In this study, we focused on human error in self-defense fire-fighting activities as fire safety measures in large-scale buildings. And we clarified human error factors by statistical analysisofreal110 cases of self-defense fire-fighting activities in recent years.
Consequently,thehuman error in self-defense fire-fighting activities as fire safety measures in large-scale buildings are caused by building characteristics, usage pattern, self-defense activity system and so on as well as disaster environment. Therefore, we showed a human error reduction measures in self-defense fire-fighting activities are necessary to propose for each actors attribute and each activity type.In addition, we have proposed a human error reduction measures in self-defense fire-fighting activities by applying the knowledge of human error measures in aviation, ships, nuclear power and other fields. Furthermore, and we showed a new direction for study of measures to improve the fire safety in large-scale buildings.

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This study investigated the effect of diurnal thermal changes on the circadian rhythm of human core body temperature, together with secondary effects on other psycho-physiological states. Four male subjects were observed under two experimental temperature cycles in a climate chamber. In Case 1, the temperature remained fixed at 25°C (control); in Case 2, a constant temperature of 25°C during the morning was raised to 28°C at noon and remained constant during the afternoon and evening, to reflect the normal circadian increase in core body temperature (CBT) in the afternoon. The rectal temperature (RT) of each subject was monitored to evaluate the effect of the chamber temperature on the circadian rhythm of his core body temperature. Heart rate variability (HRV) and wrist activity were continuously monitored by electrocardiographs and wrist sensors. Subjective sleep quality was assessed just after awakening by a self-rating sleep questionnaire. For all subjects, Case 2 produced an afternoon RT significantly higher than Case 1. This and previous experiments indicate that controlling the thermal environment may increase the amplitude or advance the phase of the RT circadian rhythm, and can also affect the circadian rhythm of HRV. However, this experiment also indicated that changes in RT and HRV circadian rhythms due to varying the diurnal thermal environment may have little effect on the subjective quality of sleep.

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A questionnaire survey was conducted in order to study the environmental and social factors which effect office workers' motivation as well as other comprehensive evaluation that are also supposed to influence workers' workplace productivity. As a result, places and behaviors which maintain and/or improve workers' motivation were extracted and compared with the factors of other comprehensive evaluations. It can be explained with larger coefficient of determination that motivation is one of the causal factors of the satisfaction of office environment. It was also found that some environmental factors influenced workers' motivation with the same weight as social factors. Finally the influence of difference of type of the worker was also studied.

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Combining the questionnaire data from summer and winter surveys of residents living in detached homes, we analyzed ways of heating and cooling, inter-seasonal relationships such as opinions towards heating and air conditioning, and the relation between these and the values that underlay them. Our findings are as follows:
1) The ways in which residents heated and cooled their homes were similar.
2) Opinions towards heating and air-conditioning were reflected in the ways that heating and cooling devices were used.
3) Opinions towards heating and air-conditioning were similar.
4) We believe that the similarity between opinions towards heating and air conditioning is influenced by the senses of values on which these are based.

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This study examines the feature of the user's behavior in a comedy theater by comparison with another kind of theater. First survey researched the user type and user's needs. Second survey researched for user's behavior before and after performance to analyze behavior of the environment around theater affects revisit of a theater. The results are as followings:
1) Comedy theaters are places which young women visit with their friend, and are used for their communication.
2) The ease of behavior of the environment around a comedy theater affects the revisit intention of a theater.

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The conventional method of evaluating floor impact sound is by comparing measured octave band impact sound pressure levels with the rating curves, and a small automobile tire is used as the impact source. However, it is expected that rubber balls will be widely used as an impact source, and A-weighted maximum sound pressure levels will be one of the evaluation values for the floor impact sound.
The purpose of this study is to develop a method of predicting A-weighted maximum sound pressure levels for heavy impact sounds by a rubber ball. In the prediction method, the vibration characteristics of concrete slabs are calculated using the finite-element method. Then the impact sound levels are estimated from the impact force of the rubber ball, the calculated vibration characteristics of the slab, and the acoustic characteristics of the receiving room using the statistical energy theory with some approximations at low frequencies in consideration of wave theory. The frequency range and frequency bandwidth in the calculation process were determined from extensive impact sound data measurements in some buildings.
Calculation and measurement results for buildings show the developed method can precisely predict the A-weighted maximum sound pressure levels for heavy impact sounds by a rubber ball.
Using the investigated method, the calculated results agreed well with measured values.

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An experiment was conducted in which subjects, using four semantic differential scales, rated their impressions of 288 streetscape images, each of which contained three color-simulated signboards.
The preference ratings of streetscapes were made keeping in mind the effect of the street and signboards, even though some interactions were observed. Streets with office buildings rated higher than landscaped suburbs and streets with traditional buildings. This indicates the differences in considering certain aspects when we evaluate streetscapes with and without signboards.

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It still remains heat loss and high risk of moisture condensation occurrence at glass of window because they have relatively poor insulating qualities and usually contribute the greatest heat loss in residential buildings. To solve these problems, this paper proposed air supply type airflow window system applied to dual double-glazed window combine with a mechanical ventilator and a heat-recovery heat pump system. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the thermal insulation efficiency and probability of moisture condensation in the proposed system using numerical simulation. To verify its thermal insulation efficiency and probability of moisture condensation, the temperature distribution and the dew-point temperature of the surface of window was calculated. The calculated results show the energy saving efficiency of the proposed system is enhanced approximately 113.10% by airflow effect in comparison with the dual double-pane window. It also shows that it is effective to use low emission film to avoid moisture condensation occurrence.

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Because current load calculation method cannot show the relation between the clothing and the air-conditioning load definitely, the load reduction effect of the WARM BIZ and the COOL BIZ is not analyzed enough. In previous studies, we have presented a new load calculation method called "air-conditioning load calculation method considering thermal sensation of residents" for the load calculation. This paper analyzed the possibility of the quantitative evaluation on load reduction effect of the WARM BIZ and the COOL BIZ using this new load calculation method. The following results were obtained. (1) The new load calculation method is effective in the quantitative evaluation of load reduction effect of the WARM BIZ and the COOL BIZ. (2) Air-conditioning load when the WARM BIZ and the COOL BIZ is performed is 16% lower than the load in case of clothing 1.0clo, and 8% lower than the case of clothing 0.8clo. (3) In order to keep the PMV at zero, required minimum indoor temperature in the case of clothing 1.0clo is about 21°C in summer, but by utilizing the COOL BIZ, the temperature can be risen up to about 25°C. (4) In order to keep the PMV at zero, required maximum indoor temperature in the case of clothing 0.6clo is about 28°C in winter, by utilizing the WARM BIZ, the temperature drops to about 25°C.

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Some field surveys were conducted in the offices in Tokyo to investigate worker's comfort and productivity under the saving electricity after the Great East Japan Earthquake. However, we need nationwide survey because saving electricity is ongoing all over Japan now. In this study, we conducted web-based questionnaire in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka to know the workers' awareness and measures of saving electricity. As a result, similar saving electricity measures were implemented in three areas and lowering illuminance made less dissatisfaction than turning up the set point of the air conditioning. It is estimated that workers' awareness of saving electricity was different because of the areal targeted value of saving electricity. Workers' satisfaction of the office environment was affected to a large degree by not only indoor environment or their gender and age, but also their feelings.

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This study discusses how much a mint oil makes the young male and female adults feel cool after footbathing. Ten male and ten female students at universities soaked their lower legs in water of 42 °C with and without including a few drops of the essential oil of mentha arvensis in each air temperature of 25, 28, 31 °C. After taking a bath with the oil, the subjects felt cooler especially when the air temperature was lower although there were little effects on the physiological responses, and the thermally neutral temperature was approximately 5 °C higher at the maximum. Consequently, it is expected that the footbath using mint oil would depress their feelings and behaviors when they are tempted to make their body temperatures get lower, and that it would lead to save energy on air conditioning in summer.

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Heat use in the residential, most of the thermal use is space heating and hot water heating. In summer, a cooling demand is greater, the heat source of cooling should also be considered. Regarding the efficient use of heat by cogeneration, it is a fundamental requirement. As a device of heating and cooling heat source by using the waste heat from cogeneration, the absorption chiller has been spread. However, the big size of equipment and the use of chemical materials (lithium chloride) are not suitable for a residential housing. In recent, an adsorption chiller has been developed using adsorbent material such as silica-gel. However, it is difficult to apply in the residential in terms of maintenance which is a need to keep the vacuum state. Desiccant air conditioner is applying the adsorbent material. It is widely used in humidity control. Moreover, it can be supplied to the cooling heat source by spraying water to created dry air in atmospheric pressure. The purpose of this study is to develop a prototype of desiccant air-conditioning system utilizing the adsorption refrigeration cycle in atmospheric pressure with cogeneration for residential use. The chilled water temperature obtained by spraying water in dry air at atmospheric pressure is about 20 °C, cannot reach at 5 °C - 7 °C water temperature for space cooling which uses convection air conditioner. But, it can be solved in combination with radiation cooling system.

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In order to clarify the association between child allergic symptoms and indoor environmental factors, an epidemiological survey has been conducted to the 4th and 5th grade school pupils in Japan. This survey was divided into three phases. The first phase was a preliminary questionnaire of the prevalence of allergic diseases among 8,336 children. The second phase was a cross-sectional questionnaire on housing characteristics and child allergic symptoms among 1,846 children, and the final phase was a field measurement. This paper described mainly about results obtained from two questionnaire surveys. From the first phase, the prevalence of current allergic diseases was 49.9%. Asthma and rhinitis before now were 12.5% and 33.3% of children respectively. The second phase revealed asthma evaluated by ATS-DLD were associated with reported mold on wall surfaces (p<0.001) with multiple logistic regression analysis adjusting for potential confounding factors. The living near industrial area (p<0.001) and using a humidifier (p<0.05) were associated with respiratory symptoms. We conclude that school pupils who are living in dampness are at significant risk for respiratory symptoms.

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In summer, a lot of swimmers come to the beach. The swimmers are exposed to radiation by the radioactivity of the beach. They want to know the exposure dose by the radiation. New directional measuring instrument is developed for the exposure dose. The exposure dose on beach was measured using the ambient dosimeter and directional detector. From measuring results on Funabashi Sanbanze beach, it is clear that the dose of trees planted to prevent sand is highest and of beach line is lowest. The dose of radioactivity of the sandy beach was half of the trees. It reduces an exposure dose that the people using the sandy beach spend at the place that is near to the beach line.

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