Nipple confusion is well known not only to obstetricians and midwives, but also to mothers who are raising children. Nipple confusion means that an infant who has experienced feeding from a baby bottle hates feeding from mother’s nipples. Therefore, there is a demand for baby bottle nipple that do not cause nipple confusion. There are various hypotheses about the cause of nipple confusion. However, the cause is still unknown. We focused on the hardness characteristics of nipple as a cause of nipple confusion. No previous studies have quantified the hardness of nipples in women breastfeeding. We have developed a device to measure the viscoelastic properties of nipple by pinching with two plates.

Using the developed measuring device, we compared the static and dynamic properties of breastfeeding female nipples and baby bottle nipple. As a result, it was found that the static characteristics of the nipple of feeding bottle is linear, whereas the static characteristics of the nipples of breastfeeding women were nonlinear. We also found that breastfeeding women’s nipples and baby bottle nipple do not contain the dynamic characteristics.

Background: Nurses must make accurate decisions when caring for patients, even when multitasking. A wrong decision may endanger life. Student nurses are responsible only for single patients during their clinical practice. New graduates have minimal experience with multitasking. We developed a virtual reality (VR) multitasking simulation and evaluated its effectiveness. Methods: Student nurses prioritized tasks when caring for patients. We performed a randomized control trial enrolling senior nursing students who were randomly divided into two groups; thus, an interventional group (13 students) and a control group (performing a paper-based exercise; 14 students). The educational outcomes were measured by asking multiple-choice questions. Subjective confidence was assessed using a Visual Analog Scale. Results and Discussion: The educational outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups. Subjective confidence was significantly higher in the intervention than in the control group. Conclusion: Although the VR simulation did not improve education, it significantly increased subjective confidence.

Auditory training (ATEx) is an important component of rehabilitation for patients with auditory processing disorder (APD). Computerbased auditory training (CBAT) approaches have been frequently used, but a Japanese version of CBAT is not available at present. Therefore, we have developed Virtual Reality ATEx (VRAT) using Japanese language for Japanese APD patients. Virtual reality (VR) technology was introduced into our VRAT to create a stereophonic sound environment and increase adherence to ATEx. Android smartphones with a head-mounted display (HMD) were used. The requirements for the development of the application were extracted from the relevant literature and expert comments. Unity (Unity Technologies Inc., San Francisco, CA) and the C# programming language were used to create the environment for the VR application. Twenty-one healthy adults and three patients with APD participated in this study. The Speech in Noise Test and Speech Perception in Multiple Talkers Test were used as controls. Participants performed these two auditory tests and used the developed VRAT, and then answered the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) to measure Interest/Enjoyment and Value/Usefulness. Interest/Enjoyment score was significantly higher than the AT control in APD patients (p < 0.05). The other scores of the developed VRAT were higher than the controls, suggesting that the developed VRAT may be effective for ATEx in APD patients.