Defensive Behaviors in Infant Rhesus Monkeys: Ontogeny and Context-dependent Selective Expression

We examined the ontogeny of the infant rhesus monkey's defensive behaviors and the ability to modulate them in response to specific environmental cues. Rhesus infants in 4 age groups (N = 8 per group) were briefly separated from their mothers and tested under 3 conditions: alone, in the presence of a human who averted his gaze, and in the presence of a human staring at them. Infants as young as 0 to 2 weeks displayed defensive behaviors but did not selectively respond to the human's presence or direction of gaze. By 9 to 12 weeks of age, infants modulated their responses in relation to the parameters of the threat. At this age, infant rhesus monkeys undergo cognitive and emotional changes associated with brain development similar to those in human infants 7 to 12 months old. This also is the time when human infants engage in complex emotional and behavioral responses to threatening situations. Understanding the development and expression of defensive behaviors in infant monkeys should be applicable to similar issues in emotional development of human infants.     

The comprehension of first and second-language prose

How does national culture interact with second-language reading comprehension? This study investigated the effect of cultural medium of presentation, language, and sequence of cultural/foreign and first-language/second-language presentation on the literal and interpretative comprehension of Form I (seventh grade) bilingual Nigerian students. Data were analysed using ANOVA. Previous studies concerning schema theories were upheld in that the present results for Experiment 1 revealed significantly superior scores for culturally related English language text when compared with scores for foreign-based passages written in English. The data from Experiment 2 also revealed similar results when the subjects were presented with the same Experiment 1 foreign-based passages written in English and with translations of these English passages to the mother tongue. In spite of sequencing, scores were higher for the first-language passages. For both experiments, scores were higher at the literal level and sequencing was found to have little effect in enhancing comprehension of culturally unfamiliar material.     

The development of intruder attack in colonies of laboratory rats

Most attacks by rat colony members on strange intruders are made by a single dominant male. Such dominance, and the attack behaviors themselves, develop in a relatively fixed sequence over sessions with strange intruders. The entire sequence of attack on intruders occurs earlier in the intruder sessions for older rat colonies than in those for newly established colonies: conversely, more attack is seen in colonies with prior intruder experience than for intruder-naive colonies of equivalent age. Thus both experience within the colony and specific experience with strange intruders influence the rate of development of attack on intruders by dominant colony rats.     

Gender salary differences in economics departments in Japan

By using unique survey data, we conduct a detailed study of the gender salary gap within economics departments in Japan. Despite the presence of rigid pay scales emphasizing age and experience, there is a 7% gender salary gap after controlling for rank and detailed personal, job, institutional and human capital characteristics. This gender salary gap exists within ranks. We find no gender promotion differences. In addition, we find a concentration of the salary gap in public universities and in research oriented universities. Our results show no evidence that the gender salary gap is reducing over time, and reject the hypothesis that females’ choice between household work and market activities is responsible for the gender salary gap.     

The Usefulness of Saturated Salt Solution Embalming Method for Oral Surgical Skills Training: A New Cadaveric Training Model for Bone Harvesting

The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of saturated salt solution-embalmed cadavers for oral surgical skills training related to bone graft harvesting. Two half-day surgical skills training workshops were held at the Tokyo Medical University utilizing eight cadavers embalmed with the saturated salt solution. A total of 22 participants including oral surgeons, residents, and dentists attended the workshop. Surgical training consisted of six procedures related to intraoral and extraoral bone harvesting. The participants were surveyed to assess self-confidence levels for each surgical procedure before and after completion of each workshop. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the differences between each median score before and after the workshop. There were statistically significant increases in the self-assessed confidence scores in bone harvesting procedures for the zygomatic bone (P = 0.003), maxillary tuberosity (P = 0.002), and other sites (P < 0.001). The anatomical features of saturated salt solution-embalmed cadavers were also examined. The textures of the oral mucosa and skin were similar to those of living individuals. The structure of bone tissues was well-preserved and the hardness was realistic. Consequently, all procedures were performed with sufficient realism. The saturated salt solution method has a relatively low cost of preparation and storage, and almost no odor. The authors suggest that saturated salt solution-embalmed cadavers could provide a new model for oral surgical skills training in bone harvesting.     

Effects of intense exercise on the physiological and mental condition of female university judoists during a training camp

To clarify the physical and mental fatigue caused by intense exercise and the relationship between the two types of fatigue, we examined changes in anthropometric and biochemical variables, neutrophil function, and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire in 13 female university judoists attending a one-week training camp. Blood glucose, total cholesterol, haemoglobin, leukocyte count, IgG, and phagocytic activity all decreased after the training camp compared with baseline (P < or = 0.046). Aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, and neutrophil oxidative burst activity increased after the training camp (P < or = 0.007). Of the POMS scores, that for Fatigue increased after the training camp (P = 0.041) and that for Vigour decreased (P = 0.042). The changes in several POMS scores correlated with the changes in blood biochemical variables. In particular, the change in Total mood disturbance was negatively associated with changes in myogenic enzymes (P < or = 0.032). Our results suggest that intense exercise during training camps for female judoists leads to the appearance and accumulation of mental and physical fatigue, which are related to each other.     

Attitudes of Japanese Learners and Teachers of English towards Non-Standard English in Coursebooks

Over the decades, efforts have been made to incorporate diverse perspectives on World Englishes into English Language Teaching (ELT) practice and teaching materials. To date, the majority of ELT learners and teachers have not yet been exposed to materials which use and explore non-standard forms of English. This paper examines the attitudes of Japanese learners and teachers of English towards the use of these forms in ELT coursebooks. This study, conducted through questionnaires, surveys, focus groups and interviews, indicates that junior and high school teachers in Japan are open to the possibility of exposing students to different varieties of English. There are also indications that teachers and students share practical concerns about this.     

Children's response characteristics in a structured self-paced learning task

Fourth and fifth-grade children identified as fast/inaccurate and slow/accurate responders on the basis of the Matching Familiar Figures test were administered a self-paced learning task. The task consisted of a 25 word categorizable list composed of five instances from each of five categories. Four treatment conditions, the usual random presentation and blocked presentation conditions plus random presentation with instructions and blocked presentation with instructions, were employed. Analysis of variance was used to analyze clustering, free recall, and cued recall performance. A significant main effect for type of treatment was found in clustering performance. A significant instruction by response style interaction in the analysis of free call performance indicated that while fast/inaccurate responders benefit from instructions, slow/accurate responders did not. When children identified as fast/inaccurate or slow/accurate were placed in self-paced learning situation, no significant difference was found in total viewing time of the stimulus materials.