bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Infants with severe neonatal jaundice in Lagos, Nigeria: incidence, correlates and hearing screening outcomes
Authors: Olusanya B. O. , Akande A. A. , Emokpae A. , Olowe S. A.
Published: January 2009

Objectives  To establish the incidence, correlates and hearing screening outcomes of infants with severe neonatal jaundice in Nigeria.

Methods  Community‐based study in which all infants attending Bacille Calmette‐Guérin immunisation clinics in inner‐city Lagos were enrolled into a universal hearing screening programme during which correlates of severe neonatal jaundice (requiring phototherapy and/or exchange blood transfusion) were explored with multivariable logistic regression.

Results  Of the 5262 infants enrolled, only 48.7% were born in hospitals although almost all mothers (97.9%) attended antenatal clinics. 6.7% had a history of neonatal jaundice of whom 5.5% (95% CI:4.9–6.2) received phototherapy and 1.9% (95% CI:1.5–2.3) had an exchange blood transfusion. Factors independently associated with severe neonatal jaundice were maternal religion, occupation, use of herbal preparations during pregnancy, infant’s gender, weight at screening, multiple gestation and place of birth. All but two infants with severe neonatal jaundice were exclusively breast‐fed. Of those who failed the hearing tests, 17.3% were treated with phototherapy and 11.3% had an exchange blood transfusion. At least 8.9% of infants requiring phototherapy and 17.3% of those requiring exchange blood transfusion were at risk of sensorineural hearing loss.

Conclusions  Severe neonatal jaundice is a significant condition associated with modifiable risk factors in this population. Policy initiatives for prevention, early detection followed by appropriate and timely intervention are urgently needed to reduce the disease burden.
A new approach to characterize populations of Schistosoma mansoni from humans: development and assessment of microsatellite analysis of pooled miracidia
Authors: Hanelt B. , Steinauer M. L. , Mwangi I. N. , Maina G. M. , Agola L. E. , Mkoji G. M. , Loker E. S.
Published: January 2009

Objectives  To develop and assess a microsatellite technique to characterize populations of Schistosoma  mansoni from humans.

Methods  For each of five patients, we calculated the allele count and frequency at 11 loci for several pools of miracidia (50 and 100), and compared these to population values, determined by amplifying microsatellites from 186 to 200 individual miracidia per patient.

Results  We were able to detect up to 94.5% of alleles in pools. Allele count and frequency strongly and significantly correlated between singles and pools; marginally significant differences (P < 0.05) were detected for one patient (pools of 50) for allele frequencies and for two patients (pools of 100) for allele counts. Kato–Katz egg counts and number of alleles per pool did not co‐vary, indicating that further direct comparisons of the results from these two techniques are needed.

Conclusions  Allele counts and frequency profiles from pooling provide important information about infection intensity and complexity, beyond that obtained from traditional methods. Although we are not advocating use of pooling to replace individual genotyping studies, it can potentially be useful in certain applications as a rapid and cost effective screening method for studies of S. mansoni population genetics, or as a more informative way to quantify and characterize human worm populations.
Cost‐effectiveness of artesunate for the treatment of severe malaria
Authors: Lubell Y. , Yeung S. , Dondorp A. M. , Day N. P. , Nosten F. , Tjitra E. , Abul Faiz Md. , Bin Yunus E. , Anstey N.M. , Mishra S.K. , Mohanty S. , White N.J. , Mills A.J.
Published: January 2009

Objective To explore the cost‐effectiveness of artesunate against quinine based principally on the findings of a large multi‐centre trial carried out in Southeast Asia.

Methods Trial data were used to compare mortality of patients with severe malaria, treated with either artesunate or quinine. This was combined with retrospectively collected cost data to estimate the incremental cost per death averted with the use of artesunate instead of quinine.

Results The incremental cost per death averted using artesunate was approximately 140 USD. Artesunate maintained this high level of cost‐effectiveness also when allowing for the uncertainty surrounding the cost and effectiveness assessments.

Conclusion This analysis confirms the vast superiority of artesunate for treatment of severe malaria from an economic as well as a clinical perspective.
Predation mediated population divergence in complex behaviour of nine‐spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius)
Authors: HERCZEG G. , GONDA A. , MERILÄ J.
Published: January 2009

The proximate and ultimate explanations for behavioural syndromes (correlated behaviours – a population trait) are poorly understood, and the evolution of behavioural types (configuration of behaviours – an individual trait) has been rarely studied. We investigated population divergence in behavioural syndromes and types using individually reared, completely predator‐ or conspecific‐naïve adult nine‐spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) from two marine and two predatory fish free, isolated pond populations. We found little evidence for the existence of behavioural syndromes, but population divergence in behavioural types was profound: individuals from ponds were quicker in feeding, bolder and more aggressive than individuals from marine environments. Our data reject the hypothesis that behavioural syndromes exist as a result of genetic correlations between behavioural traits, and support the contention that different behavioural types can be predominant in populations differing in predation pressure, most probably as a result of repeated independent evolution of separate behavioural traits.
Sexual selection and ecological generalism are correlated in antbirds
Authors: TOBIAS J. A. , SEDDON N.
Published: January 2009

Sexual selection is thought to counteract natural selection on the grounds that secondary sexual traits are inherently costly and evolve at the expense of naturally selected traits. It is therefore commonly predicted that increased sexual selection is associated with decreased physiological tolerance or ecological plasticity. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we test this prediction by exploring relationships between traits assumed to be sexually selected (plumage dichromatism and song structure) and traits assumed to be naturally selected (altitudinal range and habitat range) in a diverse family of tropical birds. Contrary to expectations, we find that taxa with higher levels of dichromatism, and lower song pitch, occupy a wider variety of habitats and elevations. In other words, indices of sexual selection are positively related to two standard measures of ecological generalism. One interpretation of this pattern is that sexual selection combines synergistically with natural selection, thereby increasing physiological tolerance or the propensity to adapt to novel environments. An alternative possibility is that ecological generalism increases population density, which in turn promotes sexual selection in the form of greater competition for mates. Overall, our results suggest that a synergism between natural selection and sexual selection may be widespread, but the processes underlying this pattern remain to be investigated.
Diversity patterns amongst herbivorous dinosaurs and plants during the Cretaceous: implications for hypotheses of dinosaur/angiosperm co‐evolution
Authors: BUTLER R. J. , BARRETT P. M. , KENRICK P. , PENN M. G.
Published: January 2009

Abstract Palaeobiologists frequently attempt to identify examples of co‐evolutionary interactions over extended geological timescales. These hypotheses are often intuitively appealing, as co‐evolution is so prevalent in extant ecosystems, and are easy to formulate; however, they are much more difficult to test than their modern analogues. Among the more intriguing deep time co‐evolutionary scenarios are those that relate changes in Cretaceous dinosaur faunas to the primary radiation of flowering plants. Demonstration of temporal congruence between the diversifications of co‐evolving groups is necessary to establish whether co‐evolution could have occurred in such cases, but is insufficient to prove whether it actually did take place. Diversity patterns do, however, provide a means for falsifying such hypotheses. We have compiled a new database of Cretaceous dinosaur and plant distributions from information in the primary literature. This is used as the basis for plotting taxonomic diversity and occurrence curves for herbivorous dinosaurs (Sauropodomorpha, Stegosauria, Ankylosauria, Ornithopoda, Ceratopsia, Pachycephalosauria and herbivorous theropods) and major groups of plants (angiosperms, Bennettitales, cycads, cycadophytes, conifers, Filicales and Ginkgoales) that co‐occur in dinosaur‐bearing formations. Pairwise statistical comparisons were made between various floral and faunal groups to test for any significant similarities in the shapes of their diversity curves through time. We show that, with one possible exception, diversity patterns for major groups of herbivorous dinosaurs are not positively correlated with angiosperm diversity. In other words, at the level of major clades, there is no support for any diffuse co‐evolutionary relationship between herbivorous dinosaurs and flowering plants. The diversification of Late Cretaceous pachycephalosaurs (excluding the problematic taxon Stenopelix) shows a positive correlation, but this might be spuriously related to poor sampling in the Turonian–Santonian interval. Stegosauria shows a significant negative correlation with flowering plants and a significant positive correlation with the nonflowering cycadophytes (cycads, Bennettitales). This interesting pattern is worthy of further investigation, and it reflects the decline of both stegosaurs and cycadophytes during the Early Cretaceous.
Predicting transfusions in cardiac surgery: the easier, the better: the Transfusion Risk and Clinical Knowledge score
Authors: Ranucci M. , Castelvecchio S. , Frigiola A. , Scolletta S. , Giomarelli P. , Biagioli B.
Published: January 2009

Background and Objectives  Allogeneic blood products transfusions are associated with an increased morbidity and mortality risk in cardiac surgery. At present, a few transfusion risk scores have been proposed for cardiac surgery patients. The present study is aimed to develop and validate a risk score based on adequate statistical analyses joint with a clinical selection of a limited (five) number of preoperative predictors.

Materials and Methods  The development series was composed of 8989 consecutive adult patients undergone cardiac surgery. Independent predictors of allogeneic blood transfusions were identified. Subsequently, five predictors were extracted as the most clinically relevant based on the judgement of 30 clinicians dealing with transfusions in cardiac surgery. A predictive score was developed and externally validated on a series of 2371 patients operated in another institution. The score was compared to the other existing scores.

Results  The following predictors constituted the Transfusion Risk and Clinical Knowledge score: age > 67 years; weight < 60 kg for females and < 85 kg for males preoperative haematocrit; gender – female; and complex surgery. At the external validation, this score demonstrated an acceptable predictive power (area under the curve 0·71) and a good calibration at the Hosmer–Lemeshow test. When compared to the other three existing risk scores, the Transfusion Risk and Clinical Knowledge score had comparable or better predictive power and calibration.

Conclusion  A simple risk model based on five predictors only has a similar or better accuracy and calibration in predicting the transfusion rate in cardiac surgery than more complex models.
Conformation and Anatomical Relations of the Liver of Llama (Lama glama)
Authors: Castro A. N. C. , Ghezzi M. D. , Domínguez M. T. , Lupidio M. C. , Gómez S. A. , H Alzola R.
Published: January 2009

Morphological studies of the liver of the llama are structural supportive to the clinical practice, surgery and specific diagnostic techniques. The aims of this study were first to determine the location of the organ and the direction of its major axis to project it to the abdominal wall, identifying visible and palpable bony references. Secondly, to characterize and determine anatomical relations of the surfaces, borders and angles of the llama liver, as well as, of its lobulation. Twenty adult llamas of both sexes and two foetuses of 6.5‐ and 7‐month‐old were used. Llama liver is a post‐diaphragmatic organ located in the cranial abdominal region, in the right hypochondrium, in relationship with the last six ribs. Dorsally, it can exceeds the last (twelfth) rib. Its major axis presents a cranio‐ventral bent. Its shape is irregularly triangular. It presents two surfaces (parietal and visceral), three borders (cranial, caudal and ventral) and three angles (dorsal, cranial and caudal).
Baby Schema in Infant Faces Induces Cuteness Perception and Motivation for Caretaking in Adults
Authors: Glocker Melanie L. , Langleben Daniel D. , Ruparel Kosha , Loughead James W. , Gur Ruben C. , Sachser Norbert
Published: January 2009

Ethologist Konrad Lorenz proposed that baby schema (‘Kindchenschema’) is a set of infantile physical features such as the large head, round face and big eyes that is perceived as cute and motivates caretaking behavior in other individuals, with the evolutionary function of enhancing offspring survival. Previous work on this fundamental concept was restricted to schematic baby representations or correlative approaches. Here, we experimentally tested the effects of baby schema on the perception of cuteness and the motivation for caretaking using photographs of infant faces. Employing quantitative techniques, we parametrically manipulated the baby schema content to produce infant faces with high (e.g. round face and high forehead), and low (e. g. narrow face and low forehead) baby schema features that retained all the characteristics of a photographic portrait. Undergraduate students (n = 122) rated these infants’ cuteness and their motivation to take care of them. The high baby schema infants were rated as more cute and elicited stronger motivation for caretaking than the unmanipulated and the low baby schema infants. This is the first experimental proof of the baby schema effects in actual infant faces. Our findings indicate that the baby schema response is a critical function of human social cognition that may be the basis of caregiving and have implications for infant–caretaker interactions.
Ability of Murid Rodents to Find Buried Seeds in the Monte Desert
Authors: Taraborelli Paula , Borruel Natalia , Mangeaud Arnaldo
Published: January 2009

Rodents have developed a great capacity to for finding and storing seeds, and the ability of each species to find seeds in sufficient numbers could determine rodent abundance. To investigate this ability, we compared the differential ability of four murid rodents (Akodon molinae, Graomys griseoflavus, Calomys musculinus and Eligmodontia typus) to detect buried seeds. We also measured the variables (seed type, number of seeds in caches, soil depth and soil moisture) that would be affecting such ability. Results showed a differential ability to find seeds among rodents, E. typus was the most successful species, and C. musculinus and G. griseoflavus were the least successful. Conditions of wet sand and grouped seeds were the most favourable for murids to find higher number of seeds. These rodents showed preference for the sunflower seed, which is large, with good hygroscopic capacity and high in lipids, whereas millet is the opposite. The use of food storage strategies would give murid species a differential adaptive advantage, providing them with a greater ability to locate and exploit food sources more efficiently in periods of lower food abundance and after rainfall events.
Optimal designs for Cox regression
Authors: López‐Fidalgo J. , Rivas‐López M. J. , Del Campo R.
Published: January 2009

Optimal designs under a survival analysis framework have been rarely considered in the literature. In this paper, an optimal design theory is developed for the typical Cox regression problem. Failure time is modeled according to a probability distribution depending on some explanatory variables through a linear model. At the end of the study, some units will not have failed and thus their time records will be censored. In order to deal with this problem from an experimental design point of view it will be necessary to assume a probability distribution for the time an experimental unit enters the study. Then an optimal conditional design will be computed at the beginning of the study for any possible given time. Thus, every time a new unit enters the study, there is an experimental design to be determined. A particular and simple case is used throughout the paper in order to illustrate the procedure.
Language Background, Ethno‐Racial Origin, and Academic Achievement of Students at a Canadian University
Authors: Grayson J. Paul
Published: January 2009

Research conducted in Canada and the United States shows that the age of arrival of immigrant children, language spoken in the home, and ethno‐racial origin have consequences for English language acquisition and academic attainment. So far, however, the degree to which these factors have consequences for academic achievement at the post‐secondary level has scarcely been studied. In this study, it is found that the communication skills of university students who are the sons and daughters of immigrants, independent of length of time in Canada, are not as high as those of native‐born English‐speaking Canadians. Moreover, all else being equal, independent of length of time in the country, the university GPAs of immigrant and non‐European origin groups are generally lower than those of native‐born Canadians. Findings such as these suggest the presence of social and cultural processes at the family, community, and educational system level that continue to disadvantage identifiable groups of post‐secondary students.
Dealing with the Dilemmas: Integration at the Street‐level in Norway
Authors: Hagelund Anniken
Published: January 2009

In Norway, as elsewhere in Europe, the debates about immigration, increasing cultural diversity and the need for integration, are heated and polarised. For welfare state workers and institutions, the perceived task and challenge of integration has to a large extent been to both provide space for cultural diversity and to promote social equality through participation in the labour market, education, and civil society. Amidst all this ongoing debate, a large number of people deal with these issues as a part of their daily work. This paper focuses on the dilemmas such street‐level bureaucrats, or diversity workers, encounter in their work with refugees, immigrants and their children. Most of all, it explores the strategies they have developed to handle such situations. Street‐level bureaucrats have a range of strategies to get around integration dilemmas, which are presented here as five distinct response repertoires. The analytical construction of these repertoires is useful because it provides us with a tool to describe and understand what is going on when policies are translated into institutional practices. It shows how public sector employees are handling the everyday dilemmas that policy does not provide the solutions for. Finally, this analysis of repertoires can also be useful in thinking normatively about what kinds of strategies particular institutions ought to nurture and how they can achieve this.
Unterschiede im Denken zwischen Ökonomen und Laien – Erklärungsansätze zur Verbesserung der wirtschaftspolitischen Beratung
Authors: Enste Dominik H. , Haferkamp Alexandra , Fetchenhauer Detlef
Published: January 2009

Recent findings in Economic Psychology on the thinking and judgment of economic laymen can help to improve economic policy advice. First, based on psychological theories and empirical findings, the notion of the Homo oeconomicus is challenged. The economic situation is judged by laymen using implicit theories and biases, which are not in line with neoclassical economics. Then, the relevance of these theories and heuristics is shown empirically by the systematically different opinions of economists and non-economists on economic policy measures like minimum wages and maximum salaries. Conclusions for policy advisors complement the analysis.
Analysis of RET, ZEB2, EDN3 and GDNF Genomic Rearrangements in 80 Patients with Hirschsprung Disease (Using multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification)
Authors: Serra A. , Görgens H. , Alhadad K. , Ziegler A. , Fitze G. , Schackert H. K.
Published: January 2009

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is transmitted in a complex pattern of inheritance and is mostly associated with variants in the RET proto‐oncogene. However, RET mutations are only identified in 15–20% of sporadic HSCR cases and solely in 50% of the familial cases. Since genomic rearrangements in particularly sensitive areas of the RET proto‐oncogene and/or associated genes may account for the HSCR phenotype in patients without other detectable RET variants, the aim of the present study was to identify rearrangements in the coding sequence of RET as well as in three HSCR‐associated genes (ZEB2, EDN3 and GDNF) in HSCR patients by using Multiplex Ligation‐dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA). We have screened 80 HSCR patients for genomic rearrangements in RET, ZEB2, EDN3 and GDNF and did not identify any deletion or amplification in these four genes in all patients. We conclude that genomic rearrangements in RET are rare and were not responsible for the HSCR phenotype in individuals without identifiable germline RET variants in our group of patients, yet this possibility cannot be excluded altogether because the confidence to identify variation in at least two percent of the individuals was only 95%.
Contemporary Social Problems in Japan: A Study of the Suicide and Depopulation Problems
Authors: Yamamoto Tsutomu
Published: January 2009

Abstract  Two complementary investigations were undertaken:

1. Research into the relationship between suicide and depopulation in Shimane Prefecture.

2. Research into the relationship between the perception of social problems and unwanted objective conditions, employing suicide as the example of unwanted conditions.

To summarize the most important findings:

1. The suicide rates have been notably higher in depopulated areas.

2. The partial correlation of suicide to depopulation was high, when the effect of aging of population was removed.

3. This partial correlation has increased since 1975. There has been an aggravation of the problem of suicide as a depopulation problem.

4. The correlation of suicide to aging of the population vanished, when the effect of depopulation was removed.

5. At 70 and over, the suicide rates have been notably higher in depopulated areas.

6. The correlation of the age‐specific suicide rate with the depopulation rate, increases with age and the correlation of the suicide rate among old people to the depopulation rate, was notably higher.

7. These suicidal tendencies express the mores of society. Morality underlies the perception of social problems, while morality could not exist without generating suicide at a certain point. Both suicide and the perception of suicide as social problems are largely determined by morality. This is our paradoxical hypothesis.

8. Lastly, we emphasize that there are serious depopulation problems in Japan. This is particularly obvious, if suicide is employed as the indicator of depopulation severity.
Contemporary Youth and Youth Culture in Japan
Authors: Takada Akihiko
Published: January 2009

Abstract  This paper begins with a profile of Japanese youth which compares them statistically and sociologically with those of other nations. Next, I attempt to differentiate between “adolescent” and “youth,” and explain the adolescent as a consequence of industrial society. I also try to divide youth culture into three types: partial culture, sub‐culture. and counter‐ culture. Finally, I discuss the history of Japanese youth culture, primarily since the coming of the industrial age after World War 11. As examples of adolescent cultures, I refer to “Taiyo‐zoku.” “Zenkyoto,” “Hippie,” “New Young,” and “Shin‐jinrui.” Among these, “Zenkyoto” and “Hippie” are important as counter‐cultures; they reject the prevailing society and actively seek a new post‐industrial society. Adolescent sub‐culture. on the other hand, has dwindled since the decline of the “Zen‐ kyoto” around 1970. Since 1980, Japanese youth can be grouped into three main categories. The majority enjoy affluence and consumer goods, like the “Crystal‐zoku,” who are obsessed with famous brands. They are in the partial culture, and are oriented to super‐industrial society. The second group is made up of those who have unique adolescent cultures. like the “Shin‐jinrui,” who are sensuous and highly responsive to information. They are in the sub‐culture, and are oriented to the modified industrial society. Minority groups who take action to protect their interests and human rights, like ecological groups derived from the counter‐culture movement, comprise the third category. They are in the counter‐culture, and are oriented to post‐industrial society.
Social Change in Postwar Japan: A Theoretical Consideration
Authors: Tomoeda Toshio
Published: January 2009

Abstract  The objective of this paper is to examine social change in postwar Japan using the concept of social structure. There are two ways to conceptualize social structure. I would like to call the first, established by Radcliffe‐Brown and Parsons, “Structure as a Pattern,” and the other, established by Levi‐Strauss, “Structure as a Rule.” It is clear that postwar social change in Japan has brought about a new economic order, but it is also true that Japanese society is beginning to accept a new system of values. My conclusion is that the structure of the Japanese social system has. under the pressure of internationalization, reached a crucial turning point.
RELIGIOUS FAITH AS A COMMUNICATIVE PRACTICE: LUHMANN'S THEORY OF RELIGION AND THE DISCURSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF INDETERMINABILITY
Authors: Nishizaka Aug
Published: January 2009

Abstract  After reconstructing Niklas Luhmann's theory of religion in focusing on the idea that religious faith is communicative and not psychological, I attempt to demonstrate how the indeterminability, or inconceivability, of religious figures (e. g., Cod) is accomplished as a discursive practice. For this purpose, an old Japanese Buddhist text is discussed. Because of its functionalism, Luhmann's argument seems to be inseparable from the religious discourse which is the very phenomenon to be investigated. The aim of this paper is to propose a possibility of treating religion as a social phenomenon without staying on too intimate terms with religious discourse.
Governability of Democracies: —A Japanese Perspective—*
Authors: Watanuki Joji
Published: January 2009

Abstract  Some twenty years ago, the Trilateral Commission organized a project on ‘governability’ of democracies. At that time, North American and West‐European democracies were facing serious crises of governability. while Japan was not. Now, although Japanese democracy is not in total crisis, but is facing new tasks to be tackled as a ‘major industrial democracy.’ Homogenization of economic institutions among major industrial countries is functionally inevitable in an age of globalized economy. Political reforms to enhance it are urgently required. Burden sharing for world democratic governance is posing serious tasks to Japan as a ‘civilian power.’ Although it is certain that Japan will remain as a democracy for any foreseeable future, but her governability in the sense of the capacity to contribute to world democratic governance is now, and will be, put on severe trial for years to come.
Farm Mechanization and Women's Life Pattern: —Changing Time Allocation—
Authors: Kumagai Sonoko Matsuda
Published: January 2009

Abstract  Farm mechanization in Japan could be understood as a process brought a bout in the constellation of economic and political milieus of high economic growth. Labor productivity was raised to a degree unproportionate to the size of farming and yielded large amount of surplus labor power. This inherent contradiction became quite apparent after 1970. The expansion of non‐farm labor market absorbed the surplus labor power. Thus part‐time farming spreaded. changing the life pattern of farm families toward differentiation and individuation. A panel study at a rural community at the south‐western part of HONSHU enables us to compare the time allocation of family members before and after mechanization. After mechanization. time allocation pattern differentiated by generation and sex. Younger members have gained private spheres outside farming. The older are left at farm, working in the fields. However, the time allocation data collected at a rural community at the northeastern part of HONSHU tells that the differentiation and individuation was slow due to the under‐development of non‐farm labor market.
A Comparative Study of Social Movements in the Post‐Nuclear Energy Era in Japan and The United States*
Authors: Hasegawa Koichi
Published: January 2009

Abstract  In contrast with skepticism in most western advanced countries, recent east Asian countries share pro‐nuclear energy policy. Using my scheme of “the enlarged political process model” and qualitative data from my case studies in Japan and the United States, this paper analyzes the main characteristics of the nuclear energy issues and citizens' movements in both countries.

Four historical stages of anti‐nuclear energy movement in Japan are analyzed focusing on main actors, issues, value orientation and mode of action. The socio‐political reasons for the failure in gaining more wide‐spread political influence in the last three stages are examined.

In the US, a more decentralized and relatively open system pushed movements toward an instrumental and policy‐oriented posture. Especially in California in recent years, in collaboration with state regulatory agencies and electrical utilities. environmental groups were the major influence on changes in the management of utilities for the post nuclear era, by stressing energy efficiency and exploring renewable energy resources.
Meanings of Chocolate: Power and Gender in Valentine's Gift Giving
Authors: Ogasawara Yuko
Published: January 2009

Abstract  Valentine's Day as practiced in contemporary Japan constitutes a cultural puzzle. Comparison of Japanese and American Valentine's Days using data collected through interviews with twenty Japanese and twenty Americans reveals three customs peculiar to the Japanese holiday: an emphasis on chocolate; exclusively women‐to‐men gift giving; and the prevalence of giving “obligatory chocolate” within offices. Although chocolate companies' promotional activities go a long way toward explaining the first custom and arguably the second, women giving chocolate to male colleagues and supervisors is an adaptation of the original formula made by the participants themselves. Because Valentine chocolate is a highly symbolic gift with the message “I admire you,” whether or not they receive chocolate matters to men. By imbuing the gift with meanings which men find difficult to ignore, women are able to enjoy a temporary power over men. The study strongly asserts the cultural freedom people possess in creating new meanings from available codes.
The Folk and the Sociology of Takata Yasuma: —His Life and Thoughts—
Authors: Yonemura Shoji
Published: January 2009

Abstract  Takata Yasuma, hailed as the father of sociology in Japan and recipient of the prestigious Cultural Meritorious Award in 1964, was also admired by western sociologists for his originality. In this article I discuss The Folk in 1941 with his discussions on ethnic problems around the year 1940 in connection with his inner life and thoughts.

First, I point out Takata makes much of the subjective aspect of the folk, or folk‐consciousness, and distinguishes it by this ethnic ego from similar but enforced groups such as nation‐state. Then I analyze his folk theory in connection with class, the modern state, nationalism, capitalism and imperialism, and conclude that Takata conflates nationalism quite easily and directly with imperialism without defining narrow‐minded nationalism clearly though he rejects Lenin's view of imperialism as the consequence of the development of capitalism.

Secondly I consider the interrelationship of the folk with the slowly but enlarging world society, and make clear that Takata appreciates the socialization of interest (Vergesellschaftung) in the progress of society, though in his heart he has pursued Gemeinschaft 9s the child of a village in spirit. Finally, I emphasize that folk theory thoroughly reflects his inner life and thoughts: the perfect leveler, a free‐spoken person, a village child in spirit, and a scholar of originality
Positive Feedback Model for City Vitalization
Authors: Tanaka Yoshiko , Tanaka Shigeru
Published: January 2009

Abstract  In the present study, we first attempt to construct a model for the dynamics of city images, in which intra‐ and intercity communications promote the joint possession of city images by residents and the establishment of a city identity. It is suggested that community spirit, which emerges strongly associated with city identity, urges citizens to voluntarily take part in a city's cultural events. The voluntary participation of citizens may change various aspects of a city's functions and physical structure, and as a result the city becomes vitalized in a bottom‐up way. Based on this model, we propose a new planning method to facilitate city vitalization as a substitute for hardware‐oriented planning. Finally, to ascertain the effectiveness of the new planning method, we focus on Iida City, which has recently successfully established its identity as a puppet drama town.
Social Welfare Related Volunteer Activity: Relevance, Definition and Reality in Rural Japan
Authors: Rausch Anthony S.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  This paper examines three aspects of sustained social welfare volunteer activity in a rural setting: relevance, definition and reality. Volunteer activity is relevant to social welfare needs resolution in contemporary Japan. Survey results indicate that Hirosaki city residents ascribe secondary, or supplementary welfare resolution expectation to regional society. Given the factors of urbanization, increased mobility, weakening of the traditional family, and instability in the post‐bubble economy, the volunteer organization becomes one representative form of this regional society. Hirosaki residents appear to have a fairly clear definition of what constitutes volunteer activity. This definition reflects volunteer activity motivation, characteristics of the volunteer activity itself, and aspects pertaining to volunteer activity's social role. Finally, the reality of volunteer activity as found in the Hirosaki city survey data is that it is highly dependent on maintenance of human relations, possibly at the expense of direct social welfare directed activity. Furthermore, the present reality of Japanese volunteerism is that its success ultimately depends on administrative support, support which is lacking in the Hirosaki case.

These results are based on a survey investigation comprised of a citizen survey, an active welfare volunteer survey, and a social welfare related volunteer organization survey conducted in Hirosaki city. Aomori prefecture in 1994.
The Emerging Consciousness of Japanese Voluntarism
Authors: Rausch Anthony S.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  This paper examines Japanese voluntarism from a historical perspective, through which it can be seen that it is not volunteerism and volunteer activity per se which is emerging in contemporary Japanese society, but instead an emerging consciousness of volunteerism and an associated emerging terminology of volunteerism. This emerging consciousness is in part a function of social evolution, and in part due to an administrative generated movement to generate a volunteer spirit in Japan, the borantiu‐katsudo movement. This emerging consciousness has on the one hand benefitted existing categories of volunteerism by increasing their visibility and expanding their dimensional character and relevance. On the other hand, this emerging consciousness has also generated some unforeseen forms of contemporary volunteerism.
Toward an Alternative Analytic Approach to the Internal Politics of Unions
Authors: Suzuki Akira
Published: January 2009

Abstract  This paper discusses theoretical issues in analyzing the internal politics of unions in Japan. The main argument is that the autonomy of unions' internal political processes from management should not be assumed and that the very development of internal politics of unions may be influenced by the actors with which the unions interact. The paper first reviews previous research on the internal politics of unions in Western countries and discusses a model of internal union politics based on these studies. Second, it reviews previous studies of enterprise unions in Japan and considers why these studies have been indifferent to the internal politics. Third, the paper proposes an alternative approach to internal union politics by synthesizing insights from previous studies of unions and union politics in Western countries and Japan. The approach is based on the concept of the “political space” of unions. Fourth, application of the alternative approach to the development of internal politics of the enterprise union of Yahata Steel (from 1970, Nippon Steel), the largest steel firm in Japan, shows how the union's political space has become more narrow over time. Finally, the paper concludes by noting the relevance of the proposed approach to studies of union‐management relations in other industrialized countries.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SOCIALIZATION BETWEEN JAPANESE AND ENGLISH PRE‐SCHOOL CHILDREN
Authors: SATO YOSHIKO
Published: January 2009

Abstract  This author conducted a comparative study among the following three sample groups: Japanese mother‐child pairs in London, English mother‐child pairs in London, Japanese mother‐child pairs in Tokyo. By comparing the mother's developmental expectation, child rearing practices and the development of self‐regulation in children, this author explored the extent to which mothers in different societies introduce cultural values of interpersonal relationships in raising their children.

Research method for this study were 1) the Picture Self‐Regulation Test (PSRT) for preschool children, and 2) a questionnaire for the mothers indicating the mothers' acknowledgement of the development of self‐regulation in their children, evaluation of their child's behaviour and patterns of feedback.

No significant difference was found among three sample groups on the PSRT. In the Mother's Questionnaire, English mothers acknowledged the early development of self‐assertion in their children, unlike Japanese mothers in London and Tokyo. There was no significant difference in the mothers' acknowledgment of self‐inhibition among the three sample groups.

Analysis of feedback of mothers in the three sample groups revealed that English mothers adopted ‘positive and active’ discipline for their children, while Japanese mothers in London and Tokyo adopted ‘receptive’ discipline.
A Lifecourse Study of Stem Family Women in Rural Japan: A Comparison of the Changes over Three Generations
Authors: Tsutsumi Masae
Published: January 2009

Abstract  The aim of this study is to clarify the changes in the lifecourses of rural stem family women, and how they are influenced by society and the family. Our lifecourses are characterized by the sequence of events in our lifetime. Women's lifecourses are mainly influenced and varied by the experiences of marriage, childbirth and childcare.

We used the event of marriage as the basis for finding how the lifecourses of three generations of women had changed. The Mother generation (MI refers to the parent; the Wife generation (W) refers to the child; and the Grandchild generations are the daughters (F) and Son's Wives (SW).

Our findings revealed that the Agriculture Continuation type lifecourse had decreased with each generation. About 80% of (MI women helped on the family farm before marrying into another farming family, while this type no longer existed in the grandchild generations. The (W) women were the first to start working in various jobs (outside the farm) after graduating from their last schooling, but they usually quit their jobs after marriage. Many (SW) women followed this same pattern. Many (F) women also worked outside the farm after their last schooling, then became full‐time housewives after marriage. Few women in the grandchild generation worked in agriculture when they were young.

The lifecourses of (M) and (W) women followed basically a fixed pattern, but began to diversify for the grandchild generations, as their order of life events also diversified. Correlation and changes were found between society and individuals.
Towards a New Paradigm of Religious Organizations
Authors: Miki Hizuru
Published: January 2009

Abstract  In contemporary Japan, religion is an important issue. Various types of religions such as new religions, occultism, the new age movement, traditional religions etc., attract supporters and exerts a favorable influence on certain aspects of their lives. But, such circumstances are not restricted to Japan. All over the world today, religions have the power to sway national policy and are indispensable in influencing human consciousness and behavior.

Religion is alive and influential even in the secularized world. As such, a cross‐cultural study of religions is increasingly needed. Furthermore, the typology of religious organizations provides a means with which to make a comparative study of religion throughout the world.

However, we cannot help but conclude that the theoretical framework developed so far cannot sufficiently deal with the subject in question. This is primarily due to its strong bias towards Christianity, which renders it invalid for analyzing religions in non‐Christian regions. This paper will focus on the “cult”. The term cult, unlike church‐sect‐denomination, seems to be applicable to any religious tradition and culture. It is not confined to a specific one such as the Christian tradition and culture.

It should be noted that the cult as previously treated is problematic, too, because it is not free from a bias towards Christianity, and has too negative a connotation for a scientific concept. In this paper, utilizing the merits of the concept of cult, I would like to elaborate a new paradigm of religious organizations. This should allow for a cross‐cultural comparison between religious phenomena.
Industrialization and the Regime of Social Mobility in Postwar Japan
Authors: Imada Takatoshi
Published: January 2009

Abstract This paper examines the hypothesis that the fluidity and openness of social stratification increase with industrialization, by applying a path analysis of status attainment and a log‐linear analysis of social mobility to data from National Survey on Social Stratification and Mobility carried out five times at ten‐year intervals since 1955 in Japan. The following two points are clarified through this analysis. First, the status attainment regime was constant from 1955 to 1995; when the effects of opportunity expansion due to economic growth are controlled, the data do not provide evidence that the openness of social stratification improved; and the industrialism thesis on openness is actually an illusion caused by the effects of economic growth. Second, the mobility regime was constant from 1955 to 1985, but the data from the 1995 survey do not fit the previous pattern and suggest a transformation may be under way. Based on the above findings, I will note that dissolution of the mobility regime must be considered when discussing the reality of future social stratification.
Public Spheres of Social Stratification
Authors: Seiyama Kazuo
Published: January 2009

Abstract  The story of Class was ended. This is the end of the conceptualization of class as a historical and political agent, whereas stratification as a hierarchy for individual achievement still exists. The death of class means a liberation of social thoughts from the inclination to justify violence, oppression, or even genocide for the sake of history and justice. At the same time, however, it eliminates one major public framework on which we may formulate and think about public goods. Liberal egalitarian moral philosophies by Rawls, Dworkin or Sen have emerged just at around the time when the story of class was approaching an end. They substituted the old socialistic egalitarianism and were intended to establish a new public sphere of social stratification. However, Rawls' and Dworkin's theories are foundationalistic and timeless, and hence destined to failure. This paper presents a provisional scheme for public philosophy of social stratification, by which social stratification is ethically interrogated and given a chance to produce public values.
Risk‐Based Decision Making for Terrorism Applications
Authors: Dillon Robin L. , Liebe Robert M. , Bestafka Thomas
Published: January 2009

This article describes the anti‐terrorism risk‐based decision aid (ARDA), a risk‐based decision‐making approach for prioritizing anti‐terrorism measures. The ARDA model was developed as part of a larger effort to assess investments for protecting U.S. Navy assets at risk and determine whether the most effective anti‐terrorism alternatives are being used to reduce the risk to the facilities and war‐fighting assets. With ARDA and some support from subject matter experts, we examine thousands of scenarios composed of 15 attack modes against 160 facility types on two installations and hundreds of portfolios of 22 mitigation alternatives. ARDA uses multiattribute utility theory to solve some of the commonly identified challenges in security risk analysis. This article describes the process and documents lessons learned from applying the ARDA model for this application.
Estimating Age of Majority on Third Molars Developmental Stages in Young Adults from Thailand Using a Modified Scoring Technique*
Authors: Thevissen Patrick W. , Pittayapat Pisha , Fieuws Steffen , Willems Guy
Published: January 2009

Abstract:  The aim of this study was to achieve a referral database for dental age estimation of unaccompanied minors of Thai nationality. A total of 1199 orthopantomograms were collected from original Thai women and men equally divided in age categories between 15 and 24 years. On the radiographs, the developmental stage of the third molars was scored applying a modified scoring technique. Inter‐ and intra‐observer reliabilities were tested using kappa statistics. Correlation between the scores of all four wisdom teeth and left–right symmetry were evaluated with Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Student’s t‐test on asymmetry was performed and regression formulas were calculated. The present database was the first to assemble third molar developmental scores on radiographs of Thai individuals and provides more appropriate dental age estimation of unaccompanied Thai minors. Future research on similar databases of different nationalities worldwide may expose ethnical influences on dental development.