Japanese Working Class Lives: An Ethnographic Study of Factory Workers.

Japanese Working Class Lives: An Ethnographic Study of Factory Workers. James E. Roberson. New York: Routledge, 1998. 227 pp.     

Educating Hearts and Minds: Reflections on Japanese Preschool and Elementary Education

Educating Hearts and Minds: Reflections on Japanese Preschool and Elementary Education. Catherine C. Lewis. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 249 pp.     

The Chrysanthemum and the Song: Music, Memory and Identity in the South American Japanese Diaspora; Strangers in the Ethnic Homeland: Japanese Brazilian Return Migration in Transnational Perspective

The Chrysanthemum and the Song: Music, Memory and Identity in the South American Japanese Diaspora . Dale A. Olsen. Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 2004. 323 pp.
Strangers in the Ethnic Homeland: Japanese Brazilian Return Migration in Transnational Perspective . Takeyuki Tsuda. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003. 431 pp.     

Understanding Cultures through Their Key Words: English, Russian, Polish, German, and Japanese

Understanding Cultures through Their Key Words: English, Russian, Polish, German, and Japanese. Anna Wierzbicka. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. 318 pp.     

An Introduction to Japanese Society: Office Ladies and Salaried Men: Power, Gender and Work in Japanese Companies: The Culture of Japan as Seen through Its Leisure

An Introduction to Japanese Society. Yoshio Sugimoto. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 285 pp.
Office Ladies and Salaried Men: Power, Gender and Work in Japanese Companies. Yuko Ogasawara. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998. 221 pp.
The Culture of Japan as Seen through Its Leisure. Sepp Linhart and Sabine Fruhstuck. eds. Albany. State University of New York Press, 1998. 398 pp.     

The Introduction of Japanese Plants Into North America

This article describes the history of plant introductions from Japan into North America, from the Perry Expedition in 1854 through the collections of George Rogers Hall of Bristol, Rhode Island and Thomas Hogg of New York City between 1861 and 1875. Both men sent plants to the innovative nurseryman, Samuel Bowne Parsons of Flushing, Long Island, who propagated and sold them to the gardening public. This process, which took more than twenty years from initial collection through commercial distribution, succeeded in adding innumerable Japanese species into the ornamental landscapes of North America, including Japanese maple, kousa dogwood, panicle hydrangea, and Sawara cypress. Unfortunately these early introductions also included a number of species which escaped cultivation and have become infamously invasive, including oriental bittersweet, kudzu, porcelain berry and Japanese honeysuckle. The pioneering work of these three horticulturists--compounded over the past hundred and fifty years--has had a profound impact on both cultivated and wild landscapes across North America.     

Discrimination of West Nile virus and Japanese encephalitis virus strains using RT-PCR RFLP analysis

West Nile (WN) virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that induces lethal encephalitis in humans and horses. Since an outbreak of WN encephalitis in humans and horses occurred in New York City in late August 1999, the possibility exists that WN virus will invade regions that have close links with the United States, such as Japan. We developed a genetic diagnostic method that discriminates between strains of WN virus and Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus. The method involves RT-PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis with a RT-PCR primer set, a nested PCR primer set, and a restriction enzyme. We detected WN and JE viruses in experimentally infected animal brain, spleen, and serum samples. Our method is useful in distinguishing WN viruses from the endemic background of JE viruses, and in discriminating the highly virulent WN strain, which was isolated in New York in 1999, from other WN virus strains.     

Spatial ecology of the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica

A cornerstone of spatial ecology is the quantification of the patchy nature of animal and plant populations in space. By using spatial covariance, total covariance, and quantile variance, we found that patchiness of Japanese beetle grub populations varied more between years than between fairways at a central New York golf course. We also observed that populations tended to shrink and swell around patches with perennially low density, that locations with perennially low grub density were associated with high soil organic matter content, and that locations with frequently high grub density were associated with intense adult beetle activity in the vicinity.     

A Review of the Biology and Ecology of Three Invasive Perennials in New York State: Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) and Pale Swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum rossicum)

Terrestrial weeds continue to evolve in association with the rapid global changes in our land-use systems, due to their regenerative strategies, their adaptability to change, and their inherent diversity. Currently, invasive weeds are estimated to cost the United States’ economy up to $35 billion per year, and this total is rapidly increasing, as greater numbers of invasive species become naturalized. Several invasive exotic species have more recently established across New York State, creating difficulties for agricultural producers, roadside and natural areas managers, and homeowners and resulting in millions of dollars expended annually for their control. Three perennials that have become particularly problematic in New York State in recent years in both agricultural and roadside settings include Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc.), mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.), and pale swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum rossicum (Kleop.) Barbar.). This review describes their history, biology, ecology, and potential for management and focuses on key characteristics contributing to their spread in New York State and adjacent regions.     

Reviewer's Choice: Book Review Section

Sculpture in America: Thomas Y. Crowell Co.: 201 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003: List Price $1 7.50. Revewed by Wayne Craven.

Buttons: Walker and Company 720 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10019: List Price $3.50. Revewed by Diana Epstein.

Art Lessons on a Shoestring: Parker Publishing Ca.: 1 Village Square, 10 Nyack, New York 10994: List Price $8.95. Revewed by Ruth 1. Peck, Robert 5. Aniello.

Introduction to the Visual Arts: Tudor Publishing Company, 221 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003: List Price $4.95. Revewed by S. Ralph Maurello.

Creating From Clay: Reinhold Book Corporation, 430 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022: List Price $7.50. Revewed by Henry Petterson.

Design by Accident: Dover Publications, Inc., 180 Varick Street, New York, New York 10014: List Price $3.00. Revewed by James F. O'Brien.

Simple Stage Costumes and How to Make Them: Watson-Guptill Publications 165 West 46th Street, New York, New York 10036

Basic, Typography: Watson-Guptill Publications, 165 West 46th Street, New York, New York 10036: List Price $8.50. Revewed by John R. Biggs.     

Book Review Section: Reviewer's Choice

Art and the Seafarer: The Viking Press, 625 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022: List Price $28.00. Reviewed by Hans Jurgen Hansen.

Sculpture with a Torch: University of Minnesota Press Minneapolis 14, Minnesota: List Price $2.95. Reviewed by John Rood.

Contemporary Art with Wood: Crown Publishers, Inc.: 419 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10016: List Price $6.95. Reviewed by Dona 2. Meilach.

All Around-the-House Art and Craft Book: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2 Park Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02107: List Price $5.00. Reviewed by Patricia Z. Wirtenberg.

Creative Ink Drawings: Watson-Guptill Publications 165 West 46th Street, New York, New York 10036: List Price $10.50. Reviewed by Paul Hogarth.

Lithography for Artists: Oxford University Press, 200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016: List Price $1.75. Reviewed by Stanley Jones.

Graphic Arts Encyclopedia: McGraw-Hill Book Company 330 West 42nd Street, New York, New York 10036: List Price $16.50. Reviewed by George A. Stevenson.

100 Watercolor Techniques: Watson-Guptill Publications 165 West 46rh Street, New York, New York 10036: List Price $15.00. Reviewed by Norman Kent.     

New percentage body fat prediction equations for Japanese males

Anthropometry is simple, cheap, portable and non-invasive method for the assessment of body composition. While the Nagamine and Suzuki body density prediction equation has been frequently used to estimate %BF of Japanese, the equation was developed more than 40 years ago and its applicability to the current Japanese population has not been studied. This study aimed to compare %BF results estimated from anthropometry and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in order to examine applicability of the Nagamine and Suzuki equation. Body composition of 45 Japanese males (age: 24.3+/-5.5 years, stature: 171.6+/-5.8 cm, body mass: 62.6+/-7.1 kg, %BF: 15.7+/-5.6%) were assessed using whole-body DXA (Hologic QDR-2000) scan and anthropometry using the protocol of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). From anthropometric measurements %BF was calculated using the Nagamine and Suzuki equation. The results showed that the Nagamine and Suzuki equation significantly (p<0.05) underestimated %BF of Japanese males compared to the DXA results. There was a trend towards greater underestimation as the estimated %BF values using DXA increased. New %BF prediction equations were proposed from the DXA and anthropometry results. Application of the proposed equations may assist in more accurate assessment of body fatness in Japanese males living today.     

Comparative studies on physical characteristics and resting metabolism between young male highlanders of Papua New Guinea and young male Japanese

Anthropometric measurements and measurements of resting metabolism were made on 15 young male highlanders in Beha village at altitudes between 1,500 m and 1,800 m in the Eastern Highland of Papua New Guinea in August in 1978 and 10 young male Japanese in Nishinomiya in September. New Guineans showed significantly lower height, considerably lower body weight than Japanese but heavier body weight for height and significantly greater mean values of Rohrer's index and Brugsch's index than Japanese. Skinfold thicknesses for New Guineans were significantly smaller than those for Japanese. Thus, physically, New Guineans were more muscular and athletic when compared with Japanese. The mean value of resting metabolic rate for New Guineans, 46.35 W/m², at 25°C was considerably lower than that for Japanese, 51.01 W/m². New Guineans showed significantly lower mean value of resting metabolism 47.57 W/m² at 30°C than Japanese 55.16 W/m². The mean values of respiratory quotient for New Guineans (RQ = 0.950 at 25°C and 0.971 at 30°C) were significantly greater than those for Japanese (0.81 at 25°C and 0.81 at 30°C). New Guineans showed considerably lower mean value of heart rate at 30°C (71.1 beats/min) than Japanese (79.2 beats/min). The smaller physique of New Guineans might be the result of lower caloric intake and protein intake as well as of living in a tropical climate.     

Women's Organizations and the Development of Civil Society

Organizing Women: Formal and Informal Groups in the Middle East. Dawn Chatty and Annika Rabo. eds. New York: New York University Press, 1997.224pp.
Crazy for Democracy: Women in Grassroots Movements. Temma Kaplan. New York: Routledge, 1997.243 pp.
Women and Social Movements in Latin America: Power from Below. Lynn Stephen. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1997.332 pp.
Feminist Nationalism. Lois A. West. ed. New York: Routledge, 1997.294pp.     

New percentage body fat prediction equations for Japanese females

Anthropometry is a simple and cost-efficient method for the assessment of body composition. However prediction equations to estimate body composition using anthropometry should be 'population-specific'. Most popular body composition prediction equations for Japanese females were proposed more than 40 years ago and there is some concern regarding their usefulness in Japanese females living today. The aim of this study was to compare percentage body fat (%BF) estimated from anthropometry and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to examine the applicability of commonly used prediction equations in young Japanese females. Body composition of 139 Japanese females aged between 18 and 27 years of age (BMI range: 15.1-29.1 kg/m(2)) was measured using whole-body DXA (Lunar DPX-LIQ) scans. From anthropometric measurements %BF was estimated using four equations developed from Japanese females. The results showed that the traditionally employed prediction equations for anthropometry significantly (p<0.01) underestimate %BF of young Japanese females and therefore are not valid for the precise estimation of body composition. New %BF prediction equations were proposed from the DXA and anthropometry results. Application of the proposed equations may assist in more accurate assessment of body fatness in Japanese females living today.     

Marionettes as Recreational Art Activities in the Chicago Parks

Rembrandt Drawings: The Overlook Press New York City 10022 $12.95. Reviewed by B. Haak

The Decoupage Workshop: Doubleday &; Company, Inc. New York City 10017 $12.95. Reviewed by Leslie Linsley

A Cabinetmaker's Notebook: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company New York City 10001 $13.50. Reviewed by James Krenov

Alkema's Scrap Magic: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York City 10016 $12.95. Reviewed by Chester Jay Alkema

Things to Do in a Day Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. $8.95 cloth New York City 10022 $5.95 paper.     

Entering the Field: New Perspectives on World Football

Entering the Field: New Perspectives on World Football. Gary Armstrong and Richard Giulianotti. eds. New York: New York University Press, 1997.320 pp.     

The New Colored People: The Mixed-Race Movement in America

The New Colored People: The Mixed-Race Movement in America. Jon Michael Spencer. New York: New York University Press, 1997. 169 pp.     

Historical Archaeologies of Global Capitalism and Colonization

The Historical Archaeology of Buenos Aires:. City at the End of the World. Daniel Schavelzon. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2000. 187 pp.
Domestic Architecture and Power: The Historical Archaeology of Colonial Ecuador. Ross W. Jamieson. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2000. 244 pp.
Historical Archaeology in Wachovia: Excavating Eighteenth- Century Bethabara and Moravian Pottery. Stanley South. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 1999. 442 pp.
Historical Archaeology of the Ottoman Empire: Breaking New Ground. Uzi Baram and Lynda Carroll. eds. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2000. 272 pp.     

Factors influencing mutual gaze in captive female Japanese monkeys (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Macaca fuscata</Emphasis>)

Mutual gaze occurs when two animals simultaneously look at each other, and therefore signals reciprocal visual attention. We studied the occurrence of mutual gaze among adult female Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) housed at the Central Park Zoo in New York City (USA). We found that the frequency of mutual gaze varied according to one aspect of social context (proximity), and that monkeys’ age-rank was negatively correlated with the frequency of mutual gaze. The behavioral contexts in which mutual gaze was observed did not include aggression, and social rank did not predict frequency of mutual gaze. Mutual gaze therefore varies according to some aspects of social context and is generally predicted by factors that influence other social behaviors (e.g., age).