Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings (Japan)

The development of new materials with reduced noise and vibration levels is an active area of research due to concerns in various aspects of environmental noise pollution and its effects on health. Excessive vibrations also reduce the service live of the structures and limit the fields of their utilization. In oscillations, the viscoelastic moduli of a material are complex and it is their loss part - the product of the stiffness part and loss tangent - that is commonly viewed as a figure of merit in noise and vibration damping applications. The stiffness modulus and loss tangent are usually mutually exclusive properties so it is a technological challenge to develop materials that simultaneously combine high stiffness and high loss. Here we achieve this rare balance of properties by filling a solid polymer matrix with rigid inorganic spheres coated by a sub-micron layer of a viscoelastic material with a high level of internal friction. We demonstrate that this combination can be experimentally realised and that the analytically predicted behaviour is closely reproduced, thereby escaping the often termed 'Ashby' limit for mechanical stiffness/damping trade-off and offering a new route for manufacturing advanced composite structures with markedly reduced noise and vibration levels.

]. For the accurate prediction of MD-GAN, sufficient information on the dynamics of a part of the system should be included with the training data. Therefore, the selection of the part of the system is important for efficient learning. In a previous study, only one particle (or vector) of each molecule was extracted as part of the system. The effectiveness of adding information from other particles to the learning process is investigated in this study. When the dynamics of three particles of each molecule were used in the polyethylene experiment, the diffusion was successfully predicted using the training data with a time length of approximately 40%, compared to the single-particle input. Surprisingly, the unobserved transition of diffusion in the training data was also predicted using this method. The reduced cost for the generation of training MD data achieved in this study is useful for accelerating MD-GAN.

In this study, we consider projects in which systems are developed using machine learning (ML) techniques. An ML project canvas has been proposed to represent the project so that stakeholders can have a common understanding of the project. In many cases, this canvas must be constructed by business division practitioners without sufficient support from data scientists and the quality of the canvas model is dependent on the skills or experience of the practitioner. Therefore, we propose a method for constructing a project-specific project canvas model using the business–AI alignment model, and confirm the effectiveness of the method through the analysis of ML project practices.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) after lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) and posterior/transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion ( P /TLIF). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Previous studies have shown that LLIF can improve neurological symptoms to a comparable degree to P /TLIF. However, data on the risk of SSI after LLIF is lacking compared with P /TLIF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted under a retrospective cohort design in patients undergoing LLIF or P /TLIF for lumbar degenerative diseases between 2013 and 2020 using a hospital administrative database. We used propensity score overlap weighting to adjust for confounding factors including age, sex, body mass index, comorbidities, number of fusion levels, hospital size, and surgery year. We estimated weighted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for SSI within 30 days postoperatively. RESULTS: We compared the risk of SSI between 2874 patients who underwent LLIF and 24,245 patients who received P/TLIF Patients who had received LLIF were at significantly less risk of experiencing an SSI compared with those receiving P/TLIF (0.7% vs. 1.2%; weighted OR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.36 -0.92; P=0.02). As a secondary outcome, patients who had received LLIF had less risk of transfusion (7.8% vs. 11.8%; weighted OR: 0.63; 95% CI:0.54 -0.73; P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this large retrospective cohort study of adults undergoing lumbar interbody fusion, LLIF was associated with a significantly lower risk of SSI than P /TLIF. The small, but significantly, decreased risk of SSI associated with LLIF may inform decisions regarding the technical approach for lumbar interbody fusion.

The 7th Asia Partnership Conference of Regenerative Medicine (APACRM) was held both in person and online on April 25, 2024, to promote the regulatory harmonization of regenerative medicine products across Asia. Recognizing domestic regulatory guidelines and their underlying rationales within each country and region is an important initial step toward achieving harmonious regulation. The 7th APACRM featured open dialogues on the non-clinical evaluations of adeno-associated virus gene therapy products, regulation of gene therapies, considerations for conducting clinical trials, and provision of cell and gene therapies as medical practices without market authorization. These discussions included presentations by industry experts and panel discussions with regulatory agencies. The latest updates on regenerative medicine from each country and region were also introduced. This paper summarizes the proceedings of the 7th APACRM to foster future discussions and disseminate information to the public.

Humankind today is facing an array of challenges?global climate change, the depletion of natural resources, water scarcity, and an aging population, just to name a few. It is more important now than ever for us to address these issues and find solutions to how we and future generations can continue living on this one earth. Business entities, with their influence in society as well as resources far beyond the individual, have great potential to make a difference. We cannot necessarily expect, however, that businesses will relinquish profits for the sake of sustainability and social betterment. What is needed is an innovative form of business in which pursuing sustainability is tied to enhancing corporate value. The approach that Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Company (MCHC) is taking to realize this is embodied in the concept of ?KAITEKI? [1].

Abstract More than 99% of coal mining in Indonesia is open-pit mining. Nowadays, the adoption of the underground coal mining method is discussed to extend coal production due to the increasing demand for coal. However, the geological conditions in Indonesia are very weak compared to the U.S., Europe, and Australia where the longwall mining method is often applied. Especially, the mechanical properties of immediate roof/floor in shallow depth are weaker than those of coal. Therefore, the control measures to maintain the stability around the developing area should be discussed for the safe longwall mining operation. This study discusses the design of safety pillar width in longwall mining under weak geological conditions by using FLAC3D. It is found that the conventional equations for the determination of the pillar width, Obert-Duvall, Holland-Gaddy, and Bieniawski equations, can be adopted to maintain the stability of the pillar itself, but are not suitable for the stability of the longwall face because of the influence on the neighboring panel extraction. Additionally, the increase of the pillar width can significantly reduce the fracture zone around the longwall face while increasing the setting load of the shield support can slightly improve the stability. The pillar design needs to be considered not only the pillar strength but also the stability of the longwall face under the weak geological conditions in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Foot ulceration usually precedes more serious foot complications such as infection, gangrene or amputation. The risk of developing foot ulcers has been estimated to be higher in individuals with peripheral arterial disease, diabetes and kidney disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the healing potential of CO2-enriched water in patients with foot ulceration. METHODS: This is a multi-centered; placebo controlled and randomized clinical trial. Patients will have at least 1 distal extremity ulcer and will be randomized to receive a treatment with bath therapy at 37oC containing either 1,000-1200 ppm CO2-enriched tap water (the intervention), or non- carbonated tap water (the control group). The treatment will be carried out 3 times/week for 15 minutes per session for 4 months for a total of 48 treatments. At baseline and at the end of every treatment month, wound assessment, measurement of limb oxygenation, ankle brachial pressures as well as McGill pain questionnaire will be carried out. Blood will also be collected at baseline and at the end of every month of the treatment period (for a total of 5 collections) for the measurement of different biomarkers. BASELINE DATA: At baseline all 14 participants have at least one distal extremity ulcer and 93% (13/14) are diabetic. Although 6 of the participan`ts have peripheral arterial disease (left and/or right limb) as evidenced by an ankle brachial index (ABI) <0.9, another 5 exhibited non-compressible ankle arteries and 3 participants with left and right ABI of ≥ 0.9. Mean age of participants is 60.2 ± 1.7 and 64% (9/14) of the participants are undergoing hemodialysis for ESRD and 29% (4/14) are below knee amputees. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed clinical study will evaluatve the therapeutic potential, safety and efficacy of CO2 enriched water (produced by the Carbothera device) on treating foot ulcers.

認知的方略は，将来への期待の高低×過去のパフォーマンスの高低で四つの群（方略的楽観主義・非現実的楽観主義・防衛的悲観主義・真の悲観主義）に分けられる。学業場面において，方略的楽観主義者と防衛的悲観主義者が，他の二群に比べて適応的に課題遂行をすることが知られている。しかし，こうした傾向が学業場面以外でも見られるのかは充分に知られておらず，また，中高年以上で認知的方略を検討した研究は少ない。本研究では平均年齢40歳以上の2つのサンプル；i）会社員54名（平均年齢48.08歳） ii）社会人大学の学生125名（平均年齢49.97歳）を対象に，認知的方略に関する知見が，心身の健康状態や社会関係を維持する老後のための努力にも応用できるかを検討した。その結果，方略的楽観主義者は，真の悲観主義者，非現実的楽観主義者よりも，継続した運動を行い，老後のために社会参加をして生きがいを保とうとする傾向が高く，認知的方略に関する知見が，老後のための努力にも応用できる可能性が示唆された。防衛的悲観主義者の適応的傾向は，方略的楽観主義者と比べると部分的にしか見られなかった。認知的方略の下位概念同士の関連，世代差の観点から考察する。

Abstract not Available.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in occupational health and safety (OHS) practices has garnered increasing attention in the context of Industry 4.0. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation into the implications of AI on workplace safety, aiming to elucidate stakeholders' perceptions, attitudes, and experiences. Through a structured survey methodology and rigorous qualitative data analysis, data were collected from a diverse sample of 300 participants representing various industries and occupational backgrounds. The findings reveal nuanced perspectives on AI's impact on workplace safety practices, ranging from perceived effectiveness in hazard identification to concerns regarding adaptability to changing regulations and ethical considerations. The study underscores the importance of ethical conduct, informed decision-making, and collaborative efforts in harnessing the transformative potential of AI while ensuring worker well-being. This research contributes to the discourse on responsible AI deployment and fosters dialogue among stakeholders towards advancing a holistic approach to OHS in the digital age.

Abstract not Available.

In this presentation, seeded growths of large diameter GaN crystals using the low-pressure acidic ammonothermal (LPAAT) method operated at around 100 MPa will be demonstrated. Nearly bowing- and mosaic-free GaN crystals exhibiting the full-width at half-maximum values for the 0002 X-ray rocking curves below 20 arcsec were achieved on high lattice coherency c-plane AAT seeds with gross dislocation densities in the order of 104 cm−2. The photoluminescence spectra of the grown crystals exhibited a predominant near-band-edge emission at 295 K, of which intensity was one order of magnitude higher than the characteristic deep-state emission called "yellow luminescence band". A nearly bowing-free large diameter c-plane GaN crystal was eventually obtained.

Additional file 2: Table S1. The Fisher z-transformed differences between correlation coefficients of each pair of groups (Groups OPA, NPA, NM and CC) and their p values. The Fisher z-values (upper triangular matrix) and their p values (lower triangular matrix) are shown in each pair of groups. ACC, anterior cingulate cortex; aRC, anterior retrosplenial cortex; DG, dentate gyrus; PrL, prelimbic cortex.

Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) therapeutic development has largely relied on staff-administered functional rating scales to determine treatment efficacy. We sought to determine if mobile applications (apps) and wearable devices can be used to quantify ALS disease progression through active (surveys) and passive (sensors) data collection. Forty ambulatory adults with ALS were followed for 6-months. The Beiwe app was used to administer self-entry ALS functional rating scale-revised (ALSFRS-RSE) and the Rasch Overall ALS Disability Scale (ROADS) surveys every 2-4 weeks. A wrist-worn activity monitor (ActiGraph's Insight Watch) or an ankle-worn activity monitor (Modus' StepWatch) was used continuously by each participant. Wearable device wear and app survey compliance were adequate. ALSFRS-R highly correlated with ALSFRS-RSE. Several wearable data daily physical activity measures demonstrated statistically significant change over time and associations with ALSFRS-RSE and ROADS. Active and passive digital data collection hold promise for novel ALS trial outcomes development.