On Quasi-Proper Names in Japanese A reply to A. Capone’s “On quasi-proper names”

This paper aims to explore the semantics and pragmatics of quasi-proper names (QP-names) from cross-linguistic and language-specific perspectives, based on Japanese data. First, a stronger basis is provided for the core part of QP-names from a cross-linguistic perspective. Specifically, supporting evidence is provided for direct reference and rigidity, by examining the reference of a QP-name in a modal context compared with the corresponding definite description. Then, indexicality as a unique property of QP-names is discussed in greater detail, with a clarification of the notion in relation to Kaplan’s theory of indexicals. On this basis, QP-names are characterized as rigid designators that apply to each individual in a relational scheme (such as a family tree) in such a way that they are assigned in a systematic way, with customization, to the individual’s superiors within a certain degree of relationship and are used from the individual’s perspective. Ambiguity and disambiguation are also discussed, using illustrations of phrasal and compound QP-names, which serve as full names and nicknames. Second, deviant cases of QP-names are investigated. Specifically, QP-names with a higher degree of quasi -ness, or quasi-quasi -proper names, are discussed, using illustrations of examples unique to Japanese. These include anata , which is derived from a second person pronoun (‘you’) to be used by a wife when talking to her husband even when he is not there. Furthermore, pseudo -quasi-proper names are discussed. They look like QP-names but have an essential difference. They are regarded as metonymically-created temporary names to be used in the context at issue. Based on the core features and deviant cases of QP-names, together with an observation of atypical proper names, it was proposed that we evaluate the quality of (quasi-)proper names on multiple criteria and consider a complex model of (quasi-)proper names, according to this evaluation.

An individual is typically referred by numerous name aliases on the web. Accurate identification of aliases of a given person name is useful in various web related tasks such as information retrieval, sentiment analysis, personal name disambiguation, and relation extraction. We propose a method to extract aliases of a given personal name from the web. Given a personal name, the proposed method first extracts a set of candidate aliases. Second, we rank the extracted candidates according to the likelihood of a candidate being a correct alias of the given name. We propose a novel, automatically extracted lexical pattern-based approach to efficiently extract a large set of candidate aliases from snippets retrieved from a web search engine. We define numerous ranking scores to evaluate candidate aliases using three approaches: lexical pattern frequency, word co-occurrences in an anchor text graph, and page counts on the web. To construct a robust alias detection system, we integrate the different ranking scores into a single ranking function using ranking support vector machines. We evaluate the proposed method on three data sets: an English personal names data set, an English place names data set, and a Japanese personal names data set. The proposed method outperforms numerous baselines and previously proposed name alias extraction methods, achieving a statistically significant mean reciprocal rank (MRR) of 0.67. Experiments carried out using location names and Japanese personal names suggest the possibility of extending the proposed method to extract aliases for different types of named entities, and for different languages. Moreover, the aliases extracted using the proposed method are successfully utilized in an information retrieval task and improve recall by 20 percent in a relation-detection task.

Language, contact, and vantages: fifteen hundred years of Japanese color terms

In this paper we proposed a lexical-pattern-based approach to extract aliases of a given name. We use a set of names and their aliases as training data to extract lexical patterns that describe numerous ways in which information related to aliases of a name is presented on the web. An individual is typically referred by numerous name aliases on the web. Accurate identification of aliases of a given person name is useful in various web related tasks such as information retrieval, sentiment analysis, personal name disambiguation, and relation extraction. We propose a method to extract aliases of a given personal name from the web. Given a personal name, the proposed method first extracts a set of candidate aliases. Second, we rank the extracted candidates according to the likelihood of a candidate being a correct alias of the given name. We evaluate the proposed method on three data sets: an English personal names data set, an English place names data set, and a Japanese personal names data set. The proposed method outperforms numerous baselines and previously proposed name alias extraction methods, achieving a statistically significant mean reciprocal rank (MRR) of 0.67.

This paper studied “wood burial”, a form of the burial of cremation ash under the tree in Japan today. Cremation has been conducted in Japan at a rate of more than 90%. Traditionally, the cremation ashes are buried in the family grave with known Japanese name as “ie haka”. But now, in Japan, the factors influencing traditional customs such as family structure, the proportion of young and old people, religious consciousness... are changing. This led to new trends and changes in the culture of treatment of cremated remains. Among that, “wood burial” has emerged and become increasingly popular. In general, the “wood burial” in Japan has many common features such as having harmony with nature, using trees instead of artificial gravestones, etc. in the general trend in the world. Besides, through my study, in the particular context of Japan, the Japanese style wood burial, inheriting traditional characteristics such as burying the cremated ashes in the family unit (like family grave), the permanence of grave,etc...has been clarified. Like that, inheriting the previous studies, this paper did a research about the background, characteristics, popularity… of the “wood burial” in Japan. It is also a noticeable topic of having attracted attention from various viewpoints nowadays. Through this, it is possible to understand Japanese burial culture, the culture of family, ancestor worship, etc. And relating to Vietnam, it is also a meaningful topic in the background that cremation has been increasingly accepted in Vietnam, and based on that, in the culture of burial, ancestor worship custom, …the change has been happening. Through the study, the author hopes to contribute to providing the knowledge systematically about this new topic in Vietnam. In this paper, through fieldwork research of the author, clarifying the characteristic, the acceptance and performance of wood burial,…, and through it, making clear the culture of treatment of cremation ashes, the change of family structure, ancestor worship, the concept of patriarchy... in Japan nowadays, is the purpose of my research. This topic has almost not been studied in Vietnam systematically and is meaningful in the context cremation is increasingly accepted, and brings changes in burial culture, the ancestor worship… in Vietnam today.

A Protein Toxin from the Sea Anemone Phyllodiscus semoni Targets the Kidney and Causes a Severe Renal Injury with Predominant Glomerular Endothelial Damage

In this paper we discuss the relationships between the social attitudes of students aged 13 to 18 and their parents, important agents in their socialization. We use Japanese family data from the 1990' s and American family data from the 1970's to compare basic features of the two societies.Using data from the triad of mother, father and child, we focus on three social attitudes : authoritarian-conservatism, idea-conformity and self-confidence. We hypothesize that the factor structures of parents' and children' s attitudes are similar. With the LISREL program we use linear structual equation modeling to test our hypothesis and to measure the correlations among different family members' attitudes.We find different patterns of correlation among family triads in the U.S. and Japan.First, for authoritarian-conservatism the correlation among family members is positive in both countries, although all of the correlations are higher in the U.S. than Japan. Second, the only significant correlation in Japan for idea comformity is between parents, whereas in the U.S. the only significant correlation is between mother and child. Third, for self-confidence all of the correlations among the family triad are significant and positive in the U.S.sample; however, although all are positive in Japan, only the correlation between father and mother is significant.All in all, though American data supports standard sociological theories of family, for example, Parson' s theory of functions of family, Japanese data does not. This is because in the U.S. society parents' social attitudes are transmitted to their children effectively. In addition, weak correlation in Japan between mothers and children does not support the importance of “mother-child identification” in Japanese sociological family theory.

【目的】本研究の目的は,日本国内で作成される,日本人名・日本の団体名に関する著者名典拠データの構造や内容を分析し,『典拠データの機能要件(Functional Requirements for Authority Data; FRAD)』を日本の著者名典拠データに適用する上で課題となる点を検討することである。【方法】まず,FRAD適用の要件として,日本の著者名典拠データに(1)国際共有のために典拠レコードに含めるべき要素を定めた,Mandatory Data Elements for Internationally Shared Resource Authority Records(MLAR)の必須要素および推奨要素が含まれていること,(2)FRADの属性,関連の中で,既にFRADへの対応を済ませたUNIMARC典拠フォーマット,MARC21典拠フォーマットが採用しているデータ要素が含まれていること,(3)前記(2)の各データ要素を入力可能なフィールドが存在すること,の3要件を設定した。次に,日本国内で典拠ファイルを作成している6機関の典拠フォーマットおよびマニュアルを収集し,各機関が典拠ファイルに記述している典拠データ要素を抽出して, UNIMARCおよびMARC21フォーマットに採用されているデータ要素とのマッピングを行い,これら3要件を満たしているか検討した。【結果】国内の著者名典拠データは,(1)の要件はほぼ満たすが(2)と(3)の要件は満たしておらず,FRAD適用のためには,実体「個人」,「団体」の属性,異なる実体間の関連や,関連の種類などのデータ要素,ならびにこれらを入力可能なフィールドを採用すべきであることが明らかとなった。さらに,日本の典拠データに含まれるが,UNIMARC,MARC21フォーマットには採用されていない日本独自のデータ要素も明らかとなった。

Differences in representations of Japanese name authority data among CJK countries and the Library of Congress

This paper contributes to the literature of suicide studies by presenting procedures and its estimates of the number of family members who lose their loved ones to suicide. Using Japanese aggregate level data, three main findings emerge: first, there are approximately five bereaved family members per suicide; second, in 2006, there were about 90,000 children who had lost a parent to suicide; and third, in 2006, there were about three million living family members who had lost a loved one to suicide. The direct production loss of bereaved family members in 2006 alone is estimated at approximately 197 million USD. These results are valuable in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of suicide prevention programs and in designing appropriate policy instruments.

A new mode of housing tenure in Japan, rental housing with fixed rental terms, was introduced in March 2000 with the revision of the Japanese Tenant Protection Law. This paper examines the implications of this new system by analyzing the determinants of the choices by households among the three types of housing tenure in Japan: owned housing, general rental housing, and rental housing with fixed rental terms, and calculates the estimated compensating variation. Our micro-data is based on the three waves of Japanese household longitudinal data (Keio Household Panel Survey, KHPS) covering all of Japan. The difference between general rental housing and rental housing with fixed rental terms is reflected in the length of the contract term and the level of rent. We carefully eliminate potential sample selection bias introduced to the conditional logit housing tenure choice model through the estimation of the hedonic price regression of each housing tenure alternative. We find that households with a smaller number of family members, those who moved from outside the local housing market, those headed by an unmarried household head, and those with plans to own a house in the near future tend to select rental housing with fixed rental terms. The estimated mean compensating variation by introducing rental housing with fixed rental terms for all households selecting that tenure is 1,205 JPY per month or 1.96% of their monthly rent. Moreover, younger and/or lower income households derived the greatest benefit from the revised law in the form of lower rents.

This study aimed to describe the migraine burden and healthcare utilization in the context of headache frequency using nationwide claims data linked to online survey data previously collected in Japan. It has been shown that increase in headache frequency can impose greater impact on individuals' daily and social functioning, but migraine burden in those with low-frequency headaches remains largely unknown in Japan. This post-hoc, observational study reported on 674 respondents who were working individuals and their family members aged 19-74 years, responded to an online questionnaire (response rate: 14.1% [21,704 responded/153,545 kencomⓇ registrants]), and were previously classified as having migraine. Disease burden in terms of Migraine-Specific Quality of Life (MSQ) and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) was compared across 0-3, 4-7, 8-14, and ≥ 15 monthly headache days (MHD). Among 674 respondents, 419 (62.2%), 148 (22.0%), 61 (9.1%), and 46 (6.8%) had 0-3, 4-7, 8-14, and ≥ 15 MHD, respectively. Of those, 55 (13.1%), 31 (20.9%), 19 (31.1%), and 20 (43.5%) respondents consulted physicians for headaches. Moderate-to-severe impairments in daily activities were reported by 298 (71.1%), 110 (74.3%), 46 (75.4%), and 38 (82.6%) respondents. The proportion of the respondents with WPAI >0% generally increased with increasing headache frequency (presenteeism: 41.7 and 67.5% in respondents with 0-3 and ≥ 15 MHD, respectively; overall work impairment: 44.8 and 72.5%, respectively; and activity impairment: 44.9 and 73.9%, respectively), except for absenteeism (12.4 and 22.5%, respectively). The mean MSQ score declined with increasing MHD (Role function-restrictive: 75.1 and 59.5 in those with 0-3 and ≥ 15 MHD, respectively; Role function-preventive: 85.8 and 75.0, respectively; and Emotional function: 81.9 and 63.6, respectively). Based on the Japanese nationwide claims data, quality of life and work productivity decreased with increasing numbers of headache days. Substantial disease burden paired with low levels of healthcare utilization highlights the need for medical or non-medical intervention.

A new mode of housing tenure in Japan, rental housing with a fixed rental term, was introduced in March 2000 with the revision of the Japanese Tenant Protection Law. This chapter examines the implications of this new system by analyzing the determinants of the choices by households among the three types of housing tenure in Japan: owned housing, ordinary rental housing, and rental housing with a fixed rental term; and calculating the estimated compensated variation. Our micro-data are based on the three waves of Japanese household longitudinal data (Keio Household Panel Survey, KHPS) covering all Japan. The difference between ordinary rental housing and rental housing with a fixed rental term is reflected in the length of the contract term and the level of rent. We carefully eliminate potential sample selection bias introduced to the conditional logit housing tenure choice model through the estimation of the hedonic price regression of each housing tenure alternative. We find that households with a smaller number of family members, those who moved from outside the local housing market, those headed by an unmarried household head, and those with plans to own a house in the near future tend to select rental housing with a fixed rental term. The estimated mean compensating variation by introducing rental housing with a fixed rental term for all households selecting that tenure is 1205 yen per month, 1.96% of their monthly rent. Moreover, the young and/or low-income households receive the greatest benefit from the revision of the law in terms of lower rents.

With the aging population, family caregivers, including young adults, play an increasingly important role in supporting patients with cancer. This study compares the caregiving burden and psychological vulnerability faced by individuals caring for parents with terminal cancer during end-of-life (EOL) care and bereavement among three age groups: young adult caregivers (YACs), adult caregivers, and older caregivers. This cross-sectional study entailed a secondary analysis of Japanese national bereavement survey data. Data from bereaved family members who had cared for parents with cancer were used, and YACs (18-25years) were compared with adult (26-39years) and older (≥ 40years) caregivers regarding caregiving burden, mental health, and depressive or grief symptoms. Statistical analyses included descriptive summaries and logistic regression to identify group differences. From the original dataset, 18,145 parent-caring participants were analyzed, including 43YACs. Compared to older caregivers, YACs reported higher psychological vulnerability, with significantly poorer mental health during the final week of caregiving (64.3% vs. 36.3%, OR: 3.15; 95% CI: 1.70-6.08) and higher depressive symptoms 1-2years post-bereavement (29.3% vs. 11.9%, OR: 3.06; 95% CI: 1.50-5.86). Moreover, YACs showed a lower mean score for personal growth than older caregivers (4.5 vs. 5.0 difference: -0.5, 95% CI: -1.0 to -0.1) despite a similar caregiving burden across groups. Notably, YACs face distinct challenges during EOL care, including increased psychological vulnerability and limited recognition of personal growth. Tailored interventions, including early mental health screening and resiliency-building strategies, are critical for effectively supporting this population.

ABSTRACTIntroductionOlder people's experiences with access to primary healthcare are overlooked in LMICs, leading to inequitable access and limited delivery of person‐centred care. In Lebanon, the economic crisis has increased older people's vulnerabilities and reliance on services provided through primary healthcare centres (PHCCs). This study explores (1) factors shaping decisions of using PHCCs; (2) experiences of older people accessing PHCCs from three perspectives: the older people themselves, family members and service providers; (3) family members' experiences with accessing PHCCs; and (4) service providers' experiences with providing care for older people within PHCCs in a Northern Lebanese district.MethodsThis study adopts a qualitative descriptive design with an inductive content analysis approach. Data were collected through seven focus group discussions and 15 individual interviews (n = 57 older people, family members, and service providers).ResultsFactors shaping decisions of using PHCCs' services include socio‐economic status, knowledge of services, influences of family members, perceived service quality and proximity, age‐related changes, and providers' attitudes and behaviours. Older people reported varied access experiences shaped by factors at individual, organisational, communal, governmental and global levels. Positive experiences included enhanced autonomy, gratitude for receiving needed services, perceived care quality and socialising opportunities. However, negative experiences included humiliation and discomfort, anxiety, dependency, perceived status regression, perceived poor quality and a sense of being a burden. While some family members reported relief from getting affordable care, others reported discomfort, perceived status regression, blame for neglect and challenges with coordinating care across multiple providers. Service providers' experiences included pride in supporting older people, but resentment due to unfair remuneration.ConclusionFindings reveal aspects of care that older people and family members appreciate and others that contribute to negative experiences. Experiences of older people, family members and service providers are interconnected. Quality improvement requires comprehensive approaches addressing their needs. Findings inform practitioners and policymakers to design multidimensional and people‐centred approaches to maximise healthcare access.Patient and Pubic ContributionNo PPI engagement methods were applied in this study or analysis. However, the findings informed discussions with older people and facilitated partnerships to co‐design a follow‐up study focused on developing solutions.