Test-Retest Reliability of Movement Displacement during a 20-s Stepping-in-Place Test in Community-Dwelling Older Adults with and without Supportive Care.

Introduction: Our recent reports have shown that movement pattern and displacement assessed with an infrared depth sensor during a 20-s stepping-in-place test (ST) correlates with measures of balance and need for assistance in older individuals. This study investigated ST test-retest reliability in community-dwelling older adults with and without supportive care.

Methods: Two groups were included: those not participating (HO: n = 25, 74.

The stepping test, and infrared depth sensor, provide reliable measures of balance in community-dwelling older adults.

[Purpose] The purpose was to examine relationships between variables characterizing the 20-second stepping test movement pattern, assessed with an infrared depth sensor (Kinect), and measurements of dynamic and static balance. [Participants and Methods] A total of 27 independent-living, older adults (7 males and 20 females) participated in this study. For each participant, the stepping test total movement distance, movement displacement, knee movement distance, and step number were calculated from Kinect closed joint-point coordinate data.

Functional roles and localization of hydrolases in the Japanese mitten crab Eriocheir japonica.

The Japanese mitten crab Eriocheir japonica inhabits rivers throughout Japan and is being cultivated for food. To conduct aquaculture efficiently, it is crucial to comprehend the physiological functions of the target organisms. However, there is a lack of fundamental information on Japanese mitten crabs.

Differences in gaze behaviors between trainees and experts during endovascular therapy for cerebral aneurysms: a preliminary study using a cerebral aneurysm model.

In the neuroendovascular field, the training of operators has become an important issue. Recently, eye-tracking technology has been introduced into various fields of medical education. This study aimed to apply eye-tracking technology to the training of neuroendovascular therapy.

A 20-sec Stepping Test and KINECT Sensor Provides Objective Quantification of Movement/Balance Dysfunction in Older Individuals.

: Tests such as the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) are widely used measures of infirmity and burden of care. However, these scales are largely qualitative and especially problematic when assessing movement-based tasks. Effective, reliable analysis of human movement is technically complicated and expensive, but an infrared depth sensor is potentially a low-cost, portable devise which may provide a quantitative aspect to clinical testing.

Evaluating activities of daily living using an infrared depth sensor: KINECT.

Purpose: With a growing proportion of elderly people in the population, the maintenance of activities of daily living (ADLs) in elderly people is crucial to keep medical costs down. We investigated the ADL measurement accuracy of KINECT and Kinect Studio. To eliminate the subjectivity of conventional methods, we numerically assessed motions with computer analysis.

A saliency based motion detection model of visual system considering visual adaptation properties.

The purpose of this study is to construct a mathematical model which predicts saliency regions in high-speed egocentric-motion movies, filmed by an embedded camera in a driving vehicle, by reproducing the characteristics of the area MT and MST neurons' receptive fields with consideration of visual adaptation properties. The area MT neurons integrate from the area V1 activation and respond well to regions where higher motion contrasts exist. While the area MST neurons detect global motions such as expansion, contraction, rotation, and so on.

Quantitative assessments of arousal by analyzing microsaccade rates and pupil fluctuations prior to slow eye movements.

It is well known that a decline of arousal level causes of poor performance of movements or judgments. Our previous study indicates that microsaccade (MS) rates and pupil fluctuations change before slow eye movements (SEMs) (Honda et al. 2013).

Quantitative evaluation of arousal level based on the analyses of microsaccade rates and pupil fluctuations.

In this study, we proposed an objective estimation of decline of arousal level by analyzing microsaccade rate and pupil fluctuation while subjects were continuously gazing a fixation target. Previous studies show that the slow eye movements (SEMs) could be a candidate for an indicator of decline of arousal. However, it is not sufficient to evaluate transition of arousal states since SEMs appear just prior to sleep onset.

Attentional effects on gaze preference for salient loci in traffic scenes.

Unlabelled: Alerting drivers for self-regulation of attention might decrease crash risks attributable to absent-minded driving. However, no reliable method exists for monitoring driver attention. Therefore, we examined attentional effects on gaze preference for salient loci (GPS) in traffic scenes.

Isolation and characterization of glutathione reductase from Physarum polycephalum and stage-specific expression of the enzyme in life-cycle stages with different oxidation-reduction levels.

Physarum polycephalum has a life cycle with several distinct phases that have different oxidation-reduction requirements. To investigate the relationship between the life cycle and the oxidation-reduction state, we isolated glutathione reductase (GR; EC 1.6.