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Since the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development presented its comprehensive Innovation Strategy in 2010, numerous countries have been updating their innovation policies. Subsequent to the promulgation, the innovation policies of Japan shifted the focus from discipline-specific to social issue-oriented approaches. This study investigates the response of the Japanese academic sector to this policy shift and the characteristics of the research projects associated with innovation policy by utilizing descriptive statistics from policy documents and the database of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research. The findings reveal that Japanese researchers have increasingly aligned their efforts with government-proposed research themes in recent years, with a notable shift toward short-term research projects. Moreover, Japanese universities are undergoing reforms that are transforming them into entrepreneurial institutions by altering incentive structures. Although these reforms may yield short-term research outcomes, they may not always address long-term societal needs. The narrowing focus on research themes could restrict the potential impact of research and impede the development of innovative solutions to societal challenges. From this viewpoint, assessing the relationship between government-proposed research themes and the research productivity of Japan is critical. Universities and public research institutions play a vital social role in broadening the foundational knowledge base through basic research, while private enterprises may lack the motivation to invest in research and development with low appropriability. These results may be beneficial for policymakers in reconsidering the division of labor in industry-academic collaboration in a knowledge-intensive economy.

Background: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is characterized by a lack of lung surfactant; therefore, biochemical evidence of surfactant deficiency is needed to diagnose RDS. European guidelines recommend surfactant administration when patients need fraction of inspired oxygen exceeding 0.3 on continuous positive airway pressure or intubation. We hypothesized that the European guidelines for surfactant administration were not adopted in Japan because of the lack of RDS diagnosis. This study aimed to investigate neonatologists’ attitudes and practices regarding the diagnosis and management of RDS in Japan. Methods: A mail-based survey regarding the diagnosis and management of RDS was conducted at 111 level III or ΙV neonatal intensive care units in Japan. The questionnaire was completed by the person in charge of each unit. Results: The overall response rate for the questionnaire was 91% (101/111 centers). All respondents referred to chest radiography, and the majority (83%) of respondents referred to stable microbubble rating (SMR) for establishing the diagnosis of RDS. Surfactant administration was chiefly based on clinical conditions, chest radiography, and/or SMR. Most units in Japan do not adopt the European criteria for surfactant administration. Conclusion: In Japan, chest radiography and/or SMR are commonly used for the diagnosis of RDS and as the rationale for surfactant administration. Further studies from other countries are required to establish the ideal criteria for surfactant administration.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become popular worldwide after technological breakthroughs in the early 2010s. Accordingly, many organizations and individuals have been using AI for various applications. Previous research has been dominated by case studies regarding the industrial use of AI, although how time-series changes affect users’ perceptions has not been clarified yet. This study analyzes time-series changes in AI perceptions through text mining from nonfinancial information obtained from Japanese firms’ disclosures. The main findings of this study are as follows: first, perceptions of AI vary across industries; second, the business sector has progressed through the stages of recognition, investment, strategization, commercialization, and monetization. This transition is concurrent with each category’s evolving interpretation of the innovator theory proposed by Rogers (2003), to some extent. Third, it took approximately a decade from the breakthrough technology to the monetization by Japanese firms. Our findings underline the importance of speeding up the organizational process through intervention and contribution to the areas regarding “diffusion of innovation” and perceptual characteristics.

Abstract The aim of the present study was to evaluate how the business-to-business (B2B) networks in the Japanese textile and apparel industry changed between 2005 and 2010 using data on 200 companies. Network analysis was used to study the properties of the B2B networks, and how their structures changed was characterized using the USD/JPY exchange rate. The network analysis revealed power-law properties of the B2B networks, and the core networks characterized by the largest degree centrality exhibited positive correlations with the USD/JPY exchange rate. By contrast, the peripheral networks characterized by the network path length exhibited the negative correlations with the exchange rate USD/JPY. Therefore, the changes that occurred in the B2B networks are explained as the complementarity of comparative advantages originating in the USD/JPY exchange rate. Moreover, the USD/JPY exchange rate affected the B2B networks through not only the complementarity of importing and exporting but also by changing the structures.

In patients with Scimitar syndrome, right pulmonary artery hypoplasia is considered to lead to right lung hypoplasia because of decrease in blood flow. However, there are no reports wherein the change was actually detected. Thus, the exact developmental mechanism of right pulmonary artery hypoplasia and right lung hypoplasia in patients with Scimitar syndrome is unclear. We experienced a case of Scimitar syndrome preceding right lung hypoplasia, and right pulmonary artery hypoplasia gradually revealed with time. We hypothesized that, in our patient, the lung hypoplasia led to pulmonary artery hypoplasia due to decrease in blood flow. If there are no differences in the diameter of the left and right pulmonary artery in patients with Scimitar syndrome at birth, we propose the necessity of careful observation due to the possibility that pulmonary artery hypoplasia may develop in the future.

Adaptation to local pollination regimes and secondary contact of allopatrically differentiated populations with respect to pollination ecology may result in geographical variation in floral traits. We examined the contributions of these two processes in Isodon shikokianus, which showed remarkable geographical variation in corolla tube length in western Japan. Corolla tube length varied among 17 study populations located within a relatively narrow area, and covaried with altitude and distribution of two bumblebee pollinators with different tongue lengths: the longer corolla was found at lower altitudes where the long-tongued pollinator was more abundant, and vice versa. Additionally, bumblebee species preferentially visited flowers that fit their tongue lengths. Population genetic analysis based on 11 microsatellite loci revealed that populations with long and short corolla tubes constituted genetically distinct groups. Migration rates were low between the groups, but high within each group. These results indicate that two genetically differentiated groups made secondary contact and hybridized, and gene flow between the groups was limited. Thus, the geographical variation in corolla tube length in I. shikokianus may be a result of past allopatric differentiation and subsequent secondary contact of populations with different corolla tube lengths. The variation in corolla tube length within a narrow area may be maintained by selection owing to the altitudinally structured pollinator assemblages. Altitudinal differences in relative abundance of two pollinators and their assortative visitation with respect to corolla tube length may contribute to reproductive isolation between the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the estimation of the changes that occur in the Business-to-Business (B2B) networks in the Japanese textile and apparel industry by applying datasets of about 2000 companies from 2011/2012 to 2015/2016. Network analysis was used to examine the properties of the B2B networks. A factor of innovation in information and communications technology (ICT) and logistics technology was introduced into an agent-based model to demonstrate changes occurring in the related structures of B2B networks. The agent-based model was designed and tested based on qualitative information on Japanese textile and apparel industries. Consequently, network analysis revealed power-law properties and the structures of centralized hub companies. Moreover, in the simulation experiments, the centralizations of the networks generated by the agent-based model due to innovation in ICT and logistics technology were illustrated. Therefore, one of the predicted cases regarding changes that occur in the B2B networks was explained as centralizations to hub companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital diaphragmatic eventration (CDE) is always diagnosed by fluoroscopic examination. However, this technique is inappropriate for premature neonates because of risks of transport, hypothermia and ionising radiation. Herein, we describe two cases of premature neonates suspected to have CDE on radiography. We could not perform fluoroscopic examination due to their prematurity status. Therefore, we performed ultrasound examination and succeeded in diagnosing CDE without any risks. Using ultrasound examination, we could evaluate movement and thickness of the diaphragm. We consider this additional information useful for CDE diagnosis. This is the first report on CDE diagnosis using ultrasound examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]