A Humanoid Robot with Anatomy Trains that can Passively Sustain Standing Postures

The 11th International Symposium on Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines. Kobe University, Japan. 2023-06-06/09. Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines Organizing Committee.Poster Session P1

A community intervention trial of multimodal suicide prevention program in Japan: A Novel multimodal Community Intervention program to prevent suicide and suicide attempt in Japan, NOCOMIT-J

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To respond to the rapid surge in the incidence of suicide in Japan, which appears to be an ongoing trend, the Japanese Multimodal Intervention Trials for Suicide Prevention (J-MISP) have launched a multimodal community-based suicide prevention program, NOCOMIT-J. The primary aim of this study is to examine whether NOCOMIT-J is effective in reducing suicidal behavior in the community.</p> <p>Methods/DesignThis study is a community intervention trial involving seven intervention regions with accompanying control regions, all with populations of statistically sufficient size. The program focuses on building social support networks in the public health system for suicide prevention and mental health promotion, intending to reinforce human relationships in the community. The intervention program components includes a primary prevention measures of awareness campaign for the public and key personnel, secondary prevention measures for screening of, and assisting, high-risk individuals, after-care for individuals bereaved by suicide, and other measures. The intervention started in July 2006, and will continue for 3.5 years. Participants are Japanese and foreign residents living in the intervention and control regions (a total of population of 2,120,000 individuals).</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The present study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the community-based suicide prevention program in the seven participating areas.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000000460.</p

Liquefaction at Strong Motion Stations and in Urayasu City during the 2011 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake

The 2011 M[subscript W] = 9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake generated a large number of unique soil liquefaction case histories, including cases with strong ground motion recordings on liquefiable or potentially liquefiable soils. We have compiled a list of 22 strong motion stations (SMS) where surface evidence of liquefaction was observed and 16 SMS underlain by geologically recent sediments or fills where surface evidence of liquefaction was not observed. Pre-earthquake standard penetration test data and borehole shear wave velocity (V[subscript s]) profiles are available for some stations, but critical information, such as grain size distribution and fines plasticity, are often lacking. In the heavily damaged city of Urayasu, we performed post-earthquake cone penetration testing at seven SMS and V[subscript s] profiles, using surface wave methods at 28 additional locations to supplement existing geotechnical data. We describe the liquefaction effects in Urayasu, the available site characterization data, and our initial data interpretations

Fractography of shear failure surface of softwood decayed by brown-rot fungus

In order to investigate shear failure surface of decayed wood, wood pieces of ezomatsu (Picea jezoensis) were exposed to brown-rot fungus (Fomitopsis palustris), and standard shear test in radial plane was conducted. The failure surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy and surface roughness measurements were also conducted. Transwall failure that the crack elongated parallel to the tracheid axis was observed in the earlywood region through all phases of decay. Intrawall failure principally occurred in the latewood region on the early phase of decay. When decay progressed considerably, transwall failure that the crack elongated perpendicularly to the tracheid axis occurred. And transwall failure was also dominant failure morphology in the latewood region. Fragments of tracheids which were partly peeled out from S-2 layers were observed in some specimens. Size and appearance frequency of fragments of tracheid were smaller and lower when decay progressed. Arithmetic average roughness, which was the index of fragment size and appearance frequency, had positive correlation to shear strength ratio. Especially, line surface roughness of radial direction, which was measured across the radial files of tracheid, had the highest correlation to the shear strength ratio. The surface roughness would be a good indicator to evaluate the decay degree