Toward user-centric management of organizational information systems

We identify the essential action domains for effective user-oriented management of organizational information systems.The study extrapolates the analytic findings from a large-scale information system of knowledge-intensive organization.The observations outline the actionable knowledge indispensable for usability improvements of information portals.The initial step is a wide deployment of behavioral analytics, in order to identify vital user characteristics.This knowledge empowers re-engineering of the existing business processes and design of new ones.The development should account for the essential elements of human interactions in digital environments.The information systems should employ user assistance services and adaptive personalization features

BabyTigers 2001: Osaka Legged Robot Team

We have developed all kinds of motions such as walking, standing-up, and kicking towards Seattle. From a human designer’s point of view, it is easier to write strategies based on the geometric, global position data but seems less attractive. Then, we are attacking learning issues such as action selection [1] [2], observatio

多重聴性定常反応で評価した滲出性中耳炎児の気導骨導差

Objective: Multiple auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) to air- and bone-conduction stimuli were recorded in young children with otitis media with effusion (OME). After treatment for OME, differences between pre-treatment bone-conduction ASSR levels and post-treatment conditioned orientation reflex (COR) or air-conduction ASSR levels were examined, and compared with ASSR-estimated air-bone gap (ABG) before treatment. Methods: Navigator Pro with Master was used to assess the threshold of air- and bone-conduction ASSR in both ears at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz. For bone-conduction ASSR, RadioEar B-71 bone-vibrator placed on the mastoid was used with white-noise masking on the contralateral ear. Results: After ventilation tube placement, the thresholds of COR got closer to those of pre-treatment bone-conduction ASSR in young children with OME. Moreover, post-treatment air-conduction ASSR thresholds also got closer to those of pre-treatment bone-conduction ASSR. The differences between pre-treatment bone-conduction ASSR thresholds and post-treatment COR or air-conduction ASSR thresholds became much smaller than ASSR-estimated ABG before treatment. Conclusion: These findings suggest that bone-conduction ASSR can assess the normal or near normal cochlear sensitivity in young children with conductive hearing loss. It is also suggested that ASSR-estimated ABG can be used clinically to predict their accurate ABG

Relation between abnormal synergy and gait in patients after stroke

[Background]The abnormal synergy seen in patients after stroke is considered to limit the ability of these patients. However, in the lower extremity, antigravity torque generation rather than precise movement is needed for functions such as sit-to-stand movement and gait. Therefore, the ability to generate torque may be important either as a primary movement or as an abnormal synergy. We attempted to quantify the torque generation in the lower limb, selectively and as an abnormal synergy, and its relation with gait. [Methods]Selectively generated plantar flexion torque in the ankle and plantar flexion torque secondarily generated accompanying maximal hip extension (i.e., torque generated with abnormal synergy) were measured in subjects after stroke and control subjects. In subjects after stroke, secondary torque generation while controlling hip extension torque as 25%, 50%, and 75% of the maximal hip extension was also measured. The relation of torque generation with the gait speed and timed-up-and go test (TUG) was also analyzed. [Results]In subjects after stroke, there was no difference between the amount of plantar flexion torque generated secondarily and the selectively generated torque, whereas the selective torque was significantly greater in control subjects. Pearson product?moment correlation coefficient analysis revealed that TUG speed is related to secondarily generated torque accompanying maximal hip extension but not with selectively generated torque. [Conclusion] Secondarily generated torque was found to be a factor that affects TUG speed, and the ability to generate torque even through abnormal synergy may help for gait ability in subjects after stroke

Pretransplant HbA1c Is a Useful Predictor for the Development of New-Onset Diabetes in Renal Transplant Recipients Receiving No or Low-Dose Erythropoietin

Aims. To evaluate the predictive power of pretransplant HbA1c for new-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) in kidney transplant candidates, who had several predispositions for fluctuated HbA1c levels. Methods. We performed a retrospective study of 119 patients without diabetes who received kidney transplantation between March 2000 and January 2012. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association of several parameters with NODAT. Predictive discrimination of HbA1c was assessed using a receiver-operating characteristic curve. Results. Seventeen patients (14.3%) developed NODAT within 1 year of transplantation. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that recipient age, gender, and HbA1c were predictors of NODAT. In the multivariate analysis, the association between pretransplant HbA1c and NODAT development did not reach statistical significance ( = 0.07). To avoid the strong influence of high-dose erythropoietin on HbA1c levels, we performed subgroup analyses on 85 patients receiving no or low-dose (≤6000 IU/week) erythropoietin. HbA1c was again an independent predictor for NODAT. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis revealed a cut-off value of 5.2% with an optimal sensitivity of 64% and specificity of 78% for predicting NODAT. Conclusions. Our results reveal that the pretransplant HbA1c level is a useful predictor for NODAT in patients receiving no or low-dose erythropoietin

Children with unilateral hearing loss

Objectives : We examined speech recognition ability of elementary school-aged Japanese children with unilateral hearing loss under noisy environments and then examined the effects of the FM system fitted into their normal hearing ear on their speech recognition ability. Methods : Twelve children with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss and ten age-matched children with bilateral normal hearing received speech recognition test in quiet and noisy environments. Other nine children with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss received speech recognition test with or without the FM receiver fitted to the normal hearing ear in quiet and noisy environments. Results : Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in Japanese elementary school classrooms was estimated to be -6.9 dB at a preferential seat. In noisy environment of -5 dB SNR similar to working classrooms, the correct rates of speech recognition test in children with unilateral hearing loss were significantly lower, compared with those in children with bilateral normal hearing. In the noisy environment, the correct rates in children aided by the FM system with unilateral hearing loss were significantly better, compared with unaided ones. Conclusion : The results suggested that the FM system is recommended as an audiological management for improvement of speech recognition of children with unilateral hearing loss in noisy classrooms

重症心身障害児に対する喉頭気管分離・気管食道吻合術と喉頭気管分離術の臨床的効果

Objective: Outcomes of tracheoesophageal diversion and laryngotracheal separation were evaluated in 15 neurologically impaired children treated for intractable aspiration. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the hospital records was carried out in 15 consecutive pediatric patients who underwent either tracheoesophageal diversion or laryngotracheal separation with trumpet-shaped tracheotomy from 1999 to 2006 in Kagawa Children’s Hospital. Results: The number of hospital admissions for aspiration pneumonia after surgery was significantly decreased in 6 patients who were cared for at home. The parent-reported number of secretion suctioning was decreased after surgery especially in patients with pre-operative tracheotomy or intubation. Four patients fed through naso-gastric tube progressed with oral diet post-operatively, whereas 3 patients who had pre-operative tracheotomy developed temporary post-operative tracheocutaneous fistula that was managed by local wound care. Conclusion: It is suggested that tracheoesophageal diversion and laryngotracheal separation decrease the morbidity of pediatric patients and improve their quality of life and that of their parents. It is suggested that the risk of developing post-operative fistula is higher in pediatric patients with than without pre-operative tracheotomy

Advanced Clinical Usefulness of Ultrasonography for Diseases in Oral and Maxillofacial Regions

Various kinds of diseases may be found in the oral and maxillofacial regions and various modalities may be applied for their diagnosis, including intra-oral radiography, panoramic radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear medicine methods such as positron emission tomography. Of these modalities, ultrasound imaging is easy to use for the detection of noninvasive and soft tissue-related diseases. Doppler ultrasound images taken in the B-mode can provide vascular information associated with the morphology of soft tissues. Thus, ultrasound imaging plays an important role in confirming the diagnosis of many kinds of diseases in such oral and maxillofacial regions as the tongue, lymph nodes, salivary glands, and masticatory muscles. In the present article, we introduce three new applications of ultrasonography: guided fine-needle aspiration, measurement of tongue cancer thickness, and diagnosis of metastasis to cervical lymph nodes