Development of a Compact Absorption Chiller Using Hydrophobic Flat Sheet Membrane

Automotive absorption refrigeration system has enormous potential to conserve energy using the exhaust gas from the car engine. The absorption system, however, has not yet been attracted to automobile application owing to its large volume, weight, and weakness for unexpected vibration and the slop while driving. By the vibration, the LiBr solution is scattered not on the cooling tube in the absorber, that is leading to mal-function of absorber. Also by sloping road, the free surface of solution in the generator and absorber causes mixing of the refrigerant and LiBr solution. To solve the problems, we used hydrophobic flat sheet membrane. Membrane is a porous media that has microscale porous and used for filtration to separate specific substances. By the hydrophobicity of the membrane, the LiBr solution can not penetrate the pores of the membrane. Only vapor, however, can penetrate the pores. That means the membrane can separate the working fluids and vapor refrigerant. By using the membrane for all the components of absorption refrigeration system, the free surface of working fluid is eliminated and the mixing of fluids does not occur by the sloping road. To reduce volume of components, we provide the design of combined generator-condenser and absorber-evaporator using the membranes. In this study, we focused on the theoretical models for heat and mass transfer in membrane based combined unit, and evaluated the performance. Then, we constructed an experimental apparatus using flat membranes and measured the performance

Potential of X-Band Images from High-Resolution Satellite SAR Sensors to Assess Growth and Yield in Paddy Rice

The comprehensive relationship of backscattering coefficient (σ0) values from two current X-band SAR sensors (COSMO-SkyMed and TerraSAR-X) with canopy biophysical variables were investigated using the SAR images acquired at VV polarization and shallow incidence angles. The difference and consistency of the two sensors were also examined. The chrono-sequential change of σ0 in rice paddies during the transplanting season revealed that σ0 reached the value of nearby water surfaces a day before transplanting, and increased significantly just after transplanting event (3 dB). Despite a clear systematic shift (6.6 dB) between the two sensors, the differences in σ0 between target surfaces and water surfaces in each image were comparable in both sensors. Accordingly, an image-based approach using the “water-point” was proposed. It would be useful especially when absolute σ0 values are not consistent between sensors and/or images. Among the various canopy variables, the panicle biomass was found to be best correlated with X-band σ0. X-band SAR would be promising for direct assessments of rice grain yields at regional scales from space, whereas it would have limited capability to assess the whole-canopy variables only during the very early growth stages. The results provide a clear insight on the potential capability of X-band SAR sensors for rice monitoring

After-service effects of a financial incentive programme for return of service in underserved areas: implications for policies to retain a physician workforce in rural areas

Existing evidence supports the effectiveness of financial incentive policy for medical students and early-career physicians in return for obligatory rural service. But whether the experience of contractual rural service affects the physician’s choice of practice location after the service is completed is unknown. This study analysed practice location of Jichi Medical University (JMU) graduates. JMU is a Japanese medical education programme with a contract system under which all the graduates have the obligation to serve in underserved areas for about six years in exchange for having 6-year undergraduate tuition waived. 484 JMU graduates who were under rural service in 2000 and had completed the service by 2006 were enrolled. Rurality of communities was determined by population density quintiles. The proportion of those practicing in the communities of highest rurality quintile in 2000 (30.8%) decreased dramatically (8.7%) in 2006, but the geographic distribution of the participants after contract was still biased toward rural areas compared with the distribution pattern of all Japanese physicians. The flow of participants from rural to urban was almost unidirectional. 452 (93.4%) in 2006 practiced in places with the same or lower rurality, while only 32 (6.6%) practiced in places with higher rurality as compared to the placements of 2000. Multivariate analysis showed that service experience in the communities of the first and second highest quintiles of rurality was associated with choosing such places even after contract (odds ratio 4.65; 95% confidence interval 2.37-9.13), independently of known predictors of rural practice, such as having rural background (2.85; 1.58-5.17) and primary care specialty choice (3.13; 1.43-6.87). Although the effect of contractual rural service substantially decreased after finishing the service, the experience of rural service early in the physician’s career has a positive impact on the later choice of rural practice, supporting a policy that attracts early-career physicians to rural areas.アクセプト後にタイトル・アブストラクト・キーワード等変更あり、著者最終稿は変更前のタイトル"After-service effects of a financial incentive programme for return of service in underserved areas: implications for policies to retain a physician workforce in rural areas

Posturography with virtual reality stimuli in different vestibular dysfunctions

PURPOSE: To assess body balance and to quantify possible alterations over the static posturography of the Balance Rehabilitation Unit (BRU TM) in patients with vestibular dysfunction. METHODS: Retrospective study, with files of 100 patients with topographic diagnosis of peripheral or central vestibular dysfunction and 100 healthy individuals that composed the control group, of both genders, with ages varying between 7 and 86 years. For the posturography, the Balance Rehabilitation Unit (BRU TM), of Medicaa® was used. The following parameters were analyzed: stability limits, elliptical area, and speed of oscillation in ten sensory conditions. RESULTS: Mean values ​​of the stability limit, the elliptical area and the speed of oscillation in the experimental group was significant when compared to the control group in all conditions. The mean parameters of the female experimental group were significant when compared to the control group in all conditions. Patients with central vestibular dysfunction obtained higher values than patients with peripheral vestibular dysfunction in the variables elliptical area and speed of oscillation, however with lower value of the area of the stability limit. CONCLUSION: Posturography with virtual reality stimuli was an effective assessment method for detecting alterations related to the variables stability limits, elliptical area, and speed of oscillation, since the control group performed better, both between groups and between genders. Among the vestibular dysfunctions, individuals with peripheral condition performed better than those with central vestibular dysfunction in all the variables analyzed on posturography.OBJETIVO: Avaliar o equilíbrio corporal e quantificar possíveis alterações na posturografia estática do Balance Rehabilitation Unit (BRU TM) em pacientes com disfunção vestibular. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo, com prontuários de 100 pacientes com topodiagnóstico de disfunção vestibular periférica ou central e 100 indivíduos hígidos compondo o Grupo Controle, de ambos os gêneros, entre 7 a 86 anos. Para a posturografia foi utilizado o equipamento Balance Rehabilitation Unit (BRU TM), da Medicaa®. Foram analisados os parâmetros limite de estabilidade, área de elipse e velocidade de oscilação em dez condições sensoriais. RESULTADOS: A média dos valores do limite de estabilidade, da área de elipse e da velocidade de oscilação do Grupo Experimental foi significativa em relação ao Grupo Controle em todas as condições. A média dos parâmetros do gênero feminino do Grupo Experimental foi significativa em relação ao do Grupo Controle em todas as condições avaliadas. Os pacientes com disfunção vestibular central obtiveram maiores valores que os pacientes com disfunção vestibular periférica nas variáveis área de elipse e velocidade de oscilação, porém menor valor da área do limite de estabilidade. CONCLUSÃO: A posturografia com estímulos de realidade virtual foi um método de avaliação eficaz para detectar alterações relacionadas às variáveis limite de estabilidade, área de elipse e velocidade de oscilação, uma vez que o Grupo Controle obteve melhor desempenho, tanto entre os grupos quanto entre os gêneros. Entre as disfunções vestibulares, os indivíduos com acometimento periférico obtiveram melhor desempenho do que os indivíduos com disfunção vestibular central em todas as variáveis analisadas na posturografia.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPSciEL

Reproductive success of two male morphs in a free-ranging population of Bornean orangutans

The reproductive success of male primates is not always associated with dominance status. For example, even though male orangutans exhibit intra-sexual dimorphism and clear dominance relationships exist among males, previous studies have reported that both morphs are able to sire offspring. The present study aimed to compare the reproductive success of two male morphs, and to determine whether unflanged males sired offspring in a free-ranging population of Bornean orangutans, using 12 microsatellite loci to determine the paternity of eight infants. A single flanged male sired most of the offspring from parous females, and an unflanged male sired a firstborn. This is consistent with our observation that the dominant flanged male showed little interest in nulliparous females, whereas the unflanged males frequently mated with them. This suggests that the dominant flanged male monopolizes the fertilization of parous females and that unflanged males take advantage of any mating opportunities that arise in the absence of the flanged male, even though the conception probability of nulliparous females is relatively low

Effort-reward imbalance and its association with health among permanent and fixed-term workers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the past decade, the changing labor market seems to have rejected the traditional standards employment and has begun to support a variety of non-standard forms of work in their place. The purpose of our study was to compare the degree of job stress, sources of job stress, and association of high job stress with health among permanent and fixed-term workers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Our study subjects were 709 male workers aged 30 to 49 years in a suburb of Tokyo, Japan. In 2008, we conducted a cross-sectional study to compare job stress using an effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model questionnaire. Lifestyles, subjective symptoms, and body mass index were also observed from the 2008 health check-up data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The rate of job stress of the high-risk group measured by ERI questionnaire was not different between permanent and fixed-term workers. However, the content of the ERI components differed. Permanent workers were distressed more by effort, overwork, or job demand, while fixed-term workers were distressed more by their job insecurity. Moreover, higher ERI was associated with existence of subjective symptoms (OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.42-3.03) and obesity (OR = 2.84, 95% CI:1.78-4.53) in fixed-term workers while this tendency was not found in permanent workers.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study showed that workers with different employment types, permanent and fixed-term, have dissimilar sources of job stress even though their degree of job stress seems to be the same. High ERI was associated with existing subjective symptoms and obesity in fixed-term workers. Therefore, understanding different sources of job stress and their association with health among permanent and fixed-term workers should be considered to prevent further health problems.</p

Increased number of Judo therapy facilities in Japan and changes in their geographical distribution

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Judo therapy is a well established Japanese co-medical profession specializing in outpatient manual treatment of fractures and sprains. Recently, the number of judo therapists has been rapidly increasing as a result of proliferation judo therapy academies. This study examines whether such rapid increases have improved geographical distribution of judo therapy facilities in Japan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The number of judo therapy facilities and the population in each municipality were obtained from the Web yellow pages and from Japanese census data for 2004, 2006, and 2008, respectively. Lorenz curves and Gini indices were calculated to demonstrate distributions of judo therapy facilities per 100,000 people. A bootstrapped method was used to identify statistical significances of differences in Gini indices.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In all municipalities, the mean numbers of judo therapy facilities per 100,000 people were 15.3 in 2004, 15.8 in 2006, and 17.6 in 2008. The Gini indices for judo therapy facilities nationally were 0.273 in 2004, 0.264 in 2006, and 0.264 in 2008. The numbers of judo therapy facilities increased significantly between 2006 and 2008 (<it>p </it>< 0.05) but the indices did not change significantly in the same period. The Gini indices for local towns and villages remained unchanged and were consistently higher (<it>p </it>< 0.05) than those in urban areas throughout the study periods.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that recent increases in the number of judo therapy facilities have not necessarily led to greater equality in their geographic distribution in terms of Gini indices.</p