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The purpose of this paper is to assess the possibility of cross-linking silk fabric using citric acid (CA) as the cross-linking agent and nano-TiO2 (NTO) particles as a catalyst at low temperature and under UV irradiation. This paper also assesses the possibility of treated samples with suitable combinations of CA and NTO to impart multiple functional properties such as self-cleaning and antimicrobial properties.

In this research, ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) grafted onto silk fabric using CA as a crosslinking agent and NTO particles as a catalyst through a pad-dry-cure technique and with UVA irradiation. The effects of different concentrations of CA, ß-CD and NTO particles on some properties of the treated samples are evaluated, and the optimum finishing conditions are obtained. The author also investigated the washing durability of the modified product after ten times of washing.

The results showed that CA plays the role of a linking agent through an esterification reaction with the hydroxyl groups of both ß-CD and silk fabrics and improves the durability of materials on the textile surface. Also, the silk fabrics treated with CA only were found to have excellent photocatalytic properties and better antibacterial activity than the control sample and the fabrics treated with a mixture of ß-CD/CA.

This study was conducted to achieve multiple functions such as antibacterial and photocatalytic activities, good dry crease recovery angle and wet crease recovery angle behavior without a significant adverse effect on the Yellowness index and tensile properties for treated silk fabrics.

As forestry contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gases by CO₂ fixation, in recent years, use of wood in buildings has attracted all over the world more attention. However, construction of large wood structures is almost inexistent within urban areas in Japan. This is due to the Japanese law on fire protection of wood buildings in cities, which is considered very strict with severe requirements. This paper aims to present a research work relative to the development of one-hour fire-resistant wood structural elements for buildings in cities. The developed elements are composed of three layers made of laminated timber.

These wood structural elements, made of glued laminated timber with self-charring-stop, have sufficient fire resistance during and after a fire and comply with the strict Japanese standard for wood structural elements, which stipulates that such elements have to withstand the whole dead-load of concerned buildings after fire. To comply with such requirements, new elements of glued laminated timber with self-charring-stop layer were developed, and their performance was confirmed. Several fire-resistant tests conducted on columns, beams, column-beam joints, connections between beams and walls and beams with holes were carried out.

All tests proved that the elements have sufficient fire resistance. No damage was found out at the load-bearing part of the elements after testing. As the developed elements have two layers protecting the load-bearing part, the temperature in the load-bearing part could be retained below 260°C (carbonization temperature) and provide the elements with a sufficient fire resistance for 1 h.

These wood structural elements have already been applied in six projects, where large-size wooden buildings were constructed in urban areas in Japan.

The proposed structural elements use a novel technique. Every wooden element is composed of three layers made of glued laminated timber. The elements have a typical performance of self-charring-stop after fire without need for water of firefighters. More technologies related to these elements, including column-beam joints and beams with holes and effect of crack, were also developed to design and construct safe wooden buildings.

This paper aims to investigate the physical, chemical and physicochemical characteristics of rice husk on alkaline treatment.

Rice husk (RM) was alkaline treated to produce soluble (SR) and insoluble residues (IR). Each fraction was characterized and soluble fraction was used to produce nanofibres using electrospinning method.

Alkaline treatment was effective in isolating insoluble dietary fibre rich IR from the other interfering substances such as soluble dietary fibre, protein and lipids that originally present in RM and leached into SR. The problem of silica induced toxicity and indigestibility of rice husk was overcome by alkaline treatment. Alkaline treatment altered the inherent mineral content (calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, phosphorus, zinc) of rice husk, and increased physicochemical properties such as emulsification ability and stability, water holding ability, mineral binding capacity (calcium, copper, iron, zinc), and antioxidant activity. SR had been successfully electrospun into nanofibres with the addition of polyvinyl alcohol.

The paper investigated the characteristic of rice husk (RM and IR) for the development of functional foods, pharmaceutical products and new bioactives delivery system at the expense of reducing environmental liability.

Care for the elderly is the most pressing problem now facing Japan. For maintaining a long and healthy life, it is important to refine the self-care of people and to create a well-balanced system of support involving health care, welfare, nursing care, and medical treatment. Mutual support within each local community is also indispensable for restructuring care-minding areas. Due attention should also be paid to the ethical aspects concerning care of the elderly. This chapter attempts to reflect on the brief history of the care for the elderly in Japan.

The Lockheed scandal was exposed during the 4 February 1976 hearings of the Sub-Committee on Multinational Corporations of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. These hearings revealed that Lockheed Aircraft Corporation paid illegal payments in several countries including Japan to promote the sale of its planes to prevent bankruptcy. The Securities Exchange Commission obtained documents showing that Lockheed paid more than US$10 million to Yoshio Kodama, a “fixer” and Lockheed's secret representative, and the Marubeni Corporation, which was Lockheed's agent in Japan since 1959. During the same hearings on 6 February, A. Carl Kotchian, vice president of Lockheed, informed the committee that a senior Japanese government official received US$2 million from Marubeni and that his company relied on Kenji Osano, a close associate of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, as an intermediary in its efforts to sell 21 Lockheed's L-1001 Tristar airbuses to All Nippon Airways (ANA) (Macdougall, 1988, pp. 193–195).

The paper compares multi-period forecasting performances by direct and iterated method using Bayesian vector autoregressive (VAR) models.

The paper adopts Bayesian VAR models with three different priors – independent Normal-Wishart prior, the Minnesota prior and the stochastic search variable selection (SSVS). Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to compare forecasting performances. An empirical study using US macroeconomic data are shown as an illustration.

In theory direct forecasts are more efficient asymptotically and more robust to model misspecification than iterated forecasts, and iterated forecasts tend to bias but more efficient if the one-period ahead model is correctly specified. From the results of the Monte Carlo simulations, iterated forecasts tend to outperform direct forecasts, particularly with longer lag model and with longer forecast horizons. Implementing SSVS prior generally improves forecasting performance over unrestricted VAR model for either nonstationary or stationary data.

The paper finds that iterated forecasts using model with the SSVS prior generally best outperform, suggesting that the SSVS restrictions on insignificant parameters alleviates over-parameterized problem of VAR in one-step ahead forecast and thus offers an appreciable improvement in forecast performance of iterated forecasts.

This chapter explores the modern phenomenon of Japanese tourists visiting anime-related places abroad. While similarities to film-induced tourism exist, anime-linked locations require tourists to use their imagination and permit a special interplay among the sites, fantasy, and cultural values. To examine the phenomenon, samples of popular anime titles were selected and Japanese online word-of-mouth records were collected as a set of data. Key Japanese cultural concepts were used to explain the significance of the anime-linked locations. Site managers can embellish the experience by subtly suggesting parallels in the real world to the idealized creations of leading anime artists.

Using corporate value statements of the top Fortune 300 firms for the year 2012, we examine relationships among the stated values of these companies, their industries, and their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance measures. We classify stated values into 21 broad categories. We find that corporate values exhibit strong industry affiliations. Correspondence analysis and regression models indicate that 19 out of 21 values are related to at least one performance measure and while some values are associated with improved performance (e.g., ethics), others (e.g., safety) have a negative impact. Further, while some values have the anticipated impact on performance (e.g., the shareholder value is positively associated with financial performance), some show no relationship (e.g., the environment value is not associated with environmental performance). Finally, our findings also suggest possible CSR washing in some cases. Overall, the study finds corporate values do affect their performance.

This paper aims to examine a copy Hiraga Gennai wrote advertising the toothpowder brand Sosekiko in terms of its target audience, product decisions pertaining to branding and packaging, pricing and advertising objectives and message appeals. A masterless samurai in the eighteenth century, Hiraga Gennai is considered Japan’s first advertising copywriter. Life of the versatile Renaissance man Gennai and the influences of his accomplishments on advertising in following generations are briefly discussed.

The research draws from a sampling of classical and contemporary literature as well as the interpretation of the images shown here. Visual content is described and analyzed as well.

Gennai’s witty and humorous advertising copy for handbills attracted the townspeople of Edo. The toothpowder market was mature and competitive, and Gennai’s copy emphasized differentiation through packaging and volume discount rather than ingredients. The advertising copy has culturally unique aspect: It appeals to the audience’s ninjo, or feelings of humanity, and explicitly solicited disseminating positive word-of-mouth by the audience.

This research shows that activities resembling more contemporary marketing practices, such as advertising and branding, for consumer products such as toothpowder existed in eighteenth-century Japan, more than a century prior to the paradigmatic development of marketing concept. The possibility for Gennai as a potential strategic marketing planner and implementer, in addition to advertising copywriter, is researched and analyzed.