A Multi-Regional Model of the Development in Technology Industries

Forecasting the production of technological development and manufacturing is important to managers, entrepreneurs, governments and others. A marketing strategy can be much more effective with an understanding of technological development, manufacturing and market projection analysis. This paper aims to propose a System Dynamics model for the semiconductor industry in multi-regions, such as Japan, United States of America, and South Korea. We also tried applying this system to the digital camera industry. System Dynamics is a method for making educated predictions about future market trends which can aid businesses in their attempt to construct responses to a variety of possible scenarios. Therefore, the structure of the entire system is understood in a quantitative way, and the future can be forecasted. We constructed the model by dividing it into four sectors; the technological development sector, the demand sector, the manufacturing capability sector, and the production sector to calculate production for semiconductor industry. The model for the digital camera industry is divided into three parts as follows: the technological development sector, the demand sector, and the shipment sector which calculates the shipping volume. The System Dynamics model was found to be capable of providing predictions for two technology industries; semiconductors and digital cameras. Further, the system Dynamics method of analysis enables businesses to set policies based upon the results discovered from the manipulation of various market scenarios.The original publication is available at JAIST Press http://www.jaist.ac.jp/library/jaist-press/index.htmlIFSR 2005 : Proceedings of the First World Congress of the International Federation for Systems Research : The New Roles of Systems Sciences For a Knowledge-based Society : Nov. 14-17, 2151, Kobe, JapanSymposium 1, Session 8 : Technology Creation Based on Knowledge Science Modeling and Systems(2

Sedimentary features observed in the tsunami deposits at Rikuzentakata City

The March 11, 2011 Tohoku-Oki tsunami triggered by an earthquake off the east coast of northeastern Honshu Island (Tohoku region), Japan, deposited large amounts of sediment on land, including the Sendai Plain and Sanriku Coast. This study reports on the characteristics of the tsunami deposits in Rikuzentakata City, southeastern Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan. A field survey identified the inundation pattern of the tsunami in this region and the facies model of the tsunami deposits at the bay-head deltas of estuarine systems. The tsunami deposits in Rikuzentakata City generally consist of one to four units that represent a discrete runup or backwash flow. Each unit is characterized by initial inverse grading and successive normal grading that correspond to the accelerating and decelerating stages of the flow, respectively. An internal erosional surface often developed between the inverse-graded and normal-graded units. It corresponds to the maximum shear velocity of the flow and truncates the underlying inverse-graded unit. In the case of the runup unit, silty fine-grained drapes overlay the graded sandy interval. A correlation of the sedimentary structures and grain fabric analysis revealed that the Tohoku-Oki tsunami inundated Rikuzentakata City at least twice and that the flow velocity exceeded 2.4 m/s. Paleontological analysis of the sediment and kriging estimation of the total volume of the tsunami deposit implied that the sediments were sourced not only from eroded beach sands but also from the seafloor of Hirota Bay or more offshore regions

Ostracodes reveal the sea-bed origin of tsunami deposits

金沢大学国際基幹教育院GS教育系In Rikuzentakata City, Ostracode assemblages in sediment deposited by the Tohoku‐Oki earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 revealed that the sediment was derived from the seafloor from at least 9 m water depth, and was transported inland more than 1 km. The tsunami wave height at this location was higher than 10 m. Four hundred fifty seven modern ostracode assemblages were used in the modern analogue technique to estimate the depth source of the tsunami deposited assemblages. The application of this method to paleo‐tsunami deposits may provide insight into past tsunami wave height and potentially earthquake slip and magnitude.Embargo Period 6 month

Determination of the Standard Visual Criterion for Diagnosing and Treating Presbyopia According to Subjective Patient Symptoms

Presbyopia treatments using various modalities have been developed recently; however, no standard criteria exist for the diagnosis and treatment endpoint. This study assessed the relationship between the near visual acuity (NVA) and the subjective symptoms of phakic presbyopia and determined the numerical NVA threshold to diagnose phakic presbyopia and evaluate the effectiveness of presbyopia treatment. The binocular distance, NVA with habitual correction, and monocular conventional VA were measured. Patients were asked about their awareness of presbyopia and difficulty performing near tasks. This prospective observational study included 70 patients (mean age, 56 years; range, 32–77). Most patients became aware of presbyopia in their late forties, although some had difficulty with vision-related near tasks before becoming aware of presbyopia. Eighty three percent of patients (20/24) experienced difficulty with near vision-related tasks even with excellent NVA at 40 cm with habitual correction of 0.0 logMAR (20/20 in Snellen VA). In conclusion, the current study showed that patients became aware of presbyopia in their late forties, although some had difficulty with near vision-related tasks before becoming aware of presbyopia. Further investigation should include the proposal of appropriate diagnostic criteria for presbyopia and better management for patients with presbyopia

Low-dose ionizing radiation exposure represses the cell cycle and protein synthesis pathways in <i>in vitro</i> human primary keratinocytes and U937 cell lines

<div><p>The effects of the high-dose ionizing radiation used in radiotherapy have been thoroughly demonstrated <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>. However, the effects of low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) such as computed tomography-guided biopsies and X-ray fluoroscopy on skin cells remain controversial. This study investigated the molecular effects of LDIR on the human primary keratinocytes (HPKs) and U937 cells, monocytes-like cell lines. These cells were exposed to 0.1 Gray (Gy) X-ray as LDIR. The modulation of transcription was assessed using a cDNA array, and the protein expression after LDIR exposure was investigated using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) proteomic analysis at 24 hours. These effects were confirmed by immunoblotting analysis. The direct effects of LDIR on the U937 cells and HPKs and the bystander effects of irradiated HPKs on U937 cells were also investigated. LDIR downregulated c-Myc in both U937 cells and HPKs, and upregulated the p21^WAF1/CIP1 protein expression in U937 cells along with the activation of TGFβ and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). In HPKs, LDIR downregulated the mTOR signaling with repression of S6 and 4EBP1 activation. Similar changes were observed as bystander effects of LDIR. Our findings suggest that LDIR inhibits protein synthesis and induces the cytokines activation associated with inflammation via direct and bystander effects, which might recapitulate the effects of LDIR in inflammated skin structures.</p></div

Correction: Low-dose ionizing radiation exposure represses the cell cycle and protein synthesis pathways in in vitro human primary keratinocytes and U937 cell lines.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199117.]