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This paper reports on the development and piloting of Classmoto, an online application designed to measure learner engagement. The application enables teachers to collect real-time analytics of student social, affective, and cognitive engagement. The results are immediately visible to the teacher. We investigated and reported on the engagement levels of 124 learners over a period of 15 weeks. Our analysis explores learners' perceptions of the usefulness of evaluating their engagement and the experiences of four teachers using the application in their courses. This paper demonstrates how engagement measures such as Classmoto can be used to innovate classroom teaching and learning. It also highlights limitations in the application, with recommendations for future development for the measurement of engagement.

This paper examines mechanisms in the Japanese education system that 'bring in' knowledge of practice to the process of policy translation. The paper firstly draws on the enactment of recent curriculum reforms in Japan to define a group of actors -- practitioner advocates -- who utilise their identity as members of the teaching community to mediate and translate policies, from a position outside the school and often outside the municipality. Their collaboration with school administrators and teachers effectuates policy transactions that make sense to teachers, developed in reference to knowledge of practice but legitimised in reference to policy, bending its meanings. Secondly, examining the work of practitioner advocates invites questions that might otherwise go unasked, and provides a fresh perspective on the particularity of the Anglo-American context. It draws attention to the possibility that the Anglo-American structural, institutional or cultural context is peculiarly susceptible to a kind of deliverological managerialism that shuts out experience of practice.

The iterative process of ethnography not only constructs theory, but its methodology should embody theory. Developing a theoretical framework often demands adjustments in methodology, to leverage previous work and to avoid assumptions compounding through the magnification of blind spots. New theory in policy-engaged ethnography has emphasised the importance of analysing interactions between teachers. However, such analyses have not yet emerged in research on education in Japan, partly because of enduring conceptualisations of teachers as homogeneous. Methodological tools that do exist are grounded in anglosphere data and remain unsuited to research in Japan's schools. As such, participants are positioned amongst, but not in relation to, other teachers and school administrators. Yet, taking teacher heterogeneity seriously enhances the salience of selection bias. The same teachers who are enthusiastic about participating in the research are often those who are enthusiastic about the topic of the research. What is difficult in school ethnography is procuring, and preferably ensuring, participation from teachers who are not enthusiasts toward the topic of the research. Designing research with both the heterogeneity of teachers and the specifics of the local context in mind can provide more diverse data with potential to inform analyses of micro-politics in Japan's schools. In reference to a five-year research project and grounded in data from Japan, the paper proposes some procedures to access a diverse range of teachers based on a theory developed to conceptualise teachers' orientations towards policy work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a counseling modality that features values clarification interventions. However, a well-established ACT-consistent measure of values for practitioners and researchers is lacking. The present study, therefore, examined an exploratory measure called the Valued Time and Difficulty Questionnaire (VTDQ; Wilson et al. 2010) and investigated the possible explanatory role of multiple ACT constructs on psychological distress. Obtained cross-national differences with a sample of 188 U.S. and 223 Japanese students were consistent with previous research. Moreover, a multiple mediator model revealed significant indirect effects of VTDQ subscale scores for time and difficulty on the association between culture and symptoms.

Background. Corallium japonicum, a prized resource in Japan, plays a vital role in traditional arts and fishing industries. Because of diminished stock due to overexploitation, ongoing efforts are focused on restoration through transplantation. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the reproductive biology of these valuable corals and find more efficient methods for sex determination, which may significantly contribute to conservation initiatives. Methods. We used 12 three-month aquarium reared C. japonicum colony fragments, conducted histological analysis for maturity and sex verification, and performed tran- scriptome analysis via de novo assembly and mapping using the C. rubrum transcrip- tome to explore gene expression differences between female and male C. japonicum. Results. Our histological observations enabled sex identification in 33% of incompletely mature samples. However, the sex of the remaining 67% of samples, classified as immature, could not be identified. RNA-seq yielded approximately 21-31 million short reads from 12 samples. De novo assembly yielded 404,439 highly expressed transcripts. Among them, 855 showed significant differential expression, with 786 differentially expressed transcripts between females and males. Heatmap analysis highlighted 283 female-specific and 525 male-specific upregulated transcripts. Transcriptome assembly mapped to C. rubrum yielded 28,092 contigs, leading to the identification of 190 highly differentially expressed genes, with 113 upregulated exclusively in females and 70 upregulated exclusively in males. Blastp analysis provided putative protein annotations for 83 female and 72 male transcripts. Annotation analysis revealed that female biological processes were related to oocyte proliferation and reproduction, whereas those in males were associated with cell adhesion. Discussion. Transcriptome analysis revealed sex-specific gene upregulation in incom- pletely mature C. japonicum and shared transcripts with C. rubrum, providing insight into its gene expression patterns. This study highlights the importance of using both de novo and reference-based assembly methods. Functional enrichment analysis showed that females exhibited enrichment in cell proliferation and reproduction pathways, while males exhibited enrichment in cell adhesion pathways. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the gene expressions of each sex during the spawning season. Our findings offer valuable insights into the physiological ecology of incompletely mature red Japanese precious corals and suggest a method for identifying sex using various genes expressed in female and male individuals. In the future, techniques such as transplantation, artificial fertilization, and larval rearing may involve sex determination methods based on differences in gene expression to help conserve precious coral resources and ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-resolution, summit-to-sea unstructured-grid model was used to simulate two compound flooding events in different geomorphic settings in Japan: the July 2012 flood in Kumamoto city and July 2018 flood in Okayama City, both caused by a torrential rainfall during seasonal Meiyu front but otherwise exhibiting quite different compound flood characteristics. The model shows good performance in simulating flooding extent; e.g., the Hit Rate for the inundation event in 2018 exceeds 0.9. Sensitivity tests were conducted to determine the roles/significance of levee structures along major rivers in coastal regions. Our results indicate that riverine and oceanic factors as well as levees significantly contribute to the observed flooding extents, and we are able to quantify the contributions from each factor at different locations. The model has been implemented operationally as the first nationwide 3-day compound flooding forecast system for Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following offers an overview of what it means for cities to be "smart." It draws the supporting definitions and critical insights into smart cities from a series of papers presented at the 2009 Trans-national Conference on Creating Smart(er) Cities. What the papers all have in common is their desire to overcome the all too often self-congratulatory nature of the claims cities make to be smart and their over-reliance on a distinctively entrepreneurial route to smart cities. Individually, they serve to highlight the major challenges cities face in their drive to become smart. Collectively they begin to uncover what it means for cities to be smart. Together the papers offer an alternative route to smart cities laid down by those advocating a more neo-liberal roadmap, rooted in a critically aware knowledge-base and more realistic understanding of what it means for cities to be smart(er). (Contains 1 note and 1 figure.)

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether effective coping strategies play an important role to reduce burnout levels among sexual or substance abuse counselors. The authors examined whether coping strategies mediated or moderated relations between job stress and burnout in a sample of 232 abuse-specific counselors. Results indicated that self-distraction and behavior disengagement coping strategies mediated the relationships between 3 job stress variables (workload, role conflict, and job ambiguity) and burnout. Although venting and humor coping strategies positively moderated the relationship between role ambiguity and burnout, active coping strategies negatively moderated the relationship between workload and burnout. (Contains 2 tables.)

A poorly known nursery web spider species, Dolomedes nigrimaculatus (Araneae: Pisauridae), is redescribed on the basis of Korean specimens, with a new junior synonym, Dolomedes jirisanensis which has been treated wrongly as a nomen nudum. Dolomedes nigrimaculatus is considered a sister species of D. zatsun from Okinawa Island, Japan, which have several morphological characteristics in common. Detailed description and remarks on the synonymy and intraspecific variation in its body coloration and shape of copulatory organs of D. nigrimaculatus are provided, with a key to all Korean Dolomedes species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-year study of creativity in Japanese companies concluded that human resource development policy and education/training can influence corporate creativity through promotion of information movement and selective acquisition of diverse stimuli. (Reactions to Stern's study by Torrance and Johnson are included.) (SK)

Discussion of the use of technology for training focuses on experiences in Japanese companies. Highlights include computer-based training; telelearning; forces for change in training, including changes in technology, the workforce, and international changes in economic, political, and social conditions; and implications for individuals and systems when using technology for training. (Five references) (LRW)

Background: Prolonged periods of confined living on a cruise ship increase the risk for respiratory disease transmission. We describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Australian passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship and provide recommendations to mitigate future cruise ship outbreaks. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Australian passengers who travelled on the Diamond Princess from 20 January until 4 February 2020 and were either hospitalised, remained in Japan or repatriated. The main outcome measures included an epidemic curve, demographics, symptoms, clinical and radiological signs, risk factors and length of time to clear infection. Results: Among 223 Australian passengers, 56 were confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive. Forty-nine cases had data available and of these over 70% had symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Of symptomatic cases, 17% showed signs and symptoms before the ship implemented quarantine and a further two-thirds had symptoms within one incubation period of quarantine commencing. Prior to ship-based quarantine, exposure to a close contact or cabin mate later confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive was associated with a 3.78 fold (95% CI, 2.24–6.37) higher risk of COVID-19 acquisition compared to non-exposed passengers. Exposure to a positive cabin mate during the ship's quarantine carried a relative risk of 6.18 (95% CI, 1.96–19.46) of developing COVID-19. Persistently asymptomatic cases represented 29% of total cases. The median time to the first of two consecutive negative PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 assays was 13 days for asymptomatic cases and 19 days for symptomatic cases (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Ship based quarantine was effective at reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 amongst Australian passengers, but the risk of infection was higher if an individual shared a cabin or was a close contact of a confirmed case. Managing COVID-19 in cruise ship passengers is challenging and requires enhanced health measures and access to onshore quarantine and isolation facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies on the mating system of the Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus) have been limited to observations of captive populations and estimations of multiple paternities. Hence, the mating system of wild bears remains poorly understood. Animalborne camera systems (i.e., cameras mounted on animals) provide novel tools to study the behavior of elusive animals. Here, we used an animal-borne video system to record the activities of wild bears during the mating season. Video camera collars were attached to four adult Asian black bears (male "A" and "B," and female "A" and "B") captured in Tokyo, central Japan, in May and June 2018. The collars were retrieved in July 2018, after which the video data were downloaded and analyzed in terms of bear activity and mating behavior. All the bears were found to interact with other uniquely identifiable bears for some of the time (range 9-22 days) during the deployment period (range 36-45 days), and multiple mating in males was documented. Both males and females exhibited different behaviors on social days (i.e., days when the bear interacted with conspecifics) compared with solitary days (i.e., days with no observed interactions with conspecifics). Compared with solitary days, the bears spent a lower proportion of time on foraging activities and higher proportion of time on resting activities on social days. Our results suggest that Asian black bears have a polygamous mating system, as both sexes consort and potentially mate with multiple partners during a given mating season. Furthermore, bears appeared to reduce their foraging activities on social days and engaged more in social interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is the current criterion standard lateralization technique in primary aldosteronism (PA). Japanese registry data found that 30% of patients with unilateral PA did not undergo adrenalectomy, but the reasons for this and whether the same pattern is seen internationally are unknown.Objective: To assess the rate of AVS-guided adrenalectomy across an international cohort and identify factors that resulted in adrenalectomy not being performed in otherwise eligible patients.Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective, multinational, multicenter questionnaire-based survey of management of PA patients from 16 centers between 2006 and 2018.Main Outcome Measures: Rates of AVS implementation, AVS success rate, diagnosis of unilateral PA, adrenalectomy rate, and reasons why adrenalectomy was not undertaken in patients with unilateral PA.Results: Rates of AVS implementation, successful AVS, and unilateral disease were 66.3%, 89.3% and 36.9% respectively in 4818 patients with PA. Unilateral PA and adrenalectomy rate in unilateral PA were lower in Japanese than in European centers (24.0% vs 47.6% and 78.2% vs 91.4% respectively). The clinical reasoning for not performing adrenalectomy in unilateral PA were more likely to be physician-derived in Japan and patient-derived in Europe. Physician-derived factors included non-AVS factors, such as good blood pressure control, normokalemia, and the absence of adrenal lesions on imaging, which were present before AVS.Conclusion: Considering the various unfavorable aspects of AVS, stricter implementation and consideration of surgical candidacy prior to AVS will increase its diagnostic efficiency and utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

JT-60SA will be the world's largest superconducting tokamak when it is assembled in 2020 in Naka, Japan (R = 3 m, a = 1.2 m). It is being constructed jointly by institutions in the EU and Japan under the Broader Approach agreement. The assembly of its 400-tonne toroidal field (TF) magnet, designed for an on-axis field of 2.25 T, was completed in July 2018. Consideration of its assembly throughout the design process, with associated consultation and testing, allowed high positional accuracy and hence respect for magnetic field tolerances to be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) is a First Food of Native Americans. Declines in lamprey abundance due to dam construction and habitat loss have curtailed traditional harvest opportunities. Artificial propagation is an emerging recovery tool for this imperiled species, and other lamprey species in Finland and Japan. To manage disease risk at prospective lamprey hatcheries, it is critical to understand the pathogens and parasites most likely to affect lamprey and other fish, both in culture and in the wild. We assembled data from regional fish health laboratories to assess pathogen prevalence in Pacific lamprey sampled from various sources (518 adults, 275 larvae, and one juvenile). In adults, Aeromonas salmonicida was identified using standard health screening methods in 0–69% of dead lamprey samples submitted, but no other pathogens were typically observed. All larvae were negative for bacterial and viral infections, and larvae experimentally exposed to A. salmonicida showed no infection or mortality. Conspicuously absent were detailed health assessments for metamorphosed larvae (juveniles). However, external examinations of over 20,000 juveniles captured at dams on the lower Columbia River indicated that they are susceptible to fungal infection in warm water conditions (> 12 °C), which can lead to mortality. To fully evaluate the disease risk associated with lamprey culture, directed research is needed along with standardized health screenings of lamprey at all life stages. Control of A. salmonicida, the etiological agent for furunculosis, will be a top priority for Pacific lamprey use, as this was the only pathogen regularly identified in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moral education has the explicit aim of contributing to the character formation of Japanese citizens through school education. For this reason, policy intentions for moral education, as communicated by official documents such as curricula and textbooks and by political discourse, hold great significance. Document-based studies on policy intent have expanded in recent years. In particular, there has been sustained interest in the potential of moral education for statist indoctrination and, often incompatibly, its potential for cultivating a modern democratic society. Less developed, however, is research that directly addresses how moral education is implemented in schools and classrooms. This research on practice is important to understand what moral education is and the extent to which policy intentions are realised. Moreover, practice-based research undertaken during times of reform can provide a window into understanding the role of the school in shaping how moral education changes and the enactment of school reform more generally. Ultimately, this knowledge is important to understand the actual effect of moral education and the manifest relationship between individual, school and the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study is devoted to optimizing and characterizing the response of a multipoint plastic scintillator detector (mPSD) for application to in vivo dosimetry in high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. Methods: An exhaustive analysis was carried out in order to obtain an optimized mPSD design that maximizes the scintillation light collection produced by the interaction of ionizing photons. More than 20 prototypes of mPSD were built and tested in order to determine the appropriate order of scintillators relative to the photodetector (distal, center, or proximal) as well as their length as a function of the scintillation light emitted. The available detecting elements are the BCF‐60, BCF‐12, and BCF‐10 scintillators (Saint Gobain Crystals, Hiram, OH, USA), separated from each other by segments of Eska GH‐4001 clear optical fibers (Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). The contribution of each scintillator to the total spectrum was determined by irradiations in the low energy range (<120 keV). For the best mPSD design, a numerical optimization was done in order to select the optical components [dichroic mirrors, filters, and photomultipliers tubes (PMTs)] that best match the light emission profile. Calculations were performed taking into account the measured scintillation spectrum and light yield, the manufacturer‐reported transmission and attenuation of the optical components, and the experimentally characterized PMT noise. The optimized dosimetric system was used for HDR brachytherapy measurements. The system was independently controlled from the 192Ir source via LabVIEW and read simultaneously using an NI‐DAQ board. Dose measurements as a function of distance from the source were carried out according to TG‐43U1 recommendations. The system performance was quantified in terms of signal to noise ratio (SNR) and signal to background ratio (SBR). Results: For best overall light‐yield emission, it was determined that BCF‐60 should be placed at the distal position, BCF‐12 in the center, and BCF‐10 at the proximal position with respect to the photodetector. This configuration allowed for optimized light transmission through the collecting fiber and avoided inter‐scintillator excitation and self‐absorption effects. The optimal scintillator length found was of 3, 6, and 7 mm for BCF‐10, BCF‐ 12, and BCF‐60, respectively. The optimized luminescence system allowed for signal deconvolution using a multispectral approach, extracting the dose to each element while taking into account the Cerenkov stem effect. Differences between the mPSD measurements and TG‐43U1 remain below 5% in the range of 0.5 to 6.5 cm from the source. The dosimetric system can properly differentiate the scintillation signal from the background for a wide range of dose rate conditions; the SNR was found to be above 5 for dose rates above 22 mGy/s while the minimum SBR measured was 1.8 at 6 mGy/s. Conclusion: Based on the spectral response at different conditions, an mPSD was constructed and optimized for HDR brachytherapy dosimetry. It is sensitive enough to allow multiple simultaneous measurements over a clinically useful distance range, up to 6.5 cm from the source. This study constitutes a baseline for future applications enabling real‐time dose measurements and source position reporting over a wide range of dose rate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide an enhanced understanding of performing arts tourism in the Asian context, the present study investigates the motivations, intentions and performance preferences of a particular source market -- Japan. Five primary motivations identified for this group when travelling to Korea to watch a theatre-based performance were: to relieve stress, to learn about Korean culture, to socialise, to enhance their life satisfaction, and curiosity. The various motivations were significantly different in the case of the following independent variables: socio-demographics, prior experiences of travel and of attending performances. Diverging results were reported from the respective analyses using the multinomial logit and BN regression models. The respondents who were most favourably disposed to attending a future theatre-based performance in Korea were (based on their future intentions), married, aged over 40, had prior experience of attending a Korean performance, had at least a college level education, preferred modern-style performances and were ready to pay an admission fee of US$40 or above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Japan Sea is directly influenced by the Asian monsoon, a system that transports moisture and heat across southeast Asia during the boreal summer, and is a major driver of the Earth's ocean‐atmospheric circulation. Foraminiferal and facies analyses of a 460‐kyr record from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 346 Site U1427 in the Japan Sea reveal a record of nutrient flux and oxygenation that varied due to sea level and East Asian monsoon intensity. The East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) was most intense during marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e, MIS 7e, MIS 9e, and MIS 11c when the Tsushima Warm Current flowed into an unrestricted well‐mixed normal salinity Japan Sea, whereas East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) conditions dominated MIS 2, MIS 4, MIS 6, and MIS 8 when sea level minima restricted the Japan Sea resulting in low‐salinity and oxygen conditions in the absence of Tsushima flow. Reduced oxygen stratified, low‐salinity, and higher productivity oceanic conditions characterize Terminations TV, TIII, TII, and TI when East China Sea coastal waters breached the Tsushima Strait. Chinese loess, cave, and Lake Biwa (Japan) and U1427 proxy records suggest EASM intensification during low to high insolation transitions, whereas the strongest EAWM prevailed during lowest insolation periods or high to low insolation transitions. Ice sheet/CO2 forcing leads to the strongest EAWM events in glacials and enhanced EASM in interglacials. Mismatches between proxy patterns suggest that latitudinal and land/sea thermal contrasts played a role in East Asian monsoon variability, suggesting that a complex interplay between ice sheet dynamics, insolation, and thermal gradients controls monsoonal intensity. Key Points: East Asian summer monsoon intensified in MIS 5, MIS 7, MIS 9, and MIS 11 when the Tsushima Current flowed into an unrestricted normal marine Japan SeaEast Asian winter monsoon dominated MIS 2, MIS 4, MIS 6, and MIS 8 when sea level lows restricted the Japan Sea causing low‐salinity and oxygen conditionsReduced oxygen stratified, low‐salinity, and higher productivity oceanic conditions characterize Terminations TV, TIII, TII, and TI [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion regulation is increasingly positioned as a skill that is developed ontogenetically across careers as language teachers come to recognise the impact that their emotional behaviour has on themselves and their classrooms. While recent research has attended to the connection between a teacher's regulation strategy choices and well-being, a broad view that recognises the full impact of emotion regulation actions on language teacher and student outcomes in highly contextualised circumstances is urgently needed. Adopting the position that emotion regulation is a motivated activity employed to achieve dynamic, contextually relevant goals, this study investigates the instrumental emotion regulation of 15 experienced non-Japanese EFL teachers at a university in Japan. Drawing on a corpus of 300,000 words obtained from 45 interviews and stimulated recall sessions, findings analysed through a complexity-informed approach demonstrate how emotion regulation strategies were employed to achieve a range of instrumental outcomes pertaining to identity projection, behavioural management, content engagement, and relational development. The data further illustrates that this emotion regulation was contextually dependent, informed by macro-level and internal factors, and that the participants' motive and strategy choices had a direct impact on their well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linking informational network and organizational change theories with the multi-faceted transformations taking place in global competition, in particular the economic recession in the Asia-Pacific and information technological progress, the paper f ocuses on two major issues: first, the task facing Japanese companies in accommodating themselves to new trends pushed ahead primarily by changes emerging in the info-communications industries. It is demonstrated that major challenges are facing Japanese -style organization and management practices along with the advent of informational network industrialization. Essentially, Japanese business networks are forced to transform their organizational structure in conjunction with open networking and manageme nt practices. Second, the paper focusses on the impact of the economic slump in Asia on the strategies and management of Japanese production networks in the region. It is argued that impending domestic restructuring will extend in much the same way to th e Asian production networks, while integrating these into new types of international production complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Domain-Specific Risk Taking scale (DOSPERT) has been used to measure risk perceptions and attitudes in several nations and cultures. Takahashi translated DOSPERT to Japanese but DOSPERT responses from Japan have never been reported. Butler et al. (2012) developed an additional medical risk domain subscale to be added to DOSPERT to form DOSPERT+M. Objective: To describe the translation of the medical risk domain subscale to Japanese and to characterize domain-specific risk attitudes in Tokyo. Methods: Members of a probability-weighted online panel representative of the Tokyo metro area were randomized to complete pairs of DOSPERT+M tasks (risk attitude, risk perception, benefit perception). We explored relationships among domains through correlational and factor analysis; we tested the hypothesis that the medical risk domain and DOSPERT's health/safety domains were uncorrelated. Participants: One hundred eighty panelists. Results: Six of the original DOSPERT items (two each in the ethics, health/safety, and financial domains) are not useable in Japan according to the Japanese Marketing Research Association code because they ask about participation in illegal activities; we thus used abbreviated versions of those domains leaving out these items. The DOSPERT+M items generally did not cluster cleanly into the expected domains, although items within the same domain usually were intercorrelated. Participants demonstrated domain-specific conventional risk attitudes, although nearly half of those assessed were perceived-risk neutral in all domains. Unlike our recently reported findings in the U.S. population, DOSPERT+M medical domain scores were associated with health/safety domain scores, although they were often more strongly associated with scores in other domains, such as recreational activities. Conclusion: The DOSPERT (and DOSPERT+M) instruments are problematic in Japan but Japanese citizens may also differ from those of other nations in their risk attitudes and perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The green economy is broader than the few flagship sectors on which the debate has focused. [•] Successful country-sectors must combine competitive strength with speedy conversion to green products and processes. [•] The green race is likely to alter the competitiveness landscape. [•] Japan, and to a lesser extent Germany, appear best placed to benefit from the green economy. [•] However, each country has its niches of green competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The larvae and pupae of a new species, Simulium ( Nevermannia) immaculatum sp. nov., are described from Korea. Descriptions are supplemented with photographs of larvae and pupae and habitat information. The new species can be distinguished from other Asian members of the S. vernum group by the cephalic plate and thorax of the pupa devoid of tubercles, 4 pupal gill filaments lying close together, larva with postgenal cleft shorter than postgenal bridge, spot under ocellus absent, and rectal papillae with three simple lobes with single digit-like small secondary lobule basally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy for congenital heart disease (CHD) has been increasing, but few studies have reported on the efficacy of ICD therapy in Japanese CHD patients. Method: Twelve CHD patients (median age, 35 years) with first ICD implantation were examined. Median follow-up duration was 2.9 years. Demographic information, implant electrical parameters, appropriate and inappropriate discharge data and complications were recorded for all implants from 2003 to 2010. Results: Implant indication was primary prevention in two patients and secondary prevention in 10. Overall four patients received one or more discharges; three patients (25%) with secondary prevention received nine appropriate discharges. Inappropriate discharge attributed to sinus tachycardia occurred in two patients (16.7%). Only one patient experienced the late complication of skin erosion at the generator implantation site. Conclusions: Patients with CHD experienced significant rates of appropriate discharges and lower complications. But given that the indications of ICD implantation were mostly for secondary prevention, the ratio of appropriate shocks might be lower than in previous studies. In the primary prevention patients, the benefit of ICD was not clear because no appropriate discharges were seen during follow up. Although ICD implantation for CHD is beneficial for preventing sudden cardiac death, careful decision making and a large, long-term prospective study is required for the determination of the efficacy of ICD therapy in Japanese patients with CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China, Japan, and Korea have begun to engage one another vigorously since the 1997 crisis. As intraregional economic ties have further deepened and broadened, interconnectedness in cultural and political aspects has risen rapidly in a variety of forms. Decision-makers and intellectuals in China, Japan, and Korea have been floating ideas and interests for establishing various types of Northeast Asian community formation. New security dialogues and co-operation frameworks also emerge. Accordingly, the rapidly growing Northeast Asia is likely to emerge as an identifiable regional community. With the incipient emergence of regional community in Northeast Asia, Northeast Asian region-building becomes a salient issue of major academic and policy debates. Yet, in spite of the recent mushrooming of research in and attention to the region-building, the questions regarding within what surrounding and under what situation regional community can be built, as well as what motivates people to choose region-building, and when and how state system can be transformed into a regional community remains only partly resolved. In order to solve this puzzle, this paper will compare the current Northeast Asian region-building with the early stage of European region-building, arguing that while there are important differences in evolution, format, and kind of region-building in Europe and Northeast Asia, critical juncture is influential in region-building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The producers of pinnatoxins E and F were first identified through systematic light microscopy-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) screening of New Zealand (NZ) dinoflagellate isolates. Pinnatoxins E, F and G were subsequently detected for South Australian (AUS) isolates, and a pinnatoxin G producer was recently identified from Okinawa, Japan. The NZ, AUS and Japanese isolates appear morphologically identical to Mediterranean field samples recently described as Vulcanodinium rugosum. Motile forms (24-32 μm long, 20-30 μm wide) have a wide, deeply incised cingulum displaced by 17% of the cell length and a deep sulcus. Photosynthetic motile cells have the same distinctive apical pore complex with raised collar and short canal plate. The reticulate thecal ornamentation resembles that of Bysmatrum because the three intercalary plates are connected. The posterior sulcal plate Sp does not touch the cingulum (as in Bysmatrum, Pentapharsodinium and Ensiculifera). The plate formula for the NZ, AUS and Japanese isolates is Po, X, 4′, 3a, 7″, 6c (5c + T), 5s, 5‴, 2″″. The dominant non-motile life-cycle stage comprises clusters of brown to black, spherical, unornamented, non-calcareous division cells (30-35 μm diameter). Genetically these isolates fall within the Peridiniales, closely related to the calciodinellid genera, Pentapharsodinium, Ensiculifera and Scrippsiella. The large subunit (LSU) rDNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences exhibit sequence differences compared to each other and to the French field material (96-97% LSU and 84-88% ITS similarity, respectively). This variation and pinnatoxin profile differences suggest a possible species complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preface: We are heartily grateful for the warm support of all of the people concerned, including the moderators and panelists of both societies for giving us the opportunity to hold the 5th American Urological Association/Japanese Urological Association (AUA/JUA) International Affiliate Society Meeting, held once again at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (29 May–3 June 2010, San Francisco, California, USA). The year of 2010 is a memorable one, being the start of reciprocal collaborations between the AUA and the JUA. The JUA, in collaboration with the AUA, is promoting an academic exchange program whereby outstanding and promising Japanese and American junior faculty members will be given the opportunity to work in the USA and Japan for 1 month. The program not only allows the sharing of knowledge and experience, but also is designed to foster a closer alliance between the AUA and JUA, and assists in identifying future leaders within both organizations. The AUA and JUA will have an exhibit booth at each other's annual meeting, promoting our new joint activities. Both the JUA and AUA will organize educational courses in Hawaii in 2011. With all of these activities, the JUA hopes it will provide greater opportunities for young Japanese urologists to participate in educational projects in the USA. We would like to thank Professor Anton J. Bueschen, President of AUA, Professor Robert C Flanigan, Secretary General of AUA and the staff of the AUA and JUA for supporting our program. At the same time, we need the support of all the members and their valuable suggestions. We look forward to further participation of AUA members to this meeting. Seiji Naitomd, President of JUA Shin Egawamd, Chairman of the International Committee of JUA [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The premise of this paper is that those persons who excessively overwork can die as a result, through stress-related illness or suicide. This paper undertakes a comparative analysis of the legal treatment of stress-related illness at work and, in particular, death by overwork (known as Karoshi in Japan). The legal rules governing this aspect of health and safety in the US and the UK will be considered primarily, because these are countries where this problem has not been properly recognized and, accordingly, legislators and the judiciary in both the US and the UK have largely failed to address it. Despite this, it is a fact that organizations in these countries have the worst record for requiring their workforce to work excessively and/or for long hours. Research has shown that this leads to stress-related illness and sometimes death by overwork in organizations. The failure to take legal action to deal with this problem in the US and the UK is all the more surprising and disappointing because these countries (along with Japan where it is legally recognized) have the richest economies in the world. It is now accepted that a working pattern and culture of long hours and excessive working adversely affect workers by putting at risk their physical and/or mental health, and it is important to consider how workers in this position are dealt with by employers and within the legal framework of both jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese Lesson Study is a model for teacher professional learning that has recently attracted world attention particularly within the mathematics education community. It is a highly structured process of teacher collaboration, observation, reflection and practice. The world focus has been mainly due to the work of American researchers such as Stigler and Hiebert (Am Educ Winter: 1-10, 1998; The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world's teachers for improving education in the classroom. Free Press, New York 1999), Lewis and Tsuchida (Am Educ Winter:14-17; 50-52, 1998) and Fernandez [J Teach Educ 53(5):395-405, 2002]. These researchers have documented Lesson Study from the perspective of their social, cultural and educational contexts. In order to develop a deeper understanding of Lesson Study in a post-modern global world, there is a need to seek views beyond those presented from an American perspective. This paper will provide further additional perspectives from an Australian state view and a Malaysian state district view and a university view. The aim is to develop an understanding of how the different contexts have influenced the structure and implementation of the Japanese Lesson Study model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines determinants of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) adoption and integration in 76 U.S. and 93 Japanese automobile suppliers. The article constructs several hypotheses based on the transaction-cost and resource-dependence approaches and tests these hypotheses by data from these suppliers. Our study showed: (1) U.S. firms were more EDI-integrated with their customers, while Japanese firms adopted more EDI with their suppliers; (2) the resource-dependence approach seemed more effective in explaining EDI adoption, while the transaction-cost approach seemed more effective in explaining EDI integration; (3) the transaction-cost approach seemed more suited to the U.S. context, while the resource-dependence approach seemed more suited to the Japanese context; (4) EDI adoption had a positive impact on EDI performance in the U.S., suggesting the higher validity of our framework in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author recounts what it was like to live in Japan during the winter of 2005-2006, when a series of powerful snowstorms buried parts of the country and disrupted the nation's infrastructure. The heavy snows had caused more than 100 deaths and tested the preparedness of residents. Avalanches claimed lives, blocked roads, severed power lines, and killed a number of skiers.

We examined 79 Japanese MNCs' R&D subsidiaries in the US from the knowledge-based view. We found: 1) subsidiaries' R&D strategies encouraged some types of knowledge flows, but discouraged other types; 2) autonomous R&D subsidiaries promoted knowledge flows from local environments to the subsidiary; 3) process-oriented incentives promoted technical knowledge flows between a subsidiary and its headquarters; 4) knowledge flows and R&D strategies contributed to a subsidiary's knowledge accumulation; 5) organizational factors such as autonomy and process-oriented incentives contributed more to a subsidiary's overall performance than the subsidiary's R&D strategies did. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which investigated the factors affecting the demand of fats and oils under the influence of health information on fat and cholesterol in Japan. Alternative measures of health risk information; Data and estimation; Conclusions.

In 1984, Mississippi State University and Meisei University of Tokyo established a yearly faculty exchange program. The second from MSU to teach "Conversational English" (spoken English) in Japan, I paid my own airfare. Meisei furnished an apartment and a commuter pass for daily travel to and from the university, and Meisei and MSU each paid half my salary. A car was unnecessary; public transportation in Tokyo is fast, clean and on time. During school holidays my wife and I traveled to such locales as Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima, as welt as to Taiwan, where our son and daughter-in-law are Christian missionaries. Eager to participate in Tokyo's workaday life, my wife searched out part-time editing and teaching jobs via the classified ads in English-language newspapers. By word of mouth, she also learned of tutoring opportunities in the homes of small (3-to 4-member) groups of well-educated housewives. These were the source of our best exposure to Japanese culture and have resulted in lasting friendships. Neither of us spoke any Japanese when we arrived in Tokyo and found the language guidebooks only minimally helpful. However, thanks to the assistance of a basically friendly populace and our own willingness to yell "Help!" most of our problems could be solved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business press accounts in the United States have frequently attributed the decline of many US industries to the myopic investment behavior of US managers. It has been argued that Japanese managers are more long-term oriented in their decision making than US managers. This paper examines the time horizons and risk taking propensity of Japanese and US managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study empirically examines marketing strategies of European and Japanese multinational firms operating in the United States. The overriding hypothesis is that differences in marketing strategy, rather than nationality, account for market performance differences between European and Japanese firms. Results show that though some aspects of the marketing strategies do differ between European and Japanese firms, strategy variables that do not significantly differ between them are found to be related to their market performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than forty years, the Management Training Program, introduced into Japan by U.S. occupation forces after World War II, has played a prominent role in Japan's long-term strategy to disseminate sound management principles throughout its industry and government. Although it strongly influenced the development of the modern Japanese management style, MTP is hardly known outside of Japan. This article,for the first time, documents the complete history of MTP assesses its impact on Japanese management thought and practice, and discusses the valuable lessons that the MTP experience offers for implementing HRD and management training programs on a national scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents information on training and development in Japan. It is important to consider both the practice and policy of training and development (T& D) in different countries to develop and evaluate paradigms for T&D. In this article the author will attempt to describe the underlying rationale for T&D policy in Japan and some of the nature of its changing practice. The basis of Japanese corporate T&D policy is the establishment and strengthening of relationships between and among workers and companies. The generalist orientation, extensive use of job rotation, and selective use of long-term employment, as well as other characteristics as the driving force behind T&D in Japan, are means toward that end. A major purpose of new employee training in Japan is something other than the training itself. During an impressionable time in the new recruit's career, important relationships are formed with other workers, the work, and, most importantly, the company. Like the bonds formed between those who experience a common and sometimes difficult experience, this initial training fosters strong and lasting relationships.