A Study on the Relationship Between Decision-making Speed and Kansei Through Data Visualization

Data visualization is the processing of data, directed at a person, content, and purpose, to simplify decision-making for the person. In practice, does data visualization affect people's decision-making time? In this study, we formulate questions using tables and graphs for three data groups, with varying amounts of information. Twenty subjects are asked to answer the questions from least to most of information, and the time taken to answer them is measured. Following the experiment, the attributes of the subjects, including gender, age, occupation are obtained via a questionnaire. The experiment reveals that as information increases in the tabular format, the answering slows proportionally. In contrast, in the graph format, the responses do not slow down proportional to the increase in information. The relationship between the subjects’ attributes and the speed of answering is determined and some significant differences are found. Six patterns of relationship between the answering time for the tables and graphs are obtained. Subsequently, the relationship between these attributes and “change of flow from data to action (hereinafter called “the decision-making process”)” are examined in Kansei engineering, and the data visualization is found to be potentially effective at speeding up the decision-making process

Light and Electron Microscopic Immunohistochemistry of Transferrin Receptor and Its Serum Level in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The localization of transferrin receptor (TFR) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was investigated by light and electron microscopic immunohistochemistry and its serum level was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. TFR expression was observed light microscopically on the plasma membrane and in the cytoplasm. Its staining pattern varied from the membranous type to the cytoplasmic type with degradation of differentiation in HCC. Electron microscopically, TFR was found in the small vesicles located below the plasma membrane, in the dilated endoplasmic reticulum, and in the Golgi complex. The vesicles containing TFR were observed below the plasma membrane in well differentiated HCC, but were found diffusely in the cytoplasm in poorly differentiated HCC. These findings correlated well with the light microscopical TFR stainings. These localizations of TFR were compatible with TFR recycling for iron uptake and TFR synthesis. They also clarified that the less differentiated an HCC was, the more activated were TFR recycling and its synthesis for increased iron demand. Therefore, this study demonstrates a correlation between TFR expression and the grade of differentiation in HCC. The serum levels of soluble TFR in HCC cases were higher than normal, but they showed no correlation with the grade of differentiation

Domain Nucleation and Annihilation in Uniformly Magnetized State under Current Pulses in Narrow Ferromagnetic Wires

We investigate the current-driven magnetization dynamics in narrow Permalloy wires by means of Lorentz microscopy and electron holography. Current pulses are found to transform the magnetic structure in the uniformly magnetized state below the Curie temperature. A variety of magnetic states including reversed magnetic domains are randomly obtained in low probability. The dynamics of vortices found in most of observed magnetic states seems to play a key role in triggering the magnetization reversal.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, 1 video, to appear in Japanese Journal of Applied Physics (Express Letter

Momentum-Dependent Hybridization Gap and dispersive in-gap state of The Kondo Semiconductor SmB6

We report the temperature-dependent three-dimensional angle-resolved photoemission spectra of the Kondo semiconductor SmB$_6$. We found a difference in the temperature dependence of the peaks at the X and $\Gamma$ points, due to hybridization between the Sm 5d conduction band and the nearly localized Sm 4f state. The peak intensity at the X point has the same temperature dependence as the valence transition below 120 K, while that at the $\Gamma$ point is consistent with the magnetic excitation at Q=(0.5,0.5,0.5) below 30 K. This suggests that the hybridization with the valence transition mainly occurs at the X point, and the initial state of the magnetic excitation is located at the $\Gamma$ point.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

GOLF SWING ANALYSIS BY AN INERTIA SENSOR AND SELECTING OPTIMUM GOLF CLUB

The purpose of this research is to build a system to analyse golf swing by using an inertia sensor and select the optimum specifications of a golf club for a golfer. As a result of analysing the relation between golf swing and the specifications of a golf club specializing in the mass characteristic, it became apparent that the specifications connected with the easiness of swing are; the moment of inertia and the length of equivalent simple pendulum of the golf club. The mass property to match each golfer can be specified if 15 parameters are obtained from the inertia sensor attached to the left back of the hand of a right-handed golfer

Indocyanine green-laden poly(ethylene glycol)-block-polylactide (PEG-b-PLA) nanocapsules incorporating reverse micelles: Effects of PEG-b-PLA composition on the nanocapsule diameter and encapsulation efficiency

Reverse micelles are thermodynamically stable systems, with a capacity to encapsulate hydrophilic molecules in their nanosized core, which is smaller than the core generally obtained with water-in-oil-emulsion droplets. Herein, we present a simple technique for the preparation of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-polylactide (PEG-b-PLA) nanocapsules encapsulating a hydrophilic photosensitizer (indocyanine green, ICG), which exploits reverse micelle formation and subsequent emulsion-solvent diffusion. We establish the effect of the PEG-b-PLA composition and the co-surfactant volume on the diameter and water content of the reverse micelles. We demonstrate that the composition of PEG-b-PLA affects also the diameter and encapsulation efficiency of the resulting nanocapsules. We show that the ICG-laden nanocapsules fabricated under the most optimal conditions have a diameter of approximately 100 nm and an ICG encapsulation efficiency of 58%. We believe that the method proposed here is a promising step towards the preparation of hydrophilic drug-laden polymer nanocapsules with a small diameter and therefore suitable for use in drug delivery applications based on enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect-driven passive targeting

Altered autonomic nervous system activity as a potential etiological factor of premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) encompasses a wide variety of cyclic and recurrent physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms occurring during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and abating shortly following the beginning of menses. Although PMS is widely recognized, its etiopathogenesis is not yet understood. The present study investigates whether the activity of the autonomic nervous system, which plays a vital role in orchestrating physiological homeostasis within the human body, is altered during the menstrual cycle of women with different degrees of premenstrual symptomatology.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixty-two women in their 20s to 40s with regular menstrual cycles participated in this study. All subjects were examined during the follicular and late luteal phases. Cycle phase was determined by the onset of menstruation and oral temperature and was verified by concentrations of ovarian hormones, estrone, and pregnanediol in a urine sample taken early in the morning. Autonomic nervous system activity was assessed by means of heart-rate variability (HRV) power spectral analysis during supine rest. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire was used to evaluate physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms accompanying the menstrual cycle of the subjects. The subjects were categorized in three groups, Control, PMS, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) groups, depending on the severity of premenstrual symptomatology.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No intramenstrual cycle difference in any of the parameters of HRV was found in the Control group, which had no or a small increase in premenstrual symptoms. In contrast, Total power and high frequency power, which reflect overall autonomic and parasympathetic nerve activity, respectively, significantly decreased in the late luteal phase from the follicular phase in the PMS group. As for the PMDD group, which had more severe symptoms premenstrually, heart-rate fluctuation as well as all components of the power spectrum of HRV were markedly decreased regardless of the menstrual cycle compared to those of the other two groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Several theories have been proposed to explain the underlying mechanisms of PMS with its complex web of bio-psycho-social factors. Although causes and consequences continue to elude, the present study provides intriguing and novel findings that the altered functioning of the autonomic nervous system in the late luteal phase could be associated with diverse psychosomatic and behavioral symptoms appearing premenstrually. In addition, when symptoms become more severe (as seen in women with PMDD), the sympathovagal function might be more depressed regardless of the menstrual cycle.</p

Interactions of Atomic and Molecular Hydrogen with a Diamond-like Carbon Surface: H2 Formation and Desorption

The interactions of atomic and molecular hydrogen with bare interstellar dust grain surfaces are important for understanding H2 formation at relatively high temperatures (>20 K). We investigate the diffusion of physisorbed H atoms and the desorption energetics of H2 molecules on an amorphous diamond-like carbon (DLC) surface. From temperature-programmed desorption experiments with a resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) method for H2 detection, the H2 coverage-dependent activation energies for H2 desorption are determined. The activation energies decrease with increasing H2 coverage and are centered at 30 meV with a narrow distribution. Using a combination of photostimulated desorption and REMPI methods, the time variations of the surface number density of H2 following atomic and molecular hydrogen depositions are studied. From these measurements, we show that H2 formation on a DLC surface is quite efficient, even at 20 K. A significant kinetic isotope effect for H2 and D2 recombination reactions suggests that H-atom diffusion on a DLC surface is mediated by quantum mechanical tunneling. In astrophysically relevant conditions, H2 recombination due to physisorbed H-atoms is unlikely to occur at 20 K, suggesting that chemisorbed H atoms might play a role in H2 formation at relatively high temperatures.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap