Politics and the Economy in Pre-War Japan

The paper by Richard J Smethurst discusses the influences that led to the economic policies pursued in the interwar period by Takahashi Korekiyo, who engineered Japan's recovery from the depression in the early 1930s, and is often thought of as the 'Keynes' of Japan. The paper traces the influence on Takahashi's thinking of his Western experiences and diverse bureaucratic career, but focusses in particular on the role of Takahashi's mentor, Maeda Masana. The paper by Masataka Matsuura analyses the term zaikai as used in prewar Japan and its identity as a small network whose influence was distinct from that of the zaibatsu. The paper traces the membership and activities of this small group from the time of Shibusawa Eiichi through to the Second World War, and argues for the importance of the functions they discharged in the context of the developing Japanese economy.Japan, economic depression in early 1930s, Takahashi Korekiyo, Maeda Masana, zaikai, zaibatsu, Japanese economic development, Shibusawa Eiichi.

Amending the Wagner Act: The Problem From the Manufacturer’s Viewpoint

Till följd av den globala finanskrisen år 2008 ställdes det europeiska samarbetet på prov. I och med detta presenterade EU ett förslag till ett direktiv angående en finansiell transaktionsskatt för samtliga länder inom EU. Elva av EU:s 28 medlemsländer har valt att ställa sig bakom förslaget om en finansiell transaktionsskatt, vilket innebär att dessa länder avser införa en finansiell transaktionsskatt. Tidigare empiriska erfarenheter har dock visat att en finansiell transaktionsskatt är mindre effektiv än vad förespråkarna gör gällande, varken påverkan på skatteintäkter eller marknadens volatilitet har i dessa fall levt upp till de önskvärda effekterna. Denna uppsats syfte är att analysera vad som ligger till grund för ländernas ställningstagande och uppsatsens hypotes ger vid handen att det föreligger ett positivt samband mellan finanskrisens påverkan på respektive EU land, inhemsk opinion och ett positivt ställningstagande till en finansiell transaktionsskatt inom EU. För att testa hypotesen används en induktiv metod vilken är uppbyggd på vetenskapliga artiklar och ekonomisk litteratur. Vidare genomförs flera regressionsanalyser i syfte att påvisa de positiva samband som hypotesen antar föreligger. I de uppvisade resultaten framgår att det går att stödja uppsatsens hypotes. Uppsatsen kommer därför fram till att det föreligger ett positivt samband mellan finanskrisens påverkan på respektive EU-land, inhemsk opinion och ett positivt ställningstagande till en finansiell transaktionsskatt.In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis the European Union was put to the test. As a result, the EU submitted a proposal for a directive regarding a financial transactions tax levied throughout every nation in the European Union. Eleven of the 28 EU member states decided to support the proposal for a financial transactions tax. The eleven member states adopted the stance to support the proposal in spite of the historical empirical evidence indicating a financial transactions tax to not be as effective as the advocators claim. This paper aims to analyse the basis of the EU member states adopted stance towards a financial transactions tax. The thesis statement suggest that there is a positive correlation between the impact of the financial crisis on each respective EU country, domestic public opinion and a positive stance towards a financial transactions tax in the EU. To test the thesis statement an inductive method, based on academic articles and economic literature, is applied. Furthermore a regression analysis is used to prove the appearance of the expected positive relationships in the thesis statement. The results of the paper indicate the thesis statement to be probable. Therefore, this paper concludes that there is a positive relationship between the impact of the financial crisis in the EU states, domestic opinion and a positive stance to a financial transactions tax

"Learning to live your life again": an interpretative phenomenological analysis of weblogs documenting the inside experience of recovering from Anorexia Nervosa

Objective: This study aimed to explore the construct of recovery from Anorexia Nervosa (AN) through the medium of weblogs, focusing on the benefits and barriers to the recovery process. Method: Data was extracted from female (n=7) and male (n=1) participants’ textual pro-recovery weblogs, all of which were posted between 2013 and 2015 in the public domain. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Three superordinate themes were identified: (1) barriers to recovery, (2) factors increasing the likelihood of recovery, and (3) support. Discussion: Results suggest supportive relationships, re-gaining control and recognising the consequences of the eating disorder benefit recovery, whereas public perceptions, the AN voice, and time act as barriers to recovery. Out of eight participants, four described seeking professional help as part of their recovery, of which three believed their professional therapy experience helped aid recovery. Conclusion: Implications for AN treatment are discussed in detail

Seasonal changes in pore water pressure in a grass covered cut slope in London clay

In temperate European climates, the season of peak water demand by vegetation (summer) is out of phase with the season of greatest rainfall (winter). This results in seasonal fluctuations in soil water content and, in clay soils, associated problems of shrinking and swelling that can in turn contribute to strain-softening and progressive slope failure. This paper presents field measurements of seasonal moisture content and pore water pressure changes within the surface drying zone of a cut slope in the London Clay at Newbury, Berkshire, UK. A climate station was installed at the site to measure the parameters needed to determine specific plant evapotranspiration. This information was used to carry out a water balance calculation to estimate the year-round soil moisture deficit caused by the vegetation. The calculated soil moisture deficit matches reasonably closely the field measurements of soil drying. The field measurements of seasonal changes in pore water pressure and suction are linked quantitatively to the measured changes in water content using the soil water characteristic curve for the London Clay. The suctions generated by the light vegetation cover at Newbury were found not to persist into the winter and early spring

Shallow bias of paleomagnetic inclinations in the Paleozoic and Precambrian

An updated analysis of the global paleomagnetic database shows that the frequency distributions of paleomagnetic inclinations for the Cenozoic and Mesozoic eras (younger than 250 Ma) are compatible with a random geographical sampling of a time-averaged geomagnetic field that closely resembles that of a geocentric axial dipole. In contrast, the frequency distributions of paleomagnetic inclinations for the Paleozoic and Precambrian eras (prior to 250 Ma) are over-represented by shallow inclinations. After discounting obvious secondary causes for the bias, such as from data averaging, sedimentary inclination error, inhomogeneous lithological distributions, and tropical remagnetization, we show that the anomalous inclination distributions for the Paleozoic and Precambrian can be explained by a geomagnetic field source model which includes a relatively modest (~25%) contribution to the axial dipole from a zonal octupole field and an arbitrary zonal quadrupolar contribution. The apparent change by around 250 Ma to a much more axial dipolar field geometry might be due to the stabilization of the geodynamo from growth of the inner core to some critical threshold size, a gross speculation which would imply that either the threshold size was rather large or the inner core nucleated rather late in Earth history. Alternatively, if a geocentric axial dipole model is assumed or can eventually be demonstrated independently, the anomalous inclination distributions for the Paleozoic and Precambrian may reflect a tendency of continental lithosphere to be cycled into the equatorial belt, perhaps because geoid highs associated with long-term continental aggregates influence true polar wander

The Kolkata Paise Restaurant Problem and Resource Utilization

We study the dynamics of the "Kolkata Paise Restaurant problem". The problem is the following: In each period, N agents have to choose between N restaurants. Agents have a common ranking of the restaurants. Restaurants can only serve one customer. When more than one customer arrives at the same restaurant, one customer is chosen at random and is served; the others do not get the service. We first introduce the one-shot versions of the Kolkata Paise Restaurant problem which we call one-shot KPR games. We then study the dynamics of the Kolkata Paise Restaurant problem (which is a repeated game version of any given one shot KPR game) for large N. For statistical analysis, we explore the long time steady state behavior. In many such models with myopic agents we get under-utilization of resources, that is, we get a lower aggregate payoff compared to the social optimum. We study a number of myopic strategies, focusing on the average occupation fraction of restaurants.Comment: revtex4, 8 pages, 3 figs, accepted in Physica

The influence of tree root water uptake on the long term hydrology of a clay fill railway embankment

This paper uses a numerical model to investigate the influence of tree root water uptake and tree removal on pore water pressures and the vertical movement of a clay fill railway embankment. Simulated results of soil wetting and drying are compared with field measurements from an instrumented railway embankment before and after tree removal. A parametric study compares the influence of vegetation on the seasonal movement of the embankment slope. The simulations and field measurements show that while trees cause significant seasonal variations in pore water pressure and water content near the soil surface, they can maintain persistent soil suctions at depth within the tree rooting zone. Demonstration of this result using a numerical model requires a root water uptake function that separates spatially the processes of water infiltration, evaporation and transpiration. When all of the trees are removed, the persistent soil suctions established by the trees are lost as water infiltrates from the soil surface. Leaving the trees in place over the bottom third of the slope can maintain persistent suctions at the slope toe, while potentially also reducing seasonal ground movements at the crest that may adversely affect railway track geometry