Quantification Theory Type Research Articles

The changing occupational structure of a Laos mountain village

This paper presents the results of a case study of a mountain village in northern Laos. The focus of the paper is on the change in its occupational structure after the introduction of nonagricultural activities.In 1986, after 11 years of communist-based policies, the government adopted the Lao version of Perestroika or 'Chintanakan mai'. These policies appear to be having an impact even in remote, mountainous villages, as evidenced by an increase in non-agricultural activities in rural areas.The village taken up in this study is Phonsavang, a mountain village in northern Laos that has moved its location twice in the last 25 years. With each change of location, the village has diversified its economic activities. To begin with, the village was located in the mountains and traditional activities such as swidden agriculture played a central role in its economy. However, in the mid-1970s, the village moved to Nam Beng riverside where the villagers tried to develop paddy fields and began the shipment of forest products under the influence of neig hboring villages. After the introduction of the 'Chintanakan mai' policy, in 1988, the village moved to its current location, based along the No.2 national road. Since this move, many households have introduced non-agricultural activities such as general shop management, sawmill labor and teak plantations. Despite these changes, the village is still self-sufficient in rice production.A multivariate analysis using 'Quantification Theory Type II', a type of discriminant analysis, was carried out to describe the characteristics of households in the village. The criterion variable is the introduction of non-agricultural activities, and the predictor variables are types of rice field holdings, teak plantations and various types of agricultural capital goods. As a result of this analysis, households that introduced non-agricultural activities can be characterized as not holding any rice fields, or cultivating only paddy if they hold rice fields, and having expensive agricultural capital goods such as a thresher and a tractor. Ordinary households, on the other hand, can be characterized as specializing in rice farming using swidden methods.After characterizing the different household structures, the study examined the economic activities of households that introduced non-agricultural activities in detail. These households have accumulated a variety of capital goods- for example, cars, threshers and tractors. Most successful households that have many capital goods achieve success through the brokerage of forest products. However, not all households have been able to accumulate capital goods by themselves. Instead, they have relied on remittances from relatives who now live in a foreign country.This study suggests, therefore, that a diversification of the occupational structure has occurred with each village relocation. This diversification intensified after the introduction of 'Chintanakan mai' and an increase in non-agricultural activities was observed. In fact, a quarter of the households in this village had introduced non-agricultural activities by 1999. Nevertheless, the village is still producing a rice surplus as well as continuing to develop new paddy. Thus, it would seem that despite a diversification in occupational structure and the introduction of non-agricultural activities, rice farming remains a very important economic activity in rural villages.

A Cross-Cultural Study of Vehicle Front Mask Design Using Kansei Engineering Approach

This paper reports a kansei engineering study of vehicle front mask design conducted in Japan, UK, and US. The objective is to compare three different countries in terms of kansei meaning and kansei construction as well. The subjects in three countries evaluated 24 passenger-car front masks on the 5-point SD scale. The 24 front mask pictures were presented on computer screen. The experimental results of three groups were analyzed through Factor Analysis and Hayashi's Quantification Theory Type I and compared the similarity and difference in kansei evaluation among subjects from three countries. Three factors are extracted from the set of SD scales in describing vehicle front masks: Factor 1 “Value” with words such as “deluxe“, Factor 2 “Performance” with words such as “sporty”, and Factor 3 “Tradition” with words such as “classic” or “simple“. For feelings associated with the three factors, the overall shape of the whole mask, front grill shape and type, and headlight patterns have the broadest influence. No significant cross-cultural difference was identified in the perception of vehicle front masks.

The meta-analysis of correct answer rates in the memory question of self-belief-change tasks with Quantification Theory Type 1

The meta-analysis of correct answer rates in the memory question of self-belief-change tasks with Quantification Theory Type 1

ワークフローシステム導入事例に基づく導入効果の定量的評価

The effects of introducing a workflow system include improved work efficiency, reduced processing time (that is, turnaround time), standardized business processes, and paperless processing. However, no concrete methodology for quantitatively evaluating these effects has been established. By analyzing some examples of introducing workflow systems, we extracted the factors that influence the effects, and we used quantification theory type I to create a mathematical model for predicting the rate of reduction of processing time as an effect of introducing a workflow system. As a result, we concluded that: (1) the process improvement and (2) business process classification, before the introduction of the workflow system, are the factors that influence the effects. As a predictive model, multiple correlation coefficient R is 0.932, showing that the two factors have a considerable influence.

都市郊外開発による周辺農村地域の変容に関する研究 神戸市西区を事例として

For revealing the effect of newtown development on changes of the surrounding rural, Seisin Newtown and 144 cmmunities of West District of Kobe were chosen as the survey area, and annual changes in distribution patterns of agricultural structure and living environment were analyzed with principal component analysis and quantification theory type III method. The results showed that Newtown development provides a convenient environment for the surrounding rural area, and has promoted agricultural productivity due to related rural development projects.

Multivariate analysis of patients with head injury using quantification theory type II--with special reference to prediction of patient outcome.

Quantification theory type II was used to predict the outcome of 63 patients with head injury. Age, sex, two factors based on neurological examination, and seven factors based on findings of skull radiography and computed tomography of the head were selected as predictors. Patient outcome was evaluated 6 months after injury and assigned to good recovery, severe disability, or death. Discriminant analysis of patient outcomes was performed using the 11 factors. Two category scores were obtained for each category, since the highest correlation ratios were 0.869 and 0.252, and others were less than 10(-15). For each patient, a pair of sample scores was then obtained by simple summation of the 11 category scores. Pairs of sample scores were plotted, and the three groups of patient outcomes were clearly distinguishable without exception. These findings show that the outcome of patients with head injury can be accurately discriminated by quantitative analysis of qualitative data.

An investigation of the disabled elderly in a geriatric health services facility in an urban area of Japan and attitudes of their family caregiver.

We investigated characteristics of 72 clients in a geriatric health services facility (hereafter called GHSF), conditions of their family caregivers, and the factors associated with the caregivers choice of discharge destination. Most of the clients were elderly females with a low degree of independence, and dementia was observed in about 60% of them. The clients had children, but many of them lived alone before admission to the GHSF. The rate of admission from hospitals was high (54%), and that of discharge to hospitals was also high (50%). Sixty-seven percent of the clients stayed in for a period of over six months. Most of the family caregivers were daughters or daughters-in-law, and considered themselves to be healthy. Sixty-three percent of them had jobs, and most of the caregivers had no sub-caregiver to assist them. The family caregivers desired the client's home (19.4%), hospital or another GHSF (54.2%), or nursing home (26.4%) as the discharge destination from the GHSF. According to Hayashi's quantification theory type II, the factors related to the home as the discharge destination desired by client's family caregivers are as follows; caregivers used formal home public health nursing visit service before entering the GHSF, the job of the caregiver was a part-time job, the client did not show dementia, the period of care experience was shorter than one year.

舌へん平上皮癌Ｎ０症例における頚部後発転移の予測

To predict indicators of occult neck metastasis, we evaluated clinico-pathological findings in N O cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue by the quantification theory type II. The number of N O cases without local failure from 1974 through 1995 was 88. Biopsy specimens were evaluated pathologically after treatment of the primary lesion alone. Cervical lymph node metastasis subsequently developed in 18 cases. Data analysis, in which occult neck metastasis was considered a dependent variate and clinico-pathological findings as an independent variate, indicated that the invasion pattern was the most significant predictor of cervical lymph node metastasis. The presence or absence of occult cervical lymph node metastasis was correctly predicted in 76.1% of the cases.On analysis by the Anneroth classification, the contribution of morphologic variables to metastasis diminished in the following order: mode of invasion, number of mitoses, degree of keratinization, stage of invasion, lymph-plasmocytic infiltration, and nuclear polymorphism. On analysis of the total score derived from the correlation coefficients, occult neck metastasis was not found in patients with a score of 9 or less. The higher the total score, the higher was the incidence of cervical metastasis.

Predicting Japanese dairy consumption behavior using qualitative survey data

Three qualitative attribute models were applied to data from a 1997 Japanese consumer survey conducted for milk, domestic cheese, and imported cheese consumption. The three models estimated were neural networks, Quantification Theory Type II and probit models. The neural network model had the best predictive performance of three models. Important factors affecting changes in consumption of these three products were identified. Major positive factors affecting changes in fluid milk consumption included health and taste preferences by consumers. Interestingly, both health and taste concerns were also major negative factors impacting decreases in milk consumption as well. The most important positive factors affecting changes in domestic cheese consumption were price, taste, and health reasons, while health and taste concerns were also important negative factors. The single most important factor impacting changes in imported cheese consumption was taste, which means that the Japanese have acquired a new taste for imported cheese. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The utility of Hayashi's quantification theory type 2 for the rapid assessment of the epidemiological survey in the developing countries--in a case of the vaccine coverage survey in Yunnan Province, China.

It is difficult to conduct the epidemiological survey with accurate statistical theory in the developing countries due to the problems especially emerged in the developing countries such as no availability of the accurate population data, limitation of the time for survey, geographical obstacle and financial problems. In the consideration of the health needs in those countries, results of the epidemiological survey should be reflected in the present health projects as rapidly as possible. The authors conducted the survey for the immunization coverage of oral poliomyelitis vaccine(OPV) in China by the questionnaire and interview. The data was analyzed by using the Hayashi's quantification theory type 2 and made clear about the relationship between the health behaviors for immunization among residents and several factors. It is considered that this theorem can provide the obvious numeral materials about multi-factorial cause effect relationship for the decision making and is useful for the rapid assessment or initial survey in the developing countries.

Predictive factors for speech perception in patients with cochlear implant

Cochlear implant therapy is an epoch-making advance in artificial sensory organ transplants, but the positive effects on speech perception vary. Quantification theory type I, a multivariate analysis, was used to determine predictive factors for speech perception in patients with cochlear implants. Fifty-one postlingual deaf adults (18 male and 33 female, mean age, 53.4, mean duration of deafness, 8.6 years) were tested for speech perception three or more months after a Nucleus 22 channels cochlear implant. The cause of deafness in nine patients was labyrinthitis, ototoxicity in five, meningitis in three and unknown in the remaining 34. Speech perception was measured by vowel, consonant and word recognition using a live voice, and monosyllable, word and sentence recognition using a videodisc. All tests were administered in a sound only condition. Results of the univariate analysis indicated that age at implantation was correlated with monosyllable recognition, and duration of deafness was correlated with live voice word recognition. Residual hearing and coding strategy were both correlated with all outcome measures. The multivariate analysis revealed that coding strategy, duration of deafness, residual hearing and the number of electrodes were significant predictors of live voice word recognition in that order.

Concept of segmentation in nosocomial epidemiology: Epidemiological relation among antimicrobial-resistant isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Typing studies on 271 clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from the University Teaching Hospital were conducted to obtain their serotypes, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and plasmid profiles. These strain typing data were arranged through multivariate statistical analysis by computation to classify individual strains. Plots in the scatter diagrams obtained from both principal component analysis and quantification theory type III expressed the clinical strains of P. aeruginosa with various degrees of antimicrobial resistance. Epidemiological relation among these clinical strains was analysed in those scatter diagrams by segmentation, in combination with their epidemiological information (date and place of isolation, type of specimen, etc.). The results showed that the serotype E strains both with high-level resistance to gentamicin and with a plasmid of 3.9 x 10(6) dalton, and the strains resistant to more than five antimicrobial agents, were colonized and localized each in certain clinical wards for inpatients. It was suggested that segmentation analysis could be of practical use in the management of nosocomial infection control against P. aeruginosa with antimicrobial resistance.

Multivariate analysis of occult lymph node metastasis as a prognostic indicator for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity

The biologic aggressiveness of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity is reflected in its ability to metastasize to regional cervical lymph nodes. Patients with clinically negative cervical lymph nodes are believed to have a good prognosis; however, the prognosis of patients with lymph node metastasis occurring after excision or radiotherapy of the primary tumor is poor. Univariate and multivariate analyses for occult lymph node metastasis (ONM) in 172 patients with clinically negative cervical lymph nodes were performed by the authors to elucidate the clinical and histologic tumor risk factors to enhance their ability to predict ONM. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model and Hayashi's quantification theory type II were used to analyze prognostic factors and to determine the probability of ONM. Using Cox's proportional regression model, the factors linked to cancer specific survival were selected: tumor differentiation (P = 0.0330), mode of carcinoma invasion (P = 0.0175), and ONM (P = 0.0433). Pathologically identified metastatic lymph nodes were found in 21.5% of the cases studied (37 of 172 cases). The 5-year cancer specific survival was 94.0% for patients without lymph node metastasis, and 51.0% for patients with ONM (P < 0.0001, log rank test). The most significant predictors for ONM of each of the clinical and histologic factors, in descending order, were: mode of carcinoma invasion, intensity of lymphocytic infiltration, degree of differentiation, number of mitotic figures, and type of growth by means of Hayashi's quantification theory type II. The presence or absence of ONM in 147 of 172 patients (85.5%) was correctly predicted by the score at the point of intersection of the two curves, which was -0.03. Further investigation revealed that 28 of 32 new cases were differentiated accurately by means of this diagnostic system. The results of the current study suggest that this method of analysis can establish a reliable predictor of ONM, thereby facilitating correct choices for surgical procedures to enhance the survival rates of patients with clinically negative cervical lymph nodes.

A semantic and shape grammar based approach for product design

A semantic recognition and rule-oriented approach for developing a product design is proposed. The development of an office chair is used to describe the design procedures. A number of referential products are used to quantify partial correlation coefficients, which represent individual contributions of constituent components to the impression of a whole product with respect to an image, by using the ‘quantification theory type I’ and ‘semantic differential method’. The results are then built as an image database. A computer program is constructed by integrating the techniques of constructing B-splines, shape grammars and fuzzy operations to provide a CAD environment in which 3D basic models of a product can be constructed by starting with inputting an image word(s) and the corresponding membership functions for describing the image of the required product. After a basic product model has been constructed, new product forms can further be generated by regulating the shapes of the component(s) using shape rule(s).

Identifying consumer characteristics associated with Japanese preferences toward milk products

This article identifies consumer characteristics associated with preferences toward milk products. Using Japanese consumer data and Quantification Theory Type III, consumer' milk and other beverage preferences are quantified. The results indicate that men, middle-aged people, and people with no calcium concerns prefer soda and alcoholic beverages to milk beverages, while younger people, larger families, and people with calcium concerns drank more milk more often. The results also indicate that non-milk drinkers, older people, people with no calcium concerns, and men are less inclined to consume cheese and yogurt, and stronger health concerns increased demand for milk and dairy products. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

119. 多変量解析を用いた画像評価の検討 : 数量化3類による画像評価の試み

119. 多変量解析を用いた画像評価の検討 : 数量化3類による画像評価の試み

Analysis of Influential Factors in Abandonment of Cultivation using Quantification Theory Type I

Analysis of Influential Factors in Abandonment of Cultivation using Quantification Theory Type I

407 数量化III類よる観察者判断基準への一考察

407 数量化III類よる観察者判断基準への一考察

高齢期不安の認知の性差・年齢差・地域差に関する横断的研究

Nine hundred and sixty-eight men and women from a wide variety of ages responded to a questionnaire on old age anxiety in Okinawa . The main results are as follows. 1) Bed-ridden status was most cited (63%) as the greatest anxiety in old age . There were interactions between factors of age and region in the bed-ridden status . 2) Anxiety about being bed-ridden was cited the highest in the middle-age group. 3) There was significant age differences in the anxiety about becoming senile, with the young age group being most afraid of it. 4) Men were afraid of the separation by death from their wives . This peaked in the middle age group. 5) For women, anxiety about separation decreased with age. 6) They were not anxious about financial problems in their old age. 7) Lack of anxiety toward aging increased with age. 8) A multivariate analysis of seven anxious events in old age by mean of H ayashi's Quantification Theory Type III yielded four groups . They were named, anxiety ofgliving in a home for the old, living a life of solitary, gliving in poverty, and gdecline of health.a) Most of the people belonged to anxiety of the decline of health group.b) The older the group, the more they showed anxiety about?gdecline of health .c) The younger the group, the more they showed anxiety aboutgliving a life ofsolitary.

118. 数量化III類による画像評価の試み : 評価に用いる言葉の検討

118. 数量化III類による画像評価の試み : 評価に用いる言葉の検討