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The emotional responses to achievement contexts of 149 preschool children from three cultural groups were observed. The children were Japanese (N = 32), African American (N = 63) and White American of mixed European ancestry (N = 54). The results showed that Japanese children differed from American children in expressing less shame, pride, and sadness, but more of both exposure and evaluative embarrassment. African American and White American children did not differ from one another. American children however showed more evaluative as opposed to exposure embarrassment. This finding supports the idea that success and failure are interpreted differently by Japanese children during the preschool years. The low amount of sadness and shame expression, and the limited range of number of different expressions observed in the Japanese children agree with the general finding that East Asian infants and young children differ from Western infants and children primarily in the display of negative expressions. These results demonstrate that cultural differences, whether due to temperament or direct socialization of cultural values, influence how children respond to achievement situations. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure and 1 footnote.)

In recent years, people in the United States and other countries have been using smart drugs, called nootropic or cognitive enhancers, to improve concentration and memory learning skills. However, these drugs were originally prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and dementia, and their efficacy in healthy people has not yet been established. We focused on acetylcholine in the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory learning, and elucidate the long-term effects of smart drugs on the neural circuits. Smart drugs were administered orally in normal young mice for seven weeks. The hippocampus was sectioned and compared histologically by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, immunohistochemistry for acetylcholine, and immunoelectron microscopy. There were no significant changes in acetylcholinesterase staining. However, in HE, we found perivascular edema, and choline acetyltransferase staining showed increased staining throughout the hippocampus and new signal induction in the perivascular area in the CA3, especially in the aniracetam and α-glyceryl phosphoryl choline group. Additionally, new muscarinic acetylcholine receptor signals were observed in the CA1 due to smart drug intake, suggesting that vasodilation might cause neuronal activation by increasing the influx of nutrients and oxygen. Moreover, these results suggest a possible new mechanism of acetylcholine-mediated neural circuit activation by smart drug intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For promoting mental health and well-being of individuals, it is important to investigate its association with personal values. However, in Eastern Asian countries, no study has yet investigated the association between personal values in adolescence and mental health and well-being in adulthood. To fill that research gap, we conducted a cross-sectional study based on two online surveys of working populations in Japan and the United States. Methods: A total of 516 workers from each of the two countries, aged 30–49 years, completed a questionnaire that measured personal values in adolescence, current psychological distress, health-related quality of life, and subjective well-being (satisfaction and happiness). Personal values were measured by items based on Schwartz's theory of basic values and people's commitment to those ten values. Multiple group path analysis was performed to examine the associations between personal values in adolescence and health-related outcomes, grouped by country. Results: Care, graduating from school, and commitment to values were associated with better mental health and well-being in Japanese participants. Belief and challenging were associated with better mental health and well-being in US participants. On the other hand, financial success was associated with poor mental health and well-being in Japanese participants. Avoiding causing trouble and positive evaluation were associated with poor mental health and well-being in the US participants. Conclusions: Certain personal values and commitment to those values in adolescence may be associated with mental health and well-being in adulthood. To address the limitations of this study, future studies should use a longitudinal design and investigate the interactions among the types of personal values and commitment to the values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Workplace gratitude is important for improving work‐related outcomes and individual well‐being. Although the gratitude at work scale (GAWS) was developed in the United States, it has not been corroborated in Asian countries with interdependent cultures. This study aimed to develop and validate the GAWS among Japanese workers. Method: Japanese workers completed online surveys at baseline (N = 206) and 2 weeks later (N = 103). The Japanese GAWS was developed according to the international guidelines. We measured (a) trait gratitude as comparison for the criterion‐related validity, (b) work‐related outcomes/factors (eg, work engagement), and (c) well‐being (eg, eudemonic well‐being at work) as comparisons for convergent validity. Cronbach's alpha, intra‐class correlation coefficients (ICCs), and measurement errors were calculated to assess reliability; measurement validity was evaluated by correlational analyses and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: A total of 206 and 93 workers were included for baseline and follow‐up analyses, respectively. Cronbach's alpha and ICCs of the Japanese GAWS ranged from 0.81 to 0.91. CFA showed that the 2‐factor model (ie, gratitude for (a) a supportive work environment and (b) meaningful work) demonstrated a good fit (χ2 (34) = 67.58, CFI = 0.967, TLI = 0.956, RMSEA = 0.069, SRMR = 0.037), similar to the original version. As we had hypothesized, overall GAWS and the two domains were significantly correlated with trait gratitude, work‐related outcomes/factors, and well‐being. Conclusions: The Japanese GAWS demonstrated good reliability and validity. Future research should explore mechanisms related to workplace gratitude and further intervention studies among workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors examine factors that affect the encroachment speed of disruptive innovations with indirect network externalities. The authors focus on the 2010 introduction of a new generation of e-readers in Japan and explore the reasons why, relative to comparable e-readers in the United States, the Japanese e-readers were introduced later and adoption rates have been lower. Existing research suggests several possible explanations for these cross-country differences, including the attitudes and behaviors of the firms that compose the paper book value network in Japan, environmental variables such as legal and regulatory constraints, and cultural differences between Japan and the United States. To assess the importance of these explanations, the authors interviewed 20 key figures in the United States and Japan and reviewed a variety of published information sources. Findings indicate that the slower encroachment speed of e-readers in Japan reflects a kind of myopia among publishing industry insiders arising from three sources: (1) organizational factors, (2) technology factors, and (3) environmental factors. Important elements within these categories include the interpretation of the market performance of earlier generations of e-readers, the interdependence of partners within the value network for e-books, the presence of competing technology formats that create uncertainty among consumers regarding the availability of e-books for a specific platform, and the existence of regulations and institutionalized activities that constrain the supply of e-books and retail pricing flexibility. Findings have important implications for future studies of encroachment speed, the management of disruptive technologies, and strategic responses to potentially disruptive innovations launched by fringe competitors and new entrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the corporate social responsibility codes in the U.S. and their enforcement under domestic private law. Topics discussed include impact of globalization on legal system; how domestic enforcement of transnational private regulation through private law can be enhanced; and evolution of Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and Court of Arbitration (CAS) for governing private internet.

Elder care remains primarily in the family sphere in Japan while elderly Japanese immigrants in the U.S. are actively planning to utilize formal care services. Although social structural conditions may explain these differences, they do not fully explain 'how' Japanese immigrants have developed norms of independent living as it relates to the utilization of formal care services. This study examines how Japanese immigrant women's value acculturation leads to their cultural preference for non-family-based care using qualitative analyses of data gathered through participant observations and 31 in-depth interviews. Findings suggest that Japanese immigrant women tend to accept the U.S. norms of the independent parent-child relationship and see their children as 'other' individuals rather than 'inseparable' family members who are obligated to fulfill their filial duty. This value acculturation appears to manifest in their preference for independent living, friend-based support, and utilization of formal care services. Showing no expectation of the family care also serves as an important strategic means to ensure their middle-aged children's freedom from filial care duty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on 2 differential regulatory systems governing clinical trials in Japan and the development histories of 2 clinical trials at early development performed by academic researchers. Topics discussed include Japan's 2 management systems for clinical trials namely the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law (PAL) which regulates standards and conduct of clinical trials and Ethical Guidelines for Clinical Research that set local ethical standards for clinical research.

Background: Recently, researchers have proposed that psychological resources might be key concept in explaining the association between social class and health. However, empirical examinations of the extent to which psychological resources to social class in health are still few. Purpose: This study investigated mediating effects of selected psychological resources (sense of control, self-esteem, optimism, and neuroticism) on the association of social class [education and subjective social status (SSS)] with current health status (self-rated health and the number of chronic conditions). Method: This sample consisted of 1,805 Americans (818 males and 987 females) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey, 2004-2006 and 1,027 Japanese (505 males and 522 females) from the Midlife in Japan (MIDJA) survey in Tokyo, Japan, 2008-2010. Information on social class, psychological resources, and health status was obtained using telephone interviews or written questionnaires. Results: A mediation analysis was conducted separately for males and females in Japan and the USA. Neuroticism significantly mediated the association of education and SSS with self-rated health and chronic conditions among males and females in both countries, with one exception (not for chronic conditions among Japanese females). Sense of control significantly mediated the association of education and SSS with self-rated health among males and females in both countries. As hypothesized, self-esteem significantly mediated almost all of the associations of education and SSS with self-rated health and chronic conditions among men and women in the USA, but very few such associations in Japan. Optimism significantly mediated most associations of social class and health status in both countries, but only among females. Conclusions: Overall, the findings underscore important culture- and gender specificity in the ways in which psychosocial resources mediate the links between social class and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) plays an important role in the clinical treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, the administration of PGI2 involves continuous intravenous infusion using an indwelling catheter, which limits the patient’s quality of life and increases the risk of infection. We therefore investigated whether human PGI2 synthase (hPGIS) gene transfer using an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector is still effective in a mouse model of PAH and tested for differences in the therapeutic efficacy of PAH among AAV serotypes. The PAH was induced by subjecting mice to hypoxia (10% O2). Type 1 AAV expressing hPGIS (AAV1-hPGIS) or type 2 AAV expressing hPGIS (AAV2-hPGIS) was injected into the thigh muscle of mice. Both vectors expressing hPGIS produced strong hPGIS protein expression in the mouse thigh skeletal muscles after 8 weeks of hypoxia. The administration of AAV1-hPGIS or AAV2-hPGIS also significantly inhibited the hypoxia-induced increase in right ventricular systolic pressure, the ratio of right ventricular weight to body weight (RV/BW), and the ratio of RV weight to left ventricular plus septal weight (RV/LV + S), and significantly attenuated the hypoxia-induced increase in medial wall thickness of peripheral pulmonary arteries. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the degree of amelioration in RV systolic pressure, RV/BW, RV/LV + S, and percentage of wall thickness of peripheral pulmonary arteries between AAV1-hPGIS and AAV2-hPGIS administrations. In conclusion, we revealed that type 1 and type 2 AAV are equally effective for the treatment of PAH in a hypoxia-induced mouse model. Gene-transfer therapy using AAV expressing hPGIS is, therefore, a potential therapeutic breakthrough for PAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Edward C. Stewart''s work has been much affected by his own experiences and the historical spaces he and his families of origin have occupied. He remains one of the most complex members of the intercultural field. Although he played a key role in the initial organization of the field in the 1970s, he has also been the quintessential “outsider.” As a French-Swiss-Southern American-Brazilian, his multicultural perspective is novel. His initial academic formation was in experimental psychology with a focus on perception. During his whole career he has been creating comprehensive conceptual frameworks for the complex intercultural communication field of inquiry. One of Stewart''s earliest pioneering efforts was at the 1974 conference held in Chicago to establish the intercultural field sponsored by the Speech Communication Association (SCA, now the National Communication Association, NCA), the International Communication Association (ICA) and the newly developing Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SIETAR). At this conference Stewart''s 40-page 1973 “Outline of Intercultural Communication” provided the “text” that the 200 participants, divided into small groups, discussed. Stewart began his work with a focus on cultural differences, using a contrast culture approach. This approach produced his two most famous works, the “Contrast American” or “Contrast Culture Method (CCM) of Intercultural Training” and his book, American Cultural Patterns: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Although this approach moves beyond simple contrasts to embrace similarities and the realization that differences are a matter of degree (Paige, 1993), later in his career Stewart focused more on adaptation, on dialectical, and contrasting forces. This all goes back to his original intellectual formation as a student of Harry Helson, the neurophysiologist, and Helson''s idea that perception itself is an act of creation. This is the platform upon which Stewart constructed a cognitive/emotional/aesthetic dialectical geometry in which all “liveliness” includes seeming opposites AND the space between, the interface where relationships are formed. Stewart''s most recent synthesis-in-process is a proposal to create a graduate level university course, “Culture as the Central Social Science” and an accompanying text, Forces of Identity (FORID) for Culture-Building. The idea is that this course would be a required course for any of the social sciences. Stewart''s latest ideas (see part 6 Epilogue below) move way beyond a simple dialectical orientation to become a five-part (Seenko) framework for analyzing culture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

New venture companies, starting from small entities comprising entrepreneurs and their teams, start to grow in scale by instigating formalized processes to enhance management efficiency. This includes the use of formalized processes for collecting and disseminating market information. Despite the fact that utilizing market information is one of the fundamental factors of market orientation, little is known about the way market information is processed in new venture companies. The first aim of this research was to investigate the impact of formalized market information acquisition and utilization on new venture performance. The second objective was to investigate the effect of organizational formalization on the acquisition and utilization of market information in new venture firms. The final goal was to explore the extent to which these relationships vary in different cultural contexts. Based on an extensive literature review and interviews with managers in China, Japan, and the United States, a conceptual framework is developed that relates formalized market information processes to new venture performance in the three countries. The conceptual model is tested with data collected from 453 new venture companies in these countries. The results suggest that the use of a formalized process of market information utilization has a positive effect on new venture performance regardless of country. The analysis also indicates that the effect of organizational formalization, in general, differs between countries. Organizational formalization is associated with increased formalized utilization of market information only in the United States; the relationship does not apply in the two Asian countries studied. Taken together, these results suggest that in the Asian countries, organizational formalization improves information collection, while in the United States, it also improves the utilization of information throughout the organization. One implication of these results may be the potential of added benefits accruing to organizational formalization in new ventures in countries with high levels of individualism and/or high levels of power distance, where organizational power is concentrated in formal vertical reporting relationships, as opposed to informal horizontal peer-to-peer networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the outbreak of multidrug-resistant salmonella in the U.S. It states that the confirmed case was initially identified as gastrointestinal illness with onset between April 25-September 25, 2015. It mentions that total of 192 confirmed cases were reported from several states including Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.

The article presents a report by Japanese experts on the strategic alliance between Japan and the U.S. It cites the top diplomatic priorities of U.S. President Barack Obama which include the promotion of financial and economic diplomacy and the prevention of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The influence of Sino-U.S. relationship on Japanese diplomacy and the Japan-U.S. relationship is explained. Also cited are the human and financial helps being provided by Japan for Afghanistan.

Presents a virtual interview with teachers Christine Tanioka and JoAnn Wong-Kam to capture their involvement with and what they gained out of the Kamehameha Early Education Project (KEEP) in Hawaii. Goal of KEEP to develop an elementary language arts program for Native Hawaiian children; How they became KEEP teachers; Descriptions of their experiences; Aspects of the KEEP program which they still use in their classrooms even after KEEP is no longer implemented.

Focuses on the Kamehameha Early Education Project (KEEP), a multi-disciplinary educational project funded by Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii, to develop an elementary language arts program for Native Hawaiian children. Design of the curriculum to be effective in raising the achievement of Hawaiian students in the public schools with as little disruption to the existing education system as possible; Attribution of the profile of Native Hawaiian underachievement to a cultural difference model.

Despite gains in women's status, successful leaders are more likely to be men than women. The styles that successful leaders set tend to be masculine. Female leaders face a paradox: If they emulate a masculine leadership style, their male subordinates will dislike them. If they adopt a stereotypically warm and nurturing feminine style, they will be liked, but not respected. Two experiments found that female leaders who are mindful can escape this paradox. In an experiment college-aged men perceived a woman who was masculine and mindful to be a better leader than a woman who was masculine and mindless. A second experiment replicated that result with middle-aged businessmen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides a theoretical analysis of issues related to the separation of the home and school culture of Native Hawaiian students. Historical and cultural background of Native Hawaiians; Development of public education; Importance of place, community and identity among Native Hawaiians; Initiatives in K-12 curriculum development and teacher training; Implications for policy and reform efforts.

Focuses on the system of educating minority students in the U.S. Need for educators to attend explicitly to minority students' ownership of what is learned; Creation of hybrid classroom cultures; Emphasis on cooperation, collaboration and what the class as a whole can accomplish.

Abstract: We measured the prevalence of depressive symptoms in 2,190 Japanese tax office workers using the Japanese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Score distribution by sex was more symmetrical and the mean score of each sex was higher than in the United States population. A high level of depressive symptoms was found in 15.2 percent of males and 10.6 percent of females by controlling for age and marital status. Males aged 50 years and over had more depressive symptoms than other male age groups. Perceived stress, related both to family life and the workplace, was associated with a high level of depressive symptoms. "Long-distance marriage" ("business bachelorhood"), peculiar to Japanese occupations, had little influence on depressive symptomatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the crisis of capitalists for talinuss and stress improvement for capitalists in U.S. Details on unprecedented production of relative surplus value; Accumulation of millions around the globe.

The article reports on the reprocessing of spent nuclear reactor fuel. The United States and Japan have agreed to reprocess the spent nuclear reactor fuel from the United States at a Japan facility. The agreement includes the processing of up to 99 tons of spent fuel at a plant in Tokai-mura. The process also involves the extraction of plutonium from the irradiated fuel assemblies of power reactors and demonstration reactors. The plutonium extracted from the reactors will be stored instead of being converted.

Objectives: To compare the performance of the new 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)-European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification criteria for primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) with 1999 revised Japanese Ministry of Health criteria for diagnosis of SS (JPN), 2002 American-European Consensus Group classification criteria for SS (AECG) and 2012 ACR classification criteria for SS (ACR) in Japanese patients.Methods: The study subjects were 499 patients with primary SS (pSS) or suspected pSS who were followed up in June 2012 at 10 hospitals in Japan. All patients had been assessed for all four criteria of JPN (pathology, oral, ocular, anti-SS-A/SS-B antibodies). The clinical diagnosis by the physician in charge was set as the 'gold standard'.Results: pSS was diagnosed in 302 patients and ruled out in 197 patients by the physician in charge. The sensitivity of the ACR-EULAR criteria in the diagnosis of pSS (95.4%) was higher than those of the JPN, AECG and ACR (82.1%, 89.4% and 79.1%, respectively), while the specificity of the ACR-EULAR (72.1%) was lower than those of the three sets (90.9%, 84.3% and 84.8%, respectively). The differences of sensitivities and specificities between the ACR-EULAR and other three sets of criteria were statistically significant (p<0.001). Eight out of 302 patients with pSS and 11 cases out of 197 non-pSS cases satisfied only the ACR-EULAR criteria, compared with none of the other three sets.Conclusions: The ACR-EULAR criteria had significantly higher sensitivity and lower specificity in diagnosis of pSS, compared with the currently available three sets of criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital terrestrial broadcasting services are in the Japanese UHF band of 470 to 770 MHz. The bandwidth of the UHF-TV channel is 6 MHz. The batwing radiator, which is at the heart of the super-turnstile antenna system for FM and VHF-TV broadcasting, has broadband characteristics. In this paper, we investigated a modified batwing antenna for UHF digital terrestrial broadcasting. The characteristics of the two- and four-element modified batwing antennas, with an infinite or a finite wire reflector, were calculated using NEC-WIN Pro. We evaluated the characteristics of these antennas in the Japanese UHF-TV broadcasting band. A broadband input impedance and high gain were obtained in the calculation and the measurement. A four-plane arrangement of parallel batwing antennas was also examined for directionality. The batwing element was arranged in parallel,and the feed interval was a half-wavelength. High gain and wideband characteristics were obtained with simple power-supply construction. This antenna has sufficient characteristics for use as the transmitting antenna for digital terrestrial broadcasting stations and repeater stations in the Japanese UHF band. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The mechanical properties of geosynthetic reinforcements are known to be time-, environment- and stress-dependent. Characterization of these reinforcement properties is often assessed under controlled laboratory settings and extrapolated to the design life of geosynthetic-reinforced soil structures. However, despite the wide application of geosynthetic reinforcement in earth retaining structures, there is limited evaluation of how mechanical properties of geosynthetic materials change in situ on constructed works; and primarily limited to case studies within the first decade following construction. This study describes the change in mechanical properties of geogrids retrieved from the facing of the wrapped-face of one of the oldest geosynthetic-reinforced mechanically-stabilized earth (MSE) walls in the United States, constructed in 1983 in a relatively harsh, coastal environment. Laboratory characterization of mechanical and chemical properties of the geogrid are presented, and compared to properties of archived samples, as well as samples from another structure exhumed 8 and 11 years after its respective construction. The laboratory test results demonstrate that the geogrid mechanical and chemical properties have not significantly changed in the 35+ years of service. While the data from this study represents a limited set of conditions, these results demonstrate that geogrids may perform well long after construction. • Properties of geogrid samples extracted from a 36 year-old mechanically stabilized earth wall were characterized and compared to original specifications. • Mechanical testing reflects that limited change has occurred in creep and tensile properties of the in-service geogrid. • Modest changes in chemical properties are observed in the exposed geogrid in comparison to an archived sample, but still reflect serviceability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Previous studies conducted in Western cultures have shown that negative emotions predict higher levels of pro-inflammatory biomarkers, specifically interleukin-6 (IL-6). This link between negative emotions and IL-6 may be specific to Western cultures where negative emotions are perceived to be problematic and thus may not extend to Eastern cultures where negative emotions are seen as acceptable and normal. Using samples of 1044 American and 382 Japanese middle-aged and older adults, we investigated whether the relationship between negative emotions and IL-6 varies by cultural context. Negative emotions predicted higher IL-6 among American adults, whereas no association was evident among Japanese adults. Furthermore, the interaction between culture and negative emotions remained even after controlling for demographic variables, psychological factors (positive emotions, neuroticism, extraversion), health behaviors (smoking status, alcohol consumption), and health status (chronic conditions, BMI). These findings highlight the role of cultural context in shaping how negative emotions affect inflammatory physiology and underscore the importance of cultural ideas and practices relevant to negative emotions for understanding of the interplay between psychology, physiology, and health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Milk products are widely consumed by individuals in the US population in the form of fluid milk and milk-derived products and ingredients. Milk is a good source of calcium, which plays a role in maintaining bone health. In addition to calcium, the whey protein fraction of milk contains basic proteins that have been demonstrated to increase bone metabolism and inhibit bone resorption. A specific basic protein fraction in milk (Milk Basic Protein; MBP) was tested in an acute oral toxicity study, teratology study, subchronic oral toxicity study, and reverse mutation assay and no treatment related adverse effects were found. MBP has been evaluated for its use as an ingredient in food and concluded to be safe for its intended use. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Self-efficacy is an important health outcome for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to develop a Japanese version of the IBD-Self-Efficacy Scale (IBD-SES.J) and compare characteristics of self-efficacy of IBD patients with previously reported results from patients in the United States., Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey of patients with IBD from a specialized IBD clinic and respondents recruited online. Self-efficacy of patients in Japan and the United States were compared by Student t test and Cohen d coefficient to gauge effect size., Results: A total of 919 valid responses were obtained: 482 patients from the specialized IBD clinic and 437 patients from the online survey. Significant differences (P < .01) were observed in the following 3 subscales: "managing stress and emotions," "managing symptoms and disease," and "maintaining remission" when comparing remission and active periods; and known-group validity was mostly confirmed. Cronbach's alpha coefficients of each subscale ranged between 0.85 and 0.94. Intraclass correlation coefficients (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) to assess test-retest reliability of each item were between 0.56 (95% CI, 0.47-0.64) and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.73-0.82). Self-efficacy scores for most items in Japanese patients with IBD were lower compared with patients in the United States, with moderate effect size (Cohen d > 0.5), especially in the subscale "managing stress and emotions.", Conclusions: The study demonstrates the reliability and validity of the IBD-SESJ. Self-efficacy scores for most items in Japanese patients were lower than those of patients in the United States. Further investigation is required to understand cross-cultural score differences., (© 2022 Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.)

Visceral leishmaniasis is a chronic infectious disease caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania, characterized by intermittent fever, monocytosis, hepatosplenomegaly and hypergammaglobulinemia. This morbid condition is rather difficult to diagnose correctly, especially at its early stage, because it is rarely encountered in Japan. Recently we treated a case of visceral leishmaniasis in which the patient was misdiagnosed as malignant lymphoma, and went through splenectomy and steroid administration, which made the diagnosis more difficult.