Association between corporate financial performance and corporate social responsibility in a crisis: focusing on the March 11 disaster / Masumi Nakashima and Saburo Ota.

This study investigates how firms damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011 (March 11 Disaster) proceeded toward a turnaround by focusing on corporate social responsibility (CSR). We define CSR as the responsibility that a firm has to pursue as a public institution for the benefit of the community and its environment. Ota and Nakashima (2015) proposed the Ota-Nakashima CSR model that measures CSR by applying the Ota turnaround model (2013) to the Kanji-Chopra CSR model. We compute CSR using the Ota and Nakashima CSR models (2015), and analyze the association between CSR and corporate financial performance (CFP). By examining the association between CSR and CFP, we investigate how firms damaged by the March 11 disaster consider planning and implementing CSR to proceed toward a turnaround

Regulatory effects of blood constituents on the function and metabolism of the cat brain in perfusion ezperiments. Brain perfusion with artificial blood containing low molecular dextran and amino acids

As a link in a series of studies on the effects of blood constituents on the brain function by means of brain perfusion, we used four kinds of artificial blood; namely, the blood containing a low molecular dextran, one containing glutamic acid, one containing essential amino acid group and the one containing both essential amino acid group and glutamic acid. During the perfusion experiments we observed the effects of blood constituents on the function and metabolism of the perfused brain and obtained the following results. 1. When a low molecular dextran is used as the colloid osmotic pressure agent instead of hydrodextran, the amount of the blood flow in the brain is maintained roughly at a certain fixed level throughout the experiment, showing no gradual decreasing tendency. 2. When using the artificial blood supplemented with glutamic acid, EEG of the perfused brain shows an increase in the appearance rate of &#946;32 and &#946;33 bands, approaching closely to the pattern of EEG of unrestrained controls at arousal state. 3. In the case of the blood added with essential amino acids similar to the case using the blood with glutamic acid, EEG approaches towards the alert pattern of the controls. 4. When the perfusion is done with the artificial blood lacking in amino acids, about one hour after the start of the perfusion the amount of glutamic acid and its related compounds in the brain can no longer be maintained at normal level and the decrease, being so marked, brings about a marked decrease also in total amino acid content. 5. When the perfusion blood contains glutamic acid, essential amino acid group or both, the concentrations of amino acids of the brain glutamic acid group and the total amino acid can be maintained approximately at normal level for the duration of over one hour.</p

Glutamic acid metabolism in perfused cat brain studied with 14C-labelled glutamic acid

The rate of transport of blood glutamic acid into the brain and the rate of metabolic conversion of the amino acid in the brain were derived by the use of the brain perfution method in vivo and in situ with [D.HC] ·Lglutamic acid. The net uptake of glutamic acid by the brain was observed. Most of the radioactivity released from the brain into the cerebral venous blood was found to consist of glutamine. Small but significant amounts of output as radioactive GSH and CO2 were also found. Glutamic acid transport and its rate of metabolism were lowered in the glucose. free condition. The size of the compartment of the small glutamic acid pool, which was related closely to the blood glutamic acid, and that of the large glutamic acid pool, which was related closely to the blood glucose, were calculated and compared with each other.</p

A case of bulbospinal muscular atrophy with chief complaint of sensory disorder in the lower extremities.

A 56-year-old man was admitted to our department with a chief complaint of lower extremity dysesthesia. He described a dull numbness below the ankle and a dull pain in the nates for the past two years. Although the numbness extended to the thigh, he did not notice any muscular weakness or atrophy. Neurological examination revealed weakness and atrophy in the face, tongue and the proximal portions of all four extremities. Deep tendon reflexes were decreased. A moderate loss of vibratory sensation was noted below the knees. Electromyography showed neurogenic changes. Muscle biopsy revealed both myogenic and neurogenic changes. Sural nerve biopsy revealed a mild reduction of myelinated fibers, particularly the large-diameter fibers. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of bulbospinal muscular atrophy (BSMA) was made. In recent years, there have been some case reports of BSMA with sensory disturbances, or merely with subclinical manifestations of a sensory disturbance. This case is included in the same category as those reports, but it is interesting to note that the sensory disturbance in the lower extremities occurred as the chief complaint of the disease.</p

6U CubeSat for Ultraviolet Time-Domain Astronomy

A wide-field ultraviolet observatory for time-domain astronomy utilizing 6U CubeSat is presented. Ultraviolet waveband is one of the unexplored fields in astronomy. Potential targets are short duration transient sources in UV-band: early-phase emission from gravitational wave sources, supernovae shock-breakouts, tidal disruption events around super massive blackholes, etc. The telescope was designed for covering the large error circle of GW detectors, FoV~100 deg2. Thanks to the high quantum efficiency of “delta-doping” detector, the detection limit achieves 20 mag (AB) for 1800 s exposure in NUV band, which is sufficient to detect UV emission from a binary neutron star merger within 200 Mpc from the earth. The satellite has a high-performance on-board computer for on-orbit analysis to detect transient sources and measure the magnitude and the accurate position of the target. The obtained information is required to be transferred to the ground within 30 min from the detection to start multi-messenger follow-up observations utilizing ground-based observatories and astronomical satellites. In this presentation we show the mission overview and conceptual design of the satellite system

Development and Initial On-orbit Performance of Multi-Functional Attitude Sensor using Image Recognition

This paper describes a multi-functional attitude sensor mounted on the “Innovative Satellite 1st” led by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency which was launched in January 2019. In order to achieve the high accuracy determination in low cost, we developed a novel attitude sensor utilizing real-time image recognition technology, named “Deep Learning Attitude Sensor (DLAS)”. DLAS has two type of attitude sensors: Star Tracker(STT) and Earth Camera (ECAM). For the low-cost development, we adopted commercial off-the-shelf cameras. DLAS uses real-time image recognition technology and a new attitude determination algorithm. In this paper, we present the missions, methods and system configuration of DLAS and initial results of on-orbit experiment that was conducted after the middle of February 2019, and it is confirmed that attitude determinations using ECAM and STT are performed correctly

Engineering Model Development of HIBARI: MicroSatellite for Technology Demonstration of Variable-Shape Attitude Control

We are developing a 40kg class microsatellite “HIBARI”. The main technical mission is demonstration a novel attitude control method called “Variable Shape Attitude Control (VSAC)” proposed by Matunaga, Tokyo Institute of Technology. This VSAC is based on an idea to utilize a reaction torque generated by changing the shape of satellites, for example driving solar array paddles by actuators. HIBARI is planned to be launched in fiscal year 2021 under “Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program” led by JAXA. We are developing EM of HIBARI and describes those in this paper. Specifically, the results of missions, systems, and various tests are shown and the validity is derived

Role of Parathyroid Hormone/Parathyroid Hormone-Related Peptide on Cell Proliferation in the Gastric Mucosa

Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) is widely expressed in normal tissues and elicits various functions through the PTH/PTHrP receptor. Relaxation effects of PTHrP on gastrointestinal smooth muscle cells were well documented, but the physiological role on mucosal growth and differentiation is little known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of PTHrP and PTHPTHrP receptor in the rat gastric mucosa, and the role of PTHrP on mucosal cell proliferation. Male Wistar rats were used in this study. Localization of PTHrP and PTH/PTHrP receptor were observed by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Expression of PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA were examined by RNase protection assay in control and stress condition. Double staining with BrDU incorporation was performed to differentiate cell cycle states. Cell proliferative effect by external PTHrP-(1-34) was evaluated by BrDU incorporation. PTHrP immunopositive cells were encountered in and around the mucosal neck area. PTH/PTHrP receptor immunoreactivity was observed in the gastric mucosa broadly. Cells with stronger expression for PTHrP and its cognate receptor were located in the vicinity of generative zone. But BrDU incorporating cells were negative for both PTHrP and PTH/PTHrP receptor. By RNase protection assay, PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA expression was weak in a steady state, and the receptor expression increased at stress. External PTHrP-(1-34) did not show cell proliferative effect in a steady state. At stress BrDU incorporation was suppressed significantly, and PTHrP-(1-34) increased BrDU incorporation. These observations suggest that PTHrP and PTH/PTHrP receptor involve maintenance of mucosal growth and differentiation in the stomach