Gifu University of Medical Science

About: Gifu University of Medical Science is a education organization based out in Gifu City, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Imaging phantom & Motion sickness. The organization has 89 authors who have published 202 publications receiving 1350 citations.

[Relations among higher brain function, trust, and gullibility in middle-aged and elderly people].

Abstract: In this study, we examined the relationships among higher brain function, trust or distrust, and gullibility in middle-aged and elderly people. It has been pointed out that the trust can be regarded the psychological frame of automatic processing in decision-makinig. The participants were 309 rural community dwellers (127-males and 182 females) whose mean age was 64.9 years old (SD = 9.9). The trust scale of Amagai (1997) and the Nagoya University Cognitive Assessment Battery were used to measure sense of trust and higher brain function, respectively. Gullibility was measured by self-report using two items. Correlation analyses showed that higher brain function positively correlated with degree of trust in others and negatively correlated with distrust. However, regression analysis demonstrated that only the relationship between category fluency and distrust was significant. Furthermore, the degree of distrust positively correlated with gullibility.

Electromagnetic Fields Measurement and Safety Consideration in Magnetic Confinement Fusion Test Facilities

Abstract: The environmental electromagnetic fields were measured around a magnetic confinement fusion test facility namely Large Helical Device (LHD) which is equipped with large superconducting magnet coils system and high-power plasma heating systems of Neutral Beam Injection, Electron Cyclotron resonance Heating and Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies (ICRF) heating. The leakage of the static magnetic field from the LHD was less than 1.2 mT, and it varied according to the coil operation. The extremely low frequency electromagnetic field was measured around power supply units for the coil system, and the magnetic field of higher than the guideline level of the International Commission on Nonionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) was predicted. Leakage of high frequency electromagnetic field from the ICRF was observed in bursts according to plasma shots. The measured values were less than the occupational guideline levels. Although the electromagnetic fields were less than the regulation levels, more monitoring survey is necessary from the view point of occupational safety.

Cerebral blood flow in the prefrontal cortex while reading a novel on a tablet computer and its effect on sleep: Temporary and remaining changes

Abstract: We aimed to investigate how reading a book on a tablet computer affects sleep by measuring cerebral blood flow in the prefrontal cortex. Seven students (7 men, age: 21–32 years) participated in this study. Under a controlled illuminance environment, the subjects read a novel in printed form or on a tablet computer from any distance. As the subjects were reading, the cerebral blood flow in their prefrontal cortex was measured using near infrared spectroscopy. The study protocol was as follows: subjects (1) mentally counted a sequence of numbers for 30 s as a pre-test to standardize their thinking, (2) read the novel for 10 min using a printed book or tablet computer as a task, and (3) mentally counted a sequence of numbers for 30 s as a posttest. Step (2) was performed in a random sequence. Subjects rested between the two tasks. The results showed significantly increased cerebral activity (increase in regional cerebral blood flow) both during and after reading a novel on a tablet computer compared with reading a printed book. Furthermore, the region around Broca's area was more active when reading on a tablet computer. Considering the results from this study and from previous studies on physiological characteristics during non-rapid eye movement sleep, we concluded that reading a book on a tablet computer before the onset of sleep leads to potential inhibition of comfortable sleep through mechanisms other than the suppression of melatonin secretion.