Plasma lead, silicon and titanium concentrations are considerably higher in green sea turtle from the suburban coast than in those from the rural coast in Okinawa, Japan

PubMed Central

TSUKANO, Kenji; SUZUKI, Kazuyuki; NODA, Jun; YANAGISAWA, Makio; KAMEDA, Kazunari; SERA, Koichiro; NISHI, Yasunobu; SHIMAMORI, Toshio; MORIMOTO, Yasuyo; YOKOTA, Hiroshi; ASAKAWA, Mitsuhiko

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the concentration of trace elements in the plasma of sea turtles that inhabited the suburban (Okinawa Main Island, n=8) and the rural coast (Yaeyama Island, n=57) in Okinawa, Japan. Particle induced X-ray emission allowed detection of 20 trace and major elements. The wild sea turtles in the suburban coast in Okinawa were found to have high concentrations of Pb, Si and Ti in the plasma when compared to the rural area but there were no significant changes in the Al, As and Hg concentrations. These results may help to suggest the status of some elements in a marine environment. Further, monitoring the plasma trace and major element status in sea turtles can be used as a bio-monitoring approach by which specific types of elements found here could indicate effects that are related to human activities. PMID:29070764

Long-term observation of water-soluble chemical components and acid-digested metals in the total suspended particles collected at Okinawa, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handa, D.; Okada, K.; Kuroki, Y.; Nakama, Y.; Nakajima, H.; Somada, Y.; Ijyu, M.; Azechi, S.; Oshiro, Y.; Nakaema, F.; Miyagi, Y.; Arakaki, T.; Tanahara, A.

2011-12-01

The economic growth and population increase in recent Asia have been increasing air pollution. Emission rate of air pollutants from Asia, in particular oxides of nitrogen, surpassed those from North America and Europe and should continue to exceed them for decades. Okinawa Island is situated approximately 1500 km south of Tokyo, Japan, 2000 km southeast of Beijing, China, and 1000 km south of South Korea. Its location is ideal in observing East Asia's air quality because maritime air mass prevails during summer, while continental air mass dominates during fall, winter, and spring. The maritime air mass data can be seen as background clean air and can be compared with continental air masses which have been affected by anthropogenic activities. We collected total suspended particles (TSP) on quartz filters by using a high volume air sampler at the Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS), Okinawa, Japan during August 2005 and August 2010. Sampling duration was one week for each sample. We determined the concentrations of water-soluble anions, cations, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and acid-digested metals in TSP samples using ion chromatography, atomic absorption spectrometry, total organic carbon analyzer and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), respectively. Seasonal variation of water-soluble chemical components and acid-digested metals showed that the concentrations were the lowest in summer, higher in fall and winter, and the highest in spring. When air mass came from Asian continent, the concentrations of water-soluble chemical components and acid-digested metals were much higher compared to the other directions, suggesting long-range transport of air pollutants from Asian continent. Also, when the air mass came from Asian continent (75-100% dominant), the mean concentrations of non-sea salt sulfate and nitrate increased ca. 1.8 times and ca. 3.7 times, respectively between 2005 and 2010, and the ratio of nitrate to

Tombs, tunnels, and terraces a cultural resources survey of a former ammunition supply point in Okinawa, Japan

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

Verhaaren, B. T.; Levenson, J. B.; Komine, G.

2000-02-09

U.S. forces serving at military bases on foreign soil are obligated to act as good stewards of the cultural and natural resources under their control. However, cultural resources management presents special challenges at U.S. bases in other countries where cultural properties laws differ in emphasis and detail from those in the United States and issues of land ownership and occupancy are not always clear. Where status of forces agreements (SOFAs) exist, environmental governing standards bridge the gap between U.S. and host nation cultural priorities. In Japan, the Department of Defense Japan Environmental Governing Standards (JEGS) fill this function. Under Criteriamore » 12-4.2 and 12-4.3 of the JEGS, U.S. Forces Japan commit themselves to inventory and protect cultural properties found on the lands they control or use. Cultural properties include archaeological sites, tombs, historic buildings, and shrines. Natural monuments, such as landscape features or plant and animal species, may also be designated as cultural properties. As part of this commitment, in February 1999 a cultural resources inventory was conducted in Area 1, part of Kadena Air Base (AB), Okinawa, Japan. Area 1, the former U.S. army Ammunition Supply Point 1, is currently used primarily for training exercises and recreational paint ball.« less

Inhomogeneous Crustal Structure of the Rifting in the Okinawa Trough, a Backarc Basin West of Kyushu, Japan, Deduced from Seismic Reflection and Refraction Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishizawa, A.; Kaneda, K.; Oikawa, M.; Horiuchi, D.; Fujioka, Y.; Okada, C.

2017-12-01

Several depressions found under the thick sediments in the East China Sea shelf have been considered as failed rift basins. Their formation age becomes progressively younger from NW to SE and the youngest rift basin is the Okinawa Trough, an active backarc basin of the Ryukyu (Nansei-Shoto) arc-trench system, to the southwest of Kyusyu, Japan. Its rifting is in progress and related hydrothermal activity is present in the trough. The knowledge of the crustal structure of the trough is fundamental to understand the current active tectonics and predict the future of the trough. We, Japan Coast Guard, have conducted extensive seismic reflection and refraction surveys in the Ryukyu region since 2008 and compiled the seismic structures of the Okinawa Trough. We will show the crustal structures along seven along-trough and ten across-trough seismic survey lines. The P-wave velocity models beneath the Okinawa Trough generally show a thinned continental/island arc crust consisting of upper, middle, and lower crusts. Moho depths below the trough were estimated mainly from Moho reflection (PmP) travel times. The crustal thickness of the trough is thinner than those of the East China Sea shelf and of the Ryukyu Islands. The depth of the Moho below the trough decreases from over 30 km in the north to about 13 km in the south, indicating a difference in degree of the rifting process. The position of the shallowest Moho along the across-trough lines in the northern trough does not necessarily correspond to the center of the trough defined as the deepest water depth, but it corresponds to the transition area between the East China Sea shelf and the Okinawa Trough. An M7.1 earthquake occurred at the transition area on Nov. 14, 2015 (JST) and many aftershocks were observed along the transition. This seismic activity demonstrated that the area is under rifting tectonics in the present.

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

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I Tax genotype analysis in Okinawa, the southernmost and remotest islands of Japan: Different distributions compared with mainland Japan and the potential value for the prognosis of aggressive adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

PubMed

Sakihama, Shugo; Saito, Mineki; Kuba-Miyara, Megumi; Tomoyose, Takeaki; Taira, Naoya; Miyagi, Takashi; Hayashi, Masaki; Kinjo, Shigeko; Nakachi, Sawako; Tedokon, Iori; Nishi, Yukiko; Tamaki, Keita; Morichika, Kazuho; Uchihara, Jun-Nosuke; Morishima, Satoko; Karube, Ken-Nosuke; Tanaka, Yuetsu; Masuzaki, Hiroaki; Fukushima, Takuya

2017-10-01

Okinawa, comprising remote islands off the mainland of Japan, is an endemic area of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1), the causative virus of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM). We investigated the tax genotype of HTLV-1 among 29 HTLV-1 carriers, 74 ATL patients, and 33 HAM patients in Okinawa. The genotype distribution-60 (44%) taxA cases and 76 (56%) taxB cases-differed from that of a previous report from Kagoshima Prefecture in mainland Japan (taxA, 10%; taxB, 90%). A comparison of the clinical outcomes of 45 patients (taxA, 14; taxB, 31) with aggressive ATL revealed that the overall response and 1-year overall survival rates for taxA (50% and 35%, respectively) were lower than those for taxB (71% and 49%, respectively). In a multivariate analysis of two prognostic indices for aggressive ATL, Japan Clinical Oncology Group-Prognostic Index and Prognostic Index for acute and lymphoma ATL, with respect to age, performance status, corrected calcium, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, and tax genotype, the estimated hazard ratio of taxA compared with taxB was 2.68 (95% confidence interval, 0.87-8.25; P=0.086). Our results suggest that the tax genotype has clinical value as a prognostic factor for aggressive ATL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Military Emergency Medical Service System Assessment: Application of the National Park Service Needs Assessment and Program Audit to Objectively Evaluate the Military EMS System of Okinawa, Japan.

PubMed

Ross, Elliot M; Harper, Stephen A; Cunningham, Cord; Walrath, Benjamin D; DeMers, Gerard; Kharod, Chetan U

2017-03-01

As part of a Military Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system process improvement initiative, the authors sought to objectively evaluate the U.S. military EMS system for the island of Okinawa. They applied a program evaluation tool currently utilized by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). A comprehensive needs assessment was conducted to evaluate the current Military EMS system in Okinawa, Japan. The NPS EMS Program Audit Worksheet was used to get an overall "score" of our assessment. After all the data had been collected, a joint committee of Military EMS physicians reviewed the findings and made formal recommendations. From 2011 to 2014, U.S. military EMS on Okinawa averaged 1,345 ± 137 patient transports annually. An advanced life support (ALS) provider would have been dispatched on 558 EMS runs (38%) based on chief complaint in 2014 had they been available. Over 36,000 man-hours were expended during this period to provide National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)-accredited instruction to certify 141 Navy Corpsman as EMT Basics. The NPS EMS Program Audit Worksheet was used and the program scored a total of 31, suggesting the program is well planned and operating within standards. This evaluation of the Military EMS system on Okinawa using the NPS program assessment and audit worksheet demonstrates the NPS evaluation instruments may offer a useful assessment tool for the evaluation of Military EMS systems. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Long-Range Transport of Perchlorate Observed in the Atmospheric Aerosols Collected at Okinawa Island, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handa, D.; Okada, K.; Kuroki, Y.; Nakama, Y.; Nakajima, H.; Arakaki, T.; Tanahara, A.; Oomori, T.; Miyagi, T.; Kadena, H.; Ishizaki, T.; Nakama, F.

2007-12-01

The study of perchlorate has become quite active in the U.S. in the last several years. Perchlorate has been recognized as a new environmental pollutant and it attracted much attention quickly in the world. The health concern about perchlorate stems from the fact that it displaces iodide in the thyroid gland, while iodine-containing thyroid hormones are essential for proper neural development from the fetal stage through the first years of life. In this study, we determined the concentrations of perchlorate ion present in the atmospheric aerosols collected in Okinawa Island, Japan. We then examined the relationships between the perchlorate concentrations and the environmental parameters and the climatic conditions peculiar to Okinawa. Bulk aerosol samples were collected on quartz filters by using a high volume air sampler at Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS). Each sampling duration was one week. The quartz filters with aerosols were stirred with Milli-Q pure water for three hours before perchlorate ion was extracted. The extracted perchlorate ion concentrations were determined by ion chromatography (ICS-2000, DIONEX). The mean perchlorate concentration for the samples collected at CHAAMS was 1.83 ng/m3, and the minimum was 0.18 ng/m3. The samples collected during November 21-27, 2005, January 23-30, 2006 and April 24-01, 2006 had highest perchlorate concentrations. For these three samples, we performed back trajectory analysis, and found that the air mass for the three samples arrived from the Asian continent. A relatively strong correlation (r2 = 0.55) was found between perchlorate and nss-sulfate concentrations for the CHAAMS samples. Furthermore, we analyzed perchlorate in the soils and the fertilizers used for sugar cane farming around the CHAAMS area. The Milli-Q extract of the soil and the fertilizers did not contain any detectable levels of perchlorate ions. Therefore, it was suggested that perchlorate found in the atmospheric

Tea Consumption and Lung Cancer Risk: A Case‐Control Study in Okinawa, Japan

PubMed Central

Wakai, Kenji; Genka, Keiichiro; Ohmine, Keisho; Kawamura, Takashi; Tamakoshi, Akiko; Aoki, Rie; Senda, Masayo; Hayashi, Yutaka; Nagao, Keiichi; Fukutna, Seigo; Aoki, Kunio

1995-01-01

To disclose the relationship between tea consumption and lung cancer risk, we analyzed the data from a case‐control study conducted in Okinawa, Japan from 1988 to 1991. The analysis, based on 333 cases and 666 age‐, sex‐ and residence‐matched controls, provided the following major findings, (a) The greater the intake of Okinawan tea (a partially fermented tea), the smaller the risk, particularly in women. For females, the odds ratios (and 95% confidence intervals) for those who consumed 1‐4, 5‐9, and 10 cups or more of Okinawan tea every day, relative to non‐daily tea drinkers, were 0.77 (0.28‐2.13), 0.77 (0.26‐2.25) and 0.38 (0.12‐1.18), respectively (trend: P=0.032). The corresponding odds ratios for males were 0.85 (0.46‐1.55), 0.85 (0.46‐1.56) and 0.57 (0.31‐1.06) (trend: P=0.053). (b) The risk reduction by Okinawan tea consumption was detected mainly in squamous cell carcinoma. Daily tea consumption significantly decreased the risk of squamous cell carcinoma in males and females, the odds ratios being 0.50 (95% confidence interval 0.27‐0.93) and 0.08 (0.01‐0.68), respectively. These findings suggest a protective effect of tea consumption against lung cancer in humans. PMID:8567392

Tetrodotoxin and Its Analogues in the Pufferfish Arothron hispidus and A. nigropunctatus from the Solomon Islands: A Comparison of Their Toxin Profiles with the Same Species from Okinawa, Japan

PubMed Central

Gorapava Puilingi, Clyde; Kudo, Yuta; Cho, Yuko; Konoki, Keiichi; Yotsu-Yamashita, Mari

2015-01-01

Pufferfish poisoning has not been well documented in the South Pacific, although fish and other seafood are sources of protein in these island nations. In this study, tetrodotoxin (TTX) and its analogues in each organ of the pufferfish Arothron hispidus and A. nigropunctatus collected in the Solomon Islands were investigated using high resolution LC-MS. The toxin profiles of the same two species of pufferfish from Okinawa, Japan were also examined for comparison. TTXs concentrations were higher in the skin of both species from both regions, and relatively lower in the liver, ovary, testis, stomach, intestine, and flesh. Due to higher TTX concentrations (51.0 and 28.7 µg/g at highest) detected in the skin of the two species from the Solomon Islands (saxitoxin was <0.02 µg/g), these species should be banned from consumption. Similar results were obtained from fish collected in Okinawa, Japan: TTX in the skin of A. hispidus and A. nigropunctatus were 12.7 and 255 µg/g, respectively, at highest, and saxitoxin was also detected in the skin (2.80 µg/g at highest) and ovary of A. hispidus. TTX, 5,6,11-trideoxyTTX (with its 4-epi form), and its anhydro forms were the most abundant, and 11-oxoTTX was commonly detected in the skin. PMID:26343722

Three new brackish-water thalassocypridine species (Crustacea: Ostracoda: Paracyprididae) from the Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan.

PubMed

Hiruta, Shimpei F; Kakui, Keiichi

2016-09-21

We describe three new species of brackish-water ostracods representing two genera in the ostracod tribe Thalassocypridini from mangrove forests in the Ryukyu Islands, subtropical southwestern Japan, and provide their barcoding sequences for the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Mangalocypria ryukyuensis sp. nov. was found on Okinawa Island. We also found a Mangalocypria population on Ishigaki Island that was morphologically identical to M. ryukyuensis on Okinawa, but an individual differed by 4.7% in COI sequence (K2P distance) from an individual from Okinawa. This is the first record for Japan of a species in Mangalocypria. Paracypria longiseta sp. nov., obtained from Okinawa Island, is similar to Pontoparta hartmanni. Paracypria plumosa sp. nov. from Ishigaki Island is similar to Pa. adnata described from Yakushima Island, Japan. The COI genetic distance between individuals of Pa. longiseta and Pa. plumosa was roughly as large as that between either of these species and individuals in the Mangalocypria populations. Our study underscores that genera in Thalassocypridini may not represent natural groups, and that this tribe needs taxonomic revision.

Medical school hotline: A History of the University of Hawai'i Postgraduate Medical Education Program at Okinawa Chubu Hospital, 1966-2012.

PubMed

Maeshiro, Masao; Izutsu, Satoru; Connolly, Kathleen Kihmm

2014-06-01

The University of Hawai'i (UH) has been collaborating with Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital for over 46 years. This collaboration started as a post-World War II effort to increase the physician workforce. At the initiation of the US Army and State Department, the University of Hawai'i was recruited, in cooperation with the government of the Ryukyus and USCAR, to initiate a US style postgraduate clinical training program. The Postgraduate Medical Training Program of University of Hawai'i at Okinawa Chubu Hospital introduced a style of training similar to that in the US by offering a rotating internship. The initial contract had UH establish and run the Postgraduate Medical Training Program of University of Hawaii at Okinawa Central Hospital. After Okinawa's reversion to Japan, under a new contract, UH physicians participated as consultants by providing lectures at "grand rounds" and guidance to faculty, staff, and students. To date, 895 physicians have completed the University of Hawai'i Postgraduate Medical Training Program with 74 currently training. Approximately 662 (74%) of the trainees have remained in Okinawa Prefecture to practice medicine. As a result, the program has enhanced the physician workforce for the islands of Okinawa and neighbor archipelagos of Miyako and Yaeyama Islands.

A new species of Labidocera (Copepoda, Calanoida, Pontellidae) collected from Okinawa, southwestern Japan, with establishment of five Indo-West Pacific species groups in the L.detruncata species complex.

PubMed

Hirabayashi, Takeshi; Ohtsuka, Susumu

2014-01-01

Labidocerachuraumi sp. n. is described from Okinawa, southwestern Japan. The female of the new species differs from other congeners in genital compound somite with right postero-lateral and left antero-lateral processes. The male is distinguished from other congeners by the structure of the fifth leg. This new species is assigned to a newly proposed species group, the Labidoceramadurae species group, within the Labidoceradetruncata species complex. In this species complex five Indo-West Pacific species groups are recognized (cervi, detruncata, gangetica, madurae, and pavo) and defined on the basis of difference in sexual dimorphism.

Spatial and temporal behavior and acute ecotoxicological effects of Tributyltin (TBT) on coral reef and adjacent ecosystems around Okinawa Island, Japan.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheikh, M. A.; Higuchi, T.; Imo, T. S.; Fujimura, H.; Oomori, T.

2007-12-01

Spatial and temporal behavior of the tributyl tin (TBT) were investigated in the coastal areas around Okinawa Island, Japan. A seasonal monitoring study was conducted between February and October 2006. The effects of TBT on the carbon metabolisms (net production and calcification) on the intact coral-alga association Galaxea fascicularis were also investigated. Mean concentration of TBT (2.45 ng/L) found in the Manko estuary waters have exceeded some international permissible targets of waters quality guideline for TBT (1ng/L). The sediments in Manko estuary sediments can be considered lightly contaminated (0-20 ng/g dw) and Okukubi estuary as uncontaminated (below 3ng/g dw) with TBT. The seasonal concentration pattern of TBT at the Manko estuary was autumn > spring > summer > winter. The acute ecotoxicological results show that the photosynthesis rate and calcification rate were significantly reduced by 78 % and 72 % relative to the control (ANOVA, p<0.001) when corals were exposed to 5000 ng/LTBT, respectively. No significant effects (ANOVA, p>0.05) were observed when corals were exposed to 1000 ng/LTBT. The present study reports the occurrence and continuous input of TBT in the coastal areas around Okinawa Island, even 16 years after legal restriction of TBT usage in coastal waters was implemented by the Japanese Environmental Authorities. However, the nominal sensitive concentration of TBT that causes alteration of carbon metabolisms of coral within 96 hrs exposure are much higher than those recently found in the coral reef waters and adjacent ecosystems.

Influence of motorization and supermarket-proliferation on the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the inhabitants of a small town on Okinawa, Japan.

PubMed

Takasu, Nobuyuki; Yogi, Hiroyuki; Takara, Masaki; Higa, Moritake; Kouki, Tsuyoshi; Ohshiro, Yuzuru; Mimura, Goro; Komiya, Ichiro

2007-01-01

Motorization and supermarket-proliferation affect lifestyles. About 15 years ago, Okinawans went to several shops on foot, but now they go to supermarkets by car. The influences of these changes on the prevalence of diabetes are uncertain. OBJECTIVE AND MEASUREMENTS: The influence of motorization and supermarket-proliferation on the prevalence of diabetes was studied in the inhabitants of a town on Okinawa, Japan. Measurements were composed of anthropometry and blood chemistry. Participants were asked where they buy food and daily necessities (several shops or a supermarket) and how they get there (by car or on foot). Serial cross-sectional. Inhabitants of the island of Okinawa were studied. In 1991, 24% went to several shops and 20% to a supermarket. However, in 2004, only 3.1% went to several shops and 83% to a supermarket. In 1991, 55% went to shopping places on foot and 38% by car. However, in 2004, only 14% went on foot and 76% by car. The prevalence of diabetes in Okinawa increased from 4.7% in 1991 to 8.4% in 2004. The prevalence of diabetes correlated positively with the percent of inhabitants going to supermarkets, and those going there by car. In 1991, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes was 4.7% in men and 4.6% in women; no difference was noted between men and women. In 2004, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased to 9.2% in men and to 7.5% in women. The increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes from 1991 to 2004 was higher in men than in women. About 15 years ago, Okinawans went to shops on foot, but now they go to supermarkets by car. The prevalence of diabetes is increasing. Motorization and supermarket-proliferation are associated with the increases of the prevalence of diabetes. The increase in diabetes prevalence was higher in men than in women.

A new species of Labidocera (Copepoda, Calanoida, Pontellidae) collected from Okinawa, southwestern Japan, with establishment of five Indo-West Pacific species groups in the L. detruncata species complex

PubMed Central

Hirabayashi, Takeshi; Ohtsuka, Susumu

2014-01-01

Abstract Labidocera churaumi sp. n. is described from Okinawa, southwestern Japan. The female of the new species differs from other congeners in genital compound somite with right postero-lateral and left antero-lateral processes. The male is distinguished from other congeners by the structure of the fifth leg. This new species is assigned to a newly proposed species group, the Labidocera madurae species group, within the Labidocera detruncata species complex. In this species complex five Indo-West Pacific species groups are recognized (cervi, detruncata, gangetica, madurae, and pavo) and defined on the basis of difference in sexual dimorphism. PMID:25349514

Seasonal Variations of Low Molecular Weight Dicarboxylic Acids in Atmospheric Aerosols at Okinawa Islands, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakaema, F.; Handa, D.; Tanahara, A.; Arakaki, T.

2009-04-01

Low molecular weight dicarboxylic acids are major fraction of water soluble organic compounds in the atmospheric aerosols. Recently, economy of East Asia grows up remarkably, and atmospheric aerosols discharged from this area have been transported to Japan. In this study, we collected aerosol at Cape Hedo (CH) and University of the Ryukyus(UR), and studied the distribution and origin of low molecule dicarboxylic acid. Aerosols were collected on a quartz filter with a high volume air sampler. Low molecular weight dicarboxylic acids extracted by pure water were derivatized to dibutyl esters by reactions with BF3/butanol and were measured by GC-FID. In many samples, oxalic acid showed the highest concentration. Concentration of oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid and malic acid were strongly correlated between the two sampling sites. Oxalic acid occupied on the average 83% and 76% of all the dicarboxylic acid measured for CH samples and UR samples. It is suggested that the aerosols in Okinawa were affected by secondary photochemical reactions, not by the primary emissions from local sources. The seasonal variation of the dicarboxylic acids concentrations in CH and UR showed higher in spring and fall, and a lower in summer. From the back trajectory analysis, dicarboxylic acids concentrations showed higher when an air mass came from East Asia area, and showed lower when it came from Pacific Ocean.

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.

Rifting Process and Geomorphic Development of the Okinawa Tough, Southwest Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, T.; Arai, K.; Inoue, T.; Matsumoto, D.

2012-12-01

The Ryukyu Island Arc extends from Kyushu to Taiwan, a distance of 1,200 km, along the Ryukyu Trench where the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate. The Okinawa Trough, a back arc basin has formed behind the Ryukyu Island Arc in late Pliocene to early Pleistocene. The research cruises of GH11 (from 14 July to 15 August, 2011) and GH12 (from 20 to 30 July, 2012) were carried out around the Okinawa Trough. More than 3,600 miles multi channel high-resolution seismic profiles were acquired during these cruises by the GI-gun (Generator 250 cu inch and Injector 105 cu. inch) systems with 16ch digital streamer cable. As a result, two unconformities and three depositional sequence divided by the unconformities are recognized in the trough. The lower and the midlle sequence are tilted and blocked by many normal faults, on the other hand the upper one is not tilted and shows the pattern of onlap fill. From this result, the upper sequence started to deposit after start of the rifting. Additionally, internal reflection of the upper sequence shows the cyclic activities of the rifting. The position of the rifting axis was revealed based on dip of the normal faults. As a result, rifting axis shows echelon arrangement and the displacement of the faults are varied with the segment of the arrangement. The location of the segment boundaries is correlated with geometrical boundary of the adjacent slope. Steep slope with incised valley is distributed in southwestern part where the displacement of the normal fault is large, on the other hand, gentle slope without incised valley is distributed in northeastern part where the displacement is small. This difference of the displacement strongly controls the geometry of the adjacent slope.

Study on the surfactants present in atmospheric aerosols collected in the Okinawa Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamegawa, A.; Kasaba, T.; Shimabukuro, W.; Arakaki, T.

2017-12-01

The main constituent of atmospheric aerosols is organic substances, which occupy 20 to 70% of the mass. Organic matters in the aerosols contain organic acids, protein and humic acid, which behave similar to surfactants. Since surfactants contain both hydrophobic and hydrophilic functional groups in the molecule, they can play important roles in cloud formation and can affect climate change, but detailed mechanisms and magnitude are not well understood. In addition, surfactants can cause asthma, allergy, dry eye and so on. In this study, our aim is to characterize surfactants in the aerosols collected in different seasons in Okinawa, Japan. Atmospheric aerosols were collected at Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS) during Sep. 2013 and July 2014. Surfactants in the environment are comprised of artificially synthesized compounds and naturally derived organics so we only differentiate them into anionic and cationic surfactants. Colorimetric methods were used to determine the concentrations of anionic surfactants as methylene blue active substance (MBAS). Cationic surfactants were also measured by colorimetric method as disulfine blue active substance (DBAS) and showed always below detection limit. Thus, we only discuss anionic surfactants measured as MBAS. Water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and metal concentrations were also measured for the same aerosol samples. Concentrations of MBAS in the studied samples were 2-3 times higher in spring, fall and winter than those collected in summer. MBAS concentration in the aerosols showed strong correlation with sulfate ion and WSOC, and slightly weaker correlation with nss-sulfate ion. Among the metals, only sodium ion showed a relatively strong correlation with MBAS concentrations. It is suggested that the anionic surfactants in the studied aerosols are mainly derived from marine sources.

Possible Food Sources of Macrozoobenthos in the Manko Mangrove Ecosystem, Okinawa (Japan): A Stable Isotope Analysis Approach

PubMed Central

Wardiatno, Yusli; Mardiansyah; Prartono, Tri; Tsuchiya, Makoto

2015-01-01

Identifying potential food sources in mangrove ecosystems is complex because of the multifarious inputs from both land and sea. This study, which was conducted in the Manko mangrove ecosystem of Okinawa, Japan, determined the composition of the stable isotopes δ13C and δ15N in primary producers and macrozoobenthos to estimate the potential food sources assimilated and to elucidate the target trophic levels of the macrozoobenthos. We measured the two stable isotope signatures of three gastropods (Cerithidea sp., Cassidula mustelina, Peronia verruculata), two crabs (Grapsidae sp., Uca sp.), mangrove tree (Kandelia candel) leaves, and sediment from the mangrove ecosystem. The respective carbon and nitrogen isotope signature results were as follows: −22.4‰ and 8.6‰ for Cerithidea sp., −25.06‰ and 8‰ for C. mustelina, −22.58‰ and 8‰ for P. verruculata, −24.3‰ and 10.6‰ for unidentified Grapsidae, −21.87 ‰ and 11.5 ‰ for Uca sp., −29.81‰ and 11‰ for K. candel, and −24.23‰ and 7.2‰ for the sediment. The stable isotope assimilation signatures of the macrozoobenthos indicated sediment as their food source. Considering the trophic levels, the stable isotope values may also indicate that the five macrozoobenthos species were secondary or higher consumers. PMID:26019747

Detailed magnetic and gravity surveys around the hydrothermal area off Kumejima Island in the Mid-Okinawa Trough, southwestern Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitada, K.; Kasaya, T.; Iwamoto, H.; Nogi, Y.

2017-12-01

The Okinawa Trough is an active back-arc basin formed by the rifting associated with extension of the continental margin behind the Ryukyu trench. New hydrothermal sites were recently discovered off Kumejima Island in the Mid-Okinawa Trough and the hydrothermal mineral deposits were identified by seafloor surveys and rock samplings by ROV (e.g., JOGMEC, 2015). In order to characterize the sub-seafloor structures and the spatial distribution of the magmatic activity around the sites, we conducted the dense magnetic, gravity and bathymetric surveys with a line spacing of 0.5 nmi aboard the R/Vs Yokosuka and Kairei, operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) in 2016. The geophysical data collected during the previous cruises in the area by JAMSTEC were additionally used for this study. Magnetic anomaly was calculated by subtracting the IGRF model and the magnetization intensity was estimated by the method of Parker and Huestis (1974). Free-air gravity anomaly was calculated with subtracting the normal gravity field and with corrections of the drift and of the Eötvös effect. Bouguer gravity anomaly was calculated based on the method of Parker (1972). The magnetization intensity and the Bouguer gravity anomaly reveal three characteristics of the hydrothermal area off Kumejima Island: 1) The distribution of magnetization around the hydrothermal sites shows two different types of sub-seafloor magnetic features. One is corresponded to the submarine knolls with a relatively high magnetization of 4 A/M. The other is an ENE-WSW trending magnetization distribution with relatively high and low intensities, which is consistent with the trend of the bathymetric lineament. These features are considered to be formed by magmatism associated with submarine volcanoes and back-arc rifting. 2) The reduced magnetization zone corresponding to the hydrothermal area probably attributes to hydrothermal alteration of the host rock. 3) The hydrothermal

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

[AIDS control in industry in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan].

PubMed

Shinjo, M; Ariizumi, M; Onga, N; Asato, Y; Azuma, T; Miyazato, T; Uehara, T; Ohno, A

1995-05-01

To see how industry is responding to AIDS, an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted on member companies (n = 407) of the chamber of commerce with 50 or more employees in three large cities in Okinawa, during February to March, 1994. Responses were obtained from 221. The questionnaire looked at type of industry, number of employees, number of business trips to foreign countries, specialists for health management, AIDS control, attitudes and actions taken toward infected persons and AIDS patients, etc. The main results were as follows; In 73 companies foreign business trips had been made. The rate of appointment of specialists in health management was below 50%. In 80% of the companies, AIDS control was not in place. About 1/2 of the companies responded that there was a need to grapple with AIDS control while 40% of the companies were undecided. The majority of the companies felt that there was no chance of their employees having HIV infection within five or six years. Many companies had no regulations for dealing with employees who are infected with HIV. From the survey, three points were made clear: 1. Industry does not have an adequate plan to deal with AIDS. 2. There is no awareness of a crisis. 3. There is insufficient dissemination of information regarding AIDS. HIV/AIDS is predicted to increase in industries in our country and management will be hard-pressed to deal with the intricate problems that arise. HIV/AIDS is not exclusively an individual problem, but should be the concern of industries and society as well.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Structural features related to the volcanic gases in Southern Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H. F.; Hsu, S. K.; Tsia, C. H.; Chen, S. C.; Wu, M. F.

2016-12-01

The Okinawa Trough is a rifted back-arc basin, heavily sedimented and formed in an intracontinental rift zone behind the Ryukyu trench-arc system. The Southern Okinawa Trough (SOT) east of Taiwan is the place where post-collisional extension happened. The collision moved southwestward and the Ryukyu trench-arc extension westward, Arc volcanism is dominant in the Northern Ryukyu volcanic arc and back-arc volcanism in the Southern Okinawa Trough. Marine geophysical data including side-scan sonar (SSS), sub-bottom profiler (SBP) and echo sounder system (EK60) data are used in this study. Active fluid activities out of seafloor are obvious from various images observed on these data, such as gas plumes. These hydrothermal vents have been located at a water depth of 1400 m. Our preliminary results show that gas seepage structures appear in the location where is a week zone, such as a normal fault in the slope. The hydrothermal activity within the Okinawa Trough is associated with volcanism located in rift zones in the Southern Okinawa Trough. However, the origin of the submarine hydrothermal fluids within the Okinawa Trough is diverse with contributions from volcanic, sedimentary and magmatic sources, needed further investigations.

Decadal Modulation of Repeating Slow Slip Event Activity in the Southwestern Ryukyu Arc Possibly Driven by Rifting Episodes at the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Yoko; Heki, Kosuke

2017-09-01

We studied 38 slow slip events (SSEs) in 1997-2016 beneath the Iriomote Island, southwestern Ryukyu Arc, Japan, using continuous Global Navigation Satellite Systems data. These SSEs occur biannually on the same fault patch at a depth of 30 km on the subducting Philippine Sea Plate slab with average moment magnitudes (Mw) of 6.6. Here we show that the slip accumulation rate (cumulative slip/lapse time) of these SSEs fluctuated over a decadal time scale. The rate increased twice around 2002 and 2013 concurrently with earthquake swarms in the Okinawa Trough. This suggests that episodic activations of the back-arc spreading at the Okinawa Trough caused extra southward movement of the block south of the trough and accelerated convergence at the Ryukyu Trench.

Pseudocyclops schminkei (Copepoda, Calanoida, Pseudocyclopidae): a new species from Okinawa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chullasorn, Supawadee; Ferrari, Frank D.; Dahms, Hans-Uwe

2010-03-01

Both genders of Pseudocyclops schminkei n. sp. are described from a pearl fishery aquarium on Zamami Island, Okinawa, Japan; it is the 37th species of the genus. Pseudocyclops schminkei sp. nov. differs from other species of the magnus species group in the shape of the lobes of distal exopodal segment of the male left leg 5, and the morphology of setae on middle and distal exopodal segment of male right swimming leg 2. Aspects of the morphology of P. xiphophorus and P. bilobatus are redescribed, and an unnamed Pseudocyclops sp. from the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, IL, is briefly noted. Females of P. schminkei sp. nov., P. xiphophorus and Pseudocyclops sp. could not be separated from each other with the small number of specimens available in this study for the former two species.

Intra-Cultural Variation in Child Care Practices in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toyama, Noriko

2016-01-01

This study, comprising three sub-studies, aims to examine how child-rearing practices vary according to different social circumstances in Japan. By comparing teacher-child interaction at mealtimes in day care centres both on an isolated small island located in Okinawa prefecture, Tarama, and in a large industrialised city, Tokyo, the following was…

The ecology of medical care on an isolated island in Okinawa, Japan: a retrospective open cohort study.

PubMed

Kaneko, Makoto; Matsushima, Masato; Irving, Greg

2017-01-14

We aimed to describe the ecology of medical care on an isolated island with limited access to secondary care, and to evaluate the gatekeeping function of the island's primary care clinic through comparison with a previous nationwide survey. We conducted this retrospective, open cohort study on Iheya, an isolated island in Okinawa Prefecture that has one primary care clinic. We considered Iheya as unique location in which to examine the role of primary care in Japan. Participants were patients who visited the island's clinic between February 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014. We calculated the number of visits to the clinic and referrals to off-island medical facilities using electronic medical records. We also compared data for Iheya with a nationwide survey conducted in 2003. Iheya had 1314 inhabitants in 2013. Of the 5682 visits to the clinic in the 1-year study period, 290 people were referred to off-island medical institutions. There were 64 referrals to emergency departments; of these, 57 people were admitted to hospital. The rate of visits to the clinic per month per 1000 inhabitants was 360.4 visits (95% confidence interval: 351.0-369.7). Of these, 18.4 (16.3-20.5) were referred off-island, with 4.1 (3.1-5.1) referrals to emergency departments and 3.6 (2.6-4.6) hospitalizations. Despite the high incidence of visits to the primary care clinic, the rates of hospital-based outpatient clinic visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations were lower than rates reported in a previous Japanese study. This suggests that several dimensions of primary care, its gatekeeping function in particular, are likely to play important roles in this geographical setting.

Pathogenic substitution of IVS15 + 5G > A in SLC26A4 in patients of Okinawa Islands with enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome or Pendred syndrome.

PubMed

Ganaha, Akira; Kaname, Tadashi; Yanagi, Kumiko; Naritomi, Kenji; Tono, Tetsuya; Usami, Shin-ichi; Suzuki, Mikio

2013-05-24

Pendred syndrome (PS) and nonsyndromic hearing loss associated with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) are caused by SLC26A4 mutations. The Okinawa Islands are the southwestern-most islands of the Japanese archipelago. And ancestral differences have been reported between people from Okinawa Island and those from the main islands of Japan. To confirm the ethnic variation of the spectrum of SLC26A4 mutations, we investigated the frequencies of SLC26A4 mutations and clinical manifestations of patients with EVA or PS living in the Okinawa Islands. We examined 22 patients with EVA or PS from 21 unrelated families in Okinawa Islands. The patient's clinical history, findings of physical and otoscopic examinations, hearing test, and computed tomography (CT) scan of the temporal bones were recorded. To detect mutations, all 21 exons and the exon-intron junctions of SLC26A4 were sequenced for all subjects. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for SLC26A4 and calculations using the comparative CT (2(-ΔΔCT)) method were used to determine the pathogenicity associated with gene substitutions. SLC26A4 mutations were identified in 21 of the 22 patients. We found a compound heterozygous mutation for IVS15 + 5G > A/H723R in nine patients (41%), a homozygous substitution of IVS15 + 5G > A in six patients (27%), and homozygous mutation for H723R in five patients (23%). The most prevalent types of SLC26A4 alleles were IVS15 + 5G > A and H723R, which both accounted for 15/22 (68%) of the patients. There were no significant correlations between the types of SLC26A4 mutation and clinical manifestations. Based on qRT-PCR results, expression of SLC26A4 was not identified in patients with the homozygous substitution of IVS15 + 5G > A. The substitution of IVS15 + 5G > A in SLC26A4 was the most common mutation in uniquely found in patients with PS and EVA in Okinawa Islands. This suggested that the spectrum of SLC26A4 mutation differed

Castles in the Far East: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Okinawa and Japan Districts 1945-1990

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-10-01

on L Day, April!, 1945, in what was to become the last major battle of World War II. They met with little resistance on the beaches but Okinawa was...facilities and a new handball court, tennis courts and exercise rooms along with larger living quarters. By 1987 several facilities for the F/A-18...completion. was the damage done to Pier Bravo at White Beach . A big chunk of the pier was literally washed away and the remainder of the pier suffered

Epidemiology of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in Japan before 1989.

PubMed

Ueda, Kohji

2016-04-07

Epidemiological studies of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in Japan have been conducted since the first nationwide rubella epidemic of 1965-1969 and subsequent epidemics of 1975-1977, 1982, 1987-1988, and 1992-1993. Rubella was non-endemic in Japan before the 1975-1977 epidemic, and endemic thereafter. Japan started a selective rubella vaccination program for junior high school girls in 1977, and universal rubella vaccination of children of both sexes in 1989. No nationwide rubella epidemics have occurred since 1994. Only three children with CRS were reported in Japan before 1964; however, many children with CRS were identified in 1965 when a rubella epidemic struck Okinawa, which has many the United States military bases. After the 1965-1969 and 1975-1977 rubella epidemics on the Japanese mainland, small numbers of children with CRS were identified (hospital survey). These findings led to the hypothesis that, compared to U.S. rubella virus strains, Japanese strains of rubella virus are less teratogenic. This hypothesis strongly affected the development of rubella vaccines in Japan. However, retrospective seroepidemiological studies attributed the CRS in many children in Okinawa to the high rate of rubella infection in pregnant women. According to the survey conducted at special schools for the deaf, 83, 232, 77, and 167 children were born with CRS on the Japanese mainland respectively after the 1965-1969, 1975-1977, 1982, and 1987-1988 nationwide rubella epidemics, suggesting that the incidence of CRS in Japan is in fact comparable to that in the U.S. and Europe. Rubella epidemics in children have been effectively prevented since 1994. However, a rubella outbreak among adult males and CRS occurred between 2012 and 2014. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pathogenic substitution of IVS15 + 5G > A in SLC26A4 in patients of Okinawa Islands with enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome or Pendred syndrome

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Pendred syndrome (PS) and nonsyndromic hearing loss associated with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) are caused by SLC26A4 mutations. The Okinawa Islands are the southwestern-most islands of the Japanese archipelago. And ancestral differences have been reported between people from Okinawa Island and those from the main islands of Japan. To confirm the ethnic variation of the spectrum of SLC26A4 mutations, we investigated the frequencies of SLC26A4 mutations and clinical manifestations of patients with EVA or PS living in the Okinawa Islands. Methods We examined 22 patients with EVA or PS from 21 unrelated families in Okinawa Islands. The patient’s clinical history, findings of physical and otoscopic examinations, hearing test, and computed tomography (CT) scan of the temporal bones were recorded. To detect mutations, all 21 exons and the exon–intron junctions of SLC26A4 were sequenced for all subjects. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for SLC26A4 and calculations using the comparative CT (2−ΔΔCT) method were used to determine the pathogenicity associated with gene substitutions. Results SLC26A4 mutations were identified in 21 of the 22 patients. We found a compound heterozygous mutation for IVS15 + 5G > A/H723R in nine patients (41%), a homozygous substitution of IVS15 + 5G > A in six patients (27%), and homozygous mutation for H723R in five patients (23%). The most prevalent types of SLC26A4 alleles were IVS15 + 5G > A and H723R, which both accounted for 15/22 (68%) of the patients. There were no significant correlations between the types of SLC26A4 mutation and clinical manifestations. Based on qRT-PCR results, expression of SLC26A4 was not identified in patients with the homozygous substitution of IVS15 + 5G > A. Conclusions The substitution of IVS15 + 5G > A in SLC26A4 was the most common mutation in uniquely found in patients with PS and EVA in Okinawa Islands. This suggested that

EDITORIAL: Proceedings of the 6th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, Bankoku Shinryoukan, Okinawa, Japan, 20-24 June 2005 Proceedings of the 6th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, Bankoku Shinryoukan, Okinawa, Japan, 20-24 June 2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mio, N.

2006-04-01

This issue is published as the Proceedings of the 6th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, held on 20-24 June 2005 at Bankoku Shinryoukan in Okinawa, Japan. Since the first Amaldi conference was held in Frascati in 1994, eleven years have passed and the scale of the conference has grown with the increasing activity in the field of gravitational waves. As the centenary celebration of Einstein's 'miracle year', 2005 was called 'World Year of Physics'. Among his breakthroughs published in 1905, the special theory of relativity is recognized as the most significant revolution in physics, completely changing our views concerning time and space. Ten years later, Einstein proposed the general theory of relativity, by which he predicted the existence of gravitational waves (GWs). At that time, it was only a dream to observe a GW because its effect was so small. Efforts to detect GWs, pioneered by Weber, have continued for almost 40 years, yet their detection remained a dream. However, the presentations at this conference have convinced us that it is no longer a dream. The GW detector projects have made extraordinary advances; in particular, the significant sensitivity improvement of LIGO and the completion of the VIRGO detector mark the beginning of the new era of GW physics. Firm developments in theories and source estimations were also reported. In particular, the data analysis session was very active and various discussions were held. Elaborate experimental techniques were presented, some of them already achieving the requirements for the next generation of detectors, such as Advanced LIGO and LCGT. In addition to the earth-based detectors, many presentations concerning space detectors were contributed; they indicated that space would become the new stage for GW physics and astronomy. This issue brings together the papers which were presented at this exciting conference. The proceedings comprise two volumes; the largest part is published as a volume of

A Revision of the Adult and Larval Mosquitoes of Japan (Including the Ryukyu Archipelago and the Ogasawara Islands) and Korea (Diptera: Culicidae)

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

Ryukyu Archipelago Ogasawara and Volcano islands Prefectures of Japan (large bold numerals) 13. Hyogo 14. Ibaraki 15. Ishikawa 16. Iwate 17...Kishimoto, 1969: 33, Haneji and Ishikawa , Okinawa Is. ; &omi and Sonae, Iriomote Is. ; Ryukyu Archipelago. Descriptions based on specimens from Taiwan...d, 9, P, L). Type-locality: Mt. Hakusan, Ishikawa Pref., Japan. FEMALE (Fig. 216). Wing length 5.1-5.4 mm. Head. Eyes narrowly narrowly separated

Particle-induced X-ray emission analysis of elements in plasma from wild and captive sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata, Chelonia mydas, and Caretta caretta) in Okinawa, Japan.

PubMed

Suzuki, Kazuyuki; Noda, Jun; Yanagisawa, Makio; Kawazu, Isao; Sera, Kouichiro; Fukui, Daisuke; Asakawa, Mitsuhiko; Yokota, Hiroshi

2012-09-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of direct determination of trace and major element concentrations in plasma samples from wild (six hawksbill, nine green, and nine loggerhead) and captive sea turtles (25 howksbill, five green, and three loggerhead) in Okinawa, Japan. The particle induced X-ray emission method allowed detection of 23 trace and major elements (Al, As, Br, Ca, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, P, Pb, S, Se, Si, Sr, Ti, Y, and Zn). The wild sea turtles were found to have high concentrations of As and Pb in plasma compared with captive, but there were no significant changes in the Al and Hg concentrations. Loggerhead sea turtles were found to have significantly higher accumulation of As and Pb in plasma in comparison to other species. These findings may be useful when adjusting environmental and species-related factors in severely polluted marine ecosystems. Our results indicate that measuring the plasma As and Pb concentrations in wild sea turtles might be of help to assess the level of pollution in marine ecosystems, keeping in mind that loggerhead sea turtles had been shown to have higher levels of As and Pb in plasma.

Back-arc rifting at a continental margin: A case study from the Okinawa trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, R.; Kaiho, Y.; Takahashi, T.; Nakanishi, A.; Fujie, G.; Kodaira, S.; Kaneda, Y.

2014-12-01

The Okinawa trough, a back-arc basin formed behind the Ryukyu arc-trench system, southwest Japan, represents an active rifting zone associated with extension of the continental lithosphere. The basin is located at the southeastern margin of the Eurasian plate and characterized by axial rift valleys with over 1.0 km depth and ~100 km width. Previous studies suggest that the early rifting phase started late Miocene and crustal extension is currently active at a full rate of 30 to 50 mm/yr. Within the basin, numerous active hydrothermal vents are observed, suggesting that the crustal rifting enhances melt/heat transfer from the deep mantle up to the seafloor. However, internal structure beneath the back-arc basin and its relation to the rifting system are little documented. Complex regional tectonic setting, such as active collision in Taiwan to the west, oblique subduction of the Philippine Sea slab, and changing spreading rate along the rift axis, may also have significant influences on the thermal structure and flow within the mantle wedge, but their relative roles in controlling the rifting mode and magmatic supply are still poorly understood. As a step toward filling this gap in knowledge, we started a new 7-year project that consists of four two-dimensional active-source seismic experiments and extensive passive-source seismic observations along the Ryukyu arc. In 2013, active-source seismic data were collected on the first line that crosses the southernmost part of the Ryukyu arc-trench and Okinawa trough at 124-125°E. For refraction/wide-angle reflection analyses, a total of 60 ocean bottom seismographs were deployed with approximately 6 km spacing on a ~390-km-long profile. On the same line, multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection profiling was also carried out. Seismic velocity models obtained by first arrival tomography show that beneath the volcanic arc a thick layer (~10 km) of the middle crust with Vp = 6.0-6.8 km/s is developed, a typical feature in the

Macrosomic Neonates Carry Increased Risk of Dental Caries in Early Childhood: Findings from a Cohort Study, the Okinawa Child Health Study, Japan

PubMed Central

Yokomichi, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Taichiro; Suzuki, Kohta; Akiyama, Tomoki; Yamagata, Zentaro

2015-01-01

Background Although many studies have discussed health risks in neonates with a low birth weight, few studies have focused on the risks in neonates with a high birth weight. The objective of this study was to determine whether differences in the incidence of dental caries in early childhood are associated with birth weight status. Methods A total of 117,175 children born in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan from 1997 to 2007 were included in this study. Medical professionals collected information about birth records, growth and development, parental child-rearing practices and dental health at 3 months, 18 months and 3 years of age. The risk of dental caries among neonates with macrosomia (birth weight ≥4000 g) was compared with that among neonates with normal weight (2500–3999 g). Sensitivity analyses included ‘large for gestational age’ (LGA, birth weight above the 90th percentile for gestational age), which was relative to ‘appropriate for gestational age’ (birth weight between 10th and 90th percentiles). Relative risks and relative risk increases were estimated by multivariate Poisson regression. Results At 3 years of age, the relative risk increases for dental caries after adjusting for confounding factors were 19% [95% confidence interval (CI), 11%–28%, P < 0.001] for macrosomic neonates and 12% (95% CI, 9%–16%, P < 0.001) for LGA neonates. Conclusion Macrosomia and LGA were associated with an increased risk of dental caries in early childhood. Particular attention should be paid to abnormally large neonates. PMID:26207737

Quality of Life for Marines on Okinawa.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-03-01

A comprehensive assessment of Quality of Life (QOL) in the Marine Corps, using a life domain framework, in which were included the domains of...other relatives, income/standard of living, job, and self, was conducted in 1993. This report focuses on data for Okinawa only. Global quality of life was

Stress Fields Along Okinawa Trough and Ryukyu Arc Inferred From Regional Broadband Moment Tensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubo, A.; Fukuyama, E.

2001-12-01

Most shallow earthquakes along Okinawa trough and Ryukyu arc are relatively small (M<5.5). Focal mechanism estimations for such events were difficult due to insufficient dataset. However, this situation is improved by regional broadband network (FREESIA). Lower limit of magnitude of the earthquakes determined becomes 1.5 smaller in M{}w than that of Harvard moment tensors. As a result, we could examine the stress field in more detail than Fournier et al.(2001, JGR, 106, 13751-) did based on surface geology and teleseismic moment tensors. In the NE Okinawa trough, extension axes are oblique to the trough strike, while in SW Okinawa trough, they are perpendicular to the trough. Fault type in SW is normal fault and gradually changes to mixture of normal and strike slip toward NE. In the Ryukyu arc, extension axes are parallel to the arc. Although this feature is not clear in the NW Ryukyu arc, arc parallel extension may be a major property of entire arc. Dominant fault type is normal fault and several strike slips with the same extensional component are included. The volcanic train is located at the edge of arc parallel extension field faced A simple explanation of the arc parallel extension is the response to the opening motion of the Okinawa trough. Another possible mechanism is forearc movement due to oblique subduction which is enhanced in SW. We consider that the Okinawa trough and the Ryukyu arc are independent stress provinces.

Current status of atopic dermatitis in Japan

PubMed Central

Chiba, Takahito; Takeuchi, Satoshi

2011-01-01

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, chronic or chronically relapsing, severely pruritic, eczematous skin disease. AD is the second most frequently observed skin disease in dermatology clinics in Japan. Prevalence of childhood AD is 12-13% in mainland Japan; however, it is only half that (about 6%) in children from Ishigaki Island, Okinawa. Topical steroids and tacrolimus are the mainstay of treatment. However, the adverse effects and emotional fear of long-term use of topical steroids have induced a "topical steroid phobia" in patients throughout the world. Undertreatment can exacerbate facial/periocular lesions and lead to the development of atopic cataract and retinal detachment due to repeated scratching/rubbing/patting. Overcoming topical steroid phobia is a key issue for the successful treatment of AD through education, understanding and cooperation of patients and their guardians. PMID:22053299

The incidence of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma among human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 carriers in Japan.

PubMed

Satake, Masahiro; Yamada, Yasuaki; Atogami, Sunao; Yamaguchi, Kazunari

2015-06-01

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is highly endemic in the Kyushu/Okinawa region of Japan. A nationwide investigation verified the frequency of HTLV-1 carriers among first-time blood donors and the occurrence of newly diagnosed adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) cases from 2007 through 2008. After adjusting for differences in capture rate between areas, the age-, sex- and area-specific incidence of ATL among carriers was determined. Annual ATL incidence among 10 000 carriers was 7.7 and 8.7 for the Kyushu and non-Kyushu/Okinawa regions, respectively. The incidence increased sharply for men from their 40s to their 70s, but the rate in females remained unchanged through their 40s to 70s. ATL incidence in middle-aged females was still low, even if female carrier frequency was assumed to be identical to that of males. Patients with ATL in their 60s and 70s will comprise two-thirds of all patients with ATL for the next 15 years in Japan.

Organic tracers of primary biological aerosol particles at subtropical Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific Rim

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Chunmao; Kawamura, Kimitaka; Kunwar, Bhagawati

2015-06-01

Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) play an important role in affecting atmospheric physical and chemical properties. Aerosol samples were collected at Cape Hedo, Okinawa Island, Japan, from October 2009 to February 2012 and analyzed for five primary saccharides and four sugar alcohols as PBAP tracers. We detected high levels of sucrose in spring when blossoming of plants happens and prolifically emits pollen to the air. Concentrations of glucose, fructose, and trehalose showed levels higher than the other saccharides in spring in 2010. In comparison, primary saccharide levels were mutually comparable in spring, summer, and autumn in 2011, indicating the interannual variability of their local production in subtropical forests, which is driven by local temperature and radiation. High trehalose events were found to be associated with Asian dust outflows, indicating that Asian dust also contributes to PBAPs at Okinawa. Sugar alcohols peaked in summer and correlated with local precipitation and temperature, indicating high microbial activities. Positive matrix factorization analysis confirmed that the PBAPs are mainly derived from local vegetation, pollen, and fungal spores. A higher contribution of PBAP tracers to water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) was found in summer (14.9%). The annual mean ambient loadings of fungal spores and PBAPs were estimated as 0.49 µg m-3 and 4.12 µg m-3, respectively, using the tracer method. We report, for the first time, year-round biomarkers of PBAP and soil dust and their contributions to WSOC in the subtropical outflow region of the Asian continent.

Comparative analyses of the bacterial community of hydrothermal deposits and seafloor sediments across Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Long; Yu, Min; Liu, Yan; Liu, Jiwen; Wu, Yonghua; Li, Li; Liu, Jihua; Wang, Min; Zhang, Xiao-Hua

2018-04-01

As an ideal place to study back-arc basins and hydrothermal eco-system, Okinawa Trough has attracted the interests of scientists for decades. However, there are still no in-depth studies targeting the bacterial community of the seafloor sediments and hydrothermal deposits in Okinawa Trough. In the present study, we reported the bacterial community of the surface deposits of a newly found hydrothermal field in the southern Okinawa Trough, and the horizontal and vertical variation of bacterial communities in the sediments of the northern Okinawa Trough. The hydrothermal deposits had a relatively high 16S rRNA gene abundance but low bacterial richness and diversity. Epsilonproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were predominant in hydrothermal deposits whereas Deltaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Chloroflexi were abundant across all samples. The bacterial distribution in the seafloor of Okinawa Trough was significantly correlated to the content of total nitrogen, and had consistent relationship with total carbon. Gradual changes of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were found with the distance away from hydrothermal fields, while the hydrothermal activity did not influence the distribution of the major clades of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Higher abundance of the sulfur cycle related genes (aprA and dsrB), and lower abundance of the bacterial ammonia-oxidizing related gene (amoA) were quantified in hydrothermal deposits. In addition, the present study also compared the inter-field variation of Epsilonproteobacteria among multi-types of hydrothermal vents, revealing that the proportion and diversity of this clade were quite various.

The social gradient in life expectancy: the contrary case of Okinawa in Japan.

PubMed

Cockerham, W C; Hattori, H; Yamori, Y

2000-07-01

This paper examines the social gradient theory of health and life expectancy presented by Evans and his colleagues [Evans, R.G., Barer, M.L. and Marmor, T.R. (Eds.), 1994. Why are some People Healthy and others not? The Determinants of Health of Populations. Aldine de Gruyter, New York]. They maintain that social hierarchy is the determining factor in the health of large populations largely because it promotes differences in stress or the ability to cope with stress. For example, as Japan has risen to the top ranks of the economic hierarchy of nations in the late 20th century, Japanese life expectancy improved dramatically. Evans [Evans, R.G., 1994. Introduction. In: Evans, R., Barer, M., Marmor T. (Eds.), Why are some People Healthy and others not? The Determinants of Health of Populations. Aldine de Gruyter, New York, pp. 3-26.] notes that something lies behind this rapid increase in longevity and the major change was the hierarchical position of Japan relative to the rest of the world. However, we reviewed life expectancy data within Japan and found that Okinawans traditionally rank at the top in health and life expectancy and at the bottom in socioeconomic indicators. We find that the social gradient thesis does not apply in Japan and suggest that what is more important for health are health lifestyles, especially diet and social support. More research is needed to assess the validity of the social gradient thesis if it is to be used on a cross-national basis.

Carbonate system at Iheya North in Okinawa Trough~IODP drilling and post drilling environment~

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noguchi, T.; Hatta, M.; Sunamura, M.; Fukuba, T.; Suzue, T.; Kimoto, H.; Okamura, K.

2012-12-01

The Iheya North hydrothermal field in middle Okinawa Trough is covered with thick hemipelagic and volcanic sediment. Geochemical characteristics of Okinawa Trough is to provide abundant of CO2, CH4, NH4, H2, and H2S which originated from magmatic gases, sedimentary organic matters. On this hydrothermal field, a scientific drilling by Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 331 was conducted to investigate metabolically diverse subseafloor microbial ecosystem and their physical and chemical settings. To clarify the spatial distribution of physical condition beneath seafloor around the hydrothermal filed, we focus on the carbonate species analysis to reconstruct in-situ pH, which regulate the diversities of microbial community and mineral composition. We developed the small sample volume dissolved total inorganic carbon (DIC) analyzer and conducted the onboard analysis for the interstitial water during IODP Exp.331. Total alkalinity, boron, phosphate, and ammonium also analyzed for thermodynamic calculation. In this presentation, we represent the spatial distribution of pH beneath the Iheya North hydrothermal field. In addition, we developed a 128 bottles multiple water sampler (ANEMONE) for post drilling environmental monitoring. ANEMONE sampler was deployed on the manned submersible Shinkai 6500 with other chemical sensors (CTD, turbidity, pH, ORP, and H2S), and collected the hydrothermal plume samples every 5 minutes during YK12-05 cruise by R/V Yokosuka (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, JAMSTEC). DIC concentration of plume samples collected by ANEMONE sampler were analyzed just after submersible retrieve, and nutrients, manganese, density, and total cell counts determination were conducted onshore analysis. Based on these results, we describe the spatial distribution of DIC and carbonate system on Iheya North hydrothermal field (interstitial water, hydrothermal fluid, and hydrothermal plume).

NASA Spots Typhoon Phanfone Affecting Japan

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Over the weekend of Oct. 5 and 6, Typhoon Phanfone's center made landfall just south of Tokyo and passed over the city before exiting back into the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. NASA's Aqua satellite captured a picture of the typhoon as Tokyo braced for its large eye. On its way to mainland Japan, Phanfone struck Kadena Air Base on the island of Okinawa. According to the website for U.S. Air Force Kadena Air Base (www.kadena.af.mil), "One Airman is confirmed deceased and two more are missing after they were washed out to sea from the northwest coast of Okinawa at about 3:45 p.m. Oct. 5. An Airman that was found by the Japanese Coast Guard and pulled from the sea was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. HH-60s from Kadena Air Base and Japanese Coast Guard are continuing to search for the remaining two Airmen. Rough seas are complicating rescue efforts." Typhoon Phanfone's large eye made landfall near the city of Hamamatsu on Oct. 5 around 8 a.m. local time and then tracked north before turning eastward into the Pacific Ocean north of Tokyo. The MODIS instrument known as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer captures amazing pictures from its orbit aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. MODIS snapped a picture of Typhoon Phanfone approaching Japan on Oct. 5 at 12:55 a.m. EDT. At that time, the Typhoon had already passed north of Okinawa, and was just south of the large island of Kyushu. The MODIS image revealed a large eye with powerful bands of thunderstorms spiraling into the center. On Oct. 6 by 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT), Phanfone had weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm back over open waters of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Maximum sustained winds were near 60 knots (69.0 mph/111.1 kph). Phanfone was located near 38.0 north longitude and 145.0 east latitude. That's about 201 nautical miles (271 miles/372 km) south-southeast of Misawa Air Base, Japan. Phanfone was moving to the northeast at 40 knots (46 mph/74 kph). Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon

Far Eastern Mission: One Fiercely Committed Choir Director at a Defense Department School in Japan Wants to Make a Global Difference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Catherine Applefeld

2009-01-01

Tim Black, choral director at the Department of Defense's Kadena High School in Okinawa, Japan, might just be the closest thing to a new-millennium embodiment of that early '70s idealism. Not only does Black lead three choirs and teach advanced placement music theory to children of those serving in the U.S. armed forces, but he also is…

Occurrence of human respiratory syncytial virus in summer in Japan.

PubMed

Shobugawa, Y; Takeuchi, T; Hibino, A; Hassan, M R; Yagami, R; Kondo, H; Odagiri, T; Saito, R

2017-01-01

In temperate zones, human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) outbreaks typically occur in cold weather, i.e. in late autumn and winter. However, recent outbreaks in Japan have tended to start during summer and autumn. This study examined associations of meteorological conditions with the numbers of HRSV cases reported in summer in Japan. Using data from the HRSV national surveillance system and national meteorological data for summer during the period 2007-2014, we utilized negative binomial logistic regression analysis to identify associations between meteorological conditions and reported cases of HRSV. HRSV cases increased when summer temperatures rose and when relative humidity increased. Consideration of the interaction term temperature × relative humidity enabled us to show synergistic effects of high temperature with HRSV occurrence. In particular, HRSV cases synergistically increased when relative humidity increased while the temperature was ⩾28·2 °C. Seasonal-trend decomposition analysis using the HRSV national surveillance data divided by 11 climate divisions showed that summer HRSV cases occurred in South Japan (Okinawa Island), Kyushu, and Nankai climate divisions, which are located in southwest Japan. Higher temperature and higher relative humidity were necessary conditions for HRSV occurrence in summer in Japan. Paediatricians in temperate zones should be mindful of possible HRSV cases in summer, when suitable conditions are present.

Demographic, phenotypic, and genetic characteristics of centenarians in Okinawa and Honshu, Japan: Part 2 Honshu, Japan.

PubMed

Arai, Yasumichi; Sasaki, Takashi; Hirose, Nobuyoshi

2017-07-01

The scope and purpose of this review was to summarize the aims, methods, findings, and future of centenarian and (semi)-supercentenarian studies in Japan, particularly those from our own interdisciplinary laboratory. Medically, approximately 97% of centenarians contract chronic diseases including hypertension and gastrointestinal disease; however, they present with few cardiovascular risk factors. The low prevalence of diabetes mellitus and carotid atherosclerotic plaques is peculiarities of centenarians, which could be associated with high adiponectin levels. While conducting the Tokyo centenarian study (TCS), we found that only 20% of centenarians enjoyed physical and cognitive independence at the age of 100 years, although most remained independent in daily living until into their 90s. Those who maintained physical independence at 100 years of age were highly likely to become semi-supercentenarians (over 105 years) or even supercentenarians (beyond 110 years). We also describe parts of results of the Japan Semi-supercentenarian Study (JSS), which showed that the suppression of chronic inflammation is an important driver of successful aging at extreme old age. Telomere maintenance and an extremely low frequency of APOE-ε4 alleles are genetic peculiarities of (semi)-supercentenarians. The available data confirm our conviction that semi-supercentenarians are a more appropriate model for the study of human longevity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Population data of six STR loci using hexaplex PCR amplification and typing system, "Midi-6" in four regional populations in Japan.

PubMed

Uchihi, Rieko; Yamamoto, Toshimichi; Yoshimoto, Takashi; Inoue, Chikako; Kishida, Tetsuko; Yoshioka, Naofumi; Katsumata, Yoshinao

2007-07-04

The genetic differences of the allele frequency distributions for six STR loci (D20S480, D6S2439, D6S1056, D9S1118, D4S2639, and D17S1290) among regions in Japan were examined using our recently designed hexaplex amplification and typing system, "Midi-6" newly named, to construct a database in the Japanese population. Genotypes at six loci were analyzed in 198, 200, 175, and 196 individuals from the area of Akita, Nagoya, Oita, and Okinawa, respectively, in Japan. The allele frequency distributions were significantly different (p<0.05) at from one to five loci among the four populations when compared pairwise. Significant differences were also observed at two or three loci between Oita- or Okinawa-Japanese and the "pooled" population (n=769), respectively. However, since F(ST) (theta) values were extremely low (<0.05), ranging from 0.0020 to 0.0118 for six loci, genetic differentiation within the pooled Japanese population was negligible. Therefore, it suggested that the data of the allele frequencies at six loci in the pooled population would be employed as the base of calculation for statistical probabilities.

Atmospheric 14 C CO 2 variations in Japan during 1982--1999 based on 14 C measurements of rice grains.

PubMed

Shibata, Setsuko; Kawano, Eiko; Nakabayashi, Takeshige

2005-08-01

(14)C in rice grains is a useful tracer of atmospheric (14)C(CO(2)). (14)C measurement in rice grains for 17 years during 1982--1999 reveals the following. There is negative correlation between Delta(14)C and the population densities of localities in Japan. Under-populated areas in the northern area of Japan and Okinawa remained clean in the 1990s. The (14)C(CO(2)) decline rates at those areas are near to that of Shauinsland. A latitudinal effect due to Chinese nuclear tests is observed in 1982. Small Seuss effects is observed at the middle latitudes in East Asia after 1995.

Quisarctus yasumurai gen. et sp. nov. (Arthrotardigrada: Halechiniscidae) from a submarine cave, off Iejima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

PubMed

Fujimoto, Shinta

2015-04-20

Quisarctus yasumurai gen. et sp. nov. (Arthrotardigrada: Halechiniscidae) is described from the submarine cave 'Daidokutsu', off Iejima, Okinawa Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. It is characterised by a cylindrical body, long primary clava and shorter lateral cirrus inserted on a common cirrophore, and simple digits of unequal lengths (without folds, peduncles, proximal pads, pretarsi, or wrinkles) that terminate in a sheathed, small, crescent-shaped claw with a minute calcar. Quisarctinae subfam. nov. is erected for this unique new genus.

[Estimating the year of eradication of tuberculosis in Japan].

PubMed

Ohmori, M

1991-12-01

The time of eradication of tuberculosis has been discussed for several countries, and based on those results, a new strategic plan and goals have been elaborated. Considering such developments, and in order to make a new tuberculosis control strategy, it is important to determine the point at which eradication of tuberculosis would be achieved in Japan. Styblo proposed the two conventional definitions of eradication of tuberculosis, namely that the incidence of smear-positive tuberculosis has fallen below 1 per million population or that the prevalence of tuberculosis infection in the general population has fallen below 1% and continues to decrease. The bacteriological results of new cases have been reported since 1975 in Japan. However, those results are still of doubtful validity and reliability. Therefore, the author estimated the year of eradication of tuberculosis, according to the criterion that tuberculosis is eradicated when the proportion of the population infected with tubercle bacilli is less than 1%. If the risk of infection is changing at a regular rate, it is possible to estimate the risk of infection at any time in the past and in the future. Once the risk of infection is determined, it is also possible to calculate the age-specific prevalence of infection and the proportion of the population infected with tubercle bacilli at various times in the past and in the future. In Japan, the risk of infection before World War II was assumed to be around 4% and not to vary with calendar year. And based on the data from the prevalence surveys in Okinawa in 1968 and 1973, the risk of infection was estimated 0.3% in 1968 and has declined on average, by 10 to 11% annually. At that time, Okinawa was the only area free from BCG vaccination in Japan. The incidence rate in Japan also has declined, on average, by 10% annually. However, since late 1970s, the annual speed of decline of the incidence rate has been slowed down. Therefore, I assumed that the recent trend

Prehistoric introduction of domestic pigs onto the Okinawa Islands: ancient mitochondrial DNA evidence.

PubMed

Watanobe, Takuma; Ishiguro, Naotaka; Nakano, Masuo; Takamiya, Hiroto; Matsui, Akira; Hongo, Hitomi

2002-08-01

Ancient DNAs of Sus scrofa specimens excavated from archaeological sites on the Okinawa islands were examined to clarify the genetic relationships among prehistoric Sus scrofa, modern wild boars and domestic pigs inhabiting the Ryukyu archipelago, the Japanese islands, and the Asian continent. We extracted remain DNA from 161 bone specimens excavated from 12 archaeological sites on the Okinawa islands and successfully amplified mitochondrial DNA control region fragments from 33 of 161 specimens. Pairwise difference between prehistoric and modern S. scrofa nucleotide sequences showed that haplotypes of the East Asian domestic pig lineage were found from archaeological specimens together with Ryukyu wild boars native to the Ryukyu archipelago. Phylogenetic analysis of 14 ancient sequences (11 haplotypes; 574 bp) indicated that S. scrofa specimens from two Yayoi-Heian sites (Kitahara and Ara shellmiddens) and two Recent Times sites (Wakuta Kiln and Kiyuna sites) are grouped with modern East Asian domestic pigs. Sus scrofa specimens from Shimizu shellmidden (Yayoi-Heian Period) were very closely related to modern Sus scrofa riukiuanus but had a unique nucleotide insertion, indicating that the population is genetically distinct from the lineage of modern Ryukyu wild boars. This genetic evidence suggests that domestic pigs from the Asian continent were introduced to the Okinawa islands in the early Yayoi-Heian period (1700-2000 BP), or earlier.

Tracing subducted sediment inputs to the Ryukyu arc-Okinawa Trough system: Evidence from thallium isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shu, Yunchao; Nielsen, Sune G.; Zeng, Zhigang; Shinjo, Ryuichi; Blusztajn, Jerzy; Wang, Xiaoyuan; Chen, Shuai

2017-11-01

Sediments are actively subducted in virtually every arc worldwide. However, quantifying their contributions to arc lavas and thereby establishing budgets of how sediments participate in slab-mantle interaction is challenging. In this contribution we use thallium (Tl) abundances and isotopic compositions of lavas from the Ryukyu arc (including south Kyushu) and its back-arc basin, Okinawa Trough, to investigate the influence of sediments from arc to back-arc. We also present extensive geochemical data for sediments and altered oceanic crust (AOC) outboard of the northern (DSDP Sites 296, 442B, 443 and 444) and central (DSDP Sites 294 and 295) part of the Ryukyu arc. The Tl isotopic compositions of sediments change systematically from lighter outboard of northern Ryukyu arc to heavier outboard of central Ryukyu arc. The feature reflects the dominance of terrigenous material and pelagic sedimentation outboard of the northern and central Ryukyu arc, respectively. Central and northern sections of Ryukyu arc and Okinawa Trough display larger range of Tl isotopic variation than southern section, which is consistent with more pelagic provenance for sediments outboard of central and northern Ryukyu arcs than that of expected sediments outboard of southern Ryukyu arc. Identical Tl, Sr, Nd and Pb isotope variations are found when comparing arc and back arc lavas, which indicates that sediments fluxes also account for the Tl isotopic variations in the Okinawa Trough lavas. Two-end-member mixing models of Tl with Pb, Sr and Nd isotopes require sediment inputs of< 1%, 0.1-1% and 0.3-2% by weight to the depleted mantle source to account for all these isotopic compositions of lavas from northern, central and southern portion of the Ryukyu arc and Okinawa Trough. Bulk mixing between mantle and sediment end members predict very similar sediment fluxes when using Tl, Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes, which indicates that fractionation of these elements must have happened after mixing between

Metabolic Syndrome and Cognitive Decline Among the Oldest Old in Okinawa: In Search of a Mechanism. The KOCOA Project

PubMed Central

Todoriki, Hidemi; Higashiuesato, Yasushi; Yasura, Shotoku; Willcox, D. Craig; Ohya, Yusuke; Willcox, Bradley J.; Dodge, Hiroko H.

2012-01-01

The study aim was to test whether the metabolic syndrome or its components predicted cognitive decline among persons aged 80 years and older (mean 85.0 years). Participants were members of the “Keys to Optimal Cognitive Aging Project,” a prospective cohort study in Okinawa, Japan. Metabolic syndrome was assessed at baseline. Cognitive functions were assessed annually for up to 3 years. One hundred and forty-eight participants completed at least one follow-up with 101 participating in all three assessments and 47 participating in two of the three assessments. The mean and median duration of follow-up were 1.8 and 2 years, respectively. Metabolic syndrome and four components were not associated with decline in global and executive cognitive functions. However, high glycosylated hemoglobin was associated with decline in memory function at the second follow-up. Our study supports accumulating evidence that the positive association between metabolic syndrome and cognitive function might not hold for the oldest old. PMID:22016359

Two new nematodes from the Iriomote cat, Prionailurus iriomotensis, from Okinawa: Uncinaria (Uncinaria) maya n. sp. (Ancylostomatoidea) and Molineus springsmithi yayeyamanus n. subsp. (Trichostrongyloidea).

PubMed

Hasegawa, H

1989-12-01

Uncinaria (Uncinaria) maya n. sp. (Nematoda: Ancylostomatidae) and Molineus springsmithi yayeyamanus n. subsp. (Nematoda: Molineidae) are described from the Iriomote cat, Prionailurus iriomotensis, on Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan. Uncinaria (U.) maya resembles Uncinaria (Uncinaria) felidis Maplestone, 1939, from Prionailurus bengalensis of India but is distinguished in that the body is much smaller, the ventral rays are set closely with the lateral rays, and the externolateral ray is much shorter than other laterals. Molineus springsmithi yayeyamanus differs from Molineus springsmithi springsmithi Inglis and Ogden, 1965, from Prionailurus bengalensis horsfieldi of East Nepal in that the body is much longer, whereas the esophagus is somewhat shorter and the spicules are divided more distally. Presence of the closely related nematodes in both the Iriomote cat and P. bengalensis suggests a close evolutionary relationship of the 2 hosts.

Evaluation of National Tsutsugamushi Disease Surveillance--Japan, 2000.

PubMed

Matsui, Tamano; Kramer, Michael H; Mendlein, James M; Osaka, Ken; Ohyama, Takaaki; Takahashi, Hiroshi; Ono, Tomomichi; Okabe, Nobuhiko

2002-12-01

In Japan, Tsutsugamushi disease, which is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is re-emerging with newly recognized strains and is now endemic in all prefectures except Hokkaido and Okinawa. We analyzed recent surveillance data to describe the epidemiology of Tsutsugamushi disease and to evaluate the newly implemented national surveillance system according to the CDC guidelines for evaluating surveillance systems. In 2000, 756 cases of Tsutsugamushi disease were reported from 37 of 47 prefectures; two of these cases were fatal. The median age of case-patients was 64 years (range: 2 - 94 years); 414 (54.8%) were male. In northern Japan, most cases were diagnosed in the months of May through July and in the months of October through December, and in southern Japan, cases were diagnosed almost year-round with a peak from October through December and in January. Reporting and transfer of surveillance information from the prefecture to the national level was effective and timely, but the completeness and quality of case reporting could still be improved. The current system for Tsutsugamushi disease surveillance is useful for describing epidemiologic patterns by time, prefecture, and demographic characteristics. However, collection of additional information on suspected place of transmission, activity performed at the place of transmission, or the case-patient's profession would likely make the system more valuable for outbreak detection and for better defining populations at risk.

10Be concentrations of Red soils in Southwest Japan and its possibility of dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maejima, Y.; Matsuzaki, H.; Nakano, C.

2004-08-01

10Be concentrations of six Red soils distributed in Southwest Japan ranged from 0.8 × 108 to 2.7 × 109 atoms g-1, and minimum absolute ages were estimated by inventory of meteoric 10Be. The results are follows: Red soils on Toyota derived from granite (⩽25 ka), Kashii derived from Tertiary shale (⩽24 ka), Akiyoshidai derived from limestone (⩽110 ka), Okinawa Island derived from Kunigami gravel bed (⩽9 ka) and Ogasawara Island derived from agglomerate and Boninite (⩽22 and ⩽7 ka) were obtained, respectively. Soil age except with Akiyoshidai indicated younger age. It suggested that the loss of 10Be from the soil was caused by leaching of 10Be or by soil erosion, and 10Be is susceptible to leaching out from these Red soils under the humid climate condition such as Southwest Japan.

Plutonium activities and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in sediment cores from the east China sea and Okinawa Trough: Sources and inventories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhong-liang; Yamada, Masatoshi

2005-05-01

Plutonium concentrations and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediment cores were determined by isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after separation using ion-exchange chromatography. The results showed that 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediments, ranging from 0.21 to 0.33, were much higher than the reported value of global fallout (0.18). The highest 240Pu/ 239Pu ratios (0.32-0.33) were observed in the deepest Okinawa Trough sediment samples. These ratios suggested the US nuclear weapons tests in the early 1950s at the Pacific Proving Grounds in the Marshall Islands were a major source of plutonium in the East China Sea and Okinawa Trough sediments, in addition to the global fallout source. It was proposed that close-in fallout plutonium was delivered from the Pacific Proving Grounds test sites via early direct tropospheric fallout and transportation by the North Pacific Equatorial Circulation system and Kuroshio Current into the Okinawa Trough and East China Sea. The total 239 + 240 Pu inventories in the cores were about 150-200% of that expected from direct global fallout; about 46-67% of the total inventories were delivered from the Pacific Proving Grounds. Much higher 239 + 240 Pu inventories were observed in the East China Sea sediments than in sediments of the Okinawa Trough, because in the open oceans, part of the 239 + 240 Pu was still retained in the water column, and continued Pu scavenging was higher over the margin than the trough. According to the vertical distributions of 239 + 240 Pu activities and 240Pu/ 239Pu atom ratios in these cores, it was concluded that sediment mixing was the dominant process in controlling profiles of plutonium in this area. Faster mixing in the coastal samples has homogenized the entire 240Pu/ 239Pu ratio record today; slightly slower mixing and less scavenging in the Okinawa Trough have left the surface sediment ratios closer

Situation Report--Hong Kong, Malawi, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa), Sabah, Sarawak.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Planned Parenthood Federation, London (England).

Data relating to population and family planning in eight foreign countries are presented in these situation reports. Countries included are Hong Kong, Malawi, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa), Sabah, and Sarawak. Information is provided where appropriate and available, under two topics, general background and family planning…

Intact long-type dupA as a marker for gastroduodenal diseases in Okinawan subpopulation, Japan.

PubMed

Takahashi, Ayaka; Shiota, Seiji; Matsunari, Osamu; Watada, Masahide; Suzuki, Rumiko; Nakachi, Saori; Kinjo, Nagisa; Kinjo, Fukunori; Yamaoka, Yoshio

2013-02-01

Helicobacter pylori dupA can be divided into two types according to the presence or absence of the mutation. In addition, full-sequenced data revealed that dupA has two types with different lengths depend on the presence of approximately 600 bp in the putative 5' region (presence; long-type and absence; short-type), which has not been taken into account in previous studies. A total of 319 strains isolated from Okinawa, the south islands of Japan, were included. The status of dupA and cagA was determined by polymerase chain reaction. The presence of mutations in long-type dupA was determined by DNA sequencing. The prevalence of long-type dupA was 26.3% (84/319). Sequence analysis showed that there were only six cases (7.1%) with point mutations lead to stop codon among 84 long-type dupA strains studied. Interestingly, intact long-type dupA without frameshift mutation, but not short-type dupA, was significantly associated with gastric ulcer and gastric cancer than gastritis (p = .001 and p = .019, respectively). After adjustment by age, gender, and cagA, the presence of intact long-type dupA was significantly associated with gastric ulcer and gastric cancer compared with gastritis (odds ratio [OR] = 3.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.55-7.24 and OR = 4.14, 95% CI = 1.23-13.94, respectively). Intact long-type dupA is a real virulence marker for severe outcomes in Okinawa, Japan. The previous information gained from PCR-based methods without taking long-type dupA into account must be interpreted with caution. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Intact long-type dupA as a marker for gastroduodenal diseases in Okinawan subpopulation, Japan

PubMed Central

Takahashi, Ayaka; Shiota, Seiji; Matsunari, Osamu; Watada, Masahide; Suzuki, Rumiko; Nakachi, Saori; Kinjo, Nagisa; Kinjo, Fukunori; Yamaoka, Yoshio

2012-01-01

Background Helicobacter pylori dupA can be divided into two types according to the presence or absence of the mutation. In addition, full-sequenced data revealed that dupA has two types with different lengths depend on the presence of approximately 600 bp in the putative 5' region (presence; long-type and absence; short-type), which has not been taken into account in previous studies. Methods A total of 319 strains isolated from Okinawa, the south islands of Japan, were included. The status of dupA and cagA was determined by polymerase chain reaction. The presence of mutations in long-type dupA was determined by DNA sequencing. Results The prevalence of long-type dupA was 26.3% (84/319). Sequence analysis showed that there were only 6 cases (7.1%) with point mutations lead to stop codon among 84 long-type dupA strains studied. Interestingly, intact long-type dupA without frameshift mutation, but not short-type dupA was significantly associated with gastric ulcer and gastric cancer than gastritis (P = 0.001 and P = 0.019, respectively). After adjustment by age, gender and cagA, the presence of intact long-type dupA was significantly associated with gastric ulcer and gastric cancer compared with gastritis (odds ratio [OR] = 3.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.55–7.24 and OR = 4.14, 95% CI = 1.23–13.94, respectively). Conclusions Intact long-type dupA is a real virulence marker for severe outcomes in Okinawa, Japan. The previous information gained from PCR-based methods without taking long-type dupA into account must be interpreted with caution. PMID:23067336

Exploring fungal diversity in deep-sea sediments from Okinawa Trough using high-throughput Illumina sequencing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiao-Yong; Wang, Guang-Hua; Xu, Xin-Ya; Nong, Xu-Hua; Wang, Jie; Amin, Muhammad; Qi, Shu-Hua

2016-10-01

The present study investigated the fungal diversity in four different deep-sea sediments from Okinawa Trough using high-throughput Illumina sequencing of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS1). A total of 40,297 fungal ITS1 sequences clustered into 420 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with 97% sequence similarity and 170 taxa were recovered from these sediments. Most ITS1 sequences (78%) belonged to the phylum Ascomycota, followed by Basidiomycota (17.3%), Zygomycota (1.5%) and Chytridiomycota (0.8%), and a small proportion (2.4%) belonged to unassigned fungal phyla. Compared with previous studies on fungal diversity of sediments from deep-sea environments by culture-dependent approach and clone library analysis, the present result suggested that Illumina sequencing had been dramatically accelerating the discovery of fungal community of deep-sea sediments. Furthermore, our results revealed that Sordariomycetes was the most diverse and abundant fungal class in this study, challenging the traditional view that the diversity of Sordariomycetes phylotypes was low in the deep-sea environments. In addition, more than 12 taxa accounted for 21.5% sequences were found to be rarely reported as deep-sea fungi, suggesting the deep-sea sediments from Okinawa Trough harbored a plethora of different fungal communities compared with other deep-sea environments. To our knowledge, this study is the first exploration of the fungal diversity in deep-sea sediments from Okinawa Trough using high-throughput Illumina sequencing.

Child Development in Okinawa Compared with Tokyo and Denver, and the Implications for Developmental Screening.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ueda, Reiko

1978-01-01

Developmental differences in the Denver Developmental Screening Test items were demonstrated between samples of children from Okinawa (n=615) and Tokyo (n=1171), who were 16 days to 6 years old. Journal availability: see EC 112 661. (Author)

Association of an alphasatellite with tomato yellow leaf curl virus and ageratum yellow vein virus in Japan is suggestive of a recent introduction.

PubMed

Shahid, Muhammad Shafiq; Ikegami, Masato; Waheed, Abdul; Briddon, Rob W; Natsuaki, Keiko T

2014-01-14

Samples were collected in 2011 from tomato plants exhibiting typical tomato leaf curl disease symptoms in the vicinity of Komae, Japan. PCR mediated amplification, cloning and sequencing of all begomovirus components from two plants from different fields showed the plants to be infected by Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and Ageratum yellow vein virus (AYVV). Both viruses have previously been shown to be present in Japan, although this is the first identification of AYVV on mainland Japan; the virus previously having been shown to be present on the Okinawa Islands. The plant harboring AYVV was also shown to contain the betasatellite Tomato leaf curl Java betasatellite (ToLCJaB), a satellite not previously shown to be present in Japan. No betasatellite was associated with the TYLCV infected tomato plants analyzed here, consistent with earlier findings for this virus in Japan. Surprisingly both plants were also found to harbor an alphasatellite; no alphasatellites having previously been reported from Japan. The alphasatellite associated with both viruses was shown to be Sida yellow vein China alphasatellite which has previously only been identified in the Yunnan Province of China and Nepal. The results suggest that further begomoviruses, and their associated satellites, are being introduced to Japan. The significance of these findings is discussed.

Magnetic anomalies associated with abundant production of pyrrhotite in a sulfide deposit in the Okinawa Trough, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honsho, Chie; Yamazaki, Toshitsugu; Ura, Tamaki; Okino, Kyoko; Morozumi, Haruhisa; Ueda, Satoshi

2016-11-01

We report here results from a deep-sea magnetic survey using an autonomous underwater vehicle over the Hakurei hydrothermal site, in the middle Okinawa Trough. Magnetic inversion revealed that the Hakurei site is associated with well-defined high-magnetization zones distributed within a broad low-magnetization zone. Results from rock magnetic measurements, performed on sulfide ore samples obtained by drilling, showed that some samples possessed extremely high natural remanent magnetization (NRM) (as much as 6.8-953.0 A/m), although most of the measured samples had much lower NRM. These high-NRM samples were characterized by high Königsberger ratios (101-103), indicating much larger NRM than induced magnetization, and contained pyrrhotite as the only magnetic mineral. This suggests that NRM carried by pyrrhotite is the source of the observed magnetic anomalies. The wide range of NRM intensity was considered to be due to a highly heterogeneous distribution of pyrrhotite, because pyrrhotite was commonly identified in both the high-NRM and low-NRM samples. Pyrrhotite production may have been occasionally drastically increased, with highly magnetic ores formed as a result. Rapid burial of active vents may result in the creation of an extensive reducing environment under the seafloor, which is favorable to pyrrhotite production, and may also prevent oxidation of pyrrhotite by isolating it from seawater. Because the magnetization intensity of sulfide ores was highly variable, it would not be straightforward to estimate the quantity of ore deposits from the magnetic anomalies. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates the usefulness of magnetic surveys in detecting hydrothermal deposits.

Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors, Sleeping Environment, for Allergic Diseases in Infant: Analysis of a Data Subset from the South Kyushu and Okinawa Study Area of Japan Environment and Children's Study.

PubMed

Miyazaki, Wataru; Lu, Xi; Oda, Masako; Kuroda, Yoshiki; Aoki, Kazuo; Mitsubuchi, Hiroshi; Ohba, Takashi; Katoh, Takahiko

2016-01-01

The incidence of infant allergic diseases have increased recently, and it may be caused by multiple influences of both genetic and environmental factors from the fetal stage through infancy. In this study, we analyzed a data subset from the South Kyushu and Okinawa (SKO) Study Area of Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) to determine the relationship of allergic diseases in infants with mothers' characteristics and/or infants' life habits, especially sleeping. A total of 3873 mother-infant pairs from the SKO Regional Center of JECS were included. The mothers responded to questionnaires in the first trimester of their pregnancy and the self-reported questionnaire when their infants were 1 year old. Student's t-test, chi-square test, trend test, and logistic regression analysis were carried out to analyze the associations between the infants' allergic diseases and the mothers' genetic characteristics and/or sleeping habits of infants. Maternal allergic diseases were significantly associated with increased infant allergy risk (OR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.63-2.27). The number of allergic diseases of mothers was also significantly associated with infant allergy, and the trend test showed an increasing risk of infant allergy (p<0.001). Regarding infants' life habits, the infants who sleep in the prone position had a higher allergic disease risk than those who sleep in other positions (OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.17-1.83). These significant associations were observed regardless of the presence of allergy in mothers. This study suggests that the development of allergic diseases in infants may be caused by the multiple participation of both genetic and environmental factors.

Discovery of Fracture Networks in the Basal Part of Modern Hydrothermal System in Okinawa Tough, SW Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, S.; Yamada, Y.; Sanada, Y.; Kido, Y. N.; Hamada, Y.; Shiraishi, K.; Hsiung, K. H.; Tsuji, T.; Eng, C.; Maeda, L.; Kumagai, H.; Nozaki, T.; Ishibashi, J. I.

2017-12-01

A scientific drilling expedition, CK16-01 was conducted by D/V Chikyu in an active hydrothermal field on the Iheya-North Knoll in Okinawa Trough in February-March, 2016 as a part of "Next-generation Technology for Ocean Resources Survey" of the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP). During the expedition logging while drilling (LWD) was deployed to uncover the architecture of modern hydrothermal deposits near the seafloor. A downhole sequence of fracture network (stock-work) was discovered by high resolution resistivity images at Site C9023 in the southern part of the knoll. More than 500 structural features were extracted from the borehole images down to 188 meter below the seafloor. Quantitative image analyses were performed and three types of conductive fractures were identified and classified as Generation 1 (G1), Generation 2 (G2), and Generation 3 (G3) based on the crossing or cutting relationship. The average thickness of fractures decrease with generation from G1 (78 mm), G2 (57 mm), to G3 (45 mm). G1 is developed in the entire interval, whereas G2 and G3 are commonly observed in the intervals of lower gamma ray and high resistivity ( 10 ohm-m) at 77-125 m and 167-186 m where sulfide minerals hosted in silicified rocks were observed in recovered core samples. Low angle fractures (<30°) are typically developed in the interval at 120 -125 m, suggesting possible lateral hydrothermal conduits. The quantitative analysis of fracture network based on borehole images shows the detailed formation process of stock-work in the basal part of modern hydrothermal system.

A new species and new record of deep-sea scale-worms (Polynoidae: Polychaeta) from the Okinawa Trough and the South China Sea.

PubMed

Sui, Jixing; Li, Xinzheng

2017-03-06

A new species of scale-worm, Lepidonotopodium okinawae sp. nov. from the Okinawa Trough is described. The new species differs from the other species of Lepidonotopodium by having 24 segments and numerous foveolae on the surface of elytra with one globular micropapilla in every foveola. A new record of the mussel commensal Branchipolynoe pettiboneae Miura & Hashimoto, 1991 is reported and described from the northern South China Sea, where for the first time the scale-worm is noted as occurring at a cold-seep. Keys to distinguish the species of Branchipolynoe and Lepidonotopodium are provided.

Mapping the genetic diversity of HLA haplotypes in the Japanese populations

PubMed Central

Saw, Woei-Yuh; Liu, Xuanyao; Khor, Chiea-Chuen; Takeuchi, Fumihiko; Katsuya, Tomohiro; Kimura, Ryosuke; Nabika, Toru; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Tabara, Yasuharu; Yamamoto, Ken; Yokota, Mitsuhiro; Akiyama, Koichi; Asano, Hiroyuki; Asayama, Kei; Haga, Toshikazu; Hara, Azusa; Hirose, Takuo; Hosaka, Miki; Ichihara, Sahoko; Imai, Yutaka; Inoue, Ryusuke; Ishiguro, Aya; Isomura, Minoru; Isono, Masato; Kamide, Kei; Kato, Norihiro; Katsuya, Tomohiro; Kikuya, Masahiro; Kohara, Katsuhiko; Matsubara, Tatsuaki; Matsuda, Ayako; Metoki, Hirohito; Miki, Tetsuro; Murakami, Keiko; Nabika, Toru; Nakatochi, Masahiro; Ogihara, Toshio; Ohnaka, Keizo; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Rakugi, Hiromi; Satoh, Michihiro; Shiwaku, Kunihiro; Sugimoto, Ken; Tabara, Yasuharu; Takami, Yoichi; Takayanagi, Ryoichi; Takeuchi, Fumihiko; Tsubota-Utsugi, Megumi; Yamamoto, Ken; Yamamoto, Koichi; Yamasaki, Masayuki; Yasui, Daisaku; Yokota, Mitsuhiro; Teo, Yik-Ying; Kato, Norihiro

2015-01-01

Japan has often been viewed as an Asian country that possesses a genetically homogenous community. The basis for partitioning the country into prefectures has largely been geographical, although cultural and linguistic differences still exist between some of the districts/prefectures, especially between Okinawa and the mainland prefectures. The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) region has consistently emerged as the most polymorphic region in the human genome, harbouring numerous biologically important variants; nevertheless the presence of population-specific long haplotypes hinders the imputation of SNPs and classical HLA alleles. Here, we examined the extent of genetic variation at the MHC between eight Japanese populations sampled from Okinawa, and six other prefectures located in or close to the mainland of Japan, specifically focusing at the haplotypes observed within each population, and what the impact of any variation has on imputation. Our results indicated that Okinawa was genetically farther to the mainland Japanese than were Gujarati Indians from Tamil Indians, while the mainland Japanese from six prefectures were more homogeneous than between northern and southern Han Chinese. The distribution of haplotypes across Japan was similar, although imputation was most accurate for Okinawa and several mainland prefectures when population-specific panels were used as reference. PMID:26648100

Geochemical Evidence for Recent Hydrothermal Alteration of Marine Sediments in Mid-Okinawa Trough, Southwest Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, A.; Abe, G.; Yamaguchi, K. E.

2014-12-01

Recent studies have shown that submarine hydrothermal system supports diverse microbial life. Bio-essential metals supporting such microbial communities were released from basalts by high-temperature water-rock interaction in deeper part of the oceanic crust and carried by submarine fluid flow. Its total quantity in global hydrothermal settings has been estimated to be on the order of ~1019 g/yr, which is surprisingly on the same order of the total river flows (Urabe et al., 2011). Therefore, it is important to explore how submarine river system works, i.e., to understand mechanism and extent of elemental transport, which should lead to understanding of the roles of hydrothermal circulation in oceanic crust in controlling elemental budget in the global ocean and geochemical conditions to support deep hot biosphere. 　We performed REE analysis of marine sediments influenced by submarine hydrothermal activity in Mid-Okinawa Trough. The sediment samples used in this study are from IODP site at Iheya North region and JADE site at Izena region. The samples show alternation between volcanic and clastic sediments. Hydrothermal fluids of this area contain elevated concentrations of volatile components such as H2, CO2, CH4, NH4+, and H2S, supporting diverse chemoautotrophic microbial community (Nakagawa et al., 2005). The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of hydrothermal activity on the REE signature of the sediments. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the samples show relative enrichment of light over heavy REEs, weak positive Ce anomalies, and variable degrees of negative Eu anomalies. The REE patterns suggest the sediments source was mainly basalt, suggesting insignificant input of continental materials. Negative Eu anomalies found in the IODP site become more pronounced with increasing depth, suggesting progressive increase of hydrothermal alteration where Eu was reductively dissolved into fluids by decomposition of feldspars. Contrary, at the JADE site

Back-Arc Opening in the Western End of the Okinawa Trough Revealed From GNSS/Acoustic Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Horng-Yue; Ikuta, Ryoya; Lin, Cheng-Horng; Hsu, Ya-Ju; Kohmi, Takeru; Wang, Chau-Chang; Yu, Shui-Beih; Tu, Yoko; Tsujii, Toshiaki; Ando, Masataka

2018-01-01

We measured seafloor movement using a Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)/Acoustic technique at the south of the rifting valley in the western end of the Okinawa Trough back-arc basin, 60 km east of northeastern corner of Taiwan. The horizontal position of the seafloor benchmark, measured eight times between July 2012 and May 2016, showed a southeastward movement suggesting a back-arc opening of the Okinawa Trough. The average velocity of the seafloor benchmark shows a block motion together with Yonaguni Island. The westernmost part of the Ryukyu Arc rotates clockwise and is pulled apart from the Taiwan Island, which should cause the expansion of the Yilan Plain, Taiwan. Comparing the motion of the seafloor benchmark with adjacent seismicity, we suggest a gentle episodic opening of the rifting valley accompanying a moderate seismic activation, which differs from the case in the segment north off-Yonaguni Island where a rapid dyke intrusion occurs with a significant seismic activity.

Generation of high-Mg andesites in the Kueishantao volcano, the southernmost part of the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, C.; Chung, S.; Shinjo, R.; Wang, S.; Chen, C.

2004-12-01

Kueishantao is an emerged volcanic islet located at the western end of the Southernmost Part of Okinawa Trough (SPOT). The Okinawa Trough, extending from SW Kyushu, Japan to NE Taiwan, is widely regarded as a backarc basin that is built behind the Ryukyu arc-trench system owing to subduction of the Philippine Sea plate underneath the Eurasian plate. The SPOT, however, is not a simple backarc basin but an embryonic rift zone in which early arc volcanism occurs as a result of the Ryukyu subduction (Chung et al., 2000). The Kueishantao is one of such volcanoes thus formed in the SPOT and consists mainly of andesitic lava flows dated to be ˜7000 yr old. In this study, we report whole rock major and trace element, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions of the Kueishantao andesites. The results indicate that some of the samples have unexpectedly high magnesium, with MgO ≥ 5 wt.% and Mg# > 0.5, relative to their silica contents (SiO2≈ 60 wt.%), which allow them to be coined as high-Mg andesites (HMAs). In the incompatible element variation diagram, these Kueishantao HMAs exhibit enrichments in the large ion lithophile elements and Th, U and Pb, and depletions in the high field strength elements, features typical of arc lavas from the Ryukyu subduction zone as well as convergent margins worldwide. More interestingly, their overall geochemical compositions are very similar to those of the mean continental crust proposed by Rudnick and Fountain (1995). The Kueishantao HMAs have uniform isotope compositions, with low ɛ Nd (-4.3 to -5.0), high Sr (87Sr/86Sr¡Ö≈ 0.706) and Pb (18.75, 15.68 and 39.02 of 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb, respectively) ratios. Such ¡°continental¡± isotopic signatures have led previous workers (Chen et al., 1995) to argue significant crustal contamination as a major petrogenetic process, but our evaluation shows that this simple binary mixing model fails to explain their geochemical and Pb isotope systematics. We propose, instead

Lost in Translation: U.S. Forces and Crime in Japan

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE A 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) This thesis argues that Japanese media disproportionately finds United States Forces...finds that genuine crime rates are low even when compared to already low crime rates in the country. The thesis situates this media over-attribution...Okinawa shoulders for U.S. military bases, but also political and media incentives in Okinawa that lead local political actors to emphasize these burdens

A new species of Chiridota (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Apodida: Chiridotidae) from Japan, and First record of C. rigida from Japan.

PubMed

Yamana, Yusuke; Tanaka, Hayato

2017-10-31

A new apodid sea cucumber, Chiridota impatiens sp. nov., is described from the intertidal zone of Okinawa, Japan, and C. rigida Semper, 1867 is also described from the intertidal zone of Wakayama, as new to Japan. C. impatiens sp. nov. is approximately 60-70 mm, with 12 tentacles and 4-7 pairs of digits per tentacle, red or reddish brown in living specimens. The tentacles contain curved rod ossicles, with spinous processes and many branches in C. rigida, however, in C. impatiens sp. nov., the curved rod ossicles are crescent-shaped, sometimes distally, with spinous processes and rarely a few branches on the circumference. In both species, the body wall contains flattened rod ossicles, mostly present along the longitudinal muscle and mesentery, curved rod ossicles primarily in the body wall, and wheel ossicles only in the wheel-papillae. In C. rigida, the contents of the wheel-papillae form a hemispherical sack-shaped structures, in which the teeth-side of the wheel ossicles mostly faces towards the outside of the body. In C. impatiens sp. nov., the contents of the wheel-papillae form a cord-shaped structure (present in both preserved and living specimens), in which the teeth-side of the wheel ossicles faces various directions, and that can be induced to break through the skin of the papillae if stimulated in living specimens.

Matrix representations of SOn + 2 in an SOn × SO2 basis and some isoscalar factors for SOn + 2 ⊃ SOn × SO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Feng; Cao, Yu-Fang

1992-02-01

Vector coherent state (VCS) theory is applied to the group chain SOn+2⊇SOn×SO2. Matrix elements of SOn+2 generators in the SOn+2⊇SOn×SO2 basis are derived. A new formula for the evaluation of some isoscalar factors for SOn+2⊇SOn×SO2 with branching multiplicity is derived in the VCS framework. As a simple example, a new expression of some isoscalar factors for SO5⊇SO3×SO2, which involves only 6j coefficients and K-normalization factors, are obtained by using this formula.

Studies on physiological responses of residents in Okinawa to a hot environment.

PubMed

Hori, S; Ihzuka, H; Nakamura, M

1976-01-01

In an attempt to reconfirm Kuno's observation that changes in sweating reaction during long-term heat acclimatization differ from those during short-term heat acclimatization, Ohara's sweating test was performed in summer in Okinawa on 37 male subjects, including 19 residents born and raised in Okinawa (group O) and 18 residents born and raised on one of the main Japanese islands (group M). Seasonal variation of adaptability to heat was also studied in some subjects of both groups. Group O showed significantly less sweat loss, lower Na concentration in sweat and a longer latent period for onset of sweating than group M. Group O showed no seasonal variation in sweat loss, while group M showed considerably greater sweat loss in summer than in winter. In both groups, lower Na concentration in sweat, lower rise in rectal temperature and lesser increase in heart rate in summer than in winter were observed. Seasonal difference in physiological responses of group O to heat exposure was less than that of group M. In conclusion, it was assumed that acclimatization to heat of group O had advanced further than that of group M and this was the reason for longer latent period of sweating and lesser sweat loss in group O in spite of the same rise in rectal temperature in both groups. Discussions were carried out to explain how the sweating pattern and mechanism of acclimatization in group O were different from those in group M.

Refinement of a locus for autosomal dominant hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominancy (HMSN-P) and genetic heterogeneity.

PubMed

Maeda, Kouji; Kaji, Ryuji; Yasuno, Katsuhito; Jambaldorj, Jamiyansuren; Nodera, Hiroyuki; Takashima, Hiroshi; Nakagawa, Masanori; Makino, Satoshi; Tamiya, Gen

2007-01-01

Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominancy (HMSN-P) is an adult-onset peripheral neurodegenerative disorder which has been reported only in the Okinawa Islands, Japan. The disease locus of "Okinawa-type" HMSN-P has been previously mapped to 3q13.1, with all affected individuals sharing an identical haplotype around the locus, suggesting that the undiscovered causative mutation in HMSN-P originated from a single founder. We have newly found two large families from the western part of Japan within which multiple members developed symptoms similar to those exhibited by HMSN-P patients from Okinawa, with no record of affinal connection between the islands. Using these pedigrees with "Kansai-type" HMSN-P, we carried out a linkage study utilizing eight microsatellite markers and identified a candidate region on 3q13.1 cosegregating with the disease (maximum two-point LOD score of 8.44 at theta=0.0) overlapping with the Okinawa-type HMSN-P locus. However, the disease haplotype shared among all affected members in these families was different from that in the Okinawa kindred, suggesting allelic heterogeneity. Such allelic variation should aid in the identification of the disease-causative gene. Moreover, the allelic heterogeneity of HMSN-P in the Japanese population suggests that HMSN-P may be more common across other ethnic groups, but classified into other disease categories.

Father and adolescent son variables related to son's HIV prevention.

PubMed

Glenn, Betty L; Demi, Alice; Kimble, Laura P

2008-02-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fathers' influences and African American male adolescents' perceptions of self-efficacy to reduce high-risk sexual behavior. A convenience sample of 70 fathers was recruited from churches in a large metropolitan area in the South. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis indicated father-related factors and son-related factors were associated with 26.1% of the variance in son's self-efficacy to be abstinent. In the regression model greater son's perception of the communication of sexual standards and greater father's perception of his son's self-efficacy were significantly related to greater son's self-efficacy for abstinence. The second regression model with son's self-efficacy for safer sex as the criterion was not statistically significant. Data support the need for fathers to express confidence in their sons' ability to be abstinent or practice safer sex and to communicate with their sons regarding sexual issues and standards.

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) genetic typing in Kakeroma Island, an island at the crossroads of the ryukyuans and Wajin in Japan, providing further insights into the origin of the virus in Japan.

PubMed

Eguchi, Katsuyuki; Fujii, Hidefumi; Oshima, Kengo; Otani, Masashi; Matsuo, Toshiaki; Yamamoto, Taro

2009-08-01

Peripheral blood samples were collected from 23 human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) carriers residing in Kakeroma Island, Japan (Kagoshima Prefecture, Oshima County, Setouchi Town), one of the most highly endemic areas in Japan. The samples were subjected to amplification by PCR and sequencing of the Long Terminal Repeat in order to reconstruct a phylogenetic tree of HTLV-1 isolates. Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of env region was also conducted for subgrouping of HTLV-1. Although one sample could not be amplified by PCR, and three more could not be sequenced due to the existence of conspicuous nonspecific bands or repeated sequences, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that the remaining 19 isolates obtained from Kakeroma Island belonged to either the Transcontinental or the Japanese subgroups of the Cosmopolitan subtype, one of the three major subtypes. The RFLP data corresponded closely with the typing data throughout the sequencing. The proportion of the Transcontinental subgroup among the isolates was 26.3% (5 of 19) by sequence analysis and 27.3% (6 of 22) by RFLP. Unlike in Taiwan, China and Okinawa, the Japanese subgroup was dominant in Kakeroma Island. The analysis would also suggest that the Japanese subgroup seems not to have derived from the Transcontinental subgroup, but rather that the Transcontinental subgroup came to Japan first and was followed later by the Japanese one. 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PREFACE: The 6th International Symposium on Measurement Techniques for Multiphase Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, Koji; Murai, Yuichi

2009-02-01

Research on multi-phase flows is very important for industrial applications, including power stations, vehicles, engines, food processing, and so on. Also, from the environmental viewpoint, multi-phase flows need to be investigated to overcome global warming. Multi-phase flows originally have non-linear features because they are multi-phased. The interaction between the phases plays a very interesting role in the flows. The non-linear interaction causes the multi-phase flows to be very difficult to understand phenomena. The International Symposium on Measurement Techniques for Multi-phase Flows (ISMTMF) is a unique symposium. The target of the symposium is to exchange the state-of-the-art knowledge on the measurement techniques for non-linear multi-phase flows. Measurement technique is the key technology to understanding non-linear phenomena. The ISMTMF began in 1995 in Nanjing, China. The symposium has continuously been held every two or three years. The ISMTMF-2008 was held in Okinawa, Japan as the 6th symposium of ISMTMF on 15-17 December 2008. Okinawa has a long history as the Ryukyus Kingdom. China and Japan have had cultural and economic exchanges through Okinawa for more than 1000 years. Please enjoy Okinawa and experience its history to enhance our international communication. The present symposium was attended by 124 participants, the program included 107 contributions with 5 plenary lectures, 2 keynote lectures, and 100 oral regular paper presentations. The topics include, besides the ordinary measurement techniques for multiphase flows, acoustic and electric sensors, bubbles and microbubbles, computed tomography, gas-liquid interface, laser-imaging and PIV, oil/coal/drop and spray, solid and powder, spectral and multi-physics. This volume includes the presented papers at ISMTMF-2008. In addition to this volume, ten selected papers will be published in a special issue of Measurement Science and Technology. We would like to express special thanks to all

First columbellid species (Gastropoda: Buccinoidea) from deep-sea hydrothermal vents, discovered in Okinawa Trough, Japan.

PubMed

Chen, Chong; Watanabe, Hiromi Kayama; Araya, Juan Francisco

2017-12-12

The molluscan diversity of deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems in Japan has been in general well documented with about 80 described species, of which over half are gastropods (Sasaki et al. 2005; Fujikura et al. 2012; Sasaki et al. 2016). Recently, however, a number of novel hydrothermal vent sites were discovered in the area using multibeam echo-sounding (Nakamura et al. 2015), providing opportunities for new discoveries. As a part of ongoing studies documenting the biodiversity of such sites, we present the first record of Columbellidae from hydrothermal vents, with a new species recovered from Natsu and Aki sites, in the Iheya North hydrothermal field (for map and background on the vent field see Nakamura et al. 2015).

Japan PGx Data Science Consortium Database: SNPs and HLA genotype data from 2994 Japanese healthy individuals for pharmacogenomics studies.

PubMed

Kamitsuji, Shigeo; Matsuda, Takashi; Nishimura, Koichi; Endo, Seiko; Wada, Chisa; Watanabe, Kenji; Hasegawa, Koichi; Hishigaki, Haretsugu; Masuda, Masatoshi; Kuwahara, Yusuke; Tsuritani, Katsuki; Sugiura, Kenkichi; Kubota, Tomoko; Miyoshi, Shinji; Okada, Kinya; Nakazono, Kazuyuki; Sugaya, Yuki; Yang, Woosung; Sawamoto, Taiji; Uchida, Wataru; Shinagawa, Akira; Fujiwara, Tsutomu; Yamada, Hisaharu; Suematsu, Koji; Tsutsui, Naohisa; Kamatani, Naoyuki; Liou, Shyh-Yuh

2015-06-01

Japan Pharmacogenomics Data Science Consortium (JPDSC) has assembled a database for conducting pharmacogenomics (PGx) studies in Japanese subjects. The database contains the genotypes of 2.5 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 5 human leukocyte antigen loci from 2994 Japanese healthy volunteers, as well as 121 kinds of clinical information, including self-reports, physiological data, hematological data and biochemical data. In this article, the reliability of our data was evaluated by principal component analysis (PCA) and association analysis for hematological and biochemical traits by using genome-wide SNP data. PCA of the SNPs showed that all the samples were collected from the Japanese population and that the samples were separated into two major clusters by birthplace, Okinawa and other than Okinawa, as had been previously reported. Among 87 SNPs that have been reported to be associated with 18 hematological and biochemical traits in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), the associations of 56 SNPs were replicated using our data base. Statistical power simulations showed that the sample size of the JPDSC control database is large enough to detect genetic markers having a relatively strong association even when the case sample size is small. The JPDSC database will be useful as control data for conducting PGx studies to explore genetic markers to improve the safety and efficacy of drugs either during clinical development or in post-marketing.

A biomarker record of temperature and phytoplankton community in Okinawa Trough since the last glacial maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruan, Jiaping

2017-04-01

A variety of biomarkers were examined from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) core 1202B to reconstruct temperature and phytoplankton community structures in the southern Okinawa Trough for the past ca. 20000 years. Two molecular temperature proxies (Uk37 and TEX86) show 5-6 ℃ warming during the glacial/interglacial transition. Prior to the Holocene, the Uk37-derived temperature was generally 1-4 ℃ higher than TEX86-derived temperature. This difference, however, was reduced to <1 ℃ in the Holocene when the Kuroshio Current was intensified. Correspondingly, the phytoplankton biomarkers (e.g., C37:2 alkenone, brassicasterol, C30 1,15-diols and dinosterol) suggest a shift of planktonic community assemblages with coccolithophorids becoming more abundant in the Holocene at the expense of diatoms/dinoflagellates. Such a shift is related to the variability of nutrient, temperature and salinity in the Okinawa Trough, controlled by the sea level and the intensity of Kuroshio Current. The phytoplankton community change may have profound implications on atmospheric CO2 fluctuations during glacial/interglacial cycles since diatoms and dinoflagellates have a higher efficiency of biological pump than coccolithophorids.

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

Geophysical and Geochemical Signatures Associated with Mantle Fluids Beneath an Active Shear Zone, Southwest Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umeda, K.; Asamori, K.; Sueoka, S.; Tamura, H.; Shimizu, M.

2014-12-01

In 1997, the Kagoshima earthquake doublet, consisting of two closely associated Mw ~ 6 strike-slip events, five km and 48 days apart, has occurred in southwest Japan. The location is where an E-W trending discontinuity along 32°N latitude on southern Kyushu Island is clearly defined in GPS velocities, indicating the presence of a highly active left-lateral shear zone. However, there have not been any obvious indications of active faulting at the surface prior to the earthquake doublet, which could be associated with this shear zone. Three-dimensional inversion of magnetotelluric sounding data obtained in the source region of the earthquake doublet reveals a near-vertical conductive zone with a width of 20 km, extending down to the base of the crust and perhaps into the upper mantle toward the Okinawa trough. The prominent conductor corresponds to the western part of the active shear zone. Elevated 3He/4He ratios in groundwaters sampled from hot spring and drinking water wells suggest the emission of mantle-derived helium from the seismic source region. The geophysical and geochemical observations are significant indications that the invasion of mantle fluids into the crust, driven by upwelling asthenosphere from the Okinawa trough, triggers the notable left-lateral shearing in the zone in the present-day subduction system. In addition, the existence of aqueous fluids in and below the seismogenic layer could change the strength of the zones, and alter the local stress regime, resulting in the occurrence of the 1997 earthquake doublet.

Mineral chemistry indicates the petrogenesis of rhyolite from the southwestern Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zuxing; Zeng, Zhigang; Wang, Xiaoyuan; Zhang, Yuxiang; Yin, Xuebo; Chen, Shuai; Ma, Yao; Li, Xiaohui; Qi, Hanyan

2017-12-01

To reveal the petrogenesis of rhyolite from the southwestern Okinawa Trough, the mineral chemistry of plagioclase, orthopyroxene, amphibole, quartz and Fe-Ti oxide phenocrysts were analyzed using an electron microprobe, and in suit Sr and Ba contents of plagioclase analysed by LA-ICPMS were chosen for fingerprinting plagioclases of different provenances. Results indicate an overall homogeneous composition for each of the mineral phases except for plagioclase phenocrysts which have a wide range of composition (An=39 88). Plagioclase crystals characterized by An contents of >70 are not in equilibrium with their whole-rock compositions, and coarse-sieved plagioclase phenocryst interiors record high An contents (>70) and Sr/Ba ratios (>7), which are similar to the those of plagioclase crystals in basalt. Therefore, these crystals must have been introduced to the rhyolitic magma from a more mafic source. Equilibrium temperatures estimated using orthopyroxene-liquid, iron-titanium oxide, titanium-in-quartz and amphibole geothermometers show consistent values ranging from 792 to 869°C. The equilibrium pressure calculated using amphibole compositions is close to 121 MPa which corresponds to an approximate depth of 4 km. The fO2 conditions estimated from Fe-Ti oxides and amphiboles plot slightly above the NNO buffer, which indicates that the rock formed under more oxidized conditions. Our results suggests that petrogenesis of the rhyolite due to basaltic magma ascend with the high An and Sr/Ba plaigoclases from deep magma chamber into the shallow chamber where the fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation happened. It also indicates that a two-layer magma chamber structure may occur under the southwestern Okinawa Trough.

EDITORIAL: Measurement techniques for multiphase flows Measurement techniques for multiphase flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, Koji; Murai, Yuichi

2009-11-01

Research on multiphase flows is very important for industrial applications, including power stations, vehicles, engines, food processing and so on. Multiphase flows originally have nonlinear features because of multiphase systems. The interaction between the phases plays a very interesting role in the flows. The nonlinear interaction causes the multiphase flows to be very complicated. Therefore techniques for measuring multiphase flows are very useful in helping to understand the nonlinear phenomena. The state-of-the-art measurement techniques were presented and discussed at the sixth International Symposium on Measurement Techniques for Multiphase Flows (ISMTMF2008) held in Okinawa, Japan, on 15-17 December 2008. This special feature of Measurement Science and Technology includes selected papers from ISMTMF2008. Okinawa has a long history as the Ryukyus Kingdom. China, Japan and many western Pacific countries have had cultural and economic exchanges through Okinawa for over 1000 years. Much technical and scientific information was exchanged at the symposium in Okinawa. The proceedings of ISMTMF2008 apart from these special featured papers were published in Journal of Physics: Conference Series vol. 147 (2009). We would like to express special thanks to all the contributors to the symposium and this special feature. This special feature will be a milestone in measurement techniques for multiphase flows.

Dietary habits among the JPHC study participants at baseline survey. Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study on Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases.

PubMed

Tsugane, S; Sasaki, S; Kobayashi, M; Tsubono, Y; Sobue, T

2001-10-01

Dietary habit is closely associated with development of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, however little prospective evidence has been published for Japanese, whose dietary habit is substantially different from Western countries. Therefore, frequencies of food consumption, food preference, cooking method and acceptance of dietary advice were investigated at the baseline by two kinds of self-administered food frequency questionnaires. Dietary habits between urban and rural (Tokyo and Osaka vs. others), or between Okinawa and non-Okinawa revealed recognizable differences. The so-called westernized foods such as bread, beef and coffee were more consumed in the urban areas such as Tokyo and Osaka and also in Okinawa. The frequencies of salted food intake such as pickled vegetables and salted seafoods were remarkably low in Okinawa. Cooking methods for meats, seafoods and vegetables were also unique in Okinawa. No distinct geographical difference was shown in food preference and modification of dietary habit by dietary advice.

Okinawan Consciousness and Identity Salience and Development among Okinawan University Students Studying in Hawai'i

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taira, Kazufumi; Yamauchi, Lois A.

2018-01-01

After Japan's annexation in 1879, Okinawa came under the unprecedented influence of Japanization. This research examined how learning in Hawai'i influenced the Okinawan sense of identity of 11 Okinawan students. Grounded theory analysis of interview transcripts indicated that students became more conscious as Okinawan through encounters and…

The analysis and study of fault systems in the Southernmost Part of Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Y.; Tsai, C.; Lee, C.

2004-12-01

Taiwan is located in the boundary between the Eurasian and Philippine Sea plates. Due to different subduction, two arc-trench systems in different direction were happened. One is Luzon arc-trench system in N-S direction; the other one is called Ryukyu arc-trench system in E-W direction. The Okinawa Trough is a back-arc basin which was formed by extension of Eurasian plate, and the tectonic setting in this area has a series of normal-faults and igneous bodies. According to previous studies, we know that Southernmost Part of Okinawa Trough (SPOT) have evolved at least two main tensional phases of Okinawa Trough, the first phase probably came up in early Pleistocene and struck in NE-SW direction; and the second phases occurred during late Pleistocene and Holocene changed the direction to E-W. In this study, we have used seismic data collected by R/V Chiu-Lien, Ocean Research I, and R/V L'Atalante to explain the normal-fault systems in the SPOT area. We integrate seismic profiles with corrected bathymetry to relocate these normal faults. Our results show these normal fault systems has two main strikes, respectively N60° E and N80° E. We find that most of N60° E faults are located in the northern slope of SPOT and landward to Taiwan. The N80° E faults are found in the southern slop and center area of SPOT. Compare with the faults and a new topographic map, we find there were a lot of faults around the canyon, such as North-Mienhua Canyon. We suggest that the origin of the canyon is probably due to these tectonic forces. The canyon is a weak area, and is eroded much fast than the surrounding continental shelf. Passing through a series of erosional processes, the canyon becomes what looks like today. We find a lot of graben structure located in the center of SPOT. This area is the extension axis of SPOT right now. We also find many possible igneous rocks in the seismic profiles, some of them are intrusions and the others penetrate the seabed along the weak zone and

On the fourth Diadema species (Diadema-sp) from Japan.

PubMed

Chow, Seinen; Kajigaya, Yoshikazu; Kurogi, Hiroaki; Niwa, Kentaro; Shibuno, Takuro; Nanami, Atsushi; Kiyomoto, Setuo

2014-01-01

Four long-spined sea urchin species in the genus Diadema are known to occur around the Japanese Archipelago. Three species (D. savignyi, D. setosum, and D. paucispinum) are widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. The fourth species was detected by DNA analysis among samples originally collected as D. savignyi or D. setosum in Japan and the Marshall Islands and tentatively designated as Diadema-sp, remaining an undescribed species. We analyzed nucleotide sequences of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene in the "D. savignyi-like" samples, and found all 17 individuals collected in the mainland of Japan (Sagami Bay and Kyushu) to be Diadema-sp, but all nine in the Ryukyu Archipelago (Okinawa and Ishigaki Islands) to be D. savignyi, with large nucleotide sequence difference between them (11.0%±1.7 SE). Diadema-sp and D. savignyi shared Y-shaped blue lines of iridophores along the interambulacrals, but individuals of Diadema-sp typically exhibited a conspicuous white streak at the fork of the Y-shaped blue iridophore lines, while this feature was absent in D. savignyi. Also, the central axis of the Y-shaped blue lines of iridophores was approximately twice as long as the V-component in D. savignyi whereas it was of similar length in Diadema-sp. Two parallel lines were observed to constitute the central axis of the Y-shaped blue lines in both species, but these were considerably narrower in Diadema-sp. Despite marked morphological and genetic differences, it appears that Diadema-sp has been mis-identified as D. savignyi for more than half a century.

Insufficient preparedness of primary care practices for pandemic influenza and the effect of a preparedness plan in Japan: a prefecture-wide cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Cases of emerging infectious diseases, including H5N1 influenza, H7N9 influenza, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, have been reported in recent years, and the threat of pandemic outbreaks persists. In Japan, primary care is the frontline against emerging infectious diseases in communities. Although the importance of pandemic preparedness in primary care has been highlighted previously, few studies have thus far investigated the preparedness among primary care practices (PCPs) or differences in the preparedness of different institutional settings. We examined PCP preparedness and response to the 2009 influenza pandemic in Japan, and explored the role of a pandemic preparedness plan during the pandemic. Methods We used a survey questionnaire to assess how well individual PCPs in Okinawa, Japan, were prepared for the 2009 influenza pandemic. The questionnaire was mailed to all eligible PCPs (N = 465) in Okinawa, regardless of their institutional setting. In addition, we assessed the differences in the preparedness of clinics and hospitals and determined whether the national preparedness plan affected individual preparedness and response. Data were analyzed using descriptive and logistic regression analyses. Results A total of 174 (37.4%) PCPs responded to our survey. In general, high-level personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N95 masks (45.4%), gowns (30.5%), and eye protection (21.3%) was stocked at a low rate. Clinic-based PCPs were significantly less prepared than hospital-based PCPs to provide N95 masks (OR 0.34), gowns (OR 0.15), and eye protection (OR 0.18). In addition, only 32.8% of PCPs adopted an adequate business continuity plan (BCP). After controlling for institutional setting, reading the national preparedness plan was significantly associated with establishment of a BCP (OR 5.86), and with knowledge of how to transfer a swab specimen to a local medical laboratory (OR 5.60). Conclusions With regard to PPE availability, PCPs

The tug-of-war between the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea Tropical Waters and Intermediate Waters in the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C. T. A.

2015-12-01

It has been known that Kuroshio subsurface waters are the major source of nutrients to the East China Sea continental shelf, a major fishing ground. It has also been known that subsurface waters that upwell onto the shelf are heavily affected by the South China Sea (SCS) Tropical Water and the SCS Intermediate Water which contain more nutrients than the tropical (Smax) and intermediate (Smin) waters from the West Philippine Sea (WPS). A front has been found to separate the tropical and intermediate waters from the SCS and WPS. The reported front in the Okinawa Trough, however, was identified based only on one-time data from a single cross-section in the central Okinawa Trough. Here historical hydrographic data between Mar. 1950 and Dec. 2011 in the Okinawa Trough and its neighborhood are analyzed. A vertical front tilted toward the west is found in all seasons in all years across the World Ocean Circulation Repeated Lines PR 18 and 19 as well as at the PN cross-section in the central Okinawa Trough. The front at the Smax level (sigma theta=24.6-24.9) shows large seasonal and interannual variations. In winter during normal and La Niña periods the presence of the SCS Tropical Water is the most prominent. It is the weakest in autumn during normal periods and in spring during La Nina periods. Yet during El Niño periods the SCS Tropical Water is the most prominent in spring and it becomes the weakest in winter. As for intermediate waters (Smin at sigma theta= 26.7-26.9) the WPS Intermediate Water and SCS Intermediate Water show much weaker seasonality compared with tropical waters although during normal periods in winter the WPS Intermediate Water contribution is slightly larger than during other times. During El Niño periods the WPS Intermediate Water contribution is the smallest but in spring it is much strengthened. On the other hand, the WPS Intermediate Water contribution is the smallest in spring, and the largest in winter during La Niña periods.

Life at the extreme limit: phenotypic characteristics of supercentenarians in Okinawa.

PubMed

Willcox, D Craig; Willcox, Bradley J; Wang, Nien-Chiang; He, Qimei; Rosenbaum, Matthew; Suzuki, Makoto

2008-11-01

As elite representatives of the rapidly increasing "oldest-old" population, centenarians have become an important model population for understanding human aging. However, as we are beginning to understand more about this important phenotype, another demographic group of even more elite survivors is emerging-so-called "supercentenarians" or those who survive 110-plus years. Little is known about these exceptional survivors. We assessed the Okinawa Centenarian Study (OCS) database for all information on supercentenarians. The database includes dates of birth and year of death for all residents of Okinawa 99 years old or older and a yearly geriatric assessment of all centenarians who consented, enabling prospective study of age-related traits. Of 20 potential supercentenarians identified, 15 had agreed to participate in the OCS interview, physical examination, and blood draw. Of these 15, 12 (3 men and 9 women) met our age validation criteria and were accepted as supercentenarians. Phenotypic variables studied include medical and social history, activities of daily living (ADLs), and clinical phenotypes (physiology, hematology, biochemistry, and immunology). Age at death ranged from 110 to 112 years. The majority of supercentenarians had minimal clinically apparent disease until late in life, with cataracts (42%) and fractures (33%) being common and coronary heart disease (8%), stroke (8%), cancer (0%), and diabetes (0%) rare or not evident on clinical examination. Functionally, most supercentenarians were independent in ADLs at age 100 years, and few were institutionalized before the age of 105 years. Most had normal clinical parameters at age 100 years, but by age 105 exhibited multiple clinical markers of frailty coincident with a rapid ADL decline. Supercentenarians displayed an exceptionally healthy aging phenotype where clinically apparent major chronic diseases and disabilities were markedly delayed, often beyond age 100. They had little clinical history of

Waveform anomaly caused by strong attenuation in the crust and upper mantle in the Okinawa Trough region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padhy, S.; Furumura, T.; Maeda, T.

2017-12-01

The Okinawa Trough is a young continental back-arc basin located behind the Ryukyu subduction zone in southwestern Japan, where the Philippine Sea Plate dives beneath the trough, resulting in localized mantle upwelling and crustal thinning of the overriding Eurasian Plate. The attenuation structure of the plates and surrounding mantle in this region associated with such complex tectonic environment are poorly documented. Here we present seismological evidence for these features based on the high-resolution waveform analyses and 3D finite difference method (FDM) simulation. We analyzed regional broadband waveforms recorded by F-net (NIED) of in-slab events (M>4, H>100 km). Using band-passed (0.5-8 Hz), mean-squared envelopes, we parameterized coda-decay in terms of rise-time (time from P-arrival to maximum amplitude in P-coda), decay-time (time from maximum amplitude to theoretical S-arrival), and energy-ratio defined as the ratio of energy in P-coda to that in direct P wave. The following key features are observed. First, there is a striking difference in S-excitation along paths traversing and not traversing the trough: events from SW Japan not crossing the trough show clear S waves, while those occurring in the trough show very weak S waves at a station close to the volcanic front. Second, some trough events exhibit spindle-shaped seismograms with strong P-coda excitation, obscuring the development of S waves, at back-arc stations; these waveforms are characterized by high decay-time (>10s) and high energy-ratio (>>1.0), suggesting strong forward scattering along ray paths. Third, some trough events show weak S-excitation characterized by low decay-time (<5s) and low energy-ratio (<1.0) at fore-arc stations, suggesting high intrinsic absorption. To investigate the mechanism of the observed anomalies, we will conduct FDM simulation for a suite of models comprising the key subduction features like localized mantle-upwelling and crustal thinning expected in the

Serologic evidence for hepatitis E virus infection in mongoose.

PubMed

Li, Tian-Cheng; Saito, Mika; Ogura, Go; Ishibashi, Osamu; Miyamura, Tatsuo; Takeda, Naokazu

2006-05-01

Although pig and wild boar are considered to be the reservoirs of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in Japan, the spread of HEV to other animals is unknown. Serum samples from 84 mongooses (Small Asian mongoose; Herpestes javanicus) collected in Okinawa, Japan were examined for antibodies to HEV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and RNA was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Seven (8.3%) of 84 mongooses were positive for IgG antibodies to HEV, and the antibody-positive rate increased with body weight and size, whereas HEV RNA was not detected in these samples. These results are consistent with the possibility that mongooses in Okinawa are occasionally infected with HEV; however, they are not considered the major zoonotic reservoir of HEV.

Size distributions of low molecular weight dicarboxylic acids, ketocarboxylic acids, glyoxal and methylglyoxal in the marine aerosols from Okinawa Island, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamura, K.; Lazaar, M.

2008-12-01

Size-segregated marine aerosol samples (5 sets) were collected in 2008 spring at Cape Hedo Station of National Institute of Environmental Studies, Okinawa (128.25° E, 26.87° N), an outflow region of Chinese aerosols and their precursors, using an Andersen middle volume impactor at a flow rate of 100 lpm and pre-combusted quartz fiber filters. The samples were analyzed for low molecular weight diacids and related compounds, using a capillary gas chromatography and GC/MS after BF3/n-butanol derivatization. Particle size cuts (8 stages + BUF) are 0.43, 0.65, 1.1, 2.1, 3.3, 4.7, 7 and 11.3 µm in diameter. Homologous series of aliphatic (C2-C12) and aromatic (phthalic, iso- and tere-phthalic) diacids were detected as well as w-oxoacids (C2-C9), glyoxal and methylglyoxal. Oxalic acid (C2) was found as the dominant diacid in all the size ranges, followed by malonic (C3) and succinic (C4) acids. Glyoxylic (wC2) acid was the most abundant ketoacid followed by wC4 acid. Most of the organic species maximized in fine mode of 0.65-1.1 or 1.1-2.1µm. Oxalic acid (C2, 4.4-70.6 ngm-3, av. 23.9 ngm-3) comprised 54-80% (av. 67%) of total diacid concentrations. The small diacids showed concentration peaks on fine mode, suggesting that they are produced by photochemical oxidation of volatile organic precursors during long-range atmospheric transport from Asian Continent. They may also be produced by heterogeneous reactions in the atmospheric particles (dusts and cloud droplets).

New insights into the origin of the bimodal volcanism in the middle Okinawa Trough: not a basalt-rhyolite differentiation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yuxiang; Zeng, Zhigang; Chen, Shuai; Wang, Xiaoyuan; Yin, Xuebo

2018-06-01

In the middle Okinawa Trough (MOT), rhyolites have been typically considered as products of crystallization differentiation of basaltic magma as a feature of bimodal volcanism. However, the evidence is insufficient. This paper compared chemical trends of volcanic rocks from the MOT with fractional crystallization simulation models and experimental results and utilized trace element modeling combined with Rayleigh fractionation calculations to re-examine fractional crystallization processes in generating rhyolites. Both qualitative and quantitative studies indicate that andesites, rather than rhyolites, originate by fractional crystallization from basalts in the MOT. Furthermore, we established two batch-melting models for the MOT rhyolites and proposed that type 1 rhyolites are produced by remelting of andesites with amphiboles in the residue, while type 2 rhyolites are derived from remelting of andesites without residual amphiboles. It is difficult to produce melts with a SiO2 content ranging from 62% to 68% either by magmatic differentiation from basalts or by remelting of andesites, and this difficulty might help account for the compositional gap (Daly gap) for bimodal volcanism in the Okinawa Trough.

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.

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

Sanitary evaluation of domestic water supply facilities with storage tanks and detection of Aeromonas, enteric and related bacteria in domestic water facilities in Okinawa Prefecture of Japan.

PubMed

Miyagi, Kazufumi; Sano, Kouichi; Hirai, Itaru

2017-08-01

To provide for temporary restrictions of the public water supply system, storage tanks are commonly installed in the domestic water systems of houses and apartment buildings in Okinawa Prefecture of Japan. To learn more about the sanitary condition and management of these water supply facilities with storage tanks (hereafter called "storage tank water systems") and the extent of bacterial contamination of water from these facilities, we investigated their usage and the existence of Aeromonas, enteric and related bacteria. Verbal interviews concerning the use and management of the storage tank water systems were carried out in each randomly sampled household. A total of 54 water samples were collected for bacteriological and physicochemical examinations. Conventional methods were used for total viable count, fecal coliforms, identification of bacteria such as Aeromonas, Enterobacteriaceae and non-fermentative Gram-negative rods (NF-GNR), and measurement of residual chlorine. On Aeromonas species, tests for putative virulence factor and an identification using 16S rRNA and rpoB genes were also performed. Water from the water storage systems was reported to be consumed directly without boiling in 22 of the 54 houses (40.7%). 31 of the sampled houses had installed water storage tanks of more than 1 cubic meter (m 3 ) per inhabitant, and in 21 of the sampled houses, the tank had never been cleaned. In all samples, the total viable count and fecal coliforms did not exceed quality levels prescribed by Japanese waterworks law. Although the quantity of bacteria detected was not high, 23 NF-GNR, 14 Enterobacteriaceae and 5 Aeromonas were isolated in 42.6%, 7.4% and 3.7% of samples respectively. One isolated A. hydrophila and four A. caviae possessed various putative virulence factors, especially A. hydrophila which had diverse putative pathogenic genes such as aer, hlyA, act, alt, ast, ser, and dam. Many bacteria were isolated when the concentration of residual chlorine

Ryukyuan Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trafton, Terry

The Ryukyu Islands of Japan, of which Okinawa is the best known, possess a lengthy history and a sophisticated cultural background, an exploration of which helps to shed light on this area and on mainland Japan. This document is an exposition of Ryukuan culture. Divided into eight sections, the areas covered include: (1) Historical perspective;…

Medical School Hotline

PubMed Central

Maeshiro, Masao; Izutsu, Satoru; Connolly, Kathleen Kihmm

2014-01-01

The University of Hawai‘i (UH) has been collaborating with Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital for over 46 years. This collaboration started as a post-World War II effort to increase the physician workforce. At the initiation of the US Army and State Department, the University of Hawai‘i was recruited, in cooperation with the government of the Ryukyus and USCAR, to initiate a US style postgraduate clinical training program. The Postgraduate Medical Training Program of University of Hawai‘i at Okinawa Chubu Hospital introduced a style of training similar to that in the US by offering a rotating internship. The initial contract had UH establish and run the Postgraduate Medical Training Program of University of Hawaii at Okinawa Central Hospital. After Okinawa's reversion to Japan, under a new contract, UH physicians participated as consultants by providing lectures at “grand rounds” and guidance to faculty, staff, and students. To date, 895 physicians have completed the University of Hawai‘i Postgraduate Medical Training Program with 74 currently training. Approximately 662 (74%) of the trainees have remained in Okinawa Prefecture to practice medicine. As a result, the program has enhanced the physician workforce for the islands of Okinawa and neighbor archipelagos of Miyako and Yaeyama Islands. PMID:24959393

A Laboratory-based Analysis of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Disease in Japan from 2012 to 2013.

PubMed

Morimoto, Kozo; Hasegawa, Naoki; Izumi, Kiyohiko; Namkoong, Ho; Uchimura, Kazuhiro; Yoshiyama, Takashi; Hoshino, Yoshihiko; Kurashima, Atsuyuki; Sokunaga, Jun; Shibuya, Shunsuke; Shimojima, Masahiro; Ato, Manabu; Mitarai, Satoshi

2017-01-01

Since 2010, mycobacterial examination results have been used widely to survey nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung disease. To reveal the clinical and epidemiological status of NTM lung disease in Japan. All data on the isolation and identification of mycobacteria in 2012 and 2013 were obtained from three dominant commercial laboratories in Japan. Pulmonary NTM disease was defined on the basis of bacteriological diagnostic criteria issued by the American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America. The coverage population was estimated using the ratio between national tuberculosis registration data and laboratory results for each of the eight regions of Japan. A total of 113,313 mycobacterial specimens from 4,710 institutes were collected, and specimens from 26,059 patients tested positive for NTM cultures at least once. Among patients with positive cultures, 7,167 (27.5%) satisfied the American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America criteria for NTM lung disease, resulting in a 2-year prevalence rate of 24.0 per 100,000. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) was the most commonly isolated species (93.3%), and 29.0% of the patients from whom MAC was isolated satisfied the criteria for NTM lung disease. Individuals older than 70 years of age accounted for the majority of cases, and 65.5% of cases involved females. After MAC, Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium abscessus exhibited the highest (43.6%) and second-highest (37.1%) incidence per isolation, respectively. The prevalence of M. kansasii was highest in the Kinki region (P < 0.05), and M. abscessus had the greatest prevalence in the Kyushu-Okinawa region (P < 0.005). The proportion of Mycobacterium intracellulare in MAC cases was higher in the southwestern part of Japan than in other regions. The period prevalence was highest in the southwestern part of Japan, and the standardized prevalence ratio was highest in central regions. Evaluations of clarithromycin

Genetic characterization of Okinawan black rats showing coat color polymorphisms of white spotting and melanism.

PubMed

Kambe, Yoshikazu; Nakata, Katsushi; Yasuda, Shumpei P; Suzuki, Hitoshi

2012-01-01

We examined pelage color variation in wild populations of black rats (the Rattus rattus species complex) in the Yambaru forest area, northern Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Our field study revealed that 8.7% (38/438) and 0.2% (4/2500) of rats exhibited two types of coat color: white spotting and melanism, respectively. Using 34 representative animals, the phylogeography of the population was inferred using a nuclear gene marker, i.e., sequences (954 bp) of the melanocortin-1 receptor (Mc1r) gene responsible for the melanistic form in black rats. Four sequences from Okinawa were characterized as R. tanezumi, the Asian strain of black rat. Notably, neither of the phenotypic characters of white spotting or melanism was associated with the Mc1r haplotypes. Analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) sequences (1140 bp) revealed that four haplotypes recovered from Okinawa clustered with the clade of R. tanezumi and differed by one or more bases from haplotypes at other localities in Japan and Asian countries. Thus, both variants may have arisen in the native rat population of Okinawa without interaction with the lineage of R. rattus, which exhibits a worldwide distribution and displays such coat color variants. The Yambaru population of black rats has thus experienced its own evolutionary history in allopatry for a substantial period of time (e.g., 10,000 years), which has preserved valuable genetic polymorphisms and will be useful for assessing the ecological consequences of genetic variation in natural populations.

Risk in the Ryukyu Islands: Joint Planning for Okinawa

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-25

establish bases to increase the sustained heavy bombing and air-sea blockade against Japan. Despite these benefits, the decision incurred greater risk of...establish bases to increase the sustained heavy bombing and air-sea blockade against Japan. Despite these benefits, the decision incurred greater risk of...objectives provided the Allies an opportunity to more quickly establish bases to increase the sustained heavy bombing and air-sea blockade against Japan

[Toxin profiles in fish implicated in ciguatera fish poisoning in Amami and Kakeroma Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan].

PubMed

Yogi, Kentaro; Oshiro, Naomasa; Matsuda, Seiko; Sakugawa, Satsuki; Matsuo, Toshiaki; Yasumoto, Takeshi

2013-01-01

Ciguatoxins (CTXs) responsible for ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) in Amami Islands, Kagoshima, Japan in 2008 were determined by LC-MS/MS analysis. Ciguatoxin-1B (CTX1B), 54-deoxyCTX1B, and 52-epi-54-deoxyCTX1B were detected in Variola louti and Lutjanus monostigma. The toxin profile distinctly differed from that of a CFP-related fish from Miyazaki, which mainly contained ciguatoxin-3C type toxins. Toxin profiles were species-specific, as observed in fish from Okinawa. The LC-MS/MS and mouse bioassay (MBA) methods produced comparable data, though 54-deoxyCTX1B was not taken into consideration owing to the lack of toxicity data. To improve assessment, toxicity data for this compound are needed. A reef fish caught on the same occasion and judged nontoxic by MBA (<0.025 MU/g) was found to contain low levels of CTX, indicating a potential risk for CFP.

Geochemical constraints on the origin of high-Mg andesites in the southernmost Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, C.; Chung, S.; Shinjo, R.; Gallet, S.; Wang, S.; Chen, C.

2007-12-01

The Okinawa Trough, extending from SW Kyushu to NE Taiwan, is a backarc basin of the Ryukyu arc-trench system due to subduction of the Philippine Sea plate under the Eurasian plate. The southernmost part of the Okinawa Trough (SPOT), however, does not situate in a simple backarc setting but is an embryonic rift zone in which early arc volcanism takes place. Kueishantao that consists mainly of andesitic flows dated to be ~7000 yr old is an emerged volcanic islet thus formed in SPOT. Here we report whole-rock major and trace element, and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope compositions of the Kueishantao andesites. Some of the samples have unexpectedly high magnesium, with MgO ≥ 5 wt.% and Mg# > 0.5, relative to their silica contents (SiO2 ~ 60 wt.%), so can be coined as high-Mg andesites (HMAs). These HMAs display enrichments in Cs, Rb, Ba, Th, U, LREE and Pb, and depletions in HFSE, in the incompatible element variation diagram. Their overall geochemical compositions are similar to those of the mean continental crust proposed by Rudnick and Fountain (1995). The HMAs have uniform radiogenic isotope ratios, with low ÕɛNd (-4.3 to -5.0), low ÕɛHf (-0.9 to -2.4), and high 87Sr/86Sr (~0.706) and 206Pb/204Pb (~18.75). In contrast to previous notion that calls for significant contamination of upper continental crust in the magma chamber, we propose the Kueishantao HMAs to have resulted from partial melting of the subducted sediments and altered Philippine Sea crust followed by melt-mantle interaction in the mantle wedge. This interpretation is consistent with seismic tomographic results under the SPOT region marking with a combination of collision/extension/subduction tectonic context off NE Taiwan.

Postsecondary Educational Decision-Making among First-Generation College-Bound Students in Okinawa Prefecture, with Consideration of the Population Problem in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amaki, Yuki

2010-01-01

In correspondence to an overall decline in the Japanese population, the number of young students in Japan has been dramatically decreasing to the extent that the Japanese government has predicted a situation in which as of 2009 admissions places in Japanese universities will be equal to the number of applicants. Currently, approximately fifty…

An Attempt at Captive Breeding of the Endangered Newt Echinotriton andersoni, from the Central Ryukyus in Japan.

PubMed

Igawa, Takeshi; Sugawara, Hirotaka; Tado, Miyuki; Nishitani, Takuma; Kurabayashi, Atsushi; Islam, Mohammed Mafizul; Oumi, Shohei; Katsuren, Seiki; Fujii, Tamotsu; Sumida, Masayuki

2013-07-31

Anderson's crocodile newt (Echinotriton andersoni) is distributed in the Central Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan, but environmental degradation and illegal collection over the last several decades have devastated the local populations. It has therefore been listed as a class B1 endangered species in the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is at high risk of extinction in the wild. The species is also protected by law in both Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures. An artificial insemination technique using hormonal injections could not be applied to the breeding of this species in the laboratory. In this study we naturally bred the species, and tested a laboratory farming technique using several male and female E. andersoni pairs collected from Okinawa, Amami, and Tokunoshima Islands and subsequently maintained in near-biotopic breeding cages. Among 378 eggs derived from 17 females, 319 (84.4%) became normal tailbud embryos, 274 (72.5%) hatched normally, 213 (56.3%) metamorphosed normally, and 141 (37.3%) became normal two-month-old newts; in addition, 77 one- to three-year-old Tokunoshima newts and 32 Amami larvae are currently still growing normally. Over the last five breeding seasons, eggs were laid in-cage on slopes near the waterfront. Larvae were raised in nets maintained in a temperature-controlled water bath at 20 °C and fed live Tubifex. Metamorphosed newts were transferred to plastic containers containing wet sponges kept in a temperature-controlled incubator at 22.5 °C and fed a cricket diet to promote healthy growth. This is the first published report of successfully propagating an endangered species by using breeding cages in a laboratory setting for captive breeding. Our findings on the natural breeding and raising of larvae and adults are useful in breeding this endangered species and can be applied to the preservation of other similarly wild and endangered species such as E. chinhaiensis.

Marine Subsurface Microbial Communities Across a Hydrothermal Gradient in Okinawa Trough Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandt, L. D.; Hser Wah Saw, J.; Ettema, T.; House, C. H.

2015-12-01

IODP Expedition 331 to the Okinawa backarc basin provided an opportunity to study the microbial stratigraphy within the sediments surrounding a hydrothermal vent. The Okinawa backarc basin is a sedimented region of the seafloor located on a continental margin, and also hosts a hydrothermal network within the subsurface. Site C0014 within the Iheya North hydrothermal field is located 450 m east of the active vent and has a surface temperature of 5°C with no evidence of hydrothermal alteration within the top 10 meters below sea floor (mbsf). Temperature increases with depth at an estimated rate of 3°C/m and transitions from non-hydrothermal margin sediments to a hydrothermally altered regime below 10 mbsf. In this study, we utilized deep 16S rRNA sequencing of DNA from IODP Expedition 331 Site C0014 sediment horizons in order to assess diversity throughout the sediment column as well as determine the potential limits of the biosphere. Analysis of the amplicon data shows a shift over 15 mbsf from a heterogeneous community of cosmopolitan marine subsurface taxa toward an archaeal-dominated community in the deepest horizons of the predicted biosphere. Notably, the phylum Chloroflexi represents a substantial taxon through most horizons, where it appears to be replaced below 10 mbsf by punctuations of thermophilic and methanotrophic Archaea and Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group abundances. DNA from the aforementioned transition horizons was further analyzed using metagenomic sequencing. Preliminary taxonomic analysis of the metagenomic data agrees well with amplicon data in capturing the shift in relative abundance of Archaea increasing with depth. Additionally, reverse gyrase, a gene found exclusively in hyperthermophilic microorganisms, was recovered only in the metagenome of the deepest horizon. A BLAST search of this protein sequence against the GenBank non-redudnant protein database produced top hits with reverse gyrase from Thermococcus and Pyrococcus, which are

A case of Manila type Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in Japan

PubMed Central

Usami, Osamu; Nakajima, Chie; Endo, Shiro; Inomata, Shinya; Kanamori, Hajime; Hirakata, Yoichi; Uchiyama, Bine; Kaku, Mitsuo; Suzuki, Yasuhiko; Hattori, Toshio

2015-01-01

Key Clinical Message A 76-year-old Japanese woman contracted a Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB, Manila type) infection in Japan, despite never having traveled. However, her son was treated for TB in the Philippines 3 years before he stayed at her house. Spoligotyping allows us to identify the TB genotype and identify the route of infection. PMID:26273455

Springtime variations of organic and inorganic constituents in submicron aerosols (PM1.0) from Cape Hedo, Okinawa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunwar, Bhagawati; Torii, K.; Zhu, Chunmao; Fu, Pingqing; Kawamura, Kimitaka

2016-04-01

During the spring season with enhanced Asian outflow, we collected submicron aerosol (PM1.0) samples at Cape Hedo, Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific Rim. We analyzed the filter samples for diacids, oxoacids, pyruvic acid, α-dicarbonyls and fatty acids to better understand the sources and atmospheric processes in the outflow regions of Asian pollutants. Molecular distributions of diacids show a predominance of oxalic acid (C2) followed by malonic (C3) and succinic (C4) acids. Total diacids strongly correlated with secondary source tracers such as SO42- (r = 0.87), NH4+ (0.90) and methanesulfonate (MSA-) (0.84), suggesting that diacids are secondarily formed from their precursor compounds. We also found good correlations among C2, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in the Okinawa aerosols, suggesting that diacids are mainly derived from anthropogenic sources. However, a weak correlation of diacids with levoglucosan, a biomass burning tracer, suggests that biomass buring is not the main source of diacids, rather diacids are secondarily formed by photochemical oxidation of organic precursors derived from fossil fuel combustion. We found a strong correlation (r = 0.98) between inorganic nitrogen (NO3-N + NH4-N) and total nitrogen (TN), to which organic nitrogen (ON) contributed 23%. Fatty acids were characterized by even carbon number predominance, suggesting that they are derived from biogenic sources. The higher abundances of short chain fatty acids (C20) further suggest that fatty acids are largely derived from marine phytoplankton during spring bloom.

[Suh Yang Park, who became a doctor as a son of a butcher].

PubMed

Park, Hyoung Woo; Hong, Jung Wan

2006-12-01

Dr. Suh Yang Park was born in 1885 as a son of a butcher, which was the lowest class at that time in Korea. However, contact with western missionaries, including Dr. 0. R. Avison, provided him with an understanding of western civilization. After entering Chejungwon Medical School in 1900, Dr. Park learned basic sciences, basic medical sciences like anatomy and physiology, and other Western medical specialties such as internal medicine and surgery. He graduated from medical school in 1908 and received Government Certificate from Home Office, the first in Korea in this field, which granted the right to practice medicine. His certificate number was 4th overall. As both a doctor and a talented musician, Dr. Park actively participated in the social enlightenment movement. He was quite progressive in his time, having surpassed the social limitations as a son of a butcher, as well as actively propagating his knowledge of Western civilization onto others. After graduation, he had served as a professor at the school he graduated from, until he went into exile in Manchuria in 1917 due to the annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910. There, he opened a hospital and provided medical treatment for Koreans. He also established a school for young Koreans, inspiring them with a sense of nationalism. Also, Dr. Park was an active member of various Independence Movement Organizations in Manchuria. Then in 1932, at the time when Japan took control of Manchuria, his school was closed down. As a result, Dr. Park couldn't help but stop his anti-Japanese activities. In 1936, he returned to his homeland and passed away in 1940, just five years before the liberation of Korea from Japanese occupation.

DNA profiling of pineapple cultivars in Japan discriminated by SSR markers

PubMed Central

Shoda, Moriyuki; Urasaki, Naoya; Sakiyama, Sumisu; Terakami, Shingo; Hosaka, Fumiko; Shigeta, Narumi; Nishitani, Chikako; Yamamoto, Toshiya

2012-01-01

We developed 18 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in pineapple (Ananas comosus) by using genomic libraries enriched for GA and CA motifs. The markers were used to genotype 31 pineapple accessions, including seven cultivars and 11 breeding lines from Okinawa Prefecture, 12 foreign accessions and one from a related species. These SSR loci were highly polymorphic: the 31 accessions contained three to seven alleles per locus, with an average of 4.1. The values of expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.09 to 0.76, with an average of 0.52. All 31 accessions could be successfully differentiated by the 18 SSR markers, with the exception of ‘N67-10’ and ‘Hawaiian Smooth Cayenne’. A single combination of three markers TsuAC004, TsuAC010 and TsuAC041, was enough to distinguish all accessions with one exception. A phenogram based on the SSR genotypes did not show any distinct groups, but it suggested that pineapples bred in Japan are genetically diversed. We reconfirmed the parentage of 14 pineapple accessions by comparing the SSR alleles at 17 SSR loci in each accession and its reported parents. The obtained information will contribute substantially to protecting plant breeders’ rights. PMID:23341750

IL5RA polymorphisms, smoking and eczema in Japanese women: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

PubMed

Miyake, Y; Tanaka, K; Arakawa, M

2015-02-01

The present case-control study examined the relationship between IL5RA SNPs and eczema in young adult Japanese women. Cases and control subjects were selected from pregnant women who participated in the baseline survey of the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study, which is an ongoing prebirth cohort study. Cases comprised 188 women with eczema in the previous 12 months as defined according to the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), regardless of the presence of a doctor's diagnosis of atopic eczema. Control subjects comprised 1130 women without eczema as defined according to the ISAAC criteria who also had not been diagnosed with atopic eczema by a doctor. Compared with the AA genotype of IL5RA SNP rs17881144, the AT genotype, but not the TT genotype, was significantly associated with a decreased risk of eczema. The ATTAGA haplotype and the GTAGCA haplotype of rs17882210, rs3804797, rs334809, rs9831572, rs6771148 and rs17881144 were significantly associated with an increased risk of eczema. In contrast, the GCTGCA haplotype was significantly related to a decreased risk of eczema. Multiplicative interactions between IL5RA SNPs rs334809 and rs17881144 and smoking with respect to eczema were marginally significant (P = 0.07 and 0.07, respectively). This is the first study to show significant associations between IL5RA SNP rs17881144, the ATTAGA haplotype, the GTAGCA haplotype, and the GCTGCA haplotype and eczema. Smoking may modify the relationships between SNPs rs334809 and rs17881144 and eczema. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Contrasting behavior of tungsten and molybdenum in the Okinawa Trough, the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohrin, Yoshiki; Matsui, Masakazu; Nakayama, Eiichiro

1999-10-01

By using catalytic current polarography and high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, W and Mo in seawater were determined in the Okinawa Trough, a backarc rift, and in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. Mo was distributed conservatively throughout the study area, and its salinity-normalized concentration was 104 ± 6 nM (n = 105). W was also uniformly distributed south of the Kuroshio Current (56 ± 7 pM, n = 51). Anomalous high concentrations of W (maximum 254 pM) were found in the Iheya Graben in the middle Okinawa Trough (>1000 m depth), which were probably supplied by hydrothermal activity. The concentrations of Mo and W in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea showed linear correlation with salinity (26 < S < 35). The Mo data can be explained by mixing of seawater and river water of the Changjiang (Mo = 10 nM; Qu et al., 1993). However, the values of W extrapolated to S = 0 were largely different between two cruises (1200 pM in May-June 1987 and 540 pM in June 1994) and much higher than the reported concentrations of 160 pM for world rivers by Turekian (1969) and 30 pM for unpolluted Japanese rivers by Sohrin et al. (1989). Moreover, significantly high W was observed in the bottom water at stations near the Changjiang River estuary and the western Yellow Sea. While these data may suggest that W is released from the anoxic sediments of the continental shelf, we need more data to elucidate the mechanism controlling the distribution of W.

Geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb-Li isotopic characteristics of volcanic rocks from the Okinawa Trough: Implications for the influence of subduction components and the contamination of crustal materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Kun; Zhai, Shikui; Yu, Zenghui; Wang, Shujie; Zhang, Xia; Wang, Xiaoyuan

2018-04-01

The Okinawa Trough is an infant back-arc basin developed along the Ryukyu arc. This paper provides new major and trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb-Li isotope data of volcanic rocks in the Okinawa Trough and combines the published geochemical data to discuss the composition of magma source, the influence of subduction component, and the contamination of crustal materials, and calculate the contribution between subduction sediment and altered oceanic crust in the subduction component. The results showed that there are 97% DM and 3% EMI component in the mantle source in middle trough (MS), which have been influenced by subduction sediment. The Li-Nd isotopes indicate that the contribution of subduction sediment and altered oceanic crust in subduction component are 4 and 96%, respectively. The intermediate-acidic rocks suffer from contamination of continental crust material in shallow magma chamber during fractional crystallization. The acidic rocks in south trough have experienced more contamination of crustal material than those from the middle and north trough segments.

Preference for sons: past and present.

PubMed

Li, D

1997-10-01

This brief article discusses the present and past preference for sons in China. The preference for sons is rooted in feudal views that men are superior to women. Preference for sons dates back to the Warring States Period, in about 500 B.C. Clan brotherhoods of men have existed for centuries. Historical records mention the practice of female infanticide. Patriarchal families believed that women were economically dependent on men and thus became their subjects. Daughters married, lived in their husband's home, and did not carry the responsibility of caring for their own parents. Couples with only daughters would seek a son-in-law to support them in old age. Rural families with no sons were looked down upon. Sons were expected to carry on the family lineage, increase the reputation of the family, and protect the family's interests. The lack of sons was a sign of humiliation and a curse. The founding of the People's Republic of China brought changes to son preference. The government attempted to increase women's status. In rural areas, women were given equal access to the land. Job opportunities were created for women during the industrialization drive. The Chinese government encouraged the repudiation of the negative impacts of the doctrines of Confucius and Mencius. Efforts were made to give men and women equal pay for equal work. Legislation was passed prohibiting arranged marriage, polygyny, and early marriage. A side effect of fertility decline is the renewed preference for sons. In Huangyan and Haining in Zhejiang, a developed province, the sex ratio at birth is normal. Sexual division of labor reinforces son preference.

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

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.

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of ambient aerosols collected from Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific Rim, an outflow region of Asian dusts and pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunwar, Bhagawati; Kawamura, Kimitaka; Zhu, Chunmao

2016-04-01

Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios were measured for total carbon (TC) and nitrogen (TN), respectively, in aerosol (TSP) samples collected at Cape Hedo, Okinawa, an outflow region of Asian pollutants, during 2009-2010. The averaged δ13C and δ15N ratios are -22.2‰ and +12.5‰, respectively. The δ13C values are similar in both spring (-22.5‰) and winter (-22.5‰), suggesting the similar sources and/or source regions. We found that δ13C from Okinawa aerosols are ca. 2‰ higher than those reported from Chinese megacities probably due to photochemical aging of organic aerosols. A strong correlation (r = 0.81) was found between nss-Ca and TSP, suggesting that springtime aerosols are influenced from Asian dusts. However, carbonates in the Asian dusts were titrated with acidic species such as sulfuric acid and oxalic acid during atmospheric transport although two samples suggested the presence of remaining carbonate. No correlations were found between δ13C and tracer compounds (levoglucosan, elemental carbon, oxalic acid, and Na+). During winter and spring, coal burning is significant source in China. Based on isotopic mass balance, contribution of coal burning origin particles to total aerosol carbon was estimated as ca. 97% in winter, which is probably associated with the high emissions in China. Contribution of NO3- to TN was on average 45% whereas that of NH4+ was 18%. These results suggest that vehicular exhaust is an important source of TN in Okinawa aerosols. Concentration of water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) is higher in summer, suggesting that WSON is more emitted from the ocean in warmer season whereas inorganic nitrogen is more emitted in winter and spring from pollution sources in the Asian continent.

The present status of xeroderma pigmentosum in Japan and a tentative severity classification scale.

PubMed

Nakano, Eiji; Masaki, Taro; Kanda, Fumio; Ono, Ryusuke; Takeuchi, Seiji; Moriwaki, Shinichi; Nishigori, Chikako

2016-08-01

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disease. Patients with XP have severe hypersensitivity to sunlight, resulting in skin cancers, and some patients have neurological symptoms. In Japan, XP complementation group A (XP-A) is the most common form, and it is associated with severe neurological symptoms. We performed a nationwide survey on XP to determine the present status of XP in Japan. The distribution of complementation groups in Japan was considerably different from that in other countries, but there was a higher frequency in group A and the variant type, which is similar to previous reports in Japan. Basal cell carcinoma was the most frequent skin cancer that patients with XP developed, followed by squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. The frequency of these skin cancers in patients with XP-A has decreased, and these skin cancers have been occurring in much older people than those previously observed. Diagnosing XP in patients at younger ages seems to encourage patients and their parents to use sun protection, which helps prevent skin cancer. We also created a tentative scale for classifying the severity of XP, and we evaluated the neurological symptoms of XP-A using this severity scale. Our classification correlated well with patients' age, suggesting that it may be useful and feasible in clinical practice to assess the progression of symptoms of each patient with XP and evaluate the effects of treatment in the future. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Meaning Reconstruction Process After Suicide: Life-Story of a Japanese Woman Who Lost Her Son to Suicide.

PubMed

Kawashima, Daisuke; Kawano, Kenji

2017-09-01

Although Japan has a high suicide rate, there is insufficient research on the experiences of suicide-bereaved individuals. We investigated the qualitative aspects of the meaning reconstruction process after a loss to suicide. We conducted a life-story interview using open-ended questions with one middle-aged Japanese woman who lost her son to suicide. We used a narrative approach to transcribe and code the participant's narratives for analysis. The analysis revealed three meaning groups that structured the participant's reactions to the suicide: making sense of her son's death and life, relationships with other people, and reconstruction of a bond with the deceased. The belief that death is not an eternal split and that there is a connection between the living and the deceased reduced the pain felt by our participant. Furthermore, the narratives worked as scaffolds in the meaning reconstruction process. We discuss our results in the light of cross-cultural differences in the grieving process.

Characteristics of hydrocarbons in sediment core samples from the northern Okinawa Trough.

PubMed

Huang, Xin; Chen, Shuai; Zeng, Zhigang; Pu, Xiaoqiang; Hou, Qinghua

2017-02-15

Sediment core samples from the northern Okinawa Trough (OT) were analyzed to determine abundances and distributions of hydrocarbons by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results show that the n-alkanes in this sediment core conform to a bimodal distribution, and exhibit an odd-to-even predominance of high molecular weights compared to an even-to-odd predominance in low molecular weight n-alkanes with maxima at C 16 and C 18 . The concentrations of bitumen, alkanes and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were higher in samples S10-07 than all others. Three maturity parameters as well as the ratios between parent phenanthrenes (Ps) and methylphenanthrenes (MPs) in samples S10-07 and S10-17 were higher. The distribution and composition of hydrocarbons in sample S10-07 suggest that one, or several, undetected hydrothermal fields may be present in the region of this sediment core. Results also suggest that volcanism may be the main reason for the observed distribution and composition of hydrocarbons in S10-17 sample. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dating of barite and anhydrite in sea-floor hydrothermal deposits in the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taisei, F.; Toyoda, S.; Uchida, A.; Ishibashi, J. I.; Totsuka, S.; Shimada, K.; Nakai, S.

2016-12-01

Dating of submarine hydrothermal activities has been an important issue in the aspect of the ore formation (Urabe, 1995) and biological systems sustained by the chemical species arising from hydrothermal activities (Macdonald et al., 1980). For this purpose, dating methods using radioactive disequilibrium such as U-Th method (e.g. You and Bickle, 1998) for sulfide, 226Ra-210Pb and 228Ra-228Th (e.g. Noguchi et al., 2011), Ra/Ba, and ESR (Electron Spin Resonance) methods for barite (Okumura et al., 2010) have been employed. In this study, firstly, we will report the first successful dating results on anhydrite using 226Ra-210Pb and 228Ra-228Th methods. The anhydrite samples were taken from the Daiyon-Yonaguni knoll field and the Hatoma knoll field and the Iheya North Knoll field of the Okinawa Trough by research cruises operated by JAMSTEC. The anhydrite crystals were physically scratched out of the samples. 226Ra, 228Ra and daughter nuclei were measured in the same samples for the ESR method by the low background gamma ray spectrometry. From the activity ratios, disequilibrium ages were obtained to be about 7.3 years by 226Ra-210Pb method, and to be 0.6-2.5 years by 228Ra-228Th method. Secondly, the ESR ages of barite taken from hydrothermal areas in the Okinawa trough range from 4.1 to 16000 years, filling the age gap of the maximum age, 150 years, of 226Ra-210Pb method and the minimum age, several thousand years of U-Th method, being the most appropriate age range to discuss the evolution of the hydrothermal systems. Interestingly, the 226Ra-210Pb and 228Ra-228Th ages for the same samples are the same or younger than the ESR ages. As for the latter samples, the reason has already been discussed (Uchida et al., 2015) as the deposits had been formed by two or more hydrothermal events. In the present paper, the disequilibrium and ESR ages will be simulated with these multiple hydrothermal events so that the differences in the ages are explained.

Translations on North Korea, Number 605, Kulloja Number 4, April 1978

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-07-26

the change in the material conditions of social life, is characterized by the tardiness in making itself known. The mental state of man is not...Japan proper, Okinawa, the Philippines , and the main units of the south Korean puppet armed forces, all told more than 100,000 strong, and threw in

CompGC: Efficient Offline/Online Sem i-honest Two-party Computation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-22

Rivest, and A. T. Sherman, Eds., Plenum Press, New York, USA, pp. 205–210. 13 [9] Goldreich, O. Foundations of Cryptography : Volume 2, Basic...low depth circuits. In FC 2013: 17th International Conference on Financial Cryptography and Data Security (Okinawa, Japan, Apr. 1–5, 2013), A.-R

Typhoon Man-Yi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Typhoon Man-Yi was pummeling the Japanese island of Okinawa with winds between 230 and 295 kilometers per hour (125-160 knots, 144-184 miles per hour) and heavy rain on the morning of July 13, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this image. The immense storm covered hundreds of kilometers with spiraling bands of thunderstorms, though it had lost the distinctive cloud-free eye it exhibited the day before. Typhoons are common in Japan, but powerful typhoons usually strike the island nation later in the year. The Japan Meteorological Agency said that Man-Yi is the fourth typhoon of the 2007 season and may be the most powerful ever observed in the northwest Pacific in July, reported Kyodo News. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expected the typhoon to strike Kyushu, a southern Japanese island, on July 14, and then curve northeast along the eastern shore of Japan. By the time the storm reaches Tokyo on July 15, it should be degraded to a tropical storm. As of July 13, Typhoon Man-Yi had injured eight and flooded twenty houses in Okinawa, and forced airlines to cancel hundreds of flights, said Kyodo News. The storm was expected to bring heavy rain to Japan's Pacific coast. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.

Intergenerational concordance in Adult Attachment Interviews with mothers, fathers and adolescent sons and subsequent adjustment of sons to military service.

PubMed

Scharf, Miri; Mayseless, Ofra; Kivenson-Baron, Inbal

2012-01-01

The study examined: (1) the intergenerational concordance between parents and their adolescent sons using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) categories and state-of-mind scales; and (2) the contribution of parents' state of mind with respect to attachment to their sons' adjustment during a stressful separation, as well as the possibility that sons' AAI mediates the associations between parents' AAI and sons' adjustment. Eighty-eight adolescents and their parents were interviewed using the AAI during the son's senior year in high school. Approximately a year later, during the first phase of compulsory military service, the adolescents and their peers reported on the sons' adjustment. Results demonstrated AAI correspondence between mothers' (but not fathers) and sons' categories (autonomous versus non-autonomous) and associations between mothers', fathers' and sons' AAI state-of-mind scales. The adjustment of sons of non-autonomous mothers (in particular, preoccupied mothers) was inferior to the adjustment of others. Mothers' and fathers' state of mind scales were associated with sons' adjustment, but sons' AAI did not mediate this association. The uniqueness of adolescence, the importance of parents' state of mind and the differences between mothers and fathers are discussed.

A Descriptive Analysis of Pointing and Oral Movements in a Home Sign System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torigoe, Takashi; Takei, Wataru

2002-01-01

Discussed a social survey on communication among deaf people who had no formal schooling. Participants were deaf individuals who lived in the Okinawa Islands of Japan. Reveals many elderly deaf people had no formal education, no access to conventional sign languages during childhood, and no contact with a Deaf community. Despite this, most…

THE ROLE OF REEF FISH IN THE TRANSMISSION DYNAMICS OF BLACK-BAND DISEASE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS

EPA Science Inventory

Aeby, Greta S. and Deborah L. Santavy. In press. Role of Reef Fish in the Transmission Dynamics of Black-Band Disease in the Florida Keys (Abstract). To be presented at the 10th International Coral Reef Symposium, 28 June-2 July 2004, Okinawa, Japan. 1 p. (ERL,GB R998).

T...

Predictors of father-son communication about sexuality.

PubMed

Lehr, Sally T; Demi, Alice S; Dilorio, Colleen; Facteau, Jeffrey

2005-05-01

Examining the factors that influence adolescents' sexual behaviors is crucial for understanding why they often engage in risky sexual behaviors. Using social cognitive theory, we examined predictors of father-son communication about sexuality. Fathers (N=155) of adolescent sons completed a survey measuring 12 variables, including self-efficacy and outcome expectations. We found that (a) son's pubertal development, father's sex-based values, father's education; father's communication with his father, outcome expectations, and general communication accounted for 36% of the variance in information sharing communication and (b) son's pubertal development, outcome expectations, general communication, and father-son contact accounted for 20% of the variance in values sharing communication. Study findings can aid professionals in designing guidelines for programs to promote father-son general communication and sex-based communication.

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.

Direct measurements of HOx radicals in the marine boundary layer: testing the current tropospheric chemistry mechanism.

PubMed

Kanaya, Yugo; Akimoto, Hajime

2002-01-01

OH and HO(2) radicals, atmospheric detergents, and the reservoir thereof, play central roles in tropospheric chemistry. In spite of their importance, we had no choice but to trust their concentrations predicted by modeling studies based on known chemical processes. However, recent direct measurements of these radicals have enabled us to test and revise our knowledge of the processes by comparing the predicted and observed values of the radical concentrations. We developed a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) instrument and successfully observed OH and HO(2) at three remote islands of Japan (Oki Island, Okinawa Island, and Rishiri Island). At Okinawa Island, the observed daytime level of HO(2) agreed closely with the model estimates, suggesting that the photochemistry at Okinawa is well described by the current chemistry mechanism. At Rishiri Island, in contrast, the observed daytime level of HO(2) was consistently much lower than the calculated values. We proposed that iodine chemistry, usually not incorporated into the mechanism, is at least partly responsible for the discrepancy in the results. At night, HO(2) was detected at levels greater than 1 pptv at all three islands, suggesting the presence of processes in the dark that produce radicals. We showed that ozone reactions with unsaturated hydrocarbons, including monoterpenes, could significantly contribute to radical production. Copyright 2002 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 2: 199-211, 2002: Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI 10.1002/tcr.10019

Seismic evidence for mass-transport deposits and BSR occurrence on the forearc region along the central Ryukyu Islands, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, Y.; Kobayashi, T.; Fujii, T.

2017-12-01

Mass-transport deposits (MTDs) are widely observed from many continental margins and are a significant component of both slope and basin-floor settings. Although MTDs are typically mud-prone, some MTDs above certain porosity thresholds can act as important hydrocarbon reservoirs. MTDs associated with gas hydrate occurrence in the Ulleung basin were documented. The recovery of gas hydrate by drilling and piston coring has confirmed the gas hydrate accumulations in the basin. Gas hydrate dissociation may have played a role in the slide-initiation at the Storegga Slide offshore Norway. In this study, to identify the gas hydrate reservoir potential of MTDs, we focus on seismic characteristics (seismic facies, attributes, and velocity) of MTDs associated with bottom simulating reflectors (BSR). Our study area is in the forearc region along the central Ryukyu Islands (southeast Japan). In this area, BSR have been widely observed. However, the studies were insufficient for the evaluation of gas hydrate due to poor-quality 2-D seismic data. We use high-quality 3-D seismic volumes in water depths ranging from approximately 150 to 2000 m between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island. BSR in the eastern region of the study area was interpreted within Neogene to Quaternary MTDs. Strata in MTDs are correlated with the upper Shimajiri group based on the characteristics of well data outside of the seismic exploration area and stratigraphy of land areas. The Shimajiri group is composed of homogeneous siltstone intercalated with lenticular, thin-bedded, fine sandstone. Their group is water-dissolved gas reservoir in Okinawa Island and Miyako Island. On our seismic data, MTDs are shown as chaotic, poorly discontinuous strata of low amplitude, partially continuous moderate- to high-amplitude reflections. The seismic velocity profile shows a relative increase in MTD intervals above the BSR, similar to gas hydrate-bearing sediments. It is also indicative of over-consolidation that was

User Data Package - Energy-Efficient Windows and Window Coverings for Naval Housing

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-07-01

1765 33 Savannah 1819 32 Tucson 1800 32 Winslow 4782 35 Idaho Yuma 974 33 Boise 5809 44 Lewiston 5542 46 Arkansas Pocatello 7033 43 Fort Smith 3292 35...Alexandria, VA DODDS Pac, FAC, Okinawa, Japan DOE Fed Energy Mgt Program, Wash, DC: INEL Tech Lib Reports Sta. Idaho Falls. ID; Knolls Atomic Pwr Lab

Draft Genome Sequence of Pediococcus lolii NGRI 0510QT Isolated from Ryegrass Silage

PubMed Central

Mori, Kazuki; Tashiro, Kosuke; Fujino, Yasuhiro; Nagayoshi, Yuko; Hayashi, Yoshiharu; Kuhara, Satoru; Ohshima, Toshihisa

2013-01-01

Pediococcus lolii NGRI 0510QT was isolated from ryegrass silage produced on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Here we present a draft genome sequence for this strain, consisting of 103 contigs for a total of 2,047,078 bp, 2,154 predicted coding sequences, and a G+C content of 42.1%. PMID:23405350

A test of the "sexy son" hypothesis: sons of polygynous collared flycatchers do not inherit their fathers' mating status.

PubMed

Gustafsson, Lars; Qvarnström, Anna

2006-02-01

According to the original "sexy son" hypothesis, a female may benefit from pairing with an already-mated male despite a reduction in fecundity because her sons inherit their father's attractiveness. We used data from a long-term study of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) collected during 24 years to test this prediction. Our results show that the sons of polygynously mated females fledged in poor condition and therefore did not inherit their father's large forehead patch (a condition-dependent display trait) or mating status. From the female's perspective, polygynous pairing resulted in fewer recruited grandchildren than did a monogamous pairing. The reproductive value of sons did not outweigh the fecundity costs of polygyny because the low paternal care reduced the attractiveness of sons. When there are long-lasting parental effects on offspring attractiveness, costs of polygyny may include the production of nonsexy sons.

Accumulation of Hg and other heavy metals in the Javan mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) captured on Amamioshima Island, Japan.

PubMed

Horai, Sawako; Minagawa, Mikiko; Ozaki, Hirokazu; Watanabe, Izumi; Takeda, Yasuo; Yamada, Katsushi; Ando, Tetsuo; Akiba, Suminori; Abe, Shintaro; Kuno, Katsuji

2006-10-01

Concentrations of 22 elements (Mg, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, Tl, total Hg (T-Hg), Pb) and organic Hg (O-Hg) were examined in the liver, kidney and brain of the Javan mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) and in liver of the Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) from Amamioshima Island in Japan. Relatively high levels of T-Hg levels (from 1.75 to 55.5 microg g-1 wet wt.) were found in the Javan mongoose. As for a comparison of hepatic T-Hg concentrations between the two areas, there was no significant difference between the Javan mongoose in Amamioshima and those in the Okinawa islands. In addition, T-Hg levels in the livers of the Amami rabbit were the same as in the livers of other herbivorous mammals. Taken together, it suggested that T-Hg accumulation in the livers of the Javan mongoose was not affected by the environment but by a specific physiological mechanism. The comparison of Hg and other heavy metal accumulations between terrestrial mammals (13 species, 61 individuals) including the Javan mongoose and marine mammals (18 species, 508 individuals) were also discussed.

Seaweed consumption and prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan: Baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

PubMed

Miyake, Yoshihiro; Tanaka, Keiko; Okubo, Hitomi; Sasaki, Satoshi; Arakawa, Masashi

2014-09-03

Seaweed is a popular traditional food in Japan and is a rich source of bioactive metabolites. The neuroprotective properties of seaweed have attracted attention; to date, however, there has been no epidemiological evidence regarding the relationship between seaweed consumption and depression. The current cross-sectional study investigated the association between seaweed consumption and depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan. Study subjects were 1745 pregnant women. Depressive symptoms were defined as present when subjects had a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score of 16 or higher. Dietary consumption during the preceding month was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Adjustment was made for age; gestation; region of residence; number of children; family structure; history of depression; family history of depression; smoking; secondhand smoke exposure at home and at work; job type; household income; education; body mass index; and intake of fish and yogurt. The prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy was 19.3%. After adjustment for possible dietary and non-dietary confounding factors, higher seaweed consumption was independently associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for depressive symptoms during pregnancy in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles of seaweed consumption were 1 (reference), 0.72 (0.51 - 1.004), 0.71 (0.50 - 1.01), and 0.68 (0.47 - 0.96), respectively (P for trend = 0.03). The present results suggest that seaweed consumption may be inversely associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japanese women.

ESR dating of barite in sea-floor hydrothermal sulfide deposits at Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujiwara, T.; Toyoda, S.; Uchida, A.; Ishibashi, J.; Nakai, S.; Takamasa, A.

2013-12-01

The temporal change of submarine hydrothermal activities has been an important issue in the aspect of the evolution of hydrothermal systems which is related with ore formation and biological systems sustained by the chemical species arising from hydrothermal activities (Macdonald et al., 1980). With this aspect, Okumura et al. (2010) made the first practical application of ESR (electron spin resonance) dating technique to a sample of submarine hydrothermal barite to obtain preliminary ages, while Kasuya et al. (1991) first pointed out that barite can be used for ESR dating. ESR is a method to observe radicals having unpaired electrons. As natural radiation creates unpaired electrons in minerals, the age is deduced by dividing the natural radiation dose (obtained from the amount of unpaired electrons) by the dose rate which is estimated by the amount of environmental radioactive elements. The samples were taken by the research cruises, NT12-10 and NT11-20 and NT12-06 operated by JAMSTEC from Hatoma, Yoron, Izena, North Iheya, and Yonaguni IV Knolls of Okinawa Trough. The blocks of sulfide deposits were cut into pieces, and about 2.0g was crushed. The samples were soaked in 12M hydrochloric acid, left for approximately 24 hours. Then, 13M nitric acid was added. Finally, after rinsing in distilled water, the sample was filtered and dried. Impurities were removed by handpicking. A X-ray diffraction study was made to confirm that the grains are pure barite. After γ-ray irradiation at Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, they were measured at room temperature with an ESR spectrometer (JES-PX2300) with a microwave power of 1mW, and the magnetic field modulation amplitude of 0.1mT. The equivalent natural radiation doses were obtained from the increase of ESR signal intensity of SO3- by irradiation. The bulk Ra concentration was measured by the low background pure Ge gamma ray spectrometer. Assuming that Ra is populated only in barite

Sons and daughters in China.

PubMed

Robey, B

1985-11-01

Demographers from the East-West Population Institute (EWPI) and the China State Family Planning Commission, jointly analyzing data from computer tapes of China's 1982 national fertility survey, have produced new evidence of the extent to which families in China prefer male children. Evidence exists in almost every part of China that couples prefer sons to daughters, according to researchers Fred Arnold and Liu Zhaoxiang. Only Beijing and Shanghai are exceptions to this pattern. The persistence of such attidues in China demonstrates the difficulty of overcoming deeply rooted Confucian traditions. Following the Chinese revolution, the government guaranteed sexual equality in political, economic, and cultural life, but patriarchal attitudes still prevail, particularly in the countryside. Historically, couples have favored sons for a variety of reasons, including to continue the family name, provide security for the parents' old age, add to the family labor force, and perform ancestral rites. Believing that such attitudes block successful implementation of China's 1-child family policy, the government has launched a campaign to try to change them. At the time of the time of the 1982 fertility survey, China's 1-child certificate program had been in effect for 3 years. The program provides incentives such as monetary bonuses, preferential housing allocation, and special consideration for the child in education and job assignments to couples who agree not to have a 2nd child. According to the survey, 37% of all 1-child couples had accepted the 1-child certificate. Significantly, 60% of all 1-child certificate holders have a son. Of couples whose 1st child was a boy, 40% obtained the 1-child certificate, versus only 34% of those whose 1st child was a girl. Despite penalties for renouncing the 1-child certificate, about 1 out of every 10 mothers in the program had given birth to a 2nd child by the time of the survey. The 1st child of these mothers was twice as likely to be

American Influence on Okinawan Culture before 1972.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trafton, Terry

The Ryukyu Islands form a chain stretching from the southernmost point of mainland Japan to the northern tip of Taiwan. The largest and most important of these islands is Okinawa. This paper documents the influence of other nations and cultures upon the Okinawan culture, and focuses upon U.S. cultural influence. In the mid-nineteenth century,…

Suicide Prevention in the Pacific War (WWII).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suzuki, Peter T.

1991-01-01

During war against Japan, there were two facets of U.S. program to prevent suicide among the Japanese: research component in Foreign Morale Analysis Division of Office of War Information and a suicide prevention program itself put into effect toward the end of the war in battles of Saipan and Okinawa and undertaken by U.S. GIs. (Author/NB)

Son Preference in Pakistan; A Myth or Reality.

PubMed

Atif, Khaula; Ullah, Muhammad Zia; Afsheen, Afeera; Naqvi, Syed Abid Hassan; Raja, Zulqarnain Ashraf; Niazi, Saleem Asif

2016-01-01

To analyze desire for sons/daughters among ladies of Peshawar, Pakistan, with a view to rule out son preference and to study impact of various demographic characteristics on the subject. Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at Combined Military Hospital, Peshawar, from August 2015 - January 2016; sampling technique was random/probability/non-purposive. Self-designed questionnaire was utilized; carrying questions pertinent to desire for sons/daughters during marital life, and demographic details. Data analyzed via descriptive analysis (SPSS-21), expressed as frequencies/percentages and mean ± standard deviation(minimum/maximum). Sons and daughters desired (dependent variables) were cross-tabulated with independent variables. Response rate was 63.25% (n-506). Data revealed following: Sons desired 3.05±2.061(1/12); Daughters desired 1.15±0.767(0/4); 6.1%(n-31) and 0.6%(n-3) desired infinite number of sons and daughters respectively, 18.2%(n-92) did not desire to have even one daughter, while 2.2%(n-11) considered it immaterial to have daughters or sons. There was a significant relation between sons desired and client's education (p<0.001), husband's education (p<0.001) and socioeconomic class (p<0.001). There was no significant impact of religion (p-0.142) on desire for sons. Impact of independent variables on daughters desired was similar but less pronounced. There was candid son preference among the respondents. Gender discrimination can be attenuated by adequately addressing son preference at all tiers.

Pediatric allergy and immunology in Japan.

PubMed

Ebisawa, Motohiro; Nishima, Sankei; Ohnishi, Hidenori; Kondo, Naomi

2013-11-01

disorders but also on innate immune disorders. In contrast to the widespread use of oral immunotherapy, one immediate issue is to develop and reassess subcutaneous and sublingual immunotherapies for mite and Japanese cedar pollen antigens that have been disused in Japan since the 1990s. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Is the distant relationship of fathers and homosexual sons related to the sons' erotic preference for male partners, or to the sons' atypical gender identity, or to both?

PubMed

Freund, K; Blanchard, R

1983-01-01

Study 1 compared the retrospectively reported father-son relationships of four groups of adult males: (a) Gynephiles (males who erotically prefer physically mature females), (b) androphiles (who prefer physically mature males), (c) a combined group of heterosexual pedophiles and pedohebephiles (the latter being attracted to pubescent as well as prepubescent females), and (d) a combined group of homosexual pedophiles and pedohebephiles (the latter attracted to pubescent as well as prepubescent males). The gynephiles were paid volunteers; the latter three groups were patients. The androphiles, the only group among those compared known to exhibit a measurably greater degree of cross gender identity in childhood, were also the only group to report significantly poorer father-son relations. The homosexual pedo/pedohebephiles, who also prefer male partners but who exhibit typical male gender identity in childhood, did not differ in father-son relations from the gynephiles or the heterosexual pedo/pedohebephiles. Study 2 showed that, within a sample of nonpatient volunteer androphiles, those individuals who reported the greatest degree of cross gender behavior in childhood also tended to report the worst relationships with their fathers. This correlation was replicated within a sample of androphilic patients in Study 3. The consistent pattern of results obtained from these three studies suggests that the emotionally distant relationships of fathers and androphilic sons relate to the sons' atypical childhood gender identity (or observable gender role behavior) rather than to the sons' erotic preference for male partners per se.

Social and geographic inequalities in premature adult mortality in Japan: a multilevel observational study from 1970 to 2005

PubMed Central

Kashima, Saori; Kawachi, Ichiro

2012-01-01

Objectives To examine trends in social and geographic inequalities in all-cause premature adult mortality in Japan. Design Observational study of the vital statistics and the census data. Setting Japan. Participants Entire population aged 25 years or older and less than 65 years in 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005. The total number of decedents was 984 022 and 532 223 in men and women, respectively. Main outcome measures For each sex, ORs and 95% CIs for mortality were estimated by using multilevel logistic regression models with ‘cells’ (cross-tabulated by age and occupation) at level 1, 8 years at level 2 and 47 prefectures at level 3. The prefecture-level variance was used as an estimate of geographic inequalities of mortality. Results Adjusting for age and time-trends, compared with production process and related workers, ORs ranged from 0.97 (95% CI 0.96 to 0.98) among administrative and managerial workers to 2.22 (95% CI 2.19 to 2.24) among service workers in men. By contrast, in women, the lowest odds for mortality was observed among production process and related workers (reference), while the highest OR was 12.22 (95% CI 11.40 to 13.10) among security workers. The degree of occupational inequality increased in both sexes. Higher occupational groups did not experience reductions in mortality throughout the period and was overtaken by lower occupational groups in the early 1990s, among men. Conditional on individual age and occupation, overall geographic inequalities of mortality were relatively small in both sexes; the ORs ranged from 0.87 (Okinawa) to 1.13 (Aomori) for men and from 0.84 (Kanagawa) to 1.11 (Kagoshima) for women, even though there is a suggestion of increasing inequalities across prefectures since 1995 in both sexes. Conclusions The present findings suggest that both social and geographic inequalities in all-cause mortality have increased in Japan during the last 3 decades. PMID:22389360

A Critical Analysis of Changing Radon Concentration Patterns on Gyokusen-dou Cave in Okinawa Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanahara, A.; Iha, H.

2009-04-01

Radon concentrations were measured at 1 hour intervals for a year in Gyokuse-dou Cave, Okinawa Island. An apparatus for continuous radon monitoring connected to a data logger was installed in a large chamber of the cave along the tour route for visitors. Radon concentration ranged from 8000 Bq/m3 in the summer to 100 Bq/m3 in the winter. Seasonal changes in radon concentration correlate with difference between outside and inside air densities. The same effect seems to occur in a short time period. However, changing radon concentration pattern does not synchronize with air density difference pattern in the sites. The results of statistical treatment show that the outside air takes about 8-18 hours to reach the measuring point of radon in the Cave. The average airflow velocity from the site to the exit was estimated to be about 0.52-0.23 m/min. During the summer, the south wind blowing into the cave also affects the radon concentration.

Size Distributions and Formation Pathways of Organic and Inorganic Constituents in Spring Aerosols from Okinawa Island in the Western North Pacific Rim: An Outflow Region of Asian Dusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshmukh, D. K.; Lazaar, M.; Kawamura, K.; Kunwar, B.; Tachibana, E.; Boreddy, S. K. R.

2015-12-01

Size-segregated aerosols (9-stages) were collected at Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific Rim in spring 2008. The samples were analyzed for diacids (C2-C12), ω-oxoacids (ωC2-ωC9), a-dicarbonyls (C2-C3), organic carbon (OC), water-soluble OC (WSOC) and major ions to understand the sources and atmospheric processes in the outflow region of Asian pollutants. The molecular distribution of diacids showed the predominance of oxalic acid (C2) followed by malonic and succinic acids in all the size-segregated aerosols. ω-Oxoacids showed the predominance of glyoxylic acid (ωC2) whereas glyoxal (Gly) was more abundant than methylglyoxal in all the sizes. The abundant presence of sulfate as well as phthalic and adipic acids in Okinawa aerosols suggested a significant contribution of anthropogenic sources in East Asia via long-range atmospheric transport. Diacids (C2-C5), ωC2 and Gly as well as WSOC and OC peaked at 0.65-1.1 µm in fine mode whereas azelaic (C9) and 9-oxononanoic (ωC9) acids peaked at 3.3-4.7 µm in coarse mode. Sulfate and ammonium are enriched in fine mode whereas sodium and chloride are in coarse mode. An important mechanism for the formation of these organic species in Okinawa aerosols is probably gas phase oxidation of VOCs and subsequent in-cloud processing during long-range transport. Their characteristics size distribution implies that fine particles enriched with these organic and inorganic species could act as CCN to develop the cloud cover over the western North Pacific. The major peak of C9 and ωC9 on coarse mode suggest that they are produced by photooxidation of unsaturated fatty acids mainly derived from phytoplankton via heterogeneous reactions on sea spray particles. This study demonstrates that anthropogenic aerosols emitted from East Asia have significant influence on the compositions of organic and inorganic aerosols in the western North Pacific Rim.

Father-son incest: underreported psychiatric problem?

PubMed

Dixon, K N; Arnold, L E; Calestro, K

1978-07-01

Six families are described in which 10 sons were involved incestuously with a natural father (N=4) or step-father (N=2). Father-son incest as a part of the spectrum of child abuse appears to be a more frequent clinical entity than was thought previously.

Molecular Phylogeny Demonstrates the Need for Taxonomic Reconsideration of Species Diversity of the Hydrocoral Genus Millepora (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) in the Pacific.

PubMed

Takama, Okuto; Fernandez-Silva, Iria; López, Cataixa; Reimer, James Davis

2018-04-01

Millepora (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Milleporidae) spp. are distributed throughout shallow subtropical and tropical marine environments in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean-Atlantic, and have traditionally been identified using pore characteristics and colony form. Until now, representatives of Millepora spp. on the island of Okinawa-jima, Japan, have been divided into five species; three branching species (Millepora intricata, M. tenera, M. dichotoma), one species with plate-like morphology (M. platyphylla), and one encrusting species (M. exaesa). There have been only a few reports from the Indo-Pacific that have studied the genetic diversity within Millepora spp., although phylogenetic analyses in the Caribbean-Atlantic have proven useful in delimiting closely-related species, while demonstrating that morphologically-based identification systems may have problems. In the present study, we sought to clarify taxonomic confusion of Millepora spp. in the Pacific by using sequence data of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS-rDNA) of specimens from Okinawa, Japan and other localities (Johnston Atoll, Great Barrier Reef). Four separate clades were recovered from the ITS-rDNA analyses. Although we examined specimens of all three branching Millepora spp. previously reported from Okinawa-jima Island, in our phylogenetic analyses they were concentrated within a single clade, with only three specimens in other clades. Encrusting Millepora specimens were found within all clades, although it should be noted all species initially start as encrusting forms, and plate-like specimens were found within three clades. Our data also point to the existence of a previously unknown lineage within Millepora characterized by its ability to overgrow live scleractinian corals.

Co-Identity with Son Is Core Component in Father's Development: Same-Gendered Father/Son Relationships Foster Relational Development in Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson-Phillips, Carol

2017-01-01

What is the crucible of a father's relationally transformative growth in connection with his sons? In this article, the author first contextualizes relational theory, and then explores the idea that co-identity with a son provides the mortar and pestle for a father's development in same-gendered relationships. In connection with his son, a father…

Environmental Review for the CV-22 Beddown at Yokota Air Base, Japan

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-24

3-7 (U) Figure 3-5. Low-Frequency Noise Effects Thresholds Developed by the Okinawa...Strike Hazard (U) Bgs below ground surface (U) BMPs Best Management Practices (U) BOD Biochemical Oxygen Demand (U) BOE Board of Education. (U) BWC...Noise Equivalent Level (U) CO carbon monoxide (U) CONUS Continental United States (U) CTIT Turbine Inlet Temperature , in degrees Celsius (U) CVW-5

Oleanane triterpenes with protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitory activity from aerial parts of Lantana camara collected in Indonesia and Japan.

PubMed

Abdjul, Delfly B; Yamazaki, Hiroyuki; Maarisit, Wilmar; Rotinsulu, Henki; Wewengkang, Defny S; Sumilat, Deiske A; Kapojos, Magie M; Losung, Fitje; Ukai, Kazuyo; Namikoshi, Michio

2017-12-01

During the search for new protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) 1B inhibitors, EtOH extracts from the aerial parts of Lantana camara L. (lantana) collected at Manado (Indonesia) and two subtropical islands in Japan (Ishigaki and Iriomote Islands, Okinawa) exhibited potent inhibitory activities against PTP1B in an enzyme assay. Four previously undescribed oleanane triterpenes were isolated together with known triterpenes and flavones from the Indonesian lantana. The EtOH extracts of lantana collected in Ishigaki and Iriomote Islands exhibited different phytochemical profiles from each other and the Indonesian lantana. Triterpenes with a 24-OH group were isolated from the Indonesian lantana only. Five known triterpene compounds were detected in the Ishigaki lantana, and two oleanane triterpenes with an ether linkage between 3β and 25 were the main components together with five known triterpenes as minor components in the Iriomote lantana. The structures of previously undescribed compounds were assigned on the basis of their spectroscopic data. Among the compounds obtained in this study, oleanolic acid exhibited the most potent activity against PTP1B, and is used as a positive control in studies on PTP1B. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sexual Orientation of Adult Sons of Gay Fathers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, J. Michael; And Others

1995-01-01

Examined the sexual orientation of 82 adult sons of 55 gay men. Found that more than 90% of the sons whose sexual orientation could be rated were heterosexual. Gay and heterosexual sons did not differ on potentially relevant variables such as length of time they had lived with their fathers. (MDM)

The evolutionary origin of long-crowing chicken: its evolutionary relationship with fighting cocks disclosed by the mtDNA sequence analysis.

PubMed

Komiyama, Tomoyoshi; Ikeo, Kazuho; Gojobori, Takashi

2004-05-26

Chickens with exceptionally long crow are often favored all over the world, and connoisseur breeders have bred certain types of chicken exclusively for this trait. In Japan, three chicken varieties have been specifically bred to develop an exceptionally long crow of over 15 s. Although these three long-crowing chickens, Naganakidori, are honored as heritage varieties of Japan, the domestication process and genealogical origin of long-crowing chickens remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to clarify these issues using nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region. Blood samples from a total of nine long-crowing chickens and 74 chickens from 11 Japanese native varieties were collected. DNA sequence data of two Junglefowl species were also collected from the International DNA database (DDBJ /EMBL/GenBank) for use as the outgroup. A phylogenetic tree was then constructed revealing that all three Naganakidori varieties were monophyletic and originated from a fighting cock, a Shamo, for cockfighting. These results suggest that these three long-crowing chickens share a common origin in spite of their conspicuously different characters, and that human cultures favoring long-crowing chickens might have been preceded by a tradition of cockfighting. Moreover, these long-crowing varieties first separated from the fighting cocks of Okinawa, which is geographically closer to Southern China and Indochina than Mainland Japan (Honshu/Kyushu). This implies that Japanese long-crowing chickens were first brought to Mainland Japan as fighting cocks from the surrounding regions of Southern China or Indochina and through Okinawa.

First Comparative Analysis of the Community Structures and Carbon Metabolic Pathways of the Bacteria Associated with Alvinocaris longirostris in a Hydrothermal Vent of Okinawa Trough.

PubMed

Sun, Qing-Lei; Zeng, Zhi-Gang; Chen, Shuai; Sun, Li

2016-01-01

Alvinocaris longirostris is a species of shrimp existing in the hydrothermal fields of Okinawa Trough. To date the structure and function of the microbial community associated with A. longirostris are essentially unknown. In this study, by employment of the techniques of high through-put sequencing and clone library construction and analysis, we compared for the first time the community structures and metabolic profiles of microbes associated with the gill and gut of A. longirostris in a hydrothermal field of Okinawa Trough. Fourteen phyla were detected in the gill and gut communities, of which 11 phyla were shared by both tissues. Proteobacteria made up a substantial proportion in both tissues, while Firmicutes was abundant only in gut. Although gill and gut communities were similar in bacterial diversities, the bacterial community structures in these two tissues were significantly different. Further, we discovered for the first time the existence in the gill and gut communities of A. longirostris the genes (cbbM and aclB) encoding the key enzymes of Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle and the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle, and that both cbbM and aclB were significantly more abundant in gill than in gut. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that at least two carbon fixation pathways are present in both the gill and the gut communities of A. longirostris, and that the communities in different tissues likely differ in autotrophic productivity.

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…

Feasibility study on introduction of the bio-fuel power generation in tropical regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1993-03-01

Study is made on feasibility of introducing the bio-fuel power generation in tropical regions, especially in South East Asia including Okinawa and South America. Biomass promising as bio-fuel is bagasse and palm oil mill dregs; and bagasse is found to be advantageous to the use for large-scaled power generation. Prospective uses of bagasse are a combined use of gasification process and gas turbine power generation, an effective use of gas turbine exhaust heat at sugar cane factories, and a use of the system to be developed which totalizes these two. As to how to carry out the R and D project, since the gasification power generation process itself is a high technology and has partially unknown fields, it is desirable that research and development are conducted in such technologically developed countries as Japan (Okinawa). A developmental plan, therefore, is worked out as such that a pilot plant of approximately 3000kW is to be constructed in Okinawa because the period for bagasse production is at least 3 months there, and a commercial-scale plant is to be constructed and operated in such big bagasse-producing countries as Brazil.

The preliminary results of new submarine caldera on the west of Kume-jima island, Central Ryukyu Arc, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harigane, Y.; Ishizuka, O.; Shimoda, G.; Sato, T.

2014-12-01

The Ryukyu Arc occurs between the islands of Kyushu and Taiwan with approximately 1200 km in the full length. This volcanic arc is caused by subduction of the Philippine Sea plate beneath the Eurasia Plate along the Ryukyu trench, and is composed of forearc islands, chains of arc volcanoes, and a back-arc rift called Okinawa Trough. The Ryukyu Arc is commonly divided into three segments (northern, central and southern) that bounded by the Tokara Strait and the Kerama Gap, respectively (e.g., Konishi 1965; Kato et al., 1982). Sato et al. (2014) mentioned that there is no active subaerial volcano in the southwest of Iotori-shima in the Central Ryukyu Arc whereas the Northern Ryukyu Arc (i.e., the Tokara Islands) has active frontal arc volcanoes. Therefore, the existence of volcanoes and volcanotectonic history of active volcanic front in the southwestern part of the Central Ryukyu Arc are still ambiguous. Detailed geophysical and geological survey was mainly conducted using R/V Kaiyou-maru No.7 during GK12 cruise operated by the Geological Survey of Japan/National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan. As a result, we have found a new submarine volcanic caldera on the west of Kume-jima island, where located the southwestern part of Central Ryukyu Arc. Here, we present (1) the bathymetrical feature of this new submarine caldera for the first time and (2) the microstructural and petrological observations of volcanic rocks (20 volcanic samples in 13 dredge sites) sampled from the small volcanic cones of this caldera volcano. The dredged samples from the caldera consist of mainly rhyolite pumice with minor andesites, Mn oxides-crust and hydrothermally altered rocks. Andesite has plagioclase, olivine and pyroxene phenocrysts. Key words: volcanic rock, caldera, arc volcanism, active volcanic front, Kume-jima island, Ryukyu Arc

Marine Subsurface Microbial Community Shifts Across a Hydrothermal Gradient in Okinawa Trough Sediments

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Sediments within the Okinawa back-arc basin overlay a subsurface hydrothermal network, creating intense temperature gradients with sediment depth and potential limits for microbial diversity. We investigated taxonomic changes across 45 m of recovered core with a temperature gradient of 3°C/m from the dynamic Iheya North Hydrothermal System. The interval transitions sharply from low-temperature marine mud to hydrothermally altered clay at 10 meters below seafloor (mbsf). Here, we present taxonomic results from an analysis of the 16S rRNA gene that support a conceptual model in which common marine subsurface taxa persist into the subsurface, while high temperature adapted archaeal taxa show localized peaks in abundances in the hydrothermal clay horizons. Specifically, the bacterial phylum Chloroflexi accounts for a major proportion of the total microbial community within the upper 10 mbsf, whereas high temperature archaea (Terrestrial Hot Spring Crenarchaeotic Group and methanotrophic archaea) appear in varying local abundances in deeper, hydrothermal clay horizons with higher in situ temperatures (up to 55°C, 15 mbsf). In addition, geochemical evidence suggests that methanotrophy may be occurring in various horizons. There is also relict DNA (i.e., DNA preserved after cell death) that persists in horizons where the conditions suitable for microbial communities have ceased. PMID:28096736

Milk intake during pregnancy is inversely associated with the risk of postpartum depressive symptoms in Japan: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

PubMed

Miyake, Yoshihiro; Tanaka, Keiko; Okubo, Hitomi; Sasaki, Satoshi; Furukawa, Shinya; Arakawa, Masashi

2016-09-01

Only one epidemiologic study has investigated the association between dairy product intake during pregnancy and postpartum depressive symptoms. Epidemiologic evidence on the relationships between calcium and vitamin D intake during pregnancy and postpartum depressive symptoms is also lacking. The present prospective study examined these issues in Japan. Study subjects were 1319 women. During pregnancy, dietary intake during the preceding month was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire in the baseline survey. Postpartum depressive symptoms were defined as present when subjects had an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of 9 or higher between 3 and 4 months postpartum. Adjustment was made for age, gestation at baseline, region of residence, number of children, family structure, history of depression, family history of depression, job type, education, body mass index, having smoked during pregnancy, cesarean delivery, baby's sex, baby's birth weight, and total energy intake. After adjustment for the confounding factors, compared with milk intake in the lowest quartile, intake levels in the second and fourth quartiles were independently associated with a reduced risk of postpartum depressive symptoms, although the inverse exposure-response relationship was not significant: the adjusted odds ratio between extreme quartiles was 0.51 (95% confidence interval, 0.28-0.93; P for trend = .12). No material relationships were observed between intake of total dairy products, yogurt, cheese, calcium, or vitamin D and the risk of postpartum depressive symptoms. The present prospective cohort study in Japan suggests that higher milk intake during pregnancy is associated with a reduced risk of postpartum depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli in two species of invasive alien mammals in Japan.

PubMed

Nakamura, Ichiro; Obi, Takeshi; Sakemi, Yoko; Nakayama, Ayano; Miyazaki, Kei; Ogura, Go; Tamaki, Masanobu; Oka, Tatsuzo; Takase, Kozo; Miyamoto, Atsushi; Kawamoto, Yasuhiro

2011-08-01

The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in 128 Escherichia coli isolates was investigated in two species of invasive alien mammals (IAMs): the small Asian mongoose (SAM) and Japanese weasel (JW). The SAM is found on the main island of Okinawa, Japan, where a large number of livestock is available, and the JW is present on a small island, where is isolated from the main island, and have a small number of livestock. We focused on the two IAMs, inhabiting under the different environments, and compared their prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli. In the comparison of the frequencies of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli isolates between the SAM and JW, JW showed significantly higher prevalence of resistance against three drugs, ampicillin, chlortetracycline and nalidixic acid, compared with SAM's test results (P<0.05). The bla(TEM) gene and the aph1 gene were detected in 35 subjects (91%) of ampicillin-resistant isolates and 6 subjects (100%) of kanamycin-resistant isolates, respectively. The tet (A) gene was detected in 62 subjects (46%) of CTC-resistant isolates, and the tet (B) gene was detected in 25 subjects (8%) of those in IAM. The present results suggest that some IAMs were the carrier of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and their genes, and the frequencies of these resistances were different between two IAM species.

Staff attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities in Japan and the United States.

PubMed

Horner-Johnson, W; Keys, C B; Henry, D; Yamaki, K; Watanabe, K; Oi, F; Fujimura, I; Graham, B C; Shimada, H

2015-10-01

Staff attitudes may affect choices available to persons with intellectual disabilities (ID). This study examined attitudes towards people with ID among staff working with people with ID in Japan and the United States. Attitudes of staff working with people with ID in Japan and the United States were compared using the Community Living Attitudes Scale, Intellectual Disabilities Form. Responses were examined via multivariate analysis of variance. In unadjusted analyses, Japanese staff exhibited a greater tendency towards Sheltering and Exclusion of people with ID and lower endorsement of Empowerment and Similarity of people with ID. After controlling for covariates, the country effect was no longer significant for Sheltering and Exclusion. Age and education were significantly associated with attitudes in the adjusted model. While attitudes in Japan appeared less supportive of community inclusion of people with ID, some of the differences between countries were attributable to other staff characteristics such as age and education. Findings provide new information about how attitudes of staff in each country compare with each other. © 2015 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

My Son Fired Me!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borntrager, Randy

2005-01-01

In this article, the author describes the positive outcomes experienced by a father and his son with cerebral palsy after participating in Unified Sports, a program that places approximately equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities ("partners") on sports teams for training and competition. The goal…

Exposure to air pollutants during the early weeks of pregnancy, and placenta praevia and placenta accreta in the western part of Japan.

PubMed

Michikawa, Takehiro; Morokuma, Seiichi; Yamazaki, Shin; Fukushima, Kotaro; Kato, Kiyoko; Nitta, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

Placenta praevia is an obstetric complication involving placental implantation in the lower uterine segment. Given the suggested aetiology of placenta praevia, adverse biological effects of air pollutants, such as plasma viscosity increment, endothelial dysfunction, and systemic inflammation, have the potential to induce low implantation. We explored the association between exposure to air pollutants during the pregnancy period up to implantation, and placenta praevia, in pregnant Japanese women. The outcome also included placenta accreta, which often exists in combination with placenta praevia. From the Japan Perinatal Registry Network database, we obtained data on 40,573 singleton pregnant women in western Japan (Kyushu-Okinawa Districts) between 2005 and 2010. We assigned pollutant concentrations (suspended particulate matter [SPM], ozone, nitrogen dioxide [NO2], and sulphur dioxide [SO2]), measured at the nearest monitoring station to the respective delivery hospital of each woman. A logistic regression model was used to adjust for several covariates. The odds ratios (ORs) of placenta praevia per 10 units increase were 1.12 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.01-1.23) for SPM over 0-4weeks of gestation, and 1.08 (1.00-1.16) for ozone. The association between exposure to NO2 and SO2, and praevia, was in the direction of increased risk. SPM exposure during 0-4weeks was associated with placenta accreta without praevia (OR=1.33, 95% CI=1.07-1.66). We found no association with exposure to air pollutants during 5-12weeks and the second trimester. Exposure to air pollutants through to implantation was positively associated with placenta praevia and accreta. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving and Extending the Mobility En Route System

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

adequate military force to defend Saudi Arabia from Iraqi aggression. While Saddam Hussein had been unwilling to press his numerical advantage ... advantages . Changes at Anderson AB, Guam, due to new units and missions being moved there from Okinawa, Japan, will likely make the field too congested for...AFIT/ GMO /ENS/05E-15, Graduate School of Engineering and Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH: May 2005. 39

The 2016 Mw7.0 Kumamoto, Japan earthquake: the rupture propagation under extensional stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Shan, X.; Zhang, G.; Gong, W.

2016-12-01

On April 16, 2016, the Kumamoto city was hit by an Mw7.0 earthquake, the largest earthquake since 1900 in the central part of Kyushu Island in Japan. It is an event with two foreshocks and rather complex source faults and surface rupture scarps. The Mw7.0 Kumamoto earthquake and its foreshocks and aftershocks occurred on the Futagawa and Hinagu faults, which are previously mapped and formed the southwest portion of the median tectonic line on Kyushu Island. These faults are mainly controlled by extensional and right-lateral shear stress. In this study, we obtained the deformation filed of the Kumamoto earthquake using both of descending and ascending Sentinel-1A data. We then invert the fault slip distribution based on the displacements obtained by InSAR. A three-segment fault model is established by trial and error. We analyze the rupture propagation and the conclusions are listed as following: The Mw 7.0 earthquake is a right-lateral striking event with a slight normal component. Most of the slip distributed on the Futagawa fault segment, with a maximum slip of 4.9 m at 5 km depth below the surface. The energy released on this Futagawa fault segment is equivalent to an Mw6.9 event. The slip distribution on the Hinagu fault segment is also right-lateral, but with a maximum slip of 2 m. Compared to the southern two segments, the northern source fault segment has the steepest dipping segment, which is almost vertical, with a dip as high as 80°; The normal component of the Kumamoto event is controlled by extensional stress due to the tectonic background. The Beppu-Shimabara half graben is the largest extensional structure on Kyushu Island and its formation could strongly be affected by Philippine Sea slab (PHS) convergence and Okinawa Trough extension, so we argue the Kumamoto event maybe exhibits the concrete manifestation of Okinawa Trough extension to Kyushu Island; Continuous surface rupture trace is observed from InSAR coseismic deformation and field

Childhood cancer incidence and survival in Japan and England: A population-based study (1993-2010).

PubMed

Nakata, Kayo; Ito, Yuri; Magadi, Winnie; Bonaventure, Audrey; Stiller, Charles A; Katanoda, Kota; Matsuda, Tomohiro; Miyashiro, Isao; Pritchard-Jones, Kathy; Rachet, Bernard

2018-02-01

The present study aimed to compare cancer incidence and trends in survival for children diagnosed in Japan and England, using population-based cancer registry data. The analysis was based on 5192 children with cancer (age 0-14 years) from 6 prefectural cancer registries in Japan and 21 295 children diagnosed in England during 1993-2010. Differences in incidence rates between the 2 countries were measured with Poisson regression models. Overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Incidence rates for Hodgkin lymphoma, renal tumors and Ewing sarcomas in England were more than twice as high as those in Japan. Incidence of germ cell tumors, hepatic tumors, neuroblastoma and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was higher in Japan than in England. Incidence of all cancers combined decreased in Japan throughout the period 1993 to 2010, which was mainly explained by a decrease in registration of neuroblastoma in infants. For many cancers, 5-year survival improved in both countries. The improvement in survival in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was particularly dramatic in both countries. However, 5-year survival remained less than 80% in 2005-2008 in both countries for AML, brain tumors, soft tissue sarcomas, malignant bone tumors and neuroblastoma (age 1-14 years). There were significant differences in incidence of several cancers between countries, suggesting variation in genetic susceptibility and possibly environmental factors. The decrease in incidence for all cancers combined in Japan was related to the cessation of the national screening program for neuroblastoma. The large improvement in survival in CML coincided with the introduction of effective therapy (imatinib). © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

Parental attitudes towards vaccinating sons with human papillomavirus vaccine.

PubMed

Mortensen, Gitte Lee

2010-12-01

Male human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are frequent and lead to an increased risk of HPV-related disease in their female sexual partners. In males, HPV can cause head/neck, penile and anal cancer, as well as genital warts. In this study we assessed parental attitudes to HPV vaccination of their sons. Telephone interviews were conducted in a random, nationally representative sample of 450 Danish parents with sons aged 12-15 years. We gave them information about the main direct benefits of male vaccination and then asked them about their views on HPV vaccination of their sons aged 12-15 years. HPV vaccination of sons was accepted by 80% of respondents; 45% were willing to cover the cost themselves. Parents primarily wanted to protect their sons from cancer and genital warts. 20% rejected or had doubts about HPV vaccination of their sons. Their concerns were mainly due to lack of knowledge about the vaccine, fear of side effects and lack of recommendations from health care authorities. These high acceptance rates are similar to those reported for vaccination of girls prior to its inclusion in the Danish immunisation programme. General practitioners and national health services play a crucial role in providing parents with the information required to make an informed decision about HPV vaccination of sons as well as daughters.

Time-Frequency Variability of Kuroshio Meanders in Tokara Strait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, H.; Yamashiro, T.; Nishina, A.; Ichikawa, H.

2006-12-01

The Kuroshio path in the northern Okinawa Trough, Japan, located between the continental slope and Tokara Strait, exhibits meandering motions with largest displacements in the East China Sea; these motions have dominant periods in the broad range of 30-90 days. Understanding the dynamic nature of such meanders is crucial to predicting small and large meanders of the Kuroshio path off the south coast of Japan. Previous numerical simulations suggest that the Kuroshio path meanders in the northern Okinawa Trough become nonstationary in variance because of changes in background states of the Kuroshio in the northern Okinawa Trough, but a detailed analysis based on observed data has yet to be performed. The purpose of the present study is to provide a detailed description of the time-frequency variability of Kuroshio path meanders observed in Tokara Strait. Three Kuroshio indicators were subjected to wavelet analysis for the period 1984-2004: the Kuroshio Position Index (KPI) in Tokara Strait, Kuroshio Volume Transport (KVT) in Tokara Strait, and the basal current velocity of the Kuroshio on the continental slope in the northern Okinawa Trough. The 30-90 day variance of the KPI shows a season-fixed nature, with larger amplitudes in the period December-July. The amplitude of the variance in this phenomenon is also modulated by interannual variations, with small variance recorded during 1989-1992, large variance during 1993-1998, and a return to small variance from 1999-2003. This interannual variation is positively correlated with that of the KVT. The largest variance of the KPI during February-April precedes the largest volume transport in April-May by about 1 month, suggesting that eddy vorticity flux strengthens the mean current field. Previous numerical simulations reproduce the recirculation gyre as a cyclonic eddy in the area between the continental slope and Tokara Strait; this gyre is analogous to the northern recirculation gyre associated with the eastward jet

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

The GROG: A Journal of Navy Medical History and Culture. Issue 38, 2013

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

Health Care Clinic, Okinawa, Japan). Among this unique group, Fran- cis Pierce holds the distinction of being the only Corpsman to be im...have an emergency payment authorization. Tie pets in the yard, leave house keys on the dining room table, and stand by in front of your house, ready...lockers. The bagroom would care for their seabags. Patients remained on stretchers on Ward M until the Emergency Room notified them of available

Use of Coatings on Hydraulic Steel Structures: Part 2-Supplemental Information

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

the “salt fog” chamber contains a 5% sodium chloride (NaCl) atmosphere, which is not a real environment anywhere on the earth ; in fact, that...moisture levels. The premise for this test is that if moisture goes through the coating, then the coating has failed. However, from a corrosion...perspec- tive, the substrate will only rust if gaseous oxygen also passes through the coating. EIS monitoring was tried in Okinawa, Japan, but was not

Review of Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) Schools. Volume I: Main Report and Appendixes

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-10-01

I. Glossary J . References xi TABLES I-1 DoDEA Composition, SY–00 ....................................................................I-1 II...from American Oversees Schools, editied by Robert J . Simpson and Charles R. Duke, Appalachian State University, 2000; and DMDC Report No. 97-013...McClellan 29.0 Fort Rucker 36.6 Japan 44.9 Fort Stewart 47.1 Korea 38.1 Guam 42.3 Okinawa 31.9 Laurel Bay 38.5 Pacific Area 39.4 Maxwell AFB 21.4

Son preference in rural China: patrilineal families and socioeconomic change.

PubMed

Murphy, Rachel; Tao, Ran; Lu, Xi

2011-01-01

This article draws on a survey conducted in six provinces in summer 2008 to investigate the determinants of son preference in rural China. The analysis confirms the conventional wisdom that son preference is embedded within patrilineal family structures and practices. We extend our analysis by exploring specific aspects of variation within patrilineal family culture. We find that the patrilineal group (clan) composition of villages and family participation in practices such as building ancestral halls and updating genealogies significantly influence son preference. Yet even though son preference is embedded within patrilineal family culture, our analysis suggests that over time the attenuation of son preference is likely. This is because determinants associated with socioeconomic change—for instance, higher levels of education, direct exposure to official policy education materials, higher income (a proxy for rural industrialization), and agricultural mechanization—all attenuate son preference. Being younger and female are also associated with weaker son preference, and both characteristics are likely to interact with education and industrialization to further dilute son preference in the longer term. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that concerted efforts are needed to ameliorate institutional discrimination against rural people in welfare provisioning and in labor markets, and to promote multiple dimensions of gender equality, including in land rights, wage rates, and education.

Son preference in a rural village in North Vietnam.

PubMed

Bélanger, Danièle

2002-12-01

This article explores the continuing preference for sons in the context of low fertility in Vietnam. Although the total fertility rate for Vietnam declined from 6.0 children per woman of reproductive age in 1979 to 2.2 children in 1998, demographic evidence shows that son preference remains strong and influences contraceptive and fertility behavior. This study examines the underlying factors for son preference in a rural village in North Vietnam. The methodology includes focus-group discussions, an in-depth study of 25 families, and ethnographic observation. Results indicate that sons are highly desired for their social, symbolic, and economic value. In spite of four decades of socialist policies aimed at reducing gender-based inequalities and at weakening the patriarchal kinship system, the desire for sons continues to drive the family-building process. The article also indicates a gap between discourse and social practice with respect to roles assigned to children on the basis of their sex.

Drilling constraints on bimodal volcanism and subsequent formation of contrasted uppermost crustal compositions at the middle Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamasaki, T.; Takaya, Y.; Mukae, N.; Nagase, T.; Tindell, T.; Totsuka, S.; Uno, Y.; Yonezu, K.; Nozaki, T.; Ishibashi, J. I.; Kumagai, H.; Maeda, L.; Shipboard Scientist, C.

2016-12-01

The Okinawa Trough (OT) is a young and actively spreading back-arc basin, extending behind the Ryukyu arc-trench system in the southeastern margin of the East China Sea. The OT is believed to be in an initial rifting stage (starting from 6-9 Ma), prior to the normal/stable seafloor spreading which constitutes the main stage of back-arc basin formation. Two drilling cruises ‒ the IODP Exp. 331 and SIP CK14-04 D/V Chikyu Cruise (Exp. 907) in 2010 and 2014 ‒ were conducted at the Iheya North Knoll, middle OT. The Iheya North Knoll is a domal volcanic complex consisting of small volcanic bodies. On these cruises, pumiceous gravel and altered rhyolitic rocks, as well as hemi-pelagic sediments, hydrothermal clay and Kuroko-type ores, were recovered from the upper 200 m of the crust. From Feb. 11, 2016 to Mar. 17, 2016, the SIP CK16-01 (Exp. 908) D/V Chikyu cruise was conducted at Iheya North Knoll and the sediment-covered rifting center of the Iheya-Minor Ridge area, middle OT. The Iheya-Minor ridge area is also an active hydrothermal field, located 25 km southeast of the Iheya North Knoll. In this area, basaltic rocks are widely distributed, and drilling has confirmed that the basaltic materials continue to 120 m below the seafloor. From an igneous petrological point of view, the volcanic rocks in the Okinawa Trough are characterized by bimodal basaltic and rhyolitic compositions, with a compositional gap between SiO2 = 56-66 wt%. The origin of the rhyolitic rock has been interpreted as magmatic differentiation of basaltic magma. However, the existence of an active basalt-hosted hydrothermal field in the Iheya-Minor ridge area suggests the presence of hot basaltic rocks at a shallow position in the crust, and reaching recharged seawater at this depth. Furthermore, the composition of felsic rocks just after the compositional gap (SiO2 = 67 wt%) is very similar to that of the minimum melt of a granitic system, and experimental partial melt of hydrous basalt. Therefore

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.

Adolescents with Nonresident Fathers: Are Daughters More Disadvantaged than Sons?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Katherine Stamps; Booth, Alan; King, Valarie

2009-01-01

This study examined sons' and daughters' involvement with nonresident fathers and associated outcomes (N = 4,663). Results indicated that sons and daughters reported equal involvement with nonresident fathers on most measures of father investment, although sons reported more overnight visits, sports, and movies and feeling closer to their fathers…

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.

Causal Attributions and Parents' Acceptance of Their Homosexual Sons.

PubMed

Belsky, Yael; Diamond, Gary M

2015-01-01

This Internet-based study examined the association between Israeli parents' attributions regarding the cause of their son's homosexuality and their level of acceptance of their homosexual son. The sample (N = 57) was recruited via Internet Web sites (gay forums and support groups). Findings suggest that more essentialist (versus constructivist) causal attributions were associated with higher levels of parental acceptance. Length of time parents knew of their son's homosexual orientation predicted the degree to which their attributions were essentialist. Implications are discussed.

Vertical Cable Seismic (VCS) Survey for SMS exploration in Izena Cauldron, Okinawa-Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asakawa, Eiichi; Murakami, Fumitoshi; Tsukahara, Hitoshi; Mizohata, Shigeharu; Tara, Kenji

2015-04-01

In 2014, the Japanese government started the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP), which includes 'New-generation Offshore Exploration Techniques' as an area of interest. We proposed the Vertical Cable Seismic (VCS) survey technique for this program, especially for the exploration of Seafloor Massive Sulfides (SMS). VCS is a reflection seismic method that uses hydrophone arrays vertically moored from the seafloor to record acoustic waves generated by various acoustic sources. This method is useful to delineate detailed structures in a spatially-limited area below the seabed in the deep sea where conventional surface seismic is not effective. We have been developing an autonomous VCS system with the financial support of the Japanese government since 2009. We have carried out several VCS surveys and completed our VCS system. Izena Cauldron, Okinawa Trough is one of the most promising SMS areas around Japan. There are two high potential areas, the north and south mound. We carried out the first VCS survey around the north mound in 2011 and the second survey around the south mound in 2013 respectively. The first VCS survey in Izena Cauldron was carried out using a GI gun in September, 2011, with the objective of surveying the large-scale and deeper structure of the hydrothermal system. The water depth was 1,500-1,600m. Four VCS systems were deployed. The shooting lines covered an area of 9 km x 9 km with a shooting interval of about 25m and line spacing of 200m to 400m. In the second survey, we used a high-voltage sparker. The objective is to explore very shallow parts to delineate very thin SMS deposits. The survey area was about 4 km x 4km with a 12.5 m shooting interval and 100m to 200m line spacing. Three VCS systems were deployed in this survey. The result of the first GI gun VCS survey was a 3D PSDM volume of the subsurface structure. It extends 2,000m horizontally and down to 1,500m in depth. Further, by re-processing the data with a

Effect on Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy against gastric cancer in Japan.

PubMed

Tsuda, Momoko; Asaka, Masahiro; Kato, Mototsugu; Matsushima, Rumiko; Fujimori, Kenji; Akino, Kozo; Kikuchi, Shogo; Lin, Yingsong; Sakamoto, Naoya

2017-10-01

In Japan, there have been approximately 50 000 deaths from gastric cancer annually for over 40 years with little variation. It has been reported that most gastric cancers in Japan are caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. H. pylori eradication therapy was approved for patients with chronic gastritis by the Japanese national health insurance scheme in February 2013 for patients with an endoscopic diagnosis of chronic gastritis is positive for H. pylori. We examined the effect on gastric cancer death rate 4 years after expansion of health insurance coverage. We conducted an epidemiological study and analyzed trends in prescription for H. pylori eradication therapy. We used the electronic medical claims database from Hokkaido, Japan to evaluate the impact of expansion of national health insurance coverage for H. pylori eradication therapy on deaths from gastric cancer. Data on deaths from gastric cancer were obtained from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Cancer Statistics in Japan (2015). Analysis of electronic claims records was performed using the National Database, mainly focusing on Hokkaido. Prescriptions for H. pylori eradication therapy and the number of patients treated for gastric cancer were also extracted from the Hokkaido database. Approximately 1.5 million prescriptions for H. pylori eradication therapy were written annually. Gastric cancer deaths fell each year: 48 427 in 2013, 47 903 in 2014, 46 659 in 2015, and 45 509 in 2016, showing a significant decrease after expansion of insurance coverage for H. pylori eradication therapy (P<.0001). Prescriptions for H. pylori eradication therapy increased markedly after approval of the gastritis indication by the national health insurance scheme and was associated with a significant decrease in gastric cancer deaths. © 2017 The Authors. Helicobacter Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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...

New discoveries of old SON: a link between RNA splicing and cancer.

PubMed

Hickey, Christopher J; Kim, Jung-Hyun; Ahn, Eun-Young Erin

2014-02-01

The SON protein is a ubiquitously expressed DNA- and RNA-binding protein primarily localized to nuclear speckles. Although several early studies implicated SON in DNA-binding, tumorigenesis and apoptosis, functional significance of this protein had not been recognized until recent studies discovered SON as a novel RNA splicing co-factor. During constitutive RNA splicing, SON ensures efficient intron removal from the transcripts containing suboptimal splice sites. Importantly, SON-mediated splicing is required for proper processing of selective transcripts related to cell cycle, microtubules, centrosome maintenance, and genome stability. Moreover, SON regulates alternative splicing of RNAs from the genes involved in apoptosis and epigenetic modification. In addition to the role in RNA splicing, SON has an ability to suppress transcriptional activation at certain promoter/enhancer DNA sequences. Considering the multiple SON target genes which are directly involved in cell proliferation, genome stability and chromatin modifications, SON is an emerging player in gene regulation during cancer development and progression. Here, we summarize available information from several early studies on SON, and highlight recent discoveries describing molecular mechanisms of SON-mediated gene regulation. We propose that our future effort on better understanding of diverse SON functions would reveal novel targets for cancer therapy. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genetic Differentiation and Spatial Structure of Phellinus noxius, the Causal Agent of Brown Root Rot of Woody Plants in Japan.

PubMed

Akiba, Mitsuteru; Ota, Yuko; Tsai, Isheng J; Hattori, Tsutomu; Sahashi, Norio; Kikuchi, Taisei

2015-01-01

Phellinus noxius is a pathogenic fungus that causes brown root rot disease in a variety of tree species. This fungus is distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Southeast and East Asia, Oceania, Australia, Central America and Africa. In Japan, it was first discovered on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture in 1988; since then, it has been found on several of the Ryukyu Islands. Recently, this fungus was identified from the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, where it has killed trees, including rare endemic tree species. For effective control or quarantine methods, it is important to clarify whether the Japanese populations of P. noxius are indigenous to the area or if they have been introduced from other areas. We developed 20 microsatellite markers from genome assembly of P. noxius and genotyped 128 isolates from 12 of the Ryukyu Islands and 3 of the Ogasawara Islands. All isolates had unique genotypes, indicating that basidiospore infection is a primary dissemination method for the formation of new disease foci. Genetic structure analyses strongly supported genetic differentiation between the Ryukyu populations and the Ogasawara populations of P. noxius. High polymorphism of microsatellite loci suggests that Japanese populations are indigenous or were introduced a very long time ago. We discuss differences in invasion patterns between the Ryukyu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands.

Genetic Differentiation and Spatial Structure of Phellinus noxius, the Causal Agent of Brown Root Rot of Woody Plants in Japan

PubMed Central

Akiba, Mitsuteru; Ota, Yuko; Tsai, Isheng J.; Hattori, Tsutomu; Sahashi, Norio; Kikuchi, Taisei

2015-01-01

Phellinus noxius is a pathogenic fungus that causes brown root rot disease in a variety of tree species. This fungus is distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Southeast and East Asia, Oceania, Australia, Central America and Africa. In Japan, it was first discovered on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture in 1988; since then, it has been found on several of the Ryukyu Islands. Recently, this fungus was identified from the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, where it has killed trees, including rare endemic tree species. For effective control or quarantine methods, it is important to clarify whether the Japanese populations of P. noxius are indigenous to the area or if they have been introduced from other areas. We developed 20 microsatellite markers from genome assembly of P. noxius and genotyped 128 isolates from 12 of the Ryukyu Islands and 3 of the Ogasawara Islands. All isolates had unique genotypes, indicating that basidiospore infection is a primary dissemination method for the formation of new disease foci. Genetic structure analyses strongly supported genetic differentiation between the Ryukyu populations and the Ogasawara populations of P. noxius. High polymorphism of microsatellite loci suggests that Japanese populations are indigenous or were introduced a very long time ago. We discuss differences in invasion patterns between the Ryukyu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands. PMID:26513585

Son targeting fertility behavior: some consequences and determinants.

PubMed

Basu, Deepankar; de Jong, Robert

2010-05-01

This article draws out some implications of son targeting fertility behavior and studies its determinants. We demonstrate that such behavior has two notable implications at the aggregate level: (a) girls have a larger number of siblings (sibling effect), and (b) girls are born at relatively earlier parities within families (birth-order effect). Empirically testing for these effects, we find that both are present in many countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and North Africa but are absent in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Using maximum likelihood estimation, we study the effect of covariates on son targeting fertility behavior in India, a country that displays significant sibling and birth-order effects. We find that income and geographic location of families significantly affect son targeting behavior.

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…

Translations on North Korea No. 618

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-09-25

United Nations," which are maneuvers to fabricate "Two Koreas,’ and we will attempt to overcome the Japan-South Korea alliance in the Diet as well as...outside the Diet . We will do our utmost to fight for our struggle, includ- ing the withdrawal of American troops from Okinawa. Let our two parties...The JSP) is appealing within and outside the Diet that independent peaceful unification is right. In addition, we must vigorously fight to get

Reposturing the Force: U.S. Overseas Presence in the Twenty-first Century

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-02-01

provide predictability in scheduling , and offer more stability at home. Returning forces meet the services’ need to refit their units for increased...focused on troops scheduled to be pulled back to U.S. bases or consolidated in other locales. There re- mains a need for allies, particularly in Asia, to...relieve political pressure on the U.S.-Japan alliance, Guam is already scheduled to receive seven thousand Marines slated to be moved from Okinawa;96 it

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

Transfer of Decision Making and Farm Tasks from Father to Son in Father-and-Son Farming Arrangements. RS-51, August 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coughenour, C. Milton; And Others

The study examined the division of decision-making and farm tasks in a joint father and son enterprise, the extent to which the decisions tended to be shared equally, and the extent to which the principal operator had responsibility for those tasks not shared. Data were collected in 1974 from fathers and sons who were joint operators of 145 farms…

Survey on laparoscopic total gastrectomy at the 11th China-Korea-Japan Laparoscopic Gastrectomy Joint Seminar.

PubMed

Cai, Zheng-Hao; Zang, Lu; Yang, Han-Kwang; Kitano, Seigo; Zheng, Min-Hua

2017-08-01

Laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) has been widely performed for gastric cancer in China, Korea, and Japan. The current status of this surgical approach needs to be investigated. During the 11th China-Korea-Japan Laparoscopic Gastrectomy Joint Seminar in Shanghai, China, on 5 March 2016, a questionnaire was completed by 65 experts in LTG. The survey included questions on surgical indication, operation team, laparoscopic instruments, and operative procedures. Of the 65 respondents, 35 (53.8%) were from China, 18 (27.7%) were from Korea, and 12 (18.5%) were from Japan. Surgeons have various indications for LTG. Among respondents, stage II gastric cancer (42.9%) was the most acceptable indication, but Japanese surgeons were more cautious on this issue (P = 0.005). Using a flexible scope was more popular with Japanese surgeons than with others (P = 0.003). A goose-neck curved grasper was used more often in China and Korea than in Japan (P = 0.006). Chinese surgeons preferred vertical subxiphoid mini-laparotomy rather than vertical transumbilical laparotomy. Intracorporeal reconstruction (73.0%) was most frequently adopted for LTG. Linear staplers (53.8%) and circular staplers (42.1%) were both popular for esophagojejunostomy. However, jejunojejunostomy was more often conducted extracorporeally (67.7%), in which case a linear stapler (86.4%) was usually selected. Significant differences were observed between the three countries with regard to reinforcement of the duodenal stump (P = 0.018) and closure of Peterson's space (P < 0.001). This survey on LTG involving surgeons from China, Korea, and Japan clearly informed the current practice of this surgical approach and will likely aid future research studies as well as clinical treatment for gastric cancer. © 2017 Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery, Asia Endosurgery Task Force and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

[Two cases of hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominant involvement (HMSN-P)].

PubMed

Mori, Chiaki; Saito, Tomoko; Saito, Toshio; Fujimura, Harutoshi; Sakoda, Saburo

2015-01-01

We, herein, report two independent cases with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominant involvement (HMSN-P) inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. Their common clinical features are slowly progressive proximal dominant muscular atrophy, fasciculations and mild to moderate distal sensory disturbance with areflexia. Nerve conduction study revealed an absence of sensory nerve action potentials, in contrast to almost normal compound muscle action potentials. Gene analysis in both patients elucidated heterozygous mutation (c.854C>T, p.Pro285Leu) in the TFG, which is an identical mutation, already described by Ishiura et al. Okinawa and Shiga are two foci of HMSN-P in Japan. Eventually, one patient is from Okinawa and the other is from a mountain village in Shiga prefecture. When we see a patient who has symptoms suggestive of motor neuron disease with sensory neuropathy, HMSN-P should be considered as a differential diagnosis despite the patient's actual resident place.

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 ...

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.

Dietary patterns and depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan: Baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

PubMed

Miyake, Yoshihiro; Tanaka, Keiko; Okubo, Hitomi; Sasaki, Satoshi; Furukawa, Shinya; Arakawa, Masashi

2018-01-01

Only one Brazilian study has examined the association between dietary patterns and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. The current cross-sectional study examined this issue in Japan. Study subjects were 1744 pregnant women. Between April 2007 and March 2008, information under study was obtained. Dietary patterns were derived from a factor analysis of 33 predefined food groups based on a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were defined as a Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale score ≥ 16. Adjustment was made for age, gestation, region of residence, number of children, family structure, history of depression, family history of depression, smoking, secondhand smoke exposure, employment, household income, education, and body mass index. Three dietary patterns were identified: 'healthy', characterized by high intake of green and yellow vegetables, other vegetables, mushrooms, pulses, seaweed, potatoes, fish, sea products, miso soup, sugar, and shellfish; 'Japanese', characterized by high intake of rice and miso soup; and 'Western', characterized by high intake of beef and pork, processed meat, vegetable oil, chicken, eggs, shellfish, and salt-containing seasonings. The healthy and Japanese patterns were independently inversely associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals, P for trend) between extreme quartiles were 0.56 (0.43-0.73, < 0.0001) and 0.72 (0.55-0.94, 0.008), respectively. No association was observed between the Western pattern and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Information was obtained between the 5th and 39th week of pregnancy. The healthy and Japanese dietary patterns may be inversely associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

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...

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...

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...

Father-Son Inter-Generational Transmission of Authoritarian Paternal Attitudes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peretti, Peter O.; Statum, Jo Ann

1984-01-01

Attempted to determine authoritarian paternal attitude inter-generational transmission in fathers and sons (N=75). Results suggested that authoritarian paternal attitudes could be indicated in terms of five factors: Dominant, Rigidity, Conformity, Intolerant, and Uncreative; and that the sons expressed strongly the authoritarian attitudes of their…

Analyses of the long-range transport of nitrogeneous species through the atmosphere from the Asian continent using observational data at Cape Hedo, Okinawa, and CMAQ postanalyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadanaga, Y.; Bandow, H.; Uno, I.; Sera, T.; Yuba, A.; Takenaka, N.; Takami, A.; Kurokawa, J.; Hatakeyama, S.

2010-12-01

The long-term monitoring of air quality has been continuing at the Cape Hedo Atmosphere and Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS) in Okinawa, Japan in terms of assessing the environmental impact and biogeochemical effect to the marine-surface activities by the economic growth of Asian continent. Among the monitoring data, total odd nitrogen oxides (NOy), HNO3, particulate nitrate (NO3-(p)), NH3, NH4+ and SO42- were analyzed for the period from 16 March to 13 April 2008 as well as the postanalyses of those species by the Community Muti-scale Air Quality model (CMAQ) of those species. NOy and total nitrate (TN = HNO3 + NO3-(p)) concentrations from China (CH) air mass origin were high during the observational period in both observed and model-calculated result. The long-range transport of odd nitrogen species from the Asian continent is supported with respect to both the CMAQ postanalyses and the observations. HNO3 and NO3-(p) concentrations from CH air mass origin were also high during the observational period. However, the HNO3 diurnal variation with daytime peak and nighttime lows suggests that HNO3 around the CHAAMS forms photochemically in situ or in areas relatively close to the CHAAMS. The maximum and minimum concentrations of NH3 were observed at Pacific Ocean (PO) and Middle China air mass origins, respectively, and the observed NH3 concentrations from PO air mass origin were highest. NH3 concentration calculated by the CMAQ failed to reproduce observed variation, this is because the horizontal resolution of CMAQ (-20km) is not sufficient to allocate the land surface/vegetation base NH3 emission. NH4+ and SO42- concentrations from CH air mass origin were high during the observational period for both the observation and the CMAQ calculation. As well as the case of NOy and TN, the long-range transport of ammonium and sulfur compounds from the Asian continent is also supported in terms of both the CMAQ postanalyses and the observations.

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.

The Transmission of Parenting from Fathers to Sons

PubMed Central

Hofferth, Sandra L.; Pleck, Joseph H.; Vesely, Colleen K.

2012-01-01

SYNOPSIS Objective We address the extent to which parenting practices of fathers and mothers are associated with their sons’ parenting behaviors as young adults and whether adolescent behavior explains this association. Design Data come from 409 young men interviewed in the 2006 Young Adult study of the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Results Men whose fathers were positively involved with them when growing up report more positive parenting of their own children, a direct effect. Less harsh mothering and more positive fathering are associated with reduced adolescent behavior problems, and positive mothering is associated with positive adjustment of these young men as adolescents. However, neither adolescent problem behavior nor positive adjustment is associated with young men’s fathering of their own children, and thus does not explain the association between the fathering young men received and their own fathering behavior. Conclusions Men’s parenting of their sons can have a long-term direct effect on how their sons parent their own children. Although parenting is associated with both positive and negative behaviors of sons during adolescence, these adolescent behaviors are not directly linked to later parenting behavior when sons have their own children. More research is needed to examine mediation mechanisms for the intergenerational transmission of parenting. PMID:23284271

A multi-institutional joint study of contact dermatitis related to hair colouring and perming agents in Japan.

PubMed

Ito, Akiko; Nishioka, Kazue; Kanto, Hiromi; Yagami, Akiko; Yamada, Shigeki; Sugiura, Mariko; Yasunaga, Chihiro; Yoshii, Keiko; Kobayashi, Hiromi; Adachi, Atsuko; Ikezawa, Yuko; Washizaki, Kumiko; Inui, Shigeki; Miyazawa, Hitoshi; Oiso, Naoki; Nakata, Tokio; Matsunaga, Kayoko

2017-07-01

In Japan, allergic contact dermatitis caused by hair colouring agents is a considerable problem for those occupationally exposed and also for consumers. Over the last 20 years, p-phenylenediamine (PPD) has been a common allergen, with ∼7% positive patch test reactions. To investigate which ingredients caused allergic contact dermatitis related to hair dye and perming solutions in Japan, to assess whether PPD is suitable for screening for hair dye allergy, and to propose allergens for a Japanese hairdresser series. We selected 19 hair cosmetic allergens, including PPD, Bandrowski's base, cysteamine HCl, and ammonium thioglycolate. Altogether 203 patients (26 males and 177 females) with suspected contact allergy to hair colouring or perming solutions at 14 hospitals in Japan were included. The highest prevalence of positive reactions (35.1%) was for PPD. p-Methylaminophenol and o-aminophenol were often positive, both in the PPD-positive and in the PPD-negative patients. Moreover, cysteamine HCl often yielded positive test reactions. PPD is insufficient to diagnose contact allergy caused by to hair dyes. We recommend 13 allergens to be included in a Japanese hairdresser series. © 2017 The Authors. Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[A new taxonomic system of the genus Murraya (Rutaceae) based on integration of morphology-based taxonomy and chemotaxonomy; and a philological survey on M. exotica in view of the relationship between Okinawa and China].

PubMed

Kinoshita, Takeshi

2014-01-01

This review concerns the taxonomic status of the genus Murraya in tribe Clausenae, subfamily Aurantioideae, family Rutaceae, and presents a new system integrating both morphology-based taxonomy and chemotaxonomy. This genus has been morphologically divided into the sects Murraya and Bergera. This dichotomy is justified by the noticeable difference of secondary metabolites with 3-prenylindoles in Murraya and carbazoles in Bergera. As for other metabolites of genus Murraya, coumarins are found in both sects, but differ clearly in types; 8-prenylcoumarins occur throughout the sect Murraya whereas geranylated furocoumarins are known from some species of the sect Bergera. As far as chemical properties are concerned, sect Bergera is much closer to genus Clausena than sect Murraya, suggesting the dichotomy of genus Murraya to be generic rather than sectional. 8-Prenylcoumarins characterizing sect Murraya play a decisive role in the distinction of M. exotica from M. paniculata that occurs most widely in subtropical and tropical Asia and is well known for morphologic as well as chemical diversity. Though the morphological difference between the two species is slight only in leaves and leaflets, the distinction is well substantiated by the following chemical feature: 7-OMe-8-prenylcoumarins occur in M. exotica whereas 5,7-di-OMe-8-prenylcoumarins in M. paniculata. Sect Murraya has a very close relation to genus Merrillia that is chemically characterized by similar types of 8-prenylcoumarins, and is also related to a certain extent to genus Micromelum. M. exotica is philologically surveyed in view of the delicate relationships between Okinawa, the only habitat of this plant in Japan, and China in order to clarify its historical background.

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

Tsunami preparedness at the resort facilities along the coast of the Ryukyu Islands - their actions against the 27 February 2010 Okinawan and Chilean tsunami warning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, T.

2010-12-01

The economy (including tourism) in tropical and subtropical coastal areas, such as Okinawa Prefecture (Ryukyu) is highly relying on the sea. The sea has both “gentle” side to give people healing and “fierce” side to kill people. If we are going to utilise the sea for marine tourism such as constructing resort facilities on the oceanfront, we should know the whole nature of the sea, Tsunami is the typical case of the “fierce” side of the sea. We have already learned a lesson about this issue from the Sumatra tsunami in 2004. Early morning (5:31 am Japanese Standard Time = JST) on 27 February 2010, a M6.9 earthquake occurred near the coast of Okinawa Ryukyu Island Japan, and just after that Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami warning along the coastal area of Okinawa Prefecture. About one hour later the tsunami warning was cancelled. The CMT solution of this earthquake was found to be strike-slip type with NE-SW P-axis. Therefore this did not induce a tsunami. However, in the afternoon on the same day (JST) a M8.6 earthquake occurred off the coast of Chile and soon after that a tsunami warning issued along the Pacific coastal area including Japan and Ryukyu Islands. Indeed maximum 1m tsunami hit the eastern coast of Okinawa Island on 28th February (Nakamura, 2010, personal communication). The author conducted a survey about the actions against the both tsunami after the 27 February tsunami warming to the major resort hotels along the coast of the Ryukyu Islands. A questionnaire was sent to about 20 hotels and 6 hotels replied to the questionnaire. Most of these hotels reported the regular training against tsunami attack, preparation of a disaster prevention manual, close communication with the local fire station authority, evacuation procedure towards high stories of the hotel building etc. It was “winter season” when the tsunami took place. However, if that were “summer season,” the other problem such as how they make the people

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.

The Characteristics of Heat Flow in the Ryukyu Trench-Arc-Basin System: Constraints on Thermal Structure and Evolution of the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.

2017-12-01

Heat flow is an important constraint to study the thermal structure and evolution in modeling experiments. Based on the surface heat flow map and recent geochemistry results, a 2D transient heat conduction-advection model is used to investigate how the effects of sedimentation rate, magmatic intrusion, extension duration and rate on the surface heat flow distribution of the Okinawa Trough. Surface heat flow distribution map is interpolated based on a data set with 664 measurements in the Ryukyu trench-arc-basin system. The map shows an obviously correspondence between heat flows and tectonic zones, characterized by belts in E-W and blocks in S-N. The heat flow is extremely high and variable in the central Okinawa Trough (COT). The lowest heat values are distributed in the northwest of West Philippine Sea near the Ryukyu Trench. This phenomenon is likely related to increasing hydrothermal circulation of cold water into the upper portion of the incoming plate because of bend-faulting and little sediment coverage. Simulation results show that (1) High sedimentation rate can reduce heat flow by 30-35 % in the southern OT. (2) The sedimentation-corrected heat flow indicates that mantle upwelling occurred in the whole OT. The isotherm of 1000°C reaches to the depth of 19 km in the axil of the COT after 10 Ma. (3) The heat flow can be improved drastically by dyke intrusion along normal faults, but subsequent decreases rapidly about 15% after 0.1 Ma, which indicates the age of dyke intrusion under the Iheya area is younger than 0.5 Ma, and the depth is shallower than 2 km. Moreover, the magma fluid upward migrated along the magma conduits is required for the extremely high heat flow and its Darcy velocity can reach to 9 cm/yr. Based on the distribution of heat flow, we suggest that there is a different evolution model between the central- northern OT and the southern. The time of rifting in the NOT-COT began at 10 Ma with the mean rate of 0.4 cm/yr, while the rifting of

A Letter from a Black Mom to Her Son

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Dyan

2012-01-01

An African American mother and teacher educator uses examples from her own childhood to describe how she hopes her child will be treated by teachers, and what she fears. In her letter to her son, the African American mom expresses how she want teachers to know her son's journey to school--metaphorically and physically. She wants them to know that…

The role of son preference in reproductive behaviour in Pakistan.

PubMed Central

Hussain, R.; Fikree, F. F.; Berendes, H. W.

2000-01-01

The sex of surviving children is an important determinant of reproductive behaviour in South Asia in general and Pakistan in particular. This cohort study evaluates the role of the sex of children on reproductive intentions and subsequent behaviour of women in urban slums of Karachi, Pakistan. The analysis is based on two rounds of surveys conducted in 1990-91 and 1995 of a cohort of married women aged 15-49 years. The results show that pregnancies became increasingly unwanted as the number of surviving sons increased. The sex of surviving children was strongly correlated with subsequent fertility and contraceptive behaviour. However, rather than an exclusive son preference, couples strove for one or more sons and at least one surviving daughter. The policy implications of the link between overt son preference and low status of women are discussed. PMID:10812738

Son preference, fertility desire and contraceptive use in two largest cities of Pakistan.

PubMed

Farooqui, M N

1990-01-01

The preference for sons in deeprooted in Pakistan and the growth rate is 3.1%/year, which has long term implications for the Population Welfare Program. In this study, the relationship between living sons and contraceptive use is examined among 1243 currently married industrial workers and 307 control group workers from 13 sample industries in Karachi and Lahore, Pakistan. The Family Welfare Education for Workers' Project has been operating in these industries. Questions were asked about the number of living children by sex, desired number of children by sex, and ideal family size by sex. The ideal number of children was 4 (3.7) with an average of 2.2 sons and 1.5 daughters, which indicates son preference. Average desired children (living plus additional wanted) is 5.0 (4.7) with an average of 2.6 for sons and 2.1 for daughters. All workers with an ideal of 1 wanted a son. 90% of those wanting an ideal of 2 children desired 1 son and 1 daughter. 95% with an ideal of 3 children wanted 2 sons and 1 daughter. 83% with an ideal of 4 children desired 2 sons and 2 daughters, and 16% wanted 3 sons and 1 daughter. 85% with an ideal of 5 children wanted 3 sons and 2 daughters. Further evidence for son preference occurs with total desired number of children; i.e., 79% of those desiring 2 children preferred 1 of each sex, and 21%, 2 sons. This pattern was repeated for each increase in child desired. The desire for children was also examined in terms of existing children. Workers who have more sons were less likely to desire another child; however, those with 2 living daughters desired 1.63 more children and those with 1 of each desired .85 more children. Those with 2 sons desired .67 more children. The number of additional children desired decreases with the increasing number of living children, and with increasing numbers of living sons. Desiring no more children tends to increase with an increase in number of living children, and with an increase in the number of living

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

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…

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…

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.

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.

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.

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…

SON is a spliceosome-associated factor required for mitotic progression.

PubMed

Huen, Michael S Y; Sy, Shirley M H; Leung, Ka Man; Ching, Yick-Pang; Tipoe, George L; Man, Cornelia; Dong, Shuo; Chen, Junjie

2010-07-01

The eukaryotic RNA splicing machinery is dedicated to the daunting task of excising intronic sequences on the many nascent RNA transcripts in a cell, and in doing so facilitates proper translation of its transcriptome. Notably, emerging evidence suggests that RNA splicing may also play direct roles in maintaining genome stability. Here we report the identification of the RNA/DNA-binding protein SON as a component of spliceosome that plays pleiotropic roles during mitotic progression. We found that SON is essential for cell proliferation, and that its inactivation triggers a MAD2-dependent mitotic delay. Moreover, SON deficiency is accompanied by defective chromosome congression, compromised chromosome segregation and cytokinesis, which in turn contributes to cellular aneuploidy and cell death. In summary, our study uncovers a specific link between SON and mitosis, and highlights the potential of RNA processing as additional regulatory mechanisms that govern cell proliferation and division. © 2010 Landes Bioscience

SON is a spliceosome-associated factor required for mitotic progression

PubMed Central

Sy, Shirley MH; Leung, Ka Man; Ching, Yick-Pang; Tipoe, George L; Man, Cornelia; Dong, Shuo

2010-01-01

The eukaryotic RNA splicing machinery is dedicated to the daunting task of excising intronic sequences on the many nascent RNA transcripts in a cell, and in doing so facilitates proper translation of its transcriptome. Notably, emerging evidence suggests that RNA splicing may also play direct roles in maintaining genome stability. Here we report the identification of the RNA/DNA-binding protein SON as a component of spliceosome that plays pleiotropic roles during mitotic progression. We found that SON is essential for cell proliferation, and that its inactivation triggers a MAD2-dependent mitotic delay. Moreover, SON deficiency is accompanied by defective chromosome congression, compromised chromosome segregation and cytokinesis, which in turn contributes to cellular aneuploidy and cell death. In summary, our study uncovers a specific link between SON and mitosis, and highlights the potential of RNA processing as additional regulatory mechanisms that govern cell proliferation and division. PMID:20581448

Extremely magnetized abyssal lavas erupted in active back-arc of the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, M.; Sato, H.; Okino, K.

2017-12-01

Although high-amplitude of marine magnetic anomalies have been utilized for understanding for seafloor dynamics, the causal link between intensity of natural remanent magnetization and physical and chemical processes of extrusive rocks are still unclear. In addition, we essentially lack rock magnetic data of arc-back-arc lavas, which potentially provide strong constraints for understanding time- and spatial-dependent diversity of lava magnetization including mid-ocean ridge basalts. Here, we present new rock magnetic data of strongly magnetized basaltic rocks, which rank among the most magnetized in known oceanic basaltic rocks, from active back-arc region of the Okinawa Trough. We analyzed 27 non-oxidized (fresh) basaltic rock samples obtained from the active back-arc volcanoes, located at the segment boundary along back-arc rift. Their natural remanent magnetization ranges 7 A/m to >200 A/m, and has clear nonlinear relationship with both magnetic hysteresis signatures and titanomagnetite amount. The strongly magnetized lavas show large contribution of appropriate amount of SD titanomagnetite grains formed in proper crystal growth environments. The high-temperature thermomagnetic experiments demonstrate reversible curves in both heating and cooling with single Curie temperature. The Curie temperature shows up to 480°C for strongly magnetized lavas, which is much higher than that of mid-ocean ridge basalts mainly containing TM60, indicating that rich Fe and low Ti contents of titanomagnetite grains are main magnetic carrier. These observations clearly demonstrate that intensity of natural remanent magnetization is primarily controlled by cooling rate of lavas and ratio of Fe to Ti of titanomagnetite grains as well as bulk iron contents, with important implications towards marine magnetic anomalies and arc-back-arc volcanism.

Post-marketing monitoring of intussusception after rotavirus vaccination in Japan.

PubMed

Bauchau, Vincent; Van Holle, Lionel; Mahaux, Olivia; Holl, Katsiaryna; Sugiyama, Keiji; Buyse, Hubert

2015-07-01

Rotarix(TM) was launched in November 2011 in Japan to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis. Some studies suggest that Rotarix(TM) may have a temporal association with a risk of intussusception (IS). We assessed a possible association between IS and Rotarix(TM) vaccination in Japan. All IS cases spontaneously reported post-vaccination (Brighton collaboration levels 1, 2, and 3) were extracted from the GlaxoSmithKline spontaneous report database on the 11th of January 2013. Expected numbers of IS cases were estimated using the number of vaccine doses distributed and the Japanese incidence rate of IS stratified by month of age. The observed versus expected analysis considered the IS cases for each risk period (7 and 30 days post-vaccination) and for each vaccine dose (two doses). Before January 2013, approximately 601 000 Rotarix(TM) doses were distributed in Japan. For a risk period of 7 days post-dose 1 and post-dose 2, 10 and five IS cases were observed, whereas 3.4 and 7.6 were expected, providing an observed-to-expected ratio of 2.96 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.42; 5.45) and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.21; 1.53), respectively. For a risk period of 30 days post-dose 1 and post-dose 2, 14 and eight cases were observed, whereas 14.5 and 32.7 were expected, providing an observed-to-expected ratio of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.53; 1.62) and 0.24 (95% CI: 0.11; 0.48), respectively. A statistically significant excess of IS cases was observed within 7 days post-dose 1, but not post-dose 2. These results are consistent with previous observations in large post-marketing safety studies in other world regions. © 2015 The Authors. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Parents' involvement in the human papillomavirus vaccination decision for their sons.

PubMed

Perez, Samara; Restle, Hannah; Naz, Anila; Tatar, Ovidiu; Shapiro, Gilla K; Rosberger, Zeev

2017-12-01

Parents are critical to ensure sufficient human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage. No studies to date have examined how mothers and fathers perceive their own, their partners' and their sons' involvement in HPV vaccination decision-making process. An online survey methodology was used to collect data from a national sample of Canadian parents (33% fathers, 67% mothers, M age =44) who had a 9-16years old son (n=3117). Parent's perception of their self-involvement, partner-involvement and son's involvement in the decision to get their son the HPV vaccine were measured on a Likert scale and were classified as 'no involvement', 'moderate involvement' and 'high involvement'. Mothers and fathers both perceive that they themselves and their partners should be highly involved in their son's HPV vaccination decision. Son's involvement was reported as moderate and influenced by age. Significant gender differences were found for self and partner involvement, but the effect sizes were small. Mothers and fathers both perceive that they themselves and their partners should be significantly involved in their son's HPV vaccination decision. A dyad decision-making model involving both parents for HPV vaccine decision-making is suggested with a stronger recommendation for a triad decision-making model involving both parents as well as the child/adolescent. Gender stereotypes of females perceiving themselves as the sole decision-maker or fathers not wanting to be involved in their children's health decision were not supported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Year 2000 Issues Within the U.S. Pacific Command’s Area of Responsibility, III Marine Expeditionary Force

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-02-22

report in final form. We appreciate the courtesies extended to the audit staff. Questions on the audit should be directed to Mr. Robert M. Murrell at... Smedley D. Butler, Okinawa, and Marine Corps Air Station, Futenma, Japan. A Y2K project team was appointed and the infrastructure inventory was completed...the Assistant Inspector General for Auditing, DoD, produced this report. Paul J. Granetto Robert M. Murrell Nancee K. Needham Peter J. Larson Charles R. Johnson John R. Huddleston Elizabeth Lavallee Elizabeth Ramos

FDM simulation of earthquakes off western Kyushu, Japan, using a land-ocean unified 3D structure model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, Taro; Takenaka, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Takeshi; Hara, Tatsuhiko

2017-07-01

Seismic activity occurred off western Kyushu, Japan, at the northern end of the Okinawa Trough on May 6, 2016 (14:11 JST), 22 days after the onset of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake sequence. The area is adjacent to the Beppu-Shimabara graben where the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake sequence occurred. In the area off western Kyushu, a M7.1 earthquake also occurred on November 14, 2015 (5:51 JST), and a tsunami with a height of 0.3 m was observed. In order to better understand these seismic activity and tsunamis, it is necessary to study the sources of, and strong motions due to, earthquakes in the area off western Kyushu. For such studies, validation of synthetic waveforms is important because of the presence of the oceanic water layer and thick sediments in the source area. We show the validation results for synthetic waveforms through nonlinear inversion analyses of small earthquakes ( M5). We use a land-ocean unified 3D structure model, 3D HOT finite-difference method ("HOT" stands for Heterogeneity, Ocean layer and Topography) and a multi-graphic processing unit (GPU) acceleration to simulate the wave propagations. We estimate the first-motion augmented moment tensor (FAMT) solution based on both the long-period surface waves and short-period body waves. The FAMT solutions systematically shift landward by about 13 km, on average, from the epicenters determined by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The synthetics provide good reproductions of the observed full waveforms with periods of 10 s or longer. On the other hand, for waveforms with shorter periods (down to 4 s), the later surface waves are not reproduced well, while the first parts of the waveforms (comprising P- and S-waves) are reproduced to some extent. These results indicate that the current 3D structure model around Kyushu is effective for generating full waveforms, including surface waves with periods of about 10 s or longer. Based on these findings, we analyze the 2015 M7.1 event using the cross

Characteristics of the cultivable bacteria from sediments associated with two deep-sea hydrothermal vents in Okinawa Trough.

PubMed

Sun, Qing-lei; Wang, Ming-qing; Sun, Li

2015-12-01

In this study, different culture-dependent methods were used to examine the cultivable heterotrophic bacteria in the sediments associated with two deep-sea hydrothermal vents (named HV1 and HV2) located at Iheya Ridge and Iheya North in Okinawa Trough. The two vents differed in morphology, with HV1 exhibiting diffuse flows while HV2 being a black smoker with a chimney-like structure. A total of 213 isolates were identified by near full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Of these isolates, 128 were from HV1 and 85 were from HV2. The bacterial community structures were, in large parts, similar between HV1 and HV2. Nevertheless, differences between HV1 and HV2 were observed in one phylum, one class, 4 orders, 10 families, and 20 genera. Bioactivity analysis revealed that 25 isolates belonging to 9 different genera exhibited extracellular protease activities, 21 isolates from 11 genera exhibited extracellular lipase activities, and 13 isolates of 8 genera displayed antimicrobial activities. This is the first observation of a large population of bacteria with extracellular bioactivities existing in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Taken together, the results of this study provide new insights into the characteristics of the cultivable heterotrophic bacteria in deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystems.

Vapor-rich Hydrothermal Fluid Migration Within Pumiceous Sediment in the Iheya North Knoll, Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishibashi, J.; Suzuki, R.; Hamasaki, H.; Yamanaka, T.; Chiba, H.; Tsunogai, U.; Ijiri, A.; Nakagawa, S.; Nunoura, T.; Takai, K.; Kinoshita, M.; Ashi, J.

2007-12-01

The newly developed ROV NSS (Navigable Sampling System) enabled pin-point piston core sampling from the active hydrothermal field. In the Iheya North hydrothermal field in the mid-Okinawa Trough (27°47.5'N, 126°53.8'E, depth = 1000m), animal colonies are observed not only around the central mound structure (named as NBC) which discharges vigrously high temperature (T=311°C) clear fluid, but also as Calyptogena colony at 200m east from the NBC mound and as tube-worm colony at 250m southeast from the NBC mound. During Leg 3 of KY05-14 cruise (R/V Kaiyo of JAMSTEC) in Jan. 2005, fourn piston cores were successfully recovered with length from 65cm to 250cm. Surface sediments from the Calyptogena colony and the tube-worm colony were revealed as mainly composed of pumiceous sediment. Pore fluids from the Calyptogena Field showed unusual chemistry characterized as very low salinity (Cl=420mM), low Mg concentration, significantly lower Na/Cl ratio than seawater and high methane concentration, which suggests contribution of a vapor-rich hydrothermal component migrating within the pumice layer from the activity center. Moreover, decrease of SO4 accompanied by increase of alkalinity is notable even less than one meter depth below the seafloor. In situ sulfate reduction in the surface sediment caused by entrainment of the hydrothermal component would be a source of hydrogen sulfide that supports Calyptogena colony.

HPV vaccine for teen boys: Dyadic analysis of parents' and sons' beliefs and willingness

PubMed Central

Moss, Jennifer L.; Reiter, Paul L.; Brewer, Noel T.

2015-01-01

Objective Parents and adolescents often decide together whether the child should receive human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. However, few studies have investigated the dyadic nature of beliefs that affect this process. Method Data came from the 2010 HPV Immunization in Sons (HIS) Study, a national sample of 412 parents and their adolescent sons. We conducted dyadic multivariate logistic regression to test the relationships between parents' and sons' HPV vaccine beliefs and their willingness to have the son receive the vaccine. Results Fewer than half of parents and sons were willing to have the sons receive HPV vaccine (43% and 29%, respectively). Willing parents and sons anticipated greater regret if the son did not receive HPV vaccine but later contracted an HPV infection (parent odds ratio [OR]=1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.24-2.40; son OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.04-2.19) (both p<.05). Lower concerns about side effects, such as pain and fainting, were also associated with willingness. Conclusion Parents and sons were more willing to have the son receive HPV vaccine if they had higher anticipated regret about potential HPV infection and lower concerns about side effects. Communication campaigns should target these beliefs to increase parents' and sons' willingness to seek HPV vaccination. PMID:26190364

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…

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.

Like Godfather, Like Son: Exploring the Intergenerational Nature of Crime

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hjalmarsson, Randi; Lindquist, Matthew J.

2012-01-01

Sons (daughters) with criminal fathers have 2.06 (2.66) times higher odds of having a criminal conviction than those with noncriminal fathers. One additional paternal sentence increases sons' (daughters') convictions by 32 (53) percent. Compared to traditional labor market measures, the intergenerational transmission of crime is lower than that…

Legionella thermalis sp. nov., isolated from hot spring water in Tokyo, Japan.

PubMed

Ishizaki, Naoto; Sogawa, Kazuyuki; Inoue, Hiroaki; Agata, Kunio; Edagawa, Akiko; Miyamoto, Hiroshi; Fukuyama, Masafumi; Furuhata, Katsunori

2016-03-01

Strain L-47(T) of a novel bacterial species belonging to the genus Legionella was isolated from a sample of hot spring water from Tokyo, Japan. The 16S rRNA gene sequences (1477 bp) of this strain (accession number AB899895) had less than 95.0% identity with other Legionella species. The dominant fatty acids of strain L-47(T) were a15:0 (29.6%) and the major ubiquinone was Q-12 (71.1%). It had a guanine-plus-cytosine content of 41.5 mol%. The taxonomic description of Legionella thermalis sp. nov. is proposed to be type strain L-47(T) (JCM 30970(T)  = KCTC 42799(T)). © 2016 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

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

[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.

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.

HPV vaccine for teen boys: Dyadic analysis of parents' and sons' beliefs and willingness.

PubMed

Moss, Jennifer L; Reiter, Paul L; Brewer, Noel T

2015-09-01

Parents and adolescents often decide together whether the child should receive human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. However, few studies have investigated the dyadic nature of beliefs that affect this process. Data came from the 2010 HPV Immunization in Sons (HIS) Study, a national sample of 412 parents and their adolescent sons. We conducted dyadic multivariate logistic regression to examine the relationships between parents' and sons' HPV vaccine beliefs and their willingness to have the son receive the vaccine. Less than half of parents and sons were willing to have the sons receive HPV vaccine (43% and 29%, respectively). Willing parents and sons anticipated greater regret if the son did not receive HPV vaccine but later contracted an HPV infection (parent odds ratio [OR]=1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.24-2.40; son OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.04-2.19) (both p<.05). Lower concerns about side effects, such as pain and fainting, were also associated with willingness. Parents and sons were more willing to have the son receive HPV vaccine if they had higher anticipated regret about potential HPV infection and lower concerns about side effects. Communication campaigns may be able to target these beliefs to increase parents' and sons' willingness to seek HPV vaccination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[History of hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominant involvement (HMSN-P)].

PubMed

Takashima, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

We established a new disease autosomal dominant hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal dominant involvement (HMSNP) in 1997, in Okinawa, Japan. This disease is characterized by proximal dominant neurogenic atrophy with fasciculations, painful muscle cramp, obvious sensory nerve involvement, areflexia, high incidence of elevated creatine kinase levels, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia. (MIM %604484). HMSNP is so called or HMSNO (HMSN OKINAWA type),. These clinical features resembled those of Kennedy-Alter-Sung syndrome. Most HMSNP patients have severe muscle atrophy and finally the tracheostomy and artificial ventilation are required. Therefore, we initially thought to classify HMSNP into a subtype of motor neuron disease (MND) like familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) or spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). However, the general consensus for MND was no sensory involvement. Therefore, as the disease showed severe sensory involvement, we categorized HMSNP in subtype of HMSN at that time. We also reported the pathology of HMSNP, showing severely decreased anterior horn cells, decreased posterior horn cells, and loss of posterior funiculus in the spinal cord.

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.

Fathers, sons, and sexual orientation: replication of a Bieber hypothesis.

PubMed

Friedman, R C; Stern, L O

1980-01-01

This retrospective study compares memories of the father-son relationship between lifelong socially well-adjusted, non-patient homosexual and heterosexual men. No homosexual subject reported the presence of a reasonably intact, positive relationship with his father or father surrogate during preadolescent years, whereas 12 of the 17 heterosexual men did. Previous investigators have hypothesized that a constructive, supportive father-son relationship precludes the development of homosexual orientation. This hypothesis stemmed from investigation of men who in general suffered from significant global psychopathology. The data in the present investigation supports the notion that a meaningful association, which is not attributable to confounding psychopathology, exists between quality of father-son relationship during early life and male sexual orientation.

Comparisons between Paternal and Maternal Involvement with Sons: Early to Middle Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keown, Louise J.; Palmer, Melanie

2014-01-01

This study compared father-son and mother-son involvement in two-parent families from early to middle childhood. Ninety-four families were recruited for a three-year follow-up study that began when the children were four years old. At each time point, in comparison to mothers, fathers were less accessible to their son on weekdays, and spent more…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Association between colonic polyps and diverticular disease

PubMed Central

Hirata, Tetsuo; Kawakami, Yuko; Kinjo, Nagisa; Arakaki, Susumu; Arakaki, Tetsu; Hokama, Akira; Kinjo, Fukunori; Fujita, Jiro

2008-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the association between colonic polyps and diverticular disease in Japan. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 672 consecutive patients who underwent total colonoscopy between August 2006 and April 2007 at Nishinjo Hospital, Okinawa, Japan. Patients with a history of any of the following were excluded from the study: previous polypectomy, colonic resection, and inflammatory bowel diseases. The association between colonic polyps and diverticular disease was analyzed by logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age and sex. RESULTS: Prevalence of colonic polyps in all patients with diverticular disease was significantly higher than that in those without diverticular disease (adjusted odds ratio 1.7). CONCLUSION: Our data showed that patients with diverticular disease have a higher risk of colonic polyps compared to those without. PMID:18416471

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.

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.

Views of Astronaut (Col.) Joe Engle and son Jon with L-5 Piper Cub

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Views of Astronaut (Col.) Joe Engle and son Jon with L-5 Piper Cub at Clover Airport. Photos include Engle turning propeller while his son sits in the cockpit (34323); both Engle and son examine propeller (34324); Engle works on engine while his son sits in cockpit (34325).

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…

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…

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.

Management strategies in Lynch syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis: a national healthcare survey in Japan.

PubMed

Yamano, Tomoki; Hamanaka, Michiko; Babaya, Akihito; Kimura, Kei; Kobayashi, Masayoshi; Fukumoto, Miki; Tsukamoto, Kiyoshi; Noda, Masafumi; Matsubara, Nagahide; Tomita, Naohiro; Sugihara, Kenichi

2017-02-01

Lynch syndrome (LS) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) are major sources of hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC) and are associated with other malignancies. There is some heterogeneity in management strategies in Japan. We undertook a survey of management of hereditary CRC in hospitals that are members of the Japan Society of Colorectal Cancer Research. One hundred and ninety departments responded, of which 127 were from designated cancer care hospitals (DCCHs) according to the Japanese government. There were 25 488 operations for CRC in these departments in 2015. The DCCHs performed better with regard to usage of Japan Society of Colorectal Cancer Research guidelines, referring new CRC patients for LS screening, and having in-house genetic counselors and knowledge of treatment for LS. There were 174 patients diagnosed with LS and 602 undergoing follow-up in 2011-2015, which is fewer than the number expected from CRC operations in 2015. These numbers were not affected by whether the institution was a DCCH. Universal screening for LS was carried out in 8% of the departments. In contrast, 541 patients were diagnosed with FAP and 273 received preventive proctocolectomy/colectomy in 2011-2015. The DCCH departments undertook more surgery than non-DCCH departments, although most of the management, including surgical procedures and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, was similar. Management of desmoid tumor in the abdominal cavity differed according to the number of patients treated. In conclusion, there was heterogeneity in management of LS but not FAP. Most patients with LS may be overlooked and universal screening for LS is not common in Japan. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

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).

Age difference between parents influences parity and number of sons.

PubMed

Kuna, Berenika; Galbarczyk, Andrzej; Klimek, Magdalena; Nenko, Ilona; Jasienska, Grazyna

2018-05-01

Among couples, women usually prefer slightly older men, and men tend to choose much younger partners. Age difference between partners has been shown to influence their parity; however, results of previous studies are inconsistent. This study analyzed relationships between husband and wife age difference and their total number of children, and number of daughters and sons in a contemporary, rural Polish population. Demographic and reproductive data were collected from 384 postmenopausal women from rural Poland who were married only once. Regression models were used to evaluate the impact of the age gap between partners on total number of children and on number of daughters and sons. Women's age, age at marriage (as an indicator of reproductive value), and years of education were used in analyzes as potential confounders. There was an inverted U-shape association between parental age difference and number of children and also the number of sons. The highest number of children and sons was observed when men were approximately 6.5 years older than their wives. There was no significant relationship between parental age difference and number of daughters. Age difference between partners is important for reproductive success (with younger wives having higher reproductive potential) and is also related to number of sons. Older husbands might provide more resources for the family, thus facilitating production of well-nourished male offspring. Future research should evaluate not only number of children but also their biological condition, health, and lifetime achievements in relation to the age difference between their parents. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Operculina from the northwestern Pacific (Sesoko Island, Japan) Species Differentiation, Population Dynamics, Growth and Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woeger, Julia; Eder, Wolfgang; Kinoshita, Shunichi; Briguglio, Antonino; Hohenegger, Johann

2017-04-01

During the last decades larger benthic foraminifera have gained importance as indicator species and are used in a variety of applications, from ecological monitoring, studying the effects of ocean acidification, or reconstructing paleoenvironments. They significantly contribute to the carbonate budget of costal areas and are invaluable tools in biostratigraphy. Even before their advancement as bioindicators, laboratory experiments have been conducted to investigate the effects of various ecological parameters on community composition, biology of single species, or investigating the effects of salinity and temperature on stable isotope composition of the foraminiferal test, to name only a few. The natural laboratory approach (continuous sampling over a period of more than one year) was conducted at the island of Sesoko (Okinawa, Japan). in combination with µ-CT scanning was used to reveal population dynamics of 3 different morphotypes of Operculina. The clarification of reproductive cycles as well as generation and size abundances were used to calculate natural growth models. Best fit was achieved using Bertalanffy and Michaelis-Menten functions. Exponential-, logistic-, generalized logistic-, Gompertz-function yielded weaker fits, when compared by coefficient of determination as well as Akaike Information criterion. The resulting growth curves and inferred growth rates were in turn used to evaluate the quality of a laboratory cultivation experiment carried out simultaneously over a period of 15 months. Culturing parameters such as temperature, light intensities, salinity and pH and light-dark duration were continuously adapted to measurements in the field. The average investigation time in culture was 77days. 13 Individuals lived more than 200 days, 3 reproduced asexually and one sexually. 14% of 186 Individuals were lost, while 22% could not be kept alive for more than one month. Growth curves also represent an instrumental source of information for the various

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

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

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…

Twelve-month use of herbal medicines as a remedy for mental health problems in Japan: A cross-national analysis of World Mental Health Survey data.

PubMed

Iwanaga, Mai; Iwanaga, Hiroo; Kawakami, Norito

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to clarify the frequencies and sociodemographic and other characteristics around use of herbal medicine as a remedy for mental health problems in Japan. Data from the World Mental Health Japan (WMHJ) Survey and US National Comorbidity Survey Replications were analyzed. The WMHJ was conducted in 2002 to 2006, with 4129 respondents. National Comorbidity Survey Replications was conducted in 2002 to 2003, with 9282 respondents. The interview asked the respondents about their use of several types of herbs for mental health problems. Frequencies of use of herbal medicine were compared between Japan and the United States. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine sociodemographic and mental health-related correlates of 12-month herbal medicine use. Relevant sampling weights were used to adjust for the sampling designs. The proportion for use of herbal medicines as a remedy for mental health problems in the past 12 months was lower (0.4%) in Japan than that in the United States (3.7%). Low education in both countries (P < .05) was significantly associated with nonuse of herbal medicine. Any anxiety disorder in Japan was significantly associated with herbal medicine use (P < .01), while any mental disorder categories were significantly associated in the United States (P < .01). The frequency for use of herbal medicine among patients with mental health problems in the past 12 months was much lower in Japan compared to the United States. Persons with high educational attainment and anxiety disorders used herbal medicine as a remedy for mental health problems more frequently in Japan. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

In the Pursuit of Sons: Additional Births or Sex-Selective Abortion in Pakistan?

PubMed Central

Zaidi, Batool; Morgan, S. Philip

2017-01-01

Even though Pakistan is a highly patriarchal society, it has not featured prominently in studies focusing on sex-selective abortion and sex ratios at birth. But with fertility declining and existing strong son preference—Pakistan has one of the highest desired sex ratios in the world—how will Pakistani families respond? In the pursuit of sons, will they have additional children or resort to sex-selective abortions? Or is there evidence that the pursuit of sons is weakening? Using data from three rounds of the demographic and health survey, we show clear evidence of son preference in fertility intentions, patterns of contraceptive use and parity progression ratios. More specifically, we find pervasive evidence that Pakistanis continue childbearing to have a son, to have more than one son and to have at least one daughter. We do not find consistent and convincing evidence that sex ratios at birth (which indicate sex-selective abortion) are increasing. PMID:28392607

Magnesium isotopic behavior during the formation of chlorite-rich hydrothermal sediment in the middle Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, H.; Yang, S.; Teng, F. Z.; Cai, D.; Humphris, S. E.

2016-12-01

Chlorite is a common alteration product during water-rock reactions in seafloor hydrothermal systems. This chlorite is commonly characterized by high concentrations of magnesium. However, the source of the Mg and its behavior during hydrothermal alteration have yet to be clarified. Mg isotopes have been used in recent years to investigate a variety of geological processes, including low temperature weathering and metamorphism processes, and Mg cycling in sediments. In this study, we investigate the source of Mg and its behavior in chlorite-rich sediments collected during IODP Expedition 331 from the active hydrothermal Iheya North Knoll field in the middle Okinawa Trough — an intra-continental rift in continental crust. This area is characterized by hemipelagic muds with interbedded thick layers of felsic pumiceous volcanic material. Based on mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic data, we have previously suggested that the chlorite-rich sediments resulted from hydrothermal alteration of the pumiceous layers at temperatures of 220-300°C. Prior to Mg isotope analysis, all selected samples were pretreated with 1N HCl in order to remove carbonates and other unstable minerals, and measurements were made on both the residues (mainly chlorite) and leachates, as well as on bulk samples. The residues are expected to show higher δ26Mg than the leachates reflecting the Mg isotopic signature of the pumiceous material precursor and provide insight into the behavior of Mg isotopes during the high-temperature hydrothermal processes.

A qualitative study on the attributes of nurses' workplace social capital in Japan.

PubMed

Norikoshi, Kensuke; Kobayashi, Toshio; Tabuchi, Keiji

2018-01-01

To identify attributes of nurses' workplace social capital in Japan. Much attention has been paid to nurses' workplace social capital to improve the quality of the work environment; however, few studies are available on the attributes of nurses' workplace social capital. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 nurses at seven hospitals. Nurses reported on the attributes of workplace social capital, such as characteristics facilitating individual positive action in an organisation, which were qualitatively analysed using the Kawakita Jiro method. The attributes of nurses' workplace social capital were organised into six groups: affirmation; exchange of appreciation; unrestricted information sharing; ability to trust; access to the strength; and altruistic reciprocity. The attributes of nurses' workplace social capital included a social structure that allowed nurses to make full use of their abilities both vertically and horizontally and were supported by a sense of security. In particular, newly emerged exchange of appreciation and altruistic reciprocity were important for nurses in Japan in building cooperative relationships with others. Managing human relationships, such as exchange of appreciation and altruistic reciprocity, in clinical settings based on nurses' workplace social capital may promote positive emotions in the organisation, positive ideas among staff and cooperative teamwork, which may lead to high-quality patient care. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Culture, Son Preference, and Beliefs about Masculinity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahalingam, Ramaswami; Balan, Sundari

2008-01-01

We examined whether endorsing hyper-masculine attitudes positively related to the psychological well-being of adolescent boys (N=233) in an extreme son preference community, in Tamilnadu, India. A survey with masculinity and measures of psychological well-being was administered. We predicted that endorsement of masculinity would positively relate…

Son Preference and Family Limitation in Pakistan: A Parity- and Contraceptive Method-Specific Analysis.

PubMed

Channon, Melanie Dawn

2017-09-01

Son preference exerts a strong influence over contraceptive and fertility decisions in many South Asian countries. In Pakistan, where fertility remains high and contraceptive use low, research on son preference has been limited. Data from Pakistan Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 1990-1991, 2006-2007 and 2012-2013 were used to examine potential indicators and outcomes of son preference. Descriptive analyses looked at sex composition preferences of men and women, as well as the sex ratio at last birth. Multivariate logistic regression analyses examined parity progression by birth order, while multinomial logistic regression was used to identify associations between sex composition and use of permanent, temporary and traditional contraceptive methods. Parity progression and choice of contraceptive method are increasingly associated with the sex composition of children. Many respondents wanted at least two sons, though most also wanted at least one daughter. Analyses suggest that the prevalence of modern contraceptive use among parous women would have been 19% higher in 2012-2013 in the absence of son preference. Permanent method use was extremely low among women with no sons and increased significantly with number of sons. The association between number of sons and use of temporary methods was weaker, while son preference had little relationship with traditional method use. The association of son preference with parity progression and modern contraceptive use has become stronger in Pakistan. Continuation of the fertility transition may be difficult unless the degrees of differential stopping behavior and differential contraceptive use decline.

Soy isoflavone intake and prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan: baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

PubMed

Miyake, Yoshihiro; Tanaka, Keiko; Okubo, Hitomi; Sasaki, Satoshi; Furukawa, Shinya; Arakawa, Masashi

2018-03-01

Several observational studies and trials examined the relationship between isoflavones or soybeans and depressive symptoms among peri- and postmenopausal women. We cross-sectionally evaluated the associations between intake of soy products and isoflavones and depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan. Study subjects were 1745 pregnant women. Dietary intake during the preceding month was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were defined by a score of 16 or over in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Higher intake of total soy products, tofu, tofu products, fermented soybeans, boiled soybeans, miso soup, and isoflavones was independently related to a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: The adjusted prevalence ratios (95 % confidence intervals, P for trend) between extreme quartiles were 0.63 (0.47-0.85, 0.002), 0.72 (0.54-0.96, 0.007), 0.74 (0.56-0.98, 0.04), 0.57 (0.42-0.76, <0.0001), 0.73 (0.55-0.98, 0.03), 0.65 (0.49-0.87, 0.003), and 0.63 (0.46-0.86, 0.002), respectively. A significant positive exposure-response relationship was found between miso intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. No material relationship was observed between soymilk intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Our study is the first to show independent inverse relationships between intake of total soy products, tofu, tofu products, fermented soybeans, boiled soybeans, miso soup, and isoflavones and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

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.

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.

Mothers' Predictions of Their Son's Executive Functioning Skills: Relations to Child Behavior Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Charlotte

2011-01-01

This study examined mothers' ability to accurately predict their sons' performance on executive functioning tasks in relation to the child's behavior problems. One-hundred thirteen mothers and their 4-7 year old sons participated. From behind a one-way mirror, mothers watched their sons perform tasks assessing inhibition and planning skills.…

Magnetostratigraphy of reef limestones -a case study in Ryukyu Group, Okinawa, Japan-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anai, C.; Shibuya, H.; Mochizuki, N.

2017-12-01

The Ryukyu Group in Ryukyu islands consists of reef limestones of Pleistocene in age, and records regression-transgression cycles of the age. It has great importance for providing the precise sea level changes around Middle-Pleistocene climate transition from 40kyr cycle to 100kyr. In order to assign a geochronological marker in the age of the transition, we investigate the magnetostratigraphical studies of the Ryukyu Group in Miyakojima island. Paleomagnetic samples were collected at 20 sites from all of 5 sequence-stratigraphic units appeared in Miyakojima island (MY-Unit 1 to 5 in ascending order). The conventional thermal demagnetization procedure provides reliable polarity only in 7 sites. For remaining 13 sites, we applied a novel technique of reductive chemical demagnetization (RCD) in addition to the conventional alternating field demagnetization. This hybrid technique successfully erased the overprinting magnetic components and unveiled the primary component. Paleomagnetic directions of 20 sites show that the studied sequence records a polarity transition from reversed to normal, and the transition is at the lowest part of the MY-Unit 4. Previous calcareous nannofossil studies show that the reversal corresponds to the Matuyama-Brunhes boundary. It enables us to correlate the Ryukyu limestones with the timing of the climate transition.

Mid-depth sedimentary oxygenation variation in the western Pacific since the last glacial period: geochemical evidence from the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, J. J.; Shi, X.; Zhu, A.

2017-12-01

In this study, we investigate a suite of sediment geochemical proxies (total organic carbon and carbonate contents, carbon to nitrogen ratio, aluminum and redox-sensitive elements) to reconstruct the history of sedimentary oxygenation in the northern Okinawa Trough (OT) over the last 50 thousand years (ka). Our data support the presence of oxygen-deficient deep waters during the late deglacial and Preboreal phases (15‒9.5 ka), but oxygenated water column during the Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1) and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). In contrast, increased sedimentary oxygenations are evident during the late glacial period and since 8.5 ka. Fluctuations of sedimentary oxygenation were widespread and apparently coherent over the entire North Pacific basin, reflecting broad effects of North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) ventilation and export productivity. Intensified Kuroshio, however, improved the sedimentary oxygenation since 8.5 ka. We found the correspondence between changes in deglacial sedimentary oxygenation in the OT and Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation through the NPIW ventilation. The mechanism behind Atlantic-Pacific ventilation seesaw seems to be attributed to the perturbation of sea ice formation in high latitude North Pacific through atmospheric teleconnection.

Results of Physical Property Measurements Obtained during the CHIKYU Cruise CK16-01 to Hydrothermal Fields of the Middle Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanikawa, W.; Masaki, Y.; Komori, S.; Torimoto, J.; Makio, M.; Ohta, Y.; Nozaki, T.; Ishibashi, J. I.; Kumagai, H.; Maeda, L.; Hamada, Y.

2016-12-01

The middle Okinawa trough, along the Ryukyu-arc on the margin of the western Pacific, fosters several hydrothermal fields. The cruise CK16-01 of D/V CHIKYU targeted the Iheya-North Field and Noho hydrothermal site. More than ten-days extensive coring was carried out with Logging While Drilling (LWD) and deployment of Kuroko cultivation apparatus between February 29th to March 17th2016. Here we present the results of the physical property measurements obtained using Chikyu's on-board laboratory. Cores were sampled among three sites where the seafloor environments were quite different: the Noho site (C9017), a site between the Natsu and Aki sites of the Iheya-North field (C9021), and the Iheya-North Aki site (C9023). Site C9017 was near the center of the hydrothermal activity, and the obtained core was limited 36 m in length and 30 % in the recovery rate. At 70 mbsf (meters below seafloor), the grain density and bulk density of the sediment reached their maxim (3.7 g/m3 and 2.7 g/cm3, respectively), while thermal conductivity reached its lowest value (0.6 W/m·K). Site C9021 yielded a 54 m core, with a core recovery rate of 50 %. Coarse pumiceous layers were found at 68 mbsf, with a hydrothermally altered layer appearing below 68 mbsf. The mean grain density value was 2.4 g/cm3 and was uniform throughout the core. The mean bulk density value of the pumiceous layers was 1.3 g/cm3, and of the hydrothermally altered layer was 2.1 g/cm3. Site C9023 was close to the active hydrothermal chimneys of the Iheya-North Aki site, and yielded 33 m of core with a core recovery rate of 16 %. Massive sulfide layers were found below 48 mbsf with grain density and bulk density values varying between 2.8-4.7 g/cm3 and 1.5-3.9 g/cm3, respectively. Magnetic susceptibility exhibited a high anomaly in a sedimented anhydrite layer found between 95 and 135 mbsf, and a high porosity and low resistivity zone was found below 150 mbsf. Together, these data from drilling cores and onboard

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.

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

[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.

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...

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.

The Okinawa study: an estimation of noise-induced hearing loss on the basis of the records of aircraft noise exposure around Kadena Air Base

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiramatsu, K.; Matsui, T.; Ito, A.; Miyakita, T.; Osada, Y.; Yamamoto, T.

2004-10-01

Aircraft noise measurements were recorded at the residential areas in the vicinity of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa in 1968 and 1972 at the time of the Vietnam war. The estimated equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level LAeq for 24 h was 85 dB.The time history of sound level during 24 h was estimated from the measurement conducted in 1968, and the sound level was converted into the spectrum level at the centre frequency of the critical band of temporary threshold shift (TTS) using the results of spectrum analysis of aircraft noise operated at the airfield. With the information of spectrum level and its time history, TTS was calculated as a function of time and level change. The permanent threshold shift was also calculated by means of Robinson's method and ISO's method. The results indicate the noise exposure around Kadena Air Base was hazardous to hearing and is likely to have caused hearing loss to people living in its vicinity.

Dicarboxylic acids, oxoacids, benzoic acid, α-dicarbonyls, WSOC, OC, and ions in spring aerosols from Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific Rim: size distributions and formation processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshmukh, Dhananjay K.; Kawamura, Kimitaka; Lazaar, Manuel; Kunwar, Bhagawati; Boreddy, Suresh K. R.

2016-04-01

Size-segregated aerosols (nine stages from < 0.43 to > 11.3 µm in diameter) were collected at Cape Hedo, Okinawa, in spring 2008 and analyzed for water-soluble diacids (C2-C12), ω-oxoacids (ωC2-ωC9), pyruvic acid, benzoic acid, and α-dicarbonyls (C2-C3) as well as water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), organic carbon (OC), and major ions (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, and MSA-). In all the size-segregated aerosols, oxalic acid (C2) was found to be the most abundant species, followed by malonic and succinic acids, whereas glyoxylic acid (ωC2) was the dominant oxoacid and glyoxal (Gly) was more abundant than methylglyoxal. Diacids (C2-C5), ωC2, and Gly as well as WSOC and OC peaked at fine mode (0.65-1.1 µm) whereas azelaic (C9) and 9-oxononanoic (ωC9) acids peaked at coarse mode (3.3-4.7 µm). Sulfate and ammonium were enriched in fine mode, whereas sodium and chloride were in coarse mode. Strong correlations of C2-C5 diacids, ωC2 and Gly with sulfate were observed in fine mode (r = 0.86-0.99), indicating a commonality in their secondary formation. Their significant correlations with liquid water content in fine mode (r = 0.82-0.95) further suggest an importance of the aqueous-phase production in Okinawa aerosols. They may also have been directly emitted from biomass burning in fine mode as supported by strong correlations with potassium (r = 0.85-0.96), which is a tracer of biomass burning. Bimodal size distributions of longer-chain diacid (C9) and oxoacid (ωC9) with a major peak in the coarse mode suggest that they were emitted from the sea surface microlayers and/or produced by heterogeneous oxidation of biogenic unsaturated fatty acids on sea salt particles.

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.

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

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

Manganese intake is inversely associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan: Baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

PubMed

Miyake, Yoshihiro; Tanaka, Keiko; Okubo, Hitomi; Sasaki, Satoshi; Furukawa, Shinya; Arakawa, Masashi

2017-03-15

One epidemiological study in Canada has addressed the association between zinc intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy while another epidemiological study in Korea has examined the association between iron intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. The present cross-sectional study in Japan examined the association between intake of zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese and depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Study subjects were 1745 pregnant women. Dietary intake during the preceding month was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were defined as a score ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Adjustment was made for age, gestation, region of residence, number of children, family structure, history of depression, family history of depression, smoking, secondhand smoke exposure at home and at work, employment, household income, education, body mass index, and intake of saturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and isoflavones. In crude analysis, significant inverse associations were observed between intake levels of zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese and the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. After adjustment for confounding factors, only manganese intake was independently inversely associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted prevalence ratio between extreme quartiles was 0.74 (95% confidence interval:0.56-0.97, P for trend=0.046). Information was obtained between the 5th and 39th week of pregnancy. The current cross-sectional study of Japanese women demonstrated higher manganese intake to be independently associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

The experience of sons caring for a parent with dementia.

PubMed

McDonnell, Eilis; Ryan, Assumpta A

2014-11-01

This study explored the experiences of sons caring for a parent with dementia. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of sons (n = 13) in a rural part of Ireland. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed for common themes. The key themes that emerged were 'the parental bond', 'a binding role', 'coordinating care and support' and a 'getting on with it' approach to care. The study highlighted the commitment of sons to their caregiving role and the strong sense of duty that motivated them to provide care. The findings suggested that while many aspects of the caregiving experience such as lack of information and support are gender neutral, there are differences in the caregiving experiences of men and women in how they view their relationship with their parent and in the management of their caregiving role that merit further investigation. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

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.

Elemental compositions of crab and snail shells from the Kueishantao hydrothermal field in the southwestern Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Zhigang; Ma, Yao; Wang, Xiaoyuan; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Yin, Xuebo; Zhang, Suping; Zhang, Junlong; Jiang, Wei

2018-04-01

To reveal differences in the behavior of benthic vent animals, and the sources and sinks of biogeochemical and fluid circulations, it is necessary to constrain the chemical characteristics of benthic animals from seafloor hydrothermal fields. We measured the abundances of 27 elements in shells of the crab Xenograpsus testudinatus and the snail Anachis sp., collected from the Kueishantao hydrothermal field (KHF) in the southwestern Okinawa Trough, with the aim of improving our understanding of the compositional variations between individual vent organisms, and the sources of the rare earth elements (REEs) in their shells. The Mn, Hg, and K concentrations in the male X. testudinatus shells are found to be higher than those in female crab shells, whereas the reverse is true for the accumulation of B, implying that the accumulation of K, Mn, Hg, and B in the crab shells is influenced by sex. This is inferred to be a result of the asynchronous molting of the male and female crab shells. Snail shells are found to have higher Ca, Al, Fe, Ni, and Co concentrations than crab shells. This may be attributed to different metal accumulation times. The majority of the light rare earth element (LREE) distribution patterns in the crab and snail shells are similar to those of Kueishantao vent fluids, with the crab and snail shells also exhibiting LREE enrichment, implying that the LREEs contained in crab and snail shells in the KHF are derived from vent fluids.

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective actions of medicinal herb, Terminalia catappa L. from Okinawa Island and its tannin corilagin.

PubMed

Kinoshita, S; Inoue, Y; Nakama, S; Ichiba, T; Aniya, Y

2007-11-01

The antioxidant and hepatoprotective actions of Terminalia catappa L. collected from Okinawa Island were evaluated in vitro and in vivo using leaves extract and isolated antioxidants. A water extract of the leaves of T. catappa showed a strong radical scavenging action for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and superoxide (O(2)(.-)) anion. Chebulagic acid and corilagin were isolated as the active components from T. catappa. Both antioxidants showed a strong scavenging action for O(2)(.-) and peroxyl radicals and also inhibited reactive oxygen species production from leukocytes stimulated by phorbol-12-myristate acetate. Galactosamine (GalN, 600 mg/kg, s.c.,) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.5 microg/kg, i.p.)-induced hepatotoxicity of rats as seen by an elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities was significantly reduced when the herb extract or corilagin was given intraperitoneally to rats prior to GalN/LPS treatment. Increase of free radical formation and lipid peroxidation in mitochondria caused by GalN/LPS treatment were also decreased by pretreatment with the herb/corilagin. In addition, apoptotic events such as DNA fragmentation and the increase in caspase-3 activity in the liver observed with GalN/LPS treatment were prevented by the pretreatment with the herb/corilagin. These results show that the extract of T. catappa and its antioxidant, corilagin are protective against GalN/LPS-induced liver injury through suppression of oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Fe-rich carbonate chimney in Okinawa Trough Implication for Fe-driven Microbial Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane (AMO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, X.; Guo, Z.

2016-12-01

Marine sediments associated with cold seeps at continental margins discharge substantial amounts of methane. Microbial anaerobic oxidation of methane (AMO) is a key biogeochemical process in these environments, which can trigger the formation of carbonate chimneys within sediments. The exact biogeochemical mechanism of how AMO control the formation of carbonate chimneys and influence their mineralogy and chemistry remains poorly constrained. Here, we use nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry to characterize the petrology and geochemistry of methane-derived Fe-rich carbonate chimneys formed between 5-7 Ma in the Northern Okinawa Trough. We find abundant framboid pyrites formed in the authigenic carbonates in the chimneys, indicating a non-Fe limitation sedimentary system. The δ13C values of carbonate (-18.9‰ to -45.9‰, PDB) show their probable origin from a mixing source of biogenic and thermogenic methane. The δ34S values range from -3.9 ± 0.5‰ to 23.2 ± 0.5‰ (VCDT), indicative of a strong exhaustion of sulfates in a local sulfate pool. We proposed that Fe-rich carbonate chimneys formed at the bottom of the sulfate-methane transition zone, beneath which Fe-driven AOM may happen and provide available ferrous for the extensive precipitation of pyrite in carbonate chimneys. The accumulation of reductive Fe in sediments via this process may widely occur in other analogous settings, with important application for Fe and S biogeochemical cycling within deep sediments at continental margins.

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.

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

Dombey and Son: An Inverted Maid's Tragedy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badinjki, Taher

2015-01-01

Ross Dabney, J. Butt & K. Tillotson, and others think that Dickens revised the role of Edith in the original plan of "Dombey and Son" upon the advice of a friend. I tend to believe that Dickens's swerve from his course was prompted by two motives, his relish for grand scenes, and his endeavour to engage the reader's sympathies for a…

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.

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…

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…

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…

Trace element accumulation in hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Yaeyama Islands, Japan.

PubMed

Anan, Y; Kunito, T; Watanabe, I; Sakai, H; Tanabe, S

2001-12-01

Concentrations of 18 trace elements (V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Ba, Hg, Tl, and Pb) were determined in the liver, kidney, and muscle of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) from Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa, Japan. Accumulation features of trace elements in the three tissues were similar between green and hawksbill turtles. No gender differences in trace element accumulation in liver and kidney were found for most of the elements. Significant growth-dependent variations were found in concentrations of some elements in tissues of green and hawksbill turtles. Significant negative correlations (p < 0.05) were found between standard carapace length (SCL) and the concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Se in the kidney and V in muscle of green turtles and Mn in the liver, Rb and Ag in kidney, and Hg in muscle of hawksbill turtles. Concentrations of Sr, Mo, Ag, Sb, and Tl in the liver, Sb in kidney, and Sb and Ba in muscle of green turtles and Se and Hg in the liver and Co, Se, and Hg in kidney of hawksbill turtles increased with an increase in SCL (p < 0.05). Green and hawksbill turtles accumulated extremely high concentrations of Cu in the liver and Cd in kidney, whereas the levels of Hg in liver were low in comparison with those of other higher-trophic-level marine animals. High accumulation of Ag in the liver of green turtles was also observed. To evaluate the trophic transfer of trace elements, concentrations of trace elements were determined in stomach contents of green and hawksbill turtles. A remarkably high trophic transfer coefficient was found for Ag and Cd in green turtles and for Cd and Hg in hawksbill turtles.

African-American Fathers' Perspectives on Facilitators and Barriers to Father-Son Sexual Health Communication.

PubMed

Randolph, Schenita D; Coakley, Tanya; Shears, Jeffrey; Thorpe, Roland J

2017-06-01

African-American males ages 13 through 24 are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), accounting for over half of all HIV infections in this age group in the United States. Clear communication between African-American parents and their youth about sexual health is associated with higher rates of sexual abstinence, condom use, and intent to delay initiation of sexual intercourse. However, little is known about African-American fathers' perceptions of what facilitates and inhibits sexual health communication with their preadolescent and adolescent sons. We conducted focus groups with 29 African-American fathers of sons ages 10-15 to explore perceived facilitators and barriers for father-son communication about sexual health. Participants were recruited from barbershops in metropolitan and rural North Carolina communities highly affected by STIs and HIV, and data were analyzed using content analysis. Three factors facilitated father-son communication: (a) fathers' acceptance of their roles and responsibilities; (b) a positive father-son relationship; and (c) fathers' ability to speak directly to their sons about sex. We also identified three barriers: (a) fathers' difficulty in initiating sexual health discussions with their sons; (b) sons' developmental readiness for sexual health information; and (c) fathers' lack of experience in talking with their own fathers about sex. These findings have implications for father-focused prevention interventions aimed at reducing risky sexual behaviors in adolescent African-American males. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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

A draft genome of the brown alga, Cladosiphon okamuranus, S-strain: a platform for future studies of 'mozuku' biology.

PubMed

Nishitsuji, Koki; Arimoto, Asuka; Iwai, Kenji; Sudo, Yusuke; Hisata, Kanako; Fujie, Manabu; Arakaki, Nana; Kushiro, Tetsuo; Konishi, Teruko; Shinzato, Chuya; Satoh, Noriyuki; Shoguchi, Eiichi

2016-12-01

The brown alga, Cladosiphon okamuranus (Okinawa mozuku), is economically one of the most important edible seaweeds, and is cultivated for market primarily in Okinawa, Japan. C. okamuranus constitutes a significant source of fucoidan, which has various physiological and biological activities. To facilitate studies of seaweed biology, we decoded the draft genome of C. okamuranus S-strain. The genome size of C. okamuranus was estimated as ∼140 Mbp, smaller than genomes of two other brown algae, Ectocarpus siliculosus and Saccharina japonica Sequencing with ∼100× coverage yielded an assembly of 541 scaffolds with N50 = 416 kbp. Together with transcriptomic data, we estimated that the C. okamuranus genome contains 13,640 protein-coding genes, approximately 94% of which have been confirmed with corresponding mRNAs. Comparisons with the E. siliculosus genome identified a set of C. okamuranus genes that encode enzymes involved in biosynthetic pathways for sulfated fucans and alginate biosynthesis. In addition, we identified C. okamuranus genes for enzymes involved in phlorotannin biosynthesis. The present decoding of the Cladosiphon okamuranus genome provides a platform for future studies of mozuku biology. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.

Plant origin of Okinawan propolis: honeybee behavior observation and phytochemical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumazawa, Shigenori; Nakamura, Jun; Murase, Masayo; Miyagawa, Mariko; Ahn, Mok-Ryeon; Fukumoto, Shuichi

2008-08-01

Propolis is a natural resinous product collected by honeybees from certain plants. It has gained popularity as a food and alternative medicine. Poplar and Baccharis are well known as the source plants of European and Brazilian propolis, respectively. However, the propolis from Okinawa, Japan, contains some prenylflavonoids not seen in other regions such as Europe and Brazil, suggesting that the plant origin of Okinawan propolis is a particular plant that grows in Okinawa. To identify the plant origin of Okinawan propolis, we observed the behavior of honeybees as they collected material from plants and caulked it inside the hive. Honeybees scraped resinous material from the surface of plant fruits of Macaranga tanarius and brought it back to their hive to use it as propolis. We collected samples of the plant and propolis, and compared their constituents by high-performance liquid chromatography with a photo-diode array detector. We also compared their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical scavenging activity. The chemical constituents and biological activity of the ethanol extracts of the plant did not differ from those of propolis. This indicates directly that the plant origin of Okinawan propolis is M. tanarius.

Artificial production and natural breeding of the endangered frog species Odorrana ishikawae, with special reference to fauna conservation in the laboratory.

PubMed

Sumida, Masayuki; Satou, Naoki; Yoshikawa, Natsuhiko; Kurabayashi, Atsushi; Islam, Mohammed Mafizul; Igawa, Takeshi; Oumi, Shohei; Katsuren, Seiki; Ota, Hidetoshi; Shintani, Nozomi; Fukuniwa, Hiroko; Sano, Naomi; Fujii, Tamotsu

2011-11-01

Odorrana ishikawae is listed as a class IB endangered species in the IUCN Red List and is protected by law in both Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures, Japan. Here, in an effort to help effectively preserve the genetic diversity of this endangered species in the laboratory, we tested a farming technique involving the artificial breeding of frogs, and also promoted natural breeding in the laboratory. Field-caught male/female pairs of the Amami and Okinawa Island populations were artificially bred using an artificial insemination method in the 2004, 2006, and 2008 breeding seasons (March to April). Although fewer than 50% of the inseminated eggs achieved metamorphosis, approximately 500, 300, and 250 offspring from the three respective trials are currently being raised in the laboratory. During the 2009 and 2010 breeding seasons, second-generation offspring were produced by the natural mating activities of the first offspring derived from the two artificial matings in 2004. The findings and the methods presented here appear to be applicable to the temporary protection of genetic diversity of local populations in which the number of individuals has decreased or the environmental conditions have worsened to levels that frogs are unable to survive by themselves.

Affective Interchange in Families with a Schizophrenic Son.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angermeyer, Matthias C.; And Others

Sixty half-hour family discussions generated by the "revealed differences technique" were analyzed to determine the emotional intensity and quality (friendliness/attacking) of messages between individuals in families with schizophrenic and "normal" sons. Thirty families in each situation (schizophrenic/normal) were matched for comparison. Both…

Genotype analysis, using PCR with type-specific primers, of hepatitis B virus isolates from patients coinfected with hepatitis delta virus genotype II from Miyako Island, Japan.

PubMed

Moriyama, Moriyama; Taira, Masaaki; Matsumura, Hiroshi; Aoki, Hiroshi; Mikuni, Morio; Kaneko, Miki; Shioda, Atsuo; Iwaguchi, Kayo; Arai, Shinobu; Ichijima, Sagiri; Iwasaki, Hiroko; Tanaka, Naohide; Abe, Kenji; Arakawa, Yasuyuki

2003-01-01

The aims of this study were to determine the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA-positive patients and to characterize the HBV nucleotide sequences that may be found on a distant island of Japan. This study included three patients with chronic hepatitis who were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; ELISA), HDV antibody (ELISA) and HDV RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The HBV genotype was determined by nested PCR using type-specific primers. The first-round PCR products from two patients were sequenced, followed by an investigation of nucleotide homology. Viruses from all three patients in this study were classified as HBV genotype B. Comparison with HBV isolates from geographically neighboring regions revealed that the two HBV isolates had 97.9-98.6% identity at the nucleotide level to a Chinese isolate, 98.3-98.6% identity to the Okinawa isolate and 98.6-98.8% identity to a Japanese isolate of genotype B. On phylogenetic analysis, the HBV isolates from the two patients were classified as HBV genotype B. The HBV isolates of cases 1 and 3 clustered in the same group as isolates from the Chinese mainland and Japanese mainland, which are geographically near Miyako Island. The HBV isolates coinfected with HDV found on Miyako Island were of genotype B. The PCR method based on genotype-specific primers was useful in determining HBV genotypes. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

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.

A Son's Fears and a Father's Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eller, Ian

2013-01-01

In the days since the surreal horror of December 14th, the author's children have responded to the tragedy differently. His daughter is a first grader, and she lost many of her friends to the gunman. She has been melancholy, sad in a way only a child who feels but does not understand her feelings can be. His 9-year-old son has been less sad and…

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.

The relationships between symptoms and quality of life over the course of cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic disorder in Japan.

PubMed

Ogawa, Sei; Kondo, Masaki; Okazaki, Jynya; Imai, Risa; Ino, Keiko; Furukawa, Toshi A; Akechi, Tatsuo

2017-06-01

This study examined the relationships between changes in symptoms and changes in quality of life (QOL) during cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for panic disorder (PD). We treated 198 PD patients with group CBT in Japan. Using multiple regression analysis, we examined the associations between changes in QOL and changes in PD symptoms or comorbid psychological symptoms during CBT. Changes in anticipatory anxiety, agoraphobic fear/avoidance, and somatization were significant predictors of changes in some aspects of QOL. It might be useful to decrease somatization, anticipatory anxiety, and agoraphobic fear to improve QOL in CBT for PD. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

[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.

Son Preference and Children’s Housework: The Case of India

PubMed Central

Adserà, Alícia

2013-01-01

We use a nationally representative survey of Indian households (NFHS-3) to conduct the first study that analyzes whether son preference is associated with girls bearing a larger burden of housework than boys. Housework is a non-negligible part of child labor in which around 60 % of children in our sample are engaged. The preference for male offspring is measured by a mother’s ideal proportion of sons among her offspring. We show that when the ideal proportion increases from 0 to 1, the gap in the time spent on weekly housework for an average girl compared to that of a boy increases by 2.5 h. We conduct several robustness analyses. First, we estimate the main model separately by caste, religion, and family size. Second, we use a two-stage model to look at participation into housework (as well as other types of work) in addition to hours. Third, we use mother’s fertility intentions as an alternative measure of son preference. The analysis confirms that stated differences in male preference translate in de facto differences in girl’s treatment. PMID:23914000

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…

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,…

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.

First results from the in-situ temperature measurements by the newly developed downhole tool during the drilling cruise in the hydrothermal fields of the mid-Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitada, K.; Wu, H. Y.; Miyazaki, J.; Akiyama, K.; Nozaki, T.; Ishibashi, J. I.; Kumagai, H.; Maeda, L.

2016-12-01

The Okinawa trough is an active backarc basin behind the Ryukyu subduction zone and exhibits active rifting associated with extension of the continental margin. The temperature measurement in this area is essential for understanding hydrothermal system and hydraulic structure. During the CK16-01 cruise this March, we have conducted the in-situ temperature measurements by the newly developed downhole tool, TRDT (Thermo-Resistant Downhole Thermometer) in hydrothermal fields of the mid-Okinawa Trough. The purpose of this measurement is to investigate the in-situ temperature structure in deep-hot zones and its variation after coring and/or drilling. TRDT was designed by JAMSTEC as a memory downhole tool to measure in-situ borehole temperature under the extreme high temperature environment. First trial was conducted in the CK14-04 cruise by the free fall deployment to reduce the operation time. However, there was no temperature data recorded due to the strong vibration during the operation. After CK14-04 cruise, TRDT was modified to improve the function against vibration and shock. The improved TRDT passed the high temperature, vibration and shock tests to ensure the data acquisition of borehole logging. During the CK16-01 cruise, we have first successfully collected the in-situ temperature data from hydrothermal borehole in the Iheya North Knoll with wireline system. The temperature at depth of 187mbsf continued to increase almost linearly from 220 to 245°C during the 20 minute measurements time. This suggests that the inside borehole was cooled down by pumping seawater through drill pipes during the coring and lowering down the TRDT tool to the bottom hole. The in-situ temperature were extrapolated with exponential curve using nonlinear least squares fitting and the estimated equilibrium temperature was 278°C. To recover the in-situ temperature more precisely, the measurement time should kept as long as possible by considering the temperature rating. The operational

Do Sons or Daughters Give More Money to Parents in Urban China?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xie, Yu; Zhu, Haiyan

2009-01-01

The patriarchal structure of the traditional Chinese family suggests that sons, more than daughters, provide financial support to elderly parents. The norm of receiving support in old age primarily from sons, however, may have been undermined by dramatic demographic, economic, and cultural changes occurring over the last several decades in China,…

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.

Tropical cyclones-Pacific Asian Research Campaign for Improvement of Intensity estimations/forecasts (T-PARCII): A research plan of typhoon aircraft observations in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuboki, Kazuhisa

2017-04-01

, aerosol sonde, and a drone to observe typhoon-associated clouds and precipitation. After a test flight in March 2017, typhoon observations will be made for next 4 years; 2017-2020. The main target area of observation is the south of Okinawa where a typhoon reaches the maximum intensity and often changes its moving direction. This research will advance aircraft observation technique of typhoon in Japan. The aircraft observation will be a breakthrough to improve typhoon intensity estimations. Assimilation of the aircraft observation data to the cloud-resolving model will improve intensity estimations and forecasts of typhoons. This is the first step for the future advanced aircraft observation and will contribute to prevention or reduction of typhoon disasters.

Intergenerational Exchange between Parents and Migrant and Nonmigrant Sons in Rural China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cong, Zhen; Silverstein, Merril

2011-01-01

This investigation examined whether intergenerational exchanges of time and money resources between older parents and their adult sons in rural China were conditioned on sons' migration status. Data derived from 2001 and 2003 waves of a longitudinal study of 1,126 parents, aged 60 and older, living in rural areas of Anhui Province, China, and…

Disability in the Family: John and Alice Dewey Raising Their Son Sabino

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danforth, Scot

2018-01-01

Background/Context: The current biographic understanding of John Dewey's experience adopting and raising an Italian boy named Sabino emphasizes the theme of finding an emotional replacement for Morris and Gordon, two young sons who had tragically died on family trips to Europe. Lacking is substantive attention to the fact that John Dewey's son had…

The Telephone Connection: An Interview with Ernest Hemingway's Son.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Workman, Brooke

1979-01-01

Relates how a conference call to Ernest Hemingway's son, Gregory, resolved questions and brought understanding and excitement to a group of Iowa high school students enrolled in a 12-week Hemingway seminar. (FL)

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 ...

Emotional eating and eating psychopathology in nonclinical groups: a cross-cultural comparison of women in Japan and the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Waller, G; Matoba, M

1999-11-01

Emotional eating is associated with eating psychopathology among Western populations. It is not known whether the same conclusions hold in non-Western cultures, where norms for emotional expression differ. This study examined whether emotional eating has the same eating psychopathology correlates in different cultures. Three groups of nonclinical women were compared-Japanese living in Japan; Japanese living in the United Kingdom; and British living in the United Kingdom. They completed an Emotional Eating Scale and the Eating Disorders Inventory. There were different patterns of association between emotional eating and eating attitudes in the three groups. British women showed a strong linkage, Japanese women living in Japan showed no association, and Japanese women in the United Kingdom showed an intermediate pattern. Emotional eating may be less of an index of eating psychopathology in non-Western cultures. However, there appears to be an acculturative process, linking the two when one enters a Western culture. This cross-cultural difference may have implications for the targeting of therapies, although this conclusion requires support from further research. Copyright 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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.

Workplace bullying among nurses and their related factors in Japan: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Yokoyama, Mami; Suzuki, Miho; Takai, Yukari; Igarashi, Ayumi; Noguchi-Watanabe, Maiko; Yamamoto-Mitani, Noriko

2016-09-01

To explore the association between workplace bullying and workplace environment factors among nurses in Japan. Workplace bullying among nurses is increasing globally and occurs more frequently than among other professions. However, there is little information on the impact of workplace environment factors on nurse bullying in Japan. A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire. Participants were 1152 nurses recruited at seminars or training courses outside of their workplaces in Tokyo. Workplace bullying was measured using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised. Participants were considered to have been 'bullied' if they reported experiencing at least one negative act on a daily or weekly basis. Workplace environment factors were measured using the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, which comprises five domains: nurse participation in hospital affairs; nursing foundations for quality of care; nurse manager ability, leadership and support of nurses; staffing and resource adequacy; and collegial nurse-physician relationships. A total of 898 (78·0%) questionnaires were returned, of which 825 (71·6%) were analysed. Altogether, 153 (18·5%) nurses were considered 'bullied.' The three most frequent negative acts reported as occurring on a weekly or daily basis were 'someone withholding information which affects your performance' (6·7%), 'being exposed to an unmanageable workload' (4·4%) and 'being shouted at or being the target of spontaneous anger (or rage)' (3·6%). Logistic regression analysis indicated that 'bullied' were associated with low scores on two work environment domains: nurse manager ability, leadership and support of nurses and staffing and resource adequacy. Effective nurse manager leadership and support as well as appropriate staffing management may positively influence workplace bullying among nurses in Japan. Authentic leadership styles and allowing nurses to easily request days off might also be important

African-American Fathers’ Perspectives on Facilitators and Barriers to Father-Son Sexual Health Communication

PubMed Central

Randolph, Schenita D.; Coakley, Tanya; Shears, Jeffrey; Thorpe, Roland J.

2017-01-01

African-American males ages 13 through 24 are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), accounting for over half of all HIV infections in this age group in the United States. Clear communication between African-American parents and their youth about sexual health is associated with higher rates of sexual abstinence, condom use, and intent to delay initiation of sexual intercourse. However, little is known about African-American fathers’ perceptions of what facilitates and inhibits sexual health communication with their preadolescent and adolescent sons. We conducted focus groups with 29 African-American fathers of sons ages 10–15 to explore perceived facilitators and barriers for father-son communication about sexual health. Participants were recruited from barbershops in metropolitan and rural North Carolina communities highly affected by STIs and HIV, and data were analyzed using content analysis. Three factors facilitated father-son communication: (a) fathers’ acceptance of their roles and responsibilities, (b) a positive father-son relationship, and (c) fathers’ ability to speak directly to their sons about sex. We also identified three barriers: (a) fathers’ difficulty in initiating sexual health discussions with their sons, (b) sons’ developmental readiness for sexual health information, and (c) fathers’ lack of experience in talking with their own fathers about sex. These findings have implications for father-focused prevention interventions aimed at reducing risky sexual behaviors in adolescent African-American males. PMID:28220553

Risk factors, cross-cultural stressors and postpartum depression among immigrant Chinese women in Japan.

PubMed

Jin, Qiongai; Mori, Emi; Sakajo, Akiko

2016-04-01

The purpose of this mixed-method design study was to examine factors contributing to depression among immigrant Chinese women (primipara and multipara) (n = 22) delivering a child for the first time in Japan. Data were obtained just after hospital discharge by using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Social Support Scale, a new scale to measure cross-cultural stressors in the postpartum setting and a visual analogue scale for stress and a demographic survey. The average EPDS score was 9.0 (SD ± 3.7) at 1-3 weeks postpartum; yet, more than half of the subjects (n = 12; 54.5%) were high risk for depression (EPDS ≥ 10). Low household income and primiparous status were associated with depression scores. New mothers with depression also reported more general stress and more cross-cultural stress in the postpartum setting, although social support appeared to mediate cross-cultural stressors. Semi-structured interviews were held with two immigrant women at high risk for depression; these new mothers described additional stress because they could not follow Zuoyuezi, an important postpartum Chinese tradition, in the Japanese hospital. These findings suggest that immigrant Chinese women are at higher risk for postpartum depression when they give birth for the first time in Japan. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Carboxydobrachium pacificum gen. nov., sp. nov., a new anaerobic, thermophilic, CO-utilizing marine bacterium from Okinawa Trough.

PubMed

Sokolova, T G; González, J M; Kostrikina, N A; Chernyh, N A; Tourova, T P; Kato, C; Bonch-Osmolovskaya, E A; Robb, F T

2001-01-01

A new anaerobic, thermophilic, CO-utilizing marine bacterium, strain JMT, was isolated from a submarine hot vent in Okinawa Trough. Cells of strain JMT were non-motile thin straight rods, sometimes branching, with a cell wall of the Gram-positive type, surrounded with an S-layer. Chains of three to five cells were often observed. The isolate grew chemolithotrophically on CO, producing equimolar quantities of H2 and CO2 (according to the equation CO+H2O-->CO2+H2) and organotrophically on peptone, yeast extract, starch, cellobiose, glucose, galactose, fructose and pyruvate, producing H2, acetate and CO2. Growth was observed from 50 to 80 degrees C with an optimum at 70 degrees C. The optimum pH was 6.8-7.1. The optimum concentration of sea salts in the medium was 20.5-25.5 g l(-1). The generation time under optimal conditions was 7.1 h. The DNA G+C content was 33 mol %. Growth of isolate JMT was not inhibited by penicillin, but ampicillin, streptomycin, kanamycin and neomycin completely inhibited growth. The results of 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed that strain JMT belongs to the Thermoanaerobacter phylogenetic group within the Bacillus-Clostridium subphylum of Gram-positive bacteria but represents a separate branch of this group. On the basis of morphological and physiological features and phylogenetic data, this isolate should be assigned to a new genus, for which the name Carboxydobrachium is proposed. The type species is Carboxydobrachium pacificum; the type strain is JMT (= DSM 12653T).

The desire for sons and excess fertility: a household-level analysis of parity progression in India.

PubMed

Chaudhuri, Sanjukta

2012-12-01

The desire for sons often influences fertility behavior in India. Women with a small number or low proportion of sons may be more likely than other women to continue childbearing. Data from India's 2005-2006 National Family Health Survey were used to examine several hypotheses regarding the association between sex composition of children and parity progression among parous women aged 35-49. Descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regression analysis that controlled for possible confounders were performed separately by parity. Women with more sons than daughters were generally less likely than those with more daughters than sons to continue childbearing; parity progression driven by the desire for sons accounted for 7% of births. At any given parity, the last-born child of women who had stopped childbearing was more likely to be a son than a daughter (sex ratios, 133-157). In multivariate analyses, women without any sons were more likely than women without any daughters to continue childbearing at parities 1-4 (odds ratios, 1.4-4.5). At most or all parities, continued childbearing was positively associated with having had a child who died, and negatively associated with levels of women's education and media exposure and with household wealth. The desire for sons appears to be a significant motivation for parity progression. Although population policies that reduce family size are essential, also imperative are policies that reduce desire for sons by challenging the perception that sons are more valuable than daughters.

"My son is still walking": stages of receptivity to discussions of advance care planning among parents of sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

PubMed

Erby, Lori Hamby; Rushton, Cynda; Geller, Gail

2006-06-01

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an inherited progressive neuromuscular disease that generally results in death by early adulthood. Because of its life-threatening nature, discussions of advance care planning are extremely relevant to families with affected children and adolescents. Seventeen parents of sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy were interviewed about their attitudes, experiences, and the nature of their discussions about these topics. Parents showed a lack of familiarity with and experience communicating about advance care planning. They also discussed opportunities for communication that centered on transitional life events. Parents appeared to vacillate between hope for future treatments, avoidance of emotionally difficult aspects of the disease, and presence with the fullness of life's experiences. These data suggest a model for future research in which windows of opportunity for discussion may exist as sons are approaching significant transitional milestones and parents are able to see the world through a lens of "presence."

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.

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

Girl adoption in China-A less-known side of son preference.

PubMed

Chen, Yuyu; Ebenstein, Avraham; Edlund, Lena; Li, Hongbin

2015-01-01

In 1987, 4 per cent of girls were adopted within China. Why? Unlike infanticide, abandonment rids parents of daughters while preserving the supply of potential brides. In fact, an erstwhile tradition common in Fujian and Jiangxi provinces had parents of sons adopting an infant girl to serve as a future daughter-in-law and household help. Analysing a nationally representative 1992 survey of children, we found that: (1) girl adoptions were concentrated in the above-mentioned provinces; (2) girls were predominantly adopted by families with sons; (3) adopted girls faced substantial disadvantage as measured by school attendance at ages 8-13. In the 1990s, as the sex ratio at birth climbed, were girls aborted rather than abandoned? Observing that in the 2000 census too many girls appear in families with older sons, we estimated that at least 1/25 girls were abandoned in the 1990s, a proportion that in Fujian and Jiangxi may have peaked at 1/10 in 1994.

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.

Intention of Mothers in Israel to Vaccinate their Sons against the Human Papilloma Virus.

PubMed

Ben Natan, Merav; Midlej, Kareem; Mitelman, Olga; Vafiliev, Katya

This study investigated the intention of mothers in Israel to vaccinate their sons against HPV, using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a framework, while comparing between Arab and Jewish mothers. The study has a quantitative cross-sectional design. A convenience sample of 200 Jewish and Arab mothers of boys aged 5-18 completed a questionnaire based on the HBM. The research findings indicate that only 14% of the mothers, constituting mostly Arab mothers, vaccinated their sons against HPV. Moreover, mothers showed a moderate level of intention to vaccinate their sons. This level was similar among Arab and Jewish mothers. However, the health beliefs of Jewish and Arab mothers differed. The HBM was found to explain 68% of mothers' intention to vaccinate their sons against HPV, and the perceived benefits of the vaccine were the factor most affecting this intention. Although mothers' health beliefs concerning vaccinating their sons against HPV may vary between sectors, the HBM can be used to explain what motivates mothers to vaccinate their sons. The research findings can assist in designing a national project among mothers of boys aimed at raising HPV vaccination rates, in both the Jewish and the Arab sector. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Relationship between extreme Precipitation and Temperature over Japan: An analysis from Multi-GCMs and Multi-RCMs products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, S.; Dairaku, K.; Takayabu, I.

2014-12-01

According to the IPCC reports, the concentration of CO­2 has been increasing and projected to be increased significantly in future (IPCC, 2012). This can have significant impacts on climate. For instance, Dairaku and Emori (2006) examined over south Asia by doubling CO2 and documented an increase in precipitation intensities during Indian summer monsoon. This would increase natural disasters such as floods, landslide, coastal disaster, erosion etc. Recent studies investigated whether the rate of increase of extreme precipitation is related with the rate expected by Clausius-Clapeyron (CC) relationship (approximately 7% per degree temperature rise). In our study, we examine whether this rate can increase or decrease in the future regional climate scenarios over Japan. We have analysed the ensemble experiments by three RCMs(NHRCM, NRAMS, WRF) forced by JRA25 as well as three GCMs (CCSM4, MIROC5, MRI-GCM3) for the current climate (1981-2000) and future scenario (2081-2100, RCP4.5) over Japan. We have stratified the extreme (99th, 95th, 90th, 75th percentile) precipitation of daily sum and daily maximum of hourly precipitation intensities of wet events based on daily mean temperature in bins of 1°C width for annual as well as for each season (DJF, MAM, JJA, SON). The results indicate that precipitation intensity increases when temperature increases roughly up to 22 °C and further increase of temperature decreases the precipitation intensities. The obtained results are consistent and match with the observation (APHRODITE dataset) over Japan. The decrease of precipitation at higher temperature mainly can be found in JJA. It is also noticed that the rate of specific humidity is estimated higher during JJA than other seasons. The rate of increase of extreme precipitation is similar to the rate expected by CC relation except DJF (nearly twice of CC relation) in current climate. This rate becomes to be significantly larger in future scenario for higher temperatures than

Breaking the ice! Predictors about communication between nonresident African American fathers and sons about sex.

PubMed

Burns, Jade C; Caldwell, Cleopatra H

2016-02-01

Research on communication between resident and nonresident African American fathers and their sons about sex has been understudied. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of parenting variables, specifically, racial socialization and father involvement on nonresident African American father-son communication about sex. Data for this study are from the Fathers and Sons Project. This intervention study is designed to enhance relationships between nonresident African American fathers and their 8-12 year old sons and to prevent risky health behaviors among sons. The present study is based on 345 African American boys who completed baseline face-to-face interviews. The average age of the sons was 10.2 years old (SD = 1.4), with an average of two siblings (SD = 1.53). Age and sons' perceptions of more parental monitoring by their fathers were predictive of increased communication about sex. Racial socialization messages explained additional variance in communication about sex above other parenting variables and controls. Findings suggest when working with African American families, providers who counsel parents, and in particular provide outreach to fathers regarding communication about sex, are in a unique position to enhance parenting communication skills about sexuality. ©2015 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Biogeochemical processes controlling authigenic carbonate formation within the sediment column from the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiwei; Peng, Xiaotong; Bai, Shijie; Chen, Zhiyan; Van Nostrand, Joy D.

2018-02-01

Authigenic carbonates are one type of conspicuous manifestation in seep environments that can provide long-term archives of past seepage activity and methane cycling in the oceans. Comprehensive investigations of the microbial community functional structure and their roles in the process of carbonate formation are, however, lacking. In this study, the mineralogical, geochemical, and microbial functional composition were examined in seep carbonate deposits collected from the west slope of the northern section of the Okinawa Trough (OT). The aim of this work was to explore the correspondence between the mineralogical phases and microbial metabolism during carbonate deposit formation. The mineralogical analyses indicated that authigenic carbonate minerals (aragonite, magnesium-rich calcite, dolomite, ankerite and siderite) and iron-bearing minerals (limonite, chlorite, and biotite) were present in these carbonate samples. The carbon and oxygen isotopic values of the carbonate samples varied between -51.1‰ to -4.7‰ and -4.8‰ to 3.7‰, respectively. A negative linear correlation between carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions was found, indicating a mixture of methane-derived diagenetic (low δ13C/high 18O) carbonates and detrital origin (high δ13C/low 18O) carbonates at the OT. GeoChip analyses suggested that various metabolic activities of microorganisms, including methanogenesis, methane oxidation, sulfite oxidation, sulfate reduction, and metal biotransformations, all occurred during the formation process. On the basis of these findings, the following model for the methane cycle and seep carbonate deposit formation in the sediment column at the OT is proposed: (1) in the upper oxidizing zone, aerobic methane oxidation was the main way of methane consumption; (2) in the sulfate methane transition zone, sulfate-dependent AOM (anaerobic oxidation of methane) consumes methane, and authigenic minerals such as aragonite, magnesium-calcite, and sulfide minerals

Japan’s Battle of Okinawa, April-June 1945 (Leavenworth Papers, Number 18)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

and close combat to prevail over its lightly armed adversaries, the Chinese and Euro- pean colonial garrisons. Beginning with Guadalcanal, however...Army on 8 July 1944. 55 Cho drank generously and when intoxicated would perform a dance with his samurai sword. He liked having fine cuisine and good...the sentries outside managed to forage some tomatoes and Chinese cabbage from neighboring gardens. Beer and sake were plentiful, and the commander’s

Burden of cancer associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japan, 2010-2030.

PubMed

Saito, Eiko; Charvat, Hadrien; Goto, Atsushi; Matsuda, Tomohiro; Noda, Mitsuhiko; Sasazuki, Shizuka; Inoue, Manami

2016-04-01

Diabetes mellitus constitutes a major disease burden globally, and the prevalence of diabetes continues to increase worldwide. We aimed to estimate the burden of cancer associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japan between 2010 and 2030. In this study, we estimated the population attributable fraction of cancer risk associated with type 2 diabetes in 2010 and 2030 using the prevalence estimates of type 2 diabetes in Japan from 1990 to 2030, summary hazard ratios of diabetes and cancer risk from a pooled analysis of eight large-scale Japanese cohort studies, observed incidence/mortality of cancer in 2010 and predicted incidence/mortality for 2030 derived from the age-period-cohort model. Our results showed that between 2010 and 2030, the total numbers of cancer incidence and mortality were predicted to increase by 38.9% and 10.5% in adults aged above 20 years, respectively. In the number of excess incident cancer cases associated with type 2 diabetes, an increase of 26.5% in men and 53.2% in women is expected between 2010 and 2030. The age-specific analysis showed that the population attributable fraction of cancer will increase in adults aged >60 years over time, but will not change in adults aged 20-59 years. In conclusion, this study suggests a modest but steady increase in cancers associated with type 2 diabetes. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

History of son preference and sex selection in India and in the west.

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Sutapa; Singh, Amarjeet

2003-01-01

In the history of mankind, there was a time when women dominated the world. In due course of time, as the patriarchal societies evolved, the status of women gradually declined. Sons were preferred to daughters. In India, the Brahmin community promoted such customs and rituals, which gave more and more importance to sons eg. Lighting the funeral pyre of the father was told to be a pre-condition for salvation of his spirit. Similarly, in western civilization also women were considered to be weak. In consonance with such a mind-set man has been trying various techniques for sex-selection since antiquity eg. for acquiring a son choosing a special day, time and posture for sexual intercourse, special diet, charms and amulet and prayers etc. In Vedas also punsavana karma has been described as a technique for acquiring a son. Apart from these techniques, female infanticide has also been used as a way to create a male dominated, son-worshipping society. On development of the technique of ultrasonography as an example of progress of science and technology, man has devised a new way of killing females in womb itself, which has resulted in continuous decline in female: male sex ratio in India. To stop this, Indian Govt. promulgated PNDT Act 1994. But considering the widely prevalent practice of use of various regimen of sex-pre-selection by people as well as unscrupulous medical practitioners, Govt. of India has amended this Act (2002). Still, as authors have found in one of their studies, sex-selection drugs are being used widely by north Indians for getting a son. Here, it should be noted that sex-selection methods are being used in west also. But the perspective is different. There, it is not used for female feticide or for acquiring a son. Rather, it is more an effort towards demonstrating the control of man over the NATURE.

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…

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

Who Will Help My Son?: A Family's Journey with Dyslexia.

PubMed

DeBrew, Jacqueline

2017-08-01

It may seem unusual for a nurse to intervene and assist a child with a learning disability, but a mental health nurse who knows the warning signs of dyslexia is able to help families who are going through a difficult time. The current article details the author's experience regarding her son's dyslexia diagnosis. For her family, a nurse was a valuable resource. The impact the struggle had not only on her son, but also her family, and the changes brought about by getting a diagnosis and treatment, demonstrate the impact that nurses can have when family-focused care is provided. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 55(8), 27-30.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

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.

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.

Comparing the effects of kamikihito in Japan and kami-guibi-tang in Korea on memory enhancement: working towards the development of a global study.

PubMed

Watari, Hidetoshi; Shigyo, Michiko; Tanabe, Norio; Tohda, Michihisa; Cho, Ki-Ho; Kyung, Park Su; Jung, Woo Sang; Shimada, Yutaka; Shibahara, Naotoshi; Kuboyama, Tomoharu; Tohda, Chihiro

2015-03-01

Traditional medicine is widely used in East Asia, and studies that demonstrate its usefulness have recently become more common. However, formulation-based studies are not globally understood because these studies are country-specific. There are many types of formulations that have been introduced to Japan and Korea from China. Establishing whether a same-origin formulation has equivalent effects in other countries is important for the development of studies that span multiple countries. The present study compared the effects of same-origin traditional medicine used in Japan and Korea in an in vivo experiment. We prepared drugs that had the same origin and the same components. The drugs are called kamikihito (KKT) in Japan and kami-guibi-tang (KGT) in Korea. KKT (500 mg extract/kg/day) and KGT (500 mg extract/kg/day) were administered to ddY mice, and object recognition and location memory tests were performed. KKT and KGT administration yielded equivalent normal memory enhancement effects. 3D-HPLC showed similar, but not identical, patterns of the detected compounds between KKT and KGT. This comparative research approach enables future global clinical studies of traditional medicine to be conducted through the use of the formulations prescribed in each country. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Associations Between Fathers' and Sons' Sexual Risk in Rural Kenya: The Potential for Intergenerational Transmission.

PubMed

Giusto, Ali M; Green, Eric P; Puffer, Eve S

2017-08-01

Despite high rates of HIV in areas of Sub-Saharan Africa and men's role in driving the epidemic, little is known about whether or how sexual risk-both behaviors and beliefs-may be passed down through generations of males. This study examined associations between sexual risk behaviors and sex-related beliefs of adolescent males and those of their male caregivers in Kenya, as well as the potential moderating effects of parenting characteristics and father-son relationship quality. Cross-sectional linear regression analysis was applied to baseline data from a trial of a family- and church-based intervention for families in rural Kenya that followed a stepped-wedge cluster randomized design. Our subsample consisted of 79 male caregiver and son (aged 10-16 years) dyads. Results demonstrated a direct relationship between fathers' and sons' sex-related beliefs that was not moderated by parenting or quality of father-son relationship. Parenting/relationship characteristics did moderate the relationship between fathers' and sons' sexual behavior; if fathers did not engage in high-risk sex and exhibited more positive parenting/higher relationship quality, their sons were less likely to be sexually active. Among fathers having high-risk sex, parenting was unrelated to sons' behavior except at very high levels of positive parenting/relationship quality; at these levels, sons were actually more likely to have had sex. Findings support recommendations to include male caregivers in youth HIV prevention efforts, potentially by targeting fathers' parenting strategies and their individual risk. Copyright © 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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?

Daughters increase longevity of fathers, but daughters and sons equally reduce longevity of mothers.

PubMed

Jasienska, Grazyna; Nenko, Ilona; Jasienski, Michal

2006-01-01

Reproduction is energetically and physiologically expensive, and an individual investing resources into producing offspring should suffer costs such as deterioration in health condition and possibly shorter life span. Since the energetic and nutritional demands of pregnancy and breastfeeding render reproductive costs much higher in women than in men, women with a large number of children should show signs of deterioration in condition, while men with large families should not. However, whether reproductive costs reduce longevity in women is still questionable, and in men this issue has not been adequately addressed. In addition, since sons are energetically more expensive to produce than daughters, having sons should have a more pronounced negative impact on maternal longevity than having daughters. Here we document a striking disparity in the impact of children on the life span of mothers and fathers in a Polish rural population. We show for the first time that number of daughters was positively related to a longer life span of their fathers, increasing their longevity on average by 74 weeks per daughter born, while number of sons did not have a significant effect on paternal longevity. In contrast, in women, the number of daughters and number of sons reduced maternal longevity and did so to the same extent, on average by 95 weeks per son or daughter, indicating that for women, the costs of having sons and daughters are similar.

Has Their Son Been Vaccinated? Beliefs About Other Parents Matter for Human Papillomavirus Vaccine.

PubMed

Schuler, Christine L; Coyne-Beasley, Tamera

2016-07-01

The goal of this study was to determine if parents' beliefs about social norms of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for sons were associated with knowledge of HPV, intention to vaccinate sons, or beliefs about side effects. A cross-sectional, survey-based study of parents with sons was performed in 2010. Fisher's exact tests were used to examine associations between demographics and responses about social norms. Multivariate logistic regression models examined beliefs about social norms of male HPV vaccination and primary outcomes. Few parents agreed that others were vaccinating sons (n = 31/267, 12%), including 1% responding strongly agree and 11% responding agree. Most parents, 52%, disagreed that others were vaccinating (40% disagree, 11% strongly disagree), and 37% chose prefer not to answer regarding others' vaccination practices. Hispanic parents and those with a high school education or less were significantly more likely to choose prefer not to answer than their respective counterparts regarding vaccination norms. In multivariate models, parents agreeing others were vaccinating sons had greater odds of having high knowledge of HPV (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] high vs low knowledge 3.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13, 8.77) and increased intention to vaccinate sons (n = 243, aOR = 4.41, 95% CI = 1.51, 12.89). Beliefs about side effects were not significantly associated with beliefs about social norms. Parents' beliefs about others' vaccination practices are important with regard to knowledge of HPV and intention to vaccinate sons. Studying how various public messages about HPV vaccine may influence normative beliefs could be relevant to improving vaccination coverage. © The Author(s) 2015.

Comparative Single-Cell Genomics of Chloroflexi from the Okinawa Trough Deep-Subsurface Biosphere.

PubMed

Fullerton, Heather; Moyer, Craig L

2016-05-15

Chloroflexi small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences are frequently recovered from subseafloor environments, but the metabolic potential of the phylum is poorly understood. The phylum Chloroflexi is represented by isolates with diverse metabolic strategies, including anoxic phototrophy, fermentation, and reductive dehalogenation; therefore, function cannot be attributed to these organisms based solely on phylogeny. Single-cell genomics can provide metabolic insights into uncultured organisms, like the deep-subsurface Chloroflexi Nine SSU rRNA gene sequences were identified from single-cell sorts of whole-round core material collected from the Okinawa Trough at Iheya North hydrothermal field as part of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) expedition 331 (Deep Hot Biosphere). Previous studies of subsurface Chloroflexi single amplified genomes (SAGs) suggested heterotrophic or lithotrophic metabolisms and provided no evidence for growth by reductive dehalogenation. Our nine Chloroflexi SAGs (seven of which are from the order Anaerolineales) indicate that, in addition to genes for the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, exogenous carbon sources can be actively transported into cells. At least one subunit for pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase was found in four of the Chloroflexi SAGs. This protein can provide a link between the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and other carbon anabolic pathways. Finally, one of the seven Anaerolineales SAGs contains a distinct reductive dehalogenase homologous (rdhA) gene. Through the use of single amplified genomes (SAGs), we have extended the metabolic potential of an understudied group of subsurface microbes, the Chloroflexi These microbes are frequently detected in the subsurface biosphere, though their metabolic capabilities have remained elusive. In contrast to previously examined Chloroflexi SAGs, our genomes (several are from the order Anaerolineales) were recovered from a hydrothermally driven system and therefore provide a unique window into

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.

Mother-Son Interactions in Families of Boys with Attention-Deficit/hyperactivity Disorder with and without Oppositional Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seipp, Carla M.; Johnston, Charlotte

2005-01-01

Parenting responsiveness and over-reactivity were assessed among 25 mothers of 7-9-year-old sons with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and oppositional behavior (Oppositional Defiant, OD), 24 mothers of sons with ADHD only, and 38 mothers of nonproblem sons. Responsiveness was observed during mother-son play and clean-up…

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…

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

Observations of a Father: My Son Has Spina Bifida.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Remmel, Carl L.

1982-01-01

The author reviews his experiences as the father of a child with spina bifida, a congenital problem in which the spine is not completely enclosed. He recounts his feelings upon first finding out about the condition and his son's subsequent surgeries and crises. (CL)

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

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

The association between social participation and cognitive function in community-dwelling older populations: Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study at Taisetsu community Hokkaido.

PubMed

Sakamoto, Ai; Ukawa, Shigekazu; Okada, Emiko; Sasaki, Sachiko; Zhao, Wenjing; Kishi, Tomoko; Kondo, Katsunori; Tamakoshi, Akiko

2017-10-01

To study the association between the number of area-level and individual-level social participation items and cognitive function in the community-dwelling older populations of three towns in Hokkaido, Japan. A survey on the frequency of social participation was mailed to those in the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study 2013 who were aged ≥65 years, were not certified as needing long-term care, and lived in Higashikawa, Higashikagura, or Biei. A subset of participants aged 70-74 years completed the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in a home visit survey. Both the area-level and individual-level social participation and demographic information were obtained on the self-administered questionnaire. A multilevel analysis using a generalized linear mixed-effects model was used to examine the association between variables in the area-level and individual-level social participation items and cognitive function. Out of 4042 respondents, data from 2576 were used in the area-level analysis. Of those, 180 were aged 70-74 years and completed the home visit survey for the individual-level analysis. A greater number of higher social participation items at the individual level was associated with higher cognitive function scores after adjusting for area-level social participation variables and confounders (regression coefficient: 0.19; 95% confidence interval: 0.03, 0.35). There were no significant associations between area-level social participation item averages and individual-level cognitive function scores. Older populations participating in many kinds of social activities exhibited preserved cognitive function even after adjusting for area-level social participation variables. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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…

Vaccinating sons against HPV: results from a U.S. national survey of parents.

PubMed

Taylor, Jaime L; Zimet, Greg D; Donahue, Kelly L; Alexander, Andreia B; Shew, Marcia L; Stupiansky, Nathan W

2014-01-01

The quadrivalent HPV vaccination was approved for use in males ages 9 to 26 in 2009 and recommended for routine administration in 2011. The purpose of this study was to uncover predictable commonalities amongst parents who chose to vaccinate their 11-17 year old sons against HPV. We compiled data from a U.S. national sample of 779 parents with sons 11-17 years old using a web-based survey to gather information about behavioral and sociodemographic factors which predicted receipt of 1 or more HPV vaccine doses based on parental report. Predictors were first modeled individually for univariable associations. Significant predictors (p<0.10) were combined in a multivariable model. In the adjusted model, independent predictors included receipt of flu vaccination, health insurance coverage and sexual health topic discussions with sons. Sons who had received a flu shot in the last two years more frequently received at least one dose of the vaccine (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.45-2.26). Sons covered by private health insurance had decreased odds of HPV vaccination (OR 0.56 95% CI 0.37-0.83). Lastly, parents who had discussed sexual health topics with their sons were more likely to vaccinate (OR 1.61; 95% CI 1.37-1.89). Male vaccination rates in the U.S. have increased, but males continue to be under-immunized. Utilization of health care is an important factor in HPV vaccine uptake; therefore, health care providers should use every contact as an opportunity to vaccinate. Communication about sexual health topics may provide a forum for parents and health care providers to have conversations about HPV vaccination as those more comfortable discussing these topics may also be more comfortable discussing HPV vaccination.

Andrew Wyeth and N.C. Wyeth: a psychodynamic perspective on father and son.

PubMed

Shaw, Jon A

2013-01-01

This paper examines the relationship between two extraordinary artists, father and son--N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945) and Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009)--and their art. N.C. Wyeth, the father, the most famous illustrator of his day, painted scenes full of drama and action, often of men engaged in violent life and death struggles. N.C. was unable to separate from his powerful mother and yearned for his iconic father. He thought himself an artistic failure and dedicated himself to raising his children to be geniuses. The youngest son, Andrew Wyeth, who lived a "secret life," painted scenes often characterized by pathos: bleak and barren landscapes, leaden skies, tire tracks, gray framed houses, desiccated fields, and circling buzzards. In the father-son relationship, we often seen three themes perpetuated developmentally: (1) the son's identification with the innermost conflicts of his father; (2) the yearning for the iconic father of his youth; and (3) a continuation and disavowal of his father's life. These themes are played out in the relationship between Andrew Wyeth and his father.

Microbial community in a sediment-hosted CO2 lake of the southern Okinawa Trough hydrothermal system

PubMed Central

Inagaki, Fumio; Kuypers, Marcel M. M.; Tsunogai, Urumu; Ishibashi, Jun-ichiro; Nakamura, Ko-ichi; Treude, Tina; Ohkubo, Satoru; Nakaseama, Miwako; Gena, Kaul; Chiba, Hitoshi; Hirayama, Hisako; Nunoura, Takuro; Takai, Ken; Jørgensen, Bo B.; Horikoshi, Koki; Boetius, Antje

2006-01-01

Increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are expected to cause climatic change with negative effects on the earth's ecosystems and human society. Consequently, a variety of CO2 disposal options are discussed, including injection into the deep ocean. Because the dissolution of CO2 in seawater will decrease ambient pH considerably, negative consequences for deep-water ecosystems have been predicted. Hence, ecosystems associated with natural CO2 reservoirs in the deep sea, and the dynamics of gaseous, liquid, and solid CO2 in such environments, are of great interest to science and society. We report here a biogeochemical and microbiological characterization of a microbial community inhabiting deep-sea sediments overlying a natural CO2 lake at the Yonaguni Knoll IV hydrothermal field, southern Okinawa Trough. We found high abundances (>109 cm−3) of microbial cells in sediment pavements above the CO2 lake, decreasing to strikingly low cell numbers (107 cm−3) at the liquid CO2/CO2-hydrate interface. The key groups in these sediments were as follows: (i) the anaerobic methanotrophic archaea ANME-2c and the Eel-2 group of Deltaproteobacteria and (ii) sulfur-metabolizing chemolithotrophs within the Gamma- and Epsilonproteobacteria. The detection of functional genes related to one-carbon assimilation and the presence of highly 13C-depleted archaeal and bacterial lipid biomarkers suggest that microorganisms assimilating CO2 and/or CH4 dominate the liquid CO2 and CO2-hydrate-bearing sediments. Clearly, the Yonaguni Knoll is an exceptional natural laboratory for the study of consequences of CO2 disposal as well as of natural CO2 reservoirs as potential microbial habitats on early Earth and other celestial bodies. PMID:16959888

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

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...

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.

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.

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.

Formation of carbonate pipes in the northern Okinawa Trough linked to strong sulfate exhaustion and iron supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Xiaotong; Guo, Zixiao; Chen, Shun; Sun, Zhilei; Xu, Hengchao; Ta, Kaiwen; Zhang, Jianchao; Zhang, Lijuan; Li, Jiwei; Du, Mengran

2017-05-01

The microbial anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM), a key biogeochemical process that consumes substantial amounts of methane produced in seafloor sediments, can lead to the formation of carbonate deposits at or beneath the sea floor. Although Fe oxide-driven AOM has been identified in cold seep sediments, the exact mode by which it may influence the formation of carbonate deposits remains poorly understood. Here, we characterize the morphology, petrology and geochemistry of a methane-derived Fe-rich carbonate pipe in the northern Okinawa Trough (OT). We detect abundant authigenic pyrites, as well as widespread trace Fe, within microbial mat-like carbonate veins in the pipe. The in situ δ34S values of these pyrites range from -3.9 to 31.6‰ (VCDT), suggesting a strong consumption of seawater sulfate by sulfate-driven AOM at the bottom of sulfate reduction zone. The positive δ56Fe values of pyrite and notable enrichment of Fe in the OT pipe concurrently indicate that the pyrites are primarily derived from Fe oxides in deep sediments. We propose that the Fe-rich carbonate pipe formed at the bottom of sulfate reduction zone, below which Fe-driven AOM, rather than Fe-oxide reduction coupled to organic matter degradation, might be responsible for the abundantly available Fe2+ in the fluids from which pyrites precipitated. The Fe-rich carbonate pipe described in this study probably represents the first fossil example of carbonate deposits linked to Fe-driven AOM. Because Fe-rich carbonate deposits have also been found at other cold seeps worldwide, we infer that similar processes may play an essential role in biogeochemical cycling of sub-seafloor methane and Fe at continental margins.

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…

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.

Older Parents Benefit More in Health Outcome From Daughters' Than Sons' Emotional Care in China.

PubMed

Zeng, Yi; Brasher, Melanie Sereny; Gu, Danan; Vaupel, James W

2016-12-01

To examine whether older parents in China would benefit more from daughters' care than from sons' emotional care. Analysis of the unique data sets of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey conducted in 2002, 2005, and 2008-2009 in 22 provinces. As compared with having son(s), having daughter(s) is significantly more beneficial at older ages in China, with regard to maintaining higher cognitive capacity and reducing mortality risk. Such daughter advantages in providing emotional care to older parents are more profound among the oldest-old aged 80+ as compared with the young-old aged 65 to 79 and surprisingly more profound in rural areas as compared with urban areas, even though son preference is much more common among rural residents. We describe how educational campaigns aimed at informing the public about the benefits of daughter(s) for older parents' health outcome could help promote gender equality and reduce traditional son preference, especially in rural China.

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)

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

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...

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)

Gender-specific linkages of parents' childhood physical abuse and neglect with children's problem behaviour: evidence from Japan.

PubMed

Oshio, Takashi; Umeda, Maki

2016-05-14

Childhood abuse has far-reaching effects, not only for survivors of maltreatment but also for subsequent generations. However, the mechanism of such intergenerational linkages has not been fully explored. This study investigated this linkage with special reference to its gender-specific features. A dataset of parents and their children, obtained from a cross-sectional survey in the Tokyo metropolitan area of Japan, was used. The study sample consisted of 1750 children aged between 2 and 18 years (865 daughters and 885 sons) and their parents (1003 mothers and fathers). Regression models were estimated to assess the associations among 1) both parents' childhood physical abuse and neglect (childhood abuse), 2) parents' psychological distress, as measured by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), and 3) children's problem behaviour, as measured by the clinical scales of the Child Behavior Checklist. Daughters' problem behaviour was more closely associated with mothers' than fathers' childhood abuse, whereas sons' problem behaviour was more closely associated with their fathers' experience. The impact of mothers' childhood abuse on daughters' problem behaviour was mediated at a rate of around 40 % by both parents' psychological distress. The proportion of the effect mediated by parents' psychological distress was less than 20 % for the impact of fathers' childhood abuse on sons' problem behaviour. The intergenerational impact of parental childhood abuse on children's problem behaviour is gender specific, i.e. largely characterized by the same gender linkages. Further studies that explore the mechanisms involved in the intergenerational impact of childhood abuse are needed.

SO(N) restricted Schur polynomials

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

Kemp, Garreth, E-mail: garreth.kemp@students.wits.ac.za

2015-02-15

We focus on the 1/4-BPS sector of free super Yang-Mills theory with an SO(N) gauge group. This theory has an AdS/CFT (an equivalence between a conformal field theory in d-1 dimensions and type II string theory defined on an AdS space in d-dimensions) dual in the form of type IIB string theory with AdS{sub 5}×RP{sup 5} geometry. With the aim of studying excited giant graviton dynamics, we construct an orthogonal basis for this sector of the gauge theory in this work. First, we demonstrate that the counting of states, as given by the partition function, and the counting of restrictedmore » Schur polynomials match by restricting to a particular class of Young diagram labels. We then give an explicit construction of these gauge invariant operators and evaluate their two-point function exactly. This paves the way to studying the spectral problem of these operators and their D-brane duals.« less

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...

The Power of a Single Mother: The Influence of Black Women on Their Sons' Academic Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Quintin L.; Werblow, Jacob

2013-01-01

This study examines the ways single Black mothers contribute to the educational success of their 11th-grade sons, despite the fact that their sons are enrolled in "failing schools." Data from five interviews and one focus group reveal common characteristics of how single-Black mothers help their sons beat the odds.

The personal cost of dementia care in Japan: A comparative analysis of residence types.

PubMed

Nakabe, Takayo; Sasaki, Noriko; Uematsu, Hironori; Kunisawa, Susumu; Wimo, Anders; Imanaka, Yuichi

2018-06-12

We aimed to quantify the personal economic burden of dementia care in Japan according to residence type. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted on 3841 caregivers of people with dementia. An opportunity cost approach was used to calculate informal care costs. All costs and the observed/expected (OE) ratio of costs were adjusted using patient sex, age, and care-needs levels, and compared among the residence types. The mean daily informal care time was 8.2 hours, and the mean monthly informal care costs for community-dwelling people with dementia were US$1559. The OE ratio for informal care costs in community-dwelling patients was higher than in institutionalized patients. The inclusion of informal care costs reduced the differences in total personal costs among the residence types. The economic burden of informal care should be considered when quantifying dementia care costs. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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.

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,…

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.

Sexy sons: a dead end for cytoplasmic genes.

PubMed

Zeh, Jeanne A

2004-08-07

Critics of sexual conflict theory argue that females may gain a net reproductive benefit from mating with manipulative males because the direct costs that they suffer may be offset by the production of sexy, i.e. manipulative, sons. However, this exclusive focus on nuclear gene effects represents an incomplete view of female fitness. Females differ fundamentally from males in transmitting not only nuclear genes but also a wide range of cytoplasmic genetic elements (CGEs) that can have profound effects, from male killing to influencing development of the nervous system and cognitive ability. Maternal transmission of CGEs has two major implications for sexual selection. First, the evolution of male fitness traits, such as sperm competitive ability, may be constrained because response to selection on mitochondrial genomes can occur only through the female line. Second, CGEs bear the direct costs of male manipulation but gain no indirect benefits when females produce sexy sons. This should result in perpetual antagonistic coevolution between nuclear genes involved in male manipulation and CGEs that promote female resistance to male sexually selected traits. Explicit consideration of the consequences of selection acting on CGEs is therefore necessary for a better understanding of the relationship between sexual selection and sexual conflict.

Sexy sons: a dead end for cytoplasmic genes.

PubMed Central

Zeh, Jeanne A

2004-01-01

Critics of sexual conflict theory argue that females may gain a net reproductive benefit from mating with manipulative males because the direct costs that they suffer may be offset by the production of sexy, i.e. manipulative, sons. However, this exclusive focus on nuclear gene effects represents an incomplete view of female fitness. Females differ fundamentally from males in transmitting not only nuclear genes but also a wide range of cytoplasmic genetic elements (CGEs) that can have profound effects, from male killing to influencing development of the nervous system and cognitive ability. Maternal transmission of CGEs has two major implications for sexual selection. First, the evolution of male fitness traits, such as sperm competitive ability, may be constrained because response to selection on mitochondrial genomes can occur only through the female line. Second, CGEs bear the direct costs of male manipulation but gain no indirect benefits when females produce sexy sons. This should result in perpetual antagonistic coevolution between nuclear genes involved in male manipulation and CGEs that promote female resistance to male sexually selected traits. Explicit consideration of the consequences of selection acting on CGEs is therefore necessary for a better understanding of the relationship between sexual selection and sexual conflict. PMID:15504002

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.

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

Population structure and antimicrobial susceptibility of Paenibacillus larvae isolates from American foulbrood cases in Apis mellifera in Japan.

PubMed

Ueno, Yuichi; Yoshida, Emi; Misumi, Wakako; Watando, Eri; Suzuki, Kenta; Hirai, Yuko; Okura, Masatoshi; Osaki, Makoto; Katsuda, Ken; Takamatsu, Daisuke

2018-04-01

Paenibacillus larvae is the causative agent of American foulbrood (AFB), the most destructive disease of the honey bee brood. In this study, we investigated the population structure and antimicrobial susceptibility of Japanese P. larvae using 100 isolates isolated between 1993 and 2017 in 17 prefectures. Using repetitive-element PCR and multilocus sequence typing, isolates from diverse origins were classified into six genotypes, including the novel genotype ERIC II-ST24. Among these genotypes, ERIC I-ST15 is the most common in Japan, while ERIC II-ST10 isolates were found to be increasing during the 2010s. Regardless of genotype or origin, all isolates were susceptible to the major antimicrobials used in the control of AFB, including mirosamicin and tylosin, which were approved for the prevention of AFB in Japan in 1999 and 2017 respectively. Despite nearly 20 years of use, mirosamicin is still effective against Japanese P. larvae in vitro; however, the development of AFB in honey bee colonies may not always be suppressed by this drug. The case information collected in this study provides insight into the conditions under which prophylactic medicine may not exert sufficient preventive effects in vivo. © 2018 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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

Deepest and hottest hydrothermal activity in the Okinawa Trough: the Yokosuka site at Yaeyama Knoll

PubMed Central

Miyazaki, Junichi; Kawagucci, Shinsuke; Makabe, Akiko; Takahashi, Ayu; Kitada, Kazuya; Torimoto, Junji; Matsui, Yohei; Tasumi, Eiji; Shibuya, Takazo; Nakamura, Kentaro; Horai, Shunsuke; Sato, Shun; Ishibashi, Jun-ichiro; Kanzaki, Hayato; Nakagawa, Satoshi; Hirai, Miho; Takaki, Yoshihiro; Okino, Kyoko; Watanabe, Hiromi Kayama; Kumagai, Hidenori

2017-01-01

Since the initial discovery of hydrothermal vents in 1977, these ‘extreme’ chemosynthetic systems have been a focus of interdisciplinary research. The Okinawa Trough (OT), located in the semi-enclosed East China Sea between the Eurasian continent and the Ryukyu arc, hosts more than 20 known vent sites but all within a relatively narrow depth range (600–1880 m). Depth is a significant factor in determining fluid temperature and chemistry, as well as biological composition. However, due to the narrow depth range of known sites, the actual influence of depth here has been poorly resolved. Here, the Yokosuka site (2190 m), the first OT vent exceeding 2000 m depth is reported. A highly active hydrothermal vent site centred around four active vent chimneys reaching 364°C in temperature, it is the hottest in the OT. Notable Cl depletion (130 mM) and both high H2 and CH4 concentrations (approx. 10 mM) probably result from subcritical phase separation and thermal decomposition of sedimentary organic matter. Microbiota and fauna were generally similar to other sites in the OT, although with some different characteristics. In terms of microbiota, the H2-rich vent fluids in Neuschwanstein chimney resulted in the dominance of hydrogenotrophic chemolithoautotrophs such as Thioreductor and Desulfobacterium. For fauna, the dominance of the deep-sea mussel Bathymodiolus aduloides is surprising given other nearby vent sites are usually dominated by B. platifrons and/or B. japonicus, and a sponge field in the periphery dominated by Poecilosclerida is unusual for OT vents. Our insights from the Yokosuka site implies that although the distribution of animal species may be linked to depth, the constraint is perhaps not water pressure and resulting chemical properties of the vent fluid but instead physical properties of the surrounding seawater. The potential significance of these preliminary results and prospect for future research on this unique site are discussed

Deepest and hottest hydrothermal activity in the Okinawa Trough: the Yokosuka site at Yaeyama Knoll

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyazaki, Junichi; Kawagucci, Shinsuke; Makabe, Akiko; Takahashi, Ayu; Kitada, Kazuya; Torimoto, Junji; Matsui, Yohei; Tasumi, Eiji; Shibuya, Takazo; Nakamura, Kentaro; Horai, Shunsuke; Sato, Shun; Ishibashi, Jun-ichiro; Kanzaki, Hayato; Nakagawa, Satoshi; Hirai, Miho; Takaki, Yoshihiro; Okino, Kyoko; Watanabe, Hiromi Kayama; Kumagai, Hidenori; Chen, Chong

2017-12-01

Since the initial discovery of hydrothermal vents in 1977, these `extreme' chemosynthetic systems have been a focus of interdisciplinary research. The Okinawa Trough (OT), located in the semi-enclosed East China Sea between the Eurasian continent and the Ryukyu arc, hosts more than 20 known vent sites but all within a relatively narrow depth range (600-1880 m). Depth is a significant factor in determining fluid temperature and chemistry, as well as biological composition. However, due to the narrow depth range of known sites, the actual influence of depth here has been poorly resolved. Here, the Yokosuka site (2190 m), the first OT vent exceeding 2000 m depth is reported. A highly active hydrothermal vent site centred around four active vent chimneys reaching 364°C in temperature, it is the hottest in the OT. Notable Cl depletion (130 mM) and both high H2 and CH4 concentrations (approx. 10 mM) probably result from subcritical phase separation and thermal decomposition of sedimentary organic matter. Microbiota and fauna were generally similar to other sites in the OT, although with some different characteristics. In terms of microbiota, the H2-rich vent fluids in Neuschwanstein chimney resulted in the dominance of hydrogenotrophic chemolithoautotrophs such as Thioreductor and Desulfobacterium. For fauna, the dominance of the deep-sea mussel Bathymodiolus aduloides is surprising given other nearby vent sites are usually dominated by B. platifrons and/or B. japonicus, and a sponge field in the periphery dominated by Poecilosclerida is unusual for OT vents. Our insights from the Yokosuka site implies that although the distribution of animal species may be linked to depth, the constraint is perhaps not water pressure and resulting chemical properties of the vent fluid but instead physical properties of the surrounding seawater. The potential significance of these preliminary results and prospect for future research on this unique site are discussed.

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

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…

Like daughter, like son? Fertility decline and the transformation of gender systems in the family

PubMed Central

Allendorf, Keera

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND An important question for population research is whether fertility decline transforms gender systems. OBJECTIVE This paper contributes to answering this broad question by examining how fertility decline may change the relative value and roles of daughters and sons in families. First, I outline theoretical pathways, suggesting that a key factor is the gender composition of families. As fertility declines, the proportion of families with children of only one gender increases, which may facilitate greater gender symmetry between daughters and sons. Second, I explore how fertility decline may have contributed to the transformation of the relative value and roles of sons and daughters in practice in one place. METHODS The analysis draws primarily on semi-structured interviews with 30 respondents living in one Indian village. This village is located in a district where fertility has declined to at least the replacement level. RESULTS Respondents perceive changes in the gender system, including less son preference, more equal schooling for sons and daughters, more freedom in marriage and premarital relationships, and perhaps greater daughter support of parents in old age. CONCLUSIONS The results describe changes in the relative value, treatment, and behavior of sons and daughters that are consistent with the theorized effects of fertility decline. Future research is needed, however, to determine whether fertility decline makes a causal contribution to changes in the gender system. PMID:27147902

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

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.

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

The Putative Son's Attractiveness Alters the Perceived Attractiveness of the Putative Father.

PubMed

Prokop, Pavol

2015-08-01

A body of literature has investigated female mate choice in the pre-mating context (pre-mating sexual selection). Humans, however, are long-living mammals forming pair-bonds which sequentially produce offspring. Post-mating evaluations of a partner's attractiveness may thus significantly influence the reproductive success of men and women. I tested herein the theory that the attractiveness of putative sons provides extra information about the genetic quality of fathers, thereby influencing fathers' attractiveness across three studies. As predicted, facially attractive boys were more frequently attributed to attractive putative fathers and vice versa (Study 1). Furthermore, priming with an attractive putative son increased the attractiveness of the putative father with the reverse being true for unattractive putative sons. When putative fathers were presented as stepfathers, the effect of the boy's attractiveness on the stepfather's attractiveness was lower and less consistent (Study 2). This suggests that the presence of an attractive boy has the strongest effect on the perceived attractiveness of putative fathers rather than on non-fathers. The generalized effect of priming with beautiful non-human objects also exists, but its effect is much weaker compared with the effects of putative biological sons (Study 3). Overall, this study highlighted the importance of post-mating sexual selection in humans and suggests that the heritable attractive traits of men are also evaluated by females after mating and/or may be used by females in mate poaching.

?Cuales son las amenazas o peligros volcanicos?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Myers, Bobbie; Brantley, Steven R.; Stauffer, Peter; Hendley, James W.

2000-01-01

Los volcanes son capaces de producir numerosos peligros geologicos e hidrologicos. Los cientificos del Servicio Geologico de los EE. UU. (USGS, por sus siglas en ingles) y de otras instituciones alrededor del mundo estan estudiando los peligros de muchos de los centenares de volcanes activos y potencialmente activos del mundo. Estos cientificos vigilan muy de cerca la actividad de algunos de los volcanes mas peligrosos, por lo que estan preparados para alertar a las autoridades y/o a la poblacion en caso de que aumente sustancialmente la probabilidad de que ocurra una erupcion u otro evento peligroso.

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

"There is such a thing as too many daughters, but not too many sons": A qualitative study of son preference and fetal sex selection among Indian immigrants in the United States.

PubMed

Puri, Sunita; Adams, Vincanne; Ivey, Susan; Nachtigall, Robert D

2011-04-01

In response to concerns from feminists, demographers, bioethicists, journalists, and health care professionals, the Indian government passed legislation in 1994 and 2003 prohibiting the use of sex selection technology and sex-selective abortion. In contrast, South Asian families immigrating to the United States find themselves in an environment where reproductive choice is protected by law and technologies enabling sex selection are readily available. Yet there has been little research exploring immigrant Indian women's narratives about the pressure they face to have sons, the process of deciding to utilize sex selection technologies, and the physical and emotional health implications of both son preference and sex selection. We undertook semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 65 immigrant Indian women in the United States who had pursued fetal sex selection on the East and West coasts of the United States between September 2004 and December 2009. Women spoke of son preference and sex selection as separate though intimately related phenomena, and the major themes that arose during interviews included the sociocultural roots of son preference; women's early socialization around the importance of sons; the different forms of pressure to have sons that women experienced from female in-laws and husbands; the spectrum of verbal and physical abuse that women faced when they did not have male children and/or when they found out they were carrying a female fetus; and the ambivalence with which women regarded their own experience of reproductive "choice." We found that 40% of the women interviewed had terminated prior pregnancies with female fetuses and that 89% of women carrying female fetuses in their current pregnancy pursued an abortion. These narratives highlight the interaction between medical technology and the perpetuation of this specific form of violence against women in an immigrant context where women are both the assumed beneficiaries of reproductive choice

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.

Ethnic differences in the mother-son relationship of incarcerated and non-incarcerated male adolescents in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Veen, Violaine C; Stevens, Gonneke Wjm; Doreleijers, Theo Ah; Deković, Maja; Pels, Trees; Vollebergh, Wilma Am

2011-06-29

In the Netherlands, youths of Moroccan origin account for a disproportionately large percentage of the population in juvenile justice institutions. Previous research showed that Moroccan adolescents in pre-trial arrest are characterized by less serious offending behavior (i.e., primarily property-based) and lower levels of mental health problems than native Dutch adolescents in pre-trial arrest. To date, little is known about the parent-child relationship of these adolescents. This study examines the mother-son relationships of Moroccan and native Dutch delinquent adolescents and their association with adolescent delinquency. In the present study, differences in the mother-son relationship characteristics between families of incarcerated (N = 129) and non-incarcerated (N = 324) adolescents were examined, and it was analyzed if these differences between incarcerated and non-incarcerated adolescents were the same for Moroccans and native Dutch. Data collection for the incarcerated sample took place from 2006 to 2008. Comparison data were used of interviews conducted with mothers originating from former larger studies in the general Dutch population. Latent Class Analysis was performed in order to identify types of mother-son relationship. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify the relationships between mother-son relationship types, incarceration and ethnicity. A three class model of mother-son relationship types was found: a low-conflict mother-son relationship type, a high-conflict mother-son relationship type, and a neglectful mother-son relationship type. Compared to the native Dutch adolescents, Moroccans (both in the incarcerated and non-incarcerated population) more often showed a neglectful mother-son relationship type. For Moroccans, no differences in mother-son relationship types were found between the incarcerated and non-incarcerated adolescents, whereas considerable differences occurred between the native Dutch incarcerated and non

Safety analysis of Ziagen® (abacavir sulfate) in postmarketing surveillance in Japan.

PubMed

Kurita, Tomoko; Kitaichi, Tomomi; Nagao, Takako; Miura, Toshiyuki; Kitazono, Yoshifumi

2014-04-01

Abacavir is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor indicated for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In Japan, Ziagen® (300-mg abacavir sulfate) has been marketed since 1999. To obtain safety data on Ziagen, a mandatory postmarketing surveillance was conducted between September 1999 and September 2009. A joint survey [HIV-related Drug Surveys (HRD)] has been conducted involving manufacturers of drugs for HIV treatment in Japan. Safety data from total 643 cases (1345.7 person-years) registered to the HRD surveys and received Ziagen were obtained. Adverse drug reaction (ADR) was defined as adverse event of which association with abacavir could not be "ruled out." It was found that the overall frequency of ADR was 47.6% (306/643); the common ADRs were "hyperlipidemia," "nausea," "increased γ-glutamyltransferase level," "increased blood triglycerides," "abnormal hepatic function," and so on. Serious adverse events were reported in 65 subjects; however, none of the three fatal cases were clearly associated with Ziagen use. The survey-defined hypersensitivity has been infrequently reported in 15 subjects (2.3%). Although some studies had indicated of the association between abacavir and myocardial infarction, no ischemic heart diseases were reported in the present survey. Two of the three pregnant cases delivered normal neonates (one induced abortion). During the mandatory postmarketing survey of Ziagen, there were no cases of ischemic heart diseases, and the incidence of hypersensitivity was considerably low. These indicated that abacavir can be safely used in Japanese HIV+ population. However, the safety profile of Ziagen should be continued to be monitored through pharmacovigilance. © 2014 The Authors. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Independent Contributions of Early Positive Parenting and Mother-Son Coercion on Emerging Social Development.

PubMed

Akcinar, Berna; Shaw, Daniel S

2018-06-01

In the current study, we explored associations between parent-child coercion and positive parenting in the toddler period in relation to children's social-behavioral development during the school-age period. The data were drawn from the Pitt Mother & Child Project, a sample of 310 low-income, ethnically diverse boys. Drawing on tenets of both attachment and social learning theory, it was hypothesized that coercive mother-son interaction would lead to reductions in positive maternal parenting in the toddler period, and that both positive parenting and mother-son coercion in the toddler period would contribute to children's conduct problems at school entry and lower social skills and peer rejection in middle childhood. The results were largely confirmed, such that mother-son coercive interaction at 18 months was related to decreases in positive parenting at 24 months. Additionally, mother-son coercive interaction and positive parenting at 24 months were linked to child conduct problems at age 5, which in turn predicted child social skills and peer rejection during middle childhood. In addition to indirect effects through child conduct problems, mother-son coercion continued to be independently related to school-age peer rejection. The findings are discussed with respect to the importance of early coercive interactions in the growth of child social-behavioral development from early to middle childhood.

Older parents enjoy better filial piety and care from daughters than sons in China

PubMed Central

Yi, Zeng; George, Linda; Sereny, Melanie; Gu, Danan; Vaupel, James W.

2016-01-01

This study analyzes the unique datasets of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey using logistic regression and controlling for various covariates. Our analyses clearly demonstrate that disabled older parents are more satisfied with care provided by daughters than sons and that older parents enjoy greater filial piety from and better relationships with daughters than sons. The daughter-advantages of enjoying greater filial piety from and better relationships with children are stronger among the oldest-old aged 80+ than the young-old aged 65–79, and surprisingly more profound in rural areas than urban areas, while son-preference is much more prevalent among rural residents. We also discuss why China’s rigorous fertility policy until October-2015 and much less-developed pension system in rural areas substantially contribute to sustaining traditional son-preference and a high sex ratio at birth (SRB) when fertility is low. We recommend China take integrative public health policy actions of informing the public that having daughter(s) is beneficial for old age care, developing the rural pension system and implementing the universal two-child policy as soon as possible. We believe that these policy actions would help to reduce son-preference, bring down the high SRB, and enable more future elderly parents to enjoy better care from their children and healthier lives. PMID:28529965

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…

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.

[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.

Variations in seismic velocity distribution along the Ryukyu (Nansei-Shoto) Trench subduction zone at the northwestern end of the Philippine Sea plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishizawa, Azusa; Kaneda, Kentaro; Oikawa, Mitsuhiro; Horiuchi, Daishi; Fujioka, Yukari; Okada, Chiaki

2017-06-01

The Ryukyu (Nansei-Shoto) island arc-trench system, southwest of Japan, is formed by the subduction of the Philippine Sea (PHS) plate. Among the subduction zones surrounding the Japan Islands, the Ryukyu arc-trench system is unique in that its backarc basin, the Okinawa Trough, is the area with current extensively active rifting. The length of the trench is around 1400 km, and the geological and geophysical characteristics vary significantly along the trench axis. We conducted multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection and wide-angle seismic surveys to elucidate the along-arc variation in seismic structures from the island arc to the trench regions, shooting seven seismic lines across the arc-trench system and two along-arc lines in the island arc and the forearc areas. The obtained P-wave velocity models of the Ryukyu arc crust were found to be heterogeneous (depending on the seismic lines), but they basically consist of upper, middle, and lower crusts, indicating a typical island arc structure. Beneath the bathymetric depressions cutting the island arc—for example, the Kerama Gap and the Miyako Saddle—the MCS record shows many across-arc normal faults, which indicates the presence of an extensional regime along the island arc. In the areas from the forearc to the trench, the subduction of the characteristic seafloor features on the PHS plate affects seismic structures; the subducted bathymetric high of the Amami Plateau is detected in the northern trench: the Luzon-Okinawa fracture zone beneath the middle and southern trenches. There are low-velocity (< 4.5 km/s) wedges along the forearc areas, except for off Miyako-jima Island. The characteristic high gravity anomaly at the forearc off Miyako-jima Island is caused not by a bathymetric high of a large-scale accretionary wedge but by shallower materials with a high P-wave velocity of 4.5 km/s.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

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

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.

Bacterial communities associated with Shinkaia crosnieri from the Iheya North, Okinawa Trough: Microbial diversity and metabolic potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jian; Zeng, Zhi-gang; Chen, Shuai; Sun, Li

2018-04-01

Shinkaia crosnieri is a galatheid crab endemic to the deep-sea hydrothermal systems in the Okinawa Trough. In this study, we systematically analyzed and compared the diversity and metabolic potentials of the microbial communities in different tissues (setae, gill, and intestine) of S. crosnieri by high-throughput sequencing technology and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Sequence analysis based on the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene obtained 408,079 taxon tags, which covered 15 phyla, 22 classes, 32 orders, 42 families, and 25 genera. Overall, the microbial communities in all tissues were dominated by Epsilonproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, of which Epsilonproteobacteria was the largest class and accounted for 85.24% of the taxon tags. In addition, 20 classes of bacteria were discovered for the first time to be associated with S. crosnieri and no archaea were detected. Comparative analysis showed that (i) bacteria from different tissues fell into different groups by β-diversity analysis, (ii) bacterial communities in intestine were similar to that in gill and much more diverse than that in setae, and the sulfur-oxidizing genus Sulfurovum was markedly enriched in intestine and gill. Furthermore, bacteria potentially involved in methane, nitrogen, and metal metabolisms were detected in all samples. The key genes of aprA/dsrA and pmoA involved in sulfate reducing and methane oxidization, respectively, were detected in the gill and gut communities for the first time, and pmoA was significantly more abundant in gill and setae than in intestine. These results provide the first comparative and relatively complete picture of the diversity and metabolic potentials of the bacteria in different tissues of S. crosnieri. These results also indicate that the composition of the microbial communities in hydrothermal fauna changes with time, suggesting the importance of environmental influence.

Paternal antisocial behavior and sons' cognitive ability: a population-based quasiexperimental study.

PubMed

Latvala, Antti; Kuja-Halkola, Ralf; Långström, Niklas; Lichtenstein, Paul

2015-01-01

Parents' antisocial behavior is associated with developmental risks for their offspring, but its effects on their children's cognitive ability are unknown. We used linked Swedish register data for a large sample of adolescent men (N = 1,177,173) and their parents to estimate associations between fathers' criminal-conviction status and sons' cognitive ability assessed at compulsory military conscription. Mechanisms behind the association were tested in children-of-siblings models across three types of sibling fathers with increasing genetic relatedness (half-siblings, full siblings, and monozygotic twins) and in quantitative genetic models. Sons whose fathers had a criminal conviction had lower cognitive ability than sons whose fathers had no conviction (any crime: Cohen's d = -0.28; violent crime: Cohen's d = -0.49). As models adjusted for more genetic factors, the association was gradually reduced and eventually eliminated. Nuclear-family environmental factors did not contribute to the association. Our results suggest that the association between men's antisocial behavior and their children's cognitive ability is not causal but is due mostly to underlying genetic factors. © The Author(s) 2014.

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.

[Effects of aircraft noise on preschool children's misbehaviours: results of research around the Kadena and Futenma airfields in Okinawa].

PubMed

Tokuyama, Tomohiro; Matsui, Toshihito; Hiramatsu, Kozo; Miyakita, Takashi; Ito, Akiyoshi; Yamamoto, Takeo

2009-01-01

To investigate the association between aircraft noise exposure as expressed by Weighted Equivalent Continuous Perceived Noise Level (WECPNL) and preschool children's misbehaviours around the Kadena and Futenma airfields in Okinawa. A questionnaire survey on children's misbehaviour was conducted in nursery schools and kindergartens around the Kadena and Futenma airfields. The children living around the Kadena airfield were divided into four groups according to WECPNL at their residences and those around the Futenma airfield into three groups according to WECPNL. The subjects were 1,888 male and female preschool children, 3 to 6 years of age, whose parents, caregivers, and teachers answered the questions. The answers used for the analysis were limited to those of respondents fulfilling the following conditions: parents living with their children, fathers with a daytime job, and mothers with a daytime job or no job. Thus, the number of valid answers was 1,213. The responses were analysed using logistic regression models taking the number of misbehaviours related to the items of Biological Function, Social Standard, Physical Constitution, Movement Habit, or Character as the dependent variables, and WECPNL, age, sex, size of family, birth order, mother's age at birth, mother's job, caregiver's career, and category of subject as the independent variables. A significant dose-response relationship was found between the odds ratio and WECPNL for the outcomes of Physical Constitution around the Kadena and Futenma airfields. It would be reasonable to conclude that the aircraft noise exposure is a factor that increases the number of preschool children's misbehaviours.

ITCZ and ENSO pacing on East Asian winter monsoon variation during the Holocene: Sedimentological evidence from the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xufeng; Li, Anchun; Wan, Shiming; Jiang, Fuqing; Kao, Shuh Ji; Johnson, Cody

2014-07-01

Deep-sea fan sediments provide an excellent geological archive for paleoenvironment reconstruction. Grain size, clay mineral and elemental (Ti, Fe, Ca) compositions were measured for a core retrieved from a submarine fan in the Okinawa Trough. Varimax-rotated Principal Component Analysis (V-PCA) on time-evolution of grain size spectrum reveals that, since the Holocene, sediment was transported mainly by the benthic nepheloid layer (33%) and upper layers (33%) which is driven by the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM). The intensification of the Kuroshio Current during the Holocene, masks the fluvial signal of the summer monsoon and obstructs clay minerals derived from the Yellow River, a major contributor prior to 12 ka BP. A new grain size index (GSI), which represents the EAWM well, exhibits a negative correlation with the δ18O record in Dongge Cave, China during the Holocene when sea level was relatively steady. This anticorrelation suggests the southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The consistency among our records and rainfall records in Peru, Ti counts in the Cariaco Basin, monsoon records in Oman and the averaged summer insolation pattern at 30°N further support the ITCZ's impact on monsoon systems globally. Cross-Correlation Analyses for GSI and log(Ti/Ca) against δ18O record in Dongge Cave reveal a decoupling between the East Asian winter and summer monsoon during 5500-2500 cal yr BP, with greater complexity in the last 2500 years. This can be attributed to exacerbated ENSO mode fluctuations and possibly anthropogenic interference superimposed on insolation and ITCZ forcing.

ITCZ and ENSO pacing on East Asian winter monsoon variation during the Holocene: Sedimentological evidence from the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xufeng; Li, Anchun; Wan, Shiming; Kao, Shuhji; Kuhn, Gerhard

2016-04-01

Deep-sea fan sediments provide an excellent geological archive for paleoenvironment reconstruction. Grain size, clay mineral and elemental (Ti, Fe, Ca) compositions were measured for a core retrieved from a submarine fan in the Okinawa Trough. Varimax-rotated Principal Component Analysis (V-PCA) on time-evolution of grain size spectrum reveals that, since the Holocene, sediment was transported mainly by the benthic nepheloid layer (33%) and upper layers (33%) which is driven by the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM). The intensification of the Kuroshio Current during the Holocene, masks the fluvial signal of the summer monsoon and obstructs clay minerals derived from the Yellow River, a major contributor prior to 12 ka BP. A new grain size index (GSI), which represents the EAWM well, exhibits a negative correlation with the δ18O record in Dongge Cave, China during the Holocene when sea level was relatively steady. This anticorrelation suggests the southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The consistency among our records and rainfall records in Peru, Ti counts in the Cariaco Basin, monsoon records in Oman and the averaged summer insolation pattern at 30°N further support the ITCZ's impact on monsoon systems globally. Cross-Correlation Analyses for GSI and log(Ti/Ca) against δ18O record in Dongge Cave reveal a decoupling between the East Asian winter and summer monsoon during 5500-2500 cal yr BP, with greater complexity in the last 2500 years. This can be attributed to exacerbated ENSO mode fluctuations and possibly anthropogenic interference superimposed on insolation and ITCZ forcing.

Spatial variability in recruitment of benthos near drilling sites in the Iheya North hydrothermal field in the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Masako; Nakajima, Yuichi; Watanabe, Hiromi Kayama; Sasaki, Takenori; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Mitarai, Satoshi

2018-05-01

Due to increasing anthropogenic impacts on deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems, it is essential to understand population structure and maintenance through larval recruitment and recovery of vent faunas after disturbances. In this study, we quantified vent animal recruitment in the Okinawa Trough, in the western Pacific Ocean. This is the first study to investigate recruitment patterns at a man-made hydrothermal vent. Colonization plates were deployed at three sites. Site 1 manifested new hydrothermal shimmering with small chimneys, white bacterial mats, and some alvinocaridid shrimp that arrived after drilling. Site 2 showed no evidence of newly arrived foundation species after drilling, and Site 3 had pre-existing animal communities in the vicinity of the new vent. Twenty-two months after deployment, colonization plates were retrieved and recruited animals were inventoried. Species composition and abundance differed among sites, but relatively high similarity in species composition was observed at Sites 1 and 3, though not at Site 2. Newly established communities on the plates at Sites 1 and 2 (no pre-existing fauna) showed lower species richness and abundance than at Site 3. Differences in abundance and size-frequency distributions of major recruits on the plates (i.e. Lepetodrilus nux, Bathymodiolus spp.) suggest the importance of reproductive and early life-history characteristics in spatial variability of recruitment. Lepetodrilus nux populations established on the plates at Site 1 showed high genetic connectivity. These results illustrate the importance of localized recruitment, which may have a significant impact on sustainability of vent faunal populations, despite the existence of regional metapopulations.

...And Kronos Ate His Sons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitiello, Giuseppe

In closed systems, energy is conserved. The origin of the time axis is completely arbitrary due to the invariance under continuous time-translations. The flowing of time swallows those fictitious origins one might assign on its axis, as Kronos ate his sons. Dissipation breaks such a scenario. It implies a non-forgettable origin of time. Open systems need their complement (their "double") in order to become, together, a closed system. Time emerges as an observable measured by the evolution of the open system complement, which acts as a clock. The conservation of the energy-momentum tensor in electrodynamics is considered and its relation with dissipative systems and self-similar fractal structures is discussed. The isomorphism with coherent states in quantum field theory (QFT) is established and the generator of transitions among unitarily inequivalent representations of the canonical commutation relations (CCR) is shown to provide sequences in time of phases, which defines the arrow of time. Merging properties of electrodynamics, fractal self-similarity, dissipation and coherent states point to an integrated vision of Nature.

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.

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…

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.

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...

Characteristics of female mentally disordered offenders culpable under the new legislation in Japan: A gender comparison study.

PubMed

Nagata, Takako; Nakagawa, Atsuo; Matsumoto, Satoko; Shiina, Akihiro; Iyo, Masaomi; Hirabayashi, Naotsugu; Igarashi, Yoshito

2016-02-01

Although a substantial increase in the number of female offenders has drawn interest towards understanding their unique characteristics, few studies have investigated the characteristics of female mentally disordered offenders in Japan and none since the legislation enacted in 2005 in Japan, which provided for special services for them. The aim of this study is to identify those characteristics of people detained under this legislation, which distinguish the women from the men and may indicate special needs among the women. A retrospective records-based study of all patients admitted to one secure unit in the 8 years since its opening in July 2005 until a census date of 31 October 2013. Thirty-six (15%) of the patients were women. Marriage, mood disorders, past suicide attempts and homicide were more common among the women than the men. Six of the female offender-patients had committed filicides, of which four were infanticides. There appears to be a particularly vulnerable sub-group of women with severe mood disorders, a history of serious suicide attempts and young children at risk of harming those children. Our sample was small and from a single unit so, given the potential importance of improving understanding of who is at risk in such circumstances, extending our study nationally seems indicated. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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.

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

Ethnic differences in the mother-son relationship of incarcerated and non-incarcerated male adolescents in the Netherlands

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In the Netherlands, youths of Moroccan origin account for a disproportionately large percentage of the population in juvenile justice institutions. Previous research showed that Moroccan adolescents in pre-trial arrest are characterized by less serious offending behavior (i.e., primarily property-based) and lower levels of mental health problems than native Dutch adolescents in pre-trial arrest. To date, little is known about the parent-child relationship of these adolescents. This study examines the mother-son relationships of Moroccan and native Dutch delinquent adolescents and their association with adolescent delinquency. Methods In the present study, differences in the mother-son relationship characteristics between families of incarcerated (N = 129) and non-incarcerated (N = 324) adolescents were examined, and it was analyzed if these differences between incarcerated and non-incarcerated adolescents were the same for Moroccans and native Dutch. Data collection for the incarcerated sample took place from 2006 to 2008. Comparison data were used of interviews conducted with mothers originating from former larger studies in the general Dutch population. Latent Class Analysis was performed in order to identify types of mother-son relationship. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify the relationships between mother-son relationship types, incarceration and ethnicity. Results A three class model of mother-son relationship types was found: a low-conflict mother-son relationship type, a high-conflict mother-son relationship type, and a neglectful mother-son relationship type. Compared to the native Dutch adolescents, Moroccans (both in the incarcerated and non-incarcerated population) more often showed a neglectful mother-son relationship type. For Moroccans, no differences in mother-son relationship types were found between the incarcerated and non-incarcerated adolescents, whereas considerable differences occurred between the native Dutch

'SON-GO-KU' : a dream of automated library

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Mamoru; Kishimoto, Juji

In the process of automating libraries, the retrieval of books through the browsing of shelves is being overlooked. The telematic library is a document based DBMS which can deliver the content of books by simulating the browsing process. The retrieval actually simulates the process a person would use in selecting a book in a real library, where a visual presentation using a graphic display is substituted. The characteristics of prototype system "Son-Go-Ku" for such retrieval implemented in 1988 are mentioned.

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.

Missing girls and son preference in rural India: looking beyond popular myth.

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Mridula

2003-12-01

Survival chances of girls in parts of South and East Asia have been adverse. Female foeticide, infanticide, abandonment, out-adoption, under-reporting of female births, and selective neglect of girls leading to higher death rates, have contributed to this adversity. Here, I reflect on an observed skewed sex ratio at birth in rural West Bengal, and discuss female foeticide, infanticide, son preference, and abortion. More boys were recorded at birth, and the majority of women desired sons. Trajectories of selective neglect of and discrimination against daughters have been researched extensively, but the related issues of female foeticide and infanticide have been less examined.

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…

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.

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...

The relation of son preference and religion to induced abortion: the case of South Korea.

PubMed

Chung, Woojin

2007-09-01

This paper explores the factors that influence the practice of induced abortion in a very low fertility society, with particular emphasis on son preference and three distinct religions: Confucianism, Buddhism and Christianity. Using multivariate logistic regression models fitted by the generalized estimating equation (GEE) method, this paper analysed the data collected by the 2000 Korea National Fertility and Family Health Survey of 6348 married women aged 15-49 years with a total of 1217 pregnancy outcomes. The results showed that the likelihood of induced abortions in women with two or more children, compared with those with one child, was significantly influenced by the sex composition of the previous children: odds ratio (OR)=12.71 (95% CI=5.49, 29.42) for women with only son(s), and OR=3.91 (95% CI=1.67, 9.14) for women with only daughter(s). At parity two, women with two sons were much more likely to have induced abortions than women with two daughters (OR=5.88, 95% CI=2.70, 12.85). Although Buddhist women were not significantly different from Confucian women in induced abortion practice, Christian women were much less likely than Confucian women to have an induced abortion (OR=0.39, 95% CI=0.18, 0.88 for women with only sons and OR=0.44, 95% CI=0.24, 0.81 for women with two children). This suggests that even in this very low fertility society, son preference and religious affiliation are significant predictors of women's practice of induced abortion.

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.

Maternal Distancing Strategies toward Twin Sons, One with Mild Hearing Loss: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munoz-Silva, Alicia; Sanchez-Garcia, Manuel

2004-01-01

The authors apply descriptive and sequential analyses to a mother's distancing strategies toward her 3-year-old twin sons in puzzle assembly and book reading tasks. One boy had normal hearing and the other a mild hearing loss (threshold: 30 dB). The results show that the mother used more distancing behaviors with the son with a hearing loss, and…

Mother-son discrepant reporting on parenting practices: The contribution of temperament and depression.

PubMed

Shishido, Yuri; Latzman, Robert D

2017-06-01

Despite low to moderate convergent correlations, assessment of youth typically relies on multiple informants for information across a range of psychosocial domains including parenting practices. Although parent-youth informant discrepancies have been found to predict adverse youth outcomes, few studies have examined contributing factors to the explanation of informant disagreements on parenting practices. The current study represents the first investigation to concurrently examine the role of mother and son's self-reported affective dimensions of temperament and depression as pathways to informant discrepancies on parenting practices. Within a community sample of 174 mother-son dyads, results suggest that whereas mother's self-reported temperament evidenced no direct effects on discrepancies, the association between the product term of mother's negative and positive temperament and discrepancies on positive parenting was fully mediated by mother's depression (a mediated moderation). In contrast, son's self-reported temperament evidenced both direct and indirect effects, partially mediated by depression, on rating discrepancies for positive parenting. All told, both son's self-reported affective dimensions of temperament and depression contributed to the explanation of discrepant reporting on parenting practices; only mother's self-reported depression, but not temperament, uniquely contributed. Results highlight the importance of considering both parent and youth's report in the investigation of informant discrepancies on parenting practices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

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

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.

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?

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

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

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.

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

Violent men have more sons: further evidence for the generalized Trivers-Willard hypothesis (gTWH).

PubMed

Kanazawa, Satoshi

2006-04-21

The generalized Trivers-Willard hypothesis (gTWH) [Kanazawa, S., 2005a. Big and tall parents have more sons; further generalizations of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis. J. Theor. Biol. 235, 583-590] proposes that parents who possess any heritable trait which increases the male reproductive success at a greater rate than female reproductive success in a given environment have a higher-than-expected offspring sex ratio, and parents who possess any heritable trait which increases the female reproductive success at a greater rate than male reproductive success in a given environment have a lower-than-expected offspring sex ratio. One heritable trait which increases the reproductive success of sons significantly more than that of daughters in the ancestral environment is the tendency toward violence and aggression. I therefore predict that violent parents have a higher-than-expected offspring sex ratio (more sons). The analysis of both American samples and a British sample demonstrates that battered women, who are mated to violent men, have significantly more sons than daughters.

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.

[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.

Having a son or daughter with Down syndrome: perspectives from mothers and fathers.

PubMed

Skotko, Brian G; Levine, Susan P; Goldstein, Richard

2011-10-01

This study asks parents who have children with Down syndrome (DS) how they feel about their lives so that such information could be shared with expectant couples during prenatal counseling sessions. A valid and reliable survey instrument was mailed to 4,924 households on the mailing lists of six non-profit DS organizations. Of the 2,044 respondents, 99% reported that they love their son or daughter; 97% were proud of them; 79% felt their outlook on life was more positive because of them; 5% felt embarrassed by them; and 4% regretted having them. The parents report that 95% of their sons or daughters without DS have good relationships with their siblings with DS. The overwhelming majority of parents surveyed report that they are happy with their decision to have their child with DS and indicate that their sons and daughters are great sources of love and pride. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Having a Son or Daughter with Down Syndrome: Perspectives from Mothers and Fathers

PubMed Central

Skotko, Brian G.; Levine, Susan P.; Goldstein, Richard

2012-01-01

This study asks parents who have children with Down syndrome how they feel about their lives so that such information could be shared with expectant couples during prenatal counseling sessions. A valid and reliable survey instrument was mailed to 4,924 households on the mailing lists of six non-profit Down syndrome organizations. Of the 2,044 respondents, 99% reported that they love their son or daughter; 97% were proud of them; 79% felt their outlook on life was more positive because of them; 5% felt embarrassed by them; and 4% regretted having them. The parents report that 95% of their sons or daughters without Down syndrome have good relationships with their siblings with Down syndrome. The overwhelming majority of parents surveyed report that they are happy with their decision to have their child with Down syndrome and indicate that their sons and daughters are great sources of love and pride. PMID:21915989

Values that Fathers Communicate to Sons about Sex, Sexuality, Relationships, and Marriage.

PubMed

Coakley, Tanya M; Randolph, Schenita D; Shears, Jeffrey; Collins, Patrick

2017-01-01

African American males between ages 13 and 24 are disproportionately affected by unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV/AIDS; indeed, they account for 50% of HIV infections among all youth. Clear communication between parents and their youth about sex is associated with higher rates of sexual abstinence, condom use, and intent to delay initiation of sexual intercourse, which can prevent STIs and unintended pregnancy. However, barriers exist for parents to educate their youth about sexual health. The purpose of this article is to explore the values fathers communicate to their sons to prevent their risky sexual behaviors that lead to STIs, HIV, and adolescent parenthood. This was a qualitative study conducted from May and June 2015. African American fathers (N = 29) who had sons, ages 10 to 15 years, participated in five focus groups across metropolitan and rural North Carolina communities in barbershops. A qualitative content analysis revealed four themes regarding areas that fathers imparted their values onto their sons to protect them from sexual health risks: (a) sex, (b) sexuality, (c) relationships, and (d) marriage. The findings have implications for social work and public health practice.

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…

"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…

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.

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…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

[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.

‘Too many girls, too much dowry’: son preference and daughter aversion in rural Tamil Nadu, India

PubMed Central

DIAMOND-SMITH, NADIA; LUKE, NANCY; MCGARVEY, STEPHEN

2013-01-01

The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has experienced a dramatic decline in fertility, accompanied by a trend of increased son preference. This paper reports on findings from qualitative interviews with women in rural villages about their fertility decision-making. Specifically addressed are the reasons behind increasing son preference and the consequences of this change. Findings suggest that daughter aversion, fuelled primarily by the perceived economic burden of daughters due to the proliferation of dowry, is playing a larger role in fertility decision-making than son preference. The desire for a son is often trumped by the worry over having many daughters. Women use various means of controlling the sex of their children, which in this study appear to be primarily female infanticide. It is important to distinguish between son preference and daughter aversion and to examine repercussions of low fertility within this setting. PMID:18821352

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.

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.

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

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.

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.