Empirical Study on the Application of Strategic Management Tools and Techniques in the Japanese Companies

Companies are under pressure to develop management strategies with a focus on intensifying global competition due to big changes in the business environment and the wave of globalization.  Even though management strategy tools and techniques were developed over half a century ago in the academic field of business administration, little research has been found on how much these are used in Japanese companies. Furthermore, it is necessary to clarify how effective the management strategy tools and techniques actually are. This study examines the usage (usage quantity and rate) of 26 main strategic management tools and techniques used in a preceding study, with KAIZEN, ISO9001, BCP (Business continuity plan) which are thought to be spreading in Japanese companies in the manufacturing and retail industries. Because the managers’ awareness (how much interest they have in the tools and awareness of their effectiveness ) is considered to influence organisational performance, we decided to use the statistical method such as regression analysis.  The results of the analysis show that there were tools and techniques that had a high to low usage rate and it is clear that there is a difference in the usage rate between industry (manufacturing industry and retail industry). Also, when using such tools and techniques, we could substantiate that they have a  positive influence on organisational performance (financial performance and nonfinancial performance). Regarding managers’ awareness, the more the companies are interested in tools and techniques and have awareness of their effectiveness, the higher the organisational performance.  It is suggested that it is important for managers in Japanese companies, to be familiar with the tools and techniques and that they be used in a timely and appropriate manner. Keywords: Strategic management tools and techniques, Strategic planning, Organisational performanc

An innovative culture technique for microalgae using hollow fiber membranes

A hollow fiber culture system has been proposed for supplying the carbon dioxide to the microalgae, to replace the conventional air bubbling system which has been adopted to supply carbon dioxide in most conventional microalgal culture. In order to examine the usefulness of hollow fiber membranes for the microalgal culture, the microalgal growth rate for Chlorella sp. and the effective mass transfer coefficient of carbon dioxide through the hollow fiber membranes have been measured using the proposed photobioreactor filled with hollow fibers. The microalgal growth rate using hollow fiber membranes was found to be three times greater than that observed in the conventional non-membrane photobioreactor. Please download the full abstract below

Geriatric trauma prognosis trends over 10 years: analysis of a nationwide trauma registry

Purpose With Japan's population rapidly skewing toward aging, the number of geriatric trauma patients is expected to increase. Since we need to continue to improve the quality of geriatric trauma patient care, this study aimed to evaluate in-hospital mortality trends among geriatric trauma patients in Japan over a recent 10-year period. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of data from a Japanese nationwide trauma registry (the Japan National Trauma Data Bank) on patients admitted between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2017. Geriatric patients were defined as those 65 years old and older. The primary outcome was to clarify in-hospital mortality trends and changes over these 10 years. Results We identified 265 268 eligible trauma patients. Excluding those under 65 years old and those with inadequate or unknown age data, missing prognosis, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and burns, 107 766 patients were enrolled in this study. The total trauma patient in-hospital mortality trend was evaluated using the Cochran-Armitage test and showed a significant decrease (p= 16) showed a significant decreasing trend (p<0.001) over time (from 26.1% to 14.5%), less-severe trauma patients (ISS <16) did not (p=0.41) (from 2.7% to 2.1%). Mixed logistic regression analysis showed that the number of year patients stayed in the hospital was significantly associated with mortality. Conclusions While recognizing the limitations of the current analysis, our data demonstrated that prognoses for severe trauma patients over 65 years old improved dramatically over these 10 years, especially in those with severe trauma

γ-Secretase-Regulated Mechanisms Similar to Notch Signaling May Play a Role in Signaling Events, Including APP Signaling, Which Leads to Alzheimer's Disease

Although gamma-secretase was first identified as a protease that cleaves amyloid precursor protein (APP) within the transmembrane domain, thus producing A beta peptides that are thought to be pathogenic in Alzheimer's disease (AD), its physiological functions have not been fully elucidated. In the canonical Notch signaling pathway, intramembrane cleavage by gamma-secretase serves to release an intracellular domain of Notch that shows activity in the nucleus through binding to transcription factors. Many type 1 transmembrane proteins, including Notch, Delta, and APP, have recently been shown to be substrates for gamma-secretase, and their intracellular domains are released from the cell membrane following cleavage by gamma-secretase. The common enzyme gamma-secretase modulates proteolysis and the turnover of possible signaling molecules, which has led to the attractive hypothesis that mechanisms similar to Notch signaling contribute widely to proteolysis-regulated signaling pathways. APP is also likely to have a signaling mechanism, although the physiological functions of APP have not been elucidated. Indeed, we have shown that the intracellular domain of APP alters gene expression and induces neuron-specific apoptosis. These results suggest that APP signaling responds to the onset of AD. Here, we review the possibility of gamma-secretase-regulated signaling, including APP signaling, which leads to AD.ArticleCELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY. 31(6):887-900 (2011)journal articl

Higher direct images of local systems in log Betti cohomology

We prove that the higher direct images of a locally constant sheaf by the associated continuous map of a proper separated log smooth morphism of fs log analytic spaces are locally constant

Copolymerization of Ethylene with Isobutylene and Limonene Catalyzed by Titanium Complexes with Various ansa-(Fluorenyl)(alkylamido) Ligand

A series of titanium complexes bearing ansa-(fluorenyl)(amido) ligands with cyclohexylamido, isopropylamido, and isobutylamido groups were synthesized and their catalytic behaviors for the copolymerization of ethylene with isobutylene were compared with those with cyclododecylamido and tert-butylamido groups. The effects of cocatalyst on the ethylene-isobutylene copolymerization by a titanium complex having ansa-(fluorenyl)(cyclododecylamido) ligand were examined. The catalytic activity of the titanium complex for ethylene-limonene copolymerization was also further investigated