Nationwide surveillance of bacterial respiratory pathogens conducted by the surveillance committee of Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, and the Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology in 2010: General view of the pathogens\u27 antibacterial susceptibility

The nationwide surveillance on antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial respiratory pathogens from patients in Japan, was conducted by Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases and Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology in 2010.The isolates were collected from clinical specimens obtained from well-diagnosed adult patients with respiratory tract infections during the period from January and April 2010 by three societies. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted at the central reference laboratory according to the method recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institutes using maximum 45 antibacterial agents.Susceptibility testing was evaluable with 954 strains (206 Staphylococcus aureus, 189 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 4 Streptococcus pyogenes, 182 Haemophilus influenzae, 74 Moraxella catarrhalis, 139 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 160 Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Ratio of methicillin-resistant S.aureus was as high as 50.5%, and those of penicillin-intermediate and -resistant S.pneumoniae were 1.1% and 0.0%, respectively. Among H.influenzae, 17.6% of them were found to be β-lactamase-non-producing ampicillin (ABPC)-intermediately resistant, 33.5% to be β-lactamase-non-producing ABPC-resistant and 11.0% to be β-lactamase-producing ABPC-resistant strains. Extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing K.pneumoniae and multi-drug resistant P.aeruginosa with metallo β-lactamase were 2.9% and 0.6%, respectively.Continuous national surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility of respiratory pathogens is crucial in order to monitor changing patterns of susceptibility and to be able to update treatment recommendations on a regular basis

Comment les start-ups gèrent-elles les incertitudes du développement de l'écosystème d'innovation ? : Le cas d'une start-up proposant un service de transport à destination des employés d'entreprises, utilisant des véhicules électriques, à Bangalore, en Inde

L’Innovation des Modèles Économiques (IME) (Business Model Innovation en anglais) est un levier indispensable à disposition des entreprises pour développer leur avantage concurrentiel. L’approvisionnement en amont des technologies et des produits, et le développement des infrastructures clés sont les éléments indispensables du réseau nécessaire à une entreprise pour développer un nouveau modèle économique. Cependant, le développement de l’écosystème d’innovation de l’approvisionnement et des infrastructures est rarement entre les mains de cette dernière. Elle fait face à différentes contraintes pour développer l’IME, d’autant plus quand le développement d’un écosystème innovant est incertain. La thèse se concentre sur la phase « pre-stage » d’une IME : quand la technologie et le produit nécessaire pour développer une IME ne sont pas encore disponibles. Comment les directions gèrent cette phase « pre-stage » ?Ce travail de recherche se base sur l’étude de cas d’une start-up de Bangalore, en Inde. Elle est la première entreprise d’Inde à utiliser des véhicules électriques (VE) pour proposer un service de transports à des salariés d’entreprises. Dès la phase « pre-stage », l’entreprise envisage d’élargir son offre commerciale, au-delà de celle de transports de salariés, afin d’anticiper l’arrivée de concurrent et de se créer un avantage compétitif de premier entrant. Cependant, le modèle de VE nécessaire à ce développement n’existe pas encore, étant donné que l’écosystème d’innovation de ce produit est en construction. La thèse défend l’idée qu’il est indispensable de s’appuyer sur cette phase « pre-stage » afin de mieux comprendre le processus nécessaire à une bonne IME. En effet, les capacités organisationnelles requises durant cette phase « pre-stage » diffèrent grandement de la phase « post-pre-stage », impactant le développement d’une IME.Business Model Innovation (BMI) is a way for companies to develop its competitive advantage. The upstream-supply of technologies and products, in parallel to the development of key infrastructures are indispensable for a company to build the value network of a new business model. However, the development of innovation ecosystems is dependent to the factors external to the company and to the managers.Companies face varying constraints to achieve BMI when the development of relevant innovation ecosystem remains uncertain. The thesis focuses on the pre-stage of a BMI: the phase when the technology or the product required to achieve a BMI is not yet available. How do managers deal with this pre-stage situation?The research uses a case-study analysis of a start-up based in Bangalore that was the first company in India to use Electric Vehicles (EVs) to provide Corporate Employee Transport (CET) services. The company aims to scale-up its service line-up beyond CET service before other potential market players in order to build a first-mover’s advantage. However, appropriate EV models required for service diversification are not yet available since the innovation ecosystem of EV remains under development. The thesis suggests that a clear recognition of the pre-stage of BMI is critical to better understand the BMI process, especially because the organizational capabilities required during the pre-stage differ from those of post-pre-stage such as Dynamic Capabilities: capabilities to execute a BMI

Diffusion of Connectivity Technology and development of new business models: How Connectivity Technologies redefine the role of human within organization?: Empirical learnings from Japanese mobility service providers

This work was supported by FFJ/Valeo Fellowship. The author gratefully acknowledges the generous support and assistance of the Foundation France-Japon de l’EHESS (FFJ) and Valeo.Digitalization changes the industrial structure of all sector: the business models of existing companies are challenged. Since late 2000s, so-called Artificial Intelligence (AI), based on deep learning and machine learning techniques, has developed and the autonomous driving cars is gradually implemented in the society. The realization of autonomous driving are supported by Connectivity Technologies (CTs) and CTs facilitatedifferent innovations in urban spaces. The optimal mobility and transport management contributes to reduce environmental impacts and increase the welfare of citizens.In this context, this research aims at understanding how the human role is redefined by the introduction of CTs and what are the impacts of these redefinitions on business model of organizations. These two questions are important since wider range of people in the society are expected to benefit from the autonomous (or automated) products and services regardless of his/her age nor job.The author conducted an explorative field survey in Japanese cities (Tokyo, Maebashi and Fukuoka) so as to study most recent social implementations of CTs in mobility service sector. The five case studies are on 1) autonomous bus pilot project, 2) taxi dispatch online platform, 3) multimodal itinerary search platform, 4) on-demand bus service, and 5) tourism route recommendation system. The empirical observations tell that there are, at least, four human role that remain after the introduction of CTs. The research also reveals that the significance of human role change does not necessarily correlate to the significance of business model change. Rather, the technological application that has less impact to the change in human role can result in changing the existing business model radically. The author points out that human resource management and organizational strategy should align with the potential changes in the value creation process since the CTs redefine the role of human. The author suggests a categorization of technologies taking human factor into consideration. The author claims that the access to the locally produced data can be a critical element to develop a competitive advantage and for that, local stakeholder management is a key along with the ecosystem-level business model

How do start-ups manage uncertainties of innovation ecosystem development? : The case of a start-up using Electric Vehicles for Corporate Employee Transport Service in Bangalore, India

Business Model Innovation (BMI) is a way for companies to develop its competitive advantage. The upstream-supply of technologies and products, in parallel to the development of key infrastructures are indispensable for a company to build the value network of a new business model. However, the development of innovation ecosystems is dependent to the factors external to the company and to the managers.Companies face varying constraints to achieve BMI when the development of relevant innovation ecosystem remains uncertain. The thesis focuses on the pre-stage of a BMI: the phase when the technology or the product required to achieve a BMI is not yet available. How do managers deal with this pre-stage situation?The research uses a case-study analysis of a start-up based in Bangalore that was the first company in India to use Electric Vehicles (EVs) to provide Corporate Employee Transport (CET) services. The company aims to scale-up its service line-up beyond CET service before other potential market players in order to build a first-mover’s advantage. However, appropriate EV models required for service diversification are not yet available since the innovation ecosystem of EV remains under development. The thesis suggests that a clear recognition of the pre-stage of BMI is critical to better understand the BMI process, especially because the organizational capabilities required during the pre-stage differ from those of post-pre-stage such as Dynamic Capabilities: capabilities to execute a BMI.L’Innovation des Modèles Économiques (IME) (Business Model Innovation en anglais) est un levier indispensable à disposition des entreprises pour développer leur avantage concurrentiel. L’approvisionnement en amont des technologies et des produits, et le développement des infrastructures clés sont les éléments indispensables du réseau nécessaire à une entreprise pour développer un nouveau modèle économique. Cependant, le développement de l’écosystème d’innovation de l’approvisionnement et des infrastructures est rarement entre les mains de cette dernière. Elle fait face à différentes contraintes pour développer l’IME, d’autant plus quand le développement d’un écosystème innovant est incertain. La thèse se concentre sur la phase « pre-stage » d’une IME : quand la technologie et le produit nécessaire pour développer une IME ne sont pas encore disponibles. Comment les directions gèrent cette phase « pre-stage » ?Ce travail de recherche se base sur l’étude de cas d’une start-up de Bangalore, en Inde. Elle est la première entreprise d’Inde à utiliser des véhicules électriques (VE) pour proposer un service de transports à des salariés d’entreprises. Dès la phase « pre-stage », l’entreprise envisage d’élargir son offre commerciale, au-delà de celle de transports de salariés, afin d’anticiper l’arrivée de concurrent et de se créer un avantage compétitif de premier entrant. Cependant, le modèle de VE nécessaire à ce développement n’existe pas encore, étant donné que l’écosystème d’innovation de ce produit est en construction. La thèse défend l’idée qu’il est indispensable de s’appuyer sur cette phase « pre-stage » afin de mieux comprendre le processus nécessaire à une bonne IME. En effet, les capacités organisationnelles requises durant cette phase « pre-stage » diffèrent grandement de la phase « post-pre-stage », impactant le développement d’une IME

How do start-ups manage uncertainties of innovation ecosystem development? : The case of a start-up using Electric Vehicles for Corporate Employee Transport Service in Bangalore, India

Business Model Innovation (BMI) is a way for companies to develop its competitive advantage. The upstream-supply of technologies and products, in parallel to the development of key infrastructures are indispensable for a company to build the value network of a new business model. However, the development of innovation ecosystems is dependent to the factors external to the company and to the managers.Companies face varying constraints to achieve BMI when the development of relevant innovation ecosystem remains uncertain. The thesis focuses on the pre-stage of a BMI: the phase when the technology or the product required to achieve a BMI is not yet available. How do managers deal with this pre-stage situation?The research uses a case-study analysis of a start-up based in Bangalore that was the first company in India to use Electric Vehicles (EVs) to provide Corporate Employee Transport (CET) services. The company aims to scale-up its service line-up beyond CET service before other potential market players in order to build a first-mover’s advantage. However, appropriate EV models required for service diversification are not yet available since the innovation ecosystem of EV remains under development. The thesis suggests that a clear recognition of the pre-stage of BMI is critical to better understand the BMI process, especially because the organizational capabilities required during the pre-stage differ from those of post-pre-stage such as Dynamic Capabilities: capabilities to execute a BMI.L’Innovation des Modèles Économiques (IME) (Business Model Innovation en anglais) est un levier indispensable à disposition des entreprises pour développer leur avantage concurrentiel. L’approvisionnement en amont des technologies et des produits, et le développement des infrastructures clés sont les éléments indispensables du réseau nécessaire à une entreprise pour développer un nouveau modèle économique. Cependant, le développement de l’écosystème d’innovation de l’approvisionnement et des infrastructures est rarement entre les mains de cette dernière. Elle fait face à différentes contraintes pour développer l’IME, d’autant plus quand le développement d’un écosystème innovant est incertain. La thèse se concentre sur la phase « pre-stage » d’une IME : quand la technologie et le produit nécessaire pour développer une IME ne sont pas encore disponibles. Comment les directions gèrent cette phase « pre-stage » ?Ce travail de recherche se base sur l’étude de cas d’une start-up de Bangalore, en Inde. Elle est la première entreprise d’Inde à utiliser des véhicules électriques (VE) pour proposer un service de transports à des salariés d’entreprises. Dès la phase « pre-stage », l’entreprise envisage d’élargir son offre commerciale, au-delà de celle de transports de salariés, afin d’anticiper l’arrivée de concurrent et de se créer un avantage compétitif de premier entrant. Cependant, le modèle de VE nécessaire à ce développement n’existe pas encore, étant donné que l’écosystème d’innovation de ce produit est en construction. La thèse défend l’idée qu’il est indispensable de s’appuyer sur cette phase « pre-stage » afin de mieux comprendre le processus nécessaire à une bonne IME. En effet, les capacités organisationnelles requises durant cette phase « pre-stage » diffèrent grandement de la phase « post-pre-stage », impactant le développement d’une IME

Different Impacts of COVID-19 on Quality of Therapy, Psychological Condition, and Work Life Among Occupational Therapists in Physical and Mental Health Fields

BackgroundThe negative impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have worsened the quality of therapy, psychological condition, and work life of second-line healthcare workers and occupational therapists (OTs). However, no study has investigated whether the impact of COVID-19 varies among OTs working in different fields. This study aimed to investigate the differences on the impact of COVID-19 between OTs in the physical and mental health fields. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Japan between January 20 and January 25, 2021. A total of 4,418 registered OTs who were members of the Japanese Association of Occupational Therapists volunteered for this study. After screening using the exclusion criteria, 1,383 participants were classified into two groups based on their field (mental health and physical health), and their quality of therapy, psychological condition, and work life were analyzed. ResultsOTs in the mental health field showed a greater decrease in therapy quality and increase in workload and a lower rate of decrease in working hours than those in the physical health field. In the multinomial logistic regression analysis, decreased and increased therapy quality and decreased therapy quality were significantly associated with depression in the physical health field, and decreased therapy quality was associated with insomnia in the mental health field. Furthermore, insomnia and anxiety were commonly associated with increased workload and working hours, respectively, in both fields, whereas anxiety and depression were associated with increased workload only in the physical health field. ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that COVID-19 differently impacted quality of treatment, workload, work time, and psychological condition in the physical and mental health fields; moreover, the relationships among these are different in these two fields. These results highlight the importance of investigating the field-specific negative impacts of COVID-19 on OTs and may provide helpful information for devising tailored and effective prevention and intervention strategies to address these challenges

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Occupational Therapists: An Online Survey in Japan

Importance: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a severe psychological impact on frontline and second-line medical workers. However, few empirical reports have been published on its impact on occupational therapists. Clarifying the mental health status of occupational therapists is important to maintain care quality and prevent psychological problems in this population. Objective: To investigate the psychological impact of COVID-19 on Japanese occupational therapists in prefectures with and without severe pandemic-related restrictions and elucidate factors associated with psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Design: A cross-sectional online survey using region-stratified two-stage cluster sampling conducted May 28-31, 2020. Participants: The sample included 371 participants (63.1% women) in the prefectures under specific cautions (i.e., where residents were strictly advised to refrain from outings) and 1,312 in the prefectures without such cautions (61.9% women). Results: The increase in workload due to the pandemic was significantly related to an increase in anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and an attempt to avoid talking face to face with others was significantly related to an increase in anxiety regardless of area. In prefectures under specific cautions as of May 25, 2020, the provision of sufficient information on COVID-19 by the workplace significantly reduced the risk of insomnia. In other prefectures, the provision of sufficient information significantly reduced the risk of depression. Conclusions and Relevance: These results demonstrate the severe negative psychological impact of the increase in workload resulting from COVID-19 and suggest the importance of psychological support for occupational therapists, such as the provision of sufficient information by the workplace. What This Article Adds: This study highlights the importance of providing psychological support for occupational therapists worldwide

Data_Sheet_1_Quality of therapy and mental health among occupational therapists during the COVID-19 pandemic.PDF

IntroductionThe coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has had a severe psychological impact on occupational therapists. Clarifying the mental health status of occupational therapists and its relationship with therapy quality is essential for maintaining the quality of care and patients' quality of life. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate whether and how mental health problems are related to the quality of occupational therapy.MethodsA nationwide cross-sectional online survey was conducted during Japan's second national state of emergency (January 2021). A total of 4,418 registered occupational therapists who were members of the Japanese Association of Occupational Therapists participated in this study. After screening for the exclusion criteria, data from 1,966 participants were analyzed.ResultsPath analysis showed that insufficient information provision by the workplace and increased workload were associated with depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Specifically, depression was associated with decreased therapy quality. Furthermore, one's therapy quality showed a strong positive correlation with colleagues' therapy quality.DiscussionThese results demonstrated a direct link between therapists' mental health conditions and therapy quality and suggested that decreased therapy quality might occur at the institutional rather than individual level. A reassessment of the support system and prompt detection and support for professionals with psychological symptoms may be the key to enhancing therapy quality and patients' quality of life. The present results contribute to the understanding of these relationships, considering the current pandemic context for occupational therapists.</p