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

PURPOSE: The authors characterized the natural history of a retinoschisin gene knockout (Rs1h-KO) mouse model and evaluated the long-term effects of retinal rescue after AAV(2/2)-CMV-Rs1h gene delivery.METHODS: Full-field scotopic electroretinograms (ERGs) were recorded from 44 male hemizygous Rs1h-KO and 44 male wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice at six ages between 1 and 16 months. Retinal morphometry

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) promotes photoreceptor survival but also suppresses electroretinogram (ERG) responses. This has caused concerns about whether CNTF is detrimental to the function of photoreceptors because it is considered to be a potential treatment for retinal degenerative disorders. Here we report that the suppression of ERG responses is attributable to negative regulation of t

PURPOSE: Mutations of PCDH15, the gene encoding protocadherin 15, cause either nonsyndromic deafness DFNB23 or Usher syndrome type 1F (USH1F) in humans and deafness with balance problems in Ames waltzer (av) mice. Persons with USH1 usually begin to exhibit signs of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in early adolescence, but av mice are reported to have functional retinas. In this study, the auditory, visu

PURPOSE: To create and evaluate a mouse model of human X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS) and then investigate whether supplementing with the retinoschisin protein by gene delivery can reverse the abnormal "electronegative" electroretinogram (ERG) retinal response.METHODS: An X-linked retinoschisis mouse (Rs1h-KO) model was created by substituting a neomycin resistance cassette for exon 1 and

At a time when rapidly evolving technologies, political turmoil, and the tensions inherent in multiculturalism and globalization are reshaping historical consciousness, what is the proper role for historians and their work? By way of an answer, the contributors to this volume offer up an illuminating collective meditation on the idea of ethos and its relevance for historical practice. These intell