Ritual and the Public Realm in Japan: Jizo Temples in Neighborhoods

The local display of Jizo statues and temples, a centuries old cultural Japanese ritual in which an individual or family builds a public temple to house the deity in remembrance of a deceased child, woman, or traveler, is produced, maintained, and protected by neighborhood residents without government or design-professional oversight. Its value lies in the desire of local people for a physical object through which they make personal linkages to devotional practices. This essay examines two propositions about the construction and use of the public realm as expressed through the Japanese practice of neighborhood Jizo statues and temples,: 1) do Jizo assist in making streets safer in cities; and 2) can these temples be considered part of the public realm that strengthens the neighborhood? An historical basis for the Jizo ritual is established, followed by a description of how Jizo are located in neighborhoods, who maintains them, and how they are utilized on an every day basis. Visual depictions of various Jizo installations also are presented. The article concludes that Jizo is an example of community-based practice that works because it meets people’s needs. Jizo statues and temples do serve as informal public realm creating agents

Multiyear Surveillance for Avian Influenza Virus in Waterfowl from Wintering Grounds, Texas Coast, USA

This surveillance can help in assessments of the prevalence of wild animal-to-human transmission

Avian influenza virus risk assessment in falconry

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is a continuing threat of human infections with avian influenza viruses (AIV). In this regard falconers might be a potential risk group because they have close contact to their hunting birds (raptors such as falcons and hawks) as well as their avian prey such as gulls and ducks. Both (hunting birds and prey birds) seem to be highly susceptible to some AIV strains, especially H5N1. We therefore conducted a field study to investigate AIV infections in falconers, their falconry birds as well as prey birds.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>During 2 hunting seasons (2006/2007 and 2007/2008) falconers took tracheal and cloacal swabs from 1080 prey birds that were captured by their falconry birds (n = 54) in Germany. AIV-RNA of subtypes H6, H9, or H13 was detected in swabs of 4.1% of gulls (n = 74) and 3.8% of ducks (n = 53) using RT-PCR. The remaining 953 sampled prey birds and all falconry birds were negative. Blood samples of the falconry birds tested negative for AIV specific antibodies. Serum samples from all 43 falconers reacted positive in influenza A virus-specific ELISA, but remained negative using microneutralisation test against subtypes H5 and H7 and haemagglutination inhibition test against subtypes H6, H9 and H13.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although we were able to detect AIV-RNA in samples from prey birds, the corresponding falconry birds and falconers did not become infected. Currently falconers do not seem to carry a high risk for getting infected with AIV through handling their falconry birds and their prey.</p

Influenza-A Viruses in Ducks in Northwestern Minnesota: Fine Scale Spatial and Temporal Variation in Prevalence and Subtype Diversity

Waterfowl from northwestern Minnesota were sampled by cloacal swabbing for Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) from July – October in 2007 and 2008. AIV was detected in 222 (9.1%) of 2,441 ducks in 2007 and in 438 (17.9%) of 2,452 ducks in 2008. Prevalence of AIV peaked in late summer. We detected 27 AIV subtypes during 2007 and 31 during 2008. Ten hemagglutinin (HA) subtypes were detected each year (i.e., H1, 3–8, and 10–12 during 2007; H1-8, 10 and 11 during 2008). All neuraminidase (NA) subtypes were detected during each year of the study. Subtype diversity varied between years and increased with prevalence into September. Predominant subtypes during 2007 (comprising ≥5% of subtype diversity) included H1N1, H3N6, H3N8, H4N6, H7N3, H10N7, and H11N9. Predominant subtypes during 2008 included H3N6, H3N8, H4N6, H4N8, H6N1, and H10N7. Additionally, within each HA subtype, the same predominant HA/NA subtype combinations were detected each year and included H1N1, H3N8, H4N6, H5N2, H6N1, H7N3, H8N4, H10N7, and H11N9. The H2N3 and H12N5 viruses also predominated within the H2 and H12 subtypes, respectively, but only were detected during a single year (H2 and H12 viruses were not detected during 2007 and 2008, respectively). Mallards were the predominant species sampled (63.7% of the total), and 531 AIV were isolated from this species (80.5% of the total isolates). Mallard data collected during both years adequately described the observed temporal and spatial prevalence from the total sample and also adequately represented subtype diversity. Juvenile mallards also were adequate in describing the temporal and spatial prevalence of AIV as well as subtype diversity

NUEVO PAPEL DE LOS MERCADOS DE TERRENOS URBANOS: IMPACTOS NEOLIBERALES EN AMÉRICA LATINA

En muchos países latinoamericanos está cambiando la naturaleza del Estado: de ser controlador central de la política económica sectorial a por­tero neoliberal de los mercados abiertos. Este cambio requiere repen­sar cómo dirigir, influir e intervenir en un importante sector de política urbana: los mercados de terrenos.El creciente interés en el sector de terrenos urbanos por parte de or­ganismos financieros internacionales y de los gobiernos nacionales (Banco Mundial, 1994; Farvaque y McAuslan, 1992; Balandro, 1994; Silva, 1994) indica que la manera en que las ciudades funcionan a nivel micro-espacial surge como un elemento del pensamiento contemporáneo acerca de la política de desarrollo. A los administradores públicos de áreas urbanas se les dan más responsa­bilidades pero con menos recursos, apoyo técnico central decreciente y dirección parcial de sus políticas.

Reconstructing Kobe : The Geography of Crisis and Opportunity : [book review]

Non UBCUnreviewedUnknow

ADAPTACIÓN Y APLICACIÓN DE LA PLANEACIÓN ESTRATÉGICA EN EL SECTOR PÚBLICO

La están empleando en ciudades (Río de Janeiro, Quebec, Santiago y San Francisco), en estados (Oregon, Utah y Minnesota) y en tierras tribales (San Juan Pueblo, Nuevo México, Esta­dos Unidos).La planeación estratégica se utiliza actualmente en el sector público más que antes. ¿Por qué se está utilizan­do? ¿En qué consiste? ¿Cómo se pue­de aplicar y cómo deben usarla en los niveles estatal y municipal las organizaciones públicas sin fines de lucro y gubernamentales? Este artículo presenta una breve historia de la forma en que ha evolucionado la planeación estratégica, examina su posible aplicación en el sector públi­co, identifica factores comunes, describe un modelo general y presenta ejemplos de la forma en que se prac­tica en América del Norte y en Amé­rica del Sur

Ketamine/midazolam versus etomidate/fentanyl: procedural sedation for pediatric orthopedic reductions.

BACKGROUND: Orthopedic reductions are commonly performed procedures requiring sedation in the pediatric emergency department (PED). Ketamine is a widely used agent for pediatric procedural sedation, but its use may present difficulties in select populations, such as those with psychiatric diagnoses. In such a case, alternative agents that are safe and effective are needed. Etomidate is a commonly used induction agent for rapid-sequence intubation in the PED. Several retrospective and few prospective studies support etomidate\u27s safety and efficacy in pediatric procedural sedation. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to compare etomidate/fentanyl (E/F) with ketamine/midazolam (K/M) for procedural sedation during orthopedic reductions in the PED. METHODS: Prospective, partially blinded, randomized controlled study comparing intravenously administered K/M with intravenously administered E/F. A convenience sample of patients, aged 5 to 18 years, presenting to an urban PED with fracture requiring reduction was enrolled. Outcome measures included guardian and staff completion of visual analog scale and Likert scales for observed pain and satisfaction, blinded OSBD-r (Observational Scale of Behavioral Distress-Revised) scoring of digital recordings of reductions, and sedation and recovery times. Descriptive tracking of adverse effects, adverse events, and interventions were recorded at the sedation. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were enrolled, 11 in the K/M group and 12 in the E/F group. The K/M group had significantly lower mean OSBD-r scores compared with the E/F group (0.08 vs 0.89, P = 0.001). Parents rated lower visual analog scale scores with K/M than with E/F (13.7 vs 50.5, P = 0.003) and favored K/M on a 5-point satisfaction scale (P = 0.004). The E/F group had significantly shorter total sedation times (49.6 vs 77.6 minutes, P = 0.003) and recovery times (24.7 vs 61.4 minutes, P = 0.000). There were no significant differences with respect to procedural amnesia and orthopedic practitioner satisfaction. Adverse effects noted in the K/M group included dysphoric emergence reaction and vomiting. Vomiting, injection-site pain, myoclonus, airway readjustment, and supplemental oxygen use were observed in the E/F group. CONCLUSIONS: This is a small study that strongly suggests that, for pediatric orthopedic reductions, K/M is more effective at reducing observed distress than E/F, although both provide equal procedural amnesia. With its significantly shorter sedation and recovery times, E/F may be more applicable for procedural sedation for shorter, simpler procedures in the PED