro

      2015-10-01

      Physicians often fail to suspect Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and many microbiology laboratories use suboptimal diagnostic techniques. To estimate the extent of and reasons for incorrect diagnosis of CDI in Japan, we investigated toxigenic C. difficile isolated from all stool culture samples and clinical course. Over a 12-month period in 2010, all stool culture samples (n = 975) submitted from inpatients in a university hospital in Japan were cultured for C. difficile and routine microbiological testing was conducted. In total, 177 C. difficile isolates were recovered, and 127 isolates were toxigenic. Among the toxin-A-positive/toxin-B-positive isolates, 12 were also positive for the binary toxin gene. However, clinically important ribotypes, such as 027 and 078, were not identified. A total of 58 (45.7%) cases with toxigenic C. difficile had unformed stool, and the incidence CDI was 1.6 cases per 10,000 patient-days. Of these 58 cases, 40 were not diagnosed in routine testing due to a lack of clinical suspicion (24.1%, 14/58) or a negative C. difficile toxin assay result (44.8%, 26/58). A stool toxin assay was performed in 54 patients (78.2%, 54/69) who did not have unformed stool. The present study demonstrated that a significant number of CDI cases in Japan might be overlooked or misdiagnosed in clinical practice due to a lack of clinical suspicion and limitations of microbiological testing for CDI in Japan. Providing education to promote awareness of CDI among physicians is important to improve the accuracy of diagnosis in Japan. Copyright © 2015 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    9. Psychohistorical Hypotheses on Japan's History of Hostility Towards China.

      PubMed

      Wang, Bo; Rudmin, Floyd

      2016-01-01

      The accelerating tensions and military posturing between Japan and China have created a serious crisis with a danger of a catastrophic war. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the events of the current crisis, and to put it in the context of Japan's long history of hostility to China and repeated attempts at conquest. The historical record shows that Japan has attacked China at least seven times, even though China has never attacked Japan. The irrationality of Japan's behavior is demonstrated by the repetition of this hostile behavior despite the enormous human and economic costs that Japan has suffered because of it. The irrationality of Japan's militarism suggests that psychological explanations may be required to understand this phenomenon. Several hypotheses are proposed, including 1) projected paranoid aggression, 2) collective Zeigarnik compulsion, 3) perceived weakness exciting aggression, 4) national inferiority feelings, 5) cultural narcissism, and 6) Oedipal-like hatred of a parent culture.

    10. From sword to chrysanthemum: Japan's culture of anti-miltarism

      DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

      Berger, T.U.

      The end of the Cold War and the phenomenal increase in Japan's economic and technological power put Japan today in the position to become, if it chooses, a military as well as economic superpower. The diminution of the Soviet threat and the increasing US preoccupation with domestic problems give Japan a latitude for independent action it has not had since the end of World War II. At the same time the US-Japanese security alliance, which has enabled Japan to adopt a minimalist approach to defense and national security, is being weakened by ideologically charged trade and other economic frictions andmore » a growing American perception of Japan as a threat to its interests. Moreover, in the long run Japan faces the prospect of having to deal with other rising regional powers, most notably the People's Republic of China. This changing international security environment thus raises question whether Japan, having become an economic rival of the United States, may not in the future become a military competitor as well; whether, after having adopted a pacifist stance for half a century, Japan may choose to unsheathe its sword once again.« less

    11. U.S.-Japan Quake Prediction Research

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Kisslinger, Carl; Mikumo, Takeshi; Kanamori, Hiroo

      For the seventh time since 1964, a seminar on earthquake prediction has been convened under the U.S.-Japan Cooperation in Science Program. The purpose of the seminar was to provide an opportunity for researchers from the two countries to share recent progress and future plans in the continuing effort to develop the scientific basis for predicting earthquakes and practical means for implementing prediction technology as it emerges. Thirty-six contributors, 15 from Japan and 21 from the U.S., met in Morro Bay, Calif.September 12-14. The following day they traveled to nearby sections of the San Andreas fault, including the site of the Parkfield prediction experiment. The conveners of the seminar were Hiroo Kanamori, Seismological Laboratory, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), for the U.S., and Takeshi Mikumo, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, for Japan . Funding for the participants came from the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Japan Society forthe Promotion of Science, supplemented by other agencies in both countries.

    12. The Battle Over Abortion Rights in Brazil’s State Arenas, 1995-2006

      PubMed Central

      2017-01-01

      Abstract This article proposes a relational approach to the study of abortion law reform in Brazil. It focuses on the interaction of pro-choice and anti-abortion movements in different state arenas and political contexts. It details the emergence of a strategic action field on abortion during the Brazilian re-democratization process and the National Constituent Assembly. We offer analysis on pro-choice and anti-abortion mobilization in state arenas—mainly in the executive and legislative powers—during the two terms of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (FHC), 1995–1998 and 1999–2002, and the first term of President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula), 2003–2006. We then map political resources for mobilization, such as legislative bills, public policy norms, and judicial decisions, and track legal continuities and changes. Finally, we analyze anti-abortion reaction, which was consolidated through an increased conservative presence in congress after 2006, and discuss how the abortion debate has migrated from congress to the Supreme Court and the public sphere. PMID:28630546

    13. Morphology and gene sequence of Levicoleps biwae n. gen., n. sp. (Ciliophora, Prostomatida), a proposed endemic from the ancient Lake Biwa, Japan.

      PubMed

      Foissner, Wilhelm; Kusuoka, Yasushi; Shimano, Satoshi

      2008-01-01

      Levicoleps biwae n. gen., n. sp. was discovered in organic mud on the shore of Lake Biwa, Japan. Its morphology and small subunit rRNA gene sequence were studied with standard methods. Further, we established a terminology for the colepid armour and selected four features for genus recognition: the number of armour tiers, the structure of the tier plates, the presence/absence of armour spines, and the number of adoral organelles (three or five). The Japanese colepid, a barrel-shaped ciliate with an average size of 75 x 45 microm, has six armour tiers and hirtus-type tier plates, but lacks armour spines, both in the environment and in laboratory culture. Thus, it is considered to represent a new genus. This rank is supported by the considerable genetic distance (7%) from the common Coleps hirtus. Although L. biwae looks quite similar to C. hirtus in vivo, it is very likely most closely related to Coleps amphacanthus, a species with conspicuous armour spines, as indicated by body size, the number of ciliary rows and, especially, the multiple caudal cilia. Lake Biwa is about four million years old and inhabited by many endemic organisms, ranging from algae to large fish. Thus, we suspect that L. biwae is restricted to Lake Biwa or, at least, to Asia. Based on literature data and the generic features established, we also propose the new genus Reticoleps for Coleps remanei Kahl, 1933, and resurrect the genus Pinacocoleps Diesing, 1865 to include Coleps incurvus Ehrenberg, 1833, Coleps pulcher Spiegel, 1926, Coleps tessalatus Kahl, 1930 and, probably, Baikalocoleps quadratus Obolkina, 1995a. Nine colepid genera are diagnosed and dichotomously keyed.

    14. Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress

      DTIC Science & Technology

      2008-05-23

      fields in an area of the East China Sea that both countries claim as their territory. Hu also announced that China would lease two giant pandas to Japan...to replace a recently deceased panda at a Tokyo zoo. Days later, after China was struck by a devastating earthquake, Japan immediately offered...other shipments of U.S. beef from Japan. In May 2007, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) announced that the United States was a “controlled

    15. Spatial cell firing during virtual navigation of open arenas by head-restrained mice.

      PubMed

      Chen, Guifen; King, John Andrew; Lu, Yi; Cacucci, Francesca; Burgess, Neil

      2018-06-18

      We present a mouse virtual reality (VR) system which restrains head-movements to horizontal rotations, compatible with multi-photon imaging. This system allows expression of the spatial navigation and neuronal firing patterns characteristic of real open arenas (R). Comparing VR to R: place and grid, but not head-direction, cell firing had broader spatial tuning; place, but not grid, cell firing was more directional; theta frequency increased less with running speed; whereas increases in firing rates with running speed and place and grid cells' theta phase precession were similar. These results suggest that the omni-directional place cell firing in R may require local-cues unavailable in VR, and that the scale of grid and place cell firing patterns, and theta frequency, reflect translational motion inferred from both virtual (visual and proprioceptive) and real (vestibular translation and extra-maze) cues. By contrast, firing rates and theta phase precession appear to reflect visual and proprioceptive cues alone. © 2018, Chen et al.

    16. Variations of atmospheric CH4, N2O and SF6 over Japan and the East China Sea

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Ishijima, K.; Goto, D.; Ishidoya, S.; Yashiro, H.; Umezawa, T.; Sugawara, S.; Patra, P. K.; Muromachi, A.; Elkins, J. W.; Dutton, G. S.; Dlugokencky, E. J.; Morimoto, S.; Aoki, S.; Nakazawa, T.

      2013-12-01

      East Asia is one of the most important regions for anthropogenic sources of both short-lived air pollutants and long-lived greenhouse gases (GHGs). According to recent estimates from an emission database, China has become the largest emitter of long-lived GHGs. Since Japan and the East China Sea are located at the east end of Eurasia, atmospheric species emitted from the continent are transported over them throughout the year. Particularly in winter to spring, outflow of the emitted species is enhanced over the East China Sea due to the East Asian Monsoon. To monitor temporal and spatial variability of atmospheric GHGs in the East Asian region, we conducted systematic GHG observations during 2003-2012 from flask samples collected onboard four different commercial ferry boats, which connected between Wakkanai and Rishiri islands (WAK ; 45.4°N, 141.5°E), between Sakaiminato and Oki islands (OKI ; 35.8°N, 133.2°E), between Kagoshima and Okinawa islands (RYU ; 30.0°N, 130.0°E), and between Ishigaki and Hateruma islands (HTR ; 24.0°N, 124.0°E). Air samples were collected almost weekly, and they were sent to Tohoku University and analyzed for GHGs and related gases. In this study, we present analyses of observed CH4, N2O and SF6 concentrations in comparison with simulations by the Atmospheric general circulation model-based Chemistry Transport model (ACTM). The observed three species predictably show higher concentrations than those observed at Cape Kumukahi (KUM), which is a NOAA air sampling site located in the Central Pacific, reflecting strong outflow of the species from East Asia. Annual mean latitudinal gradients found from the four locations as well as decrease toward KUM are generally reproduced by the ACTM. This is mostly because of reasonable spatial distributions in GHG emissions given in the ACTM. The three species also show discernible seasonal cycles. ACTM simulates seasonal cycles of CH4 and SF6 relatively well, but not for N2O, suggesting

    17. Comment [on “Science in the political arena: Taking fire from the right and the left”

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Darzi, Mike

      The points made in “Science in the Political Arena: Taking Fire From the Right and the Left” [Eos, Nov. 21, 1995, p. 480] are well taken. However, I disagree strongly with the implication that assaults on science from the right and left are of equal gravity. While the assault from the left disrupts certain scientific projects, the assault from the right, I believe, risks America's preeminence in science and the development of significant benefits to society. Although environmentalists and animal-rights activists have certainly impeded research in some cases, their activism has also spurred many other fields of research including global change and biodiversity, and encouraged the development of fresh water supplies and alternative fuel sources.

    18. Teaching about Japan in Secondary Schools.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Richardson, Helen W.

      1981-01-01

      Suggests that a good starting point for social studies curriculum units on Japan at the secondary school level is an analysis of the interrelationships between Japan and the United States. Information is presented on population figures, industrialization, standard of living indicators, consumer price indexes, and crude birth and death rates for…

    19. AERIAL MEASURING SYSTEM IN JAPAN

      DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

      Lyons, Craig; Colton, David

      2012-01-01

      The U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Agency’s Aerial Measuring System deployed personnel and equipment to partner with the U.S. Air Force in Japan to conduct multiple aerial radiological surveys. These were the first and most comprehensive sources of actionable information for U.S. interests in Japan and provided early confirmation to the government of Japan as to the extent of the release from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Generation Station. Many challenges were overcome quickly during the first 48 hours; including installation and operation of Aerial Measuring System equipment on multiple U.S. Air Force Japan aircraft, flying over difficultmore » terrain, and flying with talented pilots who were unfamiliar with the Aerial Measuring System flight patterns. These all combined to make for a dynamic and non-textbook situation. In addition, the data challenges of the multiple and on-going releases, and integration with the Japanese government to provide valid aerial radiological survey products that both military and civilian customers could use to make informed decisions, was extremely complicated. The Aerial Measuring System Fukushima response provided insight in addressing these challenges and gave way to an opportunity for the expansion of the Aerial Measuring System’s mission beyond the borders of the US.« less

    20. Male acceptance of condoms in Japan.

      PubMed

      Uchida, Y

      1981-01-01

      Current surveys indicate that more than 70% of married couples in Japan use condoms as their primary contraceptive method. The popularity of condoms is due to the oral contraceptive (OC) pills not being recognized as safe forms of contraception and IUDs not being legalized by the government until 1974. The history of condom use in Japan goes back to 1872 when condoms of thin leather were imported into Japan from England and France. Manufacturing of condoms in Japan began in 1909, mainly as a method for venereal disease prevention. The condom and induced abortion are now the major methods of contraception. 60% of the distribution of condoms is through pharmacies and cosmetic stores; 50% of the buyers are women. Since 1955, teams of family planning workers have distributed condoms by selling on a door-to-door basis, especially to lower middle class couples. Between 1969-75, 75% of contraceptive users were using condoms. Currently there are 81% users. The rhythm method ranks second in popularity at 30% between 1969-75. OCs have gradually increased recently to 3% users, but side effects have deterred people from selecting them. The proportion of IUD users has remained at a consistently low level for the past several years. Japan accounts for 1/3 of the total world production of condoms.

    1. L-Band RFI in Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Soldo, Yan; de Matthaeis, Paolo; Le Vine, David M.

      2016-01-01

      In recent years, three instruments have been launched into orbit with the aim of producing global maps of sea surface salinity and soil moisture using the 1400-1427 MHz band: SMOS, Aquarius and SMAP. Although this frequency band is allocated to passive measurements only, RFI (Radio-Frequency Interference) is present in the data of all three missions. On a global scale, the three sensors have observed approximately the same distribution of RFI. Japan is an important exception that has implications for the design of RFI detection algorithms. RFI in Japan is caused by a large number of emitters belonging to the same system (TV receivers) and for this reason some traditional RFI detection strategies detect little to no RFI over Japan. The study of this case has led to an improvement of the approach to detect RFI in Aquarius data.

    2. An overview of work, retirement, and pensions in Japan.

      PubMed

      Bass, S A

      1996-01-01

      Work to retirement in Japan is a sequential transition for the most part, and Japan permits mandatory retirement by firms at age 60. But many older people work beyond the age of 60, many more than in other industrialized countries. A number of hypotheses are examined, having to do with pensions, health, opportunity, interest in working, cultural attitudes (including the concept of ikigai), and public policy initiatives (such as employment policy and the Silver Human Resource Centers). Japan's cultural attitudes and existing policies appear to have set Japan on a unique course in considering the aging of its population. To what extent should other nations emulate Japan?

    3. Full Seismic Waveform Tomography of the Japan region using Adjoint Methods

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Steptoe, Hamish; Fichtner, Andreas; Rickers, Florian; Trampert, Jeannot

      2013-04-01

      We present a full-waveform tomographic model of the Japan region based on spectral-element wave propagation, adjoint techniques and seismic data from dense station networks. This model is intended to further our understanding of both the complex regional tectonics and the finite rupture processes of large earthquakes. The shallow Earth structure of the Japan region has been the subject of considerable tomographic investigation. The islands of Japan exist in an area of significant plate complexity: subduction related to the Pacific and Philippine Sea plates is responsible for the majority of seismicity and volcanism of Japan, whilst smaller micro-plates in the region, including the Okhotsk, and Okinawa and Amur, part of the larger North America and Eurasia plates respectively, contribute significant local intricacy. In response to the need to monitor and understand the motion of these plates and their associated faults, numerous seismograph networks have been established, including the 768 station high-sensitivity Hi-net network, 84 station broadband F-net and the strong-motion seismograph networks K-net and KiK-net in Japan. We also include the 55 station BATS network of Taiwan. We use this exceptional coverage to construct a high-resolution model of the Japan region from the full-waveform inversion of over 15,000 individual component seismograms from 53 events that occurred between 1997 and 2012. We model these data using spectral-element simulations of seismic wave propagation at a regional scale over an area from 120°-150°E and 20°-50°N to a depth of around 500 km. We quantify differences between observed and synthetic waveforms using time-frequency misfits allowing us to separate both phase and amplitude measurements whilst exploiting the complete waveform at periods of 15-60 seconds. Fréchet kernels for these misfits are calculated via the adjoint method and subsequently used in an iterative non-linear conjugate-gradient optimization. Finally, we employ

    4. Intimate partner violence-related experiences and mental health among college students in Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

      PubMed

      Kamimura, Akiko; Nourian, Maziar M; Assasnik, Nushean; Franchek-Roa, Kathy

      2016-05-01

      Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health threat that contributes to a wide range of mental and physical health problems for victims. The purpose of this study was to examine IPV-related experiences and mental health outcomes among college students in Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. The data were obtained from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), the International Dating Violence Study (IDVS) 2001-2006 (ICPSR 29583; N = 981; Japan n = 207; Singapore n = 260; South Korea n = 256; Taiwan n = 258). Co-experience of physical IPV victimization and perpetration was associated with borderline personality traits and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but not with depression. Childhood sexual abuse, gender hostility and violence socialization were significant predictors of borderline personality traits, depression and PTSD. While country and gender variations in mental health are noted, there are two specific populations that may need special attention for mental health interventions: Taiwanese women especially for borderline personality traits and PTSD, and Japanese men especially for depression. IPV victimization and perpetration, childhood sexual abuse, gender hostility and violence socialization have a significant impact on the mental health of college students in Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. Since IPV and mental health are significant public health issues, research on IPV and mental health consequences of IPV victimization and perpetration in these countries should be further expanded in order to better understand the interventions that will be effective in treating victims, perpetrators and victim/perpetrators of IPV. © The Author(s) 2016.

    5. Phenotypic and genetic characterizations of Streptococcus dysgalactiae strains isolated from fish collected in Japan and other Asian countries.

      PubMed

      Abdelsalam, Mohamed; Chen, Shih-Chu; Yoshida, Terutoyo

      2010-01-01

      Lancefield group C Streptococcus dysgalactiae is an emerging fish pathogen, which was first isolated in 2002 in Japan. Streptococcus dysgalactiae isolates collected from diseased fish in Japan (n=12), Taiwan (n=12), China (n=2), Malaysia (n=3), and Indonesia (n=1) were characterized using biased sinusoidal field gel electrophoresis (BSFGE), sodA gene sequence analysis, and antimicrobial susceptibility. These isolates exhibited high phenotypic homogeneity irrespective of the countries from where the strains were collected. Seventeen isolates were found to be resistant to oxytetracycline and carried the tet(M) gene, except for the strains collected in Taiwan and the PP1564 strain collected in China. The sodA gene sequence analysis revealed that 23 isolates were identical, except for one Japanese isolate (KNH07902), in which a single nucleotide differed from that of the other isolates. Based on BSFGE typing by ApaI macrorestriction, the isolates - including the Japanese, Taiwanese, and Chinese isolates - could be grouped into one main cluster at a 70% similarity level. However, the macrorestriction genotypes of some isolates were apparently distinct from those of the main cluster.

    6. Distribution and Molecular Characterization of Acinetobacter baumannii International Clone II Lineage in Japan.

      PubMed

      Matsui, Mari; Suzuki, Masato; Suzuki, Masahiro; Yatsuyanagi, Jun; Watahiki, Masanori; Hiraki, Yoichi; Kawano, Fumio; Tsutsui, Atsuko; Shibayama, Keigo; Suzuki, Satowa

      2018-02-01

      Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter spp. have been globally disseminated in association with the successful clonal lineage Acinetobacter baumannii international clone II (IC II). Because the prevalence of MDR Acinetobacter spp. in Japan remains very low, we characterized all Acinetobacter spp. ( n = 866) from 76 hospitals between October 2012 and March 2013 to describe the entire molecular epidemiology of Acinetobacter spp. The most prevalent species was A. baumannii ( n = 645; 74.5%), with A. baumannii IC II ( n = 245) accounting for 28.3% of the total. Meropenem-resistant isolates accounted for 2.0% ( n = 17) and carried IS Aba1-bla OXA-23-like ( n = 10), bla IMP ( n = 4), or IS Aba1-bla OXA-51-like ( n = 3). Multilocus sequence typing of 110 representative A. baumannii isolates revealed the considerable prevalence of domestic sequence types (STs). A. baumannii IC II isolates were divided into the domestic sequence type 469 (ST469) ( n = 18) and the globally disseminated STs ST208 ( n = 14) and ST219 ( n = 4). ST469 isolates were susceptible to more antimicrobial agents, while ST208 and ST219 overproduced the intrinsic AmpC β-lactamase. A. baumannii IC II and some A. baumannii non-IC II STs (e.g., ST149 and ST246) were associated with fluoroquinolone resistance. This study revealed that carbapenem-susceptible A. baumannii IC II was moderately disseminated in Japan. The low prevalence of acquired carbapenemase genes and presence of domestic STs could contribute to the low prevalence of MDR A. baumannii A similar epidemiology might have appeared before the global dissemination of MDR epidemic lineages. In addition, fluoroquinolone resistance associated with A. baumannii IC II may provide insight into the significance of A. baumannii epidemic clones. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

    7. Barriers to mental health care in Japan: Results from the World Mental Health Japan Survey.

      PubMed

      Kanehara, Akiko; Umeda, Maki; Kawakami, Norito

      2015-09-01

      The reasons for accessing and maintaining access to mental health services in Japan may be different to those in other countries. Using the World Health Organization World Mental Health Japan survey data, this study investigated the prevalence of sociodemographic correlates of barriers for the use of, reasons for delayed access to, and reasons for dropping out from mental health care in a Japanese community-based sample. An interview survey was conducted with a random sample of residents living in 11 communities across Japan during the years 2002-2006. Data from 4130 participants were analyzed. The most frequently reported reason for not seeking mental health care was a low perceived need (63.9%). The most common reason for delaying access to help was the wish to handle the problem on one's own (68.8%), while the most common reason for dropping out of care was also a low perceived need (54.2%). Being a woman and of younger age were key sociodemographic barriers to the use of mental health services. Low perceived need was a major reason for not seeking, delay in using, and dropout from mental health services in Japan. In addition, low perceived need and structural barriers were more frequently reported than attitudinal barriers, with the exception of a desire to handle the problem on one's own. These findings suggest that improving therapist-patient communication and quality of mental health care, as well as mental health literacy education in the community, might improve access to care in Japan. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

    8. Single Motherhood, Living Arrangements, and Time With Children in Japan.

      PubMed

      Raymo, James M; Park, Hyunjoon; Iwasawa, Miho; Zhou, Yanfei

      2014-08-01

      The authors examined relationships between single parenthood and mothers' time with children in Japan. Using data from the 2011 National Survey of Households with Children (N = 1,926), they first demonstrate that time spent with children and the frequency of shared dinners are significantly lower for single mothers than for their married counterparts. For single mothers living alone, less time with children reflects long work hours and work-related stress. Single mothers coresiding with parents spend less time with children and eat dinner together less frequently than either married mothers or their unmarried counterparts not living with parents, net of (grand)parental support, work hours, income, and stress. The findings suggest that rising divorce rates and associated growth in single-mother families may have a detrimental impact on parents' time with children in Japan and that the relatively high prevalence of intergenerational coresidence among single mothers may do little to temper this impact.

    9. Behavioral and psychiatric disorders in Prader-Willi syndrome: a population study in Japan.

      PubMed

      Hiraiwa, Rika; Maegaki, Yoshihiro; Oka, Akira; Ohno, Kousaku

      2007-10-01

      Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetically determined neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by mental retardation and distinct physical, behavioral, and psychiatric features. Based on parents' questionnaires, we examined the prevalence of behavioral and psychiatric disorders of 165 persons with PWS aged 2-31 years in Japan. The data were analyzed comparing four different age groups with PWS: group 1, 2-5 years (n=34); group 2, 6-11 years (n=57); group 3, 12-17 years (n=45); and group 4, 18-31 years (n=29). Further, we compared the results of our PWS group 4 with those of 42 age-, gender-, and intelligence level-matched intellectual disability (ID) individuals without PWS. Our results showed that repetitive speech and stubbornness were prominent from early childhood and other behavioral problems such as hyperphagia, stealing food, temper tantrums, lying, and emotional lability tended to be more frequent with age among persons with PWS. Moreover, young adults with PWS have significantly higher rates of behavioral and psychiatric disorders than IDs without PWS, such as stubbornness, hyperphagia, temper tantrums, self-injurious behavior (skin picking), hypersomnia, inactivity, and delusion. Degree of obesity was not necessarily related to behavioral and psychiatric features associated with PWS. Our findings revealed that persons with PWS are more vulnerable to behavioral and psychiatric disorders particularly in young adulthood compared to those with ID from other etiologies in Japan.

    10. Mathematics beliefs and instructional strategies in achievement of elementary-school students in Japan: results from the TIMSS 2003 assessment.

      PubMed

      House, J Daniel

      2007-04-01

      Recent findings concerning mathematics assessment indicate that students in Japan consistently score above international averages. Researchers have examined specific mathematics beliefs and instructional strategies associated with mathematics achievement for students in Japan. This study examined relationships among self-beliefs, classroom instructional strategies, and mathematics achievement for a large national sample of students (N=4,207) from the TIMSS 2003 international sample of fourth graders in Japan. Several significant relationships between mathematics beliefs and test scores were found; a number of classroom teaching strategies were also significantly associated with test scores. However, multiple regression using the complete set of five mathematics beliefs and five instructional strategies explained only 25.1% of the variance in mathematics achievement test scores.

    11. Outdoor Education and Camping in Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Ebashi, Shinshiro

      Professor Shinshiro Ebashi of the University of Tokyo discusses outdoor education in Japan, especially in relation to legislation (e.g., the Sport Promotion Law of 1961) and programs endorsed by the Ministry of Education. A typical outdoor education program for junior-high students is given. Also discussed are the programs of the All Japan Senior…

    12. Words of Tohkaku Wada: medical heritage in Japan

      PubMed Central

      Matsumoto, M.; Inoue, K.; Kajii, E.

      2001-01-01

      The origins of Japan's medical ideas, which are deeply rooted in its religion, culture and history, are not widely understood in medical societies of other countries. We have taken up the task of summarising this tradition here so that some insight can be gained into the unique issues that characterise the practice of medicine in Japan. We borrow from the sayings of Tohkaku Wada, a medical philosopher of late eighteenth-century Japan, for a look at Japanese medical tradition. Wada's medical thought was very much reflective of the Buddhism, Zen, and swordsmanship that informed eighteenth-century philosophy in Japan. His central concepts were "chu" and "sei", that is, complete and selfless dedication to the patient and the practice of medicine. This paper explores Wada's thought, explaining it mainly from the standpoint of Japanese traditional culture. Key Words: Tohkaku Wada • ethics • philosophy • Buddhism • Zen • Japan PMID:11233381

    13. A prospective earthquake forecast experiment for Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Yokoi, Sayoko; Nanjo, Kazuyoshi; Tsuruoka, Hiroshi; Hirata, Naoshi

      2013-04-01

      One major focus of the current Japanese earthquake prediction research program (2009-2013) is to move toward creating testable earthquake forecast models. For this purpose we started an experiment of forecasting earthquake activity in Japan under the framework of the Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability (CSEP) through an international collaboration. We established the CSEP Testing Centre, an infrastructure to encourage researchers to develop testable models for Japan, and to conduct verifiable prospective tests of their model performance. On 1 November in 2009, we started the 1st earthquake forecast testing experiment for the Japan area. We use the unified JMA catalogue compiled by the Japan Meteorological Agency as authorized catalogue. The experiment consists of 12 categories, with 4 testing classes with different time spans (1 day, 3 months, 1 year, and 3 years) and 3 testing regions called All Japan, Mainland, and Kanto. A total of 91 models were submitted to CSEP-Japan, and are evaluated with the CSEP official suite of tests about forecast performance. In this presentation, we show the results of the experiment of the 3-month testing class for 5 rounds. HIST-ETAS7pa, MARFS and RI10K models corresponding to the All Japan, Mainland and Kanto regions showed the best score based on the total log-likelihood. It is also clarified that time dependency of model parameters is no effective factor to pass the CSEP consistency tests for the 3-month testing class in all regions. Especially, spatial distribution in the All Japan region was too difficult to pass consistency test due to multiple events at a bin. Number of target events for a round in the Mainland region tended to be smaller than model's expectation during all rounds, which resulted in rejections of consistency test because of overestimation. In the Kanto region, pass ratios of consistency tests in each model showed more than 80%, which was associated with good balanced forecasting of event

    14. Strut fracture of Björk-Shiley convexo-concave valve in Japan--risk of small valve size--.

      PubMed

      Watarida, S; Shiraishi, S; Nishi, T; Imura, M; Yamamoto, Y; Hirokawa, R; Fujita, M

      2001-08-01

      The Björk-Shiley convexo-concave (BSCC) prosthetic valve was introduced in 1979. Between 1979 and 1986, approximately 86,000 BSCC valves were implanted. By December 31, 1994, 564 complete strut fractures had been reported to the manufacture. We experienced a case of an outlet strut fracture and investigated the risk of BSCC prosthetic valve fractures in Japan. To investigate the risk factor of a strut fracture in Japan, we investigated published cases of strut fractures. Between 1979 and 1986, 2021 BSCC valves were implanted in Japan. By January 31, 2000, 11 complete strut fractures of 60-degree BSCC valves including our case had occurred. The patients were eight males and three females. The average age at valve replacement was 42.4+/-8.1 years, and nine of eleven (81.8%) were patients < 50 years-old. The average age of the patients when the BSCC valve fractured was 47.7+/-6.4 years, and eight of eleven (72.7%) were patients <= 50 years old. All patients were implanted in the mitral position. The sizes of the BSCC valve were 27 mm (n=5) (45.5%), 29 mm (n=3) (27.2%), and 31 mm (n=3) (27.2%). Four patients died and seven patients survived. Although only 11 BSCC valve struts fractured and statistical analysis could not be performed, our findings suggest that the high risk group for a strut fracture in Japan is young male patients with a mitral valve, >= 27 mm in size with BSCC models manufactured before March 1982. When following-up patients with BSCC models manufactured before March 1982, the possibility of a strut fracture in all BSCC valve sizes should be kept in mind.

    15. Everywhere in Japan: an international approach to working with commercial gay businesses in HIV prevention.

      PubMed

      Sherriff, Nigel; Koerner, Jane; Kaneko, Noriyo; Shiono, Satoshi; Takaku, Michiko; Boseley, Ross; Ichikawa, Seiichi

      2017-06-01

      In the UK and Japan, there is concern regarding rising rates of annual new HIV infections among Men who have Sex with Men (MSM). Whilst in the UK and Europe, gay businesses are increasingly recognized as being important settings through which to deliver HIV prevention and health promotion interventions to target vulnerable populations; in Japan such settings-based approaches are relatively underdeveloped. This article draws on qualitative data from a recently completed study conducted to explore whether it is feasible, acceptable and desirable to build on the recent European Everywhere project for adaptation and implementation in Japan. A series of expert workshops were conducted in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka with intersectoral representatives from Japanese and UK non-governmental organizations (NGOs), gay businesses, universities and gay communities (n = 46). Further discussion groups and meetings were held with NGO members and researchers from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Research Group on HIV Prevention Policy, Programme Implementation and Evaluation among MSM (n = 34). The results showed that it is desirable, feasible and acceptable to adapt and implement a Japanese version of Everywhere. Such a practical, policy-relevant, settings-based HIV prevention framework for gay businesses may help to facilitate the necessary scale up of prevention responses among MSM in Japan. Given the high degree of sexual mobility between countries in Asia, there is considerable potential for the Everywhere Project (or its Japanese variant) to be expanded and adapted to other countries within the Asia-Pacific region. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

    16. 2012/13 abnormal cold winter in Japan associated with Large-scale Atmospheric Circulation and Local Sea Surface Temperature over the Sea of Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Ando, Y.; Ogi, M.; Tachibana, Y.

      2013-12-01

      On Japan, wintertime cold wave has social, economic, psychological and political impacts because of the lack of atomic power stations in the era of post Fukushima world. The colder winter is the more electricity is needed. Wintertime weather of Japan and its prediction has come under the world spotlight. The winter of 2012/13 in Japan was abnormally cold, and such a cold winter has persisted for 3 years. Wintertime climate of Japan is governed by some dominant modes of the large-scale atmospheric circulations. Yasunaka and Hanawa (2008) demonstrated that the two dominant modes - Arctic Oscillation (AO) and Western Pacific (WP) pattern - account for about 65% of the interannual variation of the wintertime mean surface air temperature of Japan. A negative AO brings about cold winter in Japan. In addition, a negative WP also brings about cold winter in Japan. Looking back to the winter of 2012/13, both the negative AO and negative WP continued from October through December. If the previous studies were correct, it would have been extremely very cold from October through December. In fact, in December, in accordance with previous studies, it was colder than normal. Contrary to the expectation, in October and November, it was, however, warmer than normal. This discrepancy signifies that an additional hidden circumstance that heats Japan overwhelms these large-scale atmospheric circulations that cool Japan. In this study, we therefore seek an additional cause of wintertime climate of Japan particularly focusing 2012 as well as the AO and WP. We found that anomalously warm oceanic temperature surrounding Japan overwhelmed influences of the AO or WP. Unlike the inland climate, the island climate can be strongly influenced by surrounding ocean temperature, suggesting that large-scale atmospheric patterns alone do not determine the climate of islands. (a) Time series of a 5-day running mean AO index (blue) as defined by Ogi et al., (2004), who called it the SVNAM index. For

    17. [No relationship between blood type and personality: evidence from large-scale surveys in Japan and the US].

      PubMed

      Nawata, Kengo

      2014-06-01

      Despite the widespread popular belief in Japan about a relationship between personality and ABO blood type, this association has not been empirically substantiated. This study provides more robust evidence that there is no relationship between blood type and personality, through a secondary analysis of large-scale survey data. Recent data (after 2000) were collected using large-scale random sampling from over 10,000 people in total from both Japan and the US. Effect sizes were calculated. Japanese datasets from 2004 (N = 2,878-2,938), and 2,005 (N = 3,618-3,692) as well as one dataset from the US in 2004 (N = 3,037-3,092) were used. In all the datasets, 65 of 68 items yielded non-significant differences between blood groups. Effect sizes (eta2) were less than .003. This means that blood type explained less than 0.3% of the total variance in personality. These results show the non-relevance of blood type for personality.

    18. Learning by the Aged in Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Sekiguchi, Reiko W.

      This paper discusses demographic changes in Japan, the sources of pleasure of the retired Japanese senior citizen, and lifelong learning. It also describes a study that examined learning preferences of Japanese senior citizens. Data for 1983 show that life expectancy has increased in Japan to 74.20 years for males and 79.78 for females. The level…

    19. Troubled Partnership. A History of U.S.-Japan Collaboration on the

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1995-01-01

      and intellectual contributions of Project AIR FORCE managers, particularly Michael Kennedy, Dennis Smallwood , Jeff Drezner, and Robert Roll. Cindy...June 14-20, 1993b. Lerner, Preston, "Stall Tactics," Air & Space, April/May 1991. Levin, Norman D., Japan’s Changing Defense Posture, Santa...Monica, Calif: RAND, N-2739-OSD, 1988. Levin, Norman D., Mark Lorell, and Arthur Alexander, The Wary Warriors: Future Directions in Japanese Security

    20. A new arena in cardiac surgery: Pediatric coronary artery bypass surgery

      PubMed Central

      KITAMURA, Soichiro

      2018-01-01

      Prior to the 1970s, pediatric coronary artery bypass surgery (PCABS) was seldomly performed due to the lack of compelling surgical indications. The advent of coronary sequelae secondary to Kawasaki disease (KD) and the occurrence of coronary artery complications due to newly developed procedures, such as the arterial switch operation and early repair for intrinsic congenital coronary malformations, necessitated the development of PCABS. Because children grow rapidly and their life expectancy is very long, with increasing exercise capability requirements, the strategy for PCABS should differ from that for bypass surgery in adults. PCABS utilizing unilateral and bilateral internal thoracic arteries (ITA) has become the most reliable surgical method for children because of the distinct structure of ITAs being resistant to KD, growth potential according to the child’s somatic growth and long-term patency without wall degeneration. This operation utilizing ITA grafts is now being performed worldwide and is referred to as the “Kitamura operation” for KD coronary sequelae. Notably, the use of vein grafts should be avoided in children. Likewise, this operation can now be successfully performed in infants using a surgical microscope, for congenital coronary disorders. Currently, PCABS with ITAs has been established as a new arena in cardiac surgery, following our initial attempts. PMID:29321443

    1. Economic Factors of Japan’s National Security Policy

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1988-06-01

      34Japan bashers " have been eager to retaliate with protectionist trade legislation. Japan has been criticized by free-market strategists and frustrated...exercise served to quiet Japan- bashers and defuse protectionist sentiments in Congress. Even more important, defeat of a retaliatory bill based on general

    2. 75 FR 57980 - Polychloroprene Rubber From Japan

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2010-09-23

      ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. AA1921-129 (Third Review)] Polychloroprene Rubber From Japan AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION: Termination of five-year... of the antidumping duty finding on polychloroprene rubber from Japan would be likely to lead to...

    3. Genetic divergence in nuclear genomes between populations of Fagus crenata along the Japan Sea and Pacific sides of Japan.

      PubMed

      Hiraoka, Koichi; Tomaru, Nobuhiro

      2009-05-01

      Genetic diversity and structure in Fagus crenata were studied by analyzing 14 nuclear microsatellite loci in 23 populations distributed throughout the species' range. Although population differentiation was very low (F (ST) = 0.027; R (ST) = 0.041), both neighbor-joining tree and Bayesian clustering analyses provided clear evidence of genetic divergence between populations along the Japan Sea (Japan Sea lineage) and Pacific (Pacific lineage) sides of Japan, indicating that physical barriers to migration and gene flow, notably the mountain ranges separating the populations along the Japan Sea and Pacific sides, have promoted genetic divergence between these populations. The two lineages of the nuclear genome are generally consistent with those of the chloroplast genome detected in a previous study, with several discrepancies between the two genomes. Within-population genetic diversity was generally very high (average H (E) = 0.839), but decreased in a clinal fashion from southwest to northeast, largely among populations of the Japan Sea lineage. This geographical gradient may have resulted from the late-glacial and postglacial recolonization to the northeast, which led to a loss of within-population genetic diversity due to cumulative founder effects.

    4. JTEC panel report on machine translation in Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Carbonell, Jaime; Rich, Elaine; Johnson, David; Tomita, Masaru; Vasconcellos, Muriel; Wilks, Yorick

      1992-01-01

      The goal of this report is to provide an overview of the state of the art of machine translation (MT) in Japan and to provide a comparison between Japanese and Western technology in this area. The term 'machine translation' as used here, includes both the science and technology required for automating the translation of text from one human language to another. Machine translation is viewed in Japan as an important strategic technology that is expected to play a key role in Japan's increasing participation in the world economy. MT is seen in Japan as important both for assimilating information into Japanese as well as for disseminating Japanese information throughout the world. Most of the MT systems now available in Japan are transfer-based systems. The majority of them exploit a case-frame representation of the source text as the basis of the transfer process. There is a gradual movement toward the use of deeper semantic representations, and some groups are beginning to look at interlingua-based systems.

    5. Morphology and Gene Sequence of Levicoleps biwae n. gen., n. sp. (Ciliophora, Prostomatida), a Proposed Endemic from the Ancient Lake Biwa, Japan

      PubMed Central

      FOISSNER, WILHELM; KUSUOKA, YASUSHI; SHIMANO, SATOSHI

      2010-01-01

      Levicoleps biwae n. gen., n. sp. was discovered in organic mud on the shore of Lake Biwa, Japan. Its morphology and small subunit rRNA gene sequence were studied with standard methods. Further, we established a terminology for the colepid armour and selected four features for genus recognition: the number of armour tiers, the structure of the tier plates, the presence/absence of armour spines, and the number of adoral organelles (three or five). The Japanese colepid, a barrel-shaped ciliate with an average size of 75 × 45 μm, has six armour tiers and hirtus-type tier plates, but lacks armour spines, both in the environment and in laboratory culture. Thus, it is considered to represent a new genus. This rank is supported by the considerable genetic distance (7%) from the common Coleps hirtus. Although L. biwae looks quite similar to C. hirtus in vivo, it is very likely most closely related to Coleps amphacanthus, a species with conspicuous armour spines, as indicated by body size, the number of ciliary rows and, especially, the multiple caudal cilia. Lake Biwa is about four million years old and inhabited by many endemic organisms, ranging from algae to large fish. Thus, we suspect that L. biwae is restricted to Lake Biwa or, at least, to Asia. Based on literature data and the generic features established, we also propose the new genus Reticoleps for Coleps remanei Kahl, 1933, and resurrect the genus Pinacocoleps Diesing, 1865 to include Coleps incurvus Ehrenberg, 1833, Coleps pulcher Spiegel, 1926, Coleps tessalatus Kahl, 1930 and, probably, Baikalocoleps quadratus Obolkina, 1995a. Nine colepid genera are diagnosed and dichotomously keyed. PMID:18460156

    6. Healthcare in Japan: its professionals, institutions, and financing.

      PubMed

      Al-Assaf, A F; Payne, J

      1991-01-01

      Like the United States, Japan's healthcare system is a conglomerate of government, employer, and individual financing--but that's about as far as the similarity goes. Universal access to basic healthcare has been achieved in Japan through comprehensive employer/employee plans and government subsidies. However, the United States should not be too hasty in emulating Japan, for culture plays a definite role in healthcare on both sides of the Pacific.

    7. Teaching Primary School Children about Japan through Art. ERIC Digest.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Ward, Patricia Berg

      There are a variety reasons for teaching about Japan. Many students in the United States are of Japanese heritage; Japan is the second largest trading partner of the United States; and some healing still needs to occur between the United States and Japan because of the damage and pain of World War II. Further, the Unites States and Japan share the…

    8. Divorce in contemporary Japan.

      PubMed

      Fukurai, H; Alston, J

      1990-10-01

      Data from the 1985-86 Japanese census are analysed to explore the determinants of the divorce rates in Japan's forty-seven prefectures, using two theoretical models: (a) the social integration model, which is shown to have a greater utility in predicting Japanese divorce levels than (b), the human capital model. Female emigration patterns play a significant role in affecting the divorce rate. Population increase and net household income are also important predictors of the Japanese divorce rate and urbanization has a great influence in modern Japan. Demographic and aggregate variables such as migration, urbanization, and socioeconomic factors are useful when organized under a social integration model.

    9. Japan: International Perspectives on Business Communication Research.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Nakasako, Shun-Itsu

      1998-01-01

      Discusses research developments in business communication in Japan from the early 1900s to present. Describes early interest in business English; the emergence of business communication; business communication as a broad and interdisciplinary research field in Japan; and its impact on teaching. (SR)

    10. Should Japan Become a Normal Country

      DTIC Science & Technology

      2005-12-01

      9 B. ANCIENT JAPAN: ORIGINS AND ASUKA, NARA, AND HEIAN PERIODS...ANCIENT JAPAN: ORIGINS AND ASUKA, NARA, AND HEIAN PERIODS Japanese culture emerged on Yamato plain around the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. and continued...record of ancient matters.22 Immediately following this era was the Heian period during which the imperial court moved to a new, permanent capital

    11. 78 FR 7451 - Clad Steel Plate From Japan; Determination

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2013-02-01

      ... Japan; Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject five-year review, the... from Japan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in... USITC Publication 4370 (January 2013), entitled Clad Steel Plate from Japan: Investigation No. 731-TA...

    12. Literacy in Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Kanaya, Toshio

      1979-01-01

      Examines three causes for Japan's high literacy rate: (1) emphasis on literacy in Japanese society; (2) pervasive effect of the modern Japanese school system; (3) special structural features of the Japanese language which aid in functional use. (DR)

    13. 78 FR 66767 - Chlorinated Isocyanurates From China and Japan

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2013-11-06

      ...)] Chlorinated Isocyanurates From China and Japan Determinations On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the... reason of imports from China and Japan of chlorinated isocyanurates, provided for in subheadings 2933.69... (LTFV) from Japan and subsidized by the Government of China.\\2\\ \\1\\ The record is defined in sec. 207.2...

    14. Cultural perspectives on aging and well-being: a comparison of Japan and the United States.

      PubMed

      Karasawa, Mayumi; Curhan, Katherine B; Markus, Hazel Rose; Kitayama, Shinobu S; Love, Gayle Dienberg; Radler, Barry T; Ryff, Carol D

      2011-01-01

      This study investigated age differences in multiple aspects of psychological well-being among midlife and older adults in Japan (N = 482) and the United States (N = 3,032) to test the hypothesis that older Japanese adults would rate aspects of their well-being (personal growth, purpose in life, positive relations with others) more highly that older U.S. adults. Partial support was found: older adults in Japan showed higher scores on personal growth compared to midlife adults, whereas the opposite age pattern was found in the United States. However, purpose in life showed lower scores for older adults in both cultural contexts. Interpersonal well-being, as hypothesized, was rated significantly higher, relative to the overall well-being, among Japanese compared to U.S. respondents, but only among younger adults. Women in both cultures showed higher interpersonal well-being, but also greater negative affect compared with men. Suggestions for future inquiries to advance understanding of aging and well-being in distinct cultural contexts are detailed.

    15. Cultural Perspectives on Aging and Well-Being: A Comparison of Japan and the U.S.

      PubMed Central

      Karasawa, Mayumi; Curhan, Katherine B.; Markus, Hazel Rose; Kitayama, Shinobu S.; Love, Gayle Dienberg; Radler, Barry T.; Ryff, Carol D.

      2011-01-01

      This study investigated age differences in multiple aspects of psychological well-being among midlife and older adults in Japan (N = 482) and the U.S. (N = 3,032) to test the hypothesis that older Japanese adults would rate aspects of their well-being (personal growth, purpose in life, positive relations with others) more highly that older U.S. adults. Partial support was found: older adults in Japan showed higher scores on personal growth compared to midlife adults, whereas the opposite age pattern was found in the U.S. However, purpose in life showed lower scores for older adults in both cultural contexts. Interpersonal well-being, as hypothesized, was rated significantly higher, relative to the overall well-being, among Japanese compared to U.S. respondents, but only among younger adults. Women in both cultures showed higher interpersonal well-being, but also greater negative affect compared with men. Suggestions for future inquiries to advance understanding of aging and well-being in distinct cultural contexts are detailed. PMID:21922800

    16. Impact and implications of disruptive behavior in the perioperative arena.

      PubMed

      Rosenstein, Alan H; O'Daniel, Michelle

      2006-07-01

      There is a growing concern about the role of human factor issues and their effect on patient safety and clinical outcomes of care. Problems with disruptive behaviors negatively affect communication flow and team dynamics, which can lead to adverse events and poor quality outcomes. A 25-question survey tool was used to assess the status and significance of disruptive behaviors around perioperative services in a large metropolitan academic medical center. Results were analyzed and compared with those from a national databank to identify areas of concern and opportunities for improvement. Disruptive behaviors were a common occurrence in the perioperative setting. These types of behaviors were most prevalent in attending surgeons. Disruptive behaviors increased levels of stress and frustration, which impaired concentration, impeded communication flow, and adversely affected staff relationships and team collaboration. These events were perceived to increase the likelihood of medical errors and adverse events and to compromise patient safety and quality of care. Disruptive behaviors in the perioperative arena have a significant impact on team dynamics and communication flow, which can have a negative impact on patient care. Organizations need to recognize the prevalence and significance of disruptive behaviors and develop policies and processes to address the issue. Key areas of focus include recognition and awareness, organizational and cultural commitment, implementation of appropriate codes of behavior policies and procedures, and provision of education and training programs to discuss contributing factors and tools to build effective communication and team collaboration skills.

    17. Update of inactivated equine influenza vaccine strain in Japan

      PubMed Central

      GAMOH, Koichiro; NAKAMURA, Shigeyuki

      2017-01-01

      Japan established a vaccine selection system, in which a committee evaluates veterinary influenza vaccines to determine if the vaccine should be updated. In 2013, it was concluded that the present equine influenza vaccine strains did not have to be updated, but clade 2 (Fc2) viruses of the Florida sublineage should be included. We collected three Fc2 viruses as candidates and conducted comparative tests. Results indicated that A/equine/Carlow/2011 (H3N8) is not suitable, because of its unstable antigenic characteristics. A comparison between A/equine/Richmond/1/2007 (H3N8) (Richmond/07) and A/equine/Yokohama/aq13/2010 (H3N8) (Yokohama/10) in eggs showed that they shared equal growth properties. Immunogenicity test in mice showed that Yokohama/10 induced higher HI antibody titers than Richmond/07. Therefore, we concluded that Yokohama/10 was the most suitable strain. PMID:28163276

    18. Merging Computer Writing & Collaborative Learning: The Role of Space in Room N779.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Moberg, Goran

      At Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York City about a dozen teachers teach English composition in a special room (N779): 25 computers along the 4 walls frame the large arena in the center which holds several work tables, each one surrounded by 6 chairs. The room is an eco-system designed for learning about text production. The most…

    19. Endocrine disorders and diabetes in Japan.

      PubMed

      Seino, Y; Imura, H

      1994-10-01

      The frequency of glucose intolerance including diabetes and IGT in endocrine diseases was compared between Japan and foreign countries. It was revealed that the frequency of diabetes in endocrine diseases is generally higher in Japan than in foreign countries. In addition, plasma insulin response to glucose was exaggerated in Cushing's syndrome with glucose intolerance, but was impaired in acromegaly and pheochromocytoma with glucose intolerance.

    20. People of Japan: Building Bridges of Understanding.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT. Language Research Center.

      This booklet was designed to facilitate interactions and communication with the people of Japan by providing information about their customs, attitudes and other cultural characteristics which influence their actions and values. A brief description of Japan is given, covering the following: history, government, the economy, education,…

    1. History of Nuclear Fusion Research in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Iguchi, Harukazu; Matsuoka, Keisuke; Kimura, Kazue; Namba, Chusei; Matsuda, Shinzaburo

      In the late 1950s just after the atomic energy research was opened worldwide, there was a lively discussion among scientists on the strategy of nuclear fusion research in Japan. Finally, decision was made that fusion research should be started from the basic, namely, research on plasma physics and from cultivation of human resources at universities under the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (MOE). However, an endorsement was given that construction of an experimental device for fusion research would be approved sooner or later. Studies on toroidal plasma confinement started at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) under the Science and Technology Agency (STA) in the mid-1960s. Dualistic fusion research framework in Japan was established. This structure has lasted until now. Fusion research activities over the last 50 years are described by the use of a flowchart, which is convenient to glance the historical development of fusion research in Japan.

    2. The politics of "disregarding": addressing Zainichi issues within the lesbian community in Japan.

      PubMed

      Iino, Yuriko

      2006-01-01

      This article discusses the difference in positionality between Japanese lesbians and Zainichi (literally, "resident in Japan") Korean lesbians. The author first presents a narrative written by a Zainichi Korean lesbian, in which she expresses her anger toward Japanese lesbians. Setting her narrative as a starting point, the author retraces the controversial incident that occurred during the second Asian Lesbian Network (ALN) conference that was held in Japan in 1992. Through a re-reading of a series of narratives with regard to the second conference, the author demonstrates how the unequal power relations between Japanese lesbians and Zainichi Korean lesbians operate in what she calls the politics of "disregarding," where Zainichi Korean lesbians are continuously omitted from the consciousness of Japanese lesbians. doi:10.1300/ J155v10n03_05.

    3. Delays in clinical development of neurological drugs in Japan.

      PubMed

      Ikeda, Masayuki

      2017-06-28

      The delays in the approval and development of neurological drugs between Japan and other countries have been a major issue for patients with neurological diseases. The objective of this study was to analyze factors contributing to the delay in the launching of neurological drugs in Japan. We analyzed data from Japan and the US for the approval of 42 neurological drugs, all of which were approved earlier in the US than in Japan, and examined the potential factors that may cause the delay of their launch. Introductions of the 42 drugs in Japan occurred at a median of 87 months after introductions in the US. The mean review time of new drug applications for the 20 drugs introduced in Japan in January 2011 or later (15 months) was significantly shorter than that for the other 22 drugs introduced in Japan in December 2010 or earlier (24 months). The lag in the Japan's review time behind the US could not explain the approval delays. In the 31 of the 42 drugs, the application data package included overseas data. The mean review time of these 31 drugs (17 months) was significantly shorter than that of the other 11 drugs without overseas data (26 months). The mean approval lag behind the US of the 31 drugs (78 months) was also significantly shorter than that of the other 11 drugs (134 months). These results show that several important reforms in the Japanese drug development and approval system (e.g., inclusion of global clinical trial data) have reduced the delays in the clinical development of neurological drugs.

    4. Use of the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) in Japan

      PubMed Central

      TAKASAKI, Hiroshi; ELKINS, Mark R.; MOSELEY, Anne M.

      2016-01-01

      Background: The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) may help users to overcome some obstacles to evidence-based physiotherapy. Understanding the extent to which Japanese physiotherapists access research evidence via the PEDro website may suggest strategies to enhance evidence-based physiotherapy in Japan. Objectives: To quantify usage of PEDro in Japan, to compare this to usage in other countries, and to examine variations in PEDro usage within Japan. Design: An observational study of PEDro usage with geographic analysis. Methods: Data about visits to the home-page and searches of the database were recorded for 4 years. These data were analysed by each region of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy, each country in the Asia Western Pacific region, and each prefecture in Japan. Results: From 2010 to 2013, users of PEDro made 2.27 million visits to the home-page and ran 6.28 million searches. Usage (ie, number of searches normalised by population) was highest in Europe, followed by North America Carribean, South America, Asia Western Pacific, and Africa. Within the Asia Western Pacific region, population-normalised usage was highest in Australia, then New Zealand and Singapore. Japan ranked 10 among the 26 countries in the region. Within Japan, the highest population-normalised usage was in the Nagano, Kumamoto and Aomori prefectures, which was ten-fold higher usage than in some other prefectures. Conclusions: Although Japan has higher PEDro usage than many other countries in the Asia Western Pacific region, some prefectures had very low usage, suggesting that evidence-based practice may not be being adopted uniformly across Japan. PMID:28289582

    5. Coronary Artery Calcification in Japanese Men in Japan and Hawaii

      PubMed Central

      Abbott, Robert D.; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Rodriguez, Beatriz L.; Kadowaki, Takashi; Masaki, Kamal H.; Willcox, Bradley J.; Sekikawa, Akira; Kuller, Lewis H.; Edmundowicz, Daniel; Shin, Chol; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Nakamura, Yasuyuki; El-Saed, Aiman; Okamura, Tomonori; White, Roger; Curb, J. David

      2013-01-01

      Explanations for the low prevalence of atherosclerosis in Japan versus United States are often confounded with genetic variation. To help remove such confounding, coronary artery calcification (CAC), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, was compared between Japanese men in Japan and Japanese men in Hawaii. Findings are based on risk factor and CAC measurements that were made from 2001 to 2005 in 311 men in Japan and 300 men in Hawaii. Men were aged 40 to 50 years and without cardiovascular disease. After age-adjustment, there was a 3-fold excess in the odds of prevalent CAC scores ≥10 in Hawaii versus Japan (relative odds [RO] = 3.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1,4.9). While men in Hawaii had a generally poorer risk factor profile, men in Japan were 4-times more likely to smoke cigarettes (49.5 vs. 12.7%, p<0.001). In spite of marked risk factor differences between the samples, none of the risk factors provided an explanation for the low amounts of CAC in Japan. After risk factor adjustment, the RO of CAC scores ≥10 in Hawaii versus Japan was 4.0 (95% CI = 2.2,7.4). Further studies are needed to identify factors that offer protection against atherosclerosis in Japanese men in Japan. PMID:17728270

    6. The Italian politics of alcohol: The creation of a public arena at the end of the 20th century.

      PubMed

      Beccaria, Franca; Rolando, Sara

      2015-07-01

      Political concern with alcohol as a social problem arose in Italy only at the end of last century, when consumption and the death rate from alcohol-related causes had both been trending down for decades. The main aim of this case study is to investigate - applying Wiener's theoretical framework - the role of different stakeholders in the process that led to the approval of the first alcohol framework law in 2001. Fourteen individual interviews with stakeholders were conducted, covering all the main topics involved in Italian alcohol policies. In addition, 19 bills introduced in the Italian parliament were analysed to reconstruct the legislative process. Stakeholders' role was analysed, assessing their positions, contrasts and coalitions. The rhetoric employed in the course of public debate was also deciphered. All three of the main processes used by Wiener to describe the building of a public arena around alcohol - animating the problem, legitimizing it and demonstrating it - were found. The Club of Alcoholics in Treatment and professionals working with alcoholics in Local Addiction Services appeared to be the most active groups in supporting the law. They did so by establishing a strong alliance, even if their visions about the problem and how to solve it differed. The study showed that a shared vision is not as essential as 'combining for strength' in order to create a public arena around a social problem. Furthermore, not even scientific data are essential for demonstrating a problem, as the use of rhetoric seems to be more effective in building ideologies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

    7. Getah Virus Infection among Racehorses, Japan, 2014

      PubMed Central

      Bannai, Hiroshi; Tsujimura, Koji; Kobayashi, Minoru; Kikuchi, Takuya; Yamanaka, Takashi; Kondo, Takashi

      2015-01-01

      An outbreak of Getah virus infection occurred among racehorses in Japan during September and October 2014. Of 49 febrile horses tested by reverse transcription PCR, 25 were positive for Getah virus. Viruses detected in 2014 were phylogenetically different from the virus isolated in Japan in 1978. PMID:25898181

    8. Japan's Winning Margins. Management, Training, and Education.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Lorriman, John; Kenjo, Takashi

      This book explains the fundamental reasons for Japan's astonishing commercial success in relation to its Western competitors. Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter 2 discusses implications of Japanese history for education, training, and management. Chapter 3 looks at the first winning margin--education. It covers the following: Japan's long…

    9. Descriptive study of external employee assistance program providers (EAP) in Japan.

      PubMed

      Muto, Takashi; Haruyama, Yasuo; Higashi, Toshiaki

      2012-01-01

      The mental health problems of employees have become a major occupational health issue in Japan. External employee assistance program providers (EAP) have become important in mental health care for workers, but their activities are poorly documented. This descriptive study was undertaken to clarify the status and future tasks of EAP in Japan. The subjects were all EAP (n=27) registered in the Japanese Chapter of Employee Assistance Professionals Association. The questionnaire survey was conducted in January 2007. We received 13 replies, a response rate of 54.2%. Most EAP provided seminars, stress checks, stress management, counseling, and support for a return to work. The number of EAP contracted with small-scale enterprises was small. EAP communicated infrequently with companies. To promote the use of EAP, their advertising, education and training of staff, accumulation of scientific evidence, development of an official certification system for staff, and improvement of contents of EAP services were cited.

    10. Japan and the Soviet Threat: Perceptions and Reactions.

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1983-12-01

      s...nce the late 1970’s. This _training cannot but help elevate the defense readiness posture of Japan and based on the scenarios being exercised , the...supersonic low flyers, can be easily jammed, and are virtually unprotected (as are Japan’s air bases ). Though work is underway to improve BADGE, it will...opposition to Japanese plans in East Asia, Japan moved to improve its position by concluding a Neutrality Pact with le. .the USSR (1941). .5 The Soviets

    11. Childbirth in aristocratic households of Heian Japan.

      PubMed

      Andreeva, Anna

      2014-01-01

      This paper focuses on childbirth in Japan's aristocratic households during the Heian period (794-1185). Drawing on various sources, including court diaries, visual sources, literary records, and Japan's first medical collection, with its assortment of gynaecological and obstetric prescriptions, as well as Buddhist and other ritual texts, this short excursion into the cultural history of childbirth offers an insight into how childbirth was experienced and managed in Heian Japan. In particular, it addresses the variety of ideas, knowledge systems and professionals involved in framing and supporting the process of childbirth in elite households. In so doing, it casts light on the complex background of early Japanese medicine and healthcare for women.

    12. Introductory Overview of Stone Heritages in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Kato, Hirokazu; Oikawa, Teruki; Fujita, Masayo; Yokoyama, Shunji

      2013-04-01

      As one contribution to 'Global Heritage Stone Resources' (GHSR), some stone heritages in Japan, which are nominated in the interim list, are briefly introduced. The geology of Japanese Islands where are the one of the most active areas in the history of the Earth, is very complicated. Therefore Japanese Islands consist of various kinds of minerals and rocks. Some of them were used to make stone implements and accessories. Japanese people also used to the best possible advantage to built tombstone, gate, pavement ,and the basement and wall of the large building such as temples, shrines, castles and modern buildings. 1. Stone Heritages of Pre-historical age: In the late Pleistocene and the early Holocene, ancient Japanese used obsidian cooled rapidly from rhyolitic magma.to make small implements and accessories. For example, Shirataki, Hokkaido (north island) is the largest place producing obsidian in Japan where Paleolithic people made arrowhead, knives and so on. Another example, Jade yielded in Itoigawa City, Japan Sea coast of central Japan, was made in the metamorphic rock about five hundred million years ago. Itoigawa area is only one place where jade is abundantly produced in Japan. Ancient people had been already collected and processed to ornaments although it is very hard and traded in wide area more than several thousand years ago. 2. Stone Heritages of Historical age: 2.1 Archaeological remains: In the Kofun (old mound) period (250 to 538 AD), stone burial chambers were used for old mounds to preserve against the putrefaction and to protect from the theft. For example, Ishibutai Kofun ("ishi" means "stone" and "butai" means "stage") in Nara old capital city, southwest Japan, is the largest known megalithic structure made of granite in Japan. 2.2 Stone walls of some typical castles Stones used is because of not only the rich reserves of rocks but also restriction of transportation. Osaka (second biggest city) castle, are composed of Cretaceous granite

    13. The cause of larger local magnitude (Mj) in western Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Kawamoto, H.; Furumura, T.

      2017-12-01

      The local magnitude of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) scale (Mj) in Japan sometimes show a significant discrepancy between Mw. The Mj is calculated using the amplitude of the horizontal component of ground displacement recorded by seismometers with the natural period of T0=5 s using Katsumata et al. (2004). A typical example of such a discrepancy in estimating Mj was an overestimation of the 2000 Western Tottori earthquake (Mj=7.3, Mw=6.7; hereafter referred to as event T). In this study, we examined the discrepancy between Mj and Mw for recent large earthquakes occurring in Japan.We found that the most earthquakes with larger Mj (>Mw) occur in western Japan while the earthquakes in northern Japan show reasonable Mj (=Mw). To understand the cause of such larger Mj for western Japan earthquakes we examined the strong motion record from the K-NET and KiK-net network for the event T and other earthquakes for reference. The observed ground displacement record from the event T shows a distinctive Love wave packet in tangential motion with a dominant period of about T=5 s which propagates long distances without showing strong dispersions. On the other hand, the ground motions from the earthquakes in northeastern Japan do not have such surface wave packet, and attenuation of ground motion is significant. Therefore, the overestimation of the Mj for earthquakes in western Japan may be attributed to efficient generation and propagation properties of Love wave probably relating to the crustal structure of western Japan. To explain this, we then conducted a numerical simulation of seismic wave propagation using 3D sedimentary layer model (JIVSM; Koketsu et al., 2012) and the source model of the event T. The result demonstrated the efficient generation of Love wave from the shallow strike-slip source which propagates long distances in western Japan without significant dispersions. On the other hand, the generation of surface wave was not so efficient when using a

    14. Interannual SST Variability in the Japan/East Sea and Relationship with Environmental Variables

      DTIC Science & Technology

      2006-01-01

      Soya Strait (SS), and Tartar Strait (TTS). (b) Regional geography. Interannual SST Variability in the Japan/East Sea 117 200 interruptions due to...caused by differential seasonal forcing. During the summer strong solar radiation penetrates into the entire Longitude(oE) La tit ud e( o N ) 50 50 100...1988.6 1988.8 1989 1989.2 1989.4 1989.6 1989.8 1990 1990.2 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 Time(year) Te m pe ra tu re (o C ) Longitude(oE) La tit ud e( o N ) (a) 5

    15. Effects of a Japan Diet Intake Program on Metabolic Parameters in Middle-Aged Men.

      PubMed

      Maruyama, Chizuko; Nakano, Rena; Shima, Mitsuha; Mae, Asumi; Shijo, Yuri; Nakamura, Eri; Okabe, Yuuna; Park, Sunmi; Kameyama, Noriko; Hirai, Satomi; Nakanishi, Mamoru; Uchida, Kagehiro; Nishiyama, Hiroshi

      2017-04-03

      We conducted a pilot study to clarify the effects of the Japan Diet nutritional education program on metabolic risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in middle-aged men who were brought up in the westernized dietary environment of modern Japan. Thirty-three men, 30-49 years of age, attended a nutrition education class to learn food items and recommended volumes comprising the Japan Diet (more fish, soybeans and soy products, vegetables, seaweed, mushrooms and unrefined cereals, and less animal fat, meat and poultry with fat, sweets, desserts and snacks, and alcoholic drinks), and were encouraged to consume the Japan Diet for 6 weeks. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured and 3-day weighted dietary records were kept before and at completion of the intervention. Ninety-one percent of participants showed improvements in more than one cardiovascular risk factor after 6 weeks. Body weight, serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, malondialdehyde modified (MDA)-LDL and triglyceride concentrations decreased significantly, while high density lipoprotein cholesterol was unchanged. Fish, soy, and sum of seaweed, mushrooms and konjak intakes doubled, and green and yellow vegetable intakes also increased as compared to baseline. Meanwhile, intakes of refined cereals, meat and poultry, sweets, desserts and snacks, and margarine and shortening decreased. Total energy, lipid, and saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid intakes decreased, while n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, dietary fiber, beta-carotene, vitamins D and K, potassium, and magnesium increased, with no change in sodium intake. The Japan Diet is suggested to improve atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk factors in middle-aged Japanese men.The clinical trial registration number: UMIN000020639.

    16. Words of Tohkaku Wada: medical heritage in Japan.

      PubMed

      Matsumoto, M; Inoue, K; Kajii, E

      2001-02-01

      The origins of Japan's medical ideas, which are deeply rooted in its religion, culture and history, are not widely understood in medical societies of other countries. We have taken up the task of summarising this tradition here so that some insight can be gained into the unique issues that characterise the practice of medicine in Japan. We borrow from the sayings of Tohkaku Wada, a medical philosopher of late eighteenth-century Japan, for a look at Japanese medical tradition. Wada's medical thought was very much reflective of the Buddhism, Zen, and swordsmanship that informed eighteenth-century philosophy in Japan. His central concepts were "chu" and "sei", that is, complete and selfless dedication to the patient and the practice of medicine. This paper explores Wada's thought, explaining it mainly from the standpoint of Japanese traditional culture.

    17. Entamoeba marina n. sp.; a New Species of Entamoeba Isolated from Tidal Flat Sediment of Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan.

      PubMed

      Shiratori, Takashi; Ishida, Ken-Ichiro

      2016-05-01

      The genus Entamoeba includes anaerobic lobose amoebae, most of which are parasites of various vertebrates and invertebrates. We report a new Entamoeba species, E. marina n. sp. that was isolated from a sample of tidal flat sediment collected at Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan. Trophozoites of E. marina were 12.8-32.1 μm in length and 6.8-15.9 μm in width, whereas the cysts were 8.9-15.8 μm in diam. and contained four nuclei. The E. marina cells contained a rounded nucleus with a small centric karyosome and uniformly arranged peripheral chromatin. Although E. marina is morphologically indistinguishable from other tetranucleated cyst-forming Entamoeba species, E. marina can be distinguished from them based on the combination of molecular phylogenetic analyses using SSU rDNA gene and the difference of collection sites. Therefore, we propose E. marina as a new species of the genus Entamoeba. © 2015 The Author(s) Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology © 2015 International Society of Protistologists.

    18. Behavior of endocrine disrupting chemicals in Johkasou improved septic tank in Japan.

      PubMed

      Nakagawa, S; Matsuo, H; Motoyama, M; Nomiyama, K; Shinohara, R

      2009-09-01

      The behavior of estrogens (estrone: E1, 17beta-estradiol: E2, estriol: E3 and ethinylestradiol: EE2) and an androgen (testosterone) in the water and sludge from Johkasou in Japan was investigated. The concentrations of E1, E2, E3 and testosterone in water samples from the Johkasou were 33-500, N.D. approximately 150, N.D. approximately 6,700 and 500 ng/L, respectively. In sludge samples, the concentrations of E1, E2, E3, and testostrerone were N.D. approximately 39, N.D. approximately 6.7, N.D. approximately 60 and 0.2-9.0 ng/L, respectively. EE2 was not detected in all samples. The removal rates of E1, E2, E3 and testosterone in Johkasou were 45%-91%, 66%-100%, 90%-100%, and about 90%, respectively.

    19. Japan: Language Policy and Planning in Transition

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Gottlieb, Nanette

      2008-01-01

      This monograph discusses the language situation in Japan, with an emphasis on language planning and policy. Japan has long considered itself to be a monoethnic and therefore monolingual society, despite the existence of substantial old-comer ethnic minorities, and this--with the instrumental exception of English--has been reflected in its language…

    20. [Rabies contingency plan in Japan].

      PubMed

      Inoue, Satoshi

      2005-12-01

      In Japan, rabies has been culled out since 1957 thanks to the strong implementation of measures against rabies, such as vaccination of dogs, quarantine and control of wild dogs under the 'Rabies Prevention Law' enacted in 1950. Nevertheless one cannot deny the possibility of introduction of rabies into Japan in view of the recent increase in the international movements of people and animals. Should an outbreak of rabies be suspected now in Japan, the society would probably overreact due to a decreased awareness of risks and a lack of correct knowledge about this disease. Officials of the government and the municipalities, veterinarians and doctors should exchange correct information on rabies and on prevention control and raise their awareness, while providing also information to the public on a timely basis. Besides it is needless to say that it is important to set up a crisis management system allowing a quick and adequate response in case of an outbreak of rabies and to continue to implement appropriate prevention measures in normal times.

    1. Climate Scientists In The Public Arena: Who's Got Our Backs? (Invited)

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Mann, M. E.

      2010-12-01

      Climate scientists have an important role to play in informing the public discourse on human-caused climate change. Our scientific expertise provides us a unique, informed perspective, and despite recent high profile attacks against climate science, the public still affords climate scientists the greatest trust to deliver an honest, unbiased assessment of the potential threats posed by climate changes. Yet, as with all areas of science where powerful special interests perceive themselves as threatened by the findings of science, scientists enter the public fray at our peril. Our efforts to communicate the science are opposed by a well-funded, highly organized disinformation effort that aims to confuse the public about the nature of our scientific understanding. In recent years, the disinformation campaign has demonstrated a willingness to attack individual, climate scientists as a means of achieving a broader end: discrediting climate science itself. These attacks are rarely fought in legitimate scientific circles such as the peer-reviewed scientific literature or other scholarly venues, but rather through rhetorical efforts delivered by nonscientists, using ideologically aligned media outlets, special interest groups, and politicians. Scientists are massively out-funded and outmanned in this battle, and will lose if leading scientific institutions and organizations remain on the sidelines. I will discuss this dilemma, drawing upon my own experiences in the public arena of climate change.

    2. ER-2 #809 and DC-8 in Arena Arctica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden prior to the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE)

      NASA Image and Video Library

      2000-01-23

      NASA ER-2 # 809 and its DC-8 shown in Arena Arctica before the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE). The two airborne science platforms were based north of the Arctic Circle in Kiruna, Sweden, during the winter of 2000 to study ozone depletion as part of SOLVE. A large hangar built especially for research, "Arena Arctica" housed the instrumented aircraft and the scientists. Scientists have observed unusually low levels of ozone over the Arctic during recent winters, raising concerns that ozone depletion there could become more widespread as in the Antarctic ozone hole. The NASA-sponsored international mission took place between November 1999 and March 2000 and was divided into three phases. The DC-8 was involved in all three phases returning to Dryden between each phase. The ER-2 flew sample collection flights between January and March, remaining in Sweden from Jan. 9 through March 16. "The collaborative campaign will provide an immense new body of information about the Arctic stratosphere," said program scientist Dr. Michael Kurylo, NASA Headquarters. "Our understanding of the Earth's ozone will be greatly enhanced by this research."

    3. Testing the Nuclear Will of Japan

      DTIC Science & Technology

      2007-12-01

      particularly the United States. This was significant because a soured economic relationship would undoubtedly affect the U.S.-Japan security...around the world, has sometimes soured its image as a serious international player.136 This is because many of the world’s great powers have extended...for International Exchange, 2005. Beer , Lawrence W. “Japan Turning the Corner.” Asian Survey 11, no. 1 (January 1971): 74 – 85. Bueno de Mesquita

    4. Toward freedom from cancer pain in Japan.

      PubMed

      Otsuka, Kuniko; Yasuhara, Hajime

      2007-01-01

      Life expectancy in Japan is highest in the world. Cancer is the leading cause of mortality in Japan, accounting for about 30 percent of all deaths. Many Japanese cancer patients experience severe pain although they and their families hope to be pain free at the end of their lives. Toward that end, the consumption of morphine in Japan has increased markedly since 1989. The amount of morphine hydrochloride and morphine sulfate consumed in 2001 was 6.1 times that used in Japan in 1989. However, the amount of morphine consumed in Japan is still less than in other developed nations, and was only one-sixth of the amount used in Australia in 2001. As a result, many Japanese cancer patients experience potentially manageable cancer pain, largely because the amount of the drug used by doctors is insufficient for pain control. An increasing number of Japanese doctors now understand that their patients' quality of life is most important in end-of-life care and how to use the three step analgesic ladder of the World Health Organization (WHO). However, other doctors do not understand these issues sufficiently causing some patients to die without good pain control. Both the general population and some medical professionals misunderstand and have prejudice against the use of morphine. Patients often do not participate in decision making about medical treatment because of remaining paternalism in the relationship between Japanese doctors and patients. Thus, cancer pain management in Japan is not as effective as it can be and not all Japanese cancer patients receive appropriate management for their cancer pain. To improve outcomes for Japanese patients, it is necessary for health professional and social work students and practicing professionals to receive contemporary education including an introduction to palliative care and ethics.

    5. Regional and transported aerosols during DRAGON-Japan experiment

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Sano, I.; Holben, B. N.; Mukai, S.; Nakata, M.; Nakaguchi, Y.; Sugimoto, N.; Hatakeyama, S.; Nishizawa, T.; Takamura, T.; Takemura, T.; Yonemitsu, M.; Fujito, T.; Schafer, J.; Eck, T. F.; Sorokin, M.; Kenny, P.; Goto, M.; Hiraki, T.; Iguchi, N.; Kouzai, K.; KUJI, M.; Muramatsu, K.; Okada, Y.; Sadanaga, Y.; Tohno, S.; Toyazaki, Y.; Yamamoto, K.

      2013-12-01

      Aerosol properties over Japan have been monitored by AERONET sun / sky photometers since 2000. These measurements provides us with long term information of local aerosols, which are influenced by transported aerosols, such as Asian dusts or anthropogenic pollutants due to rapid increasing of energy consumption in Asian countries. A new aerosol monitoring experiment, Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks (DRAGON) - Japan is operated in spring of 2012. The main instrument of DRAGON network is AERONET sun/sky radiometers. Some of them are sparsely set along the Japanese coast and some others make a dense network in Osaka, which is the second-largest city in Japan and famous for manufacturing town. Several 2ch NIES-LIDAR systems are also co-located with AERONET instrument to monitor Asian dusts throughout the campaign. The objects of Dragon-Japan are to characterize local aerosols as well as transported ones from the continent of China, and to acquire the detailed aerosol information for validating satellite data with high resolved spatial scale. This work presents the comprehensive results of aerosol properties with respect to regional- and/or transported- scale during DRAGON-Japan experiments.

    6. Acculturation factors and metabolic syndrome among Japanese-Brazilian men in Japan: a cross-sectional descriptive study.

      PubMed

      Tashiro, Marie; Yasuoka, Junko; Poudel, Krishna C; Noto, Hiroshi; Masuo, Miho; Jimba, Masamine

      2014-02-01

      This study examines the acculturation effects on metabolic syndrome (MetS), and its related factors, among immigrant Japanese-Brazilian men in Japan. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilized. In the quantitative study (n = 149), multiple logistic regression analyses estimated the impact of length of residence and arrival age on MetS. For the qualitative study, five focus group discussions were conducted with participants (n = 26) from the quantitative study sample. The oldest arrival age group was more likely to have MetS (OR, 95% CI 4.41, 1.09-17.78) after adjusting for covariates; whereas, length of residence had no association with MetS. The oldest arrival age group, with shorter residence period, was also associated with increased MetS prevalence. Qualitative results identified participants' Brazilian dietary habits as being potential risk factors for MetS. Japanese-Brazilian immigrant men with older arrival age in Japan were more likely to suffer from MetS, especially shortly after arrival.

    7. Characteristics of unit-level patient safety culture in hospitals in Japan: a cross-sectional study.

      PubMed

      Fujita, Shigeru; Seto, Kanako; Kitazawa, Takefumi; Matsumoto, Kunichika; Hasegawa, Tomonori

      2014-10-22

      Patient safety culture (PSC) has an important role in determining safety and quality in healthcare. Currently, little is known about the status of unit-level PSC in hospitals in Japan. To develop appropriate strategies, characteristics of unit-level PSC should be investigated. Work units may be classified according to the characteristics of PSC, and common problems and appropriate strategies may be identified for each work unit category. This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of unit-level PSC in hospitals in Japan. In 2012, a cross-sectional study was conducted at 18 hospitals in Japan. The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture questionnaire, developed by the United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, was distributed to all healthcare workers (n =12,076). Percent positive scores for 12 PSC sub-dimensions were calculated for each unit, and cluster analysis was used to categorise the units according to the percent positive scores. A generalised linear mixed model (GLMM) was used to analyse the results of the cluster analysis, and odds ratios (ORs) for categorisation as high-PSC units were calculated for each unit type. A total of 9,124 respondents (75.6%) completed the questionnaire, and valid data from 8,700 respondents (72.0%) were analysed. There were 440 units in the 18 hospitals. According to the percent positive scores for the 12 sub-dimensions, the 440 units were classified into 2 clusters: high-PSC units (n =184) and low-PSC units (n =256). Percent positive scores for all PSC sub-dimensions for high-PSC units were significantly higher than those for low-PSC units. The GLMM revealed that the combined unit type of 'Obstetrics and gynaecology ward, perinatal ward or neonatal intensive care unit' was significantly more likely to be categorised as high-PSC units (OR =9.7), and 'Long-term care ward' (OR =0.2), 'Rehabilitation unit' (OR =0.2) and 'Administration unit' (OR =0.3) were significantly less likely to be categorised as high

    8. Shunt Intervention for Possible Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus Improves Patient Outcomes: A Nationwide Hospital-Based Survey in Japan.

      PubMed

      Nakajima, Madoka; Miyajima, Masakazu; Ogino, Ikuko; Akiba, Chihiro; Kawamura, Kaito; Kurosawa, Michiko; Kuriyama, Nagato; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Fukushima, Wakaba; Mori, Etsuro; Kato, Takeo; Sugano, Hidenori; Karagiozov, Kostadin; Arai, Hajime

      2018-01-01

      Background and Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of cerebrospinal fluid shunt intervention for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) using data from a nationwide epidemiological survey in Japan. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from a nationwide epidemiological survey performed in Japan. Propensity score matching was used to select 874 patients from 1,423 patients aged ≥60 years, who were diagnosed with iNPH based on clinical guidelines following a hospital visit in 2012. Patients who experienced an improvement of at least 1 modified Rankin Scale (mRS) grade after the intervention were classified as "improved," while the remaining patients were classified as "non-improved." In the shunt intervention ( n = 437) and non-shunt intervention ( n = 437) groups, the differences in mRS grade improvement were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U -test. Finally, we examined subjects in the shunt intervention group ( n = 974) to compare the outcomes and complications of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt (n = 417) with lumboperitoneal (LP) shunt ( n = 540). Results: We examined subjects with iNPH to compare the non-shunt intervention group to the shunt intervention group following adjustment for age and mRS grade at baseline by propensity score matching (0.31-0.901). The mRS grade (mean [SD]) was found to improve with non-shunt intervention (2.46 [0.88]) and shunt intervention (1.93 [0.93]) ( p < 0.001) in iNPH patients. The mRS outcome score and complications comparison between the VP and LP shunt groups did not show significant difference. Conclusions: In this study, analysis of the efficacy of shunts for possible iNPH conducted in Japan indicated a significant improvement in the mRS grade between baseline and outcome within 1 year, regardless of the surgical technique, and shunt intervention was found to be effective.

    9. The educational system in Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Spearman, M. L.

      1986-01-01

      The rapid economic growth of Japan since World War II has resulted in Japan becoming a reference point for developing nations and the West. This remarkable growth results from a combination of factors, one of which has been unyielding attention to education in order to cultivate the human talent necessary to provide the productivity for economic growth. The Japanese education system emphasizes quality of instruction and rewards hard work. Some of the principles of the system are outlined together with a summary of the content of the curriculum, the quantity and quality of instruction, and the influence of culture and environment.

    10. Sensitivity analysis of source regions to PM2.5 concentration at Fukue Island, Japan.

      PubMed

      Ikeda, Kohei; Yamaji, Kazuyo; Kanaya, Yugo; Taketani, Fumikazu; Pan, Xiaole; Komazaki, Yuichi; Kurokawa, Jun-ichi; Ohara, Toshimasa

      2014-04-01

      The authors analyze the sensitivities of source regions in East Asia to PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of < or = 2.5 microm) concentration at Fukue Island located in the western part of Japan by using a regional chemical transport model with emission sensitivity simulations for the year 2010. The temporal variations in PM2.5 concentration are generally reproduced, but the absolute concentration is underestimated by the model. Chemical composition of PM2.5 in the model is compared with filter sampling data in spring; simulated sulfate, ammonium, and elemental carbon are consistent with observations, but mass concentration of particulate organic matters is underestimated. The relative contribution from each source region shows the seasonal variation, especially in summer. The contribution from central north China (105 degrees E-124 degrees E, 34 degrees N-42 degrees N) accounts for 50-60% of PM2.5 at Fukue Island except in summer; it significantly decreases in summer (18%). Central south China (105 degrees E-123 degrees E, 26 degrees N-34 degrees N) has the relative contribution of 15-30%. The contribution from the Korean Peninsula is estimated at about 10% except in summer. The domestic contribution accounts for about 7% in spring and autumn and increases to 19% in summer. We also estimate the relative contribution to daily average concentration in high PM2.5 days (> 35 microg m(-3)). Central north China has a significant contribution of 60-70% except in summer. The relative contribution from central south China is estimated at 46% in summer and about 30% in the other seasons. The contributions from central north and south China on high PM2.5 days are generally larger than those of their seasonal mean contributions. The domestic contribution is smaller than the seasonal mean value in every season; it is less than 10% even in summer. These model results suggest that foreign anthropogenic sources have a substantial impact on attainment of the

    11. The UK-Japan Young Scientist Workshop Programme...

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Albone, Eric; Okano, Toru

      2012-01-01

      The authors have been running UK-Japan Young Scientist Workshops at universities in Britain and Japan since 2001: for the past three years in England with Cambridge University and, last year, also with Kyoto University and Kyoto University of Education. For many years they have worked jointly with colleagues in a group of Super Science High…

    12. View from... JSAP spring meeting 2007: Inside Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Won, Rachel; Graydon, Oliver

      2007-06-01

      Photonics research in Japan is thriving and there is no better place to hear the latest news firsthand than the meetings of the Japan Society of Applied Physics. Nature Photonics decided to pay the 54th Spring Meeting a visit.

    13. 76 FR 8774 - Granular Polytetrafluoroethylene Resin From Japan

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2011-02-15

      ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 731-TA-386 (Third Review)] Granular Polytetrafluoroethylene Resin From Japan AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION: Termination of five... revocation of the antidumping duty order on granular polytetrafluoroethylene resin from Japan would be likely...

    14. Monitoring of seafloor crustal deformation using GPS/Acoustic technique along the Nankai Trough, Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Yasuda, K.; Tadokoro, K.; Ikuta, R.; Watanabe, T.; Fujii, C.; Matsuhiro, K.; Sayanagi, K.

      2014-12-01

      Seafloor crustal deformation is crucial for estimating the interplate locking at the shallow subduction zone and has been carried out at subduction margins in Japan, e.g., Japan Trench and Nankai Trough [Sato et al., 2011; Tadokoro et al., 2012]. Iinuma et al. [2012] derived slip distributions during the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake using GPS/Acoustic data and on-land GPS data. The result showed that maximum slip is more than 85 m near the trench axis. The focal area along the Nankai trough extended to the trough axis affected this earthquake by cabinet office, government of Japan.  We monitored seafloor crustal deformation along the Nankai trough, Japan. Observation regions are at the eastern end of Nankai trough (named Suruga trough) and at the central Nankai trough. We established and monitored by two sites across the trough at each region. In the Suruga trough region, we repeatedly observed from 2005 to 2013. We observed 13 and 14 times at a foot wall side (SNE) and at a hanging wall side (SNW), respectively. We estimated the displacement velocities with relative to the Amurian plate from the result of repeated observation. The estimated displacement velocity vectors at SNE and SNW are 42±8 mm/y to N94±3˚W direction and 39±11 mm/y to N84±9˚W direction, respectively. The directions are the same as those measured at the on-land GPS stations. The magnitudes of velocity vector indicate significant shortening by approximately 4 mm/y between SNW and on-land GPS stations at hanging wall side of the Suruga Trough. This result shows that the plate interface at the northernmost Suruga trough is strongly locked. In the central Nankai trough region, we established new two stations across the central Nankai trough (Both stations are about 15km distance from trough) and observed only three times, August 2013, January 2014, and June 2014. We report the results of monitoring performed in this year.

    15. U.S. hardwood exports, hardwood exports to Japan, hardwood resource situation, and the future of U.S. exports to Japan

      Treesearch

      Philip A. Araman

      1989-01-01

      This paper looks at some basic information about total U.S. hardwood exports and products as well as hardwood exports to Japan. It also discusses the U.S. hardwood resource situation and how we can best use the resource base to suppy Japanâs needs.

    16. A brief history of the Japan Society for Cell Biology.

      PubMed

      Tashiro, Y; Okigaki, T

      2001-02-01

      The Japan Society for Cell Biology (JSCB) was first founded in 1950 as the Japan Society for Cellular Chemistry under the vigorous leadership of Seizo Katsunuma, in collaboration with Shigeyasu Amano and Satimaru Seno. The Society was provisionally named as above simply because cell biology had not yet been coined at that time in Japan, although in prospect and reality the Society was in fact for the purpose of pursuing cell biology. Later in 1964, the Society was properly renamed as the Japan Society for Cell Biology. After this renaming, the JSCB made great efforts to adapt itself to the rapid progress being made in cell biology. For this purpose the Society's constitution was created in 1966 and revised in 1969. According to the revised constitution, the President, Executive Committee and Councils were to be determined by ballot vote. The style of the annual meetings was gradually modified to incorporate general oral and poster presentations in addition to Symposia (1969-1974). The publication of annual periodicals in Japanese called Symposia of the Japan Society for Cellular Chemistry (1951-1967) and later Symposia of the Japan Society for Cell Biology (1968-1974) was replaced by a new international journal called Cell Structure and Function initiated in 1975. This reformation made it possible for the Society to participate in the Science Council of Japan in 1975 and finally in 1993 to acquire its own study section of Cell Biology with grants-in-aid from the Ministry of Education and Science, Japan. The JSCB hosted the 3rd International Congress on Cell Biology (ICCB) in 1984 and the 3rd Asian-Pacific Organization for Cell Biology (APOCB) Congress in 1998, thus contributing to the international advancement of cell biology. Now the membership of JSCB stands at approximately 1,800 and the number of presentations per meeting is 300 to 400 annually. Although a good number of interesting and important findings in cell biology have been reported from Japan, the

    17. Critical neuropsychobiological analysis of panic attack- and anticipatory anxiety-like behaviors in rodents confronted with snakes in polygonal arenas and complex labyrinths: a comparison to the elevated plus- and T-maze behavioral tests.

      PubMed

      Coimbra, Norberto C; Paschoalin-Maurin, Tatiana; Bassi, Gabriel S; Kanashiro, Alexandre; Biagioni, Audrey F; Felippotti, Tatiana T; Elias-Filho, Daoud H; Mendes-Gomes, Joyce; Cysne-Coimbra, Jade P; Almada, Rafael C; Lobão-Soares, Bruno

      2017-01-01

      To compare prey and snake paradigms performed in complex environments to the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and T-maze (ETM) tests for the study of panic attack- and anticipatory anxiety-like behaviors in rodents. PubMed was reviewed in search of articles focusing on the plus maze test, EPM, and ETM, as well as on defensive behaviors displayed by threatened rodents. In addition, the authors' research with polygonal arenas and complex labyrinth (designed by the first author for confrontation between snakes and small rodents) was examined. The EPM and ETM tests evoke anxiety/fear-related defensive responses that are pharmacologically validated, whereas the confrontation between rodents and snakes in polygonal arenas with or without shelters or in the complex labyrinth offers ethological conditions for studying more complex defensive behaviors and the effects of anxiolytic and panicolytic drugs. Prey vs. predator paradigms also allow discrimination between non-oriented and oriented escape behavior. Both EPM and ETM simple labyrinths are excellent apparatuses for the study of anxiety- and instinctive fear-related responses, respectively. The confrontation between rodents and snakes in polygonal arenas, however, offers a more ethological environment for addressing both unconditioned and conditioned fear-induced behaviors and the effects of anxiolytic and panicolytic drugs.

    18. Using Parse's humanbecoming theory in Japan.

      PubMed

      Tanaka, Junko; Katsuno, Towako; Takahashi, Teruko

      2012-01-01

      In this paper the authors discuss the use of Parse's humanbecoming theory in Japan. Elements of the theory are used in the nursing approach to an 88 year-old Japanese man who had complications following surgery. Process recordings of the dialogues between the patient, the patient's wife, and the nurse were made and considered in light of the three methodologies of Parse's theory; illuminating meaning, synchronizing rhythms, and mobilizing transcendence. The theory is seen as useful in Japan.

    19. Suicide risk among young children after the Great East Japan Earthquake: A follow-up study.

      PubMed

      Fujiwara, Takeo; Yagi, Junko; Homma, Hiroaki; Mashiko, Hirobumi; Nagao, Keizo; Okuyama, Makiko

      2017-07-01

      On 11 March 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit East Japan. We aim to investigate the impact of trauma experiences related to the earthquake on suicide risk among young children, stratified by child sex. Participants at baseline were children who were exposed to the 2011 disaster at preschool age (affected area, n=198; unaffected area, n=82, total n=280). From July 2013 to May 2014, suicide risk was assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI-KID) in a follow-up interview conducted by a child psychiatrist or psychologist (N=210, follow-up rate: 75%). Among young girls in the affected area, 12 out of 65 (18.5%) showed suicidal ideation, which is significantly higher than girls in the unaffected area (4.7%, p for chi-square=0.036). In the multivariate model adjusted for potential confounders and mediators, the odds ratio for 4 or more trauma experiences related to the earthquake was 5.74 (95% confidence interval: 0.83-39.6, p=0.076) compared to no trauma experience related to the earthquake. Among young boys, trauma exposure was not associated with suicidal ideation. Our findings showed that young girls who experienced earthquake-related trauma at preschool age had a higher suicidal ideation 3 years after the earthquake. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

    20. Country Profiles. Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Muramatsu, Minoru

      This occasional paper on Japan is one of a series setting forth the nature, scope, and accomplishments of population activities in specified countries. Here, an overview is given of population characteristics and growth patterns, the relationship of population growth to socioeconomic development, and the history of population concerns and…

    1. What is nuclear power in Japan?

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Suzuki, Toshikazu

      2011-03-01

      The aggressive use of such non-fossil energy as the atomic energy with high power density and energy production efficiency is an indispensable choice aiming at the low-carbon society. There is a trial calculation that the carbon dioxide emission of 40000 ton can be suppressed by nuclear power generation by one ton of uranium. The basis of nuclear research after the Second World War in Japan was established by the researchers learnt in Argonne National Laboratory. In 2010, NPPs under operation are 54 units and the total electric generating power is 48.85GW. The amount of nuclear power generation per person of the people is 0.38kW in Japan, and it is near 0.34kW of the United States. However, the TMI accident and the Chernobyl disaster should have greatly stagnated the nuclear industry of Japan although it is not more serious than the United States. A lot of Japanese unconsciously associate a nuclear accident with the atomic bomb. According to the investigation which Science and Technology Agency carried out to the specialist in 1999, ``What will be the field where talent should be emphatically sent in the future?'' the rank of nuclear technology was the lowest in 32 fields. The influence of the nuclear industry stagnation was remarkable in the education. The subject related to the atomic energy of a university existed 19 in 1985 that was the previous year of the Chernobyl disaster decreased to 7 in 2003. In such a situation, we have to rely on the atomic energy because Japan depends for 96% of energy resources on import. The development of the fuel reprocessing and the fast breeder reactor has been continued in spite of a heavy failure. That is the only means left behind for Japan to be released from both fossil fuel and carbon dioxide.

    2. Spatial transmission of H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses among wild birds in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, 2016-2017.

      PubMed

      Tsunekuni, Ryota; Yaguchi, Yuji; Kashima, Yuki; Yamashita, Kaoru; Takemae, Nobuhiro; Mine, Junki; Tanikawa, Taichiro; Uchida, Yuko; Saito, Takehiko

      2018-05-01

      From 29 November 2016 to 24 January 2017, sixty-three cases of H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infections were detected in wild birds in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Here, we analyzed the genetic, temporal, and geographic correlations of these 63 HPAIVs to elucidate their dissemination throughout the prefecture. Full-genome sequence analysis of the Ibaraki isolates showed that 7 segments (PB2, PB1, PA, HA, NP, NA, NS) were derived from G1.1.9 strains while the M segment was from G1.1 strains; both groups of strains circulated in south China. Pathological studies revealed severe systemic infection in dead swans (the majority of dead birds and the only species necropsied), thus indicating high susceptibility to H5N6 HPAIVs. Coalescent phylogenetic analysis using the 7 G1.1.9-derived segments enabled detailed analysis of the short-term evolution of these highly homologous HPAIVs. This analysis revealed that the H5N6 HPAIVs isolated from wild birds in Ibaraki Prefecture were divided into 7 groups. Spatial analysis demonstrated that most of the cases concentrated around Senba Lake originated from a single source, and progeny viruses were transmitted to other locations after the infection expanded in mute swans. In contrast, within just a 5-km radius of the area in which cases were concentrated, three different intrusions of H5N6 HPAIVs were evident. Multi-segment analysis of short-term evolution showed that not only was the invading virus spread throughout Ibaraki Prefecture but also that, despite the small size of this region, multiple invasions had occurred during winter 2016-2017.

    3. 76 FR 8773 - Superalloy Degassed Chromium From Japan

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2011-02-15

      ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 731-TA-1090 (Review)] Superalloy Degassed Chromium From Japan AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION: Termination of five-year... revocation of the antidumping duty order on superalloy degassed chromium from Japan would be likely to lead...

    4. Substantial Impact of School Closure on the Transmission Dynamics during the Pandemic Flu H1N1-2009 in Oita, Japan

      PubMed Central

      2015-01-01

      Background School closure is considered as an effective measure to prevent pandemic influenza. Although Japan has implemented many class, grade, and whole school closures during the early stage of the pandemic 2009, the effectiveness of such a school closure has not been analysed appropriately. In addition, analysis based on evidence or data from a large population has yet to be performed. We evaluated the preventive effect of school closure against the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and examined efficient strategies of reactive school closure. Materials and Methods Data included daily reports of reactive school closures and the number of infected students in the pandemic in Oita City, Japan. We used a regression model that incorporated a time delay to analyse the daily data of school closure based on a time continuous susceptible-exposed-infected-removed model of infectious disease spread. The delay was due to the time-lag from transmission to case reporting. We simulated the number of students infected daily with and without school closure and evaluated the effectiveness. Results The model with a 3-day delay from transmission to reporting yielded the best fit using R 2 (the coefficient of determination). This result suggests that the recommended period of school closure is more than 4 days. Moreover, the effect of school closure in the simulation of school closure showed the following: the number of infected students decreased by about 24% at its peak, and the number of cumulative infected students decreased by about 8.0%. Conclusions School closure was an effective intervention for mitigating the spread of influenza and should be implemented for more than 4 days. School closure has a remarkable impact on decreasing the number of infected students at the peak, but it does not substantially decrease the total number of infected students. PMID:26669757

    5. Antigenic, genetic, and pathogenic characterization of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from dead whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) found in northern Japan in 2008.

      PubMed

      Okamatsu, Masatoshi; Tanaka, Tomohisa; Yamamoto, Naoki; Sakoda, Yoshihiro; Sasaki, Takashi; Tsuda, Yoshimi; Isoda, Norikazu; Kokumai, Norihide; Takada, Ayato; Umemura, Takashi; Kida, Hiroshi

      2010-12-01

      In April and May 2008, whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) were found dead in Hokkaido in Japan. In this study, an adult whooper swan found dead beside Lake Saroma was pathologically examined and the identified H5N1 influenza virus isolates were genetically and antigenically analyzed. Pathological findings indicate that the swan died of severe congestive edema in the lungs. Phylogenetic analysis of the HA genes of the isolates revealed that they are the progeny viruses of isolates from poultry and wild birds in China, Russia, Korea, and Hong Kong. Antigenic analyses indicated that the viruses are distinguished from the H5N1 viruses isolated from wild birds and poultry before 2007. The chickens vaccinated with A/duck/Hokkaido/Vac-1/2004 (H5N1) survived for 14 days after challenge with A/whooper swan/Hokkaido/1/2008 (H5N1), although a small amount of the challenge virus was recovered from the tissues of the birds. These findings indicate that H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses are circulating in wild birds in addition to domestic poultry in Asia and exhibit antigenic variation that may be due to vaccination.

    6. Neuropsychology in Japan: history, current challenges, and future prospects.

      PubMed

      Sakamoto, Maiko

      2016-11-01

      The purpose of this special issue was to describe the cross-cultural differences in neuropsychology throughout the world. The current state of neuropsychology in Japan is discussed in this manuscript. Information on six topics, including (1) the history of Japanese neuropsychology, (2) licensure system, (3) job opportunities, (4) neuropsychological clinical services, (5) neuropsychological tests, and (6) neuropsychological research, was gathered via literature searches, official organization websites, and personal communication with clinical psychologists and other professionals in Japan. Neuropsychology reached Japan from the west in the late 1800s, a period of rapid political and social modernization. Professional associations were founded in the 1960s and 1970s and continued to grow. The need for neuropsychological assessment in Japan is growing; however, credential requirements for neuropsychologists have not yet been established. To practice clinical psychology in Japan, one must obtain a Master's degree and pass a licensure examination that is administered by a private professional foundation. Clinical psychologists often conduct neuropsychological tests; however, they have little training in neuropsychological assessment. While many western neuropsychological tests have been translated into Japanese and are used in clinical settings, the majority of translated tests have not been standardized and their psychometric properties remain poorly understood. Standardization and development of normative data in Japan is warranted. Given that needs for neuropsychological services are increasing, it is essential for clinical psychologists in Japan to improve their skills in neuropsychological evaluations. Japanese graduate schools must work to establish neuropsychology programs to educate and train clinical neuropsychologists.

    7. Spatial analysis of annual mean stable isotopes in precipitation across Japan based on an intensive observation period throughout 2013.

      PubMed

      Ichiyanagi, Kimpei; Tanoue, Masahiro

      2016-01-01

      Spatial distribution of annual mean stable isotopes in precipitation (δ(18)O, δ(2)H) was observed at 56 sites across Japan throughout 2013. Annual mean δ(18)O values showed a strong latitude effect, from -12.4 ‰ in the north to -5.1 ‰ in the south. Annual mean d-excess values ranged from 8 to 21 ‰, and values on the Sea of Japan side in Northern and Eastern Japan were relatively higher than those on the Pacific Ocean side. The local meteoric water line (LMWL) and isotope effects were based on the annual mean values from all sites across Japan as divided into distinct regions: the Sea of Japan side to the Pacific Ocean side and Northeastern to Southwestern Japan. Slopes and intercepts of LMWL ranged from 7.4 to 7.8 and 9.8 to 13.0, respectively. Slopes for latitude, altitude, and temperature effects ranged from -0.27 to -0.48 ‰/°N, -0.0034 to -0.0053 ‰/m, and 0.36 to 0.46 ‰/°C, respectively, with statistically significance at the 99 % level. However, there was no precipitation amount effect. From the result of a multiple regression analysis, the empirical formula of annual mean δ(18)O in precipitation from latitude and altitude for all sites across Japan was determined to be δ(18) O = -0.348 (LAT) - 0.00307 (ALT) + 4.29 (R(2) = 0.59). Slopes for latitude and altitude ranged from - 0.28 to - 0.51, and - 0.0019 to - 0.0045, respectively. Even though site distribution was uneven, these equations are the first trial estimation for annual mean stable isotopes in precipitation across Japan. Further research performed on the monthly basis is required to elucidate factors controlling the spatiotemporal variability of stable isotopes in precipitation across Japan.

    8. Computerizing medical records in Japan.

      PubMed

      Yasunaga, Hideo; Imamura, Tomoaki; Yamaki, Shintaro; Endo, Hiroyoshi

      2008-10-01

      The present study reports the current status of computerizing medical records in Japan. In 2001, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare formulated the Grand Design for the Development of Information Systems in the Healthcare and Medical Fields. The Grand Design stated a numerical target for "spreading the use of electronic medical records (EMR) in at least 60% of Japan's hospitals with 400 or more beds by 2006." The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which EMR and order entry systems (OES) have been adopted as of February 2007 and to evaluate the Japanese government's policy regarding the computerization of medical records. We conducted a postal survey targeting medical institutions throughout Japan. In February 2007, we mailed self-administered questionnaires to all 1574 hospitals with 300 or more beds, and to a random selection of 1000 hospitals with less than 300 beds in addition to 4000 clinics. Responses were received from 812 (51.6%), 504 (50.5%), and 1769 (44.8%), respectively. We asked questions concerning: (i) the extent to which EMR and OES had been introduced; (ii) the reasons why certain institutions had not introduced EMR and (iii) the subjective evaluation of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of EMR. The percentage of institutions that had introduced EMR as of February 2007 was 10.0% for hospitals and 10.1% for clinics. Even the percentage for hospitals with 400 or more beds was just 31.2%, illustrating that the government's target had not been reached. The most common reason given for not introducing EMR was: "The cost is high" which was observed in 82.0% of hospitals. It was considered that the introduction of EMR could improve 'inter-hospital networks', and 'time efficiency for physicians' by around 45% and 25% of hospitals, respectively. Healthcare information computerization in Japan is behind schedule because the introductory costs are high. For the computerization of healthcare information to be further promoted, prices

    9. JTEC panel report on advanced composites in Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Diefendorf, R. J.; Grisaffe, S. J.; Hillig, W. B.; Perepezko, J. H.; Pipes, R. B.; Sheehan, J. E.

      1991-01-01

      The JTEC Panel on Advanced Composites visited Japan and surveyed the status and future directions of Japanese high performance ceramic and carbon fibers and their composites in metal, intermetallic, ceramic and carbon matrices. The panel's interests included not only what composite systems were chosen, but also how these systems were developed. A strong carbon and fiber industry makes Japan the leader in carbon fiber technology. Japan has initiated an oxidation resistant carbon/carbon composite program. The goals for this program are ambitious, and it is just starting, but its progress should be closely monitored in the United States.

    10. Frontiers Of Education: Japan As ``Global Model'' Or ``Nation At Risk''?

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Willis, David Blake; Yamamura, Satoshi; Rappleye, Jeremy

      2008-07-01

      The Japanese educational system is undergoing extensive change, affecting all stages from pre-school programmes to higher education. As Japan has moved from a nation at the top to "A Nation at Risk," certain dichotomies have been highlighted. Viewing Japan as either educational super-power or educational tragedy, depending on the era of research or background of the researchers, has been especially provocative for educators and policy-makers. At the same time, the controversies in America surrounding the report A Nation at Risk (National Commission on Excellence in Education) are well known, a major impetus for the report of course being Japan. Central to the question of whether Japan is best understood as a Global Model or A Nation at Risk are themes of cross-national attraction and educational transfer. What can the world learn from Japan? What does Japan need to learn from the world? The answers to these questions have particular significance for Japanese higher education, which we take up as a case study here, with its urgent task to innovate in the face of a steep demographic downward trend. For those in Japan who feel that Japanese education is in a dismal state, what are the origins of this serious decline? For observers in other national contexts who envisage Japan as a model, how do the calls to ‹learn from Japan' reflect genuine attempts to improve practice at home? Or are they simply rhetorical tools in support of domestic political projects?

    11. Molecular epidemiology of human respiratory syncytial virus among children in Japan during three seasons and hospitalization risk of genotype ON1

      PubMed Central

      Hibino, Akinobu; Taniguchi, Kiyosu; Zaraket, Hassan; Shobugawa, Yugo; Matsui, Tamano; Suzuki, Hiroshi

      2018-01-01

      We investigated the genetic diversity, the circulation patterns, and risk for hospital admission of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) strains in Japan between 2012 through 2015. During the study period, 744 HRSV-positive cases were identified by rapid diagnostic test. Of these, 572 samples were positive by real-time PCR; 400 (69.9%) were HRSV-A, and 172 (30.1%) were HRSV-B. HRSV-A and -B alternated as the dominant strain in the subsequent seasons. Phylogenetic tree analysis of the second hyper-variable region of the G protein classified the HRSV-A specimens into NA1 (n = 242) and ON1 (n = 114) genotypes and the HRSV-B specimens into BA9 (n = 60), and BA10 (n = 27). The ON1 genotype, containing a 72-nucleotide duplication in the G protein’s second hyper-variable region, was first detected in the 2012–2013 season but it predominated and replaced the older NA1 HRSV-A in the 2014–2015 season, which also coincided with a record number of HRSV cases reported to the National Infectious Disease Surveillance in Japan. The risk of hospitalization was 6.9 times higher for the ON1 genotype compared to NA1. In conclusion, our data showed that the emergence and predominance of the relatively new ON1 genotype in Japan was associated with a record high number of cases and increased risk for hospitalization. PMID:29377949

    12. Effects of market liberalisation on smoking in Japan

      PubMed Central

      Honjo, K.; Kawachi, I.

      2000-01-01

      OBJECTIVE—To document the effect of the liberalisation of the Japanese tobacco market on Japanese smoking rates and on Japanese tobacco industry practices.
DATA SOURCE—Asahi Shimbun (major daily newspaper) from 1980 to 1996.
STUDY SELECTION—Review of media coverage on the effects of market liberalisation following the imposition of the USA's section 301 trade sanction.
DATA SYNTHESIS—The opening of Japan's tobacco market to foreign cigarette companies stalled a decline in smoking prevalence. Smoking rates among young women increased significantly, and also appear to be on the rise among adolescents. Aggressive marketing and promotional activities by US and Japanese tobacco companies in response to trade liberalisation appear responsible for these adverse trends. Steep increases in sales through vending machines were also possible contributors to the rising smoking prevalence among adolescents. On the positive side, market liberalisation indirectly promoted smoking control efforts in Japan, by causing an anti-smoking movement to coalesce.
CONCLUSION—Market liberalisation in Japan played a significant role in increasing smoking prevalence among young women and adolescents while helping to transform the issue of smoking in Japan from a matter of individual choice to a public health problem.


Keywords: Japan; market liberalisation PMID:10841856

    13. Cancer incidence and incidence rates in Japan in 2008: a study of 25 population-based cancer registries for the Monitoring of Cancer Incidence in Japan (MCIJ) project.

      PubMed

      Matsuda, Ayako; Matsuda, Tomohiro; Shibata, Akiko; Katanoda, Kota; Sobue, Tomotaka; Nishimoto, Hiroshi

      2014-04-01

      The Japan Cancer Surveillance Research Group aimed to estimate the cancer incidence in Japan in 2008 based on data collected from 25 of 34 population-based cancer registries, as part of the Monitoring of Cancer Incidence in Japan project. The incidence in Japan for 2008 was estimated to be 749 767 (C00-C96). Stomach cancer and breast cancer were the leading types of cancer in males and females, respectively.

    14. NASA Satellite Image of Japan Captured March 11, 2011

      NASA Image and Video Library

      2017-12-08

      NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Japan one hour and 41 minutes before the quake hit. At the time Aqua passed overhead, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured a visible of Japan covered by clouds. The image was taken at 0405 UTC on March 11 (1:05 p.m. local time Japan /11:05 p.m. EST March 10). The quake hit at 2:46 p.m. local time/Japan. Satellite: Aqua Credit: NASA/GSFC/Aqua NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Join us on Facebook

    15. Monitoring Lead (Pb) Pollution and Identifying Pb Pollution Sources in Japan Using Stable Pb Isotope Analysis with Kidneys of Wild Rats.

      PubMed

      Nakata, Hokuto; Nakayama, Shouta M M; Oroszlany, Balazs; Ikenaka, Yoshinori; Mizukawa, Hazuki; Tanaka, Kazuyuki; Harunari, Tsunehito; Tanikawa, Tsutomu; Darwish, Wageh Sobhy; Yohannes, Yared B; Saengtienchai, Aksorn; Ishizuka, Mayumi

      2017-01-10

      Although Japan has been considered to have little lead (Pb) pollution in modern times, the actual pollution situation is unclear. The present study aims to investigate the extent of Pb pollution and to identify the pollution sources in Japan using stable Pb isotope analysis with kidneys of wild rats. Wild brown ( Rattus norvegicus , n = 43) and black ( R. rattus , n = 98) rats were trapped from various sites in Japan. Mean Pb concentrations in the kidneys of rats from Okinawa (15.58 mg/kg, dry weight), Aichi (10.83), Niigata (10.62), Fukuoka (8.09), Ibaraki (5.06), Kyoto (4.58), Osaka (4.57), Kanagawa (3.42), and Tokyo (3.40) were above the threshold (2.50) for histological kidney changes. Similarly, compared with the previous report, it was regarded that even structural and functional kidney damage as well as neurotoxicity have spread among rats in Japan. Additionally, the possibility of human exposure to a high level of Pb was assumed. In regard to stable Pb isotope analysis, distinctive values of stable Pb isotope ratios (Pb-IRs) were detected in some kidney samples with Pb levels above 5.0 mg/kg. This result indicated that composite factors are involved in Pb pollution. However, the identification of a concrete pollution source has not been accomplished due to limited differences among previously reported values of Pb isotope composition in circulating Pb products. Namely, the current study established the limit of Pb isotope analysis for source identification. Further detailed research about monitoring Pb pollution in Japan and the demonstration of a novel method to identify Pb sources are needed.

    16. Monitoring Lead (Pb) Pollution and Identifying Pb Pollution Sources in Japan Using Stable Pb Isotope Analysis with Kidneys of Wild Rats

      PubMed Central

      Nakata, Hokuto; Nakayama, Shouta M. M.; Oroszlany, Balazs; Ikenaka, Yoshinori; Mizukawa, Hazuki; Tanaka, Kazuyuki; Harunari, Tsunehito; Tanikawa, Tsutomu; Darwish, Wageh Sobhy; Yohannes, Yared B.; Saengtienchai, Aksorn; Ishizuka, Mayumi

      2017-01-01

      Although Japan has been considered to have little lead (Pb) pollution in modern times, the actual pollution situation is unclear. The present study aims to investigate the extent of Pb pollution and to identify the pollution sources in Japan using stable Pb isotope analysis with kidneys of wild rats. Wild brown (Rattus norvegicus, n = 43) and black (R. rattus, n = 98) rats were trapped from various sites in Japan. Mean Pb concentrations in the kidneys of rats from Okinawa (15.58 mg/kg, dry weight), Aichi (10.83), Niigata (10.62), Fukuoka (8.09), Ibaraki (5.06), Kyoto (4.58), Osaka (4.57), Kanagawa (3.42), and Tokyo (3.40) were above the threshold (2.50) for histological kidney changes. Similarly, compared with the previous report, it was regarded that even structural and functional kidney damage as well as neurotoxicity have spread among rats in Japan. Additionally, the possibility of human exposure to a high level of Pb was assumed. In regard to stable Pb isotope analysis, distinctive values of stable Pb isotope ratios (Pb-IRs) were detected in some kidney samples with Pb levels above 5.0 mg/kg. This result indicated that composite factors are involved in Pb pollution. However, the identification of a concrete pollution source has not been accomplished due to limited differences among previously reported values of Pb isotope composition in circulating Pb products. Namely, the current study established the limit of Pb isotope analysis for source identification. Further detailed research about monitoring Pb pollution in Japan and the demonstration of a novel method to identify Pb sources are needed. PMID:28075384

    17. Insights into software development in Japan

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Duvall, Lorraine M.

      1992-01-01

      The interdependence of the U.S.-Japanese economies makes it imperative that we in the United States understand how business and technology developments take place in Japan. We can gain insight into these developments in software engineering by studying the context in which Japanese software is developed, the practices that are used, the problems encountered, the setting surrounding these problems, and the resolution of these problems. Context includes the technological and sociological characteristics of the software development environment, the software processes applied, personnel involved in the development process, and the corporate and social culture surrounding the development. Presented in this paper is a summary of results of a study that addresses these issues. Data for this study was collected during a three month visit to Japan where the author interviewed 20 software managers representing nine companies involved in developing software in Japan. These data are compared to similar data from the United States in which 12 managers from five companies were interviewed.

    18. The Issue of Diversity and Multiculturalism in Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Qi, Jie; Zhang, Sheng Ping

      2008-01-01

      The purpose of this paper is to problematize that which has been taken for granted about the notion of multiculturalism in Japan. Multiculturalism is a "hot" issue in Japan. As the Japanese government started to promote "internationalization" since 1980s, slogans such as "international exchange," "cultural…

    19. "I'm Not Going to Be in Japan Forever": How Filipina Immigrant Youth in Japan Construct the Meaning of Home

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Tokunaga, Tomoko

      2011-01-01

      This article, based on an ethnographic study of five Filipino-born daughters of Filipina migrant workers in Japan, discusses how these young women construct understandings of home as they navigate the borderlands between the Philippines, Japan and the US. The study reveals the ways in which these young women negotiate the possibilities and…

    20. Japan Country Analysis Brief

      EIA Publications

      2017-01-01

      Japan is the world's largest liquefied natural gas importer and ranks in the top four countries for the highest coal imports, net imports of petroleum and other liquids, and consumption of crude oil and petroleum products.

    1. Teaching Unit: Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Evans, Dina

      The cultural diversity of Japan can provide a rewarding learning experience for children of all grade levels. This teaching unit includes resources and ideas for the study of Japanese society, art, folklore, and poetry. Included among the instructional objectives are: (1) children will compare U.S. lifestyles with Japanese lifestyles by reading…

    2. De novo malignancy after pancreas transplantation in Japan.

      PubMed

      Tomimaru, Y; Ito, T; Marubashi, S; Kawamoto, K; Tomokuni, A; Asaoka, T; Wada, H; Eguchi, H; Mori, M; Doki, Y; Nagano, H

      2015-04-01

      Long-term immunosuppression is associated with an increased risk of cancer. Especially, the immunosuppression in pancreas transplantation is more intensive than that in other organ transplantation because of its strong immunogenicity. Therefore, it suggests that the risk of post-transplant de novo malignancy might increase in pancreas transplantation. However, there have been few studies of de novo malignancy after pancreas transplantation. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of de novo malignancy after pancreas transplantation in Japan. Post-transplant patients with de novo malignancy were surveyed and characterized in Japan. Among 107 cases receiving pancreas transplantation in Japan between 2001 and 2010, de novo malignancy developed in 9 cases (8.4%): post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders in 6 cases, colon cancer in 1 case, renal cancer in 1 case, and brain tumor in 1 case. We clarified the incidence of de novo malignancy after pancreas transplantation in Japan. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    3. Nitrous oxide fluxes from upland soils in central Hokkaido, Japan.

      PubMed

      Mu, Zhijian; Kimura, Sonoko D; Toma, Yo; Hatano, Ryusuke

      2008-01-01

      Nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from soils were measured using the closed chamber method during the snow-free seasons (middle April to early November), for three years, in a total of 11 upland crop fields in central Hokkaido, Japan. The annual mean N2O fluxes ranged from 2.95 to 164.17 microgN/(m2 x h), with the lowest observed in a grassland and the highest in an onion field. The instantaneous N2O fluxes showed a large temporal variation with peak emissions generally occurring following fertilization and heavy rainfall events around harvesting in autumn. No clear common factor regulating instantaneous N2O fluxes was found at any of the study sites. Instead, instantaneous N2O fluxes at different sites were affected by different soil variables. The cumulative N2O emissions during the study period within each year varied from 0.15 to 7.05 kgN/hm2 for different sites, which accounted for 0.33% to 5.09% of the applied fertilizer N. No obvious relationship was observed between cumulative N2O emission and applied fertilizer N rate (P > 0.4). However, the cumulative N2O emission was significantly correlated with gross mineralized N as estimated by CO2 emissions from bare soils divided by C/N ratios of each soil, and with soil mineral N pool (i.e., the sum of gross mineralized N and fertilizer N) (P < 0.001).

    4. Rickettsioses in Japan and the far East.

      PubMed

      Mahara, Fumihiko

      2006-10-01

      Three rickettsial diseases are known to exist in Japan currently: Japanese spotted fever (JSF), Tsutsugamushi disease (TD; scrub typhus), and Q fever. Since April 1999, the system for infection control and prevention in Japan has changed drastically. JSF, Q fever, and TD, as emerging infectious diseases, are designated as national notifiable diseases.The geographic distribution of JSF patients is along the coast of central and southwestern Japan, whereas TD and Q fever occur almost all over the country. The number of JSF patients reported was 216 cases during 1984-1998 and 268 cases, under the revised law, in 1999-2004. About 300-1000 cases of TD occur every year, and 7-46 cases of Q fever in 1999-2004. The number of cases of JSF and its endemic area are gradually increasing. There was only one fatality due to JSF until 2003, whereas two patients died of JSF in 2004, so JSF is still a life-threatening disease in Japan. Treatment of fulminant JSF consists of prompt administration of a combination of tetracycline and quinolone. Recent tick surveys revealed that the most probable vectors of JSF are Haemophysalis flava and Haemophysalis hystericis. In addition to R. japonica, two serotypes or species of spotted fever group rickettsiae have been isolated from ticks in Japan; one is closely related to R. helvetica and the other is a new genotype of unknown genotype AT, which is closely related to a Slovakian genotype. These serotypes are of uncertain clinical significance. Epidemiology of rickettsioses in the Far East is mentioned briefly.

    5. Toward a tobacco-free society in Japan.

      PubMed

      Tokunaga, H

      2001-08-01

      Tobacco is one of the major preventable causes of death and disability. This is widely known in both Japan and the USA, and although the smoking rate in the USA is decreasing, that in Japan remains high. The tobacco histories of these two countries, which provide the background to this difference, are herein compared. The antismoking movement is becoming more vociferous in both countries. Publicity regarding of the dangers of smoking, warning signs on tobacco packages, the introduction of antismoking devices, a ban on commercials for tobacco-related products on TV and the radio, no-smoking seats on airplanes, and litigation against the tobacco industry have all been introduced. However, major differences remain between these two countries. The tobacco industry in the USA has been a private company since it was first established. Courts have ordered the tobacco industry to pay compensation for damage to health resulting from tobacco. Smoking is strictly restricted inside buildings. Advertisements for nicotine gum and nicotine patches and reports on the dangers of smoking are regularly broadcast. In the case of Japan, the government at first nationalized the tobacco industry, and then made it a private company, although the government still holds two-thirds of its stock. Moreover, it established the Tobacco Business Law to support the company. The main purpose of antismoking campaigns in Japan is a partial ban on smoking. On the basis of these differences between the two countries regarding the history of tobacco, the antismoking movement in Japan has yet to choose which path to take.

    6. Q fever in Japan: an update review.

      PubMed

      Porter, Sarah Rebecca; Czaplicki, Guy; Mainil, Jacques; Horii, Yoichiro; Misawa, Naoaki; Saegerman, Claude

      2011-05-05

      As neglected zoonosis for many years, Q fever is now ubiquitous in Japan. Similarly to elsewhere in the world, domestic animals are considered to be important reservoirs of the causal agent, Coxiella burnetii, a resistant intracellular bacterium. Infected animals shed bacteria in milk, feces, urine, vaginal mucous and birth products. Inhalation of bacteria present in the environment is the main route of animal and human infection. Shedding of C. burnetii in milk by domestic ruminants has a very limited impact as raw milk is seldom ingested by the Japanese population. The clinical expression of Q fever in Japan is similar to its clinical expression elsewhere. However clinical cases in children are more frequently reported in this country. Moreover, C. burnetii is specified as one of the causative organisms of atypical pneumonia in the Japanese Respiratory Society Guideline for the management of community-acquired pneumonia. In Japan, C. burnetii isolates are associated with acute illness and are mainly of moderate to low virulence. Cats are considered a significant source of C. burnetii responsible for human outbreaks in association with the presence of infected parturient cats. Since its recognition as a reportable disease in 1999, 7-46 clinical cases of Q fever have been reported by year. The epidemiology of Q fever in Japan remains to be elucidated and the exact modes of transmission are still unproven. Important further research is necessary to improve knowledge of the disease itself, the endogenous hosts and reservoirs, and the epidemiological cycle of coxiellosis in Japan. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

    7. JPRS Report, Science & Technology, Japan, 4th International Conference on Langmuir-Blodgett Films

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1989-08-23

      Toshiba-cho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki, 210 Japan Surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) from a Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer of 4’-n...4000 cm" . These results show that the spectra are affected by the enhancement due to resonance Raman scattering . The dependence of SERRS intensity...enhanced adsorption is one of the surface enhanced processes such as the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and the enhanced fluorescence. There

    8. [C.P. Thunberg and his voyage to Japan (4). Mercury water therapy for syphilis introduced into Japan by Thunberg].

      PubMed

      Takahashi, F

      1994-01-01

      During his 16-month stay in Japan from August 1775 to December 1776, Thunberg taught mercury water therapy to Japanese medical doctors and interpreters in order to help them treat syphilis, which was prevalent in Japan at that time. Kohgyu Yoshio, a Japanese-Dutch interpreter who was taught this therapy by Thunberg, recorded Thunberg's teaching in his "Kohmoh Hijiki." According to this book, the mercury water therapy that Thunberg introduced to Japan had been tested successfully by van Swieten, a Dutch doctor, about 20 years previously in Europe and used corrosive sublimate (mercuric chloride), the active ingredient, dissolved in distilled water with honey. The formula is described, in measurement units used in Europe at that time, in a letter addressed by van Swieten to a doctor in Rotterdam in 1755. The formula recorded in "Kohmoh Hijiki" in measurement units used in Japan at that time gives a content of the active ingredient equivalent to that mentioned in van Swieten's letter. This fact indicates that van Swieten's formula introduced by Thunberg was correctly accepted by Japanese doctors and interpreters, who had acquired basic medical knowledge since the publication of "Kaitai Shinsho" in 1774.

    9. Overserving and Allowed Entry of Obviously Alcohol-Intoxicated Spectators at Sporting Events.

      PubMed

      Elgán, Tobias H; Durbeej, Natalie; Holder, Harold D; Gripenberg, Johanna

      2018-02-01

      Alcohol intoxication among spectators at sporting events and related problems, such as violence, are of great concern in many countries around the world. However, knowledge is scarce about whether or not alcohol is served to obviously intoxicated spectators at licensed premises inside and outside the sporting arenas, and if obviously intoxicated spectators are allowed entrance to these events. The objective of this study was therefore to examine the occurrences of overserving at licensed premises inside and outside arenas, and of allowed entry of obviously intoxicated spectators into arenas. An observational study assessing the rate of denied alcohol service and denied entry to arenas of trained professional actors portraying a standardized scene of obvious alcohol intoxication (i.e., pseudo-patrons) was conducted. The scene was developed by an expert panel, and each attempt was monitored by an observer. The settings were 2 arenas hosting matches in the Swedish Premier Football League in the largest city in Sweden and 1 arena in the second largest city, including entrances and licensed premises inside and outside the arenas. The rates of denied alcohol service were 66.9% at licensed premises outside the arenas (n = 151) and 24.9% at premises inside the arenas (n = 237). The rate of denied entry to the arenas (n = 102) was 10.8%. Overserving and allowed entry of obviously alcohol-intoxicated spectators are problematic at sporting events in Sweden and may contribute to high overall intoxication levels among spectators. The differences in server intervention rates indicate that serving staff at licensed premises inside the arenas and entrance staff are not likely to have been trained in responsible beverage service. This result underscores the need for server training among staff at the arenas. Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

    10. Space communications in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Mori, T.

      This paper outlines some of the planned satellite comunication projects in Japan over the next 5-7 years. In addition, Japanese space development policies are set out along with a historic review of the development of artificial satellites.

    11. 2016 Guidelines for the management of thyroid storm from The Japan Thyroid Association and Japan Endocrine Society (First edition).

      PubMed

      Satoh, Tetsurou; Isozaki, Osamu; Suzuki, Atsushi; Wakino, Shu; Iburi, Tadao; Tsuboi, Kumiko; Kanamoto, Naotetsu; Otani, Hajime; Furukawa, Yasushi; Teramukai, Satoshi; Akamizu, Takashi

      2016-12-30

      Thyroid storm is an endocrine emergency which is characterized by multiple organ failure due to severe thyrotoxicosis, often associated with triggering illnesses. Early suspicion, prompt diagnosis and intensive treatment will improve survival in thyroid storm patients. Because of its rarity and high mortality, prospective intervention studies for the treatment of thyroid storm are difficult to carry out. We, the Japan Thyroid Association and Japan Endocrine Society taskforce committee, previously developed new diagnostic criteria and conducted nationwide surveys for thyroid storm in Japan. Detailed analyses of clinical data from 356 patients revealed that the mortality in Japan was still high (∼11%) and that multiple organ failure and acute heart failure were common causes of death. In addition, multimodal treatment with antithyroid drugs, inorganic iodide, corticosteroids and beta-adrenergic antagonists has been suggested to improve mortality of these patients. Based on the evidence obtained by nationwide surveys and additional literature searches, we herein established clinical guidelines for the management of thyroid storm. The present guideline includes 15 recommendations for the treatment of thyrotoxicosis and organ failure in the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and hepato-gastrointestinal tract, admission criteria for the intensive care unit, and prognostic evaluation. We also proposed preventive approaches to thyroid storm, roles of definitive therapy, and future prospective trial plans for the treatment of thyroid storm. We hope that this guideline will be useful for many physicians all over the world as well as in Japan in the management of thyroid storm and the improvement of its outcome.

    12. Solid state ionics: a Japan perspective

      PubMed Central

      Yamamoto, Osamu

      2017-01-01

      Abstract The 70-year history of scientific endeavor of solid state ionics research in Japan is reviewed to show the contribution of Japanese scientists to the basic science of solid state ionics and its applications. The term ‘solid state ionics’ was defined by Takehiko Takahashi of Nagoya University, Japan: it refers to ions in solids, especially solids that exhibit high ionic conductivity at a fairly low temperature below their melting points. During the last few decades of exploration, many ion conducting solids have been discovered in Japan such as the copper-ion conductor Rb4Cu16I7Cl13, proton conductor SrCe1–xYxO3, oxide-ion conductor La0.9Sr0.9Ga0.9Mg0.1O3, and lithium-ion conductor Li10GeP2S12. Rb4Cu16I7Cl13 has a conductivity of 0.33 S cm–1 at 25 °C, which is the highest of all room temperature ion conductive solid electrolytes reported to date, and Li10GeP2S12 has a conductivity of 0.012 S cm–1 at 25 °C, which is the highest among lithium-ion conductors reported to date. Research on high-temperature proton conducting ceramics began in Japan. The history, the discovery of novel ionic conductors and the story behind them are summarized along with basic science and technology. PMID:28804526

    13. Solid state ionics: a Japan perspective

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Yamamoto, Osamu

      2017-12-01

      The 70-year history of scientific endeavor of solid state ionics research in Japan is reviewed to show the contribution of Japanese scientists to the basic science of solid state ionics and its applications. The term 'solid state ionics' was defined by Takehiko Takahashi of Nagoya University, Japan: it refers to ions in solids, especially solids that exhibit high ionic conductivity at a fairly low temperature below their melting points. During the last few decades of exploration, many ion conducting solids have been discovered in Japan such as the copper-ion conductor Rb4Cu16I7Cl13, proton conductor SrCe1-xYxO3, oxide-ion conductor La0.9Sr0.9Ga0.9Mg0.1O3, and lithium-ion conductor Li10GeP2S12. Rb4Cu16I7Cl13 has a conductivity of 0.33 S cm-1 at 25 °C, which is the highest of all room temperature ion conductive solid electrolytes reported to date, and Li10GeP2S12 has a conductivity of 0.012 S cm-1 at 25 °C, which is the highest among lithium-ion conductors reported to date. Research on high-temperature proton conducting ceramics began in Japan. The history, the discovery of novel ionic conductors and the story behind them are summarized along with basic science and technology.

    14. What Constitutes Traditional and Modern Eating? The Case of Japan.

      PubMed

      Sproesser, Gudrun; Imada, Sumio; Furumitsu, Isato; Rozin, Paul; Ruby, Matthew B; Arbit, Naomi; Fischler, Claude; Schupp, Harald T; Renner, Britta

      2018-01-25

      Traditional Japanese dietary culture might be a factor contributing to the high life expectancy in Japan. As little is known about what constitutes traditional and modern eating in Japan, the aims of the current study were to (1) comprehensively compile and systematize the various facets of traditional and modern eating; and (2) investigate whether these facets also apply to traditional and modern eating in Japan. In Study 1, an extensive international literature review was performed. Forty-five facets of traditional and modern eating were compiled and systematized into the dimensions of what and how people eat, and into eleven separate subdimensions. In Study 2, 340 adults from Japan answered a questionnaire. Results showed that traditional and modern eating in Japan is reflected in both what and how people eat. Within these two dimensions, ten subdimensions were found: the ingredients, processing, temporal origin, spatial origin, and variety of consumed foods, as well as temporal, spatial, and social aspects, appreciation, and concerns when eating. This study provides a broad compilation of facets of traditional and modern eating in Japan. Future research should investigate how these facets are related to life expectancy and health.

    15. What Constitutes Traditional and Modern Eating? The Case of Japan

      PubMed Central

      Imada, Sumio; Furumitsu, Isato; Rozin, Paul; Ruby, Matthew B.; Arbit, Naomi; Fischler, Claude; Schupp, Harald T.; Renner, Britta

      2018-01-01

      Traditional Japanese dietary culture might be a factor contributing to the high life expectancy in Japan. As little is known about what constitutes traditional and modern eating in Japan, the aims of the current study were to (1) comprehensively compile and systematize the various facets of traditional and modern eating; and (2) investigate whether these facets also apply to traditional and modern eating in Japan. In Study 1, an extensive international literature review was performed. Forty-five facets of traditional and modern eating were compiled and systematized into the dimensions of what and how people eat, and into eleven separate subdimensions. In Study 2, 340 adults from Japan answered a questionnaire. Results showed that traditional and modern eating in Japan is reflected in both what and how people eat. Within these two dimensions, ten subdimensions were found: the ingredients, processing, temporal origin, spatial origin, and variety of consumed foods, as well as temporal, spatial, and social aspects, appreciation, and concerns when eating. This study provides a broad compilation of facets of traditional and modern eating in Japan. Future research should investigate how these facets are related to life expectancy and health. PMID:29370081

    16. How sustainable is Japan's foreign aid policy? An analysis of Japan's official development assistance and funding for energy sector projects

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Yamaguchi, Hideka

      Japan has adopted a sustainable development strategy since the late 1980s in the effort to address social and environmental damages caused by past Japan-funded projects in partner nations. Even after about a decade and a half of the policy implementation, however, there are few reports which critically examine effects of the adoption of the idea of sustainable development. This dissertation evaluates Japan's foreign aid policy to determine the extent to which new revisions of aid policy have improved the environmental sustainability of the policy. This dissertation reviews the mainstream idea of sustainable development (also known as the sustainable development paradigm in this dissertation) to reveal the nature of the idea of sustainable development that Japan's foreign aid policy depends on. A literature review of two development discourses---modernization theory and ecological modernization theory---and three types of critiques against the sustainable development paradigm---focused on adverse impacts of modern science, globalization, and environmental overuse---reveals core logics of and problems with the sustainable development paradigm. Japan's foreign aid policy impacts on energy sector development in recipient countries is examined by means of a quantitative analysis and a qualitative analysis. Specifically, it examines the effect of Japan's ODA program over fifteen years that proposed to facilitate sustainable development in developing countries. Special emphasis is given to investigation of ODA disbursements in the energy sector and detailed case studies of several individual energy projects are performed. The dissertation discovers that the sustainable development paradigm guiding Japan's ODA has little capacity to accomplish its goals to bring about social and ecological improvement in developing countries. This dissertation finds three fundamental weaknesses in Japanese ODA policy on energy sector development as well as the sustainable development

    17. Bunko: Private Mini-Libraries for Children in Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Takeuchi, Satoru

      "Bunko" are local mini-libraries for children in Japan, operated voluntarily by individuals or groups of parents, intended to nurture children's reading interest by offering them an inviting reading environment. In 1993, there were an estimated 4,000 bunko in Japan, with approximately 32,000 adult bunko members (90% female). Bunko…

    18. Cross-cultural comparison of breast cancer patients' Quality of Life in the Netherlands and Japan.

      PubMed

      Fischer, M J; Inoue, K; Matsuda, A; Kroep, J R; Nagai, S; Tozuka, K; Momiyama, M; Weijl, N I; Langemeijer-Bosman, D; Ramai, S R S; Nortier, J W R; Putter, H; Yamaoka, K; Kubota, K; Kobayashi, K; Kaptein, A A

      2017-11-01

      Cultural differences are hypothesized to influence patients' Quality of Life (QoL) reports. However, there is a lack of empirical cross-cultural studies comparing QoL of patients with cancer. This study aims to compare QoL of women with breast cancer in the Netherlands and Japan, and to investigate the association of QoL with sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological variables (illness perceptions). Dutch (n = 116) and Japanese (n = 148) women with early breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 and Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire immediately before their second cycle of chemotherapy. Dutch women reported poorer Physical, Role, Emotional, and Cognitive functioning than Japanese women. Additionally, illness perceptions were significantly different in Japan and the Netherlands, but these did not vary across treatment type. In Japan, QoL of women receiving AC-chemotherapy was better than that of women receiving FEC-chemotherapy, whereas in the Netherlands, QoL did not vary as a function of chemotherapy. Illness perceptions about symptom severity, adverse consequences, and emotional representations were negatively related to most domains of patients' QoL in both countries. Adding illness perceptions as covariates to the ANOVA analyses rendered the effects of country and treatment type on QoL non-significant. Comparing Dutch and Japanese women with early breast cancer revealed important differences in treatment modalities and illness perceptions which both appear to influence QoL. Perceptions about cancer have been found to vary across cultures, and our study suggests that these perceptions should be considered when performing cross-cultural studies focusing on patient-reported outcomes.

    19. A comparative study of food habits and body shape perception of university students in Japan and Korea.

      PubMed

      Sakamaki, Ruka; Amamoto, Rie; Mochida, Yoshie; Shinfuku, Naotaka; Toyama, Kenji

      2005-10-31

      Abnormal body weight, dietary concerns, and unhealthy weight loss behaviors are increasingly being observed in young females in Japan. Our previous research has shown that the irregular lifestyles of female Japanese and Chinese students are significantly related to their desire to be thinner. In the present study, we compare the food habits and body shape preferences of female university students in South Korea and Japan to explore body shape perceptions in those populations. A total of 265 female university students aged 19-25 years participated in this study. University students in Korea (n = 141) and university students in Japan (n = 124) completed a self-reported questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. Descriptive statistics were used to identify the demographic characteristics of the students and parametric variables were analyzed using the Student's t-test. Chi-square analyses were conducted for non-parametric variables. Comparison of body mass index (BMI) distributions in Japan and Korea showed the highest value in the normal category (74%) together with a very low obesity rate (1.2%). Significant differences were observed between the two countries in terms of eating patterns, with more Japanese eating breakfast daily and with Japanese students eating meals more regularly than Korean students. A difference was also observed in frequency of meals, where Korean students reported eating meals two times per day (59%) and the majority of Japanese students reported eating meals three times per day (81%). Although most subjects belonged to the normal BMI category, their ideal BMI classification was the underweight category (BMI: 18.4 +/- 3.4). Few studies have compared the health related practices of Japanese and Korean university students. The present results suggest the necessity of nutrition and health promotion programs for university students, especially programs emphasizing weight management.

    20. [Spread of spinal anesthesia with 3 different hyperbaric solutions used in Japan].

      PubMed

      Masuda, R; Yokoyama, K; Inoue, T

      1998-12-01

      We studied the spread of spinal anesthesia with 3 different hyperbaric solutions commercially available in Japan. Percamin-S [0.3% dibucaine in 5% hyperbaric saline] (P), Neo-Percamin.S [0.24% dibucaine with 0.12% T-caine in 9.5% glucose] (N) and 0.5% Tetcaine [tetracaine] in 10% glucose (T) were studied. Two ml of each solution was administered intrathecally using a 25 gauge Quincke needle. Patients (n = 90) were allocated to one of 9 groups receiving 2 ml of P, N or T at L 2-3, L 3-4 or L 4-5 interspace. Both N and T produced significantly higher spread of analgesia than P at any of L 3-4 and L 4-5 interspaces. P and N have the same specific gravity, even though significant differences were found in spread of segmental analgesia. Local anesthesic agents and solvent solutions themselves are considered to influence the spread of spinal anesthesia as the specific gravity of hyperbaric solution does.

    1. The present situation of prophylactic vaccination in Japan for travel abroad.

      PubMed

      Nakano, Takashi

      2008-11-01

      The current situation of vaccination in Japan is reviewed from a viewpoint of overseas travelers. Vaccinations before travel to developing countries, where the risk of infection is high, are recommended for two reasons: "individual protection" and "prevention of communicable disease importation". However, there are problems in Japan; some vaccines available commonly in foreign nations are not approved in Japan and the vaccination schedule is not convenient for travelers. Vaccination is sometimes needed also for travel to Europe and North America. This is because certain vaccinations are required for entering school or studying abroad. In Japan, there is no regulation which recommends vaccination as an entrance requirement. Compared with other nations, Japanese children receive fewer vaccines routinely. On the other hand, there are different features from other industrialized nations, such as routine childhood BCG vaccination and immunization against Japanese encephalitis in Japan. Compared with foreign nations, awareness as regards "travel medicine" is lower in Japan. Recognizing this situation will lead to improvement of vaccination of travelers.

    2. Cultural Difference in Conflict Management Strategies of Children and Its Development: Comparing 3- and 5-Year-Olds across China, Japan, and Korea

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Maruyama, Hiroki; Ujiie, Tatsuo; Takai, Jiro; Takahama, Yuko; Sakagami, Hiroko; Shibayama, Makoto; Fukumoto, Mayumi; Ninomiya, Katsumi; Hyang Ah, Park; Feng, Xiaoxia; Takatsuji, Chie; Hirose, Miwa; Kudo, Rei; Shima, Yoshihiro; Nakayama, Rumiko; Hamaie, Noriko; Zhang, Feng; Moriizumi, Satoshi

      2015-01-01

      Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the development of conflict management strategies, focusing on 3- and 5-year-olds, through a comparison of 3 neighboring Asian cultures, those of China (n = 114), Japan (n = 98), and Korea (n = 90). The dual concern model of conflict management was adopted to probe which…

    3. Radar Image, Hokkaido, Japan

      NASA Image and Video Library

      2000-05-18

      The southeast part of the island of Hokkaido, Japan, is an area dominated by volcanoes and volcanic caldera. The active Usu Volcano is at the lower right edge of the circular Lake Toya-Ko and near the center of the image.

    4. History Textbook Reform in Allied Occupation Japan, 1945-52.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Thakur, Yoko H.

      1995-01-01

      Observes that, although textbook reform in occupied Japan originally supported democratic principles of openness and competition, it later became a mechanism for anticommunist censorship. Maintains that interpretations of Japan's military conduct remain highly politicized and controversial. (MJP)

    5. Continuity and Change in Disaster Education in Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Kitagawa, Kaori

      2015-01-01

      This article aims to describe post-war continuity and change in disaster education in Japan. Preparedness for natural disasters has been a continuous agenda in Japan for geographical and meteorological reasons, and disaster education has been practised in both formal and informal settings. Post-war disaster management and education have taken a…

    6. Beyond the Limitations of Environmental Education in Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Imamura, Mitsuyuki

      2017-01-01

      Environmental education has not spread as widely in Japan as expected and therefore has not had any significant impact on environmental problems, even though many educators and researchers have devoted themselves to environmental educational practice. Why is environmental education not popular in Japan, and what does this tell us? The purpose of…

    7. Activities of the Student Forum of the Geoinformation Forum Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Oba, A.; Miyazaki, H.

      2012-07-01

      This reports a history and future prospects of the activities by the Student Forum of the Geoinformation Forum Japan. For growths of academic fields, active communications among students and young scientists are indispensable. Several academic communities in geoinformation fields are established by youths and play important roles of building networks over schools and institutes. The networks are expected to be innovative cooperation after the youths achieve their professions. Although academic communities are getting fixed growth particularly in Japan, youths had gotten little opportunities to make contacts with youths themselves. To promote gotten youth activities among geoinformation fields, in 1998, we started a series of programs that named the Student Forum of the Geoinformation Forum Japan involving students and young scientists within the annual conferences, Geoinformation Forum Japan. The programs have provided opportunities to do presentation their studies by posters, some events, and motivations to create networks among students and young scientists. From 2009, some members of our activities set additional conference in west area of Japan. Thus our activities are spread within Japan. As a result of these achievements, the number of youth dedicating to the programs keeps growing. From 2009, it's getting international gradually, however, almost all the participants are still Japanese. To keep and expand the network, we are planning to make some nodes with some Asian youth organizations in the field of geoinformation. This paper is concluded with proposals and future prospects on the Student Forum of the Geoinformation Forum Japan.

    8. Connecting Higher Education Research in Japan with the International Academic Community

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Yonezawa, Akiyoshi

      2015-01-01

      This study examines the historical, current, and future challenges of higher education research in Japan within a global context. Japanese higher education research has been strongly influenced by the international academic community. At the same time, higher education researchers in Japan have participated in international projects, and Japan has…

    9. 75 FR 65213 - Removal of Varietal Restrictions on Apples From Japan

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2010-10-22

      ...-0020] RIN 0579-AD08 Removal of Varietal Restrictions on Apples From Japan AGENCY: Animal and Plant... the importation of Fuji variety apples from Japan to allow all varieties of Malus domestica apples... that the risk associated with allowing other varieties of M. domestica apples from Japan into the...

    10. 75 FR 11071 - Removal of Varietal Restrictions on Apples from Japan

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2010-03-10

      ... on Apples from Japan AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Proposed rule... Japan to allow all varieties of Malus domestica apples into the United States under the same conditions... apples from Japan to be imported into the United States while continuing to protect against the...

    11. Developing Native Social Intuition in Preparation for an Internship in Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Yamashita, Margaret Y.

      The program of the Japan-American Institute of Management Sciences (JAIMS) in Hawaii, a nonprofit graduate-level institution intended to support training for cross-cultural business leadership, is described and discussed. Two curricula, the Japan-focused Master of Business Administration program and the Japan-focused Management Program are offered…

    12. [Severe vitamin D deficiency in children from Punta Arenas, Chile: Influence of nutritional status on the response to supplementation].

      PubMed

      Brinkmann, Karin; Le Roy, Catalina; Iñiguez, Germán; Borzutzky, Arturo

      2015-01-01

      There is a high risk of vitamin D (VD) deficiency in the population of southern Chile that can be treated with VD supplements. Weight excess (WE) can influence the response to supplements. To study the prevalence of VD deficiency and the effect of cholecalciferol (VD3) supplements in healthy children from Punta Arenas, Chile, and evaluate a possible association with nutritional status. Demographic and anthropometric data, as well as laboratory assessment of serum 25-hidroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and other bone metabolism parameters were evaluated. After baseline evaluation, children were supplemented with VD3 1600 IU/day for one month, after which 25OHD was retested. Of the 108 children studied, 50% were boys, and had a mean age of 9.6±0.5 years. Nutritional assessment showed that 39% had normal weight, 46% were overweight, and 15% were obese. Median 25OHD was 10.9ng/ml: 96.3% had deficiency (<20ng/ml) and 3.7% insufficiency (20-29ng/ml). Severe deficiency was found in 62% (<12ng/ml). Baseline 25OHD was not affected by nutritional status. After supplementation, median 25OHD was 17.5ng/ml: 62% had deficiency, 36% insufficiency, and 2% sufficiency (>30ng/ml). Children with WE had a significantly lower increase in 25OHD than children with normal weight (5±5.5 vs. 7.7±4.9, p=03). Children with WE may require 32% higher VD dose than normal weight children to attain the same 25OHD concentration. Chilean schoolchildren from Punta Arenas have high prevalence of WE and VD deficiency, with a majority in the range of severe VD deficiency. WE interferes in the response to VD supplementation, leading to a lower increase in 25OHD. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

    13. International HIV and AIDS prevention: Japan/United States collaboration.

      PubMed

      Umenai, T; Narula, M; Onuki, D; Yamamoto, T; Igari, T

      1997-01-01

      As the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS pandemic shifts from Africa to Asia, Japan is becoming ever more aware of the importance of containing and preventing spread of the virus. International collaboration, particularly with the United States, is a logical approach because it allows utilization of expertise from countries in other stages of the pandemic, can prevent duplication of efforts, and complements efforts of the other countries. Further, both Japan and the United States can use their combined influence and prestige to encourage cooperation among all nations. In 1994, Japan established the Global Issues Initiative to extend cooperation to developing countries in the areas of population and AIDS control. It has disbursed more than $460 million (U.S.$) to promote active cooperation and stimulate international attention to the importance of addressing these health issues. Japan has established four main programs for international collaboration for control of HIV and AIDS, three operated by ministries and one by a Japanese nongovernmental organization. Japanese/United States collaboration is developing through the United States/Japan Cooperative Medical Sciences Program, the Common Agenda for Cooperation in Global Perspective, the Paris Summit, and the United Nations Joint Programme on AIDS. It is critical that Japan and the United States, as the two largest donors to international development, demonstrate, through their collaboration, ways to maximize the use of limited resources, reduce duplication, and promote sustainable development programs in which HIV prevention and AIDS care programs are systemically integrated.

    14. Star Week- A Successful Campaign in Japan -

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Watanabe, J.

      2006-08-01

      In 1995, we started a campaign of the star week as between August 1 and 7 when it is usually expected that most part of Japan should be good weather after the rainy season during the summer holiday. Several hundreds of astronomical facilities for general public in Japan, including planetariums, museums, and public observatories participated in our campaign, together with make good collaborations for education purpose. More than 200 astronomical events such as star parties were coordinated for general public every year. Japan is one of the worst countries for light pollution. Especially most of children have no experience of seeing Milky Way. Let them see the real stars. Let them feel the universe by inviting them to the related astronomical facilities located all over Japan. For realizing this purpose, it is better to set the special week, similar to the "Bird Week" by arranging various astronomical events in these facilities in order to invite all the general public. This is the motivation of the beginning of the star week. Such outreach program should give opportunity for general public to understand the excitement of the astronomy. In this paper, we will introduce present situation of our campaign, along with some statistics.

    15. Taeniasis and cysticercosis due to Taenia solium in Japan.

      PubMed

      Yanagida, Tetsuya; Sako, Yasuhito; Nakao, Minoru; Nakaya, Kazuhiro; Ito, Akira

      2012-01-17

      Taenia solium is a zoonotic cestode that causes taeniasis and cysticercosis in humans. The parasite is traditionally found in developing countries where undercooked pork is consumed under poor sanitary conditions and/or as part of traditional food cultures. However, the recent increase in international tourism and immigration is spreading the disease into non-endemic developed countries such as the United States. Although there has been concern that the number of cysticercosis cases is increasing in Japan, the current situation is not clear. This is largely because taeniasis and cysticercosis are not notifiable conditions in Japan and because there have been no comprehensive reviews of T. solium infections in Japan conducted in the last 15 years. Herein, we provide an overview of the status of T. solium infection in Japan over the past 35 years and point out the potential risks to Japanese society.

    16. Megathrust earthquakes in Japan and Chile triggered multiple volcanoes to subside

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Takada, Y.; Pritchard, M. E.; Fukushima, Y.; Jay, J.; Aron, F. A.; Henderson, S.; Lara, L. E.

      2012-12-01

      volcanic subsidence in the same manner as Japan by removing the earthquake deformation signature. Most interferograms were created from ALOS data, but several were from ENVISAT and ERS-2. We find subsidence at five volcanic areas: Caldera del Atuel, Tinguiririca, Calabozos caldera, Cerro Azul, and Nevados de Chillán. All of these regions belong to the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone, and are located within the 400 km long rupture area of the Maule earthquake. In three of the five subsiding regions, there are known geothermal reservoirs. The orientation of N-S elongated subsidence areas can be explained by underlying hydrothermal and/or magmatic system and increase in the number of small cracks around those systems due to the coseismic stress disturbance. Existence of such damage zone would make water and/or gas emissions efficient, and enhanced the N-S elongated surface subsidence. Increases in stream flow at the date of Maule earthquake were observed, although the fluid contribution from the volcanic areas is not the only or necessarily the primary source.

    17. 76 FR 798 - Ball Bearings From Japan and the United Kingdom

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2011-01-06

      ... Remand)] Ball Bearings From Japan and the United Kingdom AGENCY: United States International Trade... determination in the five-year review of the antidumping duty order on ball bearings from Japan. For further... Certain Bearings and Parts Thereof from Japan and the United Kingdom, Inv. Nos. 731-TA-394-A & 399-A...

    18. 75 FR 30856 - Ball Bearings From Japan and the United Kingdom

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2010-06-02

      ... Remand)] Ball Bearings From Japan and the United Kingdom AGENCY: United States International Trade... determinations in the five-year reviews of the antidumping orders on ball bearings from Japan and the United... Certain Bearings and Parts Thereof From Japan and the United Kingdom, Inv. Nos. 731-TA- 394-A & 399-A...

    19. 76 FR 76760 - Gray Portland Cement and Cement Clinker From Japan

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2011-12-08

      ... and Cement Clinker From Japan Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject... duty order on gray Portland cement and cement clinker from Japan would be likely to lead to... and Cement Clinker from Japan: Investigation No. 731- TA-461 (Third Review). By order of the...

    20. Association of serum n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with psychological distress in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy: Adjunct Study of Japan Environment and Children's Study.

      PubMed

      Hamazaki, Kei; Harauma, Akiko; Tanabe, Satoru; Namai, Miho; Moriguchi, Toru; Inadera, Hidekuni

      2016-11-01

      The results of several epidemiological studies and clinical trials investigating the effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on antenatal and postnatal depression remain controversial. In a previous case-control study of early pregnancy in Japan, we found an inverse association between eicosapentaenoic acid and risk of psychological distress after adjusting for possible confounders. Here, in a 1:2 matched case-control study, we further investigated the possible relationship between serum n-3 PUFAs and risk of psychological distress in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. The psychological distress group (n=71) consisted of subjects with a score of ≥13 on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. The control group (n=142) was matched for age, educational level, and family income. Fatty acid composition of total lipid was determined from serum samples by gas chromatography. Associations between fatty acid levels and incidence of psychological distress were evaluated by logistic regression. Sixty-six percent of blood samples were collected in the second trimester and the remainder in the third. There were no significant differences in any of the n-3 PUFAs between the two groups. After adjustment for possible confounders, none of the n-3 PUFAs showed an association with risk of psychological distress. Peripheral n-3 PUFA levels might not influence the risk of psychological distress in later pregnancy. Further research is warranted to clarify this finding. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    1. Nuclear Power in Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Powell, John W.

      1983-01-01

      Energy consumption in Japan has grown at a faster rate than in any other major industrial country. To maintain continued prosperity, the government has embarked on a crash program for nuclear power. Current progress and issues/reactions to the plan are discussed. (JN)

    2. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, Japan

      NASA Image and Video Library

      2013-03-25

      NASA Terra spacecraft shows the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge or Pearl Bridge, the longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world, at 1991 meters, connecting the city of Kobe, Japan with Iwaja on Awaji Island by crossing the busy Akashi Strait.

    3. 78 FR 60897 - Certain Welded Large Diameter Line Pipe From Japan

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2013-10-02

      ... Diameter Line Pipe From Japan Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject five... order on certain welded large diameter line pipe from Japan would likely to lead to continuation or... Line Pipe from Japan: Investigation No. 731-TA-919 (Second Review). By order of the Commission. Issued...

    4. Trade, Foreign Investment, and Competitiveness. The Japan Business Study Program. Based on a Seminar Series entitled "Japan Business Study Program 1989" (Austin, Texas, October 12-27, 1989).

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Matsuo, Hirofumi, Ed.

      Seven articles are presented addressing topics related to United States-Japan trade, foreign investment, and U.S. competitiveness in the global market. The first article, "Super 301 and the Changing Japan-American Relationship" by Glenn Davis describes recent U.S.-Japan trade frictions, epitomized by Super 301, and explains the influence…

    5. Media Education in Japan (Retrospect and Present Trends).

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Takakuwa, Yasuo

      This overview of the development of media education in Japan begins with a discussion of the motion picture as entertainment and the public attitude toward film in Japan during the early years of the century. The introduction of film education into the schools in the 1920s--both teaching by film and teaching about film--is then described together…

    6. High-level manpower movement and Japan's foreign aid.

      PubMed

      Furuya, K

      1992-01-01

      "Japan's technical assistance programs to Asian countries are summarized. Movements of high-level manpower accompanying direct foreign investments by private enterprise are also reviewed. Proposals for increased human resources development include education and training of foreigners in Japan as well as the training of Japanese aid experts and the development of networks for information exchange." excerpt

    7. Japan: Super-Aging Society Preparing for the Future

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Muramatsu, Naoko; Akiyama, Hiroko

      2011-01-01

      Japan has the highest proportion of older adults in the world. Aging is not only an immediate personal issue but also a salient factor in crucial public policies, such as pensions, health, and long-term care. The Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant disaster of March 2011 has highlighted current and emerging issues of a…

    8. Over-Education and Its Opportunity Cost in Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Kucel, Aleksander; Molina, Ivette Fuentes; Raya, Josep Maria

      2016-01-01

      In this paper, we investigate the determinants of over-education in Japan and evaluate its opportunity costs for university graduates. To this end, we use the REFLEX data. Results reveal that over-education level in Japan is high and it brings an important wage penalty for Japanese workers. Large firm and high occupations point toward a…

    9. Effectiveness of rotavirus vaccines against hospitalisations in Japan.

      PubMed

      Fujii, Yoshiyuki; Noguchi, Atsuko; Miura, Shinobu; Ishii, Haruka; Nakagomi, Toyoko; Nakagomi, Osamu; Takahashi, Tsutomu

      2017-07-11

      In Japan, rotavirus hospitalisation occurs at a rate from 2.8 to 13.7 per 1000 child-years among children age less than 5 years, and it imposes a substantial burden to the healthcare system in the country. While both monovalent (RV1) and pentavalent (RV5) rotavirus vaccines are licensed in Japan, neither has been incorporated in the national infant immunization programme. In this study, we estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) in Japan. This study was conducted in Yuri-Kumiai General Hospital located in a city in the north-western part of Japan. Age-eligible children for rotavirus vaccination were enrolled if they were hospitalized for rotavirus gastroenteritis between September 2013 and August 2016. Rotavirus gastroenteritis was defined by the detection of rotavirus antigen by immunochromatography. "Vaccinated" was defined as infant inoculated with at least one dose of either RV1 or RV5. A conditional logistic regression analysis was performed by modelling the year of birth, year of admission, residence of the children and vaccination status, and by matching the age of cases with that of test-negative controls. The adjusted odds ratio of the vaccinated over unvaccinated was then used to calculate VE in the formula of (1 - adjusted odds ratio) × 100. Out of the 244 patients enrolled, rotavirus antigen was detected in 55 (22.5%) of whom 10 (18.2%) were vaccinated, whereas 94 (49.7%) of 189 test-negative controls were vaccinated. During the study period, the vaccine uptake rate in the controls increased from 36.2% to 61.8%. On the other hand, the vaccination coverage over the three years was 64.2% in Yuri-Honjo city (three quarters of the catchment), and 91.4% in Nikaho city (one quarter of the catchment). The VE was calculated to be 70.4% (95% confidence interval: 36.0-86.4%, P = 0.002). The point estimate of the VE was lower but its 95% confidence interval overlaps those of the efficacies obtained from clinical trials in Japan. The rotavirus vaccine was

    10. Immigrants' experiences of maternity care in Japan.

      PubMed

      Igarashi, Yukari; Horiuchi, Shigeko; Porter, Sarah E

      2013-08-01

      Language and cultural differences can negatively impact immigrant women's birth experience. However, little is known about their experiences in Japan's highly homogenous culture. This cross-sectional study used survey data from a purposive sampling of immigrant women from 16 hospitals in several Japanese prefectures. Meeting the criteria and recruited to this study were 804 participants consisting of 236 immigrant women: Chinese (n = 83), Brazilian (n = 62), Filipino (n = 43), South Korean (n = 29) and from variety of English speaking nations (n = 19) and 568 Japanese women. The questionnaire was prepared in six languages: Japanese (kana syllables), Chinese, English, Korean, Portuguese, and Tagalog (Filipino). Associations among quality of maternity care, Japanese literacy level, loneliness and care satisfaction were explored using analysis of variance and multiple linear regression. The valid and reliable instruments used were Quality of Care for Pregnancy, Delivery and Postpartum Questionnaire, Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine Japanese version, the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale-Japanese version and Care satisfaction. Care was evaluated across prenatal, labor and delivery and post-partum periods. Immigrant women scored higher than Japanese women for both positive and negative aspects. When loneliness was strongly felt, care satisfaction was lower. Some competence of Japanese literacy was more likely to obstruct positive communication with healthcare providers, and was associated with loneliness. Immigrant women rated overall care as satisfactory. Japanese literacy decreased communication with healthcare providers, and was associated with loneliness presumably because some literacy unreasonably increased health care providers' expectations of a higher level of communication.

    11. Jet Stream Converges Prior to 6.8M Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake of Japan on 2007/07/16

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Wu, H.

      2007-12-01

      The 6.8M Niigata Chuetsu-oki earthquake occurred on 2007/07/16 and resulted in 11 deaths and at least 1000 injuries have been reported, and 342 buildings were completely destroyed. The 108km/hr isobar jet stream line converged around an epicenter on 2007/07/01 12:00 and 2007/07/02 06:00. Before a devastating earthquake occurs, the underground water level usually changes caused by the rock squishing or loosening. This study assumed that rock squishing or loosening caused air inhalation or exhalation that creates an internal gravity wave. This phenomenon will change the jet streams at an altitude of 10 km. Ps. The predicted Data:07/06/26-07/07/26 Japan(37.4N140.0E)M 6.0 100% The Actual Data: 07/07/16 Japan (37.576N138.469E) 6.6M 10km This earthquake prediction had been predicted on http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/wu10002002/ and sent to Dr. Dimitar Ouzounov in advance.

    12. 78 FR 58997 - Chlorinated Isocyanurates From Japan: Initiation of Antidumping Duty Investigation

      Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

      2013-09-25

      ... From Japan: Initiation of Antidumping Duty Investigation AGENCY: Import Administration, International... (``AD'') petition concerning imports of chlorinated isocyanurates (``chlorinated isos'') from Japan... Japan, dated August 29, 2013 (``Petition''). \\2\\ See First Supplement to the AD Petition, dated...

    13. Cancer incidence and incidence rates in Japan in 2009: a study of 32 population-based cancer registries for the Monitoring of Cancer Incidence in Japan (MCIJ) project.

      PubMed

      Hori, Megumi; Matsuda, Tomohiro; Shibata, Akiko; Katanoda, Kota; Sobue, Tomotaka; Nishimoto, Hiroshi

      2015-09-01

      The Japan Cancer Surveillance Research Group aimed to estimate the cancer incidence in Japan in 2009 based on data collected from 32 of 37 population-based cancer registries, as part of the Monitoring of Cancer Incidence in Japan (MCIJ) project. The incidence of only primary invasive cancer in Japan for 2009 was estimated to be 775 601. Stomach cancer and breast cancer were the leading types of cancer in males and females, respectively. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

    14. Neo-Liberalism and Change in Higher Education Policy: England and Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Yokoyama, Keiko

      2008-01-01

      The study scrutinizes the rationale behind higher education policy change in England and Japan, giving attention to stakeholders' perspective and legitimacy, policy network, and policy sphere. It argues that change in higher education policy in England and Japan towards being more market-oriented in the 1980s (England) and the 1990s (Japan) can…

    15. Physical properties and Consolidation behavior of sediments from the N. Japan subduction zone

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Valdez, R. D., II; Lauer, R. M.; Ikari, M.; Kitajima, H.; Saffer, D. M.

      2013-12-01

      Sediment hydraulic properties, consolidation state, and ambient pore pressure development are key parameters that affect fluid migration, deformation, and the slip behavior and mechanical strength of subduction zone megathrusts. In order to better understand the dynamics and mechanisms of large subduction earthquakes, Integrated Oceanic Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 343, drilled into the toe of the Japan Trench subduction zone in a region of large shallow slip in the M 9.0 Tohoku earthquake, as part of the Japan Trench Fast Drilling Project (J-FAST). Here, we report on two constant rate of strain (CRS) uniaxial consolidation experiments and two triaxial deformation experiments on bedded claystone and clayey mudstone core samples collected from the frontal prism and subducted sediment section cored at Site C0019, 2.5 km landward of the Japan Trench, from depths of 697.18 and 831.45 mbsf. The goals of our experiments were: (1) to define the hydraulic and acoustic properties of sediments that host the subduction megathrust fault that slipped in the M 9.0 Tohoku earthquake; and (2) to constrain in-situ consolidation state and its implications for in-situ stress. The permeability-porosity trends are similar for the two samples, and both exhibit permeability that decreases systematically with increasing effective stress and decreasing porosity, and which varies log-linearly with porosity. Permeabilities of material from the frontal prism decrease from 5×10-18 m2 at 5 MPa effective stress, to 3.0×10-19 m2 at 70 MPa, and porosities decrease from 51% to 29%, while permeabilities of the subducted sediment sample decrease from 5×10-18 m2 at 5 MPa to 3.6×10-19 m2 at 90 MPa, and porosities decrease from 49% to 36%. In-situ permeabilities for the prism and underthrust sediment samples, estimated using laboratory defined permeability-porosity relationships, are 4.9×10-18 m2 and 3.7×10-18 m2, respectively. Elastic wavespeeds increase systematically with increasing

    16. Timing of Neogene Manganese Deposit Formation in the Paleo-Japan Sea, northeast Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Ito, T.; Orihashi, Y.; Yanagisawa, Y.; Sakai, S.; Motoyama, I.; Kamikuri, S. I.; Komuro, K.; Suzuki, K.

      2017-12-01

      The generation ages of the two Neogene manganese deposits in northeast Japan were determined by diatom and radiolarian biostratigraphic analyses and zircon U-Pb dating. The manganese deposits analyzed were from the Kitaichi and Maruyama mines in the Fukaura district, northeast Japan. Manganese oxide layers of 0.5 m (Kitaichi) and 1.5 m (Maruyama) in thickness were predominantly composed of todorokite and occur conformably within volcanogenic sediments, which stratigraphically had correlated to middle Miocene in previous studies. The ages of the manganese oxide layers were 12.4 Ma. There was no time gap between the Kitaichi and the Maruyama manganese oxide layers, between the manganese oxide layer and the underlying tuffaceous sandstone in the Kitaichi mine, or within the manganese oxide layer of ca. 1.5 m thickness in the Maruyama mine. On the other hand, the overlying tuffaceous sandstone was dated at 4.5 Ma. The results suggest that the manganese oxide layers were formed immediately after the deposition of the tuffaceous sandstone at 12.4 Ma and that the restricted supply of volcanogenic and/or other detrital matter had kept for a long time (ca. 7 m.y.). The timing of the manganese deposit generation, 12.4 Ma, is identical to the age of the base of the Onnagawa Stage on the Nishikurosawa Stage in the Neogene stratotype section on the Japan Sea side, northeast Japan. And this is equivalent to the age of the start of diatom blooming. Paleogeographically, the manganese oxide deposition happened in a shallower area on a paleo-hill or a small island surrounded by stagnant mid to deep basins with diatom and organically carbon-rich, laminated, and fine-grained mud. It is highly probable that upwelling of mid to deep water rich in both dissolved manganese and nutrients is the trigger for the manganese deposit generation in shallower areas and the deposition of diatomaceous sediments in mid and deep basins. Eustatic regression might be the reason for the short

    17. Estimating the burden of foodborne diseases in Japan

      PubMed Central

      Kumagai, Yuko; Gilmour, Stuart; Ota, Erika; Momose, Yoshika; Onishi, Toshiro; Bilano, Ver Luanni Feliciano; Kasuga, Fumiko; Sekizaki, Tsutomu

      2015-01-01

      Abstract Objective To assess the burden posed by foodborne diseases in Japan using methods developed by the World Health Organization’s Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG). Methods Expert consultation and statistics on food poisoning during 2011 were used to identify three common causes of foodborne disease in Japan: Campylobacter and Salmonella species and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). We conducted systematic reviews of English and Japanese literature on the complications caused by these pathogens, by searching Embase, the Japan medical society abstract database and Medline. We estimated the annual incidence of acute gastroenteritis from reported surveillance data, based on estimated probabilities that an affected person would visit a physician and have gastroenteritis confirmed. We then calculated disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost in 2011, using the incidence estimates along with disability weights derived from published studies. Findings In 2011, foodborne disease caused by Campylobacter species, Salmonella species and EHEC led to an estimated loss of 6099, 3145 and 463 DALYs in Japan, respectively. These estimated burdens are based on the pyramid reconstruction method; are largely due to morbidity rather than mortality; and are much higher than those indicated by routine surveillance data. Conclusion Routine surveillance data may indicate foodborne disease burdens that are much lower than the true values. Most of the burden posed by foodborne disease in Japan comes from secondary complications. The tools developed by FERG appear useful in estimating disease burdens and setting priorities in the field of food safety. PMID:26478611

    18. [Comparison between transmission of modern western medicine in China and Japan].

      PubMed

      Liu, Yuan-Ming

      2009-05-01

      In the middle period of the 16th century, western medicine had been introduced successively into China and Japan by the medium of Catholic missionaries. The transmission mode of western medicine in the two countries differed dramatically from each other due to the political, economic and social cultural differences of that time. In China, the transmission of western medicine focused on the theory first and transferred to the practical use later; while in Japan, it began with clinical treatment, then rose from the technology to the theory. As a result, the cognition to the western medical knowledge and medical system as well as the transplanting and localization in China and Japan were significantly different. The local western medical groups emerged earlier in Japan than in China, and the attitude toward western medicine was also more positive and a national health system was quickly established. The corresponding situation in China obviously lagged behind the one in Japan, and China learned from the successful experiences of Japan for a time.

    19. Five-Year Outcomes of the First Pivotal Clinical Trial of Balloon-Expandable Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Japan (PREVAIL JAPAN).

      PubMed

      Sawa, Yoshiki; Takayama, Morimasa; Goto, Tsuyoshi; Takanashi, Shuichiro; Komiya, Tatsuhiko; Tobaru, Tetsuya; Maeda, Koichi; Kuratani, Toru; Sakata, Yasushi

      2017-07-25

      Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been an alternative less invasive therapy for high-surgical risk/inoperable patients with aortic valve stenosis (AS) in Japan. We report 5-year outcomes of the first pivotal clinical trial of TAVR in Japan (PREVAIL JAPAN).Methods and Results:A total of 64 patients with AS who were considered unsuitable candidates for surgery were enrolled at 3 centers in Japan (mean age: 84.3±6.1 years, female: 65.6%, STS score: 9.0±4.5%). Transfemoral approach (TF) and transapical approach (TA) was performed in 37 patients and 27 patients, respectively. At 5 years, freedom from all-cause death was 52.7% (TF: 51.3%, TA: 56.3%). Risk of all stroke at 5-year was 15.8% (TF: 8.9%, TA: 25.5%) and risk of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events at 5 years was 58.0% (TF: 51.3%, TA: 69.2%). Mild or greater aortic regurgitation (AR) at 1 week was not associated with increased all-cause death at 5 years (69.1%) compared with none or trace AR (48.3%) (P=0.184). Patients with high STS score (>8) had higher mortality rate than those with low STS scores (≤8). The 5-year data from PREVAIL JAPAN show the clinical benefit of TAVR and suggest that balloon-expandable TAVR is an effective treatment option for Japanese patients with severe AS who are not suitable for surgery. (Funded by Edwards Lifesciences Limited; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01113983.).

    20. Current status of portal vein thrombosis in Japan: Results of a questionnaire survey by the Japan Society for Portal Hypertension.

      PubMed

      Kojima, Seiichiro; Watanabe, Norihito; Koizumi, Jun; Kokubu, Shigehiro; Murashima, Naoya; Matsutani, Shoichi; Obara, Katsutoshi

      2018-03-01

      To investigate the current status of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in Japan, the Clinical Research Committee of the Japan Society of Portal Hypertension undertook a questionnaire survey. A questionnaire survey of 539 cases of PVT over the previous 10 years was carried out at institutions affiliated with the Board of Trustees of the Japan Society of Portal Hypertension. The most frequent underlying etiology of PVT was liver cirrhosis in 75.3% of patients. Other causes included inflammatory diseases of the hepatobiliary system and the pancreas, malignant tumors, and hematologic diseases. The most frequent site was the main trunk of the portal vein (MPV) in 70.5%, and complete obstruction of the MPV was present in 11.5%. Among the medications for PVT, danaparoid was given to 45.8%, warfarin to 26.2%, heparin to 17.3%, and anti-thrombin III to 16.9%. Observation of the course was practiced in 22.4%. Factors contributing to therapeutic efficacy were implementation of various medications, thrombi localized to either the right or left portal vein only, non-complete obstruction of the MPV and Child-Pugh class A liver function. A survival analysis showed that the prognosis was favorable with PVT disappearance regardless of treatment. The questionnaire survey showed the current status of PVT in Japan. Any appropriate medication should be given to a patient with PVT when PVT is recognized. It is necessary to compile a large amount of information and reach a consensus on safe and highly effective management of PVT. © 2017 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

    1. Taeniasis and cysticercosis due to Taenia solium in Japan

      PubMed Central

      2012-01-01

      Taenia solium is a zoonotic cestode that causes taeniasis and cysticercosis in humans. The parasite is traditionally found in developing countries where undercooked pork is consumed under poor sanitary conditions and/or as part of traditional food cultures. However, the recent increase in international tourism and immigration is spreading the disease into non-endemic developed countries such as the United States. Although there has been concern that the number of cysticercosis cases is increasing in Japan, the current situation is not clear. This is largely because taeniasis and cysticercosis are not notifiable conditions in Japan and because there have been no comprehensive reviews of T. solium infections in Japan conducted in the last 15 years. Herein, we provide an overview of the status of T. solium infection in Japan over the past 35 years and point out the potential risks to Japanese society. PMID:22248435

    2. From bloodletting to apheresis in Japan.

      PubMed

      Mazda, Toshio; Schmidt, Paul J

      2010-02-01

      The ancient therapy of bloodletting that was universal in the West traveled to Japan 500 years ago on the trading vessels that carried physicians and barber-surgeons to care for the body and Christian missionaries to care for the soul. Then bloodletting was replaced by blood transfusion in the 19th century, only to return less than 50 years ago as apheresis. An understanding of those transitions can be gained from the story of the introduction of Western medicine to Japan and the events that have led to the practice of apheresis there today. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    3. Endangered vascular plants in Japan

      PubMed Central

      Iwatsuki, Kunio

      2008-01-01

      The history of the Red List of Japanese vascular plants is briefly reviewed for editing and research. Especially on the results of recent monitoring, the present status of information and conservation activities on the endangered plants in Japan is discussed and the dynamics of the Japanese flora are taken up, in relation to basic research on plant biodiversity on the Japanese Archipelago. The figures of endangered plants are not very variable during the past quarter of a century, but we can surmise that the conservation of threatened species in Japan has been promoted to some extent. Based on the results of such a study, proposals are made to contribute to the sustainable use of plant biodiversity on the Japanese Archipelago under a global conspectus. PMID:18941303

    4. Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress

      DTIC Science & Technology

      2009-09-02

      U.S.-Japan FTA With the conclusion of negotiations on a U.S.-South Korean free trade agreement (KORUS FTA ) on April 1, 2007, and the formation of...block that would result over the issue of agricultural policy.10 The DPJ’s 2009 election manifesto calls for the negotiation of a U.S.-Japan FTA ...participants could not agree on the modalities that negotiators would use to determine how much they would liberalize their agricultural markets and reduce

    5. Historical Development of Media Systems. I. Japan. Communication and Society 1.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Ito, Shinichi; And Others

      This report presents an insight into indigenous media forms and the introduction of modern media in Japan, and follows media development through the war and occupation to the present day. The report discusses (1) the birth of the newspaper in Japan, (2) control laws and regulations, (3) press policy under the allied forces' occupation of Japan,…

    6. Dietary n-3 Fatty Acid, α-Tocopherol, Zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C, and β-carotene are Associated with Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Japan.

      PubMed

      Aoki, Aya; Inoue, Maiko; Nguyen, Elizabeth; Obata, Ryo; Kadonosono, Kazuaki; Shinkai, Shoji; Hashimoto, Hideki; Sasaki, Satoshi; Yanagi, Yasuo

      2016-02-05

      This case-control study reports the association between nutrient intake and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Japan. The nutrient intake of 161 neovascular AMD cases from two university hospitals and 369 population-based control subjects from a cohort study was assessed using a brief-type self-administered questionnaire on diet history, which required respondent recall of the usual intake of 58 foods during the preceding month. Energy-adjusted nutrient intake values were compared between the groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs adjusted for smoking history, age, sex, chronic disease history, supplement use, and alcohol consumption. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that low intakes of n-3 fatty acid, α-tocopherol, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C, and β-carotene were associated with neovascular AMD (Trend P < 0.0001 for n-3 fatty acid, Trend P < 0.0001 for α-tocopherol, Trend P < 0.0001 for zinc, Trend P = 0.002 for vitamin D, Trend P = 0.04 for vitamin C, Trend P = 0.0004 for β-carotene). There was no association with retinol or cryptoxanthin intake and neovascular AMD (P = 0.67, 0.06).

    7. Clinical statistics of gynecologic cancers in Japan.

      PubMed

      Yamagami, Wataru; Nagase, Satoru; Takahashi, Fumiaki; Ino, Kazuhiko; Hachisuga, Toru; Aoki, Daisuke; Katabuchi, Hidetaka

      2017-03-01

      Cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers, have both high morbidity and mortality among the gynecologic malignant tumors in Japan. The present study was conducted using both the population-based cancer registry and the gynecologic cancer registry to elucidate the characteristics of gynecologic malignant tumors in Japan. Based on nationwide estimates from the population-based cancer registry in Japan, the morbidities and mortality of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers were obtained and used for analysis. Clinicopathologic factors for cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, including age, clinical stage, postsurgical stage, histological type, therapeutic strategy, and prognosis were retrieved from the gynecologic cancer registry published by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and used for analysis. The morbidities of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers were 10,908, 13,606, and 9,384 women in 2012, respectively. The prevalence of endometrial cancer has significantly and consistently been increasing and represents the most common gynecologic malignant tumor in Japan. The mortalities of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers were 2.1, 1.3, and 3.2 per 100,000 in 2012, respectively. In 2014, 52.2% of cervical cancer patients were classified as stage I, 22.5% as stage II, 10.2% as stage III, and 11.2% as stage IV. In addition, 71.9% of endometrial cancer patients were classified as stage I, 6.0% as stage II, 13.3% as stage III, and 7.5% as stage IV. Finally, 43.2% of ovarian cancer patients were classified as stage I, 9.1% as stage II, 27.6% as stage III, and 7.2% as stage IV. Twelve-point six percent of ovarian cancer patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Copyright © 2017. Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology, Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology.

    8. Actor or arena: contrasting translations of a law on interorganizational integration.

      PubMed

      Andersson, Johanna; Löfström, Mikael; Axelsson, Susanna Bihari; Axelsson, Runo

      2012-01-01

      A Swedish framework law has enabled integration between public agencies in vocational rehabilitation. With the support of this law, coordination associations can be formed to fund and organize joint activities. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze how the law has been interpreted and translated into local coordination associations and how local institutional logics have developed to guide the organization of these associations. Data was collected through observations of meetings within two coordination associations and supplemented with documents. The material was analyzed by compilation and examination of data from field notes, whereupon the most important aspects were crystallized and framed with institutional organization theory. Two different translations of the law were seen in the associations studied: the association as an independent actor, and as an arena for its member organizations. Two subsequent institutional logics have developed, influencing decisions on autonomy, objectives and rationality for initiating and organizing in the two associations and their activities. The institutional logics are circular, further enhancing the different translations creating different forms of integration. Both forms of integration are legitimate, but the different translations have created integration with different degrees of autonomy in relation to the member organizations. Only a long-term analysis can show whether one form of integration is more functional than the other. This article is based on an extensive material providing insights into a form of interorganizational integration which has been scarcely researched. The findings show how different translations can influence the integration of welfare services.

    9. Closely related methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from retail meat, cows with mastitis, and humans in Japan.

      PubMed

      Sato, Tomomi; Usui, Masaru; Konishi, Noriko; Kai, Akemi; Matsui, Hidehito; Hanaki, Hideaki; Tamura, Yutaka

      2017-01-01

      Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a pervasive healthcare-acquired (HA) pathogen with recent emergence as a community-acquired (CA) pathogen. To elucidate whether meat mediates MRSA transmission between animals and humans in Japan, this study examined MRSA isolates from retail meat (n = 8), cows with mastitis (n = 7), and humans (HA-MRSA = 46 and CA-MRSA = 54) by molecular typing, virulence gene analyses, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. MRSA isolates from retail meat were classified into sequence type (ST) 8/spa type t1767 (n = 4), ST8/t4133 (n = 1), ST59/t3385 (n = 1), ST88/t375 (n = 1), and ST509/t375 (n = 1). All seven MRSA isolates from cows with mastitis were ST8/t1767. 46 HA-MRSA were clonal complex (CC) 5, divided into t002 (n = 30), t045 (n = 12), and t7455 (n = 4). 54 CA-MRSA were classified into 6 different CCs: CC1 (n = 14), CC5 (n = 7), CC8 (n = 29), CC45 (n = 1), CC89 (n = 1), CC509 (n = 1), and into 16 different spa types including newly identified t17177, t17193, and t17194. The majority were CC8/t1767 (n = 16). CC of one CA-MRSA isolate (spa type t1767) was not classified. Among 41 CC8 MRSA (five from meat, seven from cows with mastitis, and 29 CA-MRSA), 14 ST8/SCCmec IVl isolates (three from meat, one from a cow with mastitis, and 10 CA-MRSA) had identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and similar spa type (t1767, t4133, and t17177), and were typed as CA-MRSA/J (ST8/SCCmec IVl, positive for sec + sel + tst but negative for Panton-Valentine leukocidin and the arginine catabolic mobile element). These results suggest that there is a transmission cycle of CA-MRSA/J among meat, cows, and humans in Japan, although it is unclear whether the origin is cow.

    10. Closely related methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from retail meat, cows with mastitis, and humans in Japan

      PubMed Central

      Konishi, Noriko; Kai, Akemi; Matsui, Hidehito; Hanaki, Hideaki

      2017-01-01

      Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a pervasive healthcare-acquired (HA) pathogen with recent emergence as a community-acquired (CA) pathogen. To elucidate whether meat mediates MRSA transmission between animals and humans in Japan, this study examined MRSA isolates from retail meat (n = 8), cows with mastitis (n = 7), and humans (HA-MRSA = 46 and CA-MRSA = 54) by molecular typing, virulence gene analyses, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. MRSA isolates from retail meat were classified into sequence type (ST) 8/spa type t1767 (n = 4), ST8/t4133 (n = 1), ST59/t3385 (n = 1), ST88/t375 (n = 1), and ST509/t375 (n = 1). All seven MRSA isolates from cows with mastitis were ST8/t1767. 46 HA-MRSA were clonal complex (CC) 5, divided into t002 (n = 30), t045 (n = 12), and t7455 (n = 4). 54 CA-MRSA were classified into 6 different CCs: CC1 (n = 14), CC5 (n = 7), CC8 (n = 29), CC45 (n = 1), CC89 (n = 1), CC509 (n = 1), and into 16 different spa types including newly identified t17177, t17193, and t17194. The majority were CC8/t1767 (n = 16). CC of one CA-MRSA isolate (spa type t1767) was not classified. Among 41 CC8 MRSA (five from meat, seven from cows with mastitis, and 29 CA-MRSA), 14 ST8/SCCmec IVl isolates (three from meat, one from a cow with mastitis, and 10 CA-MRSA) had identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and similar spa type (t1767, t4133, and t17177), and were typed as CA-MRSA/J (ST8/SCCmec IVl, positive for sec + sel + tst but negative for Panton–Valentine leukocidin and the arginine catabolic mobile element). These results suggest that there is a transmission cycle of CA-MRSA/J among meat, cows, and humans in Japan, although it is unclear whether the origin is cow. PMID:29084288

    11. Energy Demand and Resources of Japan. Volume I

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1973-08-01

      political motives. Economically Japan would prefer to develop alternative sources of petroleum which are politically stable and geologically viable...situation in the next decade. History records, therefore, Jhat Japan did not suddenly burst upon the scene as an advanced technology, highly competitive...cov- ering cooperative offshore exploration and eventual pro- duction in southern Kalimantan and northern Sumatra. Japex-Indonesian Limited, for

    12. Organic Matter Contents and Paleoproductivity Variation Within Late Pleistocene Japan Sea/East Sea Sediments: Results from IODP Expedition 346

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Black, H. D.; Anderson, W. T., Jr.

      2017-12-01

      Inorganic and organic matter concentrations as well as the stable isotopes of nitrogen and organic carbon are presented for continuous sedimentary sequences collected during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 346 in the Japan Sea/East Sea in 2013. During major glacioeustatic sea level changes, the paleoceanographic conditions within the Japan Sea/East Sea widely vary due to the shallow, narrow straights connecting the sea to surrounding waters limiting an influx of oceanic currents. During glacial sea level low-stands the sea can be nearly isolated, creating a highly-stratified water column and hypoxic to anoxic bottom water conditions. Meanwhile during sea level high-stands, the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) flows into the sea bringing warmer, nutrient-rich inputs, leading to vertical mixing and oxic conditions. This study aims to better understand the role of orbital cycling within the organic matter and stable isotope contents of these Late Pleistocene sediments. A total of 192 samples were analyzed each for %CaCO3, %TOC, δ13C, %N, and δ15N from two Expedition 346 sampling sites (U1426 and U1427) during the last 430,000 years and statistical analyses were completed using wavelet and time series analyses. Carbonate concentration ranges from 0-44.3%, total organic carbon 0.2 to 6.4%, δ13C -25.8 to -19.6‰, %N 0.04 to 0.4%, and δ15N 3.8 to 13.1‰. These results are well correlated with b* color values of the sediment and generally show increased productivity during interglacial periods, likely through increased vertical mixing and deepwater ventilation, when compared to glacial periods within the Japan Sea/East Sea when the sea may be partially isolated.

    13. Education Policy Outlook: Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Miki, Tadakazu; Pont, Beatriz; Figueroa, Diana Toledo; Peterka, Judith; Fraccola, Sylvain

      2015-01-01

      This policy profile on education in Japan is part of the "Education Policy Outlook" series, which presents comparative analysis of education policies and reforms across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Building on the OECD's substantial comparative and sectorial policy knowledge base, the…

    14. Flux and stable C and N isotope composition of sinking particles in the Ulleung Basin of the East/Japan Sea

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Hyun Kwak, Jung; Han, Eunah; Hwang, Jeomshik; Kim, Young, II; Lee, Chung Il; Kang, Chang-Keun

      2017-09-01

      Seasonal variability of sinking fluxes of total mass (TMF), particulate organic carbon and nitrogen (POC and PON) was examined using sinking particles collected from sediment traps during July 2011 to December 2011, and December 2012 to June 2013 at an offshore channel site; and from November 2013 to August 2014 at a nearshore slope site of the Ulleung Basin in the East/Japan Sea. δ13C and δ15N values of sinking particles were measured to elucidate the major export processes of POC and PON. Annual TMF (112-638 g m-2 yr-1) and fluxes of POC and PON (9.6-32.1 g C m-2 yr-1 and 1.2-4.5 g N m-2 yr-1, respectively) in the Ulleung Basin corresponded to the upper limit of values reported for other open seas and oceans in the world. No great seasonal variability in both quantitative (TMF, and fluxes and contents of POC and PON) and qualitative (C/N ratios, and δ13C and δ15N values) estimates of vertical fluxes was observed, reflecting a steady standing stock of chlorophyll a in the upper part of water column. Furthermore, high contents of POC and PON and nearly constant δ13C and δ15N values in sinking particles collected in the sediment traps, indicate that primary production in the euphotic zone may be a good predictor of TMF and export flux of organic matter. In this regard, our pilot study points out the importance of high annual primary production and low water temperature (<1 °C) beneath the 200-m water depth, which would enable more sinking particles to be preserved during export process by limiting microbial decomposition activity in the water column, in determining the high annual flux of sinking particles in the Ulleung Basin (UB). A simple stable isotope mixing model of sinking particles indicates that despite a slight seasonal variation, the contribution of intact phytoplankton to sinking organic flux is significant to the POC and PON flux in the UB. Further continuous time series sediment trap experiments are proposed to estimate the contribution of

    15. Japan-Specific Key Regulatory Aspects for Development of New Biopharmaceutical Drug Products.

      PubMed

      Desai, Kashappa Goud; Obayashi, Hirokazu; Colandene, James D; Nesta, Douglas P

      2018-03-28

      Japan represents the third largest pharmaceutical market in the world. Developing a new biopharmaceutical drug product for the Japanese market is a top business priority for global pharmaceutical companies while aligning with ethical drivers to treat more patients in need. Understanding Japan-specific key regulatory requirements is essential to achieve successful approvals. Understanding the full context of Japan-specific regulatory requirements/expectations is challenging to global pharmaceutical companies due to differences in language and culture. This article summarizes key Japan-specific regulatory aspects/requirements/expectations applicable to new drug development, approval, and postapproval phases. Formulation excipients should meet Japan compendial requirements with respect to the type of excipient, excipient grade, and excipient concentration. Preclinical safety assessments needed to support clinical phases I, II, and III development are summarized. Japanese regulatory authorities have taken appropriate steps to consider foreign clinical data, thereby enabling accelerated drug development and approval in Japan. Other important topics summarized in this article include: Japan new drug application-specific bracketing strategies for critical and noncritical aspects of the manufacturing process, regulatory requirements related to stability studies, release specifications and testing methods, standard processes involved in pre and postapproval inspections, management of postapproval changes, and Japan regulatory authority's consultation services available to global pharmaceutical companies. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    16. Efficacy and safety of pentavalent rotavirus vaccine in Japan: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial.

      PubMed

      Iwata, Satoshi; Nakata, Shuji; Ukae, Susumu; Koizumi, Yoshitugu; Morita, Yasuyuki; Kuroki, Haruo; Tanaka, Yoshiyuki; Shizuya, Toshiyuki; Schödel, Florian; Brown, Michelle L; Lawrence, Jody

      2013-08-01

      Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis in children under 5 y of age. Estimates of disease burden in Japan suggest that between 26,500 and 78,000 children in this age group need hospitalization each year, resulting in a direct medical cost of 10 to 24 billion Yen. Since being introduced in routine infant immunization schedules in the United States in 2006, the oral live pentavalent rotavirus vaccine RV5 (RotaTeq™) has contributed to dramatic reductions in the incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) and in health care resource utilization. This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 3-dose regimen of RV5 in healthy infants, age 6 to 12 weeks, at 32 sites across Japan. The results indicate that RV5 was significantly efficacious in preventing any severity [74.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 39.9%, 90.6%; p<0.001)], moderate-to-severe [80.2% (95% CI: 47.4%, 94.1%)], and severe [100% (95% CI: 55.4%, 100%)] RVGE caused by viruses with serotypes contained in the vaccine. The observed cases of RVGE included rotavirus types G1 (n=19), G3 (n=9), G9 (n=5) and one unspecified G serotype with P1A[8]. No G2 or G4 RVGE cases were observed, and this study was not powered to evaluate efficacy against individual serotypes. RV5 was generally safe and well tolerated in Japanese infants. These results are comparable to those observed in clinical studies conducted in other developed countries. Introduction of the vaccine in Japan may reduce disease burden and associated health care costs.

    17. Risk model of valve surgery in Japan using the Japan Adult Cardiovascular Surgery Database.

      PubMed

      Motomura, Noboru; Miyata, Hiroaki; Tsukihara, Hiroyuki; Takamoto, Shinichi

      2010-11-01

      Risk models of cardiac valve surgery using a large database are useful for improving surgical quality. In order to obtain accurate, high-quality assessments of surgical outcome, each geographic area should maintain its own database. The study aim was to collect Japanese data and to prepare a risk stratification of cardiac valve procedures, using the Japan Adult Cardiovascular Surgery Database (JACVSD). A total of 6562 valve procedure records from 97 participating sites throughout Japan was analyzed, using a data entry form with 255 variables that was sent to the JACVSD office from a web-based data collection system. The statistical model was constructed using multiple logistic regression. Model discrimination was tested using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (C-index). The model calibration was tested using the Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) test. Among 6562 operated cases, 15% had diabetes mellitus, 5% were urgent, and 12% involved preoperative renal failure. The observed 30-day and operative mortality rates were 2.9% and 4.0%, respectively. Significant variables with high odds ratios included emergent or salvage status (3.83), reoperation (3.43), and left ventricular dysfunction (3.01). The H-L test and C-index values for 30-day mortality were satisfactory (0.44 and 0.80, respectively). The results obtained in Japan were at least as good as those reported elsewhere. The performance of this risk model also matched that of the STS National Adult Cardiac Database and the European Society Database.

    18. Features of standardized nursing terminology sets in Japan.

      PubMed

      Sagara, Kaoru; Abe, Akinori; Ozaku, Hiromi Itoh; Kuwahara, Noriaki; Kogure, Kiyoshi

      2006-01-01

      This paper reports the features and relationships between standardizes nursing terminology sets used in Japan. First, we analyzed the common parts in five standardized nursing terminology sets: the Japan Nursing Practice Standard Master (JNPSM) that includes the names of nursing activities and is built by the Medical Information Center Development Center (MEDIS-DC); the labels of the Japan Classification of Nursing Practice (JCNP), built by the term advisory committee in the Japan Academy of Nursing Science; the labels of the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) translated to Japanese; the labels, domain names, and class names of the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) Nursing Diagnoses 2003-2004 translated to Japanese; and the terms included in the labels of Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) translated to Japanese. Then we compared them with terms in a thesaurus dictionary, the Bunrui Goihyo, that contains general Japanese words and is built by the National Institute for Japanese Language. 1) the level of interchangeability between four standardized nursing terminology sets is quite low; 2) abbreviations and katakana words are frequently used to express nursing activities; 3) general Japanese words are usually used to express the status or situation of patients.

    19. Employment in Contemporary Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Dillon, Ken; And Others

      This paper presents guidelines and suggestions for non-Japanese English-as-a-Second-Language teachers seeking employment in Japan. The first section outlines the educational qualifications needed to teach in language schools, secondary schools, and higher education institutions, and notes common employment patterns and the timing required to make…

    20. Political Corruption in Japan.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Reed, Steven R.; And Others

      1996-01-01

      Provides an overview of political corruption and its place in Japanese culture and society. Discusses recent scandals and efforts at political reform. These efforts are moving Japan from a "boss-patronage" system to a "civic-culture." Includes a table of post-war Japanese prime ministers and corruption scandals. (MJP)

    1. Country specific associations between social contact and mental health: evidence from civil servant studies across Great Britain, Japan and Finland.

      PubMed

      Cable, N; Chandola, T; Lallukka, T; Sekine, M; Lahelma, E; Tatsuse, T; Marmot, M G

      2016-08-01

      Little is known about which component, such as social contact of social networks is associated with mental health or whether such an association can be observed across countries. This study examined whether the association between frequent social contact and mental health differs by composition (relatives or friends) and whether the associations are similar across three occupational cohorts from Great Britain, Japan, and Finland. Cross-sectional analysis of data from three prospective cohort studies. Participants were civil servants of a prospective cohort study based in London (Men: n = 4519; Women: n = 1756), in the West Coast of Japan (Men: n = 2571; Women: n = 1102), and in Helsinki, Finland (Men: n = 1181; Women: n = 5633); we included the information on study variables which is complete. Mental health function was the study outcome, indicated by the total score from the Mental Health Component on the Short Form Health Survey36. Participants reported frequencies of contacts with their relatives or friends via a questionnaire. Age, marital status, and occupational position were treated as confounders in this study. Findings from multiple regression showed that the associations between social contact and mental health function were different depending on country of origin and gender. Among British or Japanese men, frequent contact with both friends and relatives was positively associated with their mental health function, while only social contact with friends was significantly associated with mental health of Finnish men. In women, the patterns of the associations between social contact and mental health were more distinctive: friends for Great Britain, relatives for Japan, and friends and relatives for Finland. These significant associations were independent of the confounders. Social contact was related to mental health of working people; however, culture and gender are likely to be tapped into. Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society for Public

    2. Current trends in rehabilitation engineering in Japan.

      PubMed

      Ohnabe, Hisaichi

      2006-01-01

      In 2005, the elderly generation comprised 20% of the Japanese population. This percentage will grow to approximately 30% in 2030, meaning that nearly one in three people in Japan will be 65 years of age or older. Japan is the first nation in the world to face this situation. This article uses the context of Japanese society to give an overview of the elderly and people with disabilities; the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health model; rehabilitation engineering-related policy; and education. In addition, we examine how governmental programs and Japanese law regarding technical aids may evolve by 2030. Partner robots, intelligent powered wheelchairs, nursing robots, and other technologies are introduced as examples of rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology. We also discuss the volunteer activities of the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of Japan (RESJA) in response to the Asian tsunami disaster and the achievements of a group of students from a Japanese senior high school of industry.

    3. The Annual Cycle of the Japan Sea Throughflow

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Kida, S.; Qiu, B.; Yang, J.; Lin, X.

      2016-02-01

      The mechanism responsible for the annual cycle of the flows through the straits of Japan Sea is investigated using a two-layer model. Japan Sea is one of the marginal sea located in the western North Pacific that is separated from the Pacific by the islands of Japan. Three narrow and shallow straits, the Tsushima, Tsugaru, and Soya Straits, connect this sea towards the Pacific Ocean and Okhotsk Sea and observations show that the flow through these three straits vary annually with a maximum transport in summer-fall and a minimum transport in winter. The variability is large for Soya (north) and Tsushima (south) Straits but weak for the Tsugaru Strait (middle). We find the subpolar winds located to the north of Soya Strait to be the primary forcing agent of this annual cycle rather than the subtropical winds located to the east of Japan. The subpolar winds generate baroclinic Kelvin waves that perturb the sea surface height at the Soya Strait, cause barotropic adjustment to occur within the Japan Sea, and change the flow at the other straits. The shallow topography at the straits plays an important role. This mechanism explains why the annual cycle at the three straits occur almost synchronously. We also find the around-island integral constraint a useful tool for explaining how the magnitude of the annual cycle at the three straits are controlled. The theorem show the magnitude and direction of the flow controlled largely by the ratio of the meridional length of the two islands that is bounded by the three straits..

    4. Review of mental-health-related stigma in Japan.

      PubMed

      Ando, Shuntaro; Yamaguchi, Sosei; Aoki, Yuta; Thornicroft, Graham

      2013-11-01

      The aim of this study is to understand the nature and characteristics of mental-health-related stigma among Japanese people. We searched relevant studies in English or Japanese published since 2001 using MEDLINE and PsycINFO, and found 19 studies that examined mental-health-related stigma in Japan. Regarding knowledge about mental illness, reviewed studies showed that in the Japanese general population, few people think that people can recover from mental disorders. Psychosocial factors, including weakness of personality, are often considered the cause of mental illness, rather than biological factors. In addition, the majority of the general public in Japan keep a greater social distance from individuals with mental illness, especially in close personal relationships. Schizophrenia is more stigmatized than depression, and its severity increases the stigmatizing attitude toward mental illness. The literature also showed an association between more direct social contact between health professionals and individuals with mental illness and less stigmatization by these professionals. Less stigmatization by mental health professionals may be associated with accumulation of clinical experience and daily contact with people who have mental illness. Stigmatizing attitudes in Japan are stronger than in Taiwan or Australia, possibly due to institutionalism, lack of national campaigns to tackle stigma, and/or society's valuing of conformity in Japan. Although educational programs appear to be effective in reducing mental-health-related stigma, future programs in Japan need to address problems regarding institutionalism and offer direct social contact with people with mental illness. © 2013 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2013 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

    5. Japan's Democracy: How Much Change? Headline Series No. 305.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Krauss, Ellis S.

      This booklet analyzes the changes that have occurred in Japan in the postwar period. The book is divided into four chapters. Chapter 1, "Revolutionary Change: American Occupation, 1945-52," focuses on the dramatic changes brought by Occupation forces. Chapter 2, "Evolutionary Change: Japan's Democracy from the Occupation through the…

    6. Career Education in Japan: Its Current Status and Condition.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Senzaki, Takeshi

      1993-01-01

      Presents framework of changing status of career education in Japan, describing history of career education in that country. Includes chronology of career education in Japan since 1960. Notes that, in future, Japanese career education and guidance programs must bridge gaps between academics and employment, education and occupations, school and…

    7. Koreans in Japan: Their Influence on Korean-Japanese Relations.

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1979-09-01

      1963. 31. The Republic of Korea National Red Cross, The Dispersed Families in Korea, Seoul, 1977. 32. Sato , Shoki, Koreans in Japan - The...1975. 34. Sumiya, Mikio , Kankoku no Keizai (The Korean Economy), Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo, Japan, 1974. 35. U.S. Government Printing Office, U.S. Army Area

    8. Suicide prevention strategies in Japan: a 15-year review (1998-2013).

      PubMed

      Takeshima, Tadashi; Yamauchi, Takashi; Inagaki, Masatoshi; Kodaka, Manami; Matsumoto, Toshihiko; Kawano, Kenji; Katsumata, Yotaro; Fujimori, Maiko; Hisanaga, Ayaka; Takahashi, Yoshitomo

      2015-02-01

      Suicide is a global public health problem and solutions to it can be found only through a global dialog. The suicide rate in Japan has been alarming, but Japan has made substantial efforts to reduce this rate, making prevention a high priority. This report reviews the developmental stages of a comprehensive policy of suicide prevention in Japan from 1998 to 2013. Our review suggests that suicide prevention activities were facilitated by the 2006 Basic Act for Suicide Prevention and the 2007 General Principles of Suicide Prevention Policy. Along with the establishment of a Special Fund program for local governments, the Basic Act and General Principles led to the development of a comprehensive and multi-sector approach to suicide prevention. Suicide rates in Japan, especially among middle-aged men, decreased consistently after 2009, suggesting that the initiatives were effective. Continuous monitoring is needed to evaluate Japan's suicide prevention policy.

    9. Effects of a Japan Diet Intake Program on Metabolic Parameters in Middle-Aged Men: A Pilot Study

      PubMed Central

      Nakano, Rena; Shima, Mitsuha; Mae, Asumi; Shijo, Yuri; Nakamura, Eri; Okabe, Yuuna; Park, Sunmi; Kameyama, Noriko; Hirai, Satomi; Nakanishi, Mamoru; Uchida, Kagehiro; Nishiyama, Hiroshi

      2017-01-01

      Aim: We conducted a pilot study to clarify the effects of the Japan Diet nutritional education program on metabolic risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in middle-aged men who were brought up in the westernized dietary environment of modern Japan. Methods: Thirty-three men, 30–49 years of age, attended a nutrition education class to learn food items and recommended volumes comprising the Japan Diet (more fish, soybeans and soy products, vegetables, seaweed, mushrooms and unrefined cereals, and less animal fat, meat and poultry with fat, sweets, desserts and snacks, and alcoholic drinks), and were encouraged to consume the Japan Diet for 6 weeks. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured and 3-day weighted dietary records were kept before and at completion of the intervention. Results: Ninety-one percent of participants showed improvements in more than one cardiovascular risk factor after 6 weeks. Body weight, serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, malondialdehyde modified (MDA)-LDL and triglyceride concentrations decreased significantly, while high density lipoprotein cholesterol was unchanged. Fish, soy, and sum of seaweed, mushrooms and konjak intakes doubled, and green and yellow vegetable intakes also increased as compared to baseline. Meanwhile, intakes of refined cereals, meat and poultry, sweets, desserts and snacks, and margarine and shortening decreased. Total energy, lipid, and saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid intakes decreased, while n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, dietary fiber, beta-carotene, vitamins D and K, potassium, and magnesium increased, with no change in sodium intake. Conclusions: The Japan Diet is suggested to improve atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk factors in middle-aged Japanese men. The clinical trial registration number: UMIN000020639. PMID:27667329

    10. Liver transplantation in Japan.

      PubMed

      Soyama, Akihiko; Eguchi, Susumu; Egawa, Hiroto

      2016-10-01

      As of December 31, 2014, 7937 liver transplants (7673 living donor transplants and 264 deceased donor liver transplantations [DDLTs; 261 from heart-beating donors and 3 from non-heart-beating donors]) have been performed in 67 institutions in Japan. The revised Organ Transplant Law in Japan came into effect in July 2010, which allows organ procurement from brain-dead individuals, including children, with family consent if the patient had not previously refused organ donation. However, the number of deceased donor organ donations has not increased as anticipated. The rate of deceased organ donations per million population (pmp) has remained at less than 1. To maximize the viability of the limited numbers of donated organs, a system has been adopted that includes the partnership of well-trained transplant consultant doctors and local doctors. For compensating for the decreased opportunity of on-site training, an educational system regarding quality organ procurement for transplant surgeons has also been established. Furthermore, experts in the field of liver transplantation are currently discussing adoption of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score for allocation, promoting split-liver transplantation, arranging in-house coordinators, and improving the frequency of proposing the option to donate organs to the families. To overcome the shortage of donors during efforts to promote organ donation, living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has been developed in Japan. Continuous efforts to increase DDLT in addition to the successful experience of LDLT will increase the benefits of liver transplantation for more patients. Liver Transplantation 22 1401-1407 2016 AASLD. © 2016 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

    11. Historical Change of Equilibrium Water Temperature in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Miyamoto, H.

      2015-12-01

      Changes in freshwater ecosystems due to a climate change have been great concern for sustainable river basin management both for water resources utilization and ecological conservation. However, their impact seems to be difficult to evaluate because of wide variety of basin characteristics along a river network both in nature and social environment. This presentation uses equilibrium water temperature as a simple criterion index for evaluating the long-term changes of stream thermal environment due to the historical climate change in Japan. It examines, at first, the relationship between the equilibrium water temperature and the stream temperature observed for 7 years at a lower reach in the Ibo River, Japan. It analyzes, then, the seasonal and regional trends of the equilibrium water temperature change for the last 50 years at 133 meteorological station sites throughout Japan, discussing their rising or falling characteristics. The correlation analysis at the local reach of the Ibo River shows that the equilibrium water temperature has similar trend of change as the stream temperature. However, its value tends to be higher than the stream temperature in summer, while lower in winter. The onset of the higher equilibrium water temperature fluctuates annually from mid February to early April. This onset fluctuation at each spring could be influenced by the different amount of snow at the antecedent winter. The rising or falling trends of the equilibrium water temperature are analyzed both annually and seasonally through the regression analysis of the 133 sites in Japan. Consequently, the trends of the temperature change could be categorized by 12 patterns. As for the seasonal analysis, the results shows that there are many sites indicating the falling trend in spring and summer, and rising trends in autumn and winter. In particular, winter has the strong rising tendency throughout Japan. As for the regional analysis, the result illustrates the precise rationality; e

    12. Current status of superficial pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in Japan.

      PubMed

      Rikitake, Ryoko; Ando, Mizuo; Saito, Yuki; Yoshimoto, Seiichi; Yamasoba, Tatsuya; Higashi, Takahiro

      2017-10-01

      To investigate the status and treatment of superficial pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in Japan. We analyzed all cases diagnosed between 2011 and 2013, as recorded in the national database of hospital-based cancer registries. We extracted data on patient sex, age, tumor locations, histology, presentation routes, initial treatments, and TNM stages. Additionally, we compared the characteristics of pharyngeal carcinoma to those of esophageal cancer. A total of 16,521 oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers from 409 institutions were included. Diagnosis of Tis tumors was infrequent, and both cancers were likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage (n = 866, 5.3%). Tis diseases were the most commonly detected during follow-up examinations for other diseases (n = 608, 70%). While more oropharyngeal Tis patients were men compared to T1-4 patients (88 vs 82%, respectively), hypopharyngeal cancer patients comprised an equally high proportion of men (94 vs 92%, respectively). The most common location of oropharyngeal Tis tumors was the posterior wall (32%), whereas T1-4 tumors were most commonly found on the lateral wall (36%). In hypopharyngeal cancer, both Tis and T1-4 were most commonly located in the pyriform sinus (62%). The proportion of Tis tumors diagnosed at individual institutions showed a positive correlation with the number of endoscopic treatments (r = 0.32, P < 0.001) and the number of esophageal cancer cases (r = 0.37, P < 0.001). Our national database study elucidated the current characteristics of superficial pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients in Japan. Further improvements in early diagnosis and standardized treatments are warranted.

    13. Phenotypic and molecular characterization of antimicrobial resistance in Enterobacter spp. isolates from companion animals in Japan

      PubMed Central

      Harada, Kazuki; Shimizu, Takae; Mukai, Yujiro; Kuwajima, Ken; Sato, Tomomi; Kajino, Akari; Usui, Masaru; Tamura, Yutaka; Kimura, Yui; Miyamoto, Tadashi; Tsuyuki, Yuzo; Ohki, Asami; Kataoka, Yasushi

      2017-01-01

      The emergence of antimicrobial resistance among Enterobacter spp., including resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC), is of great concern in both human and veterinary medicine. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among 60 isolates of Enterobacter spp., including E. cloacae (n = 44), E. aerogenes (n = 10), and E. asburiae (n = 6), from clinical specimens of dogs and cats from 15 prefectures in Japan. Furthermore, we characterized the resistance mechanisms harbored by these isolates, including extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR); and assessed the genetic relatedness of ESC-resistant Enterobacter spp. strains by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated the resistance rates to ampicillin (93.3%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (93.3%), cefmetazole (93.3%), chloramphenicol (46.7%), ciprofloxacin (43.3%), tetracycline (40.0%), ceftazidime (33.3%), cefotaxime (33.3%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (28.3%), gentamicin (23.3%), and meropenem (0%). Phenotypic testing detected ESBLs in 16 of 18 ESC-resistant E. cloacae isolates but not in the other species. The most frequent ESBL was CTX-M-15 (n = 8), followed by SHV-12 (n = 7), and CTX-M-3 (n = 1). As for AmpC β-lactamases, CMY-2 (n = 2) and DHA-1 (n = 2) were identified in ESC-resistant E. cloacae strains with or without ESBLs. All of the ESC-resistant E. cloacae strains also harbored one or two PMQRs, including qnrB (n = 15), aac(6’)-Ib-cr (n = 8), and qnrS (n = 2). Based on MLST and PFGE analysis, E. cloacae clones of ST591-SHV-12, ST171-CTX-M-15, and ST121-CTX-M-15 were detected in one or several hospitals. These results suggested intra- and inter-hospital dissemination of E. cloacae clones co-harboring ESBLs and PMQRs among companion animals. This is the first report on the large-scale monitoring of antimicrobial-resistant isolates

    14. Phenotypic and molecular characterization of antimicrobial resistance in Enterobacter spp. isolates from companion animals in Japan.

      PubMed

      Harada, Kazuki; Shimizu, Takae; Mukai, Yujiro; Kuwajima, Ken; Sato, Tomomi; Kajino, Akari; Usui, Masaru; Tamura, Yutaka; Kimura, Yui; Miyamoto, Tadashi; Tsuyuki, Yuzo; Ohki, Asami; Kataoka, Yasushi

      2017-01-01

      The emergence of antimicrobial resistance among Enterobacter spp., including resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC), is of great concern in both human and veterinary medicine. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among 60 isolates of Enterobacter spp., including E. cloacae (n = 44), E. aerogenes (n = 10), and E. asburiae (n = 6), from clinical specimens of dogs and cats from 15 prefectures in Japan. Furthermore, we characterized the resistance mechanisms harbored by these isolates, including extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR); and assessed the genetic relatedness of ESC-resistant Enterobacter spp. strains by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated the resistance rates to ampicillin (93.3%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (93.3%), cefmetazole (93.3%), chloramphenicol (46.7%), ciprofloxacin (43.3%), tetracycline (40.0%), ceftazidime (33.3%), cefotaxime (33.3%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (28.3%), gentamicin (23.3%), and meropenem (0%). Phenotypic testing detected ESBLs in 16 of 18 ESC-resistant E. cloacae isolates but not in the other species. The most frequent ESBL was CTX-M-15 (n = 8), followed by SHV-12 (n = 7), and CTX-M-3 (n = 1). As for AmpC β-lactamases, CMY-2 (n = 2) and DHA-1 (n = 2) were identified in ESC-resistant E. cloacae strains with or without ESBLs. All of the ESC-resistant E. cloacae strains also harbored one or two PMQRs, including qnrB (n = 15), aac(6')-Ib-cr (n = 8), and qnrS (n = 2). Based on MLST and PFGE analysis, E. cloacae clones of ST591-SHV-12, ST171-CTX-M-15, and ST121-CTX-M-15 were detected in one or several hospitals. These results suggested intra- and inter-hospital dissemination of E. cloacae clones co-harboring ESBLs and PMQRs among companion animals. This is the first report on the large-scale monitoring of antimicrobial-resistant isolates

    15. DC-8 being pushed out of the Arena Arctica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden for the second flight of the SAG

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      2000-01-01

      This photo shows NASA's DC-8 being pushed out of the Arena Arctica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden for the second flight of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE). One of Dryden's high-flying ER-2 Airborne Science aircraft, a civilian variant of Lockheed's U-2, and another NASA flying laboratory, Dryden's DC-8, were based north of the Arctic Circle in Kiruna, Sweden during the winter of 2000 to study ozone depletion as part of SOLVE. A large hangar built especially for research, 'Arena Arctica' housed the instrumented aircraft and the scientists. Scientists observed unusually low levels of ozone over the Arctic during recent winters, raising concerns that ozone depletion there could become more widespread as in the Antarctic ozone hole. The NASA-sponsored international mission took place between November 1999 and March 2000 and was divided into three phases. The DC-8 was involved in all three phases returning to Dryden between each phase. The ER-2 flew science collection flights between January and March, remaining in Sweden from Jan. 9 through March 16. 'The collaborative campaign will provide an immense new body of information about the Arctic stratosphere,' said program scientist Dr. Michael Kurylo, NASA Headquarters. 'Our understanding of the Earth's ozone will be greatly enhanced by this research.' NASA is using a DC-8 aircraft as a flying science laboratory. The platform aircraft, based at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., collects data for many experiments in support of scientific projects serving the world scientific community. Included in this community are NASA, federal, state, academic and foreign investigators. Data gathered by the DC-8 at flight altitude and by remote sensing have been used for scientific studies in archeology, ecology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, soil science and biology.

    16. Current Indoor Air Quality in Japan.

      PubMed

      Jinno, Hideto

      2016-01-01

      People spend more than two thirds of their daily time indoors. Hence, maintaining a healthy indoor environment is indispensable for the prevention of building related illness. In Japan, guidelines for indoor air quality have been established for 13 volatile/semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs/SVOCs). These guidelines are now under revision by the Committee on Sick House Syndrome: Indoor Air Pollution. In order to gain information on the current indoor air pollutants and their levels, we carried out a nation-wide survey of VOCs and aldehydes in indoor residential air during 2012-2013. In this review, I concisely summarized the current indoor air quality of Japan.

    17. SST and terrestrial n-alkanes records in sediment of the Korean Plateau, East Sea (Japan Sea) during the last 400 kyr: Paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic implications

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Hyun, Sangmin; Suh, Yean Jee; Kim, Jin Kyung

      2014-05-01

      SST variation was reconstructed using alkenones and their variation was compared with terrestrial n-alkanes signature from the sediment of the Korean Plateau, East Sea (Japan Sea) during the last 400 ka. SST variation showed glacial-interglacial time scale variation with a maximum temperature of 26 oC in MIS 7, and a minimum of 12 oC at MIS 2 and 6. The distribution of terrestrial n-alkanes signatures is characterized by the occurrence of high odd number predominance in most samples, however minor dominance of a specific compound (nC27 only) was the additional characteristic.bAverage Chain Length (ACL) and Carbon Preferences Index (ICP), derived from n-alkane distributions, showed a similar shifting between glacial-interglacial time-scale. This suggests that paleovegetation communities changed in response to paleoclimatological variations, and the input of terrestrial compound is strongly linked with paleoclimatology. In the previous work, isotopic composition of δ13C and δ15N of organic matter showed extreme temporal variation since MIS 11 suggesting influx of a large amount of terrestrial organic matters from the neighboring continent during MIS 2, 8 and 10. In particular, depleted values of δ13C during MIS 2, 8 and 10 were coincident with lower nitrogen isotope values indicating local paleoceanographic effects such as paleoproductivity changes. Decoupling of δ13C and δ15N during MIS 1, 3, 5, and 7, and coupling of the two during MIS 8 and 11 is observed, which can be interpreted as local productivity changes. The alkenones SST and n-alkanes signature coincided with carbon and nitrogen isotope variation in terms of glacial-interglacial time scale suggesting that the paleoenvironments in the East Sea is sensitive to the global climate changes associated with not only orbital-scale glacial-interglacial variations but also local paleceanographic variations.

    18. Attitudes toward the Homeless: A U.S.-Japan Comparison.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Guzewicz, Tony D.; Takooshian, Harold

      1993-01-01

      Compares attitudes toward the homeless in Japan and the United States through a survey of 268 Japanese and 254 U.S. adults and adolescents interviewed in public places. In Japan, homelessness is seldom discussed, and poverty, which may be as widespread as in the United States, is often not recognized. (SLD)

    19. Japan's Teacher Acculturation: Critical Analysis through Comparative Ethnographic Narrative

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Howe, Edward R.

      2005-01-01

      Cross-cultural teaching and research in Canada and Japan is reported. Ethnographic narrative methods were used to examine Japan's teacher acculturation. Canada's teachers are largely required to work in isolation, to learn their practice through trial and error. There is little provision for mentorship and insufficient time to reflect. In…

    20. Tokugawa Japan and Industrial Revolution Britain: Two Misunderstood Societies

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Ellington, Lucien

      2013-01-01

      In this article, the author presents a truer picture than economic historians have previously had of the economies of Tokugawa Japan, and Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Though substantially different, both societies were prosperous compared to most of the rest of the world. Japan's economic success began in the Tokugawa period…

    1. Recycling scheme for scrapped automobiles in Japan

      DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

      Suzuki, Masao; Nakajima, Akira; Taya, Sadao

      Over 5 million cars are scrapped yearly in Japan. After dismantling scrapped automobiles, they are put into a shredder for differential recovery of ferrous and nonferrous metals. The residue, which is called shredder dust, runs over 1.2 million tons per year. This paper reports a entire sequence of scrapping cars in Japan with the following sections: (1) production and scrapped car management, (2) material composition, (3) dismantling, (4) shredder plant, (5) differential recovery of metals including specific gravity and newly developed color separation.

    2. Response of the Morus bombycis growing season to temperature and its latitudinal pattern in Japan.

      PubMed

      Doi, Hideyuki

      2012-09-01

      Changes in leaf phenology lengthen the growing season length (GSL, the days between leaf budburst and leaf fall) under the global warming. GSL and the leaf phenology response to climate change is one of the most important predictors of climate change effect on plants. Empirical evidence of climatic effects on GSL remains scarce, especially at a regional scale and the latitudinal pattern. This study analyzed the datasets of leaf budburst and fall phenology in Morus bombycis (Urticales), which were observed by the agency of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) from 1953 to 2005 over a wide range of latitudes in Japan (31 to 44° N). In the present study, single regression slopes of leaf phenological timing and air temperature across Japan were calculated and their spatial patterns using general linear models were tested. The results showed that the GSL extension was caused mainly by a delay in leaf fall phenology. Relationships between latitude and leaf phenological and GSL responses against air temperature were significantly negative. The response of leaf phenology and GSL to air temperature at lower latitudes was larger than that at higher latitudes. The findings indicate that GSL extension should be considered with regards to latitude and climate change.

    3. Electronic Cigarette Use and Smoking Abstinence in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study of Quitting Methods.

      PubMed

      Hirano, Tomoyasu; Tabuchi, Takahiro; Nakahara, Rika; Kunugita, Naoki; Mochizuki-Kobayashi, Yumiko

      2017-02-17

      The benefit of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in smoking cessation remains controversial. Recently, e-cigarettes have been gaining popularity in Japan, without evidence of efficacy on quitting cigarettes. We conducted an online survey to collect information on tobacco use, difficulties in smoking cessation, socio-demographic factors, and health-related factors in Japan. Among the total participants (n = 9055), 798 eligible persons aged 20-69 years who smoked within the previous five years were analyzed to assess the relationship between the outcome of smoking cessation and quitting methods used, including e-cigarettes, smoking cessation therapy, and unassisted. E-cigarette use was negatively associated with smoking cessation (odds ratio (OR) = 0.632; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.414-0.964) after adjusting for gender, age, health-related factors, and other quitting methods. Conversely, smoking cessation therapy (i.e., varenicline) was significantly associated with smoking cessation (OR = 1.885; 95% CI = 1.018-3.492) in the same model. For effective smoking cessation, e-cigarette use appears to have low efficacy among smokers in Japan. Allowing for the fact that this study is limited by its cross-sectional design, follow-up studies are needed to assess the prospective association between e-cigarette use and smoking cessation.

    4. Japan's Eco-School Programme

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Mori, Masayuki

      2007-01-01

      Since 1997, several ministries in Japan have collaborated on an eco-school programme, which applies to both newly constructed and renovated school buildings, in an effort to make its schools more environmentally friendly. The programme equips school buildings with ecological features such as photovoltaic cells, solar thermal collectors, other new…

    5. First record of Otibazo (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae) outside of Japan, with description of a new species from Vietnam.

      PubMed

      Grebennikov, Vasily V; Pham, Hong Thai

      2014-10-03

      A new species of wingless leaf litter weevil, Otibazo polyphemus sp. n., is described from Tam Dao, northern Vietnam. This is the fourth named species in the genus, with its three other species known only from Japan. Habitus and genitalia of the male holotype are illustrated and DNA barcoding data are provided. 

    6. U.S. Military Aviation Mishaps In Japan and Okinawan Political Controversy

      DTIC Science & Technology

      2015-12-01

      political controversy over U.S. bases in Japan, the American presence in the island country has proven its strategic advantages for the United States...CONTEMPORARY OKINAWAN HISTORY Located approximately 400 miles south of mainland Japan, Okinawa is the largest island in the Ryukyu Island chain. In the 17th...century, Okinawa served as tributary state to both China and Japan. Commerce brought additional influences to the island , helping to shape a

    7. Political economy of tobacco control policy on public health in Japan.

      PubMed

      Desapriya, E B R; Iwase, Nobutada; Shimizu, Shinji

      2003-02-01

      Tobacco use, particularly smoking, remains the number one cause of preventable disease and mortality in Japan. This review of the tobacco control policy and public health is the first to offer a composite review of the subject within Japan. This review attempts to evaluate the most important aspects of the current political economy of the tobacco control policy, and concludes that more effective control policies must be employed to minimize the impact of smoking on the public's health in Japan. Further the article attempts to place the approaches in the larger context of tobacco control, providing a vision for the future of tobacco prevention and control based on current knowledge. Tobacco use will remain the leading cause of preventable illness and death in Japan, until tobacco prevention and control efforts are commensurate with the harm caused by tobacco. Taken together, the results of various studies have clearly shown that control measures can influence tobacco smoking patterns, and in turn, the rate of tobacco-related problems. Government tobacco taxes have not kept pace with inflation for years. Availability of tobacco is virtually unlimited with easy access and the prices being very low due to the strong currency of Japan. Thus Japan must be one of the most tobacco accessible countries. It is important to ensure that people are not conditioned to smoke tobacco by an unduly favourable economic and commercial environment. For that reason, prevention advocates have called for substantial regulation of tobacco products and appeal for both tobacco tax increases and tobacco taxes to be indexed to inflation. In this review, present tobacco related public health policies in Japan are discussed with implication for prevention of tobacco related problems. Continued research in this area will be necessary to determine the most effective policies of reducing tobacco related problems in Japan.

    8. Genetic differentiation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains from Korea and Japan.

      PubMed

      Soo Ko, Kwan; Peck, Kyong Ran; Sup Oh, Won; Lee, Nam Yong; Hiramatsu, Keiichi; Song, Jae-Hoon

      2005-01-01

      In this study, we evaluated genetic differentiation between methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains from Korea and Japan. Seventy-five MRSA strains, including 25 h VISA strains, were analyzed by molecular typing methods, including multilocus sequence typing (MLST), SCC mec typing, and spa typing. The most prevalent genotype of MRSA strains, in both Korea and Japan, was ST 5-MRSA-II with the DMGMK spa motif, characteristic of the New York/Japan MRSA clone. In spite of these common features in MRSA strains from Korea and Japan, we also observed some genotypic divergence in MRSA from the two countries. Several spa types might be differentiated from a prevalent prototype (TJMBMDMGMK) that is shared by the two countries, revealing a unique geographic distribution. SCC mec type II lacking pUB110, designated type IIA, was found more frequently in Korea than in Japan. The rate of gentamicin resistance was also dramatically different between the two countries: 87.2% (Korea) vs. 28.6% (Japan). These preliminary findings suggested that MRSA strains from Korea and Japan might have originated from a common ancestor, but then clearly differentiated according to locality. A further comprehensive study should be performed to document the hypotheses from this study.

    9. Serum levels of marine-derived n-3 fatty acids in Icelanders, Japanese, Koreans, and Americans - A descriptive epidemiologic study

      PubMed Central

      Sekikawa, Akira; Steingrimsdottir, Laufey; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Shin, Chol; Curb, J. David; Evans, Rhobert W.; Hauksdottir, Alda M.; Kadota, Aya; Choo, Jina; Masaki, Kamal; Thorsson, Bolli; Launer, Lenore J.; Garcia, Melisa E.; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Willcox, Bradley J.; Eiriksdottir, Gudny; Fujiyoshi, Akira; Miura, Katsuyuki; Harris, Tamara B.; Kuller, Lewis H.; Gudnason, Vilmundur

      2012-01-01

      Summary In the 1990’s Iceland and Japan were known as countries with high fish consumption whereas coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in Iceland was high and that in Japan was low among developed countries. We described recent data fish consumption and CHD mortality from publicly available data. We also measured CHD risk factors and serum levels of marine-derived n-3 and other fatty acids from population-based samples of 1,324 men in Iceland, Japan, South Korea, and the US. CHD mortality in men in Iceland was almost 3 times as high as that in Japan and South Korea. Generally a profile of CHD risk factors in Icelanders compared to Japanese was more favorable. Serum marine-derived n-3 fatty acids in Iceland were significantly lower than in Japan and South Korea but significantly higher than in the US. PMID:22658580

    10. Isolation and characterization of avian influenza viruses from raw poultry products illegally imported to Japan by international flight passengers.

      PubMed

      Shibata, A; Hiono, T; Fukuhara, H; Sumiyoshi, R; Ohkawara, A; Matsuno, K; Okamatsu, M; Osaka, H; Sakoda, Y

      2018-04-01

      The transportation of poultry and related products for international trade contributes to transboundary pathogen spread and disease outbreaks worldwide. To prevent pathogen incursion through poultry products, many countries have regulations about animal health and poultry product quarantine. However, in Japan, animal products have been illegally introduced into the country in baggage and confiscated at the airport. Lately, the number of illegally imported poultry and the incursion risk of transboundary pathogens through poultry products have been increasing. In this study, we isolated avian influenza viruses (AIVs) from raw poultry products illegally imported to Japan by international passengers. Highly (H5N1 and H5N6) and low (H9N2 and H1N2) pathogenic AIVs were isolated from raw chicken and duck products carried by flight passengers. H5 and H9 isolates were phylogenetically closely related to viruses isolated from poultry in China, and haemagglutinin genes of H5N1 and H5N6 isolates belonged to clades 2.3.2.1c and 2.3.4.4, respectively. Experimental infections of H5 and H9 isolates in chickens and ducks demonstrated pathogenicity and tissue tropism to skeletal muscles. To prevent virus incursion by poultry products, it is important to encourage the phased cleaning based on the disease control and eradication and promote the reduction in contamination risk in animal products. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

    11. A nationwide survey of NDMA in raw and drinking water in Japan.

      PubMed

      Asami, Mari; Oya, Masami; Kosaka, Koji

      2009-05-15

      A nationwide survey of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in both raw and finished water samples from drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in Japan was conducted. NDMA was analyzed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). NDMA was detected in 15 of 31 raw water samples collected in the summer at concentrations up to 2.6 ng/L, and in 9 of 28 raw water samples collected in winter at concentrations up to 4.3 ng/L. The NDMA concentrations were higher in raw water samples collected from treatment plants with catchment areas that have high population densities. The NDMA concentrations were higher in river water samples collected from the east and west of Japan than in those collected from other areas. NDMA was detected in 10 of 31 finished samples collected in summer at reduced concentrations of up to 2.2 ng/L, while 5 of 28 finished samples collected in winter showed NDMA concentrations up to 10 ng/L. The highest NDMA levels were detected in finished water samples collected from the Yodo River basin DWTP, which uses ozonation. Furthermore, evaluation of the process water produced at six advanced water treatment plants was conducted. Influent from the Yodo River indicated that the NDMA concentration increased during ozonation to as high as 20 ng/L, and then decreased with subsequent biological activated carbon treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first nationwide evaluation of NDMA concentrations in water conducted in Japan to date.

    12. Changes in perceived filial obligation norms among coresident family caregivers in Japan.

      PubMed

      Tsutsui, Takako; Muramatsu, Naoko; Higashino, Sadanori

      2014-10-01

      Japan introduced a nationwide long-term care insurance (LTCI) system in 2000, making long-term care (LTC) a right for older adults regardless of income and family availability. To shed light on its implications for family caregiving, we investigated perceived filial obligation norms among coresident primary family caregivers before and after the policy change. Descriptive and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine changes in perceived filial obligation norms and its subdimensions (financial, physical, and emotional support), using 2-wave panel survey data of coresident primary family caregivers (N = 611) in 1 city. The baseline survey was conducted in 1999, and a follow-up survey 2 years later. On average, perceived filial obligation norms declined (p < .05). Daughters-in-law had the most significant declines (global and physical: p < .01, emotional: p < .05) among family caregivers. In particular, physical support, which Japan's LTC reform targeted, declined significantly among daughters and daughters-in-law (p < .01). Multiple regression analysis indicated that daughters-in-law had significantly lower perceived filial obligation norms after the policy introduction than sons and daughters (p < .01 and p < .05, respectively), controlling for the baseline filial obligation and situational factors. Our research indicates declining roles of daughters-in-law in elder care during Japan's LTCI system implementation period. Further international efforts are needed to design and implement longitudinal studies that help promote understanding of the interplay among national LTC policies, social changes, and caregiving norms and behaviors. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.

    13. Total Geomagnetic Survey on Suruga Bay, on the Pacific cost, Shizuoka, Japan, the second series report.

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Ichinose, S.; Baba, H.

      2015-12-01

      In 2009 to 2014, total geomagnetic and geological surveys by School of Marine Science & Technology, Tokai University, were conducted on Suruga Bay, located on the Pacific coast of Honshu in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, where a large thrust earthquake, often referred to as the Tokai earthquake, has been supposed to occur soon (Ishibashi, 1981). Suruga Bay area, where the Philippine Sea plate subducts beneath Japan, had some local magnetic anomalies on the overriding plate side. The past investigation of ship-borne survey conducted in Suruga Bay area is geomagnetic anomaly data of the Hydrographic Department of the Maritime Safety Agency in 1997. Detailed geomagnetic surveys carried out in the Suruga Bay area, is 50 km x 35km in S-N and W-E, respectively. Total geomagnetic anomaly values range from +100nT to +600nT. In this report, we carried out newly geomagnetic survey lines which costal region on Suruga Bay. The following results were found. (1) The costal region of Izu Peninsula in Northern part of Izu-Ogasawara arc is indicated high geomagnetic anomaly. This cause is regarded as something to come near to some volcanos. (2) And costal region of the Fujigawa fault system in the Sourath Fossa Magna region is indicated high geomagnetic anomaly. We present features of total geomagnetic anomalies on and around Suruga Bay with the results of inversion.

    14. Self-reported hand eczema among dental workers in Japan - a cross-sectional study.

      PubMed

      Minamoto, Keiko; Watanabe, Takeshi; Diepgen, Thomas L

      2016-10-01

      Dental workers are considered to have a high risk of developing occupational hand eczema. To estimate the prevalence of work-related hand eczema and associated risk factors in dental workers in Japan. A self-administered questionnaire was sent by mail to all dental clinics of Kumamoto City, Japan. In addition, patch testing with 24 dentistry-related allergens was offered. In total, 46.4% of dental workers (n = 528: response 31.4%, based on 97 clinics) reported a lifetime history of chronic hand eczema. The 1-year prevalence was 36.2%. According to logistic regression analysis, the most important risk factors for the 1-year prevalence were a personal history of atopic dermatitis [odds ratio (OR) 4.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2-8.8], asthma and/or allergic rhinitis (OR 2.0, 95%CI: 1.3-3.0), dry skin (OR 1.7, 95%CI: 1.1-2.7), shorter duration of work (OR 2.0, 95%CI: 1.2-3.5 for up to 10 years versus >20 years), and washing hands >10 times per day (OR 1.6, 95%CI: 1.0-2.5). Fifty-four workers were patch tested. Rubber chemicals and acrylates were the most frequent occupationally relevant contact allergens. Dental workers in Japan have a high prevalence of hand eczema. Health education to prevent hand eczema and more frequent patch testing are needed. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

    15. Of Tanks and Toyotas: An Assessment of Japan’s Defense Industry

      DTIC Science & Technology

      1993-01-01

      AD-A282 389 A RAND NOTE Of Tants and Toyotas An Asmamnt of Jan’s Defense Idustry Arthur Alexander DTIC S ELECTEJUL 2 6 1994 0 G 94-22886 RAND 94 7 21...RAND NOTE N3542-AF Of Tanks and Toyotas : An Assesmen of Japan’s Defense Idus"r Arthur Alexander Prepared for the United States Air Force Accesion For...Japanese dfense expenditures are modest when compared to those of NATO countries such as Italy and France, whose economies are considerably smaller than

    16. Review of the mirine plant bug genus Eurystylus Stål from Japan and Taiwan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirinae), with descriptions of two new species, a new synonymy and a new combination.

      PubMed

      Yasunaga, Tomohide; Nakatani, Yukinobu; Chérot, Frédéric

      2017-02-03

      Species of the Old World mirine plant bug genus Eurystylus Stål (the Head Bugs) in Japan and Taiwan are reviewed. Four species are currently recognized. Two new species are diagnosed and described: E. ryukyus n. sp. (from SW Japan and Taiwan) and E. jingfui n. sp. (Taiwan). Two known species, E. coelestialium (Kirkaldy) and E. sauteri Poppius, are diagnosed; new distributional records are added for the latter. Two keys are provided to aid the identifications of (1) Eurystylus and four related genera and (2) the species of Eurystylus known from Japan and Taiwan. The phylogenetic relationships of Eurystylus with the assumed related genera are discussed. Eurystylomorpha Poppius is synonymized with Eurystylopsis Poppius, and a new combination, Eurystylopsis crassicornis (Poppius), is accordingly proposed.

    17. PREFACE: India-Japan Workshop on Biomolecular Electronics & Organic Nanotechnology for Environment Preservation

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Onoda, Mitsuyoshi; Malhotra, Bansi D.

      2012-04-01

      The 'India-Japan Workshop on Biomolecular Electronics & Organic Nanotechnology for Environment Preservation' (IJWBME 2011) will be held on 7-10 December 2011 at EGRET Himeji, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan. This workshop was held for the first time on 17-19 December 2009 at NPL, New Delhi. Keeping in mind the importance of organic nanotechnology and biomolecular electronics for environmental preservation and their anticipated impact on the economics of both the developing and the developed world, IJWBME 2009 was jointly organized by the Department of Biological Functions, Graduate School of Life Sciences and Systems Engineering, the Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT), Kitakyushu, Japan, and the Department of Science & Technology Centre on Biomolecular Electronics (DSTCBE), National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Much progress in the field of biomolecular electronics and organic nanotechnology for environmental preservation is expected for the 21st Century. Organic optoelectronic devices, such as organic electroluminescent devices, organic thin-film transistors, organic sensors, biological systems and so on have especially attracted much attention. The main purpose of this workshop is to provide an opportunity for researchers interested in biomolecular electronics and organic nanotechnology for environmental preservation, to come together in an informal and friendly atmosphere and exchange technical knowledge and experience. We are sure that this workshop will be very useful and fruitful for all participants in summarizing the recent progress in biomolecular electronics and organic nanotechnology for environmental preservation and preparing new ground for the next generation. Many papers have been submitted from India and Japan and more than 30 papers have been accepted for presentation. The main topics of interest are as follows: Bioelectronics Biomolecular Electronics Fabrication Techniques Self-assembled Monolayers Nano-sensors Environmental Monitoring Organic Devices

    18. Parachironomus lenz from china and Japan (Diptera, chironomidae).

      PubMed

      Yan, Chun-Cai; Yan, Jiao; Jiang, Li; Guo, Qin; Liu, Ting; Ge, Xin-Yu; Wang, Xin-Hua; Pan, Bao-Ping

      2015-01-01

      Members of the genus Parachironomus Lenz known from China and Japan are revised, and a key to their male adults is given. Parachironomuspoyangensis sp. n. is described in this life stage. Parachironomusfrequens (Johannsen) and Parachironomusmonochromus (van der Wulp) are recorded from China for the first time, thus are redescribed from Chinese specimens. Parachironomuskamaabeus Sasa & Tanaka and Parachironomustoneabeus Sasa & Tanaka are new junior synonyms of Parachironomusfrequens. Three Chinese or Japanese species formerly placed in Parachironomus are transferred to other genera, resulting in the new combinations Cryptochironomusinafegeus (Sasa, Kitami & Suzuki), Demicryptochironomus (Irmakia) lobus (Yan, Sæther, Jin & Wang), and Microchironomuslacteipennis (Kieffer). Chironomussauteri Kieffer, Parachironomuskisobilobalis Sasa & Kondo and Parachironomuskuramaexpandus Sasa are removed from Parachironomus; the last of these three denotes a valid species of uncertain generic placement, the first two are nomina dubia.

    19. Digital Technology at the National Science Museum of Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Lydens, Lois; Saito, Yasuji; Inoue, Tohru

      2007-01-01

      The National Science Museum (NSM) in Japan has recently completed a project using different types of visitor-oriented digital technologies. With sponsorship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the NSM team carried out a four-year study to examine how digital technologies can be used to enhance as well as educationally…

    20. Ethics Education for Professionals in Japan: A Critical Review

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Maruyama, Yasushi; Ueno, Tetsu

      2010-01-01

      Ethics education for professionals has become popular in Japan over the last two decades. Many professional schools now require students to take an applied ethics or professional ethics course. In contrast, very few courses of professional ethics for teaching exist or have been taught in Japan. In order to obtain suggestions for teacher education,…

    1. Ideas for Integrating Japan into the Curriculum. ERIC Digest.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Wojtan, Linda S.

      This ERIC Digest discusses how, by studying Japan, the larger context of the Asia-Pacific region can be explored and students can be introduced to current realities. The top 5 competitive countries for 1994 were the United States, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and Germany. Because of the increasing interdependence between the United States and…

    2. Textbook Development and Selection in Japan and the United States.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Tani, Masaru; And Others

      1993-01-01

      Reports on a study trip by 13 U.S. social studies educators and publishers to Japan. Compares development, marketing, and selection of textbooks in the United States and Japan. Concludes that both nations should improve textbooks and textbook selection processes. (CFR)

    3. Enemies into Allies: American Stability Operations and the Transformation of Japan 1945-1952

      DTIC Science & Technology

      2011-05-19

      on Japanese forces in Manchuria finally shattered the last hopes of Emperor Hirohito and Japan’s governmental leadership.7 Jun Eto suggested that...of Modern Japan (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2000), 511. 8 Jun Eto , A Nation Reborn – A Short History of Postwar Japan (Tokyo: International...Modern Japan, trans. Mikiso Hane and John K . Urda (New York: Free Press, 1995), 39. First- 17 Brian J. McVeigh, Nationalisms of Japan – Managing and

    4. Big mantle wedge, anisotropy, slabs and earthquakes beneath the Japan Sea

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Zhao, Dapeng

      2017-09-01

      The Japan Sea is a part of the western Pacific trench-arc-backarc system and has a complex bathymetry and intense seismic activities in the crust and upper mantle. Local seismic tomography revealed strong lateral heterogeneities in the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the eastern margin of the Japan Sea, which was determined using P and S wave arrival times of suboceanic earthquakes relocated precisely with sP depth phases. Ambient-noise tomography revealed a thin crust and a thin lithosphere beneath the Japan Sea and significant low-velocity (low-V) anomalies in the shallow mantle beneath the western and eastern margins of the Japan Sea. Observations with ocean-bottom seismometers and electromagnetometers revealed low-V and high-conductivity anomalies at depths of 200-300 km in the big mantle wedge (BMW) above the subducting Pacific slab, and the anomalies are connected with the low-V zone in the normal mantle wedge beneath NE Japan, suggesting that both shallow and deep slab dehydrations occur and contribute to the arc and back-arc magmatism. The Pacific slab has a simple geometry beneath the Japan Sea, and earthquakes occur actively in the slab down to a depth of ∼600 km beneath the NE Asian margin. Teleseismic P and S wave tomography has revealed that the Philippine Sea plate has subducted aseismically down to the mantle transition zone (MTZ, 410-660 km) depths beneath the southern Japan Sea and the Tsushima Strait, and a slab window is revealed within the aseismic Philippine Sea slab. Seismic anisotropy tomography revealed a NW-SE fast-velocity direction in the BMW, which reflects corner flows induced by the fast deep subduction of the Pacific slab. Large deep earthquakes (M > 7.0; depth > 500 km) occur frequently beneath the Japan Sea western margin, which may be related to the formation of the Changbai and Ulleung intraplate volcanoes. A metastable olivine wedge is revealed within the cold core of the Pacific slab at the MTZ depth, which may be related

    5. A Hybrid Tsunami Risk Model for Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Haseemkunju, A. V.; Smith, D. F.; Khater, M.; Khemici, O.; Betov, B.; Scott, J.

      2014-12-01

      Around the margins of the Pacific Ocean, denser oceanic plates slipping under continental plates cause subduction earthquakes generating large tsunami waves. The subducting Pacific and Philippine Sea plates create damaging interplate earthquakes followed by huge tsunami waves. It was a rupture of the Japan Trench subduction zone (JTSZ) and the resultant M9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake that caused the unprecedented tsunami along the Pacific coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. EQECAT's Japan Earthquake model is a fully probabilistic model which includes a seismo-tectonic model describing the geometries, magnitudes, and frequencies of all potential earthquake events; a ground motion model; and a tsunami model. Within the much larger set of all modeled earthquake events, fault rupture parameters for about 24000 stochastic and 25 historical tsunamigenic earthquake events are defined to simulate tsunami footprints using the numerical tsunami model COMCOT. A hybrid approach using COMCOT simulated tsunami waves is used to generate inundation footprints, including the impact of tides and flood defenses. Modeled tsunami waves of major historical events are validated against observed data. Modeled tsunami flood depths on 30 m grids together with tsunami vulnerability and financial models are then used to estimate insured loss in Japan from the 2011 tsunami. The primary direct report of damage from the 2011 tsunami is in terms of the number of buildings damaged by municipality in the tsunami affected area. Modeled loss in Japan from the 2011 tsunami is proportional to the number of buildings damaged. A 1000-year return period map of tsunami waves shows high hazard along the west coast of southern Honshu, on the Pacific coast of Shikoku, and on the east coast of Kyushu, primarily associated with major earthquake events on the Nankai Trough subduction zone (NTSZ). The highest tsunami hazard of more than 20m is seen on the Sanriku coast in northern Honshu, associated with the JTSZ.

    6. Development of an interprofessional competency framework in Japan.

      PubMed

      Haruta, Junji; Sakai, Ikuko; Otsuka, Mariko; Yoshimoto, Hisashi; Yoshida, Kazue; Goto, Michiko; Shimoi, Toshinori

      2016-09-01

      This article presents a project that aimed to identify a set of competencies (domains and statements) to prepare Japanese students and healthcare practitioners for collaborative practice. The Japan Association for Interprofessional Education (JAIPE) has started a government-funded project to formulate its interprofessional competency framework, in cooperation with professional organisations (e.g. Japan Society for Medical Education) in healthcare and social sciences. This three-year project is underway as part of the Initiative to Build up the Core Healthcare Personnel programme of Mie University. This project consists of five stages: literature review, data collection, prototype development, consensus formation, and finalisation. Our efforts will culminate in Japan's first interprofessional competency framework, with consensus from relevant academic societies and other stakeholders. We hope that the involvement of stakeholder participation will improve the usability of the final interprofessional competency framework.

    7. Commencement of Geoparks, Geology day and International Earth Science Olympiad, IYPE in Japan

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Tsukuda, Eikichi; Kodama, Kisaburo; Miyazaki, Teruki

      2010-05-01

      The GSJ is the main supporting organization of IYPE Japan, which is an implementation body of IYPE in Japan, serving as its secretariat. During the IYPE triennial activity, the GSJ has been supporting development of Geparks, establishment of "the Geology Day" and the Earth Science Olympiad activities with some academic societies, and has distributed geological maps with IYPE logo. The GSJ also established an outreach network "Geo-networks Tsukuba" as a local legacy of the IYPE, and has managed it with a local government, research organizations, nonprofit corporations and local media to increase geological and environmental literacy of public, especially among young people. The GSJ-AIST has also contributed internationally to IYPE by joining two international projects, OneGeology and the CCOP Book project. Geoparks in Japan are characterized by following features. The Japanese Islands and the surrounding seas are situated in the area of unique geologic features; the place where several tectonic plates meet and collide. This causes earthquakes and volcanic activities, and makes Japan one of most dynamic areas on the earth. The dynamics of the earth bring about not only geological hazards but also a lot of blessings. In August of 2009, three Geoparks, the Toya Caldera and Usu Volcano Geopark, the Itoigawa Geopark and the Unzen Volcanic Area Geopark, were accepted to join the Global Geopark Network from Japan for the first time. Since its launch in 2006, the GSJ has been playing a major role in promoting Geoparks in Japan together with Geological Society of Japan. The GSJ hosts the Japan Geopark Committee (JGC) for quality evaluation, serving as the information center of Geoparks in Japan. The Geology Day of Japan (10th of May) has been set up by the academic societies for geology in Japan and GSJ in 2007. The Geology Day is expected to provide the chances for the public to enjoy field trips and excursions and to understand the importance of geo-diversity. The Day

    8. Indications of photochemical histories of Pacific air masses from measurements of atmospheric trace species at Point Arena, California

      NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

      Parrish, D. D.; Hahn, C. J.; Williams, E. J.; Norton, R. B.; Fehsenfeld, F. C.; Singh, H. B.; Shetter, J. D.; Gandrud, B. W.; Ridley, B. A.

      1992-01-01

      Measurements were made of a suite of photochemically active trace species (including light hydrocarbons, ozone, peroxyacetyl nitrate, HNO3, NO3(-), NO(x), and NO(y)) in marine air collected during a 10-day period in April and May 1985 at Point Arena (California), a coastal inflow site. It was found that the mixing ratios of the alkanes, ozone, peroxyacetyl nitrate, and HNO3 correlated with variations in the origins of calculated air parcel trajectories and with variations in the ratios of the light alkanes. The highest levels of alkanes and the photochemical products were found in parcels that had been rapidly transported across the North Pacific Ocean from near the 600-mbar level above the east Asian coast. It is suggested that production over the continents, transport to the marine areas, and parallel removal processes account for much of the observed correlation.

    9. Cross-Cultural Learning Approaches in Students from the USA, Japan and Taiwan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Brown, Michael B.; Aoshima, Megumi; Bolen, Larry M.; Chia, Rosina; Kohyama, Takaya

      2007-01-01

      The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between approaches to learning and locus of control of students from the USA, Japan, and Taiwan. The results show that students from the USA utilized more rote memory learning compared to students from Japan and Taiwan, while students from Japan were more likely to be "Achieving"…

    10. [The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in Japan].

      PubMed

      Ihara, Toshiaki

      2011-09-01

      Two vaccination systems have been employed in Japan, the routine vaccination and the voluntary vaccination. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in Japan is no-fault system. Claims after the routine vaccination are demanded to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare through local governments, and compensation is more expenses. Meanwhile, claims after the voluntary vaccination are demanded to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Device Agency directly, and compensation is less compared with the routine vaccination.

    11. The Independent Living Movement in Asia: Solidarity from Japan

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Hayashi, Reiko; Okuhira, Masako

      2008-01-01

      Independent living movements of disabled people are emerging in Asian countries, supported by independent living centres (ILCs) in Japan. A study was conducted in Japan to explore the impact of the training program offered by Japanese ILCs to disabled people from other Asian countries. A sample of 35 people was selected by a snowballing method.…

    12. Legalized abortion in Japan.

      PubMed

      Hart, T M

      1967-10-01

      The enactment of the Eugenic Protection Act in Japan was followed by many changes. The population explosion was stemmed, the birth rate was halved, and while the marriage rate remained steady the divorce rate declined. The annual total of abortions increased until 1955 and then slowly declined. The highest incidence of abortions in families is in the 30 to 34 age group when there are four children in the family. As elsewhere abortion in advanced stages of pregnancy is associated with high morbidity and mortality. There is little consensus as to the number of criminal abortions. Reasons for criminal abortions can be found in the legal restrictions concerning abortion: Licensing of the abortionist, certification of hospitals, taxation of operations and the requirement that abortion be reported. Other factors are price competition and the patient's desire for secrecy. Contraception is relatively ineffective as a birth control method in Japan. Oral contraceptives are not yet government approved. In 1958 alone 1.1 per cent of married women were sterilized and the incidence of sterilization was increasing.

    13. Ultra faint dwarf galaxies: an arena for testing dark matter versus modified gravity

      DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

      Lin, Weikang; Ishak, Mustapha, E-mail: wxl123830@utdallas.edu, E-mail: mishak@utdallas.edu

      2016-10-01

      The scenario consistent with a wealth of observations for the missing mass problem is that of weakly interacting dark matter particles. However, arguments or proposals for a Newtonian or relativistic modified gravity scenario continue to be made. A distinguishing characteristic between the two scenarios is that dark matter particles can produce a gravitational effect, in principle, without the need of baryons while this is not the case for the modified gravity scenario where such an effect must be correlated with the amount of baryonic matter. We consider here ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxies as a promising arena to test the twomore » scenarios based on the above assertion. We compare the correlation of the luminosity with the velocity dispersion between samples of UFD and non-UFD galaxies, finding a significant loss of correlation for UFD galaxies. For example, we find for 28 non-UFD galaxies a strong correlation coefficient of −0.688 which drops to −0.077 for the 23 UFD galaxies. Incoming and future data will determine whether the observed stochasticity for UFD galaxies is physical or due to systematics in the data. Such a loss of correlation (if it is to persist) is possible and consistent with the dark matter scenario for UFD galaxies but would constitute a new challenge for the modified gravity scenario.« less

    14. The imminent healthcare and emergency care crisis in Japan.

      PubMed

      Suzuki, Tetsuji; Nishida, Masamichi; Suzuki, Yuriko; Kobayashi, Kunio

      2008-05-01

      Japan has a universal healthcare system, and this paper describes the reality of the healthcare services provided, as well as current issues with the system. Academic, government, and press reports on Japanese healthcare systems and healthcare guidelines were reviewed. The universal healthcare system of Japan is considered internationally to be both low-cost and effective because the Japanese population enjoys good health status with a long life expectancy, while healthcare spending in Japan is below the average given by the Organization for Economic Corporation and Development (OECD). However, in many regions of Japan the existing healthcare resources are seriously inadequate, especially with regard to the number of physicians and other health professionals. Because healthcare is traditionally viewed as "sacred" work in Japan, healthcare professionals are expected to make large personal sacrifices. Also, public attitudes toward medical malpractice have changed in recent decades, and medical professionals are facing legal issues without experienced support of the government or legal professionals. Administrative response to the lack of resources and collaboration among communities are beginning, and more efficient control and management of the healthcare system is under consideration. The Japanese healthcare system needs to adopt an efficient medical control organization to ease the strain on existing healthcare professionals and to increase the number of physicians and other healthcare resources. Rather than continuing to depend on healthcare professionals being able and willing to make personal sacrifices, the government, the public and medical societies must cooperate and support changes in the healthcare system.

    15. The origins of scientific psychology in Japan.

      PubMed

      Takasuna, Miki

      2006-01-01

      The origins of scientific psychology in Japan arrived primarily through six routes. First, psychology was imported through translations by Amane Nishi, which resulted in the coining of words such as "psychology," "subject," and "object." Second, psychology arrived in the form of education that was directed by American Christian missionaries. The third route brought psychology through lectures presented at universities (e.g., Masakazu Toyama began lecturing at the University of Tokyo in 1877). The fourth route relates to teacher education: Shuji Izawa and Hideo Takamine introduced psychology as part of the first curriculum at Tokyo Higher Normal School in 1879. The fifth route was created by Japanese philosophers who studied abroad, such as Tetsujiro Inouye. Finally, the sixth and most important avenue involved the introduction of experimental psychology, as well as a formal educational curriculum for psychologists (e.g., Yujiro Motora was the first Japanese to introduce experimental psychology to Japan, where he trained many students). Consequently, the establishment of scientific psychology in Japan was primarily owed to the Japanese scholars who studied abroad in the U.S. and Germany.

    16. [Neurology in Japan before World War II].

      PubMed

      Takahashi, Akira

      2013-01-01

      Modern Western medicine was introduced into Japan by a Dutch doctor Pompe van Meerdervoort in 1855. A German physician EOE von Balz devoted himself to educating medicine at Tokyo Medical School, the predecessor of the present University of Tokyo for 25 years. Hiroshi Kawahara and Kinnosuke Miura, pioneers of Japan Neurology, received their education by him. Kawahara first described X-linked bulvo-spinal muscular atrophy, and published the first Japanese textbook of clinical neurology in 1897. In 1902, Miura and others founded the Japanese Society of Neuro-Psychiatry, the forerunner of the present " Japanese Society of Neurology ". Both Seizo Katsunuma, Professor of Nagoya University, and Junnjiro Kato, Professor of Tohoku University, succeeded Miura's neurology. Miura investigated into the cause of beriberi, but ended in failure. Hasegawa's proposal at the Diet in 1894 that the Japan Government should found an independent department of neurology in the University of Tokyo was unfortunately rejected. There was no foundation of independent institute, department and clinic of neurology before World War II. Consequently Japanese neurology was on the ebb at that time.

    17. Citrus breeding, genetics and genomics in Japan

      PubMed Central

      Omura, Mitsuo; Shimada, Takehiko

      2016-01-01

      Citrus is one of the most cultivated fruits in the world, and satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) is a major cultivated citrus in Japan. Many excellent cultivars derived from satsuma mandarin have been released through the improvement of mandarins using a conventional breeding method. The citrus breeding program is a lengthy process owing to the long juvenility, and it is predicted that marker-assisted selection (MAS) will overcome the obstacle and improve the efficiency of conventional breeding methods. To promote citrus molecular breeding in Japan, a genetic mapping was initiated in 1987, and the experimental tools and resources necessary for citrus functional genomics have been developed in relation to the physiological analysis of satsuma mandarin. In this paper, we review the progress of citrus breeding and genome researches in Japan and report the studies on genetic mapping, expression sequence tag cataloguing, and molecular characterization of breeding characteristics, mainly in terms of the metabolism of bio-functional substances as well as factors relating to, for example, fruit quality, disease resistance, polyembryony, and flowering. PMID:27069387

    18. Practical aspects of designing and conducting pharmacoeconomic studies in Japan.

      PubMed

      Doherty, Jim; Sato, Keiko

      2003-01-01

      The advent of simultaneous global clinical trials and drug registration strategies has increased the demand for global pharmacoeconomic strategies. Outcomes researchers in pharmaceutical companies are faced with the challenge of assessing at a strategic level what pharmacoeconomic data are most useful in Japan and when, and then deciding at a tactical level what type of study designs are feasible. This paper is written mainly for the benefit of researchers working outside of Japan in the pharmaceutical/medical device industry or academia who are interested in conducting research in Japan. We reviewed the existing pharmacoeconomic literature in Japan, and found that the number of studies per year has been steadily increasing. The majority of studies have been cost-effectiveness and cost-consequence analyses. Typical data sources available in Japan are somewhat limited compared with other Western countries. However, charge data can be easily accessed through the national uniform reimbursement fee system and these data are particularly relevant for pharmaceutical pricing negotiations with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW). The present use of pharmacoeconomic data by pharmaceutical companies is mainly for pricing negotiations but recent reforms make certain types of data useful for marketing strategies too. The demand for pharmacoeconomic data may increase because of upcoming MHLW pharmaceutical pricing and/or recent health insurance system reforms. Economic evaluation of medical technologies in Japan, though lagging behind North America, Australia and Europe, has the potential to rapidly gather momentum as increasing cost-escalation worries contribute to a growing interest in pharmacoeconomic data.

    19. History of Japan-U.S./High Pressure Mineral Physics Seminars: 1976 to 2012

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Liebermann, Robert Cooper

      2014-03-01

      Under the auspices of the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Science Program between the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the first U.S.-Japan joint seminar on High Pressure Research Applications in Geophysics was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, 5-8 July 1976 and was attended by 47 scientists. Originated as bilateral U.S.-Japan seminars on high-pressure research applications in geophysics by Murli Manghnani and Syun-iti Akimoto, this series continued at 5-year intervals under those auspices from 1976 to 1996 [1981 in Hakone, Japan 1986 in Turtle Bay, Hawaii, 1991 in Ise, Japan, and 1996 in Maui, Hawaii], with venues alternating between Hawaii and Japan. In the 21st century, as a result of growing international interest in high-pressure mineral physics, the seminar series was re-envisioned with a broader focus “more international” focus than the original U.S.-Japan bilateral series. The first of the new meetings entitled “High Pressure Mineral Physics Seminars” [HPMP-6] took place in Verbania, Italy on August 26-31, 2002. More than 84 scientists from Asia, Australia, the Americas and Europe attended. HPMPS-7 took place in Matsushima, Japan on May 8-12, 2007 and was attended by 134 scientists from throughout the world. In this paper, we review this history culminating with the HPMPS-8 at Lake Tahoe, California in July 2012, which was held jointly with the Annual Meeting of COMPRES: Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Sciences.

    20. Great East Japan Earthquake Tsunami

      NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

      Iijima, Y.; Minoura, K.; Hirano, S.; Yamada, T.

      2011-12-01

      The 11 March 2011, Mw 9.0 Great East Japan Earthquake, already among the most destructive earthquakes in modern history, emanated from a fault rupture that extended an estimated 500 km along the Pacific coast of Honshu. This earthquake is the fourth among five of the strongest temblors since AD 1900 and the largest in Japan since modern instrumental recordings began 130 years ago. The earthquake triggered a huge tsunami, which invaded the seaside areas of the Pacific coast of East Japan, causing devastating damages on the coast. Artificial structures were destroyed and planted forests were thoroughly eroded. Inrush of turbulent flows washed backshore areas and dunes. Coastal materials including beach sand were transported onto inland areas by going-up currents. Just after the occurrence of the tsunami, we started field investigation of measuring thickness and distribution of sediment layers by the tsunami and the inundation depth of water in Sendai plain. Ripple marks showing direction of sediment transport were the important object of observation. We used a soil auger for collecting sediments in the field, and sediment samples were submitted for analyzing grain size and interstitial water chemistry. Satellite images and aerial photographs are very useful for estimating the hydrogeological effects of tsunami inundation. We checked the correspondence of micro-topography, vegetation and sediment covering between before and after the tsunami. The most conspicuous phenomenon is the damage of pine forests planted in the purpose of preventing sand shifting. About ninety-five percent of vegetation coverage was lost during the period of rapid currents changed from first wave. The landward slopes of seawalls were mostly damaged and destroyed. Some aerial photographs leave detailed records of wave destruction just behind seawalls, which shows the occurrence of supercritical flows. The large-scale erosion of backshore behind seawalls is interpreted to have been caused by