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Association between somatosensory sensitivity and regional gray matter volume in healthy young volunteers : a voxel-based morphometry study
No full textapplication/pdfTwo-point discrimination (2PD) test ref lects somatosensory spatial discrimination ability, but evidence on the relationship between 2PD and cortical gray matter (GM) volume is limited. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between cortical GM volume and 2PD threshold in young healthy individuals and to clarify the characteristics of brain structure ref lecting the individual differences in somatosensory function. 2PD was measured in 42 healthy (20 females) volunteers aged 20–32 years using a custom-made test system that can be controlled by a personal computer. The 2PD of the right index finger measured with this device has been confirmed to show good reproducibility. T1-weighted images were acquired using a 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner for voxel-based morphometry analysis. The mean 2PD threshold was 2.58 ± 0.54 mm. Whole-brain multiple regression analysis of the relationship between 2PD and GM volume showed that a lower 2PD threshold (i.e. better somatosensory function) significantly correlated with decreased GM volume from the middle temporal gyrus to the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) in the contralateral hemisphere. In conclusion, a lower GM volume in the middle temporal gyrus and IPL correlates with better somatosensory function. Thus, cortical GM volume may be a biomarker of somatosensory function.journal articl
Paleopathological characteristics of Neolithic early rice farmers in the lower reaches of the Yangtze river
Get PDFapplication/pdfPaleopathological investigations of human remains from the Neolithic Hemudu culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in southern East Asia were conducted to clarify the health status of people in early rice-farming societies. Our results show that the occurrence ratios of cribra orbitalia and enamel hypoplasia did not differ significantly between early rice farmers and hunter-gatherers. By contrast, the occurrence ratios of periosteal reactions, dental caries, and antemortem tooth loss in adults were higher among the early rice farmers. Based on these findings and the results of archaeological research on the Hemudu culture, it was suggested that: 1) the Hemudu culture adopted a diversified livelihood strategy that was not overly dependent on rice as a food resource, which did not lead to an extreme decline in health status, 2) the work in the rice fields or the working environment caused stress to the workers, and 3) the rice-farming society’s dietary habits led to a decline in oral health. Our results provide new paleopathological insights into the health status of early rice farmers in East Asia. However, the sample size of early rice farmers used in this study was small, and more data are needed to verify the validity of the views presented here.journal articl
Overseas IPR Creation of Japanese Companies Compared with the Companies of Other Countries
Get PDFグローバリゼーションが進展する中で、他国の企業と同様に日本企業も世界で現地の頭脳を活用してイノベーションを実施している。このようなイノベーション活動の成果の1 つは知的財産権の創出である。本論文は現地の頭脳を用いた日本企業の海外における知的財産権の創出を他国の企業と比較しながら中国、インド、ロシアおよびタイについて分析を行っている。その結果、日本企業も地元の頭脳を活用して知的財産権の創出を行っているが、その国への海外直接投資額を考慮すると、他国の企業に比べてそのパフォーマンスはよくない事を明らかにしている。In the age of globalization Japanese companies as well as the companies of other countries use local brains worldwide to innovate. As one output of these innovation activities, the companies create intellectual property rights (IPRs) using local brains. This paper analyzes the overseas IPR creation of Japanese companies using local brains compared with that of the companies of other countries in China, India,Russia and Thailand. The analysis finds out that Japanese companies create IPRs using local brains but that their performance is not as good as the performances of the companies of other countries, taking the amount of Japanese foreign direct investment into account.departmental bulletin pape
