Brokering Culture and Labor: An Anthropological Analysis of IT Offshore Labor between Japan and India

The rapid expansion of information and communication technology (ICT) has accelerated the distribution of work across geographically dispersed areas, and this transnational relocation of work is viewed as a seamless transaction by proponents of technological globalization. However, a close examination of the collaboration involved in Indian/Japanese software offshoring illuminates an array of difficulties that problematize the "seamlessness" of this endeavor. This dissertation investigated the complex social world of offshoring by focusing on analyzing India-Japan software offshoring, and the study revealed corporate control as well as workers' efforts and struggles to make this ICT-supported relocation of work function smoothly. Through the analysis of the interviews with Indian software engineers and liaison officers between companies and within companies, in combination with observations of their workplaces, this dissertation highlights the corporate demands for flexibility in two layers: demands for being flexible in macro-labor circulations, to function as "labor buffers," and being flexible in terms of micro-communication issues and clients' demands. At the same time, it also reveals that corporate control is not a monolithic and totalizing force, but a complex and contradictory process generated through the struggles and intense labor of both Indian and Japanese sides that attempt to connect the disjunctions and make the business look "seamless." This study illuminates the irony that the relocation of work can intensify labor for both sides because of clients' micromanagement and communication difficulties. In addition, it also captures workers' efforts to distance themselves from corporate control, and their attempt to utilize the "onsite opportunity" to pursue their own interest. By highlighting the corporate demands for dual flexibility, as well as layers of communication difficulties and contradictions in Japan-Indian offshoring businesses, this dissertation provides insight into an anthropological and sociological analysis of offshoring as a complex global social phenomenon

Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 Blockade Suppresses Ocular Inflammation After Retinal Laser Photocoagulation in Mice

PURPOSE. To investigate the effect of the vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) inhibitor RTU-1096 on retinal morphologic changes and ocular inflammation after retinal laser photocoagulation in mice. METHODS. C57BL/6JJcl mice were fed a diet containing RTU-1096, a specific inhibitor for VAP-1, or a control diet ad libitum for 7 days. Laser photocoagulation was performed on the peripheral retina of the animals. The semicarbazide sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) activities in plasma and chorioretinal tissues were measured. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) images were acquired before and at 1, 3, and 7 days after laser photocoagulation, and thickness of the individual retinal layers was measured. Intravitreal leukocyte infiltration was assessed by histologic analysis. The expression level of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in retinal tissues were examined by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS. One day after laser photocoagulation, the thickness of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) increased in the laser group compared with in the control group, and RTU-1096 administration abrogated the ONL thickening. Histologic analysis and OCT observation revealed that laser photocoagulation caused infiltration of inflammatory cells and the appearance of hyperreflective foci at the vitreoretinal surface, both of which were suppressed by RTU-1096 administration. In addition, systemic administration of RTU-1096 reduced upregulation of the leukocyte adhesion molecules ICAM-1 in the retina. CONCLUSIONS. The current data indicate that VAP-1/SSAO inhibition may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the prevention of macular edema secondary to scatter laser photocoagulation in patients with ischemic retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy

Childcare and Child Development in Japan

For decades, the notion has persisted in developed countries that exclusive care by the mothers is best for the development of children up to 3 years of age. To examine the veracity of this “myth of the first three years” in Japan, we examined the effects of childcare facility use for children younger than 3 years on their development using the cohorts of the Longitudinal Survey of Newborns in the 21st Century conducted in Japan. Of the 47,015 respondents to the survey, we studied the children of 5,508 mothers with university/professional education to evaluate the relationships between primary early (< 2.5 years) childcare providers during weekday daytime hours and specific development indices for the ages of 2.5, 5.5, and 8 years. At the age of 2.5 and 5.5 years, children attending childcare facilities were judged as having more advanced developmental behaviors by their parents, such as being able to compose a two-word sentence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.22) or to express emotions (aOR: 0.81), compared with those cared for by mothers. However, at the age of 8 years, children who attended childcare facilities as infants < 2.5 years showed more aggressive behavior in interrupting people (aOR: 1.20) and causing disturbances in public (aOR: 1.26) than those cared for by mothers (after adjustment for numerous child and parental factors). Although these results are generally consistent with previous studies, issues potentially involved with problem behavior such as quality of childcare require further investigation, as does the case of children of mothers with more modest educational attainment

Author Identification : One view on the infrastructure building in Open Access environment

DRF国際会議2009：オープンアクセスリポジトリの現在と未来:世界とアジアへの視点から＝International Conference 2009：Open access repositories now and in the future : from the global and Asia-Pacific points of view(Dec.3-4,2009, Tokyo)のポスターセッション用資

The expression of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I in rat retina is regulated by light stimulation

AbstractCa2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I (CaM-kinase I) in rat retina was analyzed by immunohistochemical analysis, Western blot analysis and kinase activity assay. Western blot analysis revealed two immunoreactive bands similar to those detected in the brain. Developmental studies revealed that CaM-kinase I expression increased in accordance with postnatal development. Expression of CaM-kinase I in the retinas of rats raised in the complete darkness markedly decreased. CaM-kinase I activity assay supported these findings. Synapsin I was shown to be a possible intrinsic substrate of CaM-kinase I in rat retina. These results elucidated that CaM-kinase I is expressed in the retina and may play an important role in the retinal functions and that the expression of CaM-kinase I is regulated by light stimulation

Free fatty acid receptors, G protein-coupled receptor 120 and G protein-coupled receptor 40, are essential for oil-induced gastric inhibitory polypeptide secretion

Aims/Introduction: Incretin hormone glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide/gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) plays a key role in high‐fat diet‐induced obesity and insulin resistance. GIP is strongly secreted from enteroendocrine K cells by oil ingestion. G protein‐coupled receptor (GPR)120 and GPR40 are two major receptors for long chain fatty acids, and are expressed in enteroendocrine K cells. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the two receptors on oil‐induced GIP secretion using GPR120‐ and GPR40‐double knockout (DKO) mice. Materials and Methods: Global knockout mice of GPR120 and GPR40 were crossbred to generate DKO mice. Oral glucose tolerance test and oral corn oil tolerance test were carried out. For analysis of the number of K cells and gene expression in K cells, DKO mice were crossbred with GIP‐green fluorescent protein knock‐in mice in which visualization and isolation of K cells can be achieved. Results: Double knockout mice showed normal glucose‐induced GIP secretion, but no GIP secretion by oil. We then investigated the number of K cells and gene characteristics in K cells isolated from GIP‐green fluorescent protein knock‐in mice. Deficiency of both receptors did not affect the number of K cells in the small intestine or expression of GIP messenger ribonucleic acid in K cells. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the expression of the genes associated with lipid absorption or GIP secretion in K cells between wild‐type and DKO mice. Conclusions: Oil‐induced GIP secretion is triggered by the two major fatty acid receptors, GPR120 and GPR40, without changing K‐cell number or K‐cell characteristics

Anatomical characteristics of the rectus abdominis and transversus abdominis muscles related to ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block for analgesia around the umbilicus in healthy adult Japanese volunteers

Background: The rectus abdominis muscle partially overlaps with the transversus abdominis muscle belly when following cephalad. This study aimed to evaluate the overlapping properties between the rectus abdominis muscle and the transversus abdominis muscle belly in relation to the performance of ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block for analgesia around the umbilicus.Methods: After obtaining institutional approval and written informed consent, ultrasound examinations of bilateral abdominal walls were performed in healthy adult Japanese volunteers. The craniocaudal distance from the level of the umbilicus to the point where the rectus abdominis muscle and the transversus abdominis muscle belly begin to overlap on the ultrasound image was measured.Results: Sixty hemi-abdominal walls were examined in 30 volunteers (15 males, 32±6 years old, and 15 females, 31±5 years old). The craniocaudal distance from the level of the umbilicus to the point where the rectus abdominis muscle and the transversus abdominis muscle belly begin to overlap on the ultrasound image (left side/right side) was 17.4±11.8/18.8±13.3 mm in male subjects and 19.5±11.5/21.2±12.4 mm in female subjects, respectively. At the level of the umbilicus, overlapping of the two muscles was observed only in 2 of 60 subjects. At 45 mm cephalad from the level of the umbilicus, the two muscles began to overlap in 58 of 60 subjects (96.7%).Conclusions: The position where the rectus abdominis muscle and transversus abdominis muscle belly begin to overlap as detected by ultrasound imaging is approximately 20 mm cephalad to the umbilicus

Rhophilin, a small GTPase Rho-binding protein, is abundantly expressed in the mouse testis and localized in the principal piece of the sperm tail

AbstractTissue distribution and cellular localization of rhophilin, a 71 kDa Rho-binding protein, were examined in mice. Rhophilin mRNA was highly expressed in adult testis, but was absent in the testis of W/WV mice deficient in germ cells. An anti-rhophilin antibody detected a band of an expected size in sperm extracts, which was enriched in the tail fraction. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed two lines of striated staining running in parallel in the principal piece of the sperm tail. These results suggest that rhophilin is expressed in germ cells and localized in the fibrous sheath of the sperm tail

ホイクシャ ヨウセイ ニオケル セイ ト シ ノ ジュギョウ

Infants go through an important process of understanding the universality and invitability of death. Thus, educator of young children must have knowledge about the children\u27s development of the views of life and death. The authors of this paper have conducted the series of educational sessions titled "Exploring Life and Death" twice before, targeting the volunteer students in the ECE at the Ryujo College. This year, based on this experience, we had more number of sessions and tried to inform them about the foregoing studies about children\u27s views of life and death and effectiveness of picture books as teaching materials. The program consisted not only of lectures but also questionaires and group works so that the students could actively participate. This paper, due to the schedule of the program, discuss about five sessions over nine. Though some students didn\u27t even have any clear purpose of attending the program, they seem to realize that the "education of life and death" as a "stock" for establishing the view of life and death is needed and that one way of this education would be reading various picture books depend on children\u27s developmental stage and their personal experience