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This study examined the difference between authors and the consistency in each author's writing styles, both were the basis of authorship verification. We analyzed 88 academic papers on psychology written by 22 authors and focused on the rates of "non-content words", "bigram of parts-of-speech", "bigram of postpositional particles", "positioning of commas", "words before period", and "Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana" in the papers. Next, symmetric Kullback-Leibler divergence distances between the papers were calculated. To examine the author differences in writing styles, using hierarchical Bayesian modeling, we compared the distances between papers written by the same author with those by different authors. Furthermore, to examine author consistency in writing styles, we compared the distances of short durations (under five years) between papers written by the same author with the longer durations (over five years). These results supported the hypothesis that there exist author differences and consistency in writing styles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rock-Paper-Scissors game is used as a way of making specific decisions based on incidental outcomes. The present study aimed to investigate how children acquire the underlying cognitive functions to play the game relating to understanding of "three-way deadlock structure" through developmental processes. There were 569 children (age range ＝ 12-83 months) who were evaluated. In this study, the task consisted of three subtasks:(1)" understanding rock-paperscissors symbols";(2)" judgment of winning"; and(3)" judgment of losing". We evaluated the children's developmental levels using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development-2001(KSPD2001). Children aged 2.6 years had a 50% success rate in passing the first task, for the second task the age at which the 50% success rate was achieved was 4.8 years, and for the third task it was 5.4 years. Significant correlations were confirmed between the developmental age assessed in the KSPD2001 and the five stages of understanding the game. The results suggest that this task is useful to evaluate specific children's stages in understanding the game, and to assess developmental levels of young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Meiji Restoration, modern Japanese medicine has developed a system that associates disease names with Western medicine. However, integrating Kampo medicine within this framework has proven challenging. Nonetheless, Kampo medicine has demonstrated success in treating diseases that are resistant to Western or modern medical approaches. This paper focuses on real clinical cases of stomatitis and explores the fundamentals of clinical condition analysis using Kampo medicine in dental clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dermatophytosis caused by Trichophyton indotineae has been recorded in Japan since 2020, and there is concern that it may spread further in the country. This paper explains the isolation, identification, and drug resistance mechanisms of the fungus, as well as the status of isolation in Japan and overseas, to serve as reference in dermatological practice. Skin debris, crusts of the affected area, or other samples are inoculated onto dermatophyte isolation media such as a Mycocel agar in accordance with standard isolation methods. Colonies on Mycocel agar and Sabouraud's dextrose agar are white to pale yellowish brown, flat. with shortvillous or powdery surface, and closely resemble those of Trichophyton interdigitctie. Therefore, its identification is based on clinical findings (extensive tinea corporis), urease testing (negative reaction), and sequencing of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the isolate. ITS region homology can be determined by performing a Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) search at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) site. Its identity can be confirmed if the result is a 100% match with the registered T. indotineae sequences. T. indotineae has been isolated in several locations in Tohoku, Kanto, and Kyushu. Although most of the patients are foreign nationals, the fungus has now been isolated also from Japanese who have no history of overseas travel. Public health guidance must be issued, especially because of the possibility of infection from common items and facilities that may also be used by travelers from overseas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notably, it has been argued that intimacy and equality within the family are precariously situated. Particularly in married heterosexual relationships, it is widely assumed that gender inequality is even more difficult to capture than in other relationships, as “affection” or “love” because these conditions are believed to be the premise of the relationship. This paper aims to clarify the gender-equal status of intimate relationships between husband and wife and elucidate how “equality” should be considered. First, referring to the concept of “intimate goods,” this paper pointed out the difficulty of considering gender equality in intimate relationships. Equality and equity in intimate relationships are difficult to capture univocally, and intimate relationships provide “goods” that are less amenable to distribution by the market. In considering gender equality in intimate relationships considering this difficulty, I not only focus on feminist discussions that use “care” as a critical term but also present a perspective that views marital relationships as “personality care relationships” in which people know each other well, care about each other as individuals, and share a common history, rather than relationships merely based on romantic love. Furthermore, based on Miwako Aruka’s (2011) “feminist theory of justice” and Martha Minow and Mary L. Shanley’s (1997) “theory of relational rights and responsibility,” this paper argues for gender equality through the ideas of not only guaranteeing people the intimate goods derived from personality care relationships as a right, but also making injustice visible in terms of the responsibility for personality care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The small number of female researchers in Japan, particularly in higher-level career positions, presents a social issue. Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology launched the Program to Support the Research Activities of Female Researchers in 2006 to address this issue. However, considering the existing data, the program has yet to prove its effectiveness. In this paper, we discuss the findings of interviews conducted with 13 female researchers who participated in the Higher Position Development Program implemented by universities involved in the national program. These interviews provided information about the researchers’ motivations for participating in the program and the changes they experienced. By conducting and surveying these interviews, we came to the following conclusions. (i) The programs have had a positive effect on the career development of female researchers. (ii) The correlative relationship between the effectiveness of the program and the researchers’ motivations for participating was weak. Positive effects for career development could be expected even when the motivation was negative. (iii) Interview participants do not necessarily define “career development” with becoming a professor or manager. Based on the findings, this paper proposes the following suggestions. (1) Improve female researchers’ research and working environments, including professors and managers. (2) Create a career map including various research-related career paths. (3) Innovate the evaluation method of researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I discuss the relationship between so cial organization and offspring-rearing methods, which are starting to be used as a novel indicator in interspecies societal comparisons. Additionally, I clarify the relationship between the intimacy of the mother-offspring relationship and the development of foraging in the offspring. I suggest that the establishment of a base camp in human evolution is important not only to facilitate effective hunting and gathering but also for immature individuals to reduce the cost of accompanying adults and engage in their own foraging activities. I also attempt to deconstruct weaning from the offspring's perspective, which often focuses on the mother's de ci sion to stop breastfeeding. Spe cifically, I focus on the development of the offspring's ability to acquire food independently and the offspring's behavior away from its mother. I suggest that there is no significant difference between humans and African apes in the timing when the offspring significantly reduces its dependence on breast milk. This paper also depicts "early weaning" as a characteristic of the unique life history of humans, in which the mother conceives a second offspring at the same time as or even before the offspring becomes much less dependent on the mother's milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the regional characteristics of Tosa Province at the end of the 16th century were clarified from the industrial perspective, by mapping the locations and distribution of craftsmen residential sites, analyzed from the Chosokabe Cadastral Books. In the past, geographical research aimed at clarifying regional characteristics on a scale within daimyo territories up to the Shokuho period was conducted only from the three perspectives of control, towns and cities, and flow. Therefore, I proposed a new perspective that clarifies the regional characteristics from the distribution of the industry at that time, by exhaustively and quantitatively mapping the distribution of craftsmen of several professions in an area. As a result of the analysis, in addition to the characteristics of each occupation and region, the structure of Tosa Province was clarified, showing that the center of politics, culture, and handicrafts was in the Kochi Plain, wood-related industries and shipbuilding industries were actively carried out in the coastal areas, and products were transported through coastal routes. In addition, a comparison with the distribution of towns and cities revealed that craftsmen did not necessarily live there. It is presumed that craftsmen chose to live in locations that were suitable for their livelihoods, from the viewpoint of obtaining and processing raw materials, collaborating with other craftsmen, and shipping products. Although this is just one example, the results of this paper will be useful in future comparisons and examinations of the distribution of craftsmen and regional characteristics within other daimyo territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a disorder characterized by prolonged periods of depression and various physical and psychological symptoms experienced during specific seasons, typically winter. In this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of SAD with a specific focus on psychophysiological aspects. Through the review from ancient times to the present, this paper explores the characteristics, causes, and underlying mechanisms of SAD. Particularly, it comprehensively reviews the research findings on the relationship between external factors such as light, sunlight, climate, and their association with SAD. Furthermore, the paper discusses the interplay between SAD and psychophysiological changes, along with the latest research trends in treatment and prevention strategies. By combining theoretical and practical perspectives on SAD, this article aims to provide a holistic understanding and offer suggestions for future research directions and clinical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical research involves receiving questions that arise from curiosity and societal demands, formalizing them through scientific methods, deriving results, and answering these questions. Primarily, the Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) framework is used for formalization, and the flow from question to answer is presented in papers that follow the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRAD) format. The Introduction presents the background and significance of the question, the Methods transform the question into a concrete research method based on the PICO, and the Results present the results corresponding to the methods. Finally, the Discussion compares existing research and clarifies the answer to the question. Healthcare professionals and medical researchers are expected to understand this structure as to read and write medical research papers effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A governmental cashless point consumer refund program was implemented from October 1, 2019 to June 31, 2020 as part of a policy to promote cashless payments. This policy gave consumers a 2% or 5% (depending on the store) cashback in the form of points when they made purchases at small and medium-sized businesses, franchise chains, and convenience stores. In this paper, we examine whether this policy actually had an effect on promoting cashless usage among consumers. We used the SCM (synthetic control method) and DID (difference-in-differences) as our analysis methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical guidelines are developed based on evidence from a comprehensive collection of clinical studies on a target disease while eliminating various biases. In Japan, the Medical Information Sharing Organization (Minds) provides standardized procedures for creating clinical guidelines, and Minds’ clinical guideline creation manuals are intended mainly for relatively common diseases for which clinical results are obtained from multiple randomized clinical trials. However, the manual does not include much on rare diseases. In 2022, clinical guidelines for six major kinds of pediatric brain tumors were published. The development of these guidelines dates back to 2013, when there were no guidelines for pediatric brain tumors, despite the fact that they have the highest incidence among pediatric solid malignant tumors. Under such circumstances, the Japanese Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery proposed the development of clinical guidelines to the Japanese Society of Neuro-Oncology, and the clinical guidelines were finally completed by following the Minds manual, while overcoming difficulties due to the rarity of these tumors. Currently, it is hoped that guidelines will be developed for other pediatric neurosurgical diseases as well, such as developmental abnormalities of the central nervous system. However, since these diseases are relatively rare, they are likely to face the same difficulties as pediatric brain tumors. Based on our experience in developing these guidelines, this paper presents some tips that may be useful for the efficient development of clinical guidelines for other rare pediatric neurosurgical diseases. According to the Minds manual, the first step is to establish a steering committee, a guideline development group, and a systematic review team. The steering committee has full responsibility for decision-making in guideline development. Each guideline development group, consisting of members with extensive experience in the target disease, conducts a scoping search to determine the scope, which is comprised of several key clinical issues related to the target disease and corresponding clinical questions (CQs), etc. For each CQ, certain conditions are proposed for selecting clinical articles for systematic review. In our experience, as a preliminary search, scoping searches are extremely important for appropriate systematic reviews in the development of new clinical guidelines. The systematic review team comprehensively collects articles for systematic review of each CQ and selects under the conditions guided by the scoping search. For rare diseases where most selected articles on treatment or prevention are not commonly based on randomized clinical trials, a qualitative systematic review will be conducted to estimate the Body of Evidence. Although the level of evidence derived from a qualitative systematic review is not as high as that from a quantitative one, the strength of recommendations for each CQ based on Body of Evidence should be discussed and determined at meetings where all members of each guideline development group are requested to share their experiences. We believe that these tips will enable the efficient development of clinical guidelines in accordance with the Minds manual, even for relatively rare pediatric neurosurgical diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, convolutional neural networks (CNN) have become leading algorithms for many computer vision tasks. Many studies have used deep learning and artificial intelligence (AI). This paper summarizes the development of deep learning approaches and the impact of AI on marketing and customer behavior and discusses the challenges facing marketing research. The ma jor marketing application of AI is to support customer decision-making. However, most previous marketing research has focused on how to contribute to marketing decision-making in practice. We believe that there is room for research on how deep learning approaches can be used to support marketing decision-making. One area that has seen major developments in deep learning approaches is that of image data analysis, including video analysis. In marketing decision-making, market segmentation and positioning strategies are closely related to image data analysis. We believe that more research based on deep learning approaches should be conducted to support decision-making in these areas. Therefore, to support decision-making in marketing, we present studies on market segmentation and positioning strategy formulation as examples of studies that combine deep learning approaches with traditional marketing research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The patient was an 75-year-old man with Lynch syndrome as an underlying disease. He had undergone multiple surgeries for gastric, colorectal, and small intestine cancers. In February 201X, the patient visited our hospital with gross hematuria. Cystoscopy revealed multiple neoplastic lesions in the bladder. Transurethral surgery for malignant bladder tumor was performed, and the patient was diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma. After that, recurrence was observed in the left ureter, and left nephroureterectomy was performed in November 201X. From May 201X+1, pembrolizumab was administered for about 2 years because of the suspicion of recurrence of urothelial carcinoma due to thickening of the left bladder wall and suspicion of urothelial cancer. In May 201X+3, CT examination showed improvement in the wall thickening on the left side wall, and the patient was diagnosed with CR. Accordingly, the administration of pembrolizumab was discontinued. However, thickening of the left wall was confirmed again, and recurrence was suspected again. Six courses of GC therapy were performed, and the thickening improved. Pathological results showed no obvious malignant findings. Six months have passed without recurrence. In this paper, we report a case of urothelial carcinoma in a patient with Lynch syndrome as an underlying disease who achieved a complete response to multidisciplinary therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of 19th century Ino Tadataka surveyed almost whole coast lines of Japanese Islands and main roads, and made 214 sheet maps of 1:36000 and 8 sheet maps of 1:216000 in scale. This paper deals with his map compilation and scale-down. method. Almost every night, if possible. Ino measured elevation angles of 20 to 30 stars crossing meridian to determine latitude. The Y coordinates of the observation points were calculated from the latitudes using the ratio that one degree difference in latitude was 28.2 ri (or 101.52×36000 sun). Here ri and sun are Japanese old measures. Ino could not measure longitude astronomically because he had not chronometer. He corrected coordinates (x,y) obtained in surface survey "Dosen-Ho", a kind of open traverse method. The X coordinates of the observation points were estimated as x Y/y. In this way, he obtained coordinates (X,Y) on scale of 1:36000 concerning approximately 1220 astronomical observation points in whole Japanese Islands. For the first step, he prepared local maps of 1:36000 from local surface survey, then corrected them by using the coordinates of astronomical observation points. For second step. he compiled the wide area maps of 1:36000 from local maps to control reference to the coordinates of observation points. The maps of 1: 216000 were compiled from the maps of 1:36000 by using the reduced coordinate values of one six. In this process, the coordinates of the observation points were referred to keep precision of the maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method to visualize worker behavior by utilizing machine learning from data obtained using wearable devices and videos. In conventional IE, worker behavior is observed using a stopwatch or video camera, and the amount of time required for each motion is measured. On the other hand, it has been reported that human motion estimation using machine learning is highly accurate when skeletal data is extracted from videos, and motion estimation is performed using a learning model of a graph neural network series. However, when applied to manufacturing sites, various problems have hindered remove widespread use, such as the loss of skeletal data obtained at the manufacturing site due to the positional relationship with equipment and other workers. In order to solve the problem mentioned above, this paper proposes a method to collect position and motion data from smart tags and skeletal data from video analysis, and to estimate workers behavior using machine learning. The smart tag was jointly developed by the research group and a company as a simple wearable device for workers. One of the features of this paper providing proof that the combination of video analysis and wearable devices can solve problems that are difficult to solve otherwise. This paper clarifies the effectiveness of the proposed motion estimation method in the case where posture estimation accuracy is reduced by obstacles such as machinery and equipment, work-in-progress, and other workers, and where skeletal data is often missing. For this purpose, an experiment is conducted assuming cell production and remove the accuracies of several motion estimation models are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I have attended "Snoezelen avec les enfants de 0 a 6 ans" and "Vivre le Snoezelen - En salle ainsi qu'en mobile, et Snoezelen dans les soins corporelle "at ISNA-Suisse in Grandson, Switzerland from 6 to 15 September 2022. This paper will focus mainly on Snoezelen avec les enfants de 0 a 6 ans" In looking at "Vol. 1 to Vol.5 of "The Japanese Journal of Education and Welfare on Snoezelen" published by ISNA-JAPAN, there are many reports on the practice of snoezelen for special needs school and other educational institutions, however, there are few reports on the practice of snoezelen for newborns or preschool children. This may be because there are few practitioners utilizing Snoezelen in the daycare and treatment of preschool children in our country. This paper introduces the certification seminar, Snoezelen from 0 to 6 years old, which was attended at ISNA-Suisse, and suggests how the findings obtained could be developed into a future certification seminar planned by the ISNA Japan Snoezelen Research Institute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new inventory control technique for dual-channel supply chains. In dual-channel supply chains, both a retail channel and a direct channel via a website exist. In previous studies, Takahashi et al. (2011) proposed a new inventory control technique for dual-channel supply chains by using a switching point that starts and stops for production and delivery. However, using a linear function for switching, reductions in inventory cost and lost sales costs can be expected. Therefore, in this paper, the authors propose an inventory control method using linear functions for dual-supply chains and and prove its effectiveness using numerical experiments and comparing results with those of a previous study conducted by Takahashi et al. (2011). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the storage assignment problem in a mixed-shelves warehouse. In a mixed-shelves warehouse, a stock-keeping unit（SKU）is assigned to several storage locations, and many kinds of SKUs are assigned in neighboring areas. Such an arrangement can reduce the length of the picking tour when many different orders, each involving small amounts for each SKU, are to be filled. However, locating SKUs in several storage areas makes it difficult to decide the best position for each SKU. Moreover, when the pickers pick an SKU for an order, they must decide where to start, and which storage locations should be visited in order to ensure the shortest picking tour. In this paper, we first propose a mathematical model for the mixed-shelves problem. We then propose two methods to obtain approximate solutions to the problem. The first method uses a two-step approach in which we first decide the best SKU pairs to assign to the same storage area and then determine the best position for these SKU pairs. The other method consists of three steps. The first step decides the SKU pairs, the second decides the storage location assignment, and the third decides the routing. To produce the best solution, a simulated annealing-based algorithm for the assignment problem is proposed. A numerical experiment is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the two proposed methods relative to the exact method for solving the proposed mathematical formulation, especially for large size datasets [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 432 subjects were tested for the CDR-J by the examiner of the J-ADNI. Our study reexamined the CDR-J data to clarify the errors. The results revealed that there were the following 5 types of errors. 1. Error of insufficient information in the answers for the episodic memory task was observed in 135 subjects (31.3%) among the 432 subjects. The examiner of the J-ADNI failed to follow the test instructions which caused this type of errors. 2. Illegible hand-writing in the answers for the episodic memory task was observed in 24 subjects (5.6 %) among the 432 subjects. This error type could be avoided it the examiner exercised precautions. 3. Repetition error in the name and address memory task was observed in 19 subjects (4.4%) among the 432 subjects. The examiner neglected the test in structions, which caused this type of errors. 4. A blank space error refers no answer without comment. A blank space error of one or more test items among the 79 test items of the CDR-J was observed in 188 subjects (43.5%) among the 432 subjects. Some examiners of the J-ADNI do not believe that a blank space error on a test item makes it impossible to rate the result of the CDR-J, which caused a blank error. 5. The 432 subjects had been rated by the examiner of the J-ADNI before our study which revealed that for 297 subjects (68.8%) among the 432 subjects, there were one or more errors in the 4 above types of errors and a part of the CDR-J was inappropriately performed. Accordingly, these 297 subjects could not to be rated. Subtracting the 297 subjects from the 432 subjects gives a total of the 135 subjects. These 135 subjects were again rated by us and a rating error was observed in 69 subjects (51.1%) . The rating errors of the 69 subjects were caused by byexaminer of the J-ADNI since he failed to follow the rating criteria in the CDR-J Rating Table. A total of 366 subjects (84.7%) among the 432 subjects had one or more errors among the 5 types of errors, since the 297 subjects plus the 69 subjects with the rating error is the 366 subjects. The responses of those 366 subjects were considered invalid data, while the responses of the remaining 66 subjects were considered valid data without the 5 types of errors. Points of note regarding the CDR-J: 1. One or more of the 5 types of errors were observed in 366 subjects (84.7%) among the 432 subjects of the J-ADNI project. Researchers using the CDR in research or clinical practice must endeavor honestly to prevent those 5 types of errors. When the examiner follows instructions, and understands the premise and the rating criteria of the CDR, the 5 types of errors will be avoided. 2. Scientific papers using the CDR show only the rating score of the CDR, but not the details of the results for the CDR. In the J-ADNI project, the 297 subjects who had one or more of the first 4 error types, and inappropriate performance of a part of the CDR-J were rated by the examiner of the J-ADNI, though they should not be rated. Subtracting the 297 subjects from the 432 subjects gives the 135 subjects. The 135 subjects were rated by us and a rating error was observed in 69 subjects (51.1%) among the 135 subjects included. Authors of scientific papers using the CDR should rate the CDR after he ensuring that the 4 first error types are absent and the CDR was correctly performed. They must also ascertain that there were no rating errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When an occupation is gendered as feminine, how do those who work in it interpret the gendered figure assigned to it? This paper aims to clarify this question by focusing on the narratives of women working in the beauty profession. In the beauty industry, approximately 80% of the employees are women, therefore it is highly gendered as a “feminine” occupation due to its working conditions and nature. How do women in the beauty industry accept or dismiss the “feminine” image of their career? Moreover, how do their interpretations relate to the transformation and reproduction of gender norms and feminism? The purpose of this paper is to clarify these questions. In previous studies, beauty workers have been discussed either as “agents” of the “beauty myth” that women must be beautiful or as “victims” engaged in labor under poor conditions. Such discussions lack a perspective that seeks to understand their interpretive practices and the characteristics of their work. This research examines women’s interpretations of their occupations using data from interviews with 29 women in the beauty industry from January to April 2021. This study uses two definitions of “pink collar jobs” (“women’s workplace” and “womenoriented work”), which women’s labor studies have conceptualized, as supporting lines in the analysis. The analysis results indicate that women working as beauty professionals do not merely accept the image of “beauty profession = feminine” that has become ubiquitous in the population, but construct their own professional identity, sometimes dismissing it and sometimes using it strategically. Furthermore, their interpretations are ambivalent to feminism, as they can be involved in both reproducing and fluctuating gender norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the victim and survivor discourses on sexual assault that have developed since the late 1960s, mainly in anglophone countries. Recently, research, especially in psychiatry and psychology, focusing on the subjectivity of women who have experienced sexual assault, is flourishing in Japan. However, while technical theories such as the development of psychotherapy and clinical research have seemed acceptable in this context, the discussions by feminist researchers on gender issues have not yet achieved this status. Therefore, this paper investigates the debates among feminist scholars that have developed mainly in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Philosophers and sociologists, in collaboration sometimes with psychologists, considered the merits and demerits of psychiatric discourses on sexual assault and the resulting trauma. Specifically, the author will examine how the victim discourse, which emphasizes passivity as a sick person suffering from trauma, and the survivor discourse, which emphasizes autonomy and coping actively with trauma, have developed since the late 1960s. This examination reveals how feminist scholarship seemingly devalues medical interventions and attempts to illuminate the people excluded from them. This paper concludes this review will provide clues for rethinking care for those who have experienced sexual assault in Japan beyond a mere critique of medicalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to refine the discussions on “bi-shojo kyara”（commonly known as “moe kyara”）. First, arguments criticizing “bi-shojo kyara” from the perspective of gender equality are problematic in two ways. Such discussions tend to（1） falsely assume that all “bi-shojo kyara” look sexual, and（2） pay attention only to the sexual appearance of “bishojo kyara” and dismiss other viewpoints that women’s studies have pointed out. This paper explores the criticism against advertisements with representations of women, which women’s studies and activities have made for several decades, and proposes analyses on “bi-shojo kyara” from the following three perspectives: their（1） sexual appearance;（2） character and settings;（3） necessity of using representations of women. Next, from analyses of actual advertisements with “bi-shojo kyara,” this paper considers that “bi-shojo kyara” has no problems when perceived from those three perspectives. This paper considers the unique issues and potential of “bi-shojo kyara” due to their fiction-ness. Consequently, this paper insists “bi-shojo kyara” should not be denied from biased viewpoints based on misunderstandings and should be studied based on their realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Zimbabwe, which has experienced white settler colonialism, racial inequalities over resources have historically been shaped. Therefore, it is essential to consider the political and economic context of the commercial kapenta fishery, the focus of this paper. This paper aims to identify the politics of access to kapenta fishery and issues related to resource use, and discuss them from the perspective of Political Ecology. Kapenta fishery and the Lake Kariba where it developed were rooted in the historical context of settler colonialism. Racial exclusivity existed in access to fishing permit before independence. After independence, patron- client relationships functioned in access to fishing permit among black operators. However, the changes implemented in conjunction with land reform, with the redistribution of permits and the introduction of a lease system, the actors involved in kapenta fishing became more diverse and, in some cases, more informal. The operators identified the decrease in catches, trading on the lake and fishing in prohibited areas as challenges. These violations were the result of a combination of institutional changes and practices by actors at various scales. Understanding the complexity of environmental- human relationships, as this paper demonstrates, is important as a foundation for discussions of resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stone tidal weir, named ishihibi, is a traditional large-scale fixed gear that is constructed using stones in seaward slopes where tidal changes are pronounced. It holds schools of fish that come ashore during high tide and catches them during low tide. This paper examines how ishihibi fishing has been represented in the geography of fisheries in Japan and its descriptions by geographers, focusing on research papers published from 1950 to 1980. The first geographer to record ishihibi was Keiichi Yoshida. He clarified that ishihibi fishing, which exists in the Ariake Sea, is a characteristic fishing activity that is performed according to the natural environment. Yoshihiko Yabuuchi then focused on ishihibi in the context of the stages of development and global distribution of fishing gear. Based on Yabuuchi’s research, geographers in the 1960s and 1970s, engaged in surveys and research in coastal areas around the world. They mainly regarded ishihibi fishing as one of the indicators of fishing culture and provided many descriptions of it. However, in the 1980s, studies and descriptions of ishihibi disappeared. This sudden lack of research interest in ishihibi was caused by methodological limitations of research on fishing culture, investigating the distribution and diffusion of fishing gear and the reduction in use of ishihibi in various places due to the development of modern boat fishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a new method for collecting eggs of Scepticus uniformis Kono without the use of sand or soil and investigated the development of the collected eggs. Weevils presented with a kidney bean leaflet and a piece of kitchen paper deposited most eggs on the kitchen paper, which proved to be a suitable substrate for oviposition. The developmental period of the eggs differed between 20 and 32°C. We estimated the lower developmental threshold（T0）as 13.9°C and the effective cumulative temperature of eggs（K）as 104.2 degreedays. It might be possible to set the timing of egg hatch by controlling the rearing temperature in the above range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation therapy is a non-invasive cancer therapy with a very high quality of life (QOL) for patients. However, there is still no established treatment for radiation-resistant cancer cells. Radiation often damages normal tissue as well. Here, we focused on the possibility that purinergic signaling is involved in radiation resistance in cancer cells and in recovery for radiation damage in normal cells. In particular, the adenosine A2B receptor in cancer cells is involved in radiation resistance through changes in EGFR localization and DNA damage response. On the other hand, in normal cells, extracellular nucleotides (such as ATP) promote DNA damage response and protect against radiation. In this paper, we review the role of purinergic signaling in radiationinduced cellular responses and suggest new strategies for radiotherapy by controlling purinergic signaling to improve radiation therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies of radiation exposure, including those of the A-bomb survivors and medical exposures, have shown that radiation exposure is a contributing factor to the development of cardiovascular disease, but the mechanisms and effects at low doses and low dose-rate ranges are not clear. Inflammation is thought to be an important biological mechanism, but reports on their cellular and molecular mechanisms are inconsistent and require further research. This paper reviews the effects of radiation exposure on the cardiovascular system from studies using animal models (mainly ApoE-/- mice), which is important for radiation protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In October 2014, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) adopted the "One ASEAN, One Response 2020 and Beyond: ASEAN responding to Disasters as One" strategy at the Ministerial Conference on Disaster Management to strengthen regional cooperation in disaster response. In the health sector, disaster health management was identified as one of the priority issues for ASEAN health development. However, a mechanism for regional cooperation in disaster health management had not yet been established, and the ability of ASEAN member countries to deploy and coordinate the acceptance of Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) in the region at the time of a disaster was also a challenge. In that situation, the technical cooperation "Project for Strengthening the ASEAN Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management (ARCH Project)" was started in 2016 by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in collaboration with ASEAN. It achieved various results in its first three years during 2016--2019. This paper is a continuation following a previous case report and will report on the results from the 2019--2021 extension phase. The "ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Disaster Health Management" (ALDDHM) was adopted on the occasion of the 31st ASEAN Summit on 13 Nov. 2017. In the extended phase, 1) the Plan of Action (POA) to implement this declaration by 2025 was approved by the ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting, 2) the Regional Coordination Committee on Disaster Health Management was officially established to promote the POA, 3) the Project supported the establishment of the ASEAN Academic Network among the education and research institutions related to disaster health management, leading to the ASEAN Academic Conference on Disaster Health Management being organized online, and 4) the standard curriculum for training courses on Disaster Health Management was developed. In addition, the Project continued to organize 5) the Regional Collaboration Drill (RCD) and has recently introduced 6) comprehensive information sheets for emergency medical teams (EMT) and 7) quality assurance for EMTs to the RCD. The ARCH project had been implemented for five and a half years, including the extension phase, and had achieved many outcomes and is approaching the final goal at a faster pace than the 10-year plan envisioned before the project began. The project has already moved into Phase 2 starting in 2022 and is working to support 19 of the 21 Targets for the POA. In order to improve ASEAN's capacity in the field of disaster health management during the preparedness and response phases of disasters, each ASEAN member state must improve its own capacity in disaster health management, along with the improvement of ASEAN's capacity for regional cooperation. To this end, the following measures should be taken: 1) Strengthening the Japanese advisory committee capacity (expansion of the Support Committee members), 2) Strengthening cooperation and exchange between ASEAN and Japan (promotion of participation in ARCH activities by Japan Disaster Relief Medical Teams / Disaster Medical Assistant Teams with Japanese registered personnel, support for the participation of ASEAN member countries' personnel in exercises held in Japan, etc.), 3) Strengthening collaboration and exchange of personnel in the academic research field of disaster health management (participation of Japanese members in the ASEAN Academic Network and establishment of an academic advisory group), and 4) Recognizing the importance of considering initiatives for public health crises, including response to COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes how Western-style makeup methods became popular in Japan from the 1900s to around the 1930s and how changes in values surrounding makeup were linked to gender. Specifically, I focused on the process by which many women, regardless of their social class, were forced to become involved in the cultural domain of makeup during modernization. Therefore, I adopted the method of discourse analysis and focused on the role of the “hairdressing” profession that emerged along with the modernization process. Initially, the profession of “beautician” was dominated by men, and it was always viewed as a lowly job by the public. Therefore, female “hairdressers” actively created the discourse that “hairdressers = women” within the media space to assert their legitimacy. As these “hairdressers” spread Western-style makeup methods, they appealed to the women of the new middle-classes about the legitimacy and necessity of wearing makeup and the rationality and economics of purchasing cosmetics, which are tools for makeup. In this way, in pre-modern times, makeup was used to make one’s social status visible, regardless of gender. Still, in the modernization process, the image of the person wearing makeup and the person working in the makeup industry converged to be female. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Causal mediation analysis estimates causal effects by focusing on the mediators between cause and outcome. Multiple causally related mediators are often strongly correlated, making the estimation of causal effects difficult. In addition, recent years have seen a number of mediators compared to a sample size. In this paper, we propose a two-step estimation method based on sparse partial least squares regression and pathway lasso. The proposed method can identify the causal pathways among many candidate causal pathways. The effectiveness of the proposed method is shown by simulation studies and a real data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an essay on nonrespondent bias in statistical random sampling surveys. In particular, it focuses on the personalities of respondents and nonrespondents in survey cooperation. First, I review previous relevant research on nonrespondent bias and outline the main points of the nonrespondent bias problem. Next, focusing on items related to interpersonal trust, I analyze personality differences between cooperative and non-cooperative respondents using time series data from the Japanese National Character Survey and its related surveys. I then present rules of thumb that may be useful for survey researchers dealing with nonrespondent bias. Finally, I discuss future issues. Particular mention will be made of social disparities in electoral voting and polling, i.e., people who tend to drop out of electoral voting and polling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review addresses the development of computational models in educational psy-chology. First, we generally explained computational models and their background. Second, we searched academic articles relating to computational models in psychology and other fields. The search revealed that, on the one hand, international journals in behavioral or cognitive sciences include several articles relating to computational models, and the number is increasing in general psychology journals. On the other hand, domestic and international educational psychology journals scarcely have relating papers. Third, we described the current challenges in educational psychology and how the ideas and analytical method on computational models would contribute to overcome these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to discuss the implementation and importance about the multinomial logit model of Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort analysis. Since the design matrix of three factors does not become full rank due to the identification problem derived from linear dependency between age, period and cohort, few studies have used a complex model. In contrast, this paper presents the practical multinomial logit model with efficient sampling by reparameterization about the constraints of assuming a random walk for each effect. Furthermore, we compared the estimates of the logit model and the multidimensional model about political issues that should be considered from multiple perspectives. Using repeated cross-sectional survey in Japan from 1973 to 2013, the multinomial logit model was shown to be effective because it was able to obtain a trend that were not captured in the logit model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is about collaborative practice between foreign citizens and support groups in Handa City, Aichi Prefecture. Although both the clients and their outside supporters confirmed the “initial needs” of the clients, in collaborative practice the content of the support provided sometimes deviated from these initial needs (“other support”). We regard the “deviation” between needs and support as a situation in which the relationship between clients and their outside supporters becomes a discussion. The aim of this paper was to determine how this “deviation” should be interpreted. The results showed that in collaborative practice the “deviation” between “initial needs” and “other support” should not necessarily be eliminated, but rather, it was perceived as connecting the clients and their outside supporters. Such “deviation” can be significant in an interactive relationship between clients and their outside supporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A closed-loop manufacturing system (CLMS) is widely known as a management strategy that aims to minimize environmental loads as well as to maintain recycling resources throughout the entire manufacturing system. CLMS is composed of a conventional forward manufacturing system (FMS) and a reverse manufacturing system (RMS) that recovers used products and uses them for the production of new products. That is, it is possible to reduce the environmental load and to suppress wasteful production and distribution costs by reusing used products as resources to the furthest possible extent. Various studies on CLMS are being actively carried out, but there is relatively little research on decision-making problems concerning the introduction of RMS. In this paper, we focus on a more realistic and more rational decision-making strategy involved in the introduction of RMS into on existing production system (FMS). Therefore, we propose a multi-objective optimized recovery model that simultaneously evaluates the operation cost of CLMS and the environmental load that is newly defined in this paper. Furthermore, through numerical experiments, the effectiveness of the proposed model as a decision-making support model relating to CLMS is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on intergenerational homeshare as a type of accommodation that has potential to alleviate the financial and psychological burdens of starting university and student life. It explores the possibilities and challenges of the Kyoto Solidaire Project, which promotes intergenerational homeshare, from the perspective of its development and the actual situation of the students who use it. The Kyoto Solidaire Project consists of four main participants: the prefectural government, matching service providers, students, and elderly people. Towards gaining the trust of elderly persons and students, the government and matching providers play a major role. Students who start living in a homeshare usually do so in the middle of their student life rather than at the time of starting university. This is due to differences in information students have and reliability from matching providers. Furthermore, the students who start an intergenerational homeshare change their lives due to the financial, psychological, and temporal benefits created by home sharing and their relationship with the elderly persons involved. From this perspective, this paper concludes that an intergenerational homeshare can be a home, namely a supportive environment for students as it provides psychological support, a personal relationship, and a place where they feel comfortable. However, in the context of starting university and student life, the home in intergenerational homeshare is variable. In addition, this paper argues that attention should be paid to educational spaces that encompass not only housing but also provide a home environment in which students can comfortably concentrate on their learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a case of postoperative localized recurrence of prostate carcinosarcoma for which combined treatment with ifosfamide and doxorubicin worked effectively. The patient was a male in his sixties, with a PSA level of 18.9 ng/ml, who was noted to have prostate cancer, seminal vesicle invasion and intra-pelvic metastasis after diagnostic MRI examination and right rib metastasis was found by bone scintigraphy. Although the PSA level decreased to 0.02 ng/ml as a result of CAB treatment, docetaxel was included as a second-line therapy when the PSA rate increased. Later, MRI showed that the prostate had atrophied, there were no significant changes in the pelvic lymph nodes, and no new metastasis were detected within the thoracicoabdominal area. After completing eleven courses of docetaxel administration, bladder and rectum invasion was thought likely to be present since lower abdominal pain had been noted, and a 7 cm sized massive intra-pelvic tumor was found by MRI. Consequently, total extirpation of intra-pelvic organs followed by construction of ileal conduit and artificial anus was performed. Pathological results demonstrated carcinosarcoma. CT scan taken 3 months after the surgeries revealed an intra-pelvic tumor and multiple pulmonary nodules. Therefore combined treatment with ifosfamide and doxorubicin was begun which has contributed to a clear diminution of the intra-pelvic recurrent tumor. After completion of two courses of treatment, no significant changes to the multiple pulmonary nodules were found. At completion of the additional 8 courses of combined treatment with ifosfamide and doxorubicin, however, ifosfamide as a single-agent treatment was continuously administered resulting in the patient achieving a stable condition [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors formulate multiobjectve bimatrix games with fuzzy payoffs. Using the constraint method and necessity measure, an equilibrium solution concept is defined. Under the assumption that a player can estimate the opponent player’s acceptable levels of the constraint method, an interactive algorithm is proposed to obtain a satisfactory solution for the player from among an equilibrium solution set by updating the acceptable levels. A numerical example illustrates interactive processes for a hypothetical player to show the efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, the increasing trend of delayed marriage and inclusion of infertility treatments into insurance coverage have led to a significant need to develop comprehensive treatment plans which incorporate dental interventions commencing prior to the initiation of infertility treatments. This study is aimed to highlight a holistic approach taking into account the various stages of pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare, and the evolving health status of patients while planning infertility treatment procedures, by establishing an effective interdisciplinary collaboration between medical and dental practitioners. We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because in the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals undergoing fertility treatments, pregnant and lactating women exhibit a notable propensity for heightened anxieties, including substantial concerns regarding oral health-related problems and dental procedures, which need to be addressed thoroughly. Further, we believe that this paper will be of interest to the readership of your journal because our study findings will benefit the patients and doctors alike in devising effective treatment protocols for successful outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cinusa nippon Nagasawa (Isopoda: Cymothoidae), a marine parasite infesting the buccal cavities of coastal puffers, is newly recorded from the Pacific coasts of central Japan. A pair consisting of a mature female and mature male, and six mancae and a juvenile, were collected from reared vermiculated puffer, Takifugu snyderi (Abe) (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae), in an aquarium and a museum, respectively. The present paper provides a description of the morphological characters of these cymothoids, including their immature stages, and molecular analysis using 16S rRNA for C. nippon and related species. In the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree, C. nippon was included in the clade of Ceratothoa Dana and corresponds to Ceratothoa sp. 2 reported in another study. These suggest that the relationship between Cinusa Schioedte and Meinert and Ceratothoa needs to be re-examined. Furthermore, the morphological study showed that these cymothoid mancae are similar to Manca type 2 known from zoo-plankton, provided in one of our previous reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the forms of enterprises in the pharmaceutical industry in Nara Prefecture. The pharmaceutical industry in Nara Prefecture originated from the production or placement medicine/' which was established as a local industry Placement medicines are sold under a system in which distributors place medicines in households and customers pay for the used medicines later. However, the production of placement medicines has decreased, and only a few enterprises specialize in their production. On the other hand, some enterprises have diversified into products such as over-the-counter drugs, quasi-drugs, and health foods. In addition, enterprises mainly engaged in contract production for major pharmaceutical companies or drugstores have also emerged. These enterprises are large in the pharmaceutical industry in Nara Prefecture and are characterized by the fact that their main products are prescription drugs. As described above, changes in the forms of pharmaceutical production enterprises in Nara Prefecture have been observed. In Nara Prefecture, although the share of placement medicines in total production has been declining, the production value of pharmaceutical products has shown an increasing trend since the mid-2000s, reflecting the diversification of products and the increase in contract production. However, the decline in the production of placement medicines has reduced the advantages of enterprises concentrated in Nara Prefecture. The expansion of contract production contributes to the increase in production value, but 辻 is susceptible to the globalization of production or institutional changes in the pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As treatment options, the management of locally high-risk prostate cancer has become more complex, nuanced, and individualized. Although oncologic factors, life expectancy, comorbidities, and shared decision making (SDM) with the patient are considered during treatment selection, the current AUA/ASTRO/SUO, EAU, and NCCN guidelines for locally advanced patients with T3 or greater currently recommend either androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) plus radiation therapy or radical prostatectomy (RP) plus pelvic lymph-node dissection. In recent years, advances in robot-assisted surgery have made it possible to control cancer by RP in some highly challenging cases. The merits of organ-sparing therapy must also be fully considered in SDM, but there have been many clinical trials aiming at curative treatment by combining surgery with new hormonal agents, anticancer drugs, and immunotherapy. In addition, medical engineering has made remarkable progress, and competition in the development of surgical robots has intensified, so further advances in robot-assisted surgery are expected in the future, and expectations for surgical therapy are increasing. In addition, the groundwork for total treatment is steadily being laid, including diagnostic imaging technology for surgical support, extended reality that combines virtual reality and real images, and telesurgery technology that utilizes high-speed, large-volume communications. In this paper, we will look at the future prospects from the standpoint of total treatment (RP) in order to provide hints on which direction we should go in during the next 10 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]