The presently accepted methods for evaluation of splenic reticuloendothelial (RE) function include ""Tc sulfur colloid spleen scan, antibodycoated autologous erythrocyte clearance, and pocked erythrocyte count. All methods involve special equipment and/or risk and inconvenience to patients. A simple method of assessing splenic RE function was developed by counting erythrocytes with argyrophilic inclusions using a simple silver stain and an ordinary microscope.To test the validity of this method, blood samples were collected from patients suspected of having hyposplenia or asplenia, including patients with history of splenectomy, sickle cell disease or trait, and newborns. Blood samples were also collected from normal adults and from patients without hyposplenia or asplenia as controls. The samples were tested Reticuloendothelial (RE)) function is one of the many functions of the spleen, the importance of which is highlighted by the substantial risk of severe bacterial, systemic infection in asplenic individuals. Removal of the spleen for trauma increases the risk of death from overwhelming sepsis.1 Hyposplenia and asplenia occur in sickle cell disease and are associated with varying degrees of risk of bacterial sepsis.2 Hyposplenia also occurs in patients with bone marrow transplants, 3 alcoholic liver disease, 4 inflammatory bowel disease, 5 and in elderly people. 6 The tests often employed to evaluate splenic function include 99m Tc sulfur colloid spleen scan, antibody-coated autologous erythrocyte clearance, and pocked erythrocyte count. time consuming, involving patient inconvenience, or requiring special equipment.During our study of the argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region, we noticed that many erythrocytes from patients with histories of splenectomy or sickle cell disease contained argyrophilic inclusions. This prompted us to evaluate this feature as an indicator of splenic RE function. Toward this end, we compared the argyrophilic inclusion positive erythrocyte (AE) count with the pocked erythrocyte (PE) count for sensitivity, specificity, and correlation. We also studied the interobserver and intraobserver agreement for AE count. MATERIALS AND METHODSThirty-five EDTA anticoagulated blood samples were collected from patients with possible hyposplenia or asplenia. These included newborns up to 3 months of age (13 cases) and patients with histories of sickle cell disease (9 cases), sickle cell trait (2 cases), splenectomy (9 cases), chronic granulocytic leukemia (1 case), and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (1 case). Some of the cases first attracted our attention because of the presence of red cell inclusion bodies such as Howell Jolly (HJ) bodies and/or Pappenheimer (PH) bodies in their Wright-stained peripheral blood smears. The last two cases were selected 548 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.

We review the Japanese distribution system, its positives and negatives, its cultural heritage, and discuss the implications for the future for it.

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Japanese pricing strategyAn inherent desire to provide the customer with good value, a high quality/price ratio exists in Japan. Japan is not a price-sensitive market, competitive price ranked seventh among ten factors impacting success in Japan. Since most Japanese consumers are pressured by high housing prices and increased costs of living, they are not so different from the Americans and Europeans. They all want maximum value for purchased items. In fact, in a recent survey, 70 percent of respondents stated that they wanted reasonable prices more than high-priced quality goods (Hoshino, 1990). Exposure to the West has led many Japanese to believe domestic prices are too high. Nonetheless, few are willing to sacrifice services, store atmosphere and packaging just to obtain lower prices.Cost of capital is not a key factor in Japanese corporate investment decisions; the fundamental mission of most Japanese corporations is not to earn a return for investors. Relationships with keiretsu, bank, industrial associations, relevant government bureaucracies, politicians, informal subsidiaries, employees and retirees, are major constituencies. The nominal owners are only one constituency and far from the most important. Stable shareholders are more important. As a result, Japanese return on investment (ROI) is 8.6 percent compared to 15.6 percent for US firms. Sales margins for US companies average 5.6 percent compared with 2.4 percent for Japanese companies. The Japanese comparative advantage in capital has been traditionally made possible by access to low capital and low capital costs.