The Environment for Microdata Access in Japan: A Comparison with the United States and Britain and Future Issues

For most of the post]war period, Japan's administration of statistics was governed by the framework provided by the Statistics Act from 1947. However, because the Act remained largely unchanged since it was originally introduced, it increasingly failed to reflect important changes in economic and social circumstances over time, resulting in various problems, including with regard to the secondary use of various kinds of microdata. To help resolve these problems, the New Statistics Act was enacted in 2007 and came fully into force in April 2009. Among other things, the New Statistics Act provides for a substantial revision of the system of secondary data use. An important element of this is a change in the basic philosophy underlying the legal framework from "statistics for the purpose of administration" to "statistics as an information resource for society." A central aim is ensuring the gusefulnessh of public statistics, and regulations concerning the use of statistics, such as provisions for secondary use, were incorporated in the Act. One important change is that the system of approval by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications for secondary data use was abolished. Instead, secondary data use can now be directly approved by the survey implementer and procedures have been simplified, so in the new system secondary data use now is considerably easier. Moreover, the New Statistics Act now allows for the provision of anonymized data and for custom tabulations for the purpose of academic research and higher education.

Prediction of bending rigidity for laminated weft knitted fabric with adhesive interlining

The purpose of this study is to predict bending rigidity of laminated weft knitted fabric using three prediction methods and to determine their suitability for predicting. The methods are as follows: Method 1: the laminate theory using bending rigidities and thicknesses of components, Method 2: an equation derived from the laminate theory taken into account the tensile and in-plane compressive moduli of components, Method 3: an equation in consideration of the position of the neutral axis in bending on a face fabric. Six weft knitted fabrics and ten adhesive interlinings, sixty laminated composites with those combinations were used. Tensile properties and bending rigidities, thicknesses of samples were measured. The other necessary parameters for the prediction were obtained by additional experiments and calculation. It was found that the results by Method 3 showed the closest agreements with experimental ones. It is due to the relative positions of the neutral axes for all knitted fabric samples are not in the centroid. It became clear that the position must be taken into account for calculating bending rigidities of laminated knitted fabric with adhesive interlining.ArticleTEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL. 83(9):937-946 (2013)journal articl

Prediction of bending rigidity for laminated fabric with adhesive interlining by a laminate model considering tensile and in-plane compressive moduli

The purpose of this study is to predict bending rigidity of laminated fabric with adhesive interlining considered tensile and in-plane compressive moduli. The predicting method considering those moduli was proposed by theoretical derivation based on laminate model. Tensile and in-plane compressive moduli of neutral surface for face fabric and adhesive interlining respectively before laminating and modulus for bending rigidity were considered independently. The calculating equation for in-plane compressive modulus was proposed from the relationship between bending rigidities and tensile properties. The proposed predicting method was verified experimentally. Bending rigidities, tensile properties and thicknesses of adhesive interlinings, face fabrics and laminated fabrics with adhesive interlinings were measured by KES-FB system. The in-plane compressive moduli of adhesive interlinings were calculated by the proposed equation with the results of tensile properties for face fabrics. With the results of tensile and in-plane compressive moduli, the bending rigidities of laminated fabric with adhesive interlinings were calculated. The predicted bending rigidities considered with measured tensile properties and calculated in-plane compressive moduli were precisely closer to experimental results than the ones of the laminated model from our previous study. Therefore, this model gives a new way to predict bending rigidity of laminated fabric with adhesive interlining.ArticleTEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL. 82(4):385-399 (2012)journal articl

Verification of prediction for bending rigidity of woven fabric laminated with interlining by adhesive bonding

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of pressing on bending rigidities of the face fabric, adhesive interlining and bonded composite fabric and verify the prediction method for bending rigidity of those. Predicting methods of bending rigidity for composite with face fabric and adhesive interlining based on laminated theory were verified with measured bending rigidities and thickness of samples. Bending rigidities and thicknesses of woven fabrics, adhesive interlinings and composites with those were measured by the KES-FB system. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film was used for measuring mechanical properties of pressed adhesive interlining. Bending rigidities of adhesive interlinings became larger and thicknesses were reduced compared to those before pressing. Bending rigidities of face fabrics didn't change though the thicknesses became thinner than before pressing. It was found that the case of considering mechanical properties of pressed face fabric and pressed interlining was more efficient to predict bending rigidity of composite with laminated model.ArticleTEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL. 81(6):598-607 (2011)journal articl

Bending rigidity of laminated fabric taking into account the neutral axes of components

The bending rigidity of laminated fabric was investigated considering the positions of the neutral axes in bending for components in addition to the tensile and in-plane compressive moduli of components. Theoretically derived equations were proposed to obtain the position of the neutral axis and to predict bending rigidity of laminated fabric. Eight face fabrics, ten adhesive interlinings and eighty laminated fabrics of those combinations were used for experimental samples. Tensile properties, bending rigidities and thicknesses of samples were measured and used to investigate the validity of the theory. The positions of the neutral axes for the face fabrics were obtained and they were not close to the centroid of the fabric. The calculated bending rigidities of laminated fabrics using the obtained position of neutral axes were more agreed with the experimental ones than the results by the method without considering the position of neutral axis. Therefore, it was found that the bending rigidity of laminated fabric can be predicted more precisely considering the position of neutral axis.ArticleTEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL. 83(2):160-170 (2013)journal articl

A preliminary study of a cloth guiding mechanism for automatic sewing system

Purpose - In the trend from mass production to mass customization, more flexible production systems are required. In the clothing field, many studies about automatization of sewing processes have been done into producing small amounts of various kinds of products. The purpose of this paper is to propose a versatile guiding mechanism of a cloth for an automatic sewing system. Design/methodology/approach - Real sewing processes were referenced for the mechanism, and curved stitch is formed holding a point on a cloth. This mechanism consists of a solenoid for holding a cloth and a roller to prevent deformation of the cloth. When a cloth is sewn with the mechanism, the trajectory of the stitch is unstable because of anisotropy of a cloth. A precise trajectory was obtained by adding a device to control the pressure of the roller for holding a cloth and keeping a tension properly applied to a cloth. Findings - It was found out that shearing property is the most related to the stability of sewing trajectory: lithe tension for guidance applied to a cloth is constant, deformation of the cloth was observed and it was the cause of unstableness of sewing trajectory. By controlling the tension for guidance applied to a cloth properly according to the direction of the cloth, precise sewing trajectory was obtained. Originality/value - There have been some studies in which sewing conditions were dynamically controlled according to the mechanical properties of a cloth. To these studies, here it was proposed that sewing conditions were kept constant by controlling the guidance of a cloth according to its mechanical properties.ArticleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLOTHING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. 24(1):6-14 (2012)journal articl

Computerized pattern making focus on fitting to 3D human body shapes

Purpose - This paper aims to describe the development of a method of constructing three-dimensional (3D) human body shapes that include a degree of ease for purpose of computerized pattern making. Design/methodology/approach - The body shape could be made with ease allowance to an individual's unique body shape using sweep method and a convex method. And then generates tight skirt patterns for the reconstructed virtual body shape using a computerized pattern making system. Findings - This paper obtains individual patterns using individually reconstructed 3D body shapes by computerized pattern development. In these patterns, complex curved lines such as waist lines and dart lines are created automatically using the developed method. The method is successfully used to make variations of a tight skirt to fit different size women. The author also used the method to make other skirts of various designs. Originality/value - The method described in this paper is useful for making patterns and then garments, without the need for the garments to be later adjusted for the subject.ArticleInternational Journal of Clothing Science and Technology. 22(1):16-24 (2010)journal articl

A NEW METHOD OF SURGICAL TREATMENT OF LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS

As the treatment of lumbar or lumbosacral stenosis, laminectomy with the preservation of tissues supporting the spine and the embracement of the exposed dura mater with thin silicone rubber to prevent the occurrence of restenosis due to exuberant fibrous tissue formation at the operative site have been performed over a period of seven years. Before the prevention of restenosis with silicone rubber, we had to reoperate in cases which developed recurrent symptoms resulting from restenosis of the lumbosacral canal. This operation that we describe is technically feasible and with practical benefit can be done routinely for spinal decompression not only in the lumbosaral, but also in cervical spinal region without requiring an extensive laminectomy

Prediction of bending rigidity for laminated fabric with adhesive interlining by a laminate model considering tensile and in-plane compressive moduli

The purpose of this study is to predict bending rigidity of laminated fabric with adhesive interlining considered tensile and in-plane compressive moduli. The predicting method considering those moduli was proposed by theoretical derivation based on laminate model. Tensile and in-plane compressive moduli of neutral surface for face fabric and adhesive interlining respectively before laminating and modulus for bending rigidity were considered independently. The calculating equation for in-plane compressive modulus was proposed from the relationship between bending rigidities and tensile properties. The proposed predicting method was verified experimentally. Bending rigidities, tensile properties and thicknesses of adhesive interlinings, face fabrics and laminated fabrics with adhesive interlinings were measured by KES-FB system. The in-plane compressive moduli of adhesive interlinings were calculated by the proposed equation with the results of tensile properties for face fabrics. With the results of tensile and in-plane compressive moduli, the bending rigidities of laminated fabric with adhesive interlinings were calculated. The predicted bending rigidities considered with measured tensile properties and calculated in-plane compressive moduli were precisely closer to experimental results than the ones of the laminated model from our previous study. Therefore, this model gives a new way to predict bending rigidity of laminated fabric with adhesive interlining.ArticleTEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL. 82(4):385-399 (2012)journal articl