Dilemma between new and existing technologies: Separation and coexistence of old and new technologies in the Television Development Division of Sony Corporation

Regarding R&D management for long-term coexistence of new and existing businesses within a company in technological transition, development of high technology introduces conflict between existing low and medium technologies (LMT). One solution, organizational separation of old and new technologies, can render the technological resources of separated R&D groups mutually inaccessible, thereby possibly necessitating duplication of investment costs. That situation might be prevented by brief coexistence of separate groups during a transition period. Nevertheless, existing businesses based on LMT often retain large markets despite the success of new businesses. In the television business described herein, a technological shift began in the late 1990s to replace conventional CRT televisions with flat panel displays (FPD), including LCDs and plasma display panels (PDPs). Today, despite great interest in FPD televisions, global shipments in 2006 included 130 million CRT televisions and 46 million FPD televisions. Varying unit prices prevent a simple comparison, but CRT televisions constitute a large, fiercely competitive market. Continued coexistence of old and new businesses demands the contradictory conditions of independence of the two R&D groups while using mutual resources. Sony's case has revealed a single technical development division serving both old and new R&D groups, providing similar new technology for product development while co-ordinating these divisions' interests. The technical development division integrates technological and product development to integrate developed technologies into downstream product development. This integration process, so-called integration of old and new R&D technologies, incorporates lower divisions' technology and expertise into technological development, thereby enabling multiple downstream product development groups to acquire technology and expertise through technology that is integrated with that of other product divisions. The process' implications include the following. New businesses use existing business technology; existing businesses can incorporate new technology.Viewing technological changes as diversification, existing and new businesses can increase opportunities through co-operation.Integration of old and new R&D technologies, Low and medium technologies, Conventional resources, Separated organization, Electronics industry

Differences in language learning strategies between male and female, and also between Asian and Latino ESL students

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not differences exist between female and male and also between Latino and Asian Students in the use of languages learning strategies by administering self-reported questionnaires to foreign students learning English in American universities. The data for this research study were provided by 147 foreign students at five mid- to large-sized universities in the Southeastern United States. The primary questionnaire, consisting of 50 closed-ended questions for this research study, was entitled Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, (SILL). A background questionnaire consisting of five open-ended and eight closed-ended questions, developed by the researcher of this study, was also administered together with the SILL. The findings of this study were as follows: (1) there was no statistically significant gender difference in the use of language learning strategies as a whole. However, female students tend to use learning strategies more often than males. As for differences in the use of the six categories of language learning strategies, gender differences were significant in the use of social and affective strategies, with females reporting the use of more strategies; (2) there was no statistically significant difference between Latino and Asian students as a whole. Nonetheless, Latino students in general reported using strategies more frequently than their Asian counterparts. In the use of the six categories of language learning strategies, significant differences were found in the use of metacognitive and social strategies, with Latino students using them more frequently; (3) level of motivation and self-ratings of proficiency were found to be significantly correlated to the use of language learning strategies. Other variables such as motivational type, years of studying English, length of staying in the United States, and the number of languages spoken were detected not to be significantly correlated to the use of language learning strategies; (4) a statistically significant difference was found in school majors in regard to language strategy use. Students who major in science/computer/health science reported to use more strategies than business/law students; and (5) level of motivation was found to be the single most influential factor on language learning strategy use. The influence of gender and self-ratings of proficiency was not revealed as statistically significant. However, this influence was substantial. The major conclusions were as follows: (1) there appear to be no gender differences in the use of language learning strategies in general, although females tend to use strategies more often. As to categories of language learning strategies, there are differences between genders in the use of social and affective strategies, with females using them more often; (2) there appear to be no differences between Latino and Asian students in the use of language learning strategies in general, although Latino students use strategies more often than their Asian counterparts. In categories of strategy use, however, there are differences in the use of metacognitive and social strategies, with Latino students using strategies more frequently; (3) among variables affecting the use of language learning strategies, two variables, motivation and self-ratings of proficiency level seems to be positively correlated to the use of language learning strategies. This indicates that the more one is motivated or the higher one rates his/her English proficiency, the more one uses language strategies; (4) there appear to be differences among learners with different school majors in regard to language learning use. Students majoring in science/computer/health science use more strategies than those majoring in business/law

Geology of high- to ultrahigh-temperature granulites from central Madurai block, southern India ; with emphasis on the evolution of Grt-Opx-Crd granulite

The geology of Ganguvapatti area situated at the central Madurai block of southern India consisting of varous high-grade metamorphic rock types. This contribution briefly describes the geology, field occurrences and petrography of metamorphic rock from Ganguvarpatti area. Ganguvarpatti is known for its occurrence of sapphirine-bearing UHT granulites while the surrounding granulites are less studied. So in this contribution we have discussed the pressure-temperature stability and evolution of granulites surrounding UHT granulites. The pressure-temperature estimation of garnet-orthopyroxene-cordierite granulite resulted a near peak temperature condition of>950゜ C at a pressure between 9-10 kbar. These results are in good agreement with the stability field in the KFMASH petrogenetic frid

Absence of contagious yawning in children with autism spectrum disorder

This study is the first to report the disturbance of contagious yawning in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Twenty-four children with ASD as well as 25 age-matched typically developing (TD) children observed video clips of either yawning or control mouth movements. Yawning video clips elicited more yawns in TD children than in children with ASD, but the frequency of yawns did not differ between groups when they observed control video clips. Moreover, TD children yawned more during or after the yawn video clips than the control video clips, but the type of video clips did not affect the amount of yawning in children with ASD. Current results suggest that contagious yawning is impaired in ASD, which may relate to their impairment in empathy. It supports the claim that contagious yawning is based on the capacity for empathy

健常若年日本人成人の頸部リンパ節の超音波像：年齢，性別および体格との関係

口腔がんの頸部リンパ節転移の精査に有用である超音波検査では、リンパ節の形態を示す短長径や短長径比の計測、リンパ節内部の血流パターンや血流量から異常リンパ節の有無や評価を行う。その場合、頸部リンパ節の形態や血流は年齢，性別および体格の影響を受ける可能性があるが、これらの関与について検討した報告は殆どない。本研究では健常若年日本人成人を対象に，年齢，性別および体格指数（BMI）と頸部リンパ節の形態、内部血流パターンの関係について検討を行うという目的は明確である。研究は規定されたリンパ節の測定法を根拠に目的、測定バイアスまで考慮した方法、高度な統計解析法を十分に考えて計画がなされており、かつ、周到な準備の下に論理的に施行され、実証性も良いと考えられる。 結果では、リンパ節の短径は上頸部で年齢とBMI，顎下部で性別（女性）とBMI，オトガイ下部でBMIと有意な関連があり、いずれの領域でもBMIの増加により短長径比は有意に増加し、かつ女性は男性より有意に増加することを明確に示した。また、リンパ節の血流型では上頸部はBMIが増加すると無血流型になる傾向があり，オトガイ下部では有意に放散型になること、顎下部では女性の場合に有意に無血流型になることを明らかにし、明確である。 考察・結論では本研究結果について適切に論文を引用して年齢，性別、BMIと頸部リンパ節の形態や血流との関連を考察しており、超音波検査時の異常リンパ節の評価の際には，性別およびBMIを考慮して検査を行うべきであるとの結論かつ新知見を明確に導いている。 さらに、本研究結果は頸部リンパ節の超音波検査時の重要な基本情報であり、今後、口腔がんの好発年齢である高齢者での検討を行うことで、さらに有用な成果が得られることが期待されるという研究の発展性を示している。以上から学位に相応しい内容であると判断する。2013博士（歯学）松本歯科大