"Innovation Versus Diffusion: Determinants of Productivity Growth Among Japanese Firms"

This paper presents a model of firm-level productivity growth that distinguishes between innovation and technology diffusion, and then applies the model to a large-scale data set of Japanese manufacturing and non-manufacturing firms between 1994 and 2000. We find both innovation and diffusion are important factors in firm-level productivity growth. Results also suggest that innovation comes not only directly from R&D activities, but also indirectly from patent purchases and imports. Previously, patent purchases and imports were considered as sources of technology diffusion rather than innovation. In fact, we find patent purchases are more effective in this regard than R&D expenditure.

"Productivity Convergence at the Firm Level"

Productivity convergence among countries has been investigated extensively with mixed results. This paper extends the analysis to the firm level to shed light on the debate of convergence or non-convergence. We find productivity convergence among firms widely in Japan, in both manufacturing industries and non-manufacturing ones. We obtain these results taking explicit account of exiting firms as a source of selection biases. The convergence rate is much faster among firms than countries. We also find that there are substantial differences among industries in the convergence speed. IT industries that heavily rely on technological progress show faster rates of convergence.

Measuring Firms’ R&D Effects on Technical Progress: Japan in the 199

One of the important public policy issues in science and technology is to ascertain if and how firms' investments in research and development (R&D) contribute to technical progress at firm and industry levels. Griliches (1979) made a pioneering contribution to our understanding of economic growth by pointing out that accumulation of firms' investments in R&D and creation of knowledge will lead to technical progress. In this paper we present a method based on index number theory for estimating technical progress and then apply it for estimating technical progress for Japanese manufacturing firms in the 1990s. Estimated technical progress is then used to test the above Griliches hypothesisR&D; Japan; technical progress; economic growth

"Does Natural Selection Mechanism Still Work in Severe Recessions? --]Examination of the Japanese Economy in the 1990s ---"

This paper investigates whether or not the natural selection mechanism (NSM) of economic Darwinism works in severe recessions. Although standard firm models imply the importance of NSM in an economy by showing firm's rational behavior on entry, surviv-ing, and exit leads to macro-level TFP growth, there is almost no evidence to demonstrate NSM works even in severe recessions and depressions. Based on micro data of the Basic Survey of Japanese Business Structure and Activities (BSJBSA) by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, we construct a comprehensive firm-level panel dataset for Japan from 1994 to 1998, especially designed for the analysis of a firm's entry, survival, and exit and its relationship with TFP. Empirical results show that efficient firms in terms of TFP quit while inefficient ones survived in the banking-crisis period of 1996-1997. Besides, this phenomenon is mainly observed for new entrants and contributes substantially to a fall in macro TFP after 1996. These facts strongly suggest malfunctioning of NSM in severe recessions.

Thigh muscle size and vascular function after blood flow-restricted elastic band training in older women

We examined the effect of elastic band training with blood flow restriction (BFR) on thigh muscle size and vascular function in older women. Older women were divided into three groups: low-intensity elastic band BFR training (BFR-Tr, n = 10), middle- to high-intensity elastic band training (MH-Tr, n = 10), and no training (Ctrl, n = 10) groups. BFR-Tr and MH-Tr groups performed squat and knee extension exercises using elastic band, 2 days/week for 12 weeks. During BFR-Tr exercise session, subjects wore pressure cuffs around the most proximal region of both thighs. The following measurements were taken before (pre) and 3-5 days after (post) the final training session: MRI-measured muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) at mid-thigh, maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of knee extension, central systolic blood pressure (c-SBP), central-augmentation index (c-AIx), cardio-ankle vascular index testing (CAVI), ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI). Quadriceps muscle CSA (6.9%) and knee extension MVIC (13.7%) were increased (p < 0.05) in the BFR-Tr group, but not in the MH-Tr and the Ctrl groups. Regarding c-SBP, c-AIx, CAVI and ABI, there were no changes between pre- and post- results among the three groups. Elastic band BFR training increases thigh muscle CSA as well as maximal muscle strength, but does not decrease vascular function in older women

The ASTRO-H X-ray Observatory

The joint JAXA/NASA ASTRO-H mission is the sixth in a series of highly successful X-ray missions initiated by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). ASTRO-H will investigate the physics of the high-energy universe via a suite of four instruments, covering a very wide energy range, from 0.3 keV to 600 keV. These instruments include a high-resolution, high-throughput spectrometer sensitive over 0.3-2 keV with high spectral resolution of Delta E < 7 eV, enabled by a micro-calorimeter array located in the focal plane of thin-foil X-ray optics; hard X-ray imaging spectrometers covering 5-80 keV, located in the focal plane of multilayer-coated, focusing hard X-ray mirrors; a wide-field imaging spectrometer sensitive over 0.4-12 keV, with an X-ray CCD camera in the focal plane of a soft X-ray telescope; and a non-focusing Compton-camera type soft gamma-ray detector, sensitive in the 40-600 keV band. The simultaneous broad bandpass, coupled with high spectral resolution, will enable the pursuit of a wide variety of important science themes.Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, Proceedings of the SPIE Astronomical Instrumentation "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2012: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray

Hitomi (ASTRO-H) X-ray Astronomy Satellite

The Hitomi (ASTRO-H) mission is the sixth Japanese x-ray astronomy satellite developed by a large international collaboration, including Japan, USA, Canada, and Europe. The mission aimed to provide the highest energy resolution ever achieved at E  >  2  keV, using a microcalorimeter instrument, and to cover a wide energy range spanning four decades in energy from soft x-rays to gamma rays. After a successful launch on February 17, 2016, the spacecraft lost its function on March 26, 2016, but the commissioning phase for about a month provided valuable information on the onboard instruments and the spacecraft system, including astrophysical results obtained from first light observations. The paper describes the Hitomi (ASTRO-H) mission, its capabilities, the initial operation, and the instruments/spacecraft performances confirmed during the commissioning operations for about a month

Productivity Convergence at the Firm Level : Effects of Exit on Firm-level Productivity Growth in Japan(<Featured Theme><LIA-CASSH Report 2008>Comparative Approaches in Social Sciences and Humanities : A French-Japanese Initiative via Joint International Laboratory between CNRS and University of Tokyo)

This paper investigates firm-level productivity growth with careful consideration on the effects of entry/exit. We found the productivity convergence among firms. Besides, the analysis without considering the effects of exits causes a statistically significant sample selection bias in the speed-of-convergence estimation.JEL Classification Code: D21(From Behavior); D24(Production; Capital and Total Factor Productivity; Capacity

Productivity Convergence at the Firm Level : Effects of Exit on Firm-level Productivity Growth in Japan(<Featured Theme><LIA-CASSH Report 2008>Comparative Approaches in Social Sciences and Humanities : A French-Japanese Initiative via Joint International Laboratory between CNRS and University of Tokyo)

This paper investigates firm-level productivity growth with careful consideration on the effects of entry/exit. We found the productivity convergence among firms. Besides, the analysis without considering the effects of exits causes a statistically significant sample selection bias in the speed-of-convergence estimation