Japan in the Bluegrass

Fifteen years after Toyota announced it would build a manufacturing plant in the heart of the Bluegrass, Kentucky crafts are being used to help sell Camrys at car dealerships in Japan and sushi and Japanese condiments are widely stocked on grocery shelves in a number of cities across Kentucky. In early 2000, the state boasted more than 100 Japanese companies representing a total investment of more than seven billion dollars, employing more than 33,000 Kentuckians. Japan in the Bluegrass is the first book to focus on the regional and local impact of the globalization of Japanese businesses, particularly Toyota, in the United States. Fourteen American and Japanese contributors include geographers, political scientists, sociologists, and an economist, urban planner, and environmental scientist, and their essays go beyond the traditional exploration of politics and economics to examine the social, cultural, and environmental effects of Japanese investment in Kentucky. The authors examine the factors that brought these companies to this part of the United States, which range from a well-developed system of highways to cooperation from state and local governments to hefty incentive packages. They discuss the significant influence of Toyota and its suppliers on local communities in Kentucky as well as in Toyota City, Japan. Essays also cover the social and cultural shifts that have resulted from Japanese investment, including educational activities in public schools, the relationship between business and local media, and the integration of Japanese managers and their families into Kentucky communities. P.P. Karan, professor of geography and Japan studies at the University of Kentucky, is the author or editor of numerous books on Asian geography and culture, including Japanese Landscapes. A wide-ranging and clearly authoritative account of Toyota’s social and economic impact on the Bluegrass. —Roman Cybriwskyhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_cultural_history/1024/thumbnail.jp

STATISTICAL MODELS FOR ANALYSIS OF DOSE-RESPONSE DATA

In this paper we propose three families of functional models for analysis of dose-response data. The first family is for modeling data which have a steep sloping line for an ascending portion of the response curve and a plateau representing maximum response or a sloping line representing little response at higher application levels. The second family is for modeling data which represent a steep sloping line on the ascending portion of the response curve and a declining curvature for declining response at higher application levels. The third family is for fitting data which show an initial plateau followed by increased or decreased response, and finally a plateau representing maximum response. One of the advantages of using these families for modeling the dose-response data is that the join points of the response curves are not considered parameters to be estimated, nor their estimates considered random variables in the estimation process. The uses of the families are illustrated using them in fitting the fertilizer response data of single nutrient experiments. The problem of modeling the multinutrient response data is addressed and recently developed methods are briefly discussed

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in U.S. Older Women: Findings from Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, 2003 & 2004

The purpose of this study was to examine racial and ethnic variations in the modifiable CVD risk factors in older women (65 years and older). The study data was drawn from the merged 2003 and 2004 national Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). Multinomial regression analyses for indicator outcome and multiple logistic regression analyses for binary outcomes were performed to determine the relationship between each of the six dependent variable and the independent variables. Compared to older white women, older black women had significantly higher odds of hypertension, diabetes and obesity. No significant association was found between Hispanics and hypertension. However Hispanics were found to be more likely to have diabetes and no leisure-time physical activity compared to whites. Hispanics were also found to have lower odds of smoking compared to whites. American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) s were found to have significantly higher odds of diabetes and obesity compared to whites. No significant association between AIANs and smoking was found. Overall, there are striking racial and ethnic differences in the CVD risk factors among older U.S women after controlling for socio-economic status. It is evident from these findings that in designing interventions to reduce cardiovascular risks for elderly women, clearly “one size does not fit all.” These findings highlight the need for development and implementation of appropriate public health programs aimed at these various target communities

Japanese Landscapes: Where Land and Culture Merge

From the busy streets of Tokyo to the secluded shores of Kyushu, from the volcanoes of Hokkaido to the temples of Kyoto, the treasured landscapes of Japan are brought to life in this concise visual guide. Drawing upon years of observation, Cotton Mather, P.P. Karan, and Shigeru Iijima explore the complex interaction of culture, time, and space in the evolution of landscapes in Japan. The authors begin with a discussion of the landscape\u27s general characteristics, including paucity of idle land, scarcity of level land, and its meticulous organization and immaculate nature. They then apply those characteristics to such favorite subjects as home gardens, sculpted plants, and flower arrangements, but also to more mundane matters such as roadside shoulders, utility lines, and walled urban areas. This unique blending of physical and social sciences with humanities perspectives offers a unified analysis of the Japanese landscape. Cotton Mather is the author of Beyond the Great Divide. P.P. Karan, chair of the Japanese Studies committee and professor of geography at the University of Kentucky, is the co-editor of The Japanese City. Shigeru lijima is professor emeritus of cultural anthropology in the Tokyo Institute of Ethnology. The comparison of current landscapes with what might be called traditional landscapes is instructive in a much larger context. -- Allen G. Noble An elegantly produced short book, of which about half is taken up by a series of black and white photographs of the Japanese landscapes. -- Geographical Journal Puts Japan’s renowned urbanization within a broader cultural and national context. -- Journal of Urban Design Will provide a valuable starting point for the study of Japanese landscape. -- Landscape Research A large part of the enjoyment of this book comes from the chance to compare notes with the authors about what is essential in Japan’s landscape, and to engage them in a quiet, one-sided debate while reading. -- Pacific Affairs The book excels in explaining and categorizing the faces of Japan through physical environmental constraints interwoven with cultural attitudes. -- Todd Stradford The authors draw on years of observation and experience to explore the interaction of culture, time and space in the Japanese landscape. -- UK Newshttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_asian_history/1001/thumbnail.jp

Combatting Gender Oppression: Applying Intersectionality in Microfinance Self-help Groups

Microfinance studies indicate the varied impacts of access to credit on women and suggest the need for programmes to address the diversity of women. An intersectional approach offers contextualised understanding of inequality for different women. This study investigated the provision of credit to women via the self-help group (SHG) model, implemented by a women’s non-government organisation in Gujarat, India. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, document analysis and non-participant observation. The programme’s utilisation of an intersectional approach was associated with the generation of indepth knowledge on forms of oppression affecting different SHG women. Such knowledge was important for the incorporation of programme objectives and strategies which were responsive to the concerns and needs of different women in the programme. As such, programme agendas and priorities must be informed by the self-articulated concerns of women themselves, reaffirming the need for donors to support bottom-up approaches