Japanese Energy Security Revisited

Facing the surge of “resource nationalism” in energy-producing countries and the rapid growth of energy demand in China and India, the Japanese government has decided to play an active role in securing its energy import, which decision seems to have received the solid support of the people. Effective support by the government to business, needless to say, is welcomed. However, experience teaches that excessive intervention in energy procurement by non-business sectors would do no good and a lot of harm for Japan's stable energy supply in the future. Furthermore, foreseeing a future energy balance in Japan, the country should refrain from engaging in the so-called “scramble for energy” occurring globally. This paper sets out in detail the argument that it is in Japan's best interests to eliminate to as great an extent as possible any political dimension from an energy product such as oil in order to reduce its importance as a strategic commodity and strengthen its characteristics as a market commodity.     

Suicide in Japan: present condition and prevention measures

This article introduces the reader to present conditions and suicide prevention measures in Japan. The suicide rate has increased gradually since the early 1990s, reaching a postwar peak in 1998. The number of suicides has remained at about 30,000 every year since 1998. Middle-aged (55-59 years) and elderly men have especially high suicide rates. In 2002, The Council of Learned People on Measures Against Suicides (organized by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare) released its report on national suicide prevention strategies. Although national suicide prevention strategies have just begun to be established, some prefectures or regions have undertaken unique suicide prevention measures.     

Time-course changes in the expression of heme oxygenase-1 in human subcutaneous hemorrhage

To determine the time-course of human subcutaneous hemorrhage, heme oxygenase (HO)-1 expression and macrophage infiltration were observed using an immunohistochemical technique and semiquantitative analysis. The number of immunoreactive cells and the number of all infiltrating cells of each microscopic field were counted, and the ratio of the former to the latter was calculated as the positive cells ratio. An increase in the HO-1-positive cells ratio was observed starting at 3 h after injury, and the maximum ratio was observed 3 days after injury. The pattern of the increase in the macrophage ratio was similar to that of the HO-1-positive cells ratio in the early period after injury. Observation of serial sections revealed that the expression of HO-1 in the cells corresponded to the localization of macrophage. The present results suggest that the determination of HO-1 expression, as derived from macrophages, might be useful for the estimation of the time-course of subcutaneous hemorrhage.     

The impact of differential information between lay participants and professional judges on deliberative decision-making

The authors investigate the effects of information differentials among judicial panel members on group decision-making. Professional judges are exposed to pre-trial information, including inadmissible evidence and testimony. Lay participants, on the other hand, are only allowed to view and evaluate evidence presented in trials, thereby forming a knowledge gap in regards to evidentiary information and materials. In order to examine the effect of these information gaps on deliberative processes and trial outcomes, a total of 24 civic participants were randomly assigned to three-person groups and deliberated on two fictitious criminal cases. The scenarios that the participants received prior to deliberation varied in the amount of information given. The deliberations were both video-recorded and transcribed. Analysis of the deliberations showed that both shared knowledge among members and unshared knowledge held by the member to whom had been given more information appeared more salient during the deliberative process.Our study suggests that lay participants may be at a disadvantage during deliberation not only because of their lower social influence but also due to their lack of evidentiary information for a given trial.     

Citizen's psychological knowledge,legal knowledge,and attitudes toward participation in the new Japanese legal system,saiban-in seido

A new procedure, saiban-in seido, was introduced in the Japanese criminal court in 2009.1 1. This article was written before the Saiban-in seido started. A mixed tribunal of three professional judges and six lay people selected from a list of voters deliberate the verdict in serious criminal cases such as murder, rape, and arson. This study researched lay people's attitudes toward the new system, their psychological knowledge (e.g. the reliability of eyewitness testimony) and legal knowledge (e.g. ‘presumed innocent’), and the relationship between attitude and knowledge. Study 1 examined the responses of 294 citizens to a questionnaire; 90 responses were examined in Study 2 (both samples consisted of two age groups, i.e. (1) 20s and (2) 40s and 50s, and two education levels, i.e. (1) college or below and (2) university or more. In both studies, respondents showed concerns about their lack of ability and knowledge to become a lay judge. Although legal knowledge was related to attitude – i.e. the more legal knowledge, the less negativity – no relationship was found between psychological knowledge and attitude. Relevant support for citizens to become lay judges was discussed.     

The Impact of Institutional and Land Use Change on Local Incomes in Chilean Patagonia

Microfinances in Bangladesh introduced a contingent repayment system beginning in 2002, which allowed rescheduling of savings and installments during natural disasters for affected members. This paper is one of the first attempts to evaluate the system employing a unique dataset. In using evidence from a flood in 2004, the author found that rescheduling plays the role of a safety net by decreasing the probability that people skip meals during negative shocks by 5.1 per cent. This effect is even higher on the landless and females. This study attempts to contribute to the issue regarding the poverty reduction effect of microfinances.     

警察活动之基本观念--公民对警察之期待与行政关系三面性

传统警察法学关于警察权界限的论述仅注意到防止警察权过度行使的问题,而大多未从行使警察权以保护一般公民利益的观点来出发。鉴于近来被害者问题逐渐受到重视,警察活动还应从公民对警察之期待与行政关系之三面性来探讨今后警察活动的基本方向。     

Detection of marine and freshwater bacterioplankton in immersed victims: Post-mortem bacterial invasion does not readily occur

We previously applied our method of detecting marine or freshwater bacterioplankton (bacteria) in the blood of immersed victims as a marker of drowning. However, we did not confirm the absence of post-mortem bacterial invasion during immersion. Here we examined the nature of bacterioplankton in blood samples from 21 immersed and 4 non-immersed cadavers. We found only freshwater bacterioplankton in the blood of two victims that were retrieved from the sea or an estuary inhabited by marine bacterioplankton even though one victim was highly putrefied. The results of diatom testing suggested that these two victims had drowned in fresh or brackish water with low salinity and then flowed out to the estuary or the sea. Two others were submerged in water, but representative bacterioplankton were undetectable in their blood although one victim was highly putrefied. Autopsy findings and the results of diatom tests did not indicate that the cause of death was drowning. As in previous studies, we identified freshwater bacterioplankton in the blood of seven other victims that had drowned in freshwater, marine bacterioplankton in the blood of four victims that had drowned in seawater and none in four victims found on land that had died by means other than drowning. Bacterioplankton in the blood of drowned victims appears to reflect the type of water aspirated and blood does not become easily contaminated with bacteria post-mortem even in decomposed bodies.     

Preventing elderly suicide through primary care by community-based screening for depression in rural Japan

Depression is a major cause of suicide among the elderly. Few previous community-based interventions against depression have reduced the suicide rate. This study aims to evaluate outcomes of a community-based program to prevent suicide among the elderly using a quasi-experimental design with a neighboring reference group. The program, including depression screening with follow-up and health education through primary care and public health nursing, was implemented for 10 years in Matsudai town, a rural area of Japan (population 6,015; suicide rate per 10(5) [65-year-olds] for males 290.6, and for females 361.3). Changes in the suicide risk were estimated by the incidence rate ratio (IRR). The female risk of completing suicide in the intervention area was reduced by 70% (age-adjusted IRR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.14-0.67), while there was no change in the risk for males in the intervention area nor for males or females in the reference area (Kawanishi town: population 9,425; elderly suicide rate for males 212.2, females 151.9). A ratio of the female IRR in the intervention area to that in its prefecture was also estimated at 0.45 (95% CI: 0.19-0.97), showing that the reduction of suicide risk in the intervention area was greater than the historical trend. A community intervention against suicide using management of depression with nonpsychiatric, primary health care would be effective for elderly females, but not males.