In recent years, PC screens have become wider and larger. The nature of our visual field is that visual acuity is at its highest when someone is looking at the center of something, making the central part look the clearest. Thus, it is inferred that the size of the area that cannot be clearly seen will increase as screens become wider and larger. For this research, we prepared a 27-inch wide PC screen and a 19-inch standard screen, and then presented a task involving calculations as the main work in the center of the screen; furthermore, we prepared a secondary task to test reaction by having subjects respond to circular figures randomly displayed on the edge of the screen. Then, we investigated to what degree subjects were able to acquire graphical information displayed on the edge of the screen while they were focused on the center of the screen. The results showed that between the wide screen and the standard screen, there were no differences in the rate of correct answers for the calculation task displayed in the center of the screen; however, their reaction time on the right side (upper right, center right, lower center) of the screen was longer when they used the wide screen.

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In this study, the cross-sectional areas of the thigh and calf muscles were measured for approximately 800 participants, including the elderly requiring long-term care and the late-stage elderly. We examined the age-related changes in the muscle areas that were excluded from the effects of body weight and height. Although the decreases in age were different, the muscle areas decreased with age. It was suggested that the muscle areas of the late-stage elderly were greatly decreased compared with those of the early-stage elderly. In addition, the process of decrease in calf muscle area varies depending on gender. The present results are likely to show the standard values of age-related decreases in muscle areas.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the features of behavioral thermoregulation and thermal environment in children with disabilities. In the first survey, we measured axillary temperature and physical activity in eight children with disabilities. We also measured the room and clothing climates for each child. Physical activity level was low in children with Down syndrome. The physical activity level affected the values of the different measurements. Results of the second survey, which was a questionnaire administered to 441 guardians of disabled children, indicated that many disabled children, but not those with hearing impairment, and had poor thermoregulation ability.

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Elderly people need some amount of physical activity to maintain their health. Since it has been established that living environment affects physical activity, various activities in different environments are being investigated. This is a physiological anthropology study to clarify how elderly victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake adapt to a new living environment. The purpose of this study is to clarify seasonal variation of physical activity of the elderly victims. We measured physical activity during three seasons in elderly victims living in public restoration housing in Ishinomaki City. Indoor activity time increased with rising temperatures and outdoor activity time decreased. Indoor energy consumption was high during the summer. Outside activity intensity was high in spring and summer, and energy consumption was high in spring.

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Since brainstem control of circulatory responses is largely lost in the paralyzed region of individuals with complete spinal cord injury, they often show orthostatic hypotension and its related symptoms such as lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea and sensation of breathlessness while standing. However, passive walking-like movement of the paralyzed legs can induce an increase in blood pressure, thus enabling maintenance of standing posture without symptoms. It is conceivable that human walking-like leg movement was developed to compensate for the lack of physiological adaptation to a standing posture and that the spinal cord can play a significant role for the compensation.

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