Science linkages in technologies patented in Japan

We constructed an original database concerning science linkages based on text of Japanese Patent Gazette published since 1994. We discovered that Japanese inventers cite many academic papers in the texts of the patent applications in the Japanese Patent System. Based on this finding, we constructed science citation index by data mining the texts of Japanese patent system for the first time. First, more than 880,000 patent data classified into about 600 categories. Then, we extracted non-patent references from all the granted patents and counted the number of them. This number shows the strength of the linkage between science and technology and therefore is called "science linkage index." The science linkage indexes among different patent classifications differ significantly from each other. The technologies related to bio -technology were by far the closest to science. It suggests that the process of creating new technology differs from technology to technology.

Indicators for Identifying Important Patents (Japanese)

Research on innovation provides fundamental insights for productive discourse on science and technology policy. However, there has been little analysis conducted in Japan on the innovation indicators using patent statistics. The indicators typically used to date such as research and development investment amount and the simple count of number of patents. Apparently, there is a need for more sophisticated indicators. This paper focuses on the importance of patents as a first step to construct more informative innovation indicator. We used Technology Trend Surveys published by the Japan Patent Office which select important patents using expert opinion, then considered possible indicators to identify important patents. The findings show that the number of citations received is effective as an indicator of the importance of patents, and that the number of inventors and the number of patents cited are also effective indicators. In the life sciences, however, the findings demonstrate that while the number of research papers cited (science linkage) in important patents tends to be high, a high science linkage does not necessarily serve as an indicator for identifying important patents.

Framework for a cooperative program curriculum among elementary, junior, and senior high schools to develop students' qualities and competence in home economics: Proposal for implementing a cooperative program curriculum for encouraging students to develop an understanding of food cultures and deepen their learning

The purpose of this study is to use surveys to clarify students' awareness at the elementary, junior, and senior high school levels of food cultures and their related issues, and to formulate and implement a class program for junior and senior high schools based on the clarified results. The program will develop students' understanding of food cultures and seeks to combine and systematize home economics education among the three levels of schooling. The study found transformations among elementary and junior high school students, in terms of their understanding of the ideas of food cultures and related issues. In addition, class programs were formulated for Grade 9 students, to broaden their views on a range of topics, and for Grade 10 students, to broaden their view of changes over time, both of which ended with successful results

Reconstructing the Curriculum for Home Economics Teacher Training in Human Life Sciences at Hiroshima University: Lesson Plans to Nurture Students’ Perspectives

The core subject of the human life sciences education curriculum at Hiroshima University was reconsidered in examining the perspectives of students undergoing home economics teacher training. The outcomes and problems of the 2016 and 2017 classes were reported and reconstructed for the 2018 class. The 2016 class’s problem was that the recognition of knowledge obtained from practical tasks were not linked effectively to the performance subjects. Therefore, five concepts, i.e., health, collaboration, wealth, culture, and home economics were set as concepts for product planning in the 2017 class, and a panel discussion with seven faculty members as panelists was held at the beginning of the course. The results clearly show that the class discussion during in the panel discussion was effective in deepening the students’ awareness of the issues of life. However, a problem emerged in that the recognition of life problems was not fully utilized for task execution by the students. In 2018, we therefore focused on performance issues and conceived a lesson plan that prioritizes deepening the students’ awareness about contemporary life issues

Delayed Follow-up Visits and Thyrotropin Among Patients With Levothyroxine During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Context: The indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical practice have received great attention, but evidence regarding thyroid disease management is lacking. Objective: We aimed to investigate the association between delayed follow-up visits during the pandemic and their serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels among patients being treated with levothyroxine. Methods: This study included 25 361 patients who made a follow-up visit as scheduled (n = 9063) or a delayed follow-up visit ( 4.5 mIU/L, aRR [95% CI] = 1.72 [1.60-1.85]; and TSH > 10 mIU/L, aRR [95% CI] = 2.38 [2.16-2.62]). Conclusion: A delayed follow-up visit during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with less well-controlled TSH among patients with levothyroxine

Pulse compression and beam focusing with segmented diffraction gratings in a high-power chirped-pulse amplification glass laser system

This paper was published in Optics Letters and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OL.35.001783 Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law

Examination of Home Economics Teacher Training Curriculum in Human Life Sciences Education of Hiroshima University: Concepts and results of introduction to clothing, dietary, and living life

In order to reconceptualize the curriculum for home economics teacher training in the Department of Human Life Sciences Education of the Faculty of Education, Hiroshima University, we created and presented a new set of major subjects in the revised curriculum from 2019. As part of this study, we presented the concepts of “Introduction to Clothing Life”, “Introduction to Dietary Life”, and “Introduction to Living Life,” with background sciences and academic disciplines relevant to the three introductions, to the first semester students in 2020. In addition, we analyzed the changes in the views of students concerning life and the three subjects before and after taking each introduction through questionnaires. On the base of these results and the issues highlighted by the faculty members, we improved each introduction. After taking the introductions, the students came to possess the knowledge and skills required to solve their daily life and social problems related to clothing, diet, and living. This is because we have included in the subjects “performance task” to encourage independent learning, and group activities and practical tasks to broaden and deepen students’ awareness and understanding of the issues in their life and society. In addition, the conceptual diagrams with the structure of background sciences, showing the relationship between home economics and other sciences, would help students understand the framework of academic discipline constructing home economics and have a subjective view of home economics.本研究は，JSPS科研費JP19K02814（代表者 鈴木明子）の助成を受けたものである

Contact Dermatitis and the Accuracy of isCGM Device

Objective: We previously reported the mean average relative difference (MARD) of the sensor glucose (SG) of the first-generation FreeStyle Libre with the original algorithm, an intermittent scanning continuous glucose monitoring (isCGM) device, was 15.6% in the Effect of Intermittent-Scanning Continuous Glucose Monitoring to Glycemic Control Including Hypoglycemia and Quality of Life of Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Study (ISCHIA Study). In the present study, we aimed to further analyze its accuracy in detail by conducting a post-hoc analysis of the study. Methods: The ISCHIA Study was a multicenter, randomized, cross-over trial to assess the efficacy of isCGM. The SG levels of isCGM and the measured capillary blood glucose (BG) levels of 91 participants were used for the analysis. Results: Bland-Altman analysis showed bias of -13.0 mg/dl when the SG levels were compared to the BG levels, however no proportional bias was observed (r = 0.085). MARD of the participants without and with contact dermatitis were 15.0 ± 6.0% and 27.4 ± 21.4% (P = 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: There was negative bias in the SG levels of isCGM compared to the BG levels. There is a possibility that the complication of the contact dermatitis during isCGM use may be related with deteriorated accuracy of the SG levels

Conception of cooperation curriculum among elementary, junior high and high schools to promote the qualities and abilities of home economics: the common concept and the systematization of the learning contents

家庭科の目標達成のためには，小・中・高等学校が連携してカリキュラム・マネジメントを行うことが重要である。本研究では，中教審答申(平成28 年)で示された「生活の営みに係る見方・考え方」の視点のひとつである「生活文化の継承・創造」を主たるコンセプトとして，連携カリキュラムを構想した。この研究の第１年目にあたる本稿では，カリキュラム案を構想しつつ，現在附属中学校で展開している食生活の題材の成果と課題を検証し，学びのストーリーと学習内容の体系化の検討を踏まえて，パフォーマンス課題案を構想することを目的とした。平成28年度附属中学校３年生（110 名）が各自取り組んだ，「ひろしま・ライスクッキングコンテスト『伝えていきたいわが家の味・ふるさとの味』」の成果を，実践後に提出された「地産地消について」及び「お米やご飯食について」の記述から分析した。その成果と課題を踏まえて，食生活学習展開の改善案を検討した。また，現時点でのカリキュラムの最終段階の資質・能力の構想案と，逆向き設計の考え方に基づいてコンセプトの下位概念としての目標設定案を提示した。さらに，有効なパフォーマンス課題とその評価指標を構想した。It is important for elementary, junior high, and high schools to manage their curriculums in cooperation to achieve the goals of home economics. In this research, we developed a collaborative curriculum, building on the concept of the “succession and creation of the Culture of Life”, which is one of the visions of the “perspectives on and attitudes about living behavior” included in the 2016 report from Japan’s Central Council for Education. We examined the results and assignments of the lesson topics concerning dietary life developed in the attached junior high school of Hiroshima University. Based on this, a performance plan was devised via the systematization of learning stories and learning contents. We analyzed students’ descriptions of “local production for local consumption” and “rice and living on rice” after the “Rice Cooking Contest Hiroshima 2016”. We considered and proposed a new framework of the qualities and abilities in the final stage of the curriculum