Psycho-physiological Studies for Attendance of the Persons with Wheelchairs (Second Report)

本報では，介助の実際を市街地において行った時の介助者―障害者間の生理心理的負担に ついて検討し，前報に引き続き安全で心地よい車いす介助のあり方を検討することを目的と する。 協力者は，前報同様，障害者４名，健常者10名である。 前報で示した形状の異なる車いすＡ，Ｂを用いた健常者同士（介助者及び介助協力者）の 介助と実際の障害者における介助で，大阪府立大学キャンパスの外周およそ3.5 km を車い すで押してもらった。 介助者，介助協力者及び障害者には，携帯用心拍記録装置を装着させ，介助中の心拍数を 記録した。また，介助前後には，STAI テストを測定した。 介助者の平均心拍数は，いずれの介助協力者の場合でも，車椅子Ａに比べて車椅子Ｂの方 が，高い値を示した。また介助時の心拍数，及び介助時間は，車椅子の形状及び介助協力者 によって，異なる結果を示した。介助前後の状態不安は，介助前に比べて介助後の方が低か った。 介助協力者の心拍数は，車椅子Ａ，Ｂ共に，いずれの協力者においても，介助中の心拍の 変動幅は少なく示された。しかし，協力者によっては，心拍数平均値からみて車椅子Ａより Ｂの方が低値を示した者や，逆に高値を示す者がおり，車椅子の機能や形状によって，介助 協力者の生理反応も異なることが示された。各介助協力者の状態不安は，車椅子Ａ，Ｂ共に 介助協力者間で異なる傾向を示した。 障害者を対象とした車椅子介助時における平均心拍数は，介助経験者に比べ未経験者の方 が有意(p0.05) に高かった。また，障害者の平均心拍数についても，未経験者介助時の方 が有意(p0.05) に高かった。 障害者を介助した時の介助者の状態不安は，介助経験者および未経験者共にいずれも介助 前に比べ介助後に減少し，介助経験による差は認められなかった。障害者の状態不安は，介 助未経験者による介助では介助後に増加し，介助経験者では，減少した。 以上のことから，身体障害者に対する介助経験の差が，介助者と身体障害者のいずれにも 生理心理的影響を及ぼすことが明らかとなった。今後の課題として，車椅子を押す簡単と思 われる介助についても，介助を受ける身体障害者の立場に立った視点での介助経験者の育成 が急務と考えられる。departmental bulletin pape

Predicting the temperature and reactant concentration profiles of reacting flow in the partial oxidation of hot coke oven gas using detailed chemistry and a one-dimensional flow model

A numerical approach is presented for predicting the species concentrations and temperature profiles of chemically reacting flow in the non-catalytic partial oxidation of hot coke oven gas (HCOG) in a pilot-scale reformer installed on an operating coke oven. A detailed chemical kinetic model consisting of 2216 reactions with 257 species ranging in size from the hydrogen radical to coronene was used to predict the chemistries of HCOG reforming and was coupled with a plug model and one-dimensional (1D) flow with axial diffusion model. The HCOG was a multi-component gas mixture derived from coal dry distillation, and was approximated with more than 40 compounds: H2, CO, CO2, CH4, C2 hydrocarbons, H2O, aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene and toluene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons up to coronene. The measured gas temperature profiles were reproduced successfully by solving the energy balance equation accounting for the heat change induced by chemical reactions and heat losses to the surroundings. The approach was evaluated critically by comparing the computed results with experimental data for exit products such as H2, CO, CO2, and CH4, in addition to the total exit gas flow rate. The axial diffusion model slightly improves the predictions of H2, CO, and CO2, but significantly improves those of CH4 and total exit flow rate. The improvements in the model predictions were due primarily to the improved temperature predictions by accounting for axial diffusion in the flow model

Studies on children’s lifestyle circumstances and health (First report)

In this first report we aimed to clarify the factors of life environments which affect children’s health. Our subjects were the guardians of 93 elder (6 years-old) male and female preschoolers of K nursery school in Tokyo met. (abbreviated as KNS) and Y nursery school in Yamaguchi pref. (abbreviated as YNS). Questionnaires regarding the life environments of the preschoolers covered 29 items concerning fundamental life habits including their wake-up time, bedtime, and sleeping period, dietary habits, activity habits, and circumstances of playing. In both preschools more than 80％ of preschoolers live with parents, and the number of preschoolers living with only their mothers was less than 15％, therefore no significant difference of family constitution was observed between YNS and KNS. The average wake-up time of preschoolers attending YNS was significantly earlier (p＜0.01) than that of KNS. The average bedtime of KNS was significantly later (p＜0.001) than that of YNS. The average sleeping period of YNS was significantly longer (p＜0.001) than that of KNS. The means of going to school showed much difference between the two schools. The percentage taken by car was greater in YNS than KNS, while the percentages of being taken by bicycle or walking were greater in KNS than YNS. All means of transportation to school had significant difference of rates (p＜0.05) between YNS and KNS. Results of this study clarified that the preschool located in the city area is characterized by life habits such as short sleeping period, late wake-up time and bedtime, and the preschool located in the mountain area is characterized by longer sleeping period, early wake-up time and bedtime. However, the location of playing spaces did not show significant difference, probably because of the social backgrounds including TV games rather than environmental factors. Considering the health of preschoolers, emphasis on physical activities by playing outside and ensuring sufficient sleep are important factorsdepartmental bulletin pape

A Study on Assessment of Physical Activity in Workers

In this study, we calculated physical activity scores, according to the time spent and energy expenditure in daily life. The subjects were 290 volunteers who were 53 students of the University, and 237 workers. Examinations were made twice at an interval of about 6 months in a test-retest examination. Physical activity scores were calculated from the life activity index of the "Japanese Nutritive Requirement". The amount of energy expenditure was calculated from the time spent, and base metabolism during activity of each subject. The physical activity scores obtained in the test and retest examinations showed a high correlation (r=0.86), confirming our recently developed questionnaire's ability to yield reproducible results. Our results show no sex difference in energy expenditure and Japanese Nutritive Requirement. Therefore, the method of calculation of energy expended per day (according to physical activity score) is highly objective and great deal of confidence can be placed in it