Agent-Based Simulation for Avoiding the Congestions of Tourists

Murata T., Totsuka K.. Agent-Based Simulation for Avoiding the Congestions of Tourists. 2021 5th IEEE International Conference on Cybernetics, CYBCONF 2021, 56 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1109/CYBCONF51991.2021.9464150.In this paper, we develop an agent-based simulation model to avoid tourist concentration in a sightseeing area. Among main tourist destinations, the tourist concentration called "overtourism"becomes an issue for both of tourists and residents in the destinations. While spreading COVID-19 among sightseeing areas, tourist concentration should be avoided from the standpoint of the public health. We develop an agent-based simulation model to estimate the effectiveness of "congestion information at the destination"among tourists. The simulation results show that the congestion information is effective when only 30% of tourists follow the information to avoid the concentration in the major attractions in a sightseeing area

Basic study on relationship between SI, EI and human error characteristics

Recently, accidents or scandals due to organizational violation-based error frequently occur. One of the causes might be maladjustment to environmental changes surrounding organization from relief to global society. In this study, the following proposition was hypothesized: Social intelligence (SI), ability to evaluate appropriately the reliability of others, ability to carry out communication smoothly in organization, and emotional aspects (behavior on the basis of emotion or reasonability) are important factors and keys to prevent violation-based organizational error. A questionnaire which included items related to social intelligence (SI: social awareness and social facility), emotional intelligence (EI), ability to evaluate the reliability of others, ability to communicate smoothly in organization, behavioral characteristics (emotional- or reasonability-based behavior), and ability to make decisions and judge situations. An attempt was made to verify the hypothesis above by a survey using the questionnaire

Investigation of automotive light blinking pattern conveying a driver's intention to yield

This paper proposes a method of conveying a driver’s intention to yield by blinking automotive lighting. Generally, headlight flashing indicates a driver’s intention to yield to another driver or pedestrians in Japan. However, this signaling method can have several meanings, including warning other drivers of road dangers such as crashed cars, or informing other drivers of the presence of a pedestrian. There is a possibility of a misunderstanding, increasing the risk of accidents. Therefore, we have investigated an effective method for facilitating communication in traffic. This study focuses on nonverbal communication in which blinking lights convey the driver’s intentions to others. In this study, visibility is not considered. Nine blinking patterns that changed the light colors, waveform, and blinking cycle were presented to fifteen healthy participants, and visual impressions were evaluated to identify the most suitable blinking patterns. These nine patterns indicate a driver’s intention to yield to pedestrians and other drivers. The results indicated that a blue-green blinking pattern in which luminance changes with a triangular wave pattern with a one-second cycle was best conveyed the intention to yield

Plasma and synovial fluid microRNAs as potential biomarkers of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

[Introduction]: MicroRNAs (miRNAs), endogenous small noncoding RNAs regulating the activities of target mRNAs and cellular processes, are present in human plasma in a stable form. In this study, we investigated whether miRNAs are also stably present in synovial fluids and whether plasma and synovial fluid miRNAs could be biomarkers of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). [Methods]: We measured concentrations of miR-16, miR-132, miR-146a, miR-155 and miR-223 in synovial fluid from patients with RA and OA, and those in plasma from RA, OA and healthy controls (HCs) by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, miRNAs in the conditioned medium of synovial tissues, monolayer fibroblast-like synoviocytes, and mononuclear cells were examined. Correlations between miRNAs and biomarkers or disease activities of RA were statistically examined. [Results]: Synovial fluid miRNAs were present and as stable as plasma miRNAs for storage at -20°C and freeze-thawing from -20°C to 4°C. In RA and OA, synovial fluid concentrations of miR-16, miR-132, miR-146a, and miR-223 were significantly lower than their plasma concentrations, and there were no correlation between plasma and synovial fluid miRNAs. Interestingly, synovial tissues, fibroblast-like synoviocytes, and mononuclear cells secreted miRNAs in distinct patterns. The expression patterns of miRNAs in synovial fluid of OA were similar to miRNAs secreted by synovial tissues. Synovial fluid miRNAs of RA were likely to originate from synovial tissues and infiltrating cells. Plasma miR-132 of HC was significantly higher than that of RA or OA with high diagnosability. Synovial fluid concentrations of miR-16, miR-146a miR-155 and miR-223 of RA were significantly higher than those of OA. Plasma miRNAs or ratio of synovial fluid miRNAs to plasma miRNAs, including miR-16 and miR-146a, significantly correlated with tender joint counts and 28-joint Disease Activity Score. [Conclusions]: Plasma miRNAs had distinct patterns from synovial fluid miRNAs, which appeared to originate from synovial tissue. Plasma miR-132 well differentiated HCs from patients with RA or OA, while synovial fluid miRNAs differentiated RA and OA. Furthermore, plasma miRNAs correlated with the disease activities of RA. Thus, synovial fluid and plasma miRNAs have potential as diagnostic biomarkers for RA and OA and as a tool for the analysis of their pathogenesis

大学図書館とSociety5.0 : 電気通信大学附属図書館Ambient Intelligence Agoraの未来像

電気通信大学附属図書館Ambient Intelligence Agora（以下、「AIA」）は、図書館利用者のためのアクティブラーニングスペースとAI研究等のための実験スペースが融合した学修空間であり、“Society 5.0”（超スマート社会）の基盤となる仕組みを図書館の中に実現する試みであるともいえる。本稿では、AIAの現状及びその未来像を紹介するとともに、“Society 5.0”の時代における図書館のあり方について考察する

A novel homozygous variant of the thrombomodulin gene causes a hereditary bleeding disorder

ArticleBlood Advances. 5(19): 3830-3838 (2021)journal articl

Autonomous assembly and disassembly of gliding molecular robots regulated by a DNA-based molecular controller

自分で集合と散開をする群体分子ロボットを開発--病気の自動的なピンポイント診断と治療への適用に期待--.京都大学プレスリリース. 2024-06-03.In recent years, there has been a growing interest in engineering dynamic and autonomous systems with robotic functionalities using biomolecules. Specifically, the ability of molecular motors to convert chemical energy to mechanical forces and the programmability of DNA are regarded as promising components for these systems. However, current systems rely on the manual addition of external stimuli, limiting the potential for autonomous molecular systems. Here, we show that DNA-based cascade reactions can act as a molecular controller that drives the autonomous assembly and disassembly of DNA-functionalized microtubules propelled by kinesins. The DNA controller is designed to produce two different DNA strands that program the interaction between the microtubules. The gliding microtubules integrated with the controller autonomously assemble to bundle-like structures and disassemble into discrete filaments without external stimuli, which is observable by fluorescence microscopy. We believe this approach to be a starting point toward more autonomous behavior of motor protein–based multicomponent systems with robotic functionalities

Control and visualization system for managed self-organization network.

Abstract-We propose the managed self-organizing network concept considering the unexpected network changes caused by the future applications, and implement the control and visualization system for it. In the managed self-organizing network, multiple virtual networks are accommodated on a single optical infrastructure. Each virtual network is controlled based on self-organizing mechanism by attractor selection algorithm that models behavior where living organisms adapt to unknown changes in their surrounding environments. On the other hand, the physical resource management server dynamically manages the resource allocation for each virtual network to optimize the utilization of total network resources. Our implemented system efficiently visualizes the behavior of managed self-organizing network with time variability, and network filtering and clustering functions are implemented for visualization of large and multiple virtual networks. Index Terms-managed self-organizing network, network virtualizatio

Amphiphilic γ-cyclodextrin–fullerene complexes with photodynamic activity

Amphiphilic γ-cyclodextrin–fullerene 2 : 1 complexes (CLFCH complexes) were prepared by high-speed vibration milling of lipophilic tail-grafted γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD), hydrophilic tail-grafted γ-CD and fullerene C₆₀. The transamidation of γ-CD–fullerene complexes having two amino groups with lipophilic and hydrophilic activated esters also afforded amphiphilic CLFCH complexes. Self-assemblies consisting of amphiphilic CLFCH complexes efficiently generated singlet oxygen under photoirradiation. Under visible light irradiation conditions, CLFCH complexes bearing a vitamin E moiety as a lipophilic tail showed high photodynamic activity toward cancer cells

Reproduction of the Antitumor Effect of Cisplatin and Cetuximab Using a Three-dimensional Spheroid Model in Oral Cancer

Background/Aim: Cancer research has been conducted using cultured cells as part of drug discovery testing, but conventional two-dimensional culture methods are unable to reflect the complex tumor microenvironment. On the other hand, three-dimensional cultures have recently been attracting attention as in vitro models that more closely resemble the in vivo physiological environment. The purpose of this study was to establish a 3D culture method for oral cancer and to verify its practicality. Materials and Methods: Three-dimensional cultures were performed using several oral cancer cell lines. Western blotting was used for protein expression analysis of the collected cell masses (spheroids), and H-E staining was used for structural observation. The cultures were exposed to cisplatin and cetuximab and the morphological changes of spheroids over time and the expression changes of target proteins were compared. Results: Each cell line formed spheroidal cell aggregates and showed enhancement of cell adhesion molecules over time. H-E staining showed tumor tissue-like structures specific to each cell line. Cisplatin showed concentration-dependent antitumor effects due to loss of cell adhesion and spheroid disruption in each cell line, while cetuximab exhibited antitumor effects that correlated with EGFR expression in each cell line. Conclusion: Spheroids made from oral cancer cell lines appeared to have tumor-like characteristics that may reflect their clinical significance. In the future, it may become possible to produce tumor spheroids from tissue samples of oral cancer patients, and then apply them to drug screening and to develop individualized diagnostic and treatment methods