Evaluation of the softness and its impression of visual stimuli in VR space

To examine the softness and impression of visual objects in VR (Virtual Reality) space, the impression of the visual stimuli in VR space was measured using the subjective evaluation of a seven-rank scale by changing with each the value of the deformation resistance of the stimuli, of shapes, and colors. The value of the deformation resistance of the stimuli expresses the degree of deformation to return to the original of the object when touching it in VR space. The lower value indicates the larger deformation like pudding and the higher one is the smaller one like thick rubber they were used three types of values lower and higher, and no-deformation of the objects. The shapes of objects as the stimuli were three shapes (sphere, cube, pyramid). The colors of the stimuli were selected from five colors (red, green, green, gray, and white) and they have used two types of the feeling of materials (matte and metallic) in each color. Ten participants were asked to subjectively evaluate the softness and impression of the stimulus. In the results, the evaluation changes from soft to hard by increasing the values of deformation resistance in all the stimuli in VR space. It is suggested that the degree of the deformation to return to the original can express the softness of objects when touching them in VR space even though the user does not touch them physically. It also discussed the relationship between softness and its impression of the stimuli in VR space

Secular changes in bone mineral density of adult Japanese women from 1995 to 2013

Introduction: Secular changes in hip fracture incidence have been reported in the last few decades in Japan, but whether long-term bone mineral density (BMD) is also changing is unclear. This study aimed to determine whether BMD of Japanese women has changed over time. Methods: Subjects were 10,649 adult women who underwent BMD measurement in a health check-up population in Niigata, Japan, between 1995 and 2013. BMD of the distal, non-dominant forearm was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Demographic information and BMI were also obtained. Secular trends were determined by linear regression analysis. Results: BMD of subjects in their 40's decreased significantly in the age-adjusted model (P for trend=0.0162), but not in the age- and BMI-adjusted model (P for trend=0.2171). BMD of subjects in their 50's decreased marginally in the age-adjusted model (P for trend=0.0535), but not in the age- and BMI-adjusted model (P for trend=0.6601). BMDs of subjects in their 30's and 60's did not significantly change, while BMIs of subjects in their 40's-60's decreased significantly. Conclusions: A secular decrease in BMD, partly attributed to decreases in BMI, was observed in middle-aged Japanese women from 1995 to 2013. Measures to help maintain suitable BMI will be necessary to prevent a decrease in BMD among women

Simulation of livestock biomass resource recycling and energy utilization model based on dry type methane fermentation system

International Conference of Biomass and Bioenergy 19-20 August 2019, West Java, IndonesiaThis study was aimed at investigating the local livestock biomass volume for dairy farms in Town A, located in eastern Hokkaido, Japan, and at presenting a model of a biogas plant that enables maximizing the use of the available livestock biomass. Using a dairy farm with 250 animals in Town A as a model for a biogas plant based on dry-type methane fermentation system (dry-type biogas plant), we set the operational conditions to an average hydraulic retention time of 20 days, digestion temperature of 55°C, and methane gas yield of 0.12 Nm3 CH4/kg VSA. We compared the biogas production of our presented model with that of a wet-type biogas plant with the same number of animals. The results showed that the dry-type biogas plant produced biogas at 859 Nm3/day, while the wet-type biogas plant produced biogas at 666 Nm3/day. These results indicate that introducing dry-type biogas plants in all dairy farms in Town A would potentially enable semi-solid livestock manure to be processed, which is not amenable to ordinary composting, in addition to the conventional processes being carried out through biogas plants, as well as lead to an increase in the amount of biogas production

Voluminous magma formation for the 30-ka Aira caldera-forming eruption in SW Japan: contributions of crust-derived felsic and mafic magmas

Understanding the origin, assembly, and evolution of voluminous magma that erupts in catastrophic caldera-forming eruptions (CCFEs) is a community imperative. A CCFE of the Aira caldera at 30 ka discharged over 350 km3 of magma, which can be grouped into petrographically and geochemically distinct types: voluminous rhyolite, small amounts of rhyodacite, and andesite magmas. To further understand the magma plumbing system of the Aira CCFE, we examined the geochemical characteristics of whole rock and plagioclase from its eruptive deposits. The trace element and 87Sr/86Sr signatures recorded in the plagioclase phenocrysts of these magmas indicate that the three magmas were originally produced by partially melting an identical source rock, which was estimated to be a mafic amphibolite with an 87Sr/86Sr signature of ∼0.7055 that comprised the lower crust. Melting of mafic amphibolite produced both felsic and mafic magmas by low and high degrees of partial melting, respectively. The mafic magma assimilated uppermost crustal materials and crystallized to produce an andesite magma type. The andesitic magma consists of phenocrysts (∼39 vol%) and melt with a dacitic (∼70 wt% SiO2) composition. The felsic magma mixed with ∼10% of the andesite magma and crystallized, forming the rhyolite magma. The mixing between the andesite and rhyolite magmas before the Aira CCFE produced the rhyodacite magma. The 30-ka Aira CCFE magmas were generated only by melting two kinds of crustal materials with different geochemical characteristics and had geochemical variations due to different conditions of partial melting and mixing between various crustal melts. The lack of definitive evidence of the mantle component mixing with the Aira CCFE magmas suggests that the mantle-derived magmas worked only as a heat source for crustal melting

Fractional Ca2+ Currents through TRP and TRPL Channels in Drosophila Photoreceptors

AbstractLight responses in Drosophila photoreceptors are mediated by two Ca2+ permeable cation channels, transient receptor potential (TRP) and TRP-like (TRPL). Although Ca2+ influx via these channels is critical for amplification, inactivation, and light adaptation, the fractional contribution of Ca2+ to the currents (Pf) has not been measured. We describe a slow (τ ∼ 350 ms) tail current in voltage-clamped light responses and show that it is mediated by electrogenic Na+/Ca2+ exchange. Assuming a 3Na:1Ca stoichiometry, we derive empirical estimates of Pf by comparing the charge integrals of the exchanger and light-induced currents. For TRPL channels, Pf was ∼17% as predicted by Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz (GHK) theory. Pf for TRP (29%) and wild-type flies (26%) was higher, but lower than the GHK prediction (45% and 42%). As predicted by GHK theory, Pf for both channels increased with extracellular [Ca2+], and was largely independent of voltage between –100 and –30 mV. A model incorporating intra- and extracellular geometry, ion permeation, diffusion, extrusion, and buffering suggested that the deviation from GHK predictions was largely accounted for by extracellular ionic depletion during the light-induced currents, and the time course of the Na+/Ca2+ exchange current could be used to obtain estimates of cellular Ca2+ buffering capacities

Oncogenic Pathway Combinations Predict Clinical Prognosis in Gastric Cancer

Many solid cancers are known to exhibit a high degree of heterogeneity in their deregulation of different oncogenic pathways. We sought to identify major oncogenic pathways in gastric cancer (GC) with significant relationships to patient survival. Using gene expression signatures, we devised an in silico strategy to map patterns of oncogenic pathway activation in 301 primary gastric cancers, the second highest cause of global cancer mortality. We identified three oncogenic pathways (proliferation/stem cell, NF-κB, and Wnt/β-catenin) deregulated in the majority (>70%) of gastric cancers. We functionally validated these pathway predictions in a panel of gastric cancer cell lines. Patient stratification by oncogenic pathway combinations showed reproducible and significant survival differences in multiple cohorts, suggesting that pathway interactions may play an important role in influencing disease behavior. Individual GCs can be successfully taxonomized by oncogenic pathway activity into biologically and clinically relevant subgroups. Predicting pathway activity by expression signatures thus permits the study of multiple cancer-related pathways interacting simultaneously in primary cancers, at a scale not currently achievable by other platforms

The search for translational pain outcomes to refine analgesic development: Where did we come from and where are we going?

Pain measures traditionally used in rodents record mere reflexes evoked by sensory stimuli; the results thus may not fully reflect the human pain phenotype. Alterations in physical and emotional functioning, pain-depressed behaviors and facial pain expressions were recently proposed as additional pain outcomes to provide a more accurate measure of clinical pain in rodents, and hence to potentially enhance analgesic drug development. We aimed to review how preclinical pain assessment has evolved since the development of the tail flick test in 1941, with a particular focus on a critical analysis of some nonstandard pain outcomes, and a consideration of how sex differences may affect the performance of these pain surrogates. We tracked original research articles in Medline for the following periods: 1973-1977, 1983-1987, 1993-1997, 2003-2007, and 2014-2018. We identified 606 research articles about alternative surrogate pain measures, 473 of which were published between 2014 and 2018. This indicates that preclinical pain assessment is moving toward the use of these measures, which may soon become standard procedures in preclinical pain laboratories.FPU grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and SportsSpanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, grant SAF2016-80540-R)Ramón Areces FoundationJunta de Andalucía (grant CTS 109)Esteve PharmaceuticalsEuropean Regional Development Fund (ERDF