Study of Views on Posthumous Reproduction, Focusing on Its Relation with Views on Family and Religion in Modern Japan

Posthumous reproduction has been performed in Japan several times, without sufficient civic discussion on its appropriateness or legislative regulation. There have even been several lawsuits on posthumous acknowledgment (in which a baby born to a deceased father has the same birthright as a baby born to a living father), and some judgments have proposed the need to develop societal agreement on posthumous reproduction and suggested legislative settlement. With this background, this study aims to clarify the views of the Japanese people regarding posthumous reproduction. In December 2007, we distributed a questionnaire on posthumous reproduction in relation to beliefs about family and religion to 32 universities across the country, and received 3,719 replies. It was found that about 60&#65397; of respondents agreed with posthumous reproduction. Statistical analysis was applied to the relationship between this overall position on posthumous reproduction and views on assisted reproduction technologies, family, religion, and so on. The degree of support for posthumous reproduction was strongly correlated with the degree of affirmation of assisted reproduction technologies and a liberal worldview with emphasis on self-determination. On the other hand, there was also a strong correlation with having a traditional view of family, such as family succession. The degree of support for posthumous reproduction was also highly correlated with the intimacy among family members, underlying which was a strong connection to the traditional religious belief in Japan that deceased family members watch the living ones. The view on posthumous reproduction is culturally complex and cannot be explained by a simple dichotomy between traditional conservatives and liberals.</p

Monitoring and predicting crop growth and analysing agricultural ecosystems by remote sensing

LANDSAT/TM data, which are characterized by high spectral/spatial resolutions, are able to contribute to practical agricultural management. In the first part of the paper, the authors review some recent applications of satellite remote sensing in agriculture. Techniques for crop discrimination and mapping have made such rapid progress that we can classify crop types with more than 80% accuracy. The estimation of crop biomass using satellite data, including leaf area, dry and fresh weights, and the prediction of grain yield, has been attempted using various spectral vegetation indices. Plant stresses caused by nutrient deficiency and water deficit have also been analysed successfully. Such information may be useful for farm management. In the latter half of the paper, we introduce the Arctic Science Project, which was carried out under the Science and Technology Agency of Japan collaborating with Finnish scientists. In this project, monitoring of the boreal forest was carried out using LANDSAT data. Changes in the phenology of subarctic ground vegetation, based on spectral properties, were measured by a boom-mounted, four-band spectroradiometer. The turning point dates of the seasonal near-infrared (NIR) and red (R) reflectance factors might indicate the end of growth and the beginning of autumnal tints, respectively

A Questionnaire Study on Attitudes toward Birth and Child-rearing of University Students in Japan, China,and South Korea

This study examines the attitudes of young Japanese, Chinese, and South Koreans toward birth and child-rearing. The survey targeted four-year university students (n＝1,668) who responded to an anonymous survey using self-report questionnaires between December 2012 and April 2013. The collection rates were 72.5%, 94.7%, and 96.5% for the Japanese, Chinese, and South Korean students, respectively. Correlations among the respondentsʼ attributes, medical and scientific literacy levels, and views of preferred qualities of children were analyzed using chi-square test, supplemented by residual analysis (significance level set at p＜0.05). Participants were asked whether they were willing to use the following methods for obtaining preferred qualities in their children:(1) choosing a spouse (43.2%, 72.6%, and 85.1% of the Japanese, Chinese, and South Koreans, respectively, agreed);(2) using a sperm bank (cryobank) (5.8%, 60.1%, and 81.7% of the Japanese, Chines, and South Koreans, respectively, agreed);and (3) using an egg cell bank (ova bank or cryobank) (5.3%, 47.2%, and 70.3% of the Japanese, Chinese, and South Koreans, respectively, agreed). The proportion of affirmative responses (indicating “eugenic inclination”) to these statements was significantly higher among the Chinese and South Korean participants than their Japanese counterparts (p＜0.001). Significant differences were also found in the attitudes of the 3 groups toward methods for obtaining the preferred qualities for their children:prenatal diagnosis, pre-implantation diagnosis, the environment during pregnancy, and child-rearing

Consent of the deceased or the bereaved family in the anatomical dissection and preservation of the dead body: from a viewpoint of medical jurisprudence and bioethics

In this article, I consider whether the consent of the deceased or the bereaved family is needed or not for the anatomical dissection and preservation of the dead body from a viewpoint of medical jurisprudence and bioethics. The conclusion can be summarized as follows: The Autopsy Law 1949 is applied to the anatomical dissection and preservation of the dead body. According to this law, in principle the consent of the bereaved family is needed. However, the consent of the deceased is not needed. From a viewpoint of bioethics, especially the principle of autonomy, the consent of the deceased should be required instead of the consent of the bereaved family. To fulfill the intention of the deceased, we need to wait for new legislation or the revision of the Autopsy Law. The important things are both the recognition of the meaningful role of anatomical dissection and preservation of the dead body in madical research and education, and the consideration of the viewpoint of bioethics, especially the principle of autonomy and the derivative notion of informed consent, in case of new legislation or revision of the Autopsy Law

Monitoring and predicting crop growth and analysing agricultural ecosystems by remote sensing

Selostus: Maatalousekosysteemien analysointi ja sadon ennustaminen kaukokartoituksen avull

Monitoring and predicting crop growth and analysing agricultural ecosystems by remote sensing

Tämän artikkelin alussa arvioidaan muutamia satelliittikaukokartoituksen uusimpia sovelluksia maataloudessa ja lopussa esitellään japanilais-suomalainen yhteistyöhanke Aretie Science Project. LANDSAT/ TM-satelliittikuva-aineistoa voidaan käyttää maataloustuotannon seurannassa, sillä kuvien spektri/spatiaalinen tarkkuus on hyvä. Erittely- ja kartoitustekniikat ovat kehittyneet niin paljon, että viljalajit voidaan erottaa toisistaan 80 % tarkkuudella. Satelliittiaineiston avulla on arvioitu sadon biomassaa, esimerkiksi lehtialaa sekä kuiva- ja tuorepainoa, ja ennustettu viljasatoa erilaisia laajaspektrisiä kasvillisuusindeksejä käyttäen. Myös ravinteiden ja veden puutteen aiheuttamaa stressiä on onnistuttu analysoimaan. Aretic Science Projectissa seurattiin boreaalisia metsäalueita LANDSAT-satelliittiaineiston avulla. Subarktisen pohjakasvillisuuden spektriominaisuuksiin perustuvia fenologisia muutoksia mitattiin nelikanavaisella spektroradiometrillä. Käännekohdat vuodenaikaisissa lähes-infrapuna- ja punaheijastumissa saattavat osoittaa kasvun päättymistä ja ruskan alkua.LANDSAT/TM data, which are characterized by high spectral/spatial resolutions, are able to contribute to practical agricultural management. In the first part of the paper, the authors review some recent applications of satellite remote sensing in agriculture. Techniques for crop discrimination and mapping have made such rapid progress that we can classify crop types with more than 80% accuracy. The estimation of crop biomass using satellite data, including leaf area, dry and fresh weights, and the prediction of grain yield, has been attempted using various spectral vegetation indices. Plant stresses caused by nutrient deficiency and water deficit have also been analysed successfully. Such information may be useful for farm management. In the latter half of the paper, we introduce the Arctic Science Project, which was carried out under the Science and Technology Agency of Japan collaborating with Finnish scientists. In this project, monitoring of the boreal forest was carried out using LANDSAT data. Changes in the phenology of subarctic ground vegetation, based on spectral properties, were measured by a boom-mounted, four-band spectroradiometer. The turning point dates of the seasonal near-infrared (NIR) and red (R) reflectance factors might indicate the end of growth and the beginning of autumnal tints, respectively.vokMaatalousekosysteemien analysointi ja sadon ennustaminen kaukokartoituksen avull

Maatalousekosysteemien analysointi ja sadon ennustaminen kaukokartoituksen avulla

LANDSAT/TM data, which are characterized by high spectral/spatial resolutions, are able to contribute to practical agricultural management. In the first part of the paper, the authors review some recent applications of satellite remote sensing in agriculture. Techniques for crop discrimination and mapping have made such rapid progress that we can classify crop types with more than 80% accuracy. The estimation of crop biomass using satellite data, including leaf area, dry and fresh weights, and the prediction of grain yield, has been attempted using various spectral vegetation indices. Plant stresses caused by nutrient deficiency and water deficit have also been analysed successfully. Such information may be useful for farm management. In the latter half of the paper, we introduce the Arctic Science Project, which was carried out under the Science and Technology Agency of Japan collaborating with Finnish scientists. In this project, monitoring of the boreal forest was carried out using LANDSAT data. Changes in the phenology of subarctic ground vegetation, based on spectral properties, were measured by a boom-mounted, four-band spectroradiometer. The turning point dates of the seasonal near-infrared (NIR) and red (R) reflectance factors might indicate the end of growth and the beginning of autumnal tints, respectively.Tämän artikkelin alussa arvioidaan muutamia satelliittikaukokartoituksen uusimpia sovelluksia maataloudessa ja lopussa esitellään japanilais-suomalainen yhteistyöhanke Arctic Science Project. LANDSAT/TM-satelliittikuva-aineistoa voidaan käyttää maataloustuotannon seurannassa, sillä kuvien spektri/spatiaalinen tarkkuus on hyvä. Erittely- ja kartoitustekniikat ovat kehittyneet niin paljon, että viljalajit voidaan erottaa toisistaan 80 % tarkkuudella. Satelliittiaineiston avulla on arvioitu sadon biomassaa, esimerkiksi lehtialaa sekä kuiva- ja tuorepainoa, ja ennustettu viljasatoa erilaisia laajaspektrisiä kasvillisuusindeksejä käyttäen. Myös ravinteiden ja veden puutteen aiheuttamaa stressiä on onnistuttu analysoimaan, Arctic Science Projectissa seurattiin boreaalisia metsäalueita LANDSAT-satelliittiaineiston avulla. Subarktisen pohjakasvillisuuden spektriominaisuuksiin perustuvia fenologisia muutoksia mitattiin nelikanavaisella spektroradiometrillä. Käännekohdat vuodenaikaisissa lähes-infrapuna- ja punaheijastumissa saattavat osoittaa kasvun päättymistä ja ruskan alkua

Failure of Informed Consent in Compensated Non-Related Kidney Donation in the Philippines

Asian Bioethics Review12138-14