Robotic tele-existence

Tele-existence is an advanced type of teleoperation system that enables a human operator at the controls to perform remote manipulation tasks dexterously with the feeling that he or she exists in the remote anthropomorphic robot in the remote environment. The concept of a tele-existence is presented, the principle of the tele-existence display method is explained, some of the prototype systems are described, and its space application is discussed

Hepatitis C virus infection in Ghana: time for action is now

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a blood borne infection just like hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) with a significant global health impact. Since the discovery of the HCV, several developments including a better understanding of the clinical epidemiology, availability of diagnostics and approval of newer therapies over the last decade have occurred and changed the frontiers of HCV management. Many nations now place HCV infection as a priority public health issue. In Ghana however, awareness, advocacy and treatment of HCV still plays a second fiddle to HBV and HIV. This must change and the time to act is now

Tele-existence and/or cybernetic interface studies in Japan

Tele-existence aims at a natural and efficient remote control of robots by providing the operator with a real time sensation of presence. It is an advaced type of teleoperation system which enables a human operator at the controls to perform remote manipulation tasks dexterously with the feeling that he or she exists in one of the remote anthropomorphic robots in the remote environment, e.g., in a hostile environment such as those of nuclear radiation, high temperature, and deep space. In order to study the use of the tele-existence system in the artificially constructed environment, the visual tele-existence simulator has been designed, a pseudo-real-time binocular solid model robot simulator has been made, and its feasibility has been experimentally evaluated. An anthropomorphic robot mechanism with an arm having seven degrees of freedom has been designed and developed as a slave robot for feasibility experiments of teleoperation using the tele-existence method. An impedance controlled active display mechanism and a head mounted display have also been designed and developed as the display subsystem for the master. The robot's structural dimensions are set very close to those of humans

Time Budget of Tulip Bulb Farmers in Japan and Holland ： In Busy Season

In 1999 we compared time budget structures of tulip bulb farmers in the harvest and post-harvest season in Japan and the Netherlands, by interview and questionnaire survey. Our results are as follows: 1) In Japan there are two peaks in monthly allocation of yearly labour input, June - July (harvest and post-harvest) and October (planting). In contrast, there is one peak in the Netherlands, June - July (harvest and post-harvest). In Japan labour time fluctuates month by month, while in the Netherlands it does not. 2) During the harvest and post-harvest season (9 days), Japanese farmers work for twelve to thirteen hours and sleep for less seven hours, while Dutch farmers works at most for ten and half hours and sleep for eight hours. 3) One of the reasons for the above fact is that Japanese farmers work even on Saturday and Sunday but Dutch ones do not so

ショウユ コウジ キン Dipeptidyl peptidase Ⅳ ノ ハッケン ト 2ガタ トウニョウビョウ ヨボウ ペプチド ノ ケンサク

著者らは1992年に，麹菌が新規アミノペプチダーゼであるDipeptidyl peptidase Ⅳ（DPP Ⅳ）を生成していることを見出し，DPP Ⅳが醬油の呈味形成における鍵酵素であることを明らかにした。麹菌DPP Ⅳの応用研究として，呈味性増強に用いる酵素剤の開発や，酵素法による機能性ペプチドの開発などを行った。麹菌DPP Ⅳを用いてヒトDPP Ⅳ阻害ペプチドの検索を行い，納豆からDPP Ⅳ阻害ペプチドを発見した。納豆から単離された2つのペプチドのアミノ酸配列は，LCMS/MSによってLys-LeuおよびLeu-Argとして同定し，IC50値はそれぞれ41.40±2.68および598.02±18.35µg/mlであった。納豆中のDPP Ⅳ阻害ペプチドが，血糖値の上昇抑制に関与していると考えている。In 1992, the authors found that Aspergillus oryzae produced a new aminopeptidase, Dipeptidyl peptidase Ⅳ (DPP Ⅳ), and revealed that the enzyme is a key enzyme in the formation of the taste of soy sauce. As an applied study of DPP Ⅳ by A. oryzae, we developed enzyme agents used to enhance taste and bioactive peptides by the enzyme method. This study determined the in vitro DPP Ⅳ inhibitory activity of isolated peptides from natto. Amino acid sequences of two peptides isolated from natto were identified by LCMS/MS as Lys-Leu and Leu-Arg. These isolated peptides inhibited DPP Ⅳ in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 41.40±2.68 and 598.02±18.35 µg/ml, respectively. These results indicate the potential mechanism of blood glucose control by natto and novel roles of Lys-Leu and Leu-Arg as DPP Ⅳ inhibitors