Genetic approach to minimizing energy consumption of VLSI processors using multiple supply voltages

科研費報告書収録論文(課題番号:17300009/研究代表者:亀山充隆/システムインテグレーション理論に基づく高安全知能自動車用VLSIの最適設計

The Influence of Illumination Color on the Subjective Visual Recognition of Biological Specimens

[Background] Visual examination by the naked eye is integral to medical diagnosis and surgery. The illumination in conditioned color is widely used for visual inspection in the industry but has not been introduced to the biomedical context. The color that can enhance the visual recognition of individual tissues is still unknown. Therefore, we carried out a visual recognition experiment on biological specimens to determine the subjective preference for illumination color based on questionnaires. [Methods] Twenty healthy subjects were asked to compare the visual recognizability of several rat tissues between the illuminations in test colors and white. The rats were anesthetized, and the femoral vein and abdominal cavity were exposed. Seven tissues were selected for a visual recognition test. Illumination was generated using a multi-color LED light. The subjects observed the tissues under the illuminations of white and one of the test colors alternately and reported which illumination is suitable for visual recognition using a questionnaire. [Results] The analysis of the questionnaires showed that the blue test color was more effective than white illumination in the visual recognition of fine structures such as the branching of blood vessels and nerves, and red illumination disturbed the visual recognizability of the same tissues. On the other hand, the red but not the blue illumination improved the visual recognizability of the vein beneath the intact skin. As to the recognition of individual tissues in the abdominal cavity, the white illumination gave a better visual recognizability compared to every other test color. [Conclusion] This study shows that the illumination color influences the visual recognition of biological specimens and the adequate color for the visual recognition of specific tissue parts is distinct among biological specimens. Using the lighting system to make fine adjustments to the illumination color may be useful in medical diagnosis and surgery

Shoulder and elbow pain in elementary school baseball players : The results from a nation-wide survey in Japan

Background: Despite recommendations on how to prevent baseball injuries in youths by the Japanese Society of Clinical Sports Medicine, shoulder and elbow pain still frequently occurs in young baseball players. We conducted a questionnaire survey among baseball players at elementary schools across the country to understand the practice conditions of players, examining the risk factors of shoulder and elbow pain in baseball players. Methods: The questionnaire survey was conducted among elementary school baseball players as members of the Baseball Federation of Japan in September 2015. Results: A total of 8354 players belonging to 412 teams (average age: 8.9) responded to the survey. Among 7894 players who did not have any shoulder and/or elbow pain in September 2014, elbow pain was experienced in 12.3% of them, shoulder pain in 8.0% and shoulder and/or elbow pain in 17.4% during the previous one year. A total of 2835 (39.9% of the total) practiced four days or more per week and 97.6% practiced 3 h or more per day on Saturdays and Sundays. The risk factors associated shoulder and elbow pain included a male sex, older age, pitchers and catchers, and players throwing more than 50 balls per day. Conclusions: It has been revealed that Japanese elementary school baseball players train too much. Coaches should pay attention to older players, male players, pitchers and catchers in order to prevent shoulder and elbow pain. Furthermore, elementary school baseball players should not be allowed to throw more than 50 balls per day. Study design: Retrospective cohort study

カガク データ カチョウカ プロジェクト プロジェクト タチアゲ ト ショキ データ コウカイ

We report on the current status of our astronomical data sonification project. This project aims to sonify astronomical data, that is, to convert a visual medium into an audio medium for both scientists and the visually impaired. We hope that sonification can lead to a new way of conceptualizing scientific data. The primary sourcesof the data used for this project come from Japanese satellites dedicated to X-ray astronomy and geophysics. This project is performed in collaboration with Nihon Fukushi University and the Center for Planning and Information Systems (PLAIN center) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Institute of Space andAstronautical Science (ISAS). Our project began in March 2006. Since this time we have sonified astronomical data sets, including data from X-ray pulsars, and have published these results. In this paper we also discuss future plans for the project, as well as its implications for visually impaired scientists and public

Effect evaluation of freeze-thaw on resilient modulus of unsaturated granular base course material in pavement

This study examines the effects of freeze-thaw and water content on the resilient deformation characteristics of subbase course materials to evaluate the mechanical behavior of granular base in cold regions. A series of resilient modulus tests on subbase course materials under various water contents were conducted using a newly developed test apparatus. Besides, the test results were compared with the results of freeze-thaw CBR tests and the long-term field measurement at a model pavement structure including FWD tests. As the results, it was revealed that the resilient deformation characteristics of unbound granular base materials (UGBMs) deteriorate due to freeze-thaw and increment of the water content in thawing season. This indicates that the freeze-thaw of granular base has a strong influence on the fatigue life of pavement structures