The purpose of this paper was to evaluate quantitatively visual fatigue encountered in viewing stereoscopic 3D television. By examining the difference in the visual function involved in watching 2D and stereoscopic 3D displays, we could extract only the effect on visual perception in stereoscopic 3D television. Since the visual fatigue with the 3D display may be caused by the discrepancy between convergence and accommodation, the near point distances were measured by an Accommodo Polyrecorder, where Landolt's ring was pursued with binocularity. Five subjects, all employees of NEC Corporation, participated in the experiment. All subjects had normal or corrected-to-normal vision. Two of the subjects watched a 3D video movie. After a week, they watched another video movie in 2D. The rest of them watched the movies in reverse order. One video movie viewing requires about 120 minutes. The near point distances were measured before and after watching for 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. The 3D television system used here is a 3D video disc system with field sequence using glasses with liquid crystal shutters. In the case of 2D, each subject wore the glasses whose shutters were kept open. In the experiment, instruction to watch the video movies in a relaxed posture was given. There was a significant effect in regard to 3D/2D treatments on the change rates of the near point distance measured after watching every 30 minutes to one before watching. In addition, the change rates in 3D watching after 60, 90 and 120 minutes were significantly increased, compared with the corresponding rates in 2D. These results indicate that visual fatigue in 3D was caused by hypoactivity in convergence and/or accommodation in comparison with watching 2D movies.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the changes in heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic time intervals accompanying prolonged cycling exercise. Seven healthy male students (N group) and seven male collegiate long distance runners (LDR group) underwent 60-min bicycle ergometer exercise loaded at 30% and 50% HRmax. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and phonocardiogram (PCG) were recorded throughout the exercise and recovery period, and then left ventricular ejection time (LVET) and left ventricular diastolic time (LVDT) were calculated from tracings of the cardiac cycle. In the N group, HR increased to the target HR level (30% and 50% HRmax) in the initial phase of exercise, but there was a tendency to increase 10-15 b/min in the latter half of the exercise period. The LDR group showed the same trend as in the N group at 50% HRmax level (i.e., 120 b/min) exercise. These increments of the HR were due to the decrease of stroke volume, the elevation of body temperature and changes in the volume of the venous return. In the initial phase of exercise (within five minutes), LVDT decreased markedly resulting in a rapid increase of the HR in both groups. The decrease in LVDT was 250-400 msec (60-70% decrement for resting value) at the 30% HRmax level load and 270-480 msec (73-80% decrement for resting value) at the 50% HRmax level load, and then transient slight increment was recognized. Subsequently, there was a tendency to decrease. The major factor for the increase of the HR was that the LVDT decreased markedly that implied the shortening of the inflow time to the left ventricle. Finally, LVET decreased slightly throughout the exercise period than LVDT. Accordingly, LVET decreased 60-120 msec (20 -40% of resting levels) within the initial five minutes and remained stable thereafter. The changes in LVET seem to depend on the excitation of sympathetic nerves, decrease of SV, changes of venous return and elevation of body temperature.

View full abstract

In order to investigate some characteristics of physical fitness in children, we measured the heart rate of 1069 kindergarten children (aged 4-6years) and 20 adults during treadmill running. After analyzing the data we obtained the following results : heart rate before, during, and after the running tended to diminish with the increase in age of the subjects in both men/boys and women/girls. The relationship of the heart rates before running and the maximum heart rates during in 25m run, standing long jump, and softball throw, showed a significant level of 5-0.1% in both boys/men and girls/women. The heart rates of children before, during and after running were higher than those of adults. The rate of increase in heart rate was higher in adults, while more raped recovery of heart rate was observed in children, when compared to adults.

View full abstract

Four healthy Japanese males volunteered as subjects. They were exposed to hot environment of 50°C with 50% relative humidity for 61 minutes immediately after the precooling where they rested in a 10°C for 30 minutes. Their physiological data were compared with that of a previous report (Iwanaga et al., 1983), in which we studied the physiological responses of the same subjects at rest in a 50°C without precooling in summer and winter. After precooling (PC), all the four subjects completed heat exposure for 61 minutes. But without precooling in summer (NC), two of the subjects stopped heat exposure before 61 minutes because of hyperthermia. Rectal temperature (T_R) was lower in PC than in NC before and during heat exposure. During heat exposure, T_R in PC had risen at the 30th minute, but TR in NC at 20th minute. Whereas there was no difference in heart rate (HR) during heat exposure between summer and winter, in PC HR remained lower than in NC because rising time of HR was prolonged during heat exposure.

View full abstract

Neumatic caisson work in Japan has been come into operation since 1924. Afterward, this technique of compressed air work has been utilized in the constructions like as foundation works, the basements, and shafts of the bottom tunnel or shields for subway and so forth. While, it means for people to be exposed to hyperbaric environment that they use com-pressed air work, this technique has risks to be suffered from not only decompression sickness (DCS) but toxicity of poisonous gas or oxygen deficiency. However, this technique is necessary for urban civil engineering and recent compressed air works over than 1.0kg/cm2 has been increased in 1.5 times more than in 1970's and the higher compressed air work more than 4.0kg/ cm2 will be actually planned in near future. So unmanned caisson work is considered as a better technique for such high pressure work, even though people must enter into hyperbaric working fields for maintenance or repair of unmanned operated machinery and materials. This research is to establish the safety work under hyperbaric environment within 7kg/cm2. It is necessary for us to establish the system not only to keep safety but to maintain working efficiency. According to obtain the purpose, the effect of respiratory protection has been investigated and work load under hyperbaric caisson work has also been studied.

View full abstract