Healthcare Robots and Smart Hospital Based on Human-Robot Interaction

This chapter first introduces the research on next-generation care systems and stations that the author’s group has actually conducted. Next, the development trends, challenges, and prospects for smart hospitals, which aim to improve overall hospital efficiency based on CPS technologies such as sensing, IoT, AI, and big data processing, in addition to robotics and control technologies, toward the realization of Society 5.0, are described. Third, the concept of the smart hospital and discussion will be explained to provide basic knowledge for its construction. Finally, future scope and conclusion will be described

Feasibility study of two schedules of sunitinib in combination with pemetrexed in patients with advanced solid tumors

Background Sunitinib is an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor receptors, as well as of other receptor types. We have performed a feasibility study to investigate the safety of sunitinib in combination with pemetrexed for treatment of advanced refractory solid tumors. Methods Sunitinib was administered once daily on a continuous daily dosing (CDD) schedule (37.5 mg/day) or a 2-weeks-on, 1-week-off treatment schedule (50 mg/day, Schedule 2/1) in combination with pemetrexed at 500 mg/m2 on day 1 of repeated 21-day cycles. Results Twelve patients were enrolled in the study: six on the CDD schedule and six on Schedule 2/1. None of the treated patients experienced a dose-limiting toxicity. Toxicities were manageable and similar in type to those observed in monotherapy studies of sunitinib and pemetrexed. Pharmacokinetic analysis did not reveal any substantial drug–drug interaction. One patient with squamous cell lung cancer showed a partial response and five patients had stable disease. Conclusions Combination therapy with sunitinib administered on Schedule 2/1 (50 mg/day) or a CDD schedule (37.5 mg/day) together with standard-dose pemetrexed (500 mg/m2) was well tolerated in previously treated patients with advanced solid tumors

コウトウ キョウイク カイカク ノ ソウゴ コウイ ブンセキ : ビデオ エスノグラフィー ケンキュウ ノ ネライ ト コウガクブ トシ コウガク エンシュウ ノ ジッサイ

ビデオエスノグラフィーは、当事者的知識を十分に摂取しながら行うビデオ分析であり、我々は この方法で、高等教育改革の現場を研究した。生涯学習社会の到来を受けて、日本の高等教育は現在第 2 次世界大戦直後以来の改革期にある。すなわち、「知識」より「生涯学習能力」の獲得を志向した、 自発性を尊重するような様々な取り組みがなされ始めている。この高等教育の現場に対し、ワークプレ ース研究を行った。Ｂ大学工学部都市工学演習α班を分析対象とした調査の結果、①演習の課題解釈に は「従来の指標の相対化の要求の程度」を巡って２つの解釈があり得たこと、②班内にはその２種類の 解釈に対応した葛藤・対立的相互行為が存在したこと、③にもかかわらず、班内葛藤を生きる当事者が ともに専門性（「都市工学」）を志向していたこと、④したがって、課題理解のいかんにかかわらず、 班活動の全体が「都市工学演習」と呼び得るものになっていたこと、⑤その一方で、最終審査会場（ジ ュリー）ではこの２重性が十分レリバントなものとして浮かび上がって来ていなかったこと、これらの ことがわかった。諸結果を総合すると、学生の自主的活動を尊重するタイプの、新しい学習方法の吟味・ 評価のためには、学生によるその方法の実践状況の分析が有意義であるだろうこと、また、それは、場 合によっては教員の評価のパラダイムを変える力を持つだろうことなどが予測された。なお、本報告は、 文科省科学研究費補助金「高等教育改革のコミュニケーション分析－現場における文化変容の質的検討 －」（基盤研究（Ｂ）、 課題番号 １８３３０１０５、研究代表者：樫田美雄）ほかによる研究成果 の一部である

睡眠時の姿勢が呼吸パターンおよび呼吸筋活動に及ぼす影響

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), especially obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has become more urgent clinical problem in the world because of its risk factor for traffic and occupational accidents, and for cardiovascular disorders. Since OSA is mainly caused by the downward sinkage of the root of the tongue while maintaining a supine posture, sleep posture may affect the incidences of OSA. In fact, it has been observed that a prone posture reduced the occurrence of OSA. However, a prone posture may induce additional stress on respiratory and cardiac activity. In the present study, we examined the effect of sleep posture on respiratory pattern and respiratory muscle activity in healthy male subjects. Five healthy males maintained a relaxed breathing in supine, lateral, and prone postures on a sofa bed for ten minutes each. Respiration, respiratory muscle activity and heart rate were measured during the latter half of each posture. The respiratory parameters; respiratory rate, peak flow velocity, and inspiratory volume were derived from the flow-velocity curve using a pneumotachograph. Respiratory muscle activity (EMG) focused at the intercostal, the diaphragm and the rectus abdominal muscles were measured using surface electrodes, and the root mean square value (RMS) was calculated at each the inspiratory and exspiratory phases. Heart rate (HR) was also calculated from the R to R intervals on the electrocardiogram, and the power spectrogram of the heart rate variability (HRV) was also calculated to assess the energy of high-frequency fluctuation in the spectrogram. The mean HR, the mean HRV and the mean energy of the high-frequency fluctuation of HRV were unchanged among postures. The prone posture enhanced tidal volume, minute ventilation and peak flow velocity compared with those of the supine and lateral postures, although no statistical difference was observed in the respiratory rate and the rate of inspiratory duration against respiration time. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in the respiratory muscle EMGs measured at the intercostal, the diaphragm and the rectus abdominal muscles. It was concluded that the prone posture might induce additional load especially in breathing, but little to no or slight effect on cardiac activity. Further studies will be required to clarify the clinical applicability of prone posture on OSA patients during sleep