Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine retail brand equity driver and equity components, and discuss the differentiation of retail branding strategy of three types of supermarket (national chain, local chain and specialty chain) especially in Japan. Design/methodology/approach –The empirical study is based on a sample of 3,062 customers usually using supermarket chain stores (total 58 chain stores) via Internet research household panel to develop this model, and using multiple-group structural equation modeling. Findings – First, store equity driver influence the retail brand equity than policy of corporate driver, and the most affect factor of store equity driver is a service and support. Second, Retail brand equity components were distinctiveness, emotional loyalty, experience value, and trustworthiness. Emotional loyalty and experience value influences the behavioral loyalty. Third, three types of supermarket have different equity drivers, and they influence the purchase behavior. Specialty chain has a strong store driver, which increases of price per unit. National chain and local chain has a strong covariance policy of corporate driver and store equity driver, which influences the retail brand equity. Originality/value – Understanding the retail brand equity in Japanese supermarkets. Retail brand equity is made from a holistic aggregation of some components, and equity driver is made from store attributes and corporate attributes, which are attribution level of operational activities. Consumer recognizes the store as a holistic brand but company wants to know how to increase the behavioral loyalty (purchase behavior), this retail brand equity model integrates the retail brand as holistic and attribution level approach follows retail-marketing activities.

Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma is a rare malignant salivary gland tumor. The carcinomatous component of the carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma is mostly one type such as adenocarcinoma NOS, salivary duct carcinoma and undifferentiated carcinoma. We present a case of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma including two carcinomatous components. The tumor occurred in the palate of a 70-year-old man. Histopathologically, the tumor was composed of both benign pleomorphic adenoma and the carcinoma area that showed adenocarcinoma NOS and squamous cell carcinoma. Finally this case was diagnosed as carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma including two carcinomatous components

In the modern climate of concern regarding rogue states and terrorists attacks following September 11th, the Proliferation Security Initiative, a new cooperative interdiction separate from treaties and multilateral export control regimes, is considered a useful tool in preventing the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. However, the Proliferation Security Initiative[j2] includes certain strategies that are in conflict with contemporary international law of the sea. On a bilateral and multilateral basis, the United States seeks to promote the international law-making process to achieve the goals of the PSI through the adoption of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540, the conclusion of a bilateral boarding agreement, and the revision of the SUA Convention. Despite such efforts, the United States has made little progress towards achieving its goals. It is difficult to overcome generally accepted and established principles of flag states and freedom of navigation, even if there are certain potential threats to international peace and security caused by the proliferation of WMD.

Magnetic Properties of dust cores made of mixtures of atomized pure iron powder and pure alumina powder has been investigated in the temperature range from 673 to 1073K. The effect of annealing on coercivity has been positive effect up to 973K and thus coercivity is gradually reduced form 280A/m (as-compressed) to 160A/m (973K). However, dust cores annealed at 1073K displayed a 15% increasing of coercivity by annealing at 973K. Hysteresis loss shows a tendency similar to coercivity. Microstructure observation of specimens shows grain refinement by recrystallization in the temperature range from 773 to 1073K.

The behavior of hardmetals under cyclic loads is investigated. Unnotched specimens were employed to obtain practical information regarding fatigue in hardmetals. All the tested hardmetals exhibit an increase in the number of cycles until failure with a decrease in the maximum stress, i.e., the hardmetals exhibit a high fatigue sensitivity. The fatigue strength increases with the cobalt content. Although distinct fatigue limits, as observed in metals, cannot be observed, the calculated fatigue limit stress at cycles is found to be approximately 70% of the flexural strength, and the stress value exhibits a linear relationship with the flexural stress.

It is reported about the recent developments of powder metallurgy technologies in Japan. In this several years, we cannot make no progress in the amount of powder metallurgy parts production. In order to expand the markets, it is necessary to understand the market needs, and promote technical developments to satisfy the needs which include Cost Reduction, Weight Reduction, High Performance and Environmental Friendliness. The key words of developments to meet these needs are as follows, High Productivity Net-shape High Strength High Machinability High Wear-resistance Low Friction High Magnetic Properties High Heat Properties Light Weight. It is reported some examples corresponding with every key words.

Prediction method for the long-term chemical leaching amount from by-product/recycled materials such as waste concrete and steel slag and so on is necessary to widely promote their effective utilization and evaluate their environmental safety. Although there are the batch leaching tests and the column leaching test as the testing methods for evaluating the long-term leaching behavior, the leaching mechanism and the testing result compatibility in both tests has insufficiently been clarified yet. Thus, the prediction of the leaching behavior from the by-product/recycled materials used in actual civil works and their environmental safety evaluation are by no means certain. This paper shows the difference between the batch leaching tests and the column leaching tests in the chemical leaching behavior of Cu-slag. The batch leaching tests were conducted under liquid/solid ratio = 10, liquid = distilled water, stirring strength = 0, 30, or 120 rpm. After a certain elapsed time, the leaching solution was exchanged with the pure distilled water and then the stirring was restarted. The elapsed time was set at 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 days. The column leaching tests were also conducted under the same conditions as those of the batch leaching tests in order to evaluate the effects of the pore distribution and the pore flow velocity in the Cu-slag column on the leaching behavior. In the column leaching tests, the effluent passing through the column was circulated as the influent (Fig. 1). The leaching duration in the column tests can be equivalent as that in the batch tests, so that the difference in the leaching behavior between the batch leaching tests and the column leaching tests may be dependent on the pore-scale heterogeneous flow and path generated in porous materials. Figure 2 shows the leaching rate evaluated from the batch leaching tests and the column leaching tests. In the same fluid velocity levels, the leaching rate in the column tests was larger than that in the batch tests. The leaching rate has been considered large with the fluid velocity. Although the fluid velocity generated by the stirring was the same as the flushing velocity on the surface of the Cu-slag in the batch tests, the fluid velocity in the column tests was enhanced because the permeant liquid was concentrated into the limited pore space in the Cu-slag column. Thus, the pore-scale heterogeneous flow and path generated in porous materials should be evaluated in order to clarify the compatibility between the batch leaching tests and the column leaching tests.