Antifreeze protein has been known as an extraordinary biomolecule having the potential to both bind ice and preserve cell structure; the molecule was isolated from the blood serum of Arctic and Antarctic fishes. We have recently found that Japanese food fishes also contain an antifreeze protein, and have established a method of collecting the protein from fish muscle. The collected antifreeze protein is a mixture of many isoforms, which were found to be more active than any single isoform. Mass preparation of antifreeze protein is currently in progress to allow researchers in different fields to develop a variety of new technologies utilizing the functions of this protein.

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As a consequence of both the declining birthrate and the growing fraction of elderly people among the population in recent years, a new trend in consumer product design has emerged, the so-called accessible design, and has become increasingly important to address the needs of a wider breadth of the population including senior citizens. The authors have developed and propagated accessible-design technologies by establishing Japanese Industrial Standards (JISs) based on older adults’ auditory and visual functions. This paper describes the research process for standardization of accessible-design technologies from the viewpoint of “Full Research,” using as an example a method for adjusting the sound volume of auditory signals, as established in JIS S 0014.

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Factors, such as production cost, which impede the practical application of “sub-wavelength optical elements” with periodic structures smaller than the wavelength of visible light, were targeted through a combination of advanced Japanese glass molding methods and a novel imprinting process. Collaboration between materials companies, consumer-electronics companies, universities, and AIST under a precise distribution of roles enabled the realization of properties such as polarization rotation and antireflection effects from glass surfaces.

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It is important to consider social needs when developing a methodology for the risk assessment of chemical substances. We classified the purposes of the risk assessment into the following three categories: (A) derivation of reference values, (B) screening assessment for the removal of chemical substances of low importance, and (C) setting priority based on comparisons of health risks and cost effectiveness of risk reduction measures among different chemical substances. On this basis, we show that while the existing methods of risk assessment are designed to fulfill purposes A and B, they do not satisfy purpose C. Therefore, each step of the risk assessment methodology in the current study was revised to fulfill purpose C; the effectiveness of this new methodology was demonstrated by using toluene as an example. Since the loss of quality-adjusted life years is adopted as an indicator of human health risks, we could compare health risks for not only different chemical substances but also compare between chemical substances and other types of risks such as accident or infectious disease.

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Mass customization that enables any consumer to easily obtain a custom-fitted product is the ultimate goal of this research. As the first step towards this goal, an IT-based product recommendation system for eyeglass frames was developed. Using this system, a customer's 3-D face shape is measured, frame(s) of the proper size are recommended, and a simulation of the customer wearing the eyeglass frame is generated as a style recommendation. Technologies such as face measurement, size recommendation and impression simulation were integrated based on a 3-D face shape database. When the system is utilized on a retail level, the contents of the 3-D face shape database will be expanded, and statistical information on face shape and⁄or impressions of the face and eyeglass frame will be utilized for product designing and retailing services.

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Since the late 1990’s clinical infrared ear thermometers based on infrared radiation measurements have been on the Japanese market and are rapidly increasing in sales. As the use of these ear thermometers has become more widespread, the discontent of users of the performance of ear thermometers is increasing. AIST has developed a new national standard for the calibration and conformity assessment of ear thermometers and have also established a traceability system to meet the demand for improved reliability of the measured temperature. An international comparison of radiance temperature scales based upon the standard blackbodies of AIST, PTB (Germany), and NPL (United Kingdom) was performed to verify experimentally the equality of the national primary standards for ear thermometers.

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