O. 新型計算機の設計と評価

近年の計算機の性能向上はめざましく、特にプロセッサ単体の性能向上には目を見張るものがある。しかし、プロセッサの性能向上の大きな要因である半導体の性能向上も、その物理的限界が取りざたされている。一方、プロセッサの台数を増加させることによって性能向上を図る並列計算機の開発も進んでおり、プロセッサ数が数千∿1万台規模のものも開発・使用されている。だが、並列計算機にもいくつか問題がある。その一つとして、並列計算機の有効利用のほとんどが科学技術計算であることが挙げられる。これは、計算量や使用メモリ量の調節が容易な点や並列化の有効性などがその主要因である。そこで、次世代向けの並列計算機には・科学技術計算以外のアプリケーションが高速に処理可能・10^4個以上のプロセッサといった要求を満たす必要があると考え、本研究では脳の処理および脳型計算機に着目する。そして、本研究の最終目的は脳型計算機を設計・評価することで、次世代向け計算機のための一つの指針を示すことである

Research for the 3-Dimensional Visualization Methods to a Large-scale Knowledge Base with Semantic Relations

Some research on information visualization for knowledge bases has been done in recent years. Lots of visualization methods for hierarchical structure have been developed in this research. We developed several visualization methods for large scale knowledge bases in which a lot of nodes form hierarchical structures, and also link in complicated semantic relations. The prototype program based on the methods has been implemented and coded in Java and Java 3D APIs. This paper outlines the methods and the program with some display samples

Successful Resuscitation from Ventricular Fibrillation during Jogging in a Young Patient with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

A 15-year-old girl, who was previously in good health, suddenly collapsed while jogging. Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated, and she arrived at our hospital 13 minutes later. The ventricular fibrillation (VF) on admission was reverted to sinus rhythm 18 minutes after collapse by the second cardioversion. The echocardiogram revealed hypertrophic nonobstructed cardiomyopathy (HNOCM), although the 24hr ambulatory electrocardiographic, electrophysiologic and exercise stress tests could not define the exact cause of VF. Exercise-induced ischemia with sustained mild hypokalemia was suspected to be the cause of VF. The patient recovered consciousness three days after admission, and followed an uneventful course of treatment with oral atenolol not associating with disabling neurological deficit. Immediate basic life support and delivery of automatic external defibrillator on the spot is needed to rescue patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

QOL after RT or OP for uterine cervix cancer

This study aimed to research the post-treatment quality of life (QOL) between radiotherapy (RT)- and operation (OP)-treated early cervical cancer survivors, using separate questionnaires for physicians and patients. We administered an observational questionnaire to patients aged 20–70 years old with Stages IB1–IIB cervical cancer who had undergone RT or OP and without recurrence as outpatients for ≥6 months after treatment. We divided 100 registered patients equally into two treatment groups (n = 50 each). The average age was 53 and 44 years in the RT and OP groups, respectively. The RT group included 34 and 66% Stage I and II patients, respectively, whereas the OP group included 66 and 34% Stage I and II patients, respectively. The OP group included 58% of patients with postoperative RT. Combination chemotherapy was performed in 84 and 48% of patients in the RT and OP groups, respectively. On the physicians’ questionnaire, we observed significant differences in bone marrow suppression (RT) and leg edema (OP). On the patients’ questionnaire, significantly more patients had dysuria and leg edema in the OP group than in the RT group, and severe (Score 4–5) leg edema was significantly higher in the post-operative RT group than in the OP only group. The frequency of sexual intercourse decreased after treatment in both groups. On the patients’ questionnaire, there were no significant differences between the two groups regarding sexual activity. These findings are useful to patients and physicians for shared decision-making in treatment choices. The guidance of everyday life and health information including sexual life after treatment is important

The Mechanisms of Semantic Understanding and Abduction Based on Organized Knowledge

国際的情報化の進展により生産、提供、流通、利用される情報は量的にも質的にも多種、多様である。しかし豊富なディジタルコンテンツも高度活用のための機能が未整備なため充分な活用からは程遠いのが現状である。そのためには計算機が学習した知識に基づき情報内容を理解、評価、選択することが必要である。本来情報は大量であればあるほどそれを適切に選択・活用することにより、新しい情報を生成できるところに真の価値がある。そのために新しい環境に則した情報資源の構築法、利用機能、とくに科学技術における新理論の確立に重要な仮説生成の機構およびその実証が本研究の直接の目的である。また新しいモデルに基づく高度な情報資源の構築によりこれからの計算機、通信の理論や技術の展開の方向を示すことはこれまで行って来た研究と共通の目的である