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Clinical reasoning competency is essential for an appropriate clinical dental treatment. Among the tools for the assessment of clinical reasoning competency, computer-based testing (CBT) is considered more useful than paper-based testing (PBT), because teachers can control the timing of information given to the examinees. Such timings could possibly affect the thinking process of examinees. However, few studies reported differences of reasoning between the two testing modes. In the present study, we developed an assessment of clinical reasoning and applied it using CBT and PBT to compare the examinees' performance. The participants comprised 60 students in the fifth-year class in 2012 of the School of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University. The tests comprised 25 problems, each with four questions, totaling 100 questions. The contents of the questions were the same in CBT and PBT. The students were assigned to CBT (Group C, n = 30) and PBT (Group P, n = 30) groups, with an almost equal gender ratio in the groups. The difference between scores was analyzed with a univariate analysis of variance. No significant intergroup differences were found regarding the test duration, total score, and average score of each question. The number of problems with perfect marks was higher in Group P than in Group C (P < 0.05), probably because Group P students could access the information of the previous question (s) within a problem. Thus, the differences of the examinees' performance between the two testing modes were small.

This exploratory study analyzed students' perception of a paperless English classroom to identify participants who successfully used the paperless environment. The participants (n = 179) were tasked to answer a questionnaire. Results only showed a significant difference in the amount of time the participants used their PCs to work on their assignments; however, PCs' prior use was not a factor. The transition from a traditional paper-based classroom to a paperless one cannot be taken for granted. Sufficient instruction on how the digital materials can be accessed is necessary for some learners to embrace a paperless classroom.

The aim of this paper is to examine the learning processes that subjects undertake when they start using gaze as computer input. A 7-day experiment with eight Japanese students was carried out to record novice users' eye movement data during typing of 110 sentences. The experiment revealed that inefficient eye movements was dramatically reduced after only 15-25 sentences of typing, equal to approximately 3-4 h of practice. The performance data fits a general learning model based on the power law of practice. The learning model can be used to estimate further improvements in gaze typing performance. Our experimental results encourage the use of gaze-based interfaces for severely disabled people. This paper provides a taxonomy for gaze actions on dwell time-activated keys and it presents a method by which the learnability of gaze interfaces may be documented. (Contains 8 tables and 5 figures.)

This paper empirically examines the impact of academic research on high-tech manufacturing growth of 28 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and emerging countries over the 1991-2005 period. A standard research and development (R&D) expenditure based measure is found to be too general to capture the input in high-tech research. To overcome this problem, a novel proxy for high-tech research investment--the supercomputer capacity--is proposed. Empirical evidence strongly supports this choice of variable. It is also found that academic R&D exerts a larger growth effect on high-tech output than its industry and government counterparts, but only the impact differential between academic and government R&D is statistically significant.

The use of computers to assist in learning situations is reviewed on an international basis, evaluation studies and costs are examined, and critical issues are analyzed as they pertain to hardware, software, and courseware development. Recommendations are offered for educationally cost-effective uses of computer-assisted instruction. A 67-item bibliography is included. (CHC)

This paper presents a reservoir computing technique using Asynchronous Block‐Based Neural Networks (ABBNN). Echo State Networks and Liquid State Machines introduced a new paradigm in artificial neural networks (ANN), known as Reservoir Computing (RC). A recurrent neural network (RNN) in Reservoir Computing is generated randomly, and only a readout is trained. The reservoir computing greatly facilitated the practical RNN application and outperformed classical RNN in many tasks. ABBNN is an extended version of the classical block‐based neural network model. ABBNN, an evolvable neural network model, provides a model‐free estimation of nonlinear dynamical systems. To propose a hardware‐aware model of reservoir computing and high‐speed training, we introduce Block‐Based Reservoir Computing (BBRC). BBRC provides a flexible architecture. The architecture based on the basic blocks provides a regularity that supports scalable hardware. In contrast, BBRC also supports randomness based on the internal configuration. Both are significant features in achieving an optimal hardware reservoir computer. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 20 years, computer games have become a very integral part of consumptive practices, acting as a guide to mediate multiple selves. This sets the context for this paper, a philosophical inquiry into the creation and mediation of 'selves' through the consumption of Japanese computer games, taking a detailed look at some of the symbolic and semiotic structures that permeate game structures. Games placed in the realm of human creativity and normative freedoms are as argued in this paper, a subtle form of the Deleuzian concept of assemblage. This paper argues that the 'self' as seen through computer games manifest multiple 'selves' that highlight the fluidity of identities which are being fabricated, disseminated and transmitted from Japan. Through an analysis of a number of Japanese games popular in Japan and actively consumed abroad, this paper examines an underlying grammar that transcribes the self and how social relations are reworked through technological enquiry. This paper further highlights how computer-dominated social practices that have heavily flowed from Japan have introduced very specific ontological ways of seeing the world to a whole generation of games players residing in other geographical spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the development of household accounting practice in post -war Japan through a review of reported experiences of the winners of an annual accounting prize scheme organized, since 1954, by the Central Council for Saving Information. While academic study of accounting at home is a developing area, analysis has tended so far to rely mainly on Anglo-Saxon contexts. This paper's examination of Japanese household accounting practice offers evidence from a very different context The paper uses the prize schemes to document key changes in household accounting practice over the last half century which essentially has seen a switch in focus from short-term budgetary control to lifetime planning and a growing concern with broader social and environmental issues. Such changes appear to be closely related to changes in the economic and social roles served by the Japanese household. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modular feedback design is the following method. When a control specification in a discrete event system is given by conjunction and disjunction of a finite number of predicates, a feedback is designed for each predicate, and the whole feedback is constructed by product and sum of the component feedbacks. By this design method, the state feedback can easily be reconstructed when the control specification is modified. This paper considers the model proposed by Golaszewski and Ramadge, and we derive a condition under which the control invariance of the component predicates implies the control invariance of their conjunction and disjunction. Moreover, we derive a condition tinder which the unique existence of maximally and minimally permissive feedback for each component predicate implies that for the conjunction and disjunction. Finally, the derived result is applied to control of a manufacturing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the English version of the virtual computer museum has been released by the Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ) in June 2006. There are two main components of the virtual museum including biographies of 68 computer pioneers in Japan and a chronological chart of 323 historical computers. The latter is classified into several computers like mainframes, supercomputers, small business computers, minicomputers, workstations, and personal computers. The first computer in Japan was developed by Ryoichi Yazu and it was a mechanical desktop calculating machine.

With the recent widespread application of computer graphics, a management system for graphic data is required which is suited to interactive processing. This paper discusses the management structure for the line data, which can realize a retrieval in an efficient way according to the spatial relations. The dynamic data management structure called the BD time, which was developed by the authors for the multidimensional point data management, is employed. In the proposed system, the BD tree is modified into a form (nonpacket type) suited to high-speed processing, and is extended to suit the line data. In this system, the segment is managed by its centroid and the circumscribed quadrilateral. The BD tree is composed of a set of centroids, where each node has information concerning the circumscribed quadrilaterals for all segments in the subtree. The retrieval is made efficient by the information concerning the circumscribed quadrilateral. In this paper, the data structure for the line data management is discussed first. Then various retrieval algorithms which depend on the spatial relations according to each application are discussed in detail. Finally, the usefulness of the proposed data structure is demonstrated by a retrieval experiment of actual geographical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient safety is associated with patient outcomes. However, there is insufficient evidence of patient safety in the dental field. This study aimed to compare incidents reported by dentists and physicians, compare the type of errors made by them, and identify how dentists prevent dental errors. Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted using open data from the Japan Council for Quality Health Care database. A total of 6071 incident reports submitted for the period 2016–2020 were analyzed; the number of dentists' incident reports was 144, and the number of physicians' incident reports was 5927. Results: The percentage of dental intern reporters was higher than that of medical intern reporters (dentists: n = 12, 8.3%; physicians: n = 180, 3.0%; p = 0.002). The percentage of reports by dentists was greater than that by physicians: wrong part of body treated (dentists: n = 26, 18.1%; physicians: n = 120, 2.0%; p < 0.001), leaving foreign matter in the body (dentists: n = 15, 10.4%; physicians: n = 182, 3.1%; p < 0.001), and accidental ingestion (dentists: n = 8, 5.6%; physicians: n = 8, 0.1%; p < 0.001), and aspiration of foreign body (dentists: n = 5, 3.4%; physicians: n = 33, 0.6%; p = 0.002). The percentage of each type of prevention method utilized was as follows: software 27.8% (n = 292), hardware (e.g., developing a new system) 2.1% (n = 22), environment (e.g., coordinating the activities of staff) 4.2% (n = 44), liveware (e.g., reviewing procedure, double checking, evaluating judgement calls made) 51.6% (n = 542), and liveware-liveware (e.g., developing adequate treatment plans, conducting appropriate postoperative evaluations, selecting appropriate equipment and adequately trained medical staff) 14.3% (n = 150). Conclusion: Hardware and software and environment components accounted for a small percentage of the errors made, while the components of liveware and liveware-liveware errors were larger. Human error cannot be prevented by individual efforts alone; thus, a systematic and holistic approach needs to be developed by the medical community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a conversation method called seamless interaction where the viewer can query a CG generated performer at any time while viewing video content based on CG, and can interrupt video content for direct conversation with the performer. In this paper, we explain the important requirements for achieving seamless interaction, and show an example mounting these requirements. Then, we use a subjective evaluation test to compare seamless interaction with images of interaction with CG characters using dedicated conversational CG characters. From these results, we show that seamless interaction is an effective method for viewers when engaged in passive viewing, such as viewing a television program, in terms of ease of interaction and ease of familiarity. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 38(13): 1–14, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.20833 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the widespread use of the Internet in recent years, documents are increasingly handled by electronic means. However, due to physical and time limitations it is difficult to review all of these documents. To allow selection of desired documents, it is useful to prepare a summary representing the content of each document. Consequently, this paper proposes a panoramic view system which extracts important sentences by a unique method. The system surveys the whole text and detects the keywords that express the features of the text. The feature keywords are extracted as words closely related to the main topic of the text and help to extract important relevant sentences. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 34(11): 81–90, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.1215 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors have developed a communications architecture called RHiNET that is capable of high-performance parallel processing by interconnecting PCs and WSs. RHiNET uses not only computers concentrated in one place but also computers used for daily business within buildings and within floors for parallel processing. Networks used by RHiNET should have high effective bandwidths and small latencies for high-efficiency computing, as well as link lengths for connecting the computers within buildings and floors and a free topology. The former requirements are not satisfied sufficiently by the conventional LANs, while the latter is not satisfied by SANs which are used in cluster systems. RHiNET satisfies both conditions by using a switch having a large memory capacity. In this paper, the architecture and implementation of the RHiNET/SW1 switch used by RHiNET networks are discussed. A scheme called virtual cache is used in RHiNET/SW1 such that a large-capacity packet buffer is installed by SRAM outside the switch ASIC. In addition, the performance of the switch is evaluated by a simulator. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 32(14): 24–33, 2001 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, systems are comprised of a large number of elements and might be very symmetric. In verification of such systems, they are reduced while upkeeping their global structure and verified with the intuitive expectation that the verification of such reduced systems will yield almost the same results as those of the original ones. However, such verifications do not guarantee the success of original system verifications. In this paper, the target is verification of arbitrary scale systems with star-shape configuration which can be expressed by Petri nets. The proposed algorithm explores the reachable state space with no dependency on system scale. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 32(14): 41–53, 2001 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to measure student cognitive and metacognitive perceptions regarding computer use in university. This study addresses three key questions: a) how does the model fit the key construct of metacognitive and self-efficacy beliefs; b) to what degree do independent variables predict dependent factor outcomes; and c) how can understanding student metacognitive and self-efficacy beliefs inform ICT policy in education? This representative model uses four latent factors to measure student perceptions: self-efficacy (SE), computer anxiety (CA), vicarious experiences (VE), and belief of benefits (BB). This study uses a 16-item survey model to test a sample of 602 students from a university in Japan. Quantitative data were analysed using a confirmatory factor analysis to test the validity of dependent latent factors, and a multiple regression analysis to identify independent variables that can predict dependent variable outcomes. Results identify statistically significant predictors of outcome related to two of the dependent variables (self-efficacy and computer anxiety) concerning the demographic groups: a) Gender, b) Computer use age (the age when participants begin using computers), c) Computer use based on hours per day, d) Ownership of computer devices, and e) Location of computer use. Findings conclude that the tested model gives substantial insights into the cognitive and metacognitive processes of students, which can meaningfully contribute to the development of ICT policies in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past ten years the Soviet Bloc has designed, developed, and put into production a series of upward-compatible third-generation computers known as the Unified System or Ryad. This family is effectively a reverse engineering of the IBM S/360 system. Although backward by current Western and Japanese standards, the Unified System is of considerable technological, political, and economic importance. This paper is an attempt to present a comprehensive survey and analysis of the Ryad project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to leverage computer vision (CV) technology to develop a technique for quantifying postural control. A conventional quantitative index, occupational therapists' qualitative clinical evaluations, and CV-based quantitative indices using an image analysis algorithm were applied to evaluate the postural control of 34 typically developed preschoolers. The effectiveness of the CV-based indices was investigated relative to current methods to explore the clinical applicability of the proposed method. The capacity of the CV-based indices to reflect therapists' qualitative evaluations was confirmed. Furthermore, compared to the conventional quantitative index, the CV-based indices provided more detailed quantitative information with lower costs. CV-based evaluations enable therapists to quantify details of motor performance that are currently observed qualitatively. The development of such precise quantification methods will improve the science and practice of occupational therapy and allow therapists to perform to their full potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies in western clinical settings suggest that touch screen computer surveys are an acceptable mode of collecting information about cancer patients' wellbeing Purpose: We examined the acceptability of a touch screen tablet survey among cancer patients in Japan. Methods: Eligible patients ( n = 262) attending a university hospital radiation therapy (RT) department were invited to complete a touch screen tablet survey about psychosocial communication and care. Survey consent and completion rates, the proportion and characteristics of patients who completed the touch screen survey unassisted, and patient-reported acceptability were assessed. Results: Of 158 consenting patients (consent rate 60 % [95 % CI 54, 66 %] of eligible patients), 152 completed the touch screen computer survey (completion rate 58 % [95 % CI 52, 64 %] of eligible patients). The survey was completed without assistance by 74 % ( n = 113; 95 % CI 67, 81 %) of respondents. Older age was associated with higher odds of having assistance with survey completion (OR 1.09; 95 % CI 1.04, 1.14 %). Ninety-two percent of patients (95 % CI 86, 96 %) felt that the touch screen survey was easy to use and 95 % (95 % CI 90, 98 %) agreed or strongly agreed that they were comfortable answering the questions. Overall, 65 % (95 % CI 57, 73 %) of respondents would be willing to complete such a survey more than once while waiting for RT treatment. Conclusions: Although patient self-reported acceptability of the touch screen survey was high, self-administered touch screen tablet surveys may not be entirely appropriate for older cancer patients or possibly for patients with lower educational attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Japanese firm has taken computer technology into new areas of human activity by developing a complex, computer-controlled toilet system. The $5,000 Neorest toilet from Toto automatically raises and lowers the seat as needed, flushes the bowl, deodorizes the air and cleans itself. The system also provides controls for heating the toilet seat and even replaces toilet paper with a bidet-like water sprayer and dryer, called a personal cleansing system. The toilet is powered by a 128-kilobyte ROM chip with separate RAM chips, offering a total of 512 kilobytes of memory, located in a motherboard in the seat.

- A scalable and high-performance parallel visualization subsystem has been developed in GeoFEM for the Earth Simulator. As part of the Earth Simulator project in Japan, the proposed subsystem is effective for the visualization of large-scale geoscientific data, and can be concurrent with computation subsystems on the same high-performance parallel computer. Moreover, several parallel visualization methods are developed for large unstructured datasets, covering scalar, vector and tensor fields. Furthermore, a number of strategies are adopted in order to improve the parallel performance of the proposed subsystem for the Earth simulator, including the three-level hybrid parallelization and dynamic load balancing. Good visualization images and high parallel performance have been obtained on a Hitachi SR8000 for large unstructured geoscientific data sets, and thus demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method for use on the Earth Simulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which examined the use of simulation tools in the design and development of manufacturing systems in Japanese manufacturing industries. Importance of the design of manufacturing systems; State of simulation research in the country; Simulation competence.

For more than a decade NEC dominated the Japanese PC market with its PC-98 architecture, which was incompatible both with its major Japanese rivals and the global PC standard. However, NEC was powerless to prevent the introduction of Japanese versions of Windows 3.1 and 95 that ran on its competitors' architectures as well as on the PC-98, unifying the Japanese PC market and creating a common set of application programming interfaces for all Intel-based Japanese PCs. The introduction of Windows rendered obsolete the large DOS-based software library that had provided strong positive externalities for the NEC architecture. Absent those advantages, the market share of the PC-98 standard fell from 60% to 33% in five years, and NEC finally abandoned the PC-98 in favor of the global standard. An examination of the unusual rise and fall of the PC-98 shows how victory in a standards competition can be negated by the introduction of a new architectural layer that spans two or more previously incompatible architectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the input layer optimization of neural networks by sensitivity analysis and its application to recognition of numerals. Usage of image recognition equipment in the field of factory automation for electronic parts assembly and product defect tests; Development of a recognition algorithm for such application; Discussion of the input-to-output sensitivity of the neural net.

An intelligent terminal has been developed to provide the clinical staffs with a means of utmost simplicity to communicate with the computer. Only 16 keys and a single switch are all which are involved in any terminal operation. The members of the operating system are the interpreter of TEXTOR (a language developed in this study), editor, monitor, and data-communication handler. This system configuration greatly reduces the cost for data communication compared with the conventional communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ) celebrates the 50th anniversary of Fuji Computer, the first Japanese electronic digital computer. In line with the occasion, the guild held an exhibit from March 7-9, 2006 during its 45th annual convention at Kogakuin University in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The presentation comprised a slideshow of major Japanese computers on six display monitors for each decade. Furthermore, the 2006 IEEE Computer Society President Deborah Cooper has extended her commendation to the President of IPSJ, Professor Yuichiro Anzai.