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We identified six groups of diseases expected to cause serious future health issues on the basis of a WHO report. Approved drugs for these diseases were associated with 409 target proteins; however, the percentage of selected proteins with full-length structural information deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) was only 9.8%. The reason for the low percentage may be as a result of a disproporti
This study examines the sharing of research tools among academic scientists in the life sciences and materials sciences in Japan. First, this study investigates material transfer, or the sharing of research tools, based on individual-level negotiation. Statistical analyses suggest that supplier-side scientists decide whether or not to fulfill requests for material transfer on the basis of: expecte
Drawing on a database of the competitive research funds in the Japanese academia, this study examines the distribution of research grants at the university and individual levels. The data indicates high inequality at the university level and slightly lower inequality at the individual level. Over the last three decades, the total grant budget has greatly increased and an increasing number of resea
Although the contribution of scientometric literature to policies on academic science has been substantial, the literature has focused primarily on the production of scientific knowledge, whereas limited attention has been paid to the other critical mission of academic institutions, i.e., education or the production of scientists. To address this limitation and better inform policymakers, the curr
This paper investigates the effect of international research visits on promotion. Research visits may help to expand existing networks and promote knowledge transfer while at the same time ensuring career stability, identified as the main barrier to mobility in Europe and Japan. Using a dataset of 370 bioscience professors in Japan we find that international research visits have a positive effect
Honesty in scientific publication is critical for scientific advancement, but dishonesty is commonly and increasingly observed in misconduct and other questionable practices. Focusing on dishonest conformity in peer review, in which authors unwillingly obey referees’ instructions in order to have their papers accepted even if the instructions contradict the authors’ scientific belief, the current
The modern science system relies on intense evaluation of scientific publication, in which scientific impact is highly emphasized, but its contribution to the progress of science has been controversial. Focusing on two aspects of the science system, resource allocation and academic career design, this study explores whether these policies, presumably aiming at high-impact research, actually achiev
A university laboratory is a fundamental unit of scientific production, but optimizing its organizational design is a formidable task for lab heads, who play potentially conflicting roles of manager, educator, and researcher. Drawing on cross-sectional data from a questionnaire survey and bibliometric data on Japanese biology professors, this study investigates task allocation inside laboratories.
Recent science policies emphasize academic mobility and denounce inbreeding as an impediment to scientific productivity. This study aims to investigate the impact of inbreeding on productivity, distinguishing various forms of inbreeding, and to explore the mechanism behind which inbreeding is translated into productivity, drawing on in-depth longitudinal data of academics' careers in a university
Recent economic policies emphasize the role of academic science in technological innovation and economic growth and encourage universities and individual academics to engage in commercial activities. In this trend of academic commercialization, a growing concern has been expressed that its potential incompatibility with the traditional norms of open science could undermine the cooperative climate
This study uses a sample of Japanese university scientists in life and materials sciences to examine how academic entrepreneurship has affected the norms and behaviors of academic scientists regarding sharing scientific resources. Results indicate that high levels of academic entrepreneurship in a scientific field are associated with less reliance on the gift-giving form of sharing (i.e., generali
In the trend of academic entrepreneurship, practical and direct contribution of university research to the society has been emphasized, in which university scientists have increasingly engaged in commercial activities, university-industry relationships, and technology transfers. However, this trend has aroused concern about a potentially negative impact on the tradition of open science. Drawing on
Purpose - The purpose of this study is to provide a new perspective for effective management of the merger and acquisition (M&A) process by making use of a case study of a merger in the Japanese pharmaceutical industry. As corporate governance and culture are notably employee-oriented in Japanese firms, the paper seeks to explore whether M&As in the industry may follow different paths from
PURPOSE: Dominant-active RAC1 rescues photoreceptor structure in Drosophila rhodopsin-null mutants, indicating an important role in morphogenesis. This report assesses the morphogenetic effect of activated RAC1 during mammalian rod photoreceptor development using transgenic mice that express constitutively active (CA) RAC1.METHODS: Transgenic mice were generated by expressing CA RAC1 under control
The mechanisms that specify photoreceptor cell-fate determination, especially as regards to short-wave-sensitive (S) versus medium-wave-sensitive (M) cone identity, and maintain their nature and function, are not fully understood. Here we report the importance of general transcription factor II-I repeat domain-containing protein 1 (GTF2IRD1) in maintaining M cone cell identity and function as well
In nonphagocytic cells, Rac1 is a component of NADPH oxidase that produces reactive oxygen species [Ushio-Fukai M (2006) Sci STKE 2006:re8]. Rac1 is expressed abundantly in mammalian retinal photoreceptors, where it is activated in response to light stimuli [Balasubramanian N, Slepak VZ (2003) Curr Biol 13:1306-1310]. We used Cre-LoxP conditional gene targeting to knock down Rac1 expression in mou
X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS) is a neurodevelopmental abnormality caused by retinoschisin gene mutations. XLRS is characterized by splitting through the retinal layers and impaired synaptic transmission of visual signals resulting in impaired acuity and a propensity to retinal detachment. Several groups have treated murine retinoschisis models successfully using adeno-associated virus (AA
PURPOSE: At an early age, the retinoschisin knockout (Rs1-KO) mouse retina has progressive photoreceptor degeneration with severe disruption of the outer plexiform layer (OPL) that decreases at older ages. The electroretinogram (ERG) undergoes parallel changes. The b-wave amplitude from bipolar cells is reduced disproportionately to the photoreceptor a-wave at young but not at older ages. The prot
PURPOSE: To determine whether cadherin 23 and protocadherin 15 can substitute for one another in the maintenance of the retina and other tissues in the mouse. Does homozygosity for both v and av mutant alleles (i.e., a double homozygous mouse) cause retinal degeneration or an obvious retinal histopathology?METHODS: We generated mice homozygous for both Cdh23(v-6J) and Pcdh15(av-Jfb) alleles. The r
PURPOSE: To characterize the ocular phenotype resulting from mutation of Rab38, a candidate gene for Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome.METHODS: Chocolate mice (cht, Rab38(cht/cht)) and control heterozygous (Rab38(cht/)(+)) and wild-type mice were examined clinically, histologically, ultrastructurally, and electrophysiologically. Mice homozygous for both the Rab38(cht) and the Tyrp1(b) alleles were similar
