2015 Annual Report

The University of Electro-Communications
Brain Science Inspired Life Support Research Center
http://blsc-uec.net/en/Preface
Due to rapid ageing and birthrate declining, Japan has been a super-aged and population
reduction society without parallel in the world, and has serious problems in maintaining a vitality ofthe society. However, if the elderly can continue to work with health in mind and body, medical andwelfare national expenditure can be suppressed and an increase in the number of the healthy elderly
will compensate a decrease in the working age population. Consequently, it is expected that theJapanese society will be revitalized.
To realize a longevity society, in which the elderly are healthy in mind and body and enjoy
their lives, the following three factors are needed: (1) the progress of preventive medicine and publichealth, (2) the advancement of the quality of medical care and (3) the sophistication of rehabilitation
therapy for medically treated patients. All these factors mainly rely on the development of
biomedical sciences. On the other hand, it is important to establish a support system for the progressof medical research fields based on science and engineering. Particularly, for the above factor (3), it
is advocated that the development of technologies for the functional recovery from post-operative
damage or accidental amputation of part of a body requires integrative medicine engineering
cooperation
In UEC, there are experts working in various research fields such as informationengineering, bioengineering, ergonomics, robotics and optical science. Making the best use of such arich human resource, UEC should conduct research and development of technologies needed in theonsite medical welfare treatment. Also, it should foster researchers with creativity and practical skills,
who can cooperate and collaborate with others working in different areas of expertise. To promote
such research and education, UEC established Brain Science Inspired Life Support Research Center(BLSC) in 2013.
This annual report is a report that contains achievements for 3 years from 2013 to 2015,
because since BLSC was launched, we have been swamped with putting a system in order andunable to issue annual reports 2013 and 2014.
Finally, BLSC would be delighted to have your understanding and continued support.

2017 May
Brain Science Inspired Life Support Research Center
Director Hiroshi YOKOI

Index1. Mission and project expenses
2. Group structure
3. Personnel organization
4. Events and seminars
5. Activity reports of laboratories(1) Hiroshi YOKOI/Yinlai JIANG/Soichiro MORISHITA Lab(2) Takuji KOIKE Lab(3) Hidetaka OKADA Lab(4) Yoshiki KASHIMORI Lab(5) Yutaka KANO Lab(6) Hayaru SHONO Lab(7) Shigeru TANAKA Lab(8) Haruki NIWA Lab(9) Yukio YAMADA Lab(10) Kazuto MASAMOTO Lab(11) Yoichi MIYAWAKI Lab(12) Shinji MATSUDA Lab(13) Shojiro MAKI Lab(14) Tadashi YAMAZAKI Lab

Mission
BLSC aims to study science and engineering necessary for people to live
peacefully. In more detail, BLSC’s objective is to construct science and technology foralleviating inconvenience in the elderly and handicapped so as to live like a humanbeing, based on medicine engineering cooperation. Another objective is to foster
human resources to be able to pursue such research.
There are many people who feel decline in the ability of perception, cognition,communication and body action due to ageing, and hence have daily anxiety andinconvenience. Therefore BLSC is charged with a primary mission that it provides
such people with advanced technology for the fulfillment of their potentials by
assisting and strengthening their weakened functions. To complete the mission, UEC
researchers from different research fields got together to organize BLSC. This fact
made BLSC to have highly diversified and heterogeneous research areas.
In today’s medicine, people are judged to be either patients or healthy people
according to certain indices to identify the pathology, and the latter, if they do not feel
well, is difficult to receive medical treatment because of “not disease”. From thestandpoint of preventive medicine, however, health promotion technology is demanded
for those people. Similar cases are the elderly with weakened functions of perception,
cognition and movement. Thus, research and education on the development of assist
technology, rehabilitation and practical training programs for the elderly without disease
are the issues that BLSC needs to address.

Project expense“New human resource development program to support the super-aged society bybrain science inspired life support innovation”
FY 2013 Special expense 20,868,000Yen

UEC burden 3,000,000Yen

FY 2014 Special expense 14,959,000Yen

UEC burden 3,000,000Yen

FY 2015 Special expense 11,219,000Yen

UEC burden 3,000,000Yen

1

Group structure
BLSC promotes project-based programs in research and education aiming at
fostering innovative human resources who are responsible for meeting technologicalneeds in the onsite medical welfare treatment. For this purpose, BLSC set the following
3 research groups that support the programs. Students develop expertise and practicalskills necessary for innovative research, solving problems under the project-based
programs.

Basic technology development of optical measurements
This group focuses on research and education for the development of new optical probes,
optical imaging technology and multidimensional image analysis to evaluate the capabilities ofplasticity, self-recovery, and regeneration of organic functions.

Measurement and monitoring of in vivo brain functions
This group focuses on research and education on the measurement of individual cells’
activities in response to external stimuli, the brain imaging of activities associated with motor
functions, and the monitoring and control of brain activities using BMI technology.

Technology development for motor function recovery for medical welfareThis group focuses on research and education on the technology development for motor
control and rehabilitation based on measurements of brain activities associated with motor functions.

2Personnel organization（as of 31 May, 2016 ）Name

Web site or affiliation

SHIMOJO Makoto

Position
Director (2013-2014)

YOKOI Hiroshi

http://www.hi.mce.uec.ac.jp/yklab/

Director (2015- )KOIKE Takuji

http://www.bio.mce.uec.ac.jp/index.html

Professor

OKADA Hidetaka

http://www.hb.mce.uec.ac.jp/

Professor

KASHIMORI Yoshiki

http://granule.pc.uec.ac.jp/wiki/wiki.cgi

Professor

KANO Yutaka

http://www.ecc.es.uec.ac.jp/

Professor

SHONO Hayaru

http://daemon.inf.uec.ac.jp/ja/

Professor

TANAKA Shigeru

http://tanaka-lab.net/jp/

SA Professor

NIWA Haruki

http://www.firefly.pc.uec.ac.jp/

SA Professor

YAMADA Yukio

http://www.nvu.mi.uec.ac.jp/old_html/index

SA Professor.html
MASAMOTO Kazuto

http://kjk.office.uec.ac.jp/Profiles/55/00054

Associate Professor

61/profile.html
MIYAWAKI Yoichi

http://www.nvu.mi.uec.ac.jp

Associate Professor

MATSUDA Shinji

http://www.matsuda-lab.es.uec.ac.jp/

Associate Professor

JIANG Yinlai

http://kjk.office.uec.ac.jp/Profiles/67/00066

SA Associate

31/profile.html

Professor

MAKI Shojiro

http://www.firefly.pc.uec.ac.jp/

Assistant Professor

YAMAZAKI Tadashi

http://numericalbrain.org/

Assistant Professor

MORISHITASA Assistant

Soichiro

Professor*SA: Specially Appointed

ARAMAKI Yu

Chukyo University School of Health andSport Sciences, Professor

Visiting Professor

KATO Ryu

Faculty of Engineering Division of
Systems Research, Associate Professor

Visiting Associate
Professor

3

KANSAKU Kenji

Systems Neuroscience Section, ResearchInstitute of National Rehabilitation Center
for Persons with Disabilities・Chief

Visiting Professor

KOBAYASHI
Takayoshi

Advanced Ultrafast Laser ResearchCenter, UEC SA Professor

Visiting Professor

TAKAGI TakehikoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tokai
University Assistant Professor

Visiting Professor

TAKAYAMA
Shinichiro

Department of Surgical Specialities,
National Center for Child Health andDevelopment Director

Visiting Professor

TAKITA Masatoshi

Brain Function Measurement Group,
Human Informatics ResearchInstitute, National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
Senior Researcher

Visiting Professor

NAKAMURA
Tadashi

UEC Professor Emeritus
http://kaeru.pc.uec.ac.jp/

Visiting Professor

HOSHI Yoko

Department of Biomedical Optics, Institutefor Medical Photonics Research,
Preeminent Medical Photonics Education& Research Center, Hamamatsu University
School of Medicine Professor

Visiting Professor

YAMAMURA
Osamu

University of Fukui School of Medicine
Associate Professor

Visiting Professor

YU Wenwei

Department of Medical System
Engineering, Graduate School ofEngineering, Chiba University Professor

Visiting Professor

LU Baoliang

Department of Automation, School ofElectronic, Information and ElectricalEngineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong
University, China Professor

Visiting Professor

CAO Qixin

Director, Engineering Training Center,
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Professor

Visiting Professor

4Events and Seminars in BLSC
For general audience interested in neurosciences and technological research for life support in aged
societies, we have held symposia and workshops co-sponsored with outside institutes or organizations. We havealso held “BLSC Seminar Series” continually about once a month, which have been organized by Yukio Yamada,since BLSC was established. At the initiative of Haruki Niwa, we have designed “Hands-on Training Course” forUEC graduate school students and examined its feasibility. To contribute to the enhancement of highschool/university connections, we made an attempt to hold “BLSC Spring School for High School Students”.
Summaries of these events and educational activities are described below (in more detail, see the BLSC website:
http://blsc-uec.net/). (Note: English translations from Japanese are not authorized by the speakers, and technicalterms may not be correct.)

1. BLSC Kick-off Meeting
Date: May 14 (Tue.), 2013
Venue: Meeting room #301, Building E-3, UEC
Program:
13:15~13:30

Opening address: M. Kajitani, President of UEC

13:30~14:30“Biomechanics of hemodynamics in brain,” Prof. K. Tanishita, Waseda University

14:30~15:30“Subjects toward success of collaborative research between medicine and engineering,”
Prof. I. Sakuma, The University of Tokyo

15:45~16:15“Development and application of materials emitting bioluminescence by firefly in the nearinfrared wavelength range,“ Prof. S. Maki

16:15~16:45“Evaluation of muscle performances by bio-imaging and its application,” Prof. Y. Kano

16:45~17:15“Study of working memory toward the elucidation of human thinking processes,” Prof. S.
Tanaka17:15~17:45“R&D for recovery of motion performances using brain-machine-interface (BMI),” Prof.
H. Yokoi

17:45~18:00

Closing remarks: M. Shimojo, Director of BLSC

18:00~

Reception

2. Hand-on Training Course for UEC Graduate School Students
One of BLSC missions is to nurture innovative human resources who develop new interdisciplinary
technology responding to the needs in the field of medicine and welfare. For this purpose, we designed acurriculum of a hands-on training course in 2013, and then we prepared a detailed experimental manual. The
feasibility study of the training course was performed with the cooperation of several monitor students in 2014.
We found that the training course was well designed and feasible as one of the class subjects that BLSC
provides for graduate school students in UEC.
1st hands-on training
5Date and Time: May. 22 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Meeting room #701b, Building E-3 and then Laboratory #737, Building E-6, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Haruki Niwa
Teaching Assistant: Kazuma Karube
Title: 1. Organic synthesis and instrumental analysis of firefly bioluminescence substrate（1st day）
2nd hands-on training
Date and Time: May. 23 (Fri.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Meeting room #701b, Building E-3 and then Laboratory #737, Building E-6, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Haruki Niwa
Teaching: Assistant: Kazuma Karube
Title: 1. Organic synthesis and instrumental analysis of firefly bioluminescence substrate（2nd day）
3rd hands-on training
Date and Time: May 29 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Meeting room #701b, Building E-3 and then Laboratory #737, Building E-6, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Haruki Niwa
Teaching Assistant: Kazuma Karube
Title: 2. Measurement of firefly bioluminescence（1st day）
4th hands-on lecture
Date and Time: Jun. 5 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Meeting room #701b, Building E-3 and then Laboratory #737, Building E-6, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Haruki Niwa
Teaching Assistant: Kazuma Karube
Title: 2. Measurement of firefly bioluminescence (2nd day)
5th hands-on training
Date and Time: Jun. 13 (Fri.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Exercise room, Judo Gymnasium, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Hidetaka Okada
Teaching Assistant: Shuhei Kurita
Title: 6. Measurement and analysis of human motion by means of an optical motion capture system (1stday)
6th hands-on training
Date and Time: Jun. 20 (Fri.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Exercise room, Judo Gymnasium, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Hidetaka Okada
Teaching Assistant: Shuhei Kurita
Title: 6. Measurement and analysis of human motion by means of an optical motion capture system (2ndday)
7th hands-on training
6Date and Time：Jun. 26 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #726, Building E-3, UEC
Instructors: Assis. Prof. Soichiro Morishita and Assoc. Prof. Yinlai Jian
Teaching Assistants: Misato Ohdaira and Tatsuya Seki
Title: 5. Brain activity and body movement measurement of players playing a board game such as Japanese
shogi game (1st day)
8th hands-on training
Date and Time：Jul. 3 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place：Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #726, Building E-3, UEC
Instructors：Assis. Prof. Soichiro Morishita and Assoc. Prof. Yinlai JianG
Teaching Assistants: Misato Ohdaira and Tatsuya Seki
Title 5. Brain activity and body movement measurement of players playing a board game such as Japanese
shogi game (2nd day)
9th hands-on training
Date and Time: Jul. 10 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #129, Building E-4, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Takuji Koike
Teaching Assistants: Eri Tanaka
Title: 7. Measurement of auditory brainstem response (ABR) (1st day)10th hands-on training
Date and Time: Jul. 17 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #129, Building E-4, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Takuji Koike
Teaching Assistants: Eri Tanaka
Title: 7. Measurement of auditory brainstem response (ABR) (2nd day))11th hands-on training
Date and Time: Jul. 24 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Laboratory #129, Building E-4, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Takuji Koike
Teaching Assistants: Eri Tanaka
Title: 8. Measurement of distortion otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) (1st day)12th hands-on training
Date and Time: Jul. 31 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Laboratory #129, Building E-4, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Takuji Koike
Teaching Assistants: Eri Tanaka
Title: 8. Measurement of distortion otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) (2nd day)13th hands-on training
7

Date and Time: Aug. 21 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Laboratory #618, Building E-3, UEC
Instructor: Assoc. Prof. Yoichi Miyawaki
Teaching Assistants: Masashi Sato
Title: 10. Functional mapping of human brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) (1st day)14th hands-on training
Date and Time: Aug. 22 (Fri.), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Laboratory #618, Building E-3, UEC
Instructor: Assoc. Prof. Yoichi Miyawaki
Teaching Assistants: Masashi Sato
Title: 10. Functional mapping of human brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) (2nd day)15th hands-on training
Date and Time: Aug. 28 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Meeting room #701b, Building E-3, and then Laboratory #263, Building E-4, UEC
Instructors: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi and Assis. Prof. Soichiro Morishita
Teaching Assistants: Masahiro Kasuya
Title: 12. Control of external device by processing electromyogram (EMG) (1st day)16th hands-on training
Date and Time: Aug. 29 (Fri.), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Meeting room #701b Building E-3, and then Laboratory #263, Building E-4, UEC
Instructors: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi and Assis. Prof. Soichiro Morishita
Teaching Assistants: Masahiro Kasuya
Title: 12. Control of external device by processing electromyogram (EMG) (2nd day)17th hands-on training
Date and Time: Sep. 18 (Thu.), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #726, Building E-3, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi
Teaching Assistants: Misato Ohdaira
Title: 12. Control of external device by processing electromyogram (EMG) (1st day)18th hands-on training
Date and Time: Sep. 19 (Fri.), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #726, Building E-3, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi
Teaching Assistants: Misato Ohdaira
Title: 12. Control of external device by processing electromyogram (EMG) (2nd day)19th hands-on training
8Date and Time: Sep. 25 (Thu), 2014, 13:00 – 16:10
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-1, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Yutaka Kano
Teaching Assistants: Yoshinori Tanaka
Title: 9. Measurement of muscle fatigue and the motor unit (motor nerve, muscle fiber) function (1st day)20th hands-on training
Date and Time: Sep. 26 (Fri), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-1, UEC
Instructor: Prof. Yutaka Kano
Teaching Assistants: Yoshinori Tanaka
Title: 9. Measurement of muscle fatigue and the motor unit (motor nerve, muscle fiber) function (2nd day)21st hands-on training
Date and Time: Oct. 31 (Fri), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Laboratory #618, Building E-3, UEC
Instructor: Assoc. Prof. Yoichi Miyawaki
Teaching Assistants: Masashi Sato
Title: 14. Basics of visual psychophysical experiments (1st day)22nd Hands-on training
Date and Time: Nov. 7 (Fri), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Laboratory #618, Building E-3, UEC
Instructor: Assoc. Prof. Yoichi Miyawaki
Teaching Assistants: Masashi Sato
Title: 14. Basics of visual psychophysical experiments (2nd day)23rd hands-on training
Date and Time: Nov. 14 (Fri), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #726, Building E-3, UEC
Instructors: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi and Assoc. Prof. Soichiro Morishita
Teaching Assistant: Tatsuya Seki
Title: 13. Basics of visual psychophysical experiments (1st day)24th hands-on training
Date and Time: Nov. 28 (Fri), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #726, Building E-3, UEC
Instructors: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi and Assoc. Prof. Soichiro Morishita
Teaching Assistant: Tatsuya Seki
Title: 13. Basics of visual psychophysical experiments (2nd day)25th hands-on training
Date and Time: Dec. 4 (Thu), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #726, Building E-3, UEC
9

Instructors: Prof. Yukio Yamada
Teaching Assistant: Rei Murata
Title: 3. Luminescence imaging (1st day)26th hands-on training
Date and Time: Dec. 11 (Thu), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #726, Building E-3, UEC
Instructors: Prof. Yukio Yamada
Teaching Assistant: Rei Murata
Title: 3. Luminescence imaging (2nd day)27th hands-on training
Date and Time: Dec. 19 (Fri), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #726, Building E-3, UEC
Instructors: Assis. Prof. Soichiro Morishita
Title: 4. A practice of brain-machine interfaces by analyzing electroencephalogram (EEG) (1st day)28th hands-on training
Date and Time: Dec. 19 (Fri), 2014, 14:40 – 17:45
Place: Meeting room #701b, and then Laboratory #726, Building E-3, UEC
Instructors: Assis. Prof. Soichiro Morishita
Title: 4. A practice of brain-machine interfaces by analyzing electroencephalogram (EEG) (2nd day)

3. Symposium “Practical Implementation of Developed Medical Devices in the Field of Life Support
Technology”
Co-sponsored with Japan Manufacturing Commons for Collaboration of Medicine and Engineering
Organizing committee: Prof. K. Tanishita, Prof. H. Yokoi, Mr. S. Kashino, Prof. Bao-liang Lu, Prof. Y.
Yamada, Prof. H. Niwa, Prof. Y. Jiang, Assis. Prof. S. Morishita, Assoc. Prof. K. Masamoto, Ms.
K. Yabuki
Date: Nov. 26 (Thu.), 2015
Venue: Meeting room #301, Building E-3, UEC
Program:
13:10

Opening address: T. Fukuda, President of UEC

13:15“Matching of medical requirements and engineering developments through Japan Manufacturing
Commons for Collaboration of Medicine and Engineering,” K. Tanishita and S. Kashino, Japan
Manufacturing Commons for Collaboration of Medicine and Engineering

13:45“Medical device industry: present statuses and future prospects,” H. Kubota, K and K Japan, Co.
Ltd.

14:30

“Development of medical devises assisting the reduction of suffocation accidents and serious
pneumonia caused by dysphagia of elderly patients,” Y. Michiwaki, Musashino Red Cross
Hospital (MRCH)10

15:00“Development of diagnostic and therapeutic devices in otolaryngology,” T. Koike, BLSC, UEC

15:40“Hemiplegia therapy system applying facilitation by motion intention and development ofmagnetic device stimulating peripheral nervous system.” S. Ideé, Rehabilitation medical
engineering, Tohoku University School of Medicine“Activities of collaboration between medicine and engineering at BLSC, UEC,” H. Yokoi,

16:10

Director of BLSC, UEC“Emotion recognition and driving fatigue detection from EEG,” Bao-Liang Lu, Shanghai Jiaotong

16:50

University
17:50

Closing remark: K. Tanishita, Japan Manufacturing Commons for Collaboration of Medicine andEngineering

18:30

Reception

4. Workshop “Brain, Mind and Life Support Technologies”"Pre-symposium workshop: Brain, Mind, and Life Support Technology@BLSC"
Organizing committee: Prof. K. Tanishita, Prof. H. Yokoi, Mr. S. Kashino, Prof. Bao-liang Lu, Prof. Y.
Yamada, Prof. H. Niwa, Prof. Y. Jiang, Prof. S. Morishita, Prof. K. Masamoto, Ms. K. Yabuki
Date: Nov. 25 (Wed.), 2015
Venue: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Program:
13:00 Invited talk 1, “Neurological mechanism of generation and control of emotion in brain for social
activities,” Prof. Y. Hoshi, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
14:00 Invited talk 2, “Toward the society to fostering brain,” Dr. A. Maki, Hitachi Ltd.
15:15 BLSC session 1
Mr. Otsuka (Maki Lab., Department of Engineering Science, UEC)
Mr. Sato (Miyawaki Lab, Center for Frontier Science and Engineering, UEC)
Mr. Murakoshi (Hashimoto Lab., Department of Mechanical Engineering and Intelligent Systems,
UEC)
17:00 BLSC session 2
Assoc. Prof. Y. Jiang (BLSC, UEC)
Assoc. Prof. K. Masamoto (Department of Mechanical Engineering and Intelligent Systems, UEC)
18:00 Reception

5. BLSC Seminar Series
BLSC Seminars were held once a month, on average. The member of BLSC who proposed a subject andspeaker was supposed to organize the seminar in turn.
1st seminar
Date and time: Jul 18 (Thu.), 2013, 13:30 - 14:30
Place: Room #802, Building E-4, UEC
11

Speaker: Dr. Yoichi Miyawaki (Assoc. Prof., Center for Frontier Science and Engineering, UEC)
Title: Neurological expressions of sensation and perception in human brain
2nd seminar
Date and time: Aug. 29 (Thu.), 2013, 13:30 - 14:30
Place: Meeting room #301, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Takuya Hashimoto (Assis. Prof., Department of Mechanical Engineering and Intelligent
Systems, UEC)
Chair: Prof. Takuji Koike
Title: Robotic technology assisting lives of people
3rd seminar
Date and time: Sep. 12 (Thu.), 2013, 13：30～14：30
Place: Room #802, Building E-4, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Yoko Hoshi (Project Leader, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science)
Chair: Prof. Yukio Yamada
Title: Optical imaging of emotion and neurological mechanism
4th seminar
Date and time: Oct. 25 (Fri.), 2013, 13:30 - 14:30
Place: Room #802, Building E-4, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Soichiro Morishita (Assis. Prof., BLSC, UEC)
Chair: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi
Title: Idea and design of brain-machine interface
5th seminar
Date and time: Nov. 29 (Fri.), 2013, 14:00 - 15:00
Place: Room #802, Building E-4, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Yoshiyuki Sato (Assis. Prof., Department of Human Media System, UEC)
Chair: Prof. Yutaka Sakaguchi
Title: Bayesian model of sensory motor function
6th seminar
Date and time: Dec. 7 (Sat.), 2013, 13:00 - 14:00
Place: Meeting room #301, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Hideaki Masaya (Prof., University of Tsukuba)
Chair: Prof. Yutaka Sakaguchi
Title: Fitness of brain and motion (Special talk, at Kanto regional meeting of the 159th Meeting ofJapanese Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine)
7th seminar (closed)
Date and time: Dec. 20 (Fri.), 2013, 13:00 Place: Room #802, Building E-4, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Yinlai Jiang (Lecturer, Kochi University of Technology)
12

Chair: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi
Title: Building health for ultra-aged society --From the point of views of cognitive and walking function-8th seminar
Date and time: Jan. 17 (Fri.), 2014, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Room #802, Building E-4, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Masaki Usui (Prof., Kanagawa University of Human Sevices)
Chair: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi
Title: Goals of nursing care policy --On the problems of nursing care in Korea-9th seminar
Date and time: Feb. 24 (Mon.), 2014, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Room #802, Building E-4, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Kazuhiro Sohya (Researcher, Riken Brain Science Institute, Riken)
Chair: Prof. Shigeru Tanaka
Title: Action control mechanism of awakening brain by choline activated neuron through suppression
neurological circuit
10th seminar
Date and time: Apr. 25 (Fri.), 2014, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Kazuto Masamoto (Assoc. Prof., Department of Mechanical Engineering and Intellectual
Systems, UEC)
Chair: Prof. Yukio Yamada
Title: Light and blood flow in brain ---From visualization to manipulation--11th seminar
Date and time: May 30 (Fri.), 2014, 15:00 - 16:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Tadashi Nakamura (Prof., Department of Engineering Science, UEC)
Chair: Prof. Haruki Niwa
Title: Information conversion of chemical sensation and its related neurological mechanism
12th seminar
Date and time: Jun. 27 (Fri.), 2014, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Masatoshi Takita (Senior Researcher, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology (AIST))
Chair: Prof. Makoto Shimojo
Title: Consideration of the mechanism of higher order functions of brain ---From the view point of thebiological structure of prefrontal cortex
13th seminar
Date and time: Jul. 25 (Fri.), 2014, 13:00 - 14:30
13Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Narihisa Matsumoto (Researcher, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology (AIST))
Chair: Assoc. Prof. Yoichi Miyawaki
Title: Hierarchical category classification in inferotemporal lobe of monkeys
14th seminar
Date and time: Sep. 26 (Fri.), 2014, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Kamiya Kazusaku (Assoc. Prof., Juntendo University School of Medicine)
Chair: Prof. Takuji Koike
Title: Genes and molecular mechanism of neurological diseases and auditory disorders
15th seminar
Date and time: Oct. 25 (Fri.), 2014, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Takashi Ushida (Prof., The University of Tokyo School of Medicine)
Chair: Prof. Yukio Yamada
Title: Three definitive factors in regenerative medicine and additional one factor
16th seminar
Date and time: Nov. 13 (Fri.), 2014, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Andrew Subduhi (Assoc. Prof., Department of Biology, University of Colorado, USA)
Chair: Prof. Yutaka Kano
Title: Acute mountain sickness: mechanisms and prevention
17th seminar
Date and time: Nov. 25 (Tue.), 2014, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Room #802, Building E-4, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Wenwei Yu (Prof., Center for Frontier Medical Engineering, Chiba University)
Chair: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi
Title: Toward development of biological function assisting devices to be used in ordinary life
18th seminar
Date and time: Dec. 19 (Fri.), 2014, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Yoshikazu Seki (Senior Researcher, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology (AIST))
Chair: Prof. Yutaka Sakaguchi
Title: Visually handicapped and sound19th seminar
Date and time: Jan. 30 (Fri.), 2015, 13:00 - 14:30
14Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Shinya Matsuda (Assoc. Prof., Department of Engineering Science, UEC)
Chair: Prof. Yutaka Kano
Title: Study of molecular mechanism of plasticity of synapse and development of its control method
20th seminar
Date and time: Feb. 16 (Mon.), 2015, 16:00 - 17:00
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Gregory T. Clement (Assoc. Prof., Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western University,
USA)
Chair: Prof. Tomoo Kamakura
Title: Sound Medicine: Some contemporary and prospective uses of acoustics in medicine
21st seminar
Date and time: Feb. 23 (Mon.), 2015, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Meeting room #301, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Kenji Kansaku (Chief, Systems Neuroscience Section, Research Institute, National
Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities)
Chair: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi
Title: Toward the medical and welfare applications of brain-machine interface (BMI)
22nd seminar
Date and time: Apr. 10 (Fri.), 2015, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Harumi Hotta (Vice Director, Autonomic Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute ofGerontology)
Chair: Assoc. Prof. Kazuto Masamoto
Title: Mechanism of brain functions supported by body stimulations
23rd seminar
Date and time: Apr. 24 (Fri.), 2015, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Yoshiki Kasimori (Prof., Department of Engineering Science, UEC)
Chair: Prof. Haruki Niwa
Title: Mechanism of hierarchical processing of sensory information
24th seminar
Date and time: Apr. 28 (Tue.), 2015, 13:00 - 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Katsuya Yamada (Assoc. Prof., Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine)
Chair: Prof. Takayoshi Kobayashi
Title: Development of cancer diagnosis using a fluorescent derivative of L-glucosamine, fLG
25th seminar
15

Date and time: May 28 (Thu.), 2015, 16:30 – 18:00
Place: Room #802, Building E-4, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Kaoru Sakatani (Prof., College of Engineering Worldwide Research Center for Advanced
Engineering & Technology (NEWCAT), School of Medicine, Nihon University)
Chair: Prof. Yukio Yamada
Title: Clinical applications of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS): present statuses and future prospects
26th seminar
Date and time: Jun. 26 (Fri.), 2015, 13:00 – 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Motoyuki Akamatsu (Prime Senior Researcher, Automotive Human Factors Research Center,
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST))
Chair: Prof. Makoto Shimojo
Title: Expectation to neuroscience from the view point of automotive driving study
27th seminar
Date and time: Jul 17 (Fri.), 2015, 13:90 – 14:30
Place: Room #802, Building E-4, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Tatsuhiro Tajima (Postdoc. Researcher, Lab of Cognitive Computational Neuroscience,
University of Geneva, Switzerland)
Chair: Assoc. Prof. Yoichi Miyawaki
Title: Untangling complex brain dynamics
28th seminar
Date and time: Jul. 24 (Fri.), 2015, 13:00 – 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Toru Takahata (Prof., Zhejiang University, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience andTechnology (ZIINT), China)
Chair: Prof. Shigeru Tanaka
Title: Comparative anatomy of primate visual cortices using gene expression patterns
29th seminar
Date and time: Aug. 25 (Tue.), 2015, 13:00 – 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Gowrishankar Ganesh (Senior Researcher, Intelligent Systems Research Institute, National
Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST))
Chair: Assoc. Prof. Yoichi Miyawaki
Title: Human Centric Robotics: from neuroscience to robot control during human-robot interactions
30th seminar
Date and time: Sep. 11 (Fri.), 2015, 13:00 – 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Eriko Aeba (Assis. Prof., Department of Human Media Systems, UEC)
16

Chair: Prof. Takkuji Koike
Title: Musicians and their auditory senses
31st seminar
Date and time: Oct. 15 (Thu.), 2015, 13:00 – 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Zhiwei Luo (Prof., Organization of Advanced Science and Technology, Kobe University)
Chair: Assoc. Prof. Yinlai Jiang
Title: Development of human interactive robots for aging society
32nd seminar
Date and time: Dec. 17 (Thu.), 2015, 13:00 – 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Shigeru Tanaka (Prof., BLSC, UEC)
Chair: Prof. Yukio Yamada
Title: Studies of unsolved problems in the self-organization of the primary visual cortex
33rd seminar
Date and time: Jan. 21 (Thu.), 2016, 13:00 – 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Yoshihisa Kudo (Prof. Emer., Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences)
Chair: Prof. Haruki Niwa
Title: Roles of glial cells in expression of brain functions
34th seminar
Date and time: Feb. 26 (Fri.), 2016, 13:00 – 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Dingguo Zhang (Assoc. Prof., Institute of Robotics, School of Mechanical Engineering,
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China)
Chair: Prof. Yinlai Jiang
Title: Electromyography (EMG) Applications for Rehabilitation and Prosthesis (in English)
35th seminar
Date and time: Mar. 1 (Tue.), 2016, 13:00 – 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
Speaker: Dr. Ryohei Kanzaki (Prof., Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The
University of Tokyo)
Chair: Prof. Tadashi Nakamura
Title: Brain science investigated by collaboration of insects and robotics ---Create, understand and utilize
brain--36th seminar
Date and time: Mar. 24 (Thu.), 2016, 13:00 – 14:30
Place: Meeting room #306, Building E-3, UEC
17

Speaker: Dr. Takehiko Takagi (Lect., Tokai University School of Medicine, Visiting Assoc. Prof. of BLSC,
UEC)
Chair: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi
Title: Nerve-machine interface and surgery of the hand

6. Special Invited Talks and Exchange Lectures
These talks and lectures were held in cooperation with the Technical English Course of the Department of
Mechanical Engineering and Intelligent Systems.

Date and time: Jul. 2 (Thu.), 2015, 16:15～17:45
Venue: Practice room, Information Technology Center, UEC
Chair: Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi
Talk/Lecture #1
Speaker: Dr. Qixin CAO (Professor, Director, Engineering Training Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong
University)
Title: Robotics and Digital Factory
Talk/Lecture #2
Speaker: Weidong CHEN (Professor, Department of Automation, School of Electronic, Information andElectrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
Title: Improving Safety and Autonomy of intelligent Wheelchair in Dynamic Environments

7. Technical Meeting “Data Driven Approach for Understanding the Cerebellar Central Nerve System
Which Controls Eye Movements”
Co-sponsored by Japanese Neural Network Society and BLSC, UEC
Date: Aug. 1, 2016
Venue: Multi-media Hall, 3rd Fl., Bld. E3, UEC
Chairs: Akira Katoh (Tokai Univ), Tadashi Yamazaki (UEC Tokyo)
Program:
10:00-10:05

Opening remarks

10:05-10:35

Kenichiro Miura (Kyoto Univ), Visual control of eye movements in mice: the optokinetic
response

10:35-11:05

Shuntaro Miki (Chubu Univ), Cerebellar dependent predictive optokinetic response associatedwith oculomotor velocity storage mechanism in goldfish, carp, zebrafish, medaka, and human

11:05-11:20

Coffee break & Open discussion

11:20-11:50

Naoko Inaba (Kyoto Univ), The role of the cortical areas MT and MST in coding of visualmotion during pursuit eye movements

11:50-12:20

Pablo M Blazquez (Washington Univ St. Louis), Thinking inside the box. Signal processing by
cerebellar cortex interneurons in the macaque ventralparaflocculus1812:20-13:30

Lunch (and a meeting for speakers with organizers)

13:30-14:00

Tatyana Yakusheva (Washington Univ St. Louis), Role of GABAergic inhibition in thevestibular signal transformation carried out by the cerebellar nodulus and uvula

14:00-14:30

Aya Takemura (AIST), Neural activity in monkey's cortical area MST Represents Retinal Error
during Motor Learning

14:30-14:45

Coffee break & Open discussion

14:45-15:15

Yoshiko Kojima (Univ Washington)., ubstantia nigra pars reticulata influences the error signals
for the saccade adaptation

15:15-15:45

Shinji Matsuda (UEC Tokyo), Understanding and controlling synaptic plasticity

15:45-16:00

Coffee break & Open discussion

16:00-16:30

Seiji Ono (Tsukuba Univ), Role of visual velocity and position error signals in smooth pursuit
adaptation

16:30-17:00

Yutaka Hirata (Chubu Univ), Promoted motor learning of oculomotor velocity to positionneural integrator under hyper-gravity and brighter visual stimulation

17:00-

Closing remarks

8. International Symposium on Object Vision in Human, Monkey, and Machine
Sponsored by The University of Electro-Communications
Co-sponsored by: RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas"Initiative for high-dimensional data-driven science based on sparse modeling," and Brain
Science Inspired Life Support Research Center
Date and time: November 5-6, 2015, 13:00-19:00
Venue: 80th Anniversary Memorial Hall 3F, The University of Electro-Communications
Organizers: Manabu Tanifuji (RIKEN Brain Science Institute), Yoichi Miyawaki (The University ofElectro-Communications)
Program:【Nov. 5, 2015】
13:00-13:05

Opening remarks

Session 1
13:05-13:40

Jun Kawaguchi (Nagoya University), "Implicit influence of memory on object recognition"

13:40-14:15

Isamu Motoyoshi (The University of Tokyo), "Visual perception of objects and materials"

14:15-14:50

Tsutomu Murata (Center for Information and Neural Networks), "Emergent recognition: how
does the brain disambiguate objects hidden in degraded images?"

14:50-15:25

Satoshi Eifuku (Fukushima Medical University), "Symbolic representation of individual
identities in the anterior inferior temporal cortex of monkeys"

15:25-16:00

Yasuko Sugase-Miyamoto (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology),"Face inversion decreased information about facial identity and expression in macaque areaTE"19

16:00-16:20

Coffee break

Session 2
16:20-16:55

Kowa Koida (Toyohashi University of Technology), "Contextual effect on brightness
perception and coding in macaque area TE"

16:55-17:30

Toshiyuki Hirabayashi (National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS)), "Microcircuitmechanisms for representation and retrieval of associative object memory in macaque temporal
cortex"17:30-18:05

Manabu Tanifuji (RIKEN Brain Science Institute), "Searching for visual features driving faceneurons in inferior temporal cortex"

18:05-18:40

Daniel L. K. Yamins (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), "Using computational models to
predict neural responses in higher visual cortex"

19:00-

Reception【Nov. 6, 2015】
Session 3
9:00-9:35

Hayaru Shouno (The University of Electro-Communications), "Novel texture classification
with Deep Convolution Neural Network-Evaluation with Lung CT Images-"

9:35-10:10

Ryo Karakida (The University of Tokyo), "On the capability of restricted Boltzmann machinelearning to extract appropriate input features"

10:10-10:45

Ilker Yildirim (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), "Efficient analysis-by-synthesis in
primate face processing"

10:45-11:05

Coffee break

Session 4
11:05-11:40

Shinji Nishimoto (Center for Information and Neural Networks), "Modeling of brain activity
during natural vision: object and beyond"

11:40-12:15

Yoichi Miyawaki (The University of Electro-Communications), "Neural dynamics of object
representation in the human brain"

Session 5
12:15-12:45

Panel discussion

12:45-12:50

Closing remarks (Masato Okada, The University of Tokyo)

9. Research Exchange Program through Life Support Technologies Based on Electrophysiology
Sponsored by Sakura Science Plan, JST
Invited people: Nine graduate school students and one professor, Department of Information and Control,
Nankai University, China
Dates: Feb. 26 to Mar. 6, 2016
Venue: Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, and BLSC, UEC
Summary: The research exchange program sponsored by the Sakura Science Program aims to promotecollaborative research projects in the field of life support technologies. In the program, the participants were20

divided into two groups for hands-on experiments, one for manufacturing bio-electric controlled prosthetic
hands and the other for measuring brain activities related to functional electric stimulation, and each groupexperienced hands-on learning. Sixteen students worked for the program. Chinese participants enjoyed
Japanese science and technology as well as nature and culture of Japan. The program was highly appreciatedby all participants, and seemed to facilitate mutual understanding between China and Japan. It is expected thatexperience and mutual understanding obtained from this program will become a solid basis of a future
development of research collaboration.

10. BLSC Spring School for High School Students
BLSC modified part of the hands-on training course for graduate students and designed contents of the spring
school easy for high school students to learn. In 2016, 1 st “Brain Science Life Support Research Center
Spring School” was held for 4 days until the end of March. Sixteen high school students attended from Tokyo,
Shizuoka, Ibaragi, Tochigi and Akita prefectures. The participants learned the following topics:

1. Three-dimensional imaging with laser scanning fluorescence microscopy (Assoc. Prof. Kazuto Masamoto)
2. Manufacturing and manipulating cyborg prosthesis (Assoc. Prof. Yinlai Jiang and Assis. Prof. Soichiro
Morishita)

1. The first group
Date and Time: 1st day: Mar. 28 (Mon.) 2016, 14:40 – 17:45
2nd day: Mar. 29 (Tue.) 2016, 14:40 – 17:45
Title 1: Three-dimensional imaging with laser scanning fluorescence microscopy
Place: Laboratory #267, Building E-4 UEC
Instructor: Assoc. Prof. Kazuto Masamoto
Teaching Assistants: Yuika Kurihara, Hiroya Yuki, Hiroshi Takeda, Masahiro Niita
High school students: 4 people
Title 2: Manufacturing and manipulating cyborg prosthesis
Place: Laboratory #203, Building E-9, and then Laboratory #263, Building E-4 UEC
Instructors: Assoc. Prof. Yinlai Jiang and Assis. Prof. Soichiro Morishita
Teaching Assistants: Masahiro Kasuya and Yutaro Hiyoshi
High school students: 5 people

2. The second group
Date and Time: 1st day: Mar. 30 (Wed.) 2016, 14:40 – 17:45
2nd day: Mar. 31(Thu.) 2016, 14:40 – 17:45
Title 1: Three-dimensional imaging with laser scanning fluorescence microscopy
Place: Laboratory #267, Building E-4 UEC
Instructor: Assoc. Prof. Kazuto Masamoto21

Teaching Assistants: Yuika Kurihara, Hiroya Yuki, Hiroshi Takeda, Masahiro Niita
High school students: 4 people
Title 2: Manufacturing and manipulating cyborg prosthesis
Place: Laboratory #203, Building E-9, and Laboratory #263, Building E-4 UEC
Instructors: Assoc. Prof. Yinlai Jiang and Assis. Prof. Soichiro Morishita
Teaching Assistants: Masahiro Kasuya and Yutaro Hiyoshi
High school students: 6 people

The lecture and experiment for each subject took 4.5 hours (3 school hours) per day for 2 days. In the Spring
School, the students tackled two subjects at the forefront of brain science research, supported by the
instructors and teaching assistants.
The following are daily digests from the Spring School.
1-1) 3D imaging with laser scanning fluorescence microscopy (Day 1)• Teaching assistants lectured on the principles of laser scanning fluorescencemicroscopy and outlined the experiments.

• Students prepared a gelatinous phantom model (live brain tissue model)
containing fluorescence and light scattering beads. The phantom model wasused for imaging with laser scanning fluorescence microscopy the following
day. The apparatus for research use were provided for the experiment.

• The teaching assistant displayed live transgenic mouse cerebrum tissue with alaser scanning fluorescence microscope in two-photon mode.
• The cerebrum tissue expressed green fluorescence protein (GFP). The
teaching assistant used the same mouse each day for her research.
Students observing this cutting-edge research were impressed.
• Chatting with teaching assistants during break time. Students discussed theirresearch and campus life.

221-2) 3D imaging with laser scanning fluorescence microscopy (Day 2)• Students observed the handmade phantom
models containing fluorescence and lightscattering beads (left) with a laser scanning
fluorescence microscope (right).
• Students constructed 3D images of the fluorescent beads in the phantom
model using MATLAB numerical analysis soft. Students determined theposition of the fluorescent beads in the phantom model under the guidance ofthe teaching assistants.

2-1) Manufacturing and manipulating cyborg prosthesis (Day 1)• After receiving the experiment outline, students designed a cyborg
prosthesis using CAD software. Students found their first attempt operating
CAD to be very interesting. They simulated the shape of the prosthesis to
grasp items such as dishes, rice bowls, a PET bottle, a tennis ball and amarble, and determined a suitable shape for prosthetic fingers.

• The CAD-designed fingers of the cyborg prosthesis were shaped using a 3D
printer. The production of the fingers was completed the following morning.

• Students assembled a servo motor to drive the cyborg prosthetic fingers.

Students were keen to tackle this handwork.

• Students checked the operating conditions for the 3D printershaping the cyborg fingers at the end of Day 1.

232-2) Manufacturing and manipulating the cyborg prosthesis (Day 2)• Students completed the manufacture of the cyborg prosthesis by connecting
the 3D printer-manufactured fingers to the driving servo motor. Students cut
screw threads using threading taps for first time.

• Students learned to drive the prosthetic hand using their own forearm

myoelectric signals. Teaching assistants edited the controlling program inaccordance with the shape of the prosthetic hand. Students found it
unexpectedly difficult to operate the prosthetic hand using their own
myoelectric signals.
• The scene of pick-and-place experiments: the performance of theprosthetic hand was evaluated by grabbing and moving everyday
objects. Students smiled involuntarily when they were able to grab
and move objects well. Marbles were the most difficult thing tograsp in this experiment.

Participants’ Typical Comments described in the Post-Questionnaire Survey“I enjoyed the research atmosphere at the college.”“I had a great opportunity to experience valuable experiments.”“The school gave me a good opportunity to consider my future (selection of major area).”“Please continue to provide the Spring School for high school students.”

The Spring School content and style left a favorable impression on the attendees.

24

Hiroshi YOKOI/Yinlai JIANG/Soichiro MORISHITA Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1

Basic policy in educational research

The main objective of our lab is to establish novel research and education for science and engineering
relevant to the mechanisms of mutual adaptation among humans and machines. We study a possible
theoretical formulation of learning mechanisms that enable humans and machines to adapt flexibly tounexpected environmental changes during motor execution. Based on such scientific studies, wedevelop feasible and applicable engineering technologies to support people who have physicaldisabilities on their sensor and motor functions.
The application area is the prosthetics and orthosis of rehabilitation engineering. We are currently
engaged in the development of EMG prosthetic hands for upper limb amputee and congenital defects.
In order to detect intentions of motion from EMG signals, a machine learning approach based on theconditional entropy evaluation method has been developed, and we have obtained high performancerecognition of fifteen patterns of intensions of motion separately, by using three channels of EMG
sensors.
A sensory feedback system has been developed for detecting human characteristics of adaptation. Thissystem is based on an electrical stimulation method by using the burst modulation of high frequency
carrier signals composed of rectangular waves. An fMRI study has been conducted in a subject using an
EMG prosthetic hand with a tactile sensory feedback system, and we found a typical illusion of theexchange of the left and right arms in a task with a mirror. The sensory feedback system was applied torehabilitation trials for the functional recovery of motion, and we obtained recovery of finger open andclose motion for chronic hemi-paralyzed patients by stroke.
On the other hand, an artificial prosthetic hand has been used for BMI (brain machine interface)research. The international collaboration on this research has led to the construction of a light-weightseven-DOF (degrees of freedom) robot arm and a sixteen-DOF robot hand by using the wire tendon
interference driven system. This prosthetic hand is in the schedule of practical application to BMI
research.
1.2

2013-2015 research results and current progress(1)

Development and practical application of myoelectric prostheses

In order to rebuild upper arms in limb amputated patients, a myoelectric prosthetic hand is required toresemble a human hand, be light enough to avoid an excess amount of strain on the body, and be easily
manipulated by anyone. Thus far, we have developed a simple prosthesis (Figure 1) in order to fulfil
these requirements. This system consists of the following five parts.

25

User

Human Instruction

Human Interface
Glove
Hand&Socket

Motor Commands

EMG

Controller(Feature Extraction,
Classification,
Online Learning)

40

50㎜

Measurement Unit

15

Figure 1

35㎜

Simple prosthesis system and structure(a) Light-weight robotic hand and support: Human hands contain numerous joints and are capable offorming various shapes. However, three types of grip position – power grip, precision grip andlateral grip – account for 85% of the ADL (Activities of Daily Living). Therefore, we developed arobotic hand with a combined four-finger MP joint and a thumb MP joint with two degrees of
freedom, enabling these three types of grip. We lightened the support fitting the prosthesis to thestump by using carbon fiber, thus enabling an operating mechanism that can be operated with one
hand.
(b) Elastomer gel cosmetic glove for myoelectric prosthesis: The cosmetic glove of prosthesis has thefollowing five requirements: appearance, grip function, durability, texture and flexibility. These
involve, respectively, having an outer appearance that mimics the physical characteristics of ahuman hand; having a thickness that allows familiarity with the gripped object; being durable ineveryday usage; having a texture similar to the viscoelasticity of human skin; and achievingsmooth movement that does not prevent the drive of the joints. We succeeded in developing anelastomer gel cosmetic glove with a 1300% expansion/contraction rate, whilst fulfilling these
conditions.
(c) A user-friendly operating interface: In order to make it possible for anybody to use the mutuallyadaptable myoelectric control system developed in the lab, we developed an operating interface
for smartphones and tablets. In consideration of one handed operation by amputees, we designed a
GUI (graphical user interface) for the wireless terminal. We had users try the system and verified
26

that one handed operation of the screen and calibration of the myoelectric prosthesis werepossible.
(d) Prosthesis controller balancing high computational ability and low electrical consumption: in orderto achieve high speed measurement and analysis of EMG signals as well as control of the robotic
hand at low voltage, we developed a controller using SH72544R (manufactured by Renesas
Electronics Corporation). We formulated communication standards between the controller and thewireless terminal, and built a set a programs allowing signal programming for EMG calibration.
We furthermore developed and implemented a time series algorithm to distinguish between
myoelectric patterns.
(e) Skin adhesion, customization, easily fittable myoelectric measuring system: We succeeded instabilizing measurements by using flexible conductive elements (polypyrrole and conductive
silicon) for the electrodes in the myoelectric sensor and increasing the adhesiveness with the skin.
By implementing this between electrodes, and between electrodes and amps, we made adjustmentof impedance matching possible from the EMG controller. The electrode-skin impedances of thetwo electrodes were matched by adjusting the impedance components with a compensation circuit.
In addition, we are furthering development and trials of prostheses for infants (Figure 2), handprostheses (Figure 3) and coupled drive robotic arms for shoulder prostheses (Figure 4) in order toprovide for amputees of various ages and with various conditions.

Figure 2 infant prosthesis

Figure 3 hand prosthesis

Figure 4 coupled drive robotic arm(2) Functional electrical stimulation using multiple surface electrodes

Figure 5 Multi electrode electical stimulation with automatic pattern search
The aim of this research is for patients themselves to be able to conduct rehabilitation to recover
movement function without requiring the presence of a caregiver. The focus is on recovery of27

movement function in the upper limbs, with the development of an upper limb movement function
recovery system using multiple surface electrode electrical stimulation. Using the surface electrodemethod, it is difficult to target and stimulate specific muscles. In order to solve this issue, we developed
the multiple surface electrodes in tandem with a FES selector device (Figure 5). Furthermore, in order
to find an electrode pattern capable of expressing the target posture, we used the neural network to
estimate the angle of each joint from the electrode pattern. It was possible to confirm approximately
17-31 patterns of hand and finger movement and thus the possibility of expressing a wide variety of
movements without aid.
(3) Evaluation of methods of replacing or recovering movement function for the purposes of brain
activity measurement/function
We have linked existing brain function and joint angle measurement devices and have begun
maintaining an environment in which such data can be recorded simultaneously, and in which theelectric support devices for robotic prostheses can be controlled online. Specifically, we constructed asystem in which one computer can gather fNIRS measurement data online while simultaneously
recording the position of electrodes and, based on this, controlling the electrical support devices (Figure
6).
fNIRS
計測

ネットワーク経由でデータ転送
筋電位

データ収集／パターン認識

電動支援装置の制御

Figure 6 Overview of the system integrating brain and muscle activity with electrical support
device control
The results of a brain activity evaluation conducted with the above system when a myoelectric
prosthesis is in use are shown in Figure 7. The subject is a male right arm amputee wearing the simple
prosthesis mentioned above. In the first 15 seconds after the start of brain activity measurements (firstrow of Figure 7), the subject is at rest and no change in brain activity is observed. Immediately
following the start of the task, the motor area and the prefrontal area begin to activate, and thiscontinues whilst the task is being carried out (second and third rows of Figure 7). When the taskfinishes and the subject returns to rest, activation of brain activity also reduces (fourth row of Figure 7).
28

Figure 7

Changes in brain activity during a pick and place test using a myoelectric prosthesis

In the area of research into motion recovery through Functional Electric Stimulation (FES), we
established a method of identifying which areas of the brain activate using fNIRS through means ofregular FES-invoked muscle contraction and sensory stimulation (Figure 8). Furthermore, based on ahypothesis taking into account periods of relative lack of muscle response, we devised an optimization
model for stimulus wave pattern parameters, verifying the model’s validity through trials. Moreover,with the cooperation of guest associate professor Osamu Yamamura (Fukui University Hospital), wewere able to confirm the effect of FES rehabilitation based on brain activity measurements from PET(Figure 9).

25Hz_30%(34.59±1.63)

25Hz_90%(31.97±7.18)

赤：送光
青：受光

100Hz_30%(33.25±4.02)100Hz_90%(35.36±1.84)Figure 8 Detection of changes in brain activity
accompanying sensory stimulation from FES
自発運動

電気刺激

電気刺激下自発10分間訓練直後

休憩後自発運

運動

運動

動

従
来
機
F
E
S

Figure 9Comparison of brain activation during FES rehabilitation using conventional andnew devices
29

1.3

Future plans

We will engage with the following issues, with a focus on EMG prosthetics and Functional Electrical
Stimulation.
(1) Intelligent Control, adjusted to the extent of disabilities
In addition to the use of brain waves and the application of electrodes to the head and shoulder, we
will employ posture detection using inertial sensors, collision avoidance using proximity sensors andenvironment awareness by using AR markers, all in concert with amputees’ remaining limb function.
Thus we will develop a method of intelligent control for prosthetic arms making greatest possible use ofremaining limb function, and apply this to shoulder, upper arm, lower arm and hand amputees.
(2) Addition of sensory feedback function
In order to achieve an EMG prosthetic that provides sensory function as well as replacing movement
function of the hand, we will develop an omnidirectional pressure sensor as well as sensory stimulation
devices using electrical stimulation and vibrations.
(3) Establishment of automatic pattern searching
In order to construct an algorithm enabling efficient searching for stimulation patterns from multisurface electrode FES, we will develop methods of high speed searching for electrode patterns as well
as clustering methods for finger posture taking into account electrode patterns.
(4) Evaluation of prosthetics and electrical stimulation through brain measurements
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of EMG prosthetics and functional electrical stimulation, we will
use either fNIRS or fMRI not only when conducting performance tests but also when evaluating senseof body ownership through brain activity measurements or when observing changes in brain activity
patterns associated with long term use.

2. Research Achievements
2.1

Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](1) Yoshiko Yabuki，Issou Tanahashi，Suguru Hoshikawa，Tatsuhiro Nakamura，Yinlai Jiang，Ryu
Kato，Hiroshi Yokoi (2016）. Development of new Cosmetic Gloves for Myoelectric Prosthetic
Hand by using Elastomer. The Japanese Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics, Vol. 32, No. 3. (inpress)(2) Suguru Hoshikawa，Shintaro Sakodo，Yusuke Yamanoi，Ryu Kato，Soichiro Morishita，Tatsuhiro
Nakamura，Tatsuya Seki，Yinlai Jiang，Hiroshi Yokoi (2015). Development and Evaluation of a
Simplified Myoelectric prosthetic Hand Realizing Basic Grasp Function in ADL. Journal of Japan
Society for Fuzzy Theory and Intelligent Informatics, Vol. 27, No. 6, 885-897.
(3) Masahiro Kasuya，Ryu Kato，Hiroshi Yokoi (2015). Development of a Novel Post-processing
30

Algorithm for Myoelectric Pattren Classification. Japanese Society for Medical and BiologicalEngineering, Vol. 53 No. 4: 217-224.
(4) Ryohei Fukuma, Takufumi Yanagisawa , Shiro Yorifuji, Ryu Kato, Hiroshi Yokoi, Masayuki Hirata,
Youichi Saitoh, Haruhiko Kishima, Yukiyasu Kamitani, Toshiki Yoshimine (2015). Closed-Loop
Control of a Neuroprosthetic Hand by Magnetoencephalographic Signals. PLoS ONE, Vol. 10, No.
7.
(5) Soichiro Morishita, Keita Sato, Hidenori Watanabe, Yukio Nishimura, Tadashi Isa, Ryu Kato,
Tatsuhiro Nakamura and Hiroshi Yokoi (2014). Brain-Machine Interface to Control a Prosthetic
Arm with Monkey ECoGs during Periodic Movements (submitted). Frontiers in Neuroscience,Vol. 8, Article 417, 1-9.
(6) Tatsuya Seki, Tatsuhiro Nakamura, Ryu Kato, Soichiro Morishita, and Hiroshi Yokoi (2014).
Development of Five-Finger Multi-DoF Myoelectric Hands with a Power Allocation Mechanism.
Journal of Mechanics Engineering and Automation, Vol. 4, 97-105.
(7) Masafumi Kubota，Osamu Yamamura，Tomoko Kamisawa，Igarashi Chiaki，Matsuo Hideaki，Hiroaki Naruse，Seichiro Shimada，Ryu Kato，Hiroshi Yokoi，Kenzo Uchida，Hisatoshi Baba(2014). Immediate Effects of Functional Electrical Stimulation on Kinematic and Kinetic Variables
and Oxygenation in Medial Sensorimotor Cortices during Gait in Patients with Acute Cerebral
Infarction. Physical Therapy Research, Vol. 41. No. 1, 13-20.
(8) Yinlai Jiang, Isao Hayashi, Shuoyu Wang (2014), Knowledge acquisition method based on singularvalue decomposition for human motion analysis, IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data
Engineering, Vol. 26, No. 12, 3038-3050.
(9) Yinlai Jiang, Shuoyu Wang, Kenji Ishida, Yo Kobayashi, and Masakatsu G. Fujie (2014),
Directional control of an omnidirectional walking support walker: Adaptation to individual
differences with fuzzy learning, Advanced Robotics, Vol. 28, No. 7, 479-485.
Proceedings(1) Yinlai Jiang, Shintaro Sakoda, Masami Togane, Soichiro Morishita, Hiroshi Yokoi, One-handed

Wearable sEMG Sensor for Myoelectric Control of Prosthetic Hands, The International Conferenceon Wearable Sensor and Robot (ICWSR2015), No. 56, 2015/10/18.
(2) Yinlai Jiang, Shintaro Sakoda, Takeru Togane, Soichiro Morishita, Bao-Liang Lu, Hiroshi Yokoi ,A Highly Usable and Customizable sEMG Sensor for Prosthetic Limb Control Using
Polypyrrole-Coated Nonwoven Fabric Sheet, IEEE Sensors 2015: Nov. 1-4, 2015/11/03.
(3) Yusuke Yamanoi, Soichiro Morishita, Ryu Kato, Hiroshi Yokoi, Selective Linear-Regression Modelfor Hand Posture Discrimination and Grip Force Estimation using Surface Electromyogram
Signals, 37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology
Society (EMBC15): 4812-4815, 2015/08/27.
(4) Hesong Ye, Shintaro Sakoda, Yinlai Jiang, Soichiro Morishita, Hiroshi Yokoi,

Pinch-Force-Magnification Mechanism of Low Degree of Freedom EMG Prosthetic Hand forChildren, The 37th Annual International Conference of theIEEE Engineering in Medicine and31

Biology Society (EMBC2015): 2466-2469, 2015/08/27.
(5) Suguru

Hoshikawa, Yinlai Jiang, Ryu Kato, Soichiro Morishita, Tatsuhiro Nakamura, Yoshiko

Yabuki, and Hiroshi Yokoi , Structure design for a two-DoF myoelectric prosthetic hand to realize
basic hand functions in ADLs (submitted), The 37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE
Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC2015): 4781-4784, 2015/08/27.
(6) Masahiro Kasuya, Ryu Kato, Hiroshi Yokoi, Analysis and Optimization of Novel Post-processing

Method for Myoelectric Pattern Recognition, International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics(ICORR): 985-990, 2015/08/14.
(7) Misato Ohdaira, Tomoko Kamisawa, Soichiro Morishita, Yinlai Jiang, Masao Sugi, Osamu

Yamamura, Hiroshi Yokoi, fNIRS-based analysis of temporal changes of brain activation duringlong-term conditioning with functional electrical stimulation, international Convention on
Rehabilitation Engineering&Assistive Technology (i-CREATe) 2015 : P4, 3-, 2015/08/11.
(8) Misato Ohdaira, Tomoko Kamisawa, Soichiro Morishita, Yinlai Jiang, Osamu Yamamura, Hiroshi

Yokoi , fNIRS-based analysis of brain activation with knee extension induced by functional
electrical stimulation, IUPESM 2015 World Congress on medical physics & biomedical
engineering, IFMBE Proceedings: Vol. 51, 1137-1141, 2015/06.
(9) Daiki Suzuki, Yusuke Yamanoi, Hiroshi Yamada, Ko Wakita, Ryu Kato, Hiroshi Yokoi ,Grasping-posture classification using myoelectric signal on hand pre-shaping for natural control of
myoelectric hand, 2015 IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Practical Robot
Applications (TePRA2015), 2015/05.
(10) Tatsuya Seki, Yinlai Jiang and Hiroshi Yokoi, Approximate model for interactive-tendon driven

mechanism of a multiple-DoFs myoelectric prosthetic hand, Proceedings of the 2014 IEEE
International Conference on Robitics and Biomimetics: 999-1004, 2014/12/14.
(11) Yinlai Jiang, Shintaro Sakoda, Suguru Hoshigawa, Hesong Ye, Yoshiko Yabuki, Tatsuhiro

Nakamura, Masahiro Ishihara, Takehiko Takagi, Shinichiro Takayama, and Hiroshi Yokoi,
Development and evaluation of simplified EMG prosthetic hands , Proceedings of the 2014 IEEE
International Conference on Robitics and Biomimetics: 1368-1383, 2014/12/14.
(12) Yuki Shimizu, Masao Sugi, Misato Ohdaira, Soichiro Morishita, Tatsuhiro Nakamura, Ryu Kato,and Hiroshi Yokoi: Force Estimation by Surface Electromyography during Functional Electrical
Stimulation, Proceedings of the 2014 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics(ROBIO2014), 1345-1350, 2014.
(13) Osamu Yamamura, Tomoko Kamisawa, Masahumi Kubota, Chiaki Igarashi, Yudai Watabe,

Seiichiro Shimada, Tetsuya Tsujikawa, Hidehiko Okazawa, Ryu Kato, Hiroshi Yokoi, Kenzo
Uchida, Hisatoshi Baba, Tadanori Hamano, Yasunari Nakamoto, Effect of burst stimulation by highfrequency biphasic square-wave pulse on cortical perfusion after stroke: A pilot study, American
Society of Neurorehabilitation Annual Meeting, 2014/11.
(14) Xiaobei Jing, Xu Yong, Yinlai Jiang, Hiroshi Yokoi, and Ryu Kato, A low-degree of freedom EMG

prosthetic hand with nails and springs to improve grasp ability, Proceedings of the 2014 7thInternational Conference on BioMedical Engineering and Informatics: 466-471, 2014/10/14.
32

(15) Xu Yong, Xiaobei Jing, Yinlai Jiang, Hiroshi Yokoi, and Ryu Kato, Tendon drive finger

mechanisms for an EMG prosthetic hand with two motors, Proceedings of the 2014 7thInternational Conference on BioMedical Engineering and Informatics: 472-476, 2014/10/14.
(16) Masahiro Kasuya, Masatoshi Seki, Kazuya Kawamura, Yo Kobayashi,Masakatsu G. Fujie, Hiroshi

Yokoi, Robust grip force estimation under electric feedback using muscle
stiffness and electromyography for powered prosthetic hand, (ICRA2013) 2013 IEEE International
Conference on Robotics and Automation: 93-98, 2013/05.
(17) Tatsuya SEKI, Tatsuhiro NAKAMURA, Ryu KATO, Soichiro MORISHITA and Hiroshi YOKOI,

Development of Five-Finger Multi-DoF Myoelectric Hands with a Power Allocation Mechanism,2013 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA2013): 2046-2051,
2013/05.
2.2

Book or Book Chapter(1) Hiroshi Yokoi，Yuki Sato，Minako Suzuki，Yoshiko Yabuki，Tatsuhro Nakamura，Takashi Mori，
Soichiro Morishita，Ryu Kato，Osamu Yamamura，Masafumi Kubota，Tomoko Kamisawa，Chiaki
Igarashi，Tadashi Isa，Tatsuya Umeda，Hidenori Watanabe，Yukio Nishimura，Katsunori Ikoma，
and Tamaki Miyamoto , Engineering Approach for Functional Recovery Based on Body Image
Adjustment by Using Biofeedback of Electrical Stimulation, Chapter 12 Clinical Systems
Neuroscience: 203-247, Springer Japan, 2015 (Co-author).
(2) Soichiro Morishita，Hiroshi Yokoi, BMI for robotic rehabilitation of motor function of upper limb,
Ishiyaku Publishers: 99-104, 2014/01.
(3) Hiroshi Yokoi，et al. chapter 2 Technological support for everyday life，section 2.2 Movement
support，section 2.2.6 Prosthesis (artificial arm・artificial leg), 125 Years of The Institute ofElectrical Engineers of Japan (1888-2013), The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan: 471-473.
2013/10 (Co-author).
(4) Hiroshi Yokoi，Ryu Kato，Tatsuhiro Nakamura，Soichiro Morishita, welfare technology handbook－to support healthy living, Asakura Publishing: 218-225, 2013/10/24 (Co-author).
2.3

Non-refereed articles or translation(1) Ryu Kato, Hiroshi Yokoi, Five-finger Myoelectric Hand for realizing a Precise human-hand
Function, Precision Engineering: 80/ 3, 259-264，2014/03.
(2) Hiroshi Yokoi，Yoshiko Yabuki, Tatsuya Seki, Tatsuhiro Nakamura, Soichiro Morishita，Ryu Kato，
Takehiko Takagi, Shinichiro Takayama, Prosthesis of myoelectric control type, Society ofBiomechanisms Japan: Vol.38/ No. 1, 39-46，2014/01.
(3) Soichiro Morishita, Hiroshi Yokoi，BMI for robotic rehabilitation of motor function of upper limb，Medical progress: Vol. 246/ No. 13, 1117-1122，2013/09/01.
(4) Tatsuhiro Nakamura, Ryu Kato, Soichiro Morishita, Hiroshi Yokoi, Producing alearning type electric hand, Interface/computer・science＆technology professional journal: 39/ 7,
62-73，2013/07/01.
33

2.4

Invited lectures(1) Yinlai Jiang, “Assistance and substitution of body function by robots - walking support machine
and myoelectric prosthesis”, The Society of Instrument and Control Engineering, System andInformation Division Technical Committee on Human-Machine Systems，2014/11.
(2) Hiroshi Yokoi, “Robotics rehabilitation projects based on mutual adaptation”, 16th International
Graphonomics Society Conference (IGS2013)，Nara, Japan，2013/06.
(3) Hiroshi Yokoi, Research into a mutually adaptable EMG prosthetic hand”, The Japan Society of
Mechanical Engineers, 25th bioengineering lecture, 2013/01.
2.5Media releases(1) Imitating the function of hands and feet: pursuing the latest prosthetic limb technology, BS FUJI

(TV), 2016/02/14.
(2) Myoelectric arm with learning function: reflecting the difference in individuals’ movements, The

Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun “Business and Technology Daily News” (newspaper), 2015/12/09.
(3) Life commentary「How to coexist? Robots and Humans

The founding of the Robot Law

Association」, NHK (TV), 2015/11/24.
(4) The Prosthetic Hand that moves just as you want it to-using electrical signals from the muscle,

Yomiuri Shimbun (newspaper), 2015/11/12.
(5) Kakushin no izumu “Innovative –isms” ～the wild remarks of innovators～, BSFUJI (TV),2015/07/03.
(6) Sakidori↗ “Forerunner”, NHK (TV), 2015/06/07.
(7) Dear Mr Galileo, FUJITV, 2015/05/31.
(8) Dream★dream Engine!

TBS radio, 2015/05/30.

(9) TV future heritage: We’re fighting these diseases 2015 Tearful and emotional 10 year

commemoration. TBS TV, 2015/04/01.
(10) TV future heritage: 3.8 billion year life special – The latest mystery in neuroscience: what is it tobe human!?. TBS TV, 2015/02/11.
(11) Easily produced with a 3D printer Turning muscle movement into electrical signals. The Nikkan

Kogyo Shimbun “Business and Technology Daily News” (newspaper), 2014/12/02.
(12) Japan’s Robots: The forefront of cyborg technology. Amazing! Japan Science Encyclopdia. Futaba

Publishers Ltd, 2014/02/06.
(13) Mitsubishi UFJ Business Square SQUET Front Runner – Knowledge Pioneers, Mitsubish UFJ

Research and Consulting Ltd, 2013/08/01.
(14) Tell me! Kamen Riders: exploring the possibilities of “improved humans”, KK Bestsellers,

2013/04/01.
2.6

Participation in exhibition(1) YumeNAVI LIVE2014, 2014/7/12, Tokyo BIGSIGHT.
(2) JST Science Agora 2014, 2014/11/7-2014/11/9, Miraikan.
34

(3) The 29th General Assembly of The Japan Medical Congress, 2015/4/10-2015/4/13, Graduate
School of Medicine, Kyoto University.
(4) JSTFair2015, 2015/8/27 -2015/8/28, Tokyo BIGSIGHT.
(5) ICT innovation forum 2015, 2015/10/7, Makuhari Messe.
2.7

Patent(1) Masahiro Kasuya, Hiroshi Yokoi, Ryu Kato, Myoelectric signal pattern recognition using
time-series data and myoelectric prosthetic hand. The University of Electro-Communications,
Meltin MMI Co., Ltd., patent application No. 2015-212840, 2015/10/29.
(2) Hiroshi Yokoi, Yousuke Fuyama, Probe holder, The University of Electro-Communications, patentapplication No. 2015-188245, 2015/09/25.
(3) Hiroshi Yokoi, Hesong Ye, Soichiro Morishita, Shintaro Sakoda, Motor driven hand, The
University of Electro-Communications, patent application, No. 2015-165296, 2015/08/24.
(4) Hiroshi Yokoi, Yinlai Jiang, Yoshiko Yabuki, Shintaro Sakoda, Kazunari Tanahashi, Kazumasa
Tanahashi, Interface parts, interface devices, and assistance device, The University ofElectro-Communications, Tanac Co., Ltd. patent application No. 2015-163683，2015/08/21.
(5) Takeshi Akiba, Hiroshi Yokoi, Electrical stimulation device, Training apparatus, and Electricalstimulation method, System Instruments, Co., Ltd, The University of Electro-Communications,
PCT/JP2014/069429， 2014/07/23，WO2016/013067，2016/01/28.
(6) Hiroshi Yokoi, Masahiro Ishihara, Pinch mechanism utilizing residual function of finger, patentapplication No. 2014-022903, 2014/02/08, patent publication No. 2015-146998，2015/08/20.
(7) Hiroshi Yokoi, Masahiro Ishihara, Kenji Hirai, Pinch mechanism utilizing residual function ofpalm, patent application No. 2014-019858, 2014/02/04, patent publication No. 2015-146839，
2015/08/20.
(8) Yuki Sato, Minako Suzuki, Hiroshi Yokoi, Ryu Kato, Tatsuhiro Nakamura, Electrical stimulation
system and measurement system, patent application No. 2013-259481, 2013/12/16, patentpublication No. 2014-133123，2014/07/24.
2.8

Awards(1) Yinlai Jiang. Japan Society for Fuzzy Theory and Intelligent Informatics, Encouragement Award,
2013.
2.9

Student guidance(1) Masahiro Kasuya, 2015, Doctor (Engineering).
(2) Suguru Hoshikawa, 2015, Master (Engineering).
(3) Yusuke Yamanoi, 2015, Master (Engineering).
(4) Shintaro Sakoda, 2015, Master (Engineering).
(5) Yuta Suzuki, 2015, Bachelor (Engineering).
(6) Naoyuki Tani, 2015, Bachelor (Engineering).

35

(7) Xiang Feng, 2015, Bachelor (Engineering).
(8) Yutaro Hiyoshi, 2015, Bachelor (Engineering).
(9) Keita Kimura, 2014, Bachelor (Engineering).
(10) Rintaro Kamihira, 2014, Bachelor (Engineering).
(11) Mai Nozakura, 2014, Bachelor (Engineering).
(12) Takeru Tohgane, 2014, Bachelor (Engineering).
(13) Yuki Sato, 2014, Master (Engineering).
(14) Daiki Suzuki, 2014, Master (Engineering).
(15) Syunsuke Takazawa, 2014, Master (Engineering).
(16) Xu yong, 2014, Master (Engineering).
(17) Taruki Takashi, 2013, Bachelor (Engineering).
(18) Chida, 2013, Bachelor (Engineering).
(19) Minako Suzuki, 2013, Master (Engineering).
(20) Keita Tanaka, 2013, Master (Engineering).

2.10

Visits by overseas researchers and students(1) Dianchun Bai, Development of an intelligent robot arm with interactive-tendon-driven mechanism.
(2) Dingguo Zhang, Substitution and assistance of body functions with myoelectric prosthetic handand functional electrical stimulation.
(3) Xiaoxiao Zhu, Environment measurement for autonomous running robots. 2015.11.23-2015.11.28(4) Qixin Cao, Weidong Chen, Life support robots, 2015.6.30-2015.7.3.
(5) Baoliang lu

Emotion Recognition and Driving Fatigue Detection from EEG.

(6) Xin Li, Wentao Sun, Haotian She (Students of Prof. Qiang Huang of Beijing Institute ofTechnology), Practical applications of simplified myoelectric prosthetic hand.2015.6.7-2015.8.28.
(7) 10 students of Prof. Feng Duan of Nankai University, Life Support Technologies based on
Electrophysiology, 2016.2.26-2016.3.6.
2.11 Study abroad programs for students(1) Rintaro Kamihira, Strathclyde University, 9.2015 -2.2016.

3. Research funding
3. 1

Grant-in-aid for scientific research(1) Hiroshi Yokoi (representative), Development of human-machine coadaptation technology inducing
brain adaption,

Scientific Research (A), 2013/4/1～2016/3/31, total: 45630 Kyen.

(2) Hiroshi Yokoi (representative), The derivative of muscle fatigue with respect to electromyography
and functional electrical stimulation to quicken functional recovery, 2012/4/1～2015/3/31, 2012:
1430Kyen(3)

2013: 1430Kyen

Hiroshi Yokoi (joint leader),2014: 1040 Kyen.
Holon Embedded Self-propagating Instructional System,
36

Challenging Exploratory Research, 2011/4/28～2014/3/31, 2011: 1820 Kyen 2012: 1300 Kyen
2013: 65 0Kyen.
(4)

Hiroshi Yokoi (joint leader),Research and development of integrative tactile sense architecture,

Scientific Research (A), 2010/4/1/～2014/3/31, total: 44070 Kyen.
(5)

Yinlai Jiang (representative),

Construction and application of the psychologicalneurophysiological model involved in the recognition of fragmentary words, Grant-in-Aid forYoung Scientists (B), 2013/4/1～2016/3/31, total: 4,030 Kyen.
3.2

Competitive external research funding(1) Hiroshi Yokoi (representative), Research and development of movement and sensation reproduction
using input type BMI electrical stimulation, Ministry of Internal affairs and Communications(SCOPE),2012-2014, 15,918,500 yen.
(2) Hiroshi Yokoi (representative), Development and commercial distribution of 5 digit myoelectric
prosthesis for children and infants, Japan Science and Technology Agency (A-step), 2012-2016,
44,230,000 yen.
(3) Hiroshi Yokoi (representative), Integrated research and development of BMI utilizing Japanesestrengths (development of technology for input and output type devices and examination of cranial
nerve ethics for the purposes of BMI), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology,2012-2017, 25,600,000 yen.

4. Collaborators
4.1

Outside UEC(1) Development of multi-channel electrical stimulation device for neural rehabilitation, with System
Instruments Co. Ltd, private enterprise. November 1st 2014-March 31st 2017.
(2) Development of myoelectric prosthesis, with Meltin MMI, private enterprise. March 1 st
2015-February 28th 2017.
(3) Development of imitation organs for medical use reproducing multilayer structure and sensationof body tissue, and development of multi-layer gel used for imitation body tissue in robotic hands,
with Issou Tanabashi at Tanac Ltd. (private enterprise). April 2013-March 2015.

5. Outreach activities
5.1

Editor of academic journals(1)Yinlai Jiang, Journal of Advanced Computational Intelligence and Intelligent Informatics, editorial
member，Mar., 2016 ～.
(2) Yinlai Jiang, Journal of Japan Society fuzzy Theory and Intelligent Informatics, editorial member,
Sep., 2015～.
37

Takuji KOIKE Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1

Basic Policy in Research and Education

In the modern society, the importance of capability to process multimedia
information has been increasing each day. Particularly, the reduced ability related to
information exchange through hearing has impaired not only physical wellness but also mental
health. It also brings disadvantage to disabled individuals and even the society surrounding
them. Thus, prevention of hearing loss, effective treatments, and construction of an inclusive
society are the most important issues in the modern society.
The auditory system consists of the external ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear(cochlea). The cochlea is filled with lymph fluid, and the sensory cells exist on the basilar
membrane which divides the cochlear duct. Sounds travelling through the air are converted
into the vibration of the lymph fluid and perceived by the sensory cells. The middle ear serves
as an impedance matching device between the air and the lymph fluid and effectively transmits
the sound energy to the cochlea. The auditory ossicles are supported in the tympanic cavity byligaments and tendons to make them easier to vibrate. However, if these ligaments and tendons
are pathologically ossified, the ossicular vibration is restricted, and conductive hearing loss
occurs. In addition, if the cochlear functions and the auditory nerve functions are impaired, thesensorineural hearing loss occurs.

Figure 1

Researches in audiology
38

The relationships between changes in the ossicular vibration and healing loss have not been
fully clarified, because the most of the part of the auditory system exists intracranially and theossicular vibration is of the nanometer order. Hence, we have investigated the mechanisms ofauditory disorders and the methods for treatments collaborating with neighboring medical
institutes and hospitals. The topics are as follows: Modelling of the auditory systems; clarification of the vibration of the auditory peripheryand its pathological changes, and development of the effective methods for treatment.
 Development of implantable bone conduction hearing aid; Hi-Fi and minimally invasive
devices for better QOL.
 Development of surgery assisting apparatus; measurements of ossicular mobility during
surgery.
1.2

Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)(1) Modelling of the auditory systems
This research is intended to clarify the mechanisms of hearing disorders which are difficult
to identify through conventional clinical research and specimens and to develop bettermethods of treatments. Numerical cochlear models in which the active motilities of the outerhair cells are considered have been constructed. Simulations were performed using the models,
and the vibrations of the lymph liquid and basilar membrane in the cochlea were analyzed.
Through the simulations, the transmission mechanisms in the peripheral auditory systems havebeen clarified. As clinical applications, the mechanisms of hearing losses caused byotosclerosis and endolymphatic hydrops were investigated. In addition, the optimal design of acochlear implant was explored, and the effects of the length and insert position of the electrodeof the cochlear implant on residual hearing were investigated. Two papers summarizing theseresults have been invited to medical congresses.
(2) Development of implantable bone conduction hearing aid
A prototype of the bone-conduction hearing aid was created. This device consists of an external unit
and an internal unit, and Giant Magnetostrictive Material is used as the vibrator installed into theinternal unit. By improving the design of the vibrator and the method of transdermal signaltransmission, the device showed higher efficiency comparing with the existing bone-conduction
hearing aid. This result provides a prospect of practical use of the new implantable bone-conduction
hearing aid. We have already obtained a patent on its basic specifications and work with a company
toward practical use of the new hearing aid.
(3) Development of surgery assisting apparatus
An apparatus for measuring ossicular mobility has been developed, and the ossicular mobility inpatients has been measured during tympanoplasty. The compliances in patients with ossicular fixation
were significantly different from those in normal subjects, and the ossicular mobility can be39quantitatively evaluated based on the compliance. These results suggest that the apparatus enables
selection of the optimal method of surgery, improvement of treatment results, and reduction ofreoperation ratio.

We have started commercialization of the apparatus with a medical devicecompany and neighboring hospitals.
1.3

Future Plan

With regard to the modeling of the auditory system, we have tried to construct network models of ionicflux at the hair cells, the organ of Corti, gap junctions, the spiral ligaments, and the stria vascularis. By
coupling them to the cochlear model, the mechanoelectrical transduction in the cochlea will be clarified.
We will also advance the development of the implantable hearing aid and the apparatus for measuring
ossicular mobility toward commercialization.

2. Research Achievements
2.1 Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](1) Takuji Koike, Hideyuki Mochizuki, Tasuku Sakashita (2013), Modeling of the cochlea and its
clinical applications, The Auditory Research Meeting Sponsored by the Technical Committee of
Psychological and Physiological Acoustics, 43(3), 207-211. (in Japanese)(2) Takuji Koike (2013), Simulation of vibration of mammalian auditory periphery, Biological Science,65(2), 75-81. (in Japanese)(3) Tsukasa Ito, Hideyuki Mochizuki, Tomoo Watanabe, Toshinori Kubota, Takatoshi Furukawa,Takuji Koike, Seiji Kakehata (2014), Safety of Ultrasonic Bone Curette in Ear Surgery by
Measuring Skull Bone Vibrations, Otology & Neurotology, 35(4), e135-9.
2.2 Invited lectures
1. Takuji Koike: Medicine and engineering collaborative researches in ENT area, The 28th EHA,
Ehime, Matsuyama, March 6 (2016).
2. Takuji Koike: Transfer functions of normal and pathologic middle ears - theoretical analysis -,International Symposium on Middle-Ear Mechanics in Research and Minimally Invasive Otology,
Beijing, China, April 20-21 (2013).
3. Takuji Koike, Eri Tanaka, Naoki Hayashi, Takuya Hashimoto, Sho Kanzaki, Naohito Hato,
Development of semi-implantable bone-conduction hearing aid using giant magnetostrictive
material, The 4th Japan-Switzerland Workshop on Biomechanics, Sept. 1-4, Shima, Mie, Japan(2014).
2.3 Patent
Koike et al., EMBEDDED AUDIPHONE, United States Patent, Patent No. 8,520,867, Date of PatentAug. 27,2013.
40

2.4 Awards
Eri Tanaka (student), JSME Fellow Prize, 2015
2.5 Student guidance
Kouta Kuroda, 2016, Bachelor.
Miho Sato, 2016, Bachelor.
Zhao Yan, 2016, Bachelor.
Yamato Murakami, 2016, Bachelor.
Yuta Yoshimura, 2016, Bachelor.
Naoki Hayashi, 2016, Master.
Atuko Murakoshi, 2016, Master.

3. Research funding
3.1 Grant-in-aid for scientific research
Takuji Koike, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), 2013-2015.
Takuji Koike, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), 2013-2017.
Takuji Koike, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), 2014.
3.2 Competitive external research funding
Takuji Koike, Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program, 2014-2018.

4. Collaborators
4.1 Outside UEC
Katsuhisa Ikeda, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jyuntendo University.
Naohito Hato, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ehime University.
Sho Kanzaki, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Keio University.

5. Outreach activities
5.1 Editor of academic journals(1) Journal of Biomechanical Science and Engineering, 2 years.
5.2 Paper review of academic journals(1) Applied Bionics and Biomechanics、1 year.
(2) Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine、1 year.
(3) Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine、1 year.
41Hidetaka OKADA Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1

Basic Policy in Research and Education

The organs of our body such as a locomotive system and a cardiorespiratory system produce physicalmovement as a consequence of their functional activities. In our laboratory, we are studying basic
human movement to obtain new findings that can be useful for maintenance of the activities of dailyliving (ADL) or the coaching of athletes.
We are mainly analyzing human movements mechanically. Specifically we are describing thekinematics of each body segment during physical movements and calculating internal forces such as
joint torques by using inverse dynamics method (Figure 1).
Based on these biomechanical analyses, it is possible to develop a new training method to achieve
superior motor skills and to evaluate the degree of aging of basic human movements.
In the education, I hope to bring up a talented person contributing to the society and the affluent life ofindividuals based on scientific knowledge and techniques. I want students to acquire a basic knowledgeof engineering and to cultivate practical ability to conduct the research in the biomechanical area.
However, I think that it is more important to learn problem solving procedures acquired through aprocess of pursuit of studies, to feel a surge of creativity emerging from repetitive deep considerations,

Construction of rigid-link model

Kinematics
Displacement of center of mass，segment
angle，joint angular velocity.…etc.

HeadShoulderNeck

Upper arm
Elbow

Forearm
Wrist

hand

Trunk
Hip

Thigh

Knee

Shank

Ankle

Foot

Inverse dynamics
Segment i+1ai

αi
Force platform

Mid
rid

Fip
rip Mip

Segment i
mi･g

Fid

Kinetics

Segment i-1
Fid + Fip + mi･ g = mi･ ai

Joint torque, joint torque power, work
done by joint …etc.

Mid + Mip + rid×Fid + rip×Fip = Ii･αi

Figure 1 Outline of motion analysis
42and to build a spirit of teamwork through the collaboration with colleagues, because these experiences
will be certainly utilized in the future in any studies, business or daily lives.
1.2

Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)

I conducted three study themes. The summary is as follows:(1) Gait motion analysis and application
Accomplishing activities of daily living (ADL) is essential to maintain the quality of life (QOL). Thisis particularly important in our country which reached super aged society. The locomotion can beconsidered as the base on carrying out various activities of the life. Walking ability and gait motion
change with the aging as the result of changes in various physical functions. It is important and needsof society to clarify the changes and to consider the strategy for the maintenance or improvement of thewalking ability and the gait motion.
We analyzed the gait motion for 294 adult males and females and it was clarified that with aging step
length was decreased, three lower limb joints showed more flexed position during one gait cycle, work
done by the lower limb joints and the contributions changed, and these changes with aging showed thedifferences between the sexes.
(2) Investigation into the motor skills of athletes
We conducted the kinematic analysis for the baseball pitching and the basic motion of Aikido and theclarified the characteristics of skilled athletes.
In the study of baseball pitching, we analyzed the kinematics of the trunk for the professional pitchers.
From the results of the analysis it was suggested that the particularly superior pitcher raised the twist of
the trunk by shorten the step length and used the rotatory interlocking of the waist and the shoulders.
In the study of Aikido, we analyzed the “Tenkan” movement that is one of the basic motions in Aikido
and clarified the differences of motion by the level of skill. It was suggested that the persons withadvanced skills decreased the lowering of center of gravity during the first half of the rotation in
Tenkan and rotated about the narrow area of the sole by fixing the ankle joint.
(3) Body segment inertial parameters for top athletes
In the motion analysis, body segment inertial parameters (BSP) are necessary to calculate the center ofgravity of whole body and kinetics such as joint torque and angular momentum. BSP is the generalterm of the mass, the position of center of mass, and the moment of inertia for each body segment.
Knowing the BSP for top athletes seems to contribute the grasping the morphological characteristics ofvarious athletic events. Furthermore, calculating the BSP for an athlete who is a subject of the motion
analysis precisely contributes the improvement of accuracy of the motion analysis.
We calculated the BSP precisely for 683 Japanese top athletes by using 3D scanner and 3D CAD andshowed the mean values for various athletic events. Using these values it became possible to analyze
the center of gravity and kinetics for athletes more accurately.
43

1.3

Future Plan

We are going to proceed with the above three themes.
About the gait motion analysis, we want to calculate the standard value in each generation of Japanese
adult men and women based on the data collected so far. In addition, based on the standard aging
change, we want to examine the evaluation method of the aging degree of the gait motion.
About the study on the skill of athletes, we are planning to examine the determinants of runningeconomy during the distance running from the view point of kinematics and kinetics.
About the study on the BSP, we attained certain results. We want to classify the morphology and to seeka method to estimate the BSP from simple anthropometric measures in future.

2.

Research Achievements

2.1

Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](1) Yokozawa, T., Tsujimura, R., Kubo, Y., Takahashi, H., and Okada, H. (2016) Body segment inertial
parameters for Japanese elite athletes in various competitive events. Japanese Journal of Elite Sports
Support, 8:11-27. (in Japanese)(2) Saito, M., Iteya, M., Okada, H., Yanagisawa, H., Saito, S., Masuchi, C., Okada, H., and Kimura, M.
(2015) Characteristics of power exertions of the pushing movement in Judo. Bulletin of the
Association for the Scientific Studies on Judo, Kodokan, 15:83-93. (in Japanese)(3) Kikkawa, K., Okada, H., and Oishi, R. (2014) Age-associated changes of walking parameters inJapanese adult women. Rejuvenation Research, 17(2): 229-234.
(4) Kikkawa, K., Okada, H., Mori, T., and Kanamaru, J. Longitudinal development of motor ability andphysical fitness among high school Aikidoist. Japanese Journal of Human Growth and Development
Research, 59:20-26. (in Japanese)

2.2 Book or Book Chapter(1) Miyanishi, T., Okada, H., and Fujii, N. (2016) Sports Biomechanics, Kagaku-Dojin Publishing
Company,INC, Kyoto. (in Japanese)(2) Nagasawa, J., Tsurugano, S., Tanaka, K., Okada, H., Kano, Y., Ando, S., Fukasawa, K., Ohkawara,
K., and Kurotani, K. (2016) Health theory for undergraduate student. Douwashoin Publishing
Company, Tokyo. (in Japanese)

2.3 Non-refereed articles or translation(1) Okada, H. (2013) How to run correctly - thinking running form-, Running World, 16:72-81. (inJapanese)(2) Kano, Y., Enomoto, Y., Chubachi, S., and Okada, H. (2013) Thinking two-hour marathon, Journalof Running Science, 24( 2): 19-42. (in Japanese)(3) Okada, H. (2013) Skip-run RUN! Run-eco UP! Strength exercise, Runners, Sept.2013, 20. (inJapanese)442.4

Awards(1) Kurita, S., Okada, H. 5th Conference of the Asia Society of Sport Biomechanics Excellent Oral
Paper Award, 2014.
2.5

Student guidance(1) Kurita, S., 2016, Master of Engineering(2) Etoh, K., 2015, Master of Engineering(3)

Ueda, S., 2016, Bachelor of Engineering(4)

Shiihara, A., 2016, Bachelor of Engineering(5) Kuratomi, H., 2016, Bachelor of Engineering(6)

Yamagishi, D., 2016, Bachelor of Engineering(7) Wakiyama, K., 2016, Bachelor of Engineering(8)

Arai, S., 2015, Bachelor of Engineering(9)

Hannya, R., 2015, Bachelor of Engineering(10) Yabiku, S., 2015, Bachelor of Engineering(11) Uemura, H., 2014, Bachelor of Engineering(12) Otabe, K., 2014, Bachelor of Engineering(13) Kurita, S., 2014, Bachelor of Engineering

3. Research funding
3.1 Grant-in-aid for scientific research(1) Okada, H.（Principal Investigator）, Comprehensive study on the lower extremity motions andmuscle activities during distance running, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), Fiscal Year
2012-2014, ¥ 5,330,000.
(2) Okada, H.（Co-Investigator）, Study on changes in coherence of the technical factors with themastering of the aikido skill (Principal Investigator: Kikkawa, K.）, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific
Research (C), Fiscal Year 2013-2015, ¥ 150,000.
(3) Okada, H. （ Co-Investigator ） , Development of the next-generation strength/power training
assessment (Principal Investigator: Zushi, K.）, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Fiscal Year2013-2015, ¥ 200,000.
3.2

Competitive external research funding(1) Okada, H.（Principal Investigator）, Body segment inertial properties of elite athletes in various
competitive events, The Japan Science Society Overseas Presentation Promotion Aid, Fiscal Year2013, ¥ 293,000.

45

4. Collaborators
4.1 Outside UEC(1) Okada, H., University of Tsukuba, Study on development of a special strength training appliancespecialized in Judo, Fiscal Year 2010-2015.

5. Outreach activities
5.1

Paper review of academic journals(1) The Japan Journal of Coaching Studies, 2013-2014.
(2) Human Factors, 2013.
(3) Japanese Journal of Biomechanics in Sports and Exercise, 2015.
(4) Journal of Running Science, 2013, 2015.
(5) Japan Journal of Physical Education, Health and Sport Sciences, 2014-2015.
5.2

Other outreach activities(1) Chofu Sports Promotion Council, vice-chairperson (2013-).
(2) Japan Association of Athletic Federations Spread Nurturing Committee, member (2013-).

46

Yoshiki KASHIMORI Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1 Basic Policy in Research and Education
Research
We study the neural mechanisms of information processing in sensory systems such as visual, auditory,
gustatory, and electrosensory systems. Our approach is based on modeling and simulation studies. In ourstudy, we adopt two viewpoints of the brain systems, as shown in Fig. 1. One is a viewpoint of a system,
providing the idea that the brain is a complex system consisting of feedforward and feedback flows of
information. Another is a viewpoint of the dynamic system, providing the intriguing idea that dynamic
properties of neuronal ensembles have crucial roles in sensory coding and memory formation. With the two
viewpoints, we are working on modeling studies on the neural mechanisms of sensory perception andrecognition.
Education
Under my mentorship, 5 graduate students took master’s degrees in 2013~2015. I would like to continue toguide graduate school students who can play an active part in the research field of computational
neuroscience.

Fig.1 The strategy of our work47

1.2 Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)
We have so far obtained four results about three sensory systems. A first one is on the visual system. An
experimental study of neural activity in the primate inferior temporal (IT) cortex has reported that stimuli offace objects elicited neural activities that were more strongly correlated than stimuli of non-face objects. To
investigate the neural mechanism of the strong correlations, we developed a neural model of the visualsystem that contains inferior temporal cortex and V4 (Fig. 2). Using the model, we explored the neuralmechanism underlying the correlated responses of IT neurons to face objects, and showed the mechanism of
how IT neurons create semantic information of objects. Second is on the auditory systems. Sound stimuli
evoke spatiotemporal activities of neurons in the primary auditory cortex (A1). However, it remains unclear
what kind of information is represented in the spatiotemporal activities. To address this issue, we developed
a 3-layered network model that consists of A1 and 2 higher areas (Fig. 3). Using an attractor model, we
showed the neural mechanism of how spatiotemporal activities of A1 are transformed to semantic phonemes
and words. Furthermore, in our study of bat’s auditory systems, we proposed the neural mechanism bywhich inferior colliculus neurons are phase-locked to sinusoidal-amplitude modulations of sounds. Third is
on taste perception. Taste perception is significantly affected by other sensory modalities such as vision,
smell, and somatosensation. Such taste sensation elicited by integrating gustatory and other sensory
information is referred to as flavor. We developed network models of the primary gustatory cortex (GC) andorbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and presented the neural mechanism of how flavor emerges from the interaction
between GC and OFC.
These results demonstrated in our studies of the visual, auditory, and gustatory systems

indicate theimportance of the viewpoints of system-level dynamical modeling to obtain better understandings of
sensory processing in the brain.

Fig. 2 The model of IT network

Fig.3 The model of auditory system

1.3 Future Plan
Brain rhythms have crucial roles in the gating of sensory information and enhancement of neuronal
responses to stimulus features relevant to behaviors. Interareal interactions, mediated by slower oscillations

48

such as alpha and beta rhythms, have a pivotal role in gating sensory information relevant to behaviors. In
contrast, intracortical interactions, mediated by faster oscillations such as gamma rhythm, are involved in
representation of sensory information. However, how the brain rhythms contribute to sensory processing andrecognition is poorly understood. To address this issue, we study top-down influence on V1 responses inperceptual learning. The top-down influence may be mediated by the brain rhythms. We will explore theneural mechanism by which task-relevant information is gated by top-down signals and multiple brain
oscillations. We will also explore the functional roles of rhythmic oscillations in auditory and taste
perception. Furthermore, we have a project on the study in electrosensory systems (Grant-in-aid for scientificresearch). Electrosensory systems have simpler circuit structures compared with those in visual and auditory
systems, and the sensory coding of electrosensory systems is well-defined. Therefore, they provide an ideal
system for studying sensory processing mechanism by means of a large-scale parallel computing method
such as GPGPU computing. Using GPGPU, we will study the geometry of electric field around a fish andsensory processing mechanism of central nervous systems.

2. Research Achievements
2. 1 Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](1) Takahiro Shimemura, Kazuhisa Fujita, Yoshiki Kashimori (2016). A neural mechanism of taste
perception modulated by odor information. Chemical Senses. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjw062(2) Kazuhisa Fujita and Yoshiki Kashimori (2016). Neural mechanism of corticofugal modulation of tuning
property in frequency domain of bat's auditory system. Neural Processing Letters, 43:537-551(3) Takayuki Kato, Kazuhisa Fujita, and Yoshiki Kashimori (2015). A neural mechanism of phase-locked
responses to sinusoidally amplitude-modulated signals in the inferior colliculus. BioSystems, 134, 24-36(4) Kazuhisa Fujita, Yusuke Hara, Yoichi Suzukawa, Yoshiki Kashimori (2014). Decoding word informationfrom spatiotemporal activity of sensory neurons. Cognitive Computation, 6:145-157(5) Yuichiro Yamada,Yoshiki Kashimori (2013) Neural mechanism of dynamic responses of neurons in
inferior temporal cortex in face perception. Cognitive Neurodynamics, 7:23-38

2.2 Book or Book Chapter
Yoshiki Kashimori, Chap.4-29, In: Researchers teach you animal experimentation Vol. 2. - Neurons andmuscles -. Kyoritsu-Syuppan (2015)

2.3 Invited lectures
Yoshiki Kashimori, Dynamic coding of sensory processing and memory. The 39th Annual meeting of theJapan Neuroscience Society, Symposium:Theoretical and experimental approach for the brain function(Kobe, July 2015)

2.4

Student guidance(2013-2015)49

(1) bachelors
Shun Okuno, 2015
Kenji Takei, 2015
Kohei Yoshino, 2015
Ryo Tani, 2015
Hatsuho Aoshima, 2014
Takashi Iida, 2014
Yuki Abe, 2014
Koya Onodera, 2014
Koh Yonekura, 2013
Akira Takazawa, 2013
Takahiro Shimemura, 2013
Yuto Fukada, 2013
(2) Master’s degree:
Noboru Aita, 2013
Shunsuke Matsuoka, 2013
Takayuki Kato, 2013
Akikazu Kamiyama, 2014
Takahiro Shimemura, 2015

3. Research funding
3.1 Grant-in-aid for scientific research
Yoshiki Kashimori ( Research leader). A theoretical study aimed at the system-level understanding of
information processing mechanism of electrosensory systems. Scientific research (C), 2015-2017,
4,420,000 yen

4. Collaborators
4.1 Outside UEC
Kazuhisa Fujita, Tsuyama National College of Technology, Cooperation researcher ofscientific research (see subsection 3.1)

5. Outreach activities
5.1. Editor of academic journals
Cognitive Neurodynamics,

2006~

50

5.2. Paper review of academic journals
Cognitive Neurodynamics, May. 2015
Cognitive Neurodynamics, Oct. 2014
Cognitive Neurodynamics, Sep. 201351

Yutaka KANO Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1

Basic Policy in Research and Education
The loss of the muscle mass associated with non-active state such aging, bedridden or metabolic

disease (ex. diabetes) is a risk factor to be connected directly with Quality of Life (QOL) or health life
expectancy. However, adequate understanding is not obtained about the mechanism of the myocytes
adaptation to maintain muscle mass. This laboratory performs physiological analysis about biologicalresponse for various bio-stimulation (stress) in the locomotorium (skeletal muscle). The results ofresearch in our laboratory were demonstrated by in vivo bioimaging that we originally developed in therodent (rat, mouse) model. This research model attracts attention as the research model which isevaluable in intracellular molecules dynamics in real time by a living individual. The exercise acts on awhole body as combined vital stress. This stress is classified roughly into endogenous (including the
growth hormone) and exogenous (mechanical, hypoxia, heat) factors. Our research elucidates that thesevital stress factors change cytoplasmic ion balance and oxygen dynamics. The change of intracellularvarious ions and oxygen is important for elucidating an adaptation phenomenon of the skeletal muscle
fibers. Therefore, such basic research contributes to the development of effective prophylaxis for themuscle atrophy by bedridden/aging and development of the training method to maintain muscle mass.
1.2

Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)
Recently, we focus on calcium ion (Ca2+) dynamics. In a role of the Ca2+ in myocytes, the best

known function is regulation of the excitation-contraction coupling (muscle contraction and relaxation).
This system is famous as control mechanism clarified by the Japanese researchers led by Ebashi et al. at
the 1960s. In addition, the Ca2+ in the cytoplasm performs an important function as a signal substance toregulate various cellular adaptations. For example, in vitro (ex vivo) experiments such as culture cells
show that the Ca2+ contributes to protein synthesis (mTOR pathway) and breakdowns (calpains
pathway). In vital stress such as exercise, heat and hypoxia, we elucidated the Ca 2+ pathway which
flowed in cytoplasm from the cellular outside by in vivo model. The Ca2+ flows in intracellularly fromthe cellular outside through ion channel (stretch-activated channels: SAC) of the plasma membrane. We
evidenced that the pharmacologic inhibition of the channel suppressed Ca2+ influx. Also, there are sex
differences in Ca2+ influx, and the Ca2+ inflow in female is restricted than male rats. In humans, men
have larger induction degree of the muscle damage than female. It may be the factor that the difference
in inflow of the Ca2+ occurs with sex differences of the muscle damage. Also, the diabetes status
induces cytoplasmic Ca2+ accumulation during muscle contractions. It is expected that the muscle
atrophy to progress by diabetes is associated with the failure of the Ca2+ homeostasis.
Also, using in vivo model, we work on elucidating the oxygen partial pressure dynamics of
myocytes by the oxygen quenching method. In particular, we focus on the balance of oxygen supply
and consumption as the biological system. AMP kinase (AMPK) activated by AMP due to muscle
contractions contributes to cellular energy homeostasis (i.e. activity to keep a fixed ATP as the energy
52source in cells). We elucidated that AMPK takes the role as an oxygen sensor contributing to balance ofoxygen supply and the consumption.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1- (PGC-1 ) is a factor to
regulate a gene promoting mitochondria and a capillary development. It was reported that muscle
endurance ability drastically improves the mouse which overexpressed PGC-1  in skeletal muscle. We
elucidated improvement of the oxygen utilization with the mitochondria in this model mouse. These
results show that mitochondrial oxygen utilization potential is determinant of the endurance
performance.
Our laboratory applied the in vivo bioimaging method to skeletal muscle and built themeasurement model that could evaluate intracellular substance dynamics with live individual. This
research technique is major advantage in physiology research.
1.3

Future Plan
Currently, two research projects progress, 1: the new development of the Ca 2+ evaluation

procedure, 2: the evaluation of post-exercise Ca2+ dynamics. The new bioimaging method combined
laser microscope (2 photon and photothermal) with the in vivo model (Sonobe et al. 2008,2010, Eshima
et al. 2013, 2015), and it is the highest system in the biology field (top efficiency of temporal, spatial
resolution). As a result, in addition to Ca2+ dynamics in cytoplasm, this method can evaluate Ca2+
dynamics with the endoplasmic reticulum - mitochondria simultaneously under in vivo environment.
This is the first in vivo animal experiment model highlighting regulatory mechanism of the Ca 2+ at anorganelle level in myocytes.

2. Research Achievements
2.1

Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](1) Yoshinori Tanaka, Tadakatsu Inagaki, David C. Poole and Yutaka Kano. pH buffering of single rat
skeletal muscle fibers in the in vivo environment. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2016
Mar in press. IF 3.529(2) Kohei Yamakoshi, Kazuyoshi Yagishita, Hirotsugu Tsuchimochi, Tadakatsu Inagaki, Mikiyasu
Shirai, David C Poole and Yutaka Kano. Microvascular oxygen partial pressure during hyperbaric
oxygen in diabetic rat skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2015 Dec
15;309(12): R1512-20. IF 3.529(3) Yoshinori Tanaka, David C. Poole and Yutaka Kano. pH homeostasis in contracting and recoveringskeletal muscle: Integrated function of the microcirculation with the interstitium and intramyocyte
milieu. Curr Top Med Chem. 2015, in press IF 3.402(4) Mizuki Sudo, Soichi Ando, David C. Poole and Yutaka Kano. Blood flow restriction prevents
muscle damage but not protein synthesis signaling following eccentric contractions. Physiol Rep.
2015 Jul;3(7). pii: e12449.
(5) Hiroaki Eshima, David C. Poole, and Yutaka Kano. In vivo Ca2+ buffering capacity and53

microvascular oxygen pressures following muscle contractions in diabetic rat skeletal muscles:
fiber-type specific effects. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2015 Jul 15;309(2): R128-37.
IF 3.529(6) Hiroaki Eshima, David C. Poole, and Yutaka Kano. In vivo calcium regulation in diabetic skeletal
muscle. Cell Calcium. 2014 Nov;56(5): 381-9. IF 3.513(7) Yutaka Kano, Shinji Miura, Hiroaki Eshima, Osamu Ezaki and David C. Poole. The effects of
PGC-1α on control of microvascular PO2 kinetics following onset of muscle contractions. J Appl
Physiol (1985). 2014 Jul 15;117(2): 163-70. IF 3.434(8) Hiroaki Eshima, Yoshinori Tanaka, Takashi Sonobe, Tadakatsu Inagaki, Toshiaki Nakajima, David
C. Poole, and Yutaka Kano. In vivo imaging of intracellular Ca2+ after muscle contractions anddirect Ca2+ injection in rat skeletal muscle in diabetes. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol.
2013 Sep 15;305(6): R610-8. IF 3.529(9) Yutaka Kano and Kunihiro Sakuma. Effect of aging on the relationship between capillary supply
and muscle fiber size. Adv. Aging Res. 2: 37-42, 2013.
(10)Tomonobu Sakurai, Osamu Kashimura, Yutaka Kano, Hideki Ohno, Li Li Ji, Tetsuya Izawa,Thomas M. Best. Role of nitric oxide in muscle regeneration following eccentric muscle
contractions in rat skeletal muscle. J Physiol Sci. 2013 Jul;63(4): 263-70. IF 1.899
2.2 Book or Book Chapter(1) Multi-authored textbook, Exercise physiology 20 schemes, In Japanese, Asakura Publishing Co.,
Ltd. 2015(2) Multi-authored textbook, Health theory for university students, In Japanese, Douwa Publishing Co.,
Ltd. 2016
2.3 Non-refereed articles or translation(1) Yutaka Kano and Yoshinori Tanaka, Adaptation of the skeletal muscle microcirculation for HIT,
Journal of health, physical education and recreation, 63(9): 695－700,2013, in Japanese
2.4 Invited lectures(1) Yutaka Kano. Muscle damage and the intracellular calcium ion caused by the eccentric contraction.
Japanese Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, Tokyo (2013,3)(2) Yutaka Kano．Microcirculation blood flow and oxygen partial pressure dynamics during exercise.
Japan Society of Exercise and Sports Physiology, Saitama (2013,7)(3)

Yutaka Kano．The myofunctional evaluation by the bioimaging and the application. Medical
Innovation Forum, Tokyo (2013,7)(4) Yutaka Kano. Capillary remodeling and exercise program of the skeletal muscle. Japanese Societyof Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, Tokyo (2013,9)
2.5 Student guidance54

(1) Takuya Saito, Hirotaka Kono, Mario Wakizaka. 2013 Bachelor (engineering)(2)

Saiichiro Koide. 2013, Master (engineering)(3) Masatoshi Kanazawa, Naoki Inoue, Naoki Shintani, TakuroMashio, Shunsuke Nogami. 2014
Bachelor (engineering)(4) Tomosada Ishiguro, Kohei Ymakoshi. 2014 Master (engineering)(5) Hiroaki Eshima. 2014 Doctor (science)(6) Masao Koizumi, Koji Hatakeyama, Aiko Watanabe. 2015 Bachelor (engineering)(7) Mario Wakizaka. 2015 Master (engineering)

3. Research funding
3.1 Grant-in-aid for scientific research(1) Yutaka Kano (representative), Visualization of the mitochondrial behavior for the oxygen
environment in myocytes, Grant-in-Aid for challenging Exploratory Research, 2013-2014,
3,770,000 yen(2) Yutaka Kano (representative), Change of the muscle fiber type as the multinucleate cell,
Grant-in-Aid for challenging Exploratory Research, 2015-2016, 3,770,000 yen(3) Yutaka Kano (representative), Importance of postexercise calcium ion dynamics to determine theadaptation of myocytes Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), 2016-2019, 17,030,000 yen
3.2

Competitive external research funding(1) Yutaka Kano (representative), The effects of Intracellular calcium ion and exercise stress on skeletal
muscle size, The Uehara Memorial Foundation, 2013, 5,000,000 yen(2) Yutaka Kano (representative), Cytoplasm calcium ion dynamics are determined for muscle damage
and the muscle hypertrophy for the strength training, The Nakatomi Foundation, 2015,
1,500,000yen

4. Collaborators
4.1 Inside BLSC
Hidetaka Okada, Evaluation musculotendinous composition by the high speed camera, 2013-present
4.2 Outside BLSC in UEC
Takayoshi Kobayashi, Development of the bioimaging method with the high-powered laser,
Advanced Ultrafast Laser Research Center, 2015-present
4.3

Outside UEC(1) Shinji Miura, University of Shizuoka, Myofunctional evaluation using the PGC1 model mouse,
2013-present55

(2) Toshiaki Nakajima, Dokkyo medical college Hospital heart center, Development of thepressurization load method to maintain skeletal muscle mass, 2013-present(3) Mikiyasu Shirai, Hirotsugu Tsuchimochi, Tadakatsu Inagaki, Department of Cardiac Physiology,
National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Evaluation of cardiovascular
dynamics under the hyperbaric hyperoxia environment, 2013-present(4) Kazuyoshi Yagishita, Clinical Center for Sports Medicine and Sports Dentistry, Hyperbaric
Medical Center/Sports Medicine Clinical Center, Medical Hospital of Tokyo Medical and Dental
University, Evaluation of cardiovascular dynamics under the hyperbaric hyperoxia environment,
2013-present(5) David C. Poole, Kansas state university College of veterinary medicine, Microcirculation andskeletal muscle function, 2003-present

5. Outreach activities
5.1

Paper review of academic journals(1) Biotechnic & Histochemistry, 2013
(2) BioMed Research International, 2014
(3) Cardiology, 2014
(4) European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2014
(5) The Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, 2014
(6) Journal of Training Science for Exercise and Sport, 2014
(7) Age, 2015(8) Journal of Applied Physiology, 2015(9) PLOS ONE, 2015(10) Journal of Running Science, 2015
5.2

External review board(1) Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 2013-2015
5.3

Thesis jury member in other universities(1) Tatsuya Yamada, Kanazawa University, 2015.1.27(2) Eri Ishizawa, Kanazawa University, 2015.1.27(3) Ronald D. Ray Hamidie, Kanazawa University, 2015.8.3

56

Hayaru SHOUNO Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1 Basic Policy in Research and Education
Our research objective is to contribute to medical application using various techniques in the artificial
intelligence such as deep learning, sparse modeling and Bayesian inference. In recent years, our main
research field has becoming important in the medical image application, lung disease detection,
classification, noise reducing in medical image, PET or CT image reconstruction and so on. We solve these
problems in simple principles such as the forward and inverse models. The following figure shows aschematic diagram of our model. In this model, we assume that the observation data y comes from some
hidden components x through the model described by the conditional probability p(y | x). So when we infer
the hidden components x from the observed data y, we should consider the inverse model p(x | y). In eachforward and inverse model, we apply some machine learning techniques. For example, considering theclassification task of lung disease, we should extract several effective components from the image data andevaluate the efficacy of each component.

1.2 Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)(1) Classification of Diffuse Lung Disease with Deep Convolution Neural Network
Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) are inspired from the vision system. The DCNN shows good57

performance for the classification task in the field of computer vision and machine learning. The DCNN is akind of multi layer neural network that can learn feature representation from the large amount of training
data. However, in the field of the medical imaging, the acquisition cost of large amount of data is high since
it requires diagnosed labels. A small number of the training data for the DCNN sometimes lead toover-training. In these years, we introduced the DCNN, which is trained with large amount of natural image
data, for the initial state of the novel medical image recognition task. The recognition task is to classify the
diffuse lung diseases (DLD) on High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). We compare DCNNs withtraining of 1) DLD HRCT images only, 2) natural images only, and 3) DLD HRCT images + natural images.
In the result, we show the results of 3) performs 80.04% accuracy, which is the best classification results
among those features. Moreover, the results of 2), that performs 75.78%, is just better than that of the case1) that is 74.13%. Thus, we conclude the pre-matured initial state is important for such novel patternclassification.

(2) Image reconstruction under the low dose observation
We treat an image restoration problem with a Poisson noise channel using a Bayesian framework. In the lowdose observation, the photon count variable obeys the Poisson process. Thus, the Poisson randomness might
be appeared in observation of low contrast object in the field of imaging. The noise observation is often hardto treat in a theoretical analysis. In our formulation, we interpret the observation through the Poisson noisechannel as likelihood, and evaluate the bound of it with a Gaussian function using a latent variable method.
We then introduce a Gaussian Markov random field (GMRF) as the prior for the Bayesian approach, andderive the posterior as a Gaussian distribution. The latent parameters in the likelihood and thehyperparameter in the GMRF prior could be treated as hidden parameters, so that, we propose an algorithm
to infer them in the expectation maximization (EM) framework using loopy belief propagation (LBP). We
confirm the ability of our algorithm in the computer simulation, and compare it with the results of otherimage restoration frameworks.

1.3 Future Plan
In our future plan, we integrate the component techniques into a system. In the next step we analyze thefeature in the DCNN, and design the effective feature. Currently, it is hard understand what is happened in
the DCNN, so that interpretation of the representation in the DCNN is important task for understand thehidden components. Moreover, our application for small database system might be applicable for anotherfield application. Thus, we are going to try to analyze some other field.
We also apply image restoration task for real application. Now we are going to apply the noise reduction
method into a positron emission tomography (PET) image reconstruction. The PET image is noisy and clear
image is desired for diagnosis.

58

2. Research Achievements
2. 1 Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](1) Li, Yibing, Fu, Qiang, Ye, Fang, Hayaru Shouno, Dark channel prior based blurred image restoration
method using total variation and morphology, Journal of Systems Engineering and Electronics, No.4,
pp.177-184 (2015).
(2) Hayaru Shouno, Bayesian Restoration for Poisson Corrupted Image using a Latent Variational
Method with Gaussian MRF, IPSJ Transactions on Mathematical Modeling and Its Applications, Vol.8(1), pp.62-71 (2015).
(3) Yoshinori Ohno, Kenji Nagata, Hayaru Shouno, Masato Okada. Distribution estimation of
hyperparameters in Markov random field models, Journal of Physics A: Mathematical Theoretical 47,
045001 (2014).
(4) Hiroaki Sasaki, Michael U. Gutmann, Hayaru Shouno, Aapo Hyvärinen. Correlated Topographic
Analysis: Estimating an Ordering of Correlated Components. Machine Learning, 92: 285-317 (2013).
(5) Y. Arakaki, H.Shouno, K. Takahashi, T.Morie. A hierarchical extension of the HOG model implemented in
the convolutional-net for human detection, IPSJ Transactions on Mathematical Modeling and Its Applications,Vol. 5(3), pp.54-62 (2013).
2.2 Invited lectures(1) (invited talk) The 11th Asia-Pacific Conference on Vision APCV 2015, Diffuse Lung Disease
Pattern Recognition with Deep Convolutional Neural Network, Jul.11, 2015, Singapore(2) (invited talk) International Symposium on Object Vision in Human, Monkey, and Machine, Noveltexture classification with Deep Convolution Neural Network-Evaluation with Lung CT Images-,
Nov. 6, 2015
2.3 Student guidance
Number of undergraduate/Graduate Students
2013 6 Bachelors, 1 Master2014 4 Bachelors, 2 Masters
2015 6 Bachelors, 1 Master
2.4 Visit of oversea researchers and students
2015 2 short-term exchange students
2014 2 short-term exchange students

3. Research funding
3.1 Grant-in-aid for scientific research
Grand-in-aid for scientific research (C) 25330285: 2013-2015
Grand-in-aid for scientific research on Innovative areas 26120515: 2014-2015
Grand-in-aid for scientific research on Innovative areas 21103008: 2009-2014
59

4. Collaborators
4.1 Outside UEC
Shoji Kido, Yamaguchi University
Masato Okada, University of Tokyo
Muneyuki Sakata, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology
Yuichi Kimura, Kinki University
Tomohisa Okada, Kyoto University
Kazuyuki Hara, Nihon University
Kunihiko Fukushima, Fuzzy logic system instituteSeiji Miyoshi, Kansai University

5. Outreach activities
5.1 Editor of academic journals
2012-2014, Associate Editor,IPSJ Transactions on Mathematical Modeling and Its Applications
5.2 Paper review of academic journals
IEICE Transactions on Systems and Information, Neural Networks

60Shigeru TANAKA Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1 Basic Policy in Research and Education
In aged societies like Japan, there are inevitably many elderly people who have some deficit in thehigher cognitive functions. To suppress the increase in the number of such people and in national healthcare expenditure, we must urgently develop low-cost technologies that support preventive medicine.
However, we have little knowledge, if any, about how the brain works for higher cognitive functions, whichmakes it difficult to develop efficient and useful technologies to ensure the quality of life of those people.
On the other hand, recently the technology of artificial intelligence (AI) has been advocated to be a key
technology for data mining, pattern recognition and the internet of things (IoT). The theoretical basis of theartificial intelligence is the so-called computational intelligence based on the neural network models inwhich deep learning and sparse coding are implemented. To develop further the AI akin to humanity, weneed to learn more about how the brain processes a huge amount of information every second to makedecisions to perform adequate actions in an adequate timing in response to environmental changes. This
laboratory is engaged in investigating the underlying mechanisms of how the brain works. One of my major
research targets is to obtain a better understanding of developmental mechanisms of the functionalarchitecture that represents visual information, as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 Examples of theoretical studies of visual information representation

61

Another major research target is the modeling of working memory. The Baddeley’s conceptual modelof working memory is composed of phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad, episodic buffer and central
executive that is a supervisory system and controls the information flow. This model has been widely
accepted for further neuropsychological studies of working memory. However, the central executive in themodel may be regarded as the so-called homunculus that is somewhere inside the brain and governs all
brain functions. The a priori assumption of the central executive results in an infinite regress. To avoid theinfinite regress in the working memory model, I study the neural correlate of the central executive forworking memory, which is exactly a core of thinking such as reasoning, reflection, planning and scheduling.

Fig. 2 Construction of working memory model with biological bases
The laboratory had no students during the pertinent period. Hereafter, I describes only the research
aspects of achievements.

1.2 Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)(1) Self-organization of feature representation in the visual cortex
I conducted simulations with collaborators outside of UEC based on my mathematical model of theactivity-dependent self-organization of afferent inputs from the lateral geniculate body to layer 4 of the
primary visual cortex and afferent inputs from layer 4 to layer 2/3. We successfully reproduced
spatiotemporal receptive fields of not only simple cells in layer 4 but also complex cells in layer 2/3. We
also obtained orientation, direction and retinotopic maps, which were juxtaposed between layer 4 and layer
2/3, suggesting the formation of columnar organization. Geometrical and topological structures in thesimulated maps were found in cat visual cortical maps reconstructed by intrinsic signal optical imaging.
Then, assuming the probabilistic connectivity among nearby excitatory neurons in the visual cortex,
we conducted simulations based on the same model. When the value of connection probability p is greaterthan 0.1, orientation maps with regular arrangement were obtained. In contrast, when the value of p is less62

than 0.1, orientation maps were disrupted, despite individual model neurons responsive to visual stimuli
exhibited orientation and direction selectivity. About 20% of neurons in the model visual cortex were
unresponsive to visual stimuli. It was also found that simulated orientation representations were notjuxtaposed between layer 4 and layer 2/3, suggesting the absence of orientation columns. All theseproperties of feature representations closely resembled those observed in the rodent visual cortex by using
the two-photon microscopic calcium imaging. Taken together, simulations of our model suggest that lateral
excitatory connections are sparser in the rodent visual cortex than in the cat visual cortex.
To understand how the single parameter p can control the qualitative properties of orientation
representation as stated above, I analyzed a 2D XY spin model derived from the simplification of ouroriginal self-organization model. Applying the so-called replica trick and the mean-field approximation to
the simplified model, I obtained a phase diagram of orientation representation. The phase diagram indicatedthat a phase transition between the orderly map phase and the random and frozen representation phaseoccurs at small p values, where the two phases correspond to the ferromagnetic phase and the spin glass
phase in the XY spin system.
In my previous job, I had been exposed kittens to single orientations restrictedly through cylindricallens-fitted head-mount goggles during critical period, and I found that the representation of the exposedorientation occupied larger cortical territory than the representation of the other orientations. To reveal
mathematically how the over-representation of the exposed orientation takes place and what determines thesensitivity profile for orientation plasticity in early life, with my collaborator, I carried out simulations of
the same self-organization model for the same simulation steps, for which a model animal is exposed to asingle orientation, changing only the starting step of single-orientation exposure. The simulations
reproduced the experience-dependent reorganization of orientation maps observed in goggle-reared kittens.
The sensitivity for orientation plasticity was defined by the ratio in the area of cortical territory representing
the exposed orientation to the area of territory representing the other neurons. We obtained a sensitivity
profile for orientation selectivity, which was similar to that observed in intrinsic signal optical imaging in
the visual cortex of the goggle-reared kittens. These simulation results suggest that the critical period fororientation plasticity can be determined by sharpness in orientation selectivity rather than the timing of theexpression and/or disappearance of functional proteins regulating synaptic plasticity.
Having gained a lot of achievements, as mentioned above, the laboratory is currently in a phase of
publishing papers as many as possible.
(2) Mathematical modeling of working memory
I have previously built a network model that correctly works for a working memory task, 1-2-AX task
taking into account global networks between the cerebral cortex and subcortical structure such as basal
ganglia and thalamus. Particularly, neuron models of medium spiny neurons in the striatum, which show
bi-stability in the resting membrane potential, were incorporated in the network model. A working memory
model is required to store temporally a sequence of previous actions in a task performance until thesequence is judged to be adequate for getting some reward. Unfortunately, it was found to be difficult forthe model to store any sequence of actions flexibly. This flaw in the modeling led me to the skepticism

63

about the widely believed doctrine – Only neurons processes information, whereas glial cells simply support
the survival of neurons without being involved in information processing. However, recently many reports
have been accumulated on the presence of intimate neuron-glia communications and synaptic plasticity
mediated by these cell-cell communications. Such new findings suggest that various brain functions emerge
from not only neuronal networks but also more complicated networks among neurons and astrocytes withtripartite synapses. I postulated a hypothesis that for reinforcement learning of sequential actions, astrocytes
preserve neuronal activity patterns with the elevation of intracellular calcium concentration persisting forthe time of the order of several seconds. According to this hypothesis, currently I am struggling to build amathematical model of learning rules of tripartite synapses, which I believe to become a building blockindispensable for a biologically plausible working memory model.

1.3 Future PlanFirst of all, based on our theoretical studies of the visual cortex, I attempt to construct a general framework
for the activity-dependent self-organization of neural networks. Specifically, I will build mathematicalmodels of the reorganization of neural circuits associated with the performance of working memory tasks,
taking into account biological findings about tripartite synapses. The central executive for working memory
coordinates neural activities among different brain regions, each of which is related to sensory perception,
motor control, cognition、 emotion, or some other functions. Its action is thought to emerge from the
dynamics of neuron-astrocyte networks under the regulation of neuromodulators such as acetylcholine,
dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, which are secreted from the basal forebrain and midbrain nuclei
depending on awareness, vigilance, reward and emotion. Towards the construction of a unified theory of
sensory, motor and cognitive functions of the brain, I will be devoted to modeling of the central executive forworking memory, and thereby get rid of a nuisance in the conceptual model of working memory, thehomunculus. We will also explore clues for the prevention and medication for psychiatric diseases.
So far this laboratory had no UEC students, and most of research has been conducted collaboratingwith outside research institutes. In the near future, I will make effort to educate and collaborate with students
assigned to the laboratory to obtain some research achievements.

2. Research Achievements
2.1 Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](1) Sasaki KS, Kimura R, Ninomiya T, Tabuchi Y, Tanaka H, Fukui M, Asada1 YC, Arai T, Inagaki M,
Nakazono T, Baba M, Kato D, Nishimoto S, Sanada TM, Tani T, Imamura K, Tanaka S, Ohzawa I. (2015)
Supranormal orientation selectivity of visual neurons in orientation-restricted animals. Scientific Reports
10.1038/srep16712.
(2) Yamazaki T, Nagao S, Lennon W, Tanaka S. (2015) Modeling memory consolidation during posttraining
periods in cerebellovestibular learning. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 112 (11): 3541–3546.
(3) Takahata T, Miyashita M, Tanaka S, Kaas JH. (2014) Identification of ocular dominance domains in New
World owl monkeys by immediate-early gene expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111 (11): 4297-4302.

64

2.2 Non-refereed articles or translation(1) Tanaka S. Activity-dependent self-organization: Mammalian mind mapping. International Innovation(Research Media) 131: 27-29, 2014.

2.3 Invited lectures(1) Tanaka S. Essay of unsolved questions about the self-organization of the primary visual cortex. Seminarat Miyakawa laboratory, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences. 2016, Feb. 9.
(2) Tanaka S. Neuroscience using big data. Megurokai Smart Technology Forum, 2014, Sep. 18.
(3) Tanaka S. Orientation columns revisited: Visual experience, critical period, difference in species.
Physiological research symposium “Toward understanding of visual perception – physiological,
psychophysical and computational exploration. Okazaki Conference Center, Natural Science
Organization, National Institute of Natural Sciences. 2013, Sep. 12-13.

3. Research funding
3.1 Grant-in-aid for scientific research(1) Shigeru Tanaka （PI）fMRI study for the understanding of sound symbolism and common sense.
Challenging Exploratory Research, 2014-2016, 3,370,000 yen.
(2) Shigeru Tanaka (CI) Understanding of complementary motor learning with multiple plasticity sites
distributed in the cerebellum. Scientific Research (C), 2014-2016, 5,070,000 yen.
(3) Shigeru Tanaka（CI）Mathematical modeling study of visual information decoding. Scientific Research(C), 2013-2015, 5,200,000 yen.
(4) Shigeru Tanaka（CI）Simulations of brain functions based on computational learning theory. Scientific
Research (B), 2011-2013, 19,110,000 yen.

4. Collaborators
4.1 Inside BLSC
(1) Tadashi Yamazaki, Understanding of complementary motor learning with multiple plasticity sites
distributed in the cerebellum. 2013-present.

4.2 Outside BLSC in UEC(1) Masaki Hisano, fMRI study for the understanding of sound symbolism and common sense.
2014-present.

4.3 Outside UEC(1) Masanobu Miyashita, National College of Technology, Self-organization of visual corticalinformation representation. 2006-present.
(2) Toru Takahata, Zhejiang University, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology

65

(ZIINT)（National university）, Comparative study of monkey visual cortex using immediate earlygene expression. 2012-present.
(3) Jerome Ribot, Visual cortical map representation in cats. 2009-present.
(4) Tomoki Fukai, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Brain representation of subjective impressions basedon sound symbolism. 2014-present.

5. Outreach activities
5.1 Editor of academic journals(1) ISRN Neuroscience, 2012-present(2) Science Postprint, 2013-present(3) NeuroInformatics, 2004-2014

5.2 Paper review of academic journals(1) IEICE Transactions on Fundamentals of Electronics, Communications and Computer Sciences Aug-Sep.
2013.
(2) Journal of Eye and Brain Dec. 2013.
(3) Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience June-July, 2014.
(4) PLoS Computational Biology March-July, 2015.
(5) International Journal of Neural System Nov. 2015-March, 2016.
(6) Neuroscience Letters Dec. 2015.

5.3 Other outreach activities(1) Lectures in high schools
Tokyo Metropolitan Showa High School, Oct. 9, 2015.
Tokyo Metropolitan Mitaka Secondary High School, June 17, 2015.
Tokyo Metropolitan Sumidagawa High School, Nov. 5, 2014.
Ono Gakuen Woman’s High School, Oct. 25, 2014.
Nihonbashi Jogakkan High School, Oct. 8, 2014.
Tokyo Metropolitan ChofuKita High School, Sep. 24, 2014.
Tokyo Metropolitan Mitaka Secondary High School, Nov. 28, 2013.
Oomachi High School in Nagano Prefecture, Nov. 20, 2013.
Shukutoku High School, Oct. 24, 2013.
Tokyo Metropolitan Showa High School, July. 18, 2013.

66

Haruki NIWA Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1. Basic Policy in Research and Education
Research
1) Study of the molecular basis of bioluminescence systems
Bioluminescence is a phenomenon of light emission from organisms. In the bioluminescence reaction, asubstrate (luciferin) is oxidized with the aid of an enzyme (luciferase). Light is emitted from the oxidized
molecule (oxyluciferin) when it undergoes a transition from an excited state to the ground state (Figs. 1 and
2).

Fig. 1 Bioluminescence reaction in the fireflyFig. 2 Bioluminescence reaction in the sea firefly (Umihotaru in Japanese)

67

There are many luminescent organisms, although not all luciferins have been identified. Among those, we
are investigating the molecular structures of luciferins of the luminous fungus Mycena chlorophos(Yakoutake in Japanese) and the sea fireworm Odontosyllis undecimdonta (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3 Mycena chlorophos (Yakoutake) (left) and sea fireworm Odontosyllis undecimdonta (right)2) Development of new luminescent materials inspired by bioluminescence systems
The chemical nature and luminescence property of luciferins, and the corresponding oxyluciferins, give us
valuable inspiration for developing unprecedented luminescent materials with useful electronic properties forapplication in various luminescence devices. Based on the structures of the sea firefly and luminescentjellyfish luciferins, and their corresponding oxyluciferins, we have developed new luminescent materials.
3) Development of firefly bioluminescent substrate for bioimaging of deep site phenomena
Bioimaging with the use of the firefly bioluminescence system is widely used as the standard imaging
technology in bioscience for the visualization of various biological phenomena. The wavelength of fireflybioluminescence is around 570 nm (yellow-green). Light emission in the near-infrared (IR) region(“biological window”) is highly tissue-permeable and thus optimal for the visualization of deep site
phenomena. However, there is no practical substrate of such nature. Therefore, we have developed apractical firefly bioluminescence substrate that emits light in the near-IR region.

4) Development of a noninvasive pulmonary aspiration detection system utilizing highly
tissue-permeable near-IR region (“biological window”) light
One of the main causes of death among the elderly is pneumonia. More than 90% of pneumonia cases in theelderly are due to pulmonary aspiration. The detection of pulmonary aspiration is therefore very important inpreventing aspiration pneumonia. However, there is no practical equipment for easily detecting pulmonary
aspiration at home. We therefore have developed a noninvasive, simple aspiration detection system utilizing
highly tissue-permeable near-IR region (“biological window”) light.

Education1) Design of a hands-on course for graduate school students
One of the aims of Brain Science Inspired Life Support Research Center (BLSC) activities is to nurture
innovative human resources that engage in the development of new interdisciplinary technology and respondto the needs of the medicine and welfare fields by understanding the plasticity of the central nervous system.
We have designed a curriculum for a hands-on training course in which students can take part in68

graduate-level experiments in a variety of related fields.
2) Design of a hands-on training course for high school students
As part of the outreach activities of BLSC, we designed a hands-on training course for high school students
to experience the forefront of research in life support and brain science.

1.2. Achievements and State of Progress (April 2013 – March 2016)
Research
1) Study on molecular basis of bioluminescence systems
No significant progress has been made on the isolation and structure determination of luciferins of luminous
fungus (Fig.3, left) and sea fireworm Odontosyllis undecimdonta (Fig. 3, right).

2) Development of new luminescent materials inspired by luciferin structures(1) Chemiluminescent properties of 6,8-diaryl-2-methylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3(7H)-ones were investigated(Fig. 4.; reviewed paper No. 3). The chemiluminescence maxima of the compounds were in the range of513–553 nm with a bathochromic shift that increased with the electron-withdrawing character of thesubstituent R.

Fig. 4. Chemiluminescence spectra of 6,8-diaryl-2-methylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3(7H)-ones(2) Substituent effects on the fluorescence properties of thiazolo[4,5-b]pyrazine derivatives (TPys) were
investigated (Fig. 5.; reviewed paper No. 4). TPys were readily prepared from the corresponding
amidopyrazines by reaction with Lawesson’s reagent. Introduction of electron-donating groups onto the2-phenyl moiety of the TPys derivatives increased the fluorescence yield and appearance of solvatochromic
character.

Fig. 5. New fluorophores inspired from the structureof sea firefly oxyluciferin(3) Newly designed diphenylthiazolo[4,5-b]pyrazines based on sea firefly oxyluciferin structure weresynthesized, and the fluorescence properties were investigated (Fig. 6.; reviewed paper No. 5). 2,6-diphenyl
derivatives emitted fluoresce more efficiently than 2,5-diphenyl derivatives. Furthermore, a 2,6-diphenyl69derivative with an additional cyano group on the 2-phenyl ring was found to be an excellent fluorophorepossessing strong solvatochromic properties with high fluorescence efficiency.

.

Fig. 6. Fluorescence efficiency of Diphenylthiazolo[4,5-b]pyrazine(4) New fluorescence substances, BF2 complexes of N-(5-phenyl-2-pyrazinyl)pivalamide and its derivatives
based on sea firefly structure, were prepared. The prepared BF2 complexes show fluorescence in solution
and in the solid state. The spectroscopic properties were studied by crystal structures and density functional
theory calculations. The present work would provide guidance for designing BF2 complexes ofamidopyrazines that exhibit solid-state fluorescence (Fig. 7.; reviewed paper No. 6).

Fig. 7. Fluorescence properties of BF2 complexes of N-(5-phenyl-2-pyrazinyl)pivalamide and its derivatives
in the solid state3) Development of a firefly bioluminescent substrate for bioimaging of deep site phenomena
Based on a series of structure–activity relationship studies, we were able to develop a practical fireflybioluminescence substrate for the first time in the world, which emits maximally a near-IR (“biological
window”) light suitable for deep site visualization (Fig. 8; reviewed papers No. 1 and 2). The developed
substrate was found to be more effective for deep site bioimaging than natural firefly D-luciferin (D-LH2)(Fig. 9). The near-IR light emissive substance was marketed as AkaLumine® and will become a powerfultool for the visualization of deep site phenomena of experimental animals in regenerative medicine andcancer treatment research.

Fig. 8. Bioluminescence maxima of luciferin analogs

70

D-luciferin

AkaLumine

D-luciferin
λmax(in vitro) 570 nm

AkaLuminea near infrared light eｍmisive
luciferin analog
developed at UEC

λmax(in vitro) 675 nm

0.１

X10７

３.0

Fig. 9. Bioluminescence imaging of subcutaneous tumor expressing firefly luciferase after injection of
AkaLumine or D-luciferin (0.1 mL of 0.5 mM solution). AkaLumine (right) is more effective for deepsite imaging than D-luciferin (left). Photos by Takahiro Kuchimaru and Shinae Kizaka-Kondoh (Graduate
School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology).
4) Development of a noninvasive pulmonary aspiration detection system utilizing highly
tissue-permeable light in the near-IR region (“biological window”)
Joint research into the development of a simple noninvasive pulmonary aspiration detection system utilizing
highly tissue-permeable near-IR light began with collaboration between Dr. Yukihiro Michiwaki (Japanese
Red Cross Musashino Hospital), Professor Yukio Yamada, Assistant Professor Shojiro Maki, and AssistantProfessor Soichiro Morishita.
Education1) Design of a hands-on training course for graduate school students(1) Activity in 2013:
A curriculum of a hands-on training course for graduate school students was designed through collaboration
with Professor Yukio Yamada and Assistant Professor Soichiro Morishita. The following 14 experiments
were designed by the Center members. A detailed experiment manual was prepared by a researcher who
proposed each subject (manual authors and responsible instructors shown in parentheses).
1. Organic synthesis and instrumental analysis of firefly bioluminescence substrate (Haruki Niwa)
2. Measurement of firefly bioluminescence (Haruki Niwa)
3. Luminescence imaging (Yukio Yamada)
4. Practice of brain–machine interfaces by the analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) (Soichiro
Morishita)
5. Brain activity and body movement measurements from players during a board game such as the Japanesegame shogi (Soichiro Morishita)
6. Measurement and analysis of human motion by means of an optical motion capture system (Hidetaka
Okada)
7. Measurement of auditory brainstem response (ABR) (Takuji Koike)71

8. Measurement of distortion otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) (Takuji Koike)
9. Measurement of muscle fatigue and motor unit (motor nerves, muscle fibers) function (Yutaka Kano)
10. Functional mapping of human brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)(Yoichi Miyawaki)
11. An exercise assistance system using an electrical stimulation device (Hiroshi Yokoi, Soichiro Morishita)
12. Rapid prototyping of experimental equipment using a three-dimensional (3D) printer (Hiroshi Yokoi,
Soichiro Morishita)
13. Control of external devices by electromyogram (EMG) processing (Hiroshi Yokoi, Soichiro Morishita)
14. Basics of visual psychophysical experiments (Yoichi Miyawaki)(2) Activity in 2014:
Based on the experimental manual, the feasibility of the hands-on training course was tested under thecooperation of several student monitors. Each subject was prepared as a 2-day training course, which
consisted of a lecture and experiment for 3 hours a day. After an instructor explained the subject backgroundand experimental procedure (1–2 school hours), course students carried out laboratory work under theguidance of the instructor and a teaching assistant. Each subject of the training course was held twice fornine months.
Under the present educational system at the graduate level, students have no opportunity to experiencelaboratory work on some subjects unrelated to their own major. This hands-on training course is an
unprecedented, unique attempt, in that graduate students are able to experience advanced research in areas
outside of their own major. This is expected to be very inspiring for them, strongly stimulate their intellectual
curiosity, and broaden the scientific views. Actually, according to the post-training reports of the monitor
students, it was found that they were fully satisfied with the content of the hands-on training course. We areconvinced that the experience of the hands-on training course will lower a hurdle to the cooperation andcollaboration with people who work in different areas.
(3) Activity in 2015:
The laboratory manual of the hands-on training course was improved by the revision of descriptions of theindividual contents.

Also, we added a new laboratory work content “Three-dimensional imaging with laser

scanning fluorescence microscopy” designed by Professor Kazuto Masamoto.

1.3. Future Plans
Research
1) Development of a firefly bioluminescent substrate for the bioimaging of deep site phenomena
Currently, the bioluminescence brightness and water solubility of the newly developed, near-IR lightemissive substrate AkaLumine remain unsatisfactory. We will continue the development of the brightening
and water-soluble substrates.

722) Development of a noninvasive pulmonary aspiration detection system utilizing highly
tissue-permeable near-IR region (“biological window”) light
We will develop a noninvasive, pulmonary aspiration detection system utilizing highly tissue-permeable
near-IR region (“biological window”) light.
Education
We will continue to develop content for a hands-on training course for UEC graduate school students. We
will hold BLSC Spring School for high school students with the new topics.

2. Research Achievements
2. 1. Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4]
1.

Satoshi Iwano, Rika Obata, Chihiro Miura, Masahiro Kiyama, Kazutoshi Hama, Mitsuhiro Nakamura,

Yoshiharu Amano, Satoshi Kojima, Takashi Hirano, Shojiro Maki, and Haruki Niwa. Development of simple
firefly luciferin analogs emitting blue, green, red, and near-infrared biological window. Tetrahedron, Vol. 69,
No. 19, 3847-3856 (2013).
2.

Chihiro Miura, Masahiro Kiyama, Satoshi Iwano, Kazuto Ito, Rika Obata, Takashi Hirano, Shojiro

Maki, and Haruki Niwa. Synthesis and luminescence properties of biphenyl-type firefly luciferin analogs
with a new, near-infrared light-emitting bioluminophore. Tetrahedron, Vol. 69, No. 46, 9726-9734 (2013).
3.

Ryota Saito, Takashi Hirano, Shojiro Maki, Haruki Niwa. Synthesis and chemiluminescent propertiesof 6,8-diaryl-2-methylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3(7H)-ones: Systematic investigation of substituent effect atpara-position of phenyl group at 8-position. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A: Chemistry, Vol. 293, 12-25 (2014).
4.

Tatsuki Nakagawa, Minoru Yamaji, Shojiro Maki, Haruki Niwa, and Takashi Hirano. Substituent

effects on fluorescence properties of thiazolo[4,5-b]pyrazine derivatives. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., Vol. 13,
No. 12, 1765-1772 (2014).
5.

Tatsuki Nakagawa, Minoru Yamaji, Shojiro Maki, Haruki Niwa, and Takashi Hirano. Fluorescence

properties of diphenylthiazolo[4,5-b]pyrazines tuned by donor-acceptor substituent effects. Photochem.
Photobiol., Vol. 91, No. 4, 807-813 (2015).
6.

Sojiro Hachiya, Daisuke Hashizume, Hiroshi Ikeda, Minoru Yamaji, Shojiro Maki, Haruki Niwa, andTakashi Hirano. Spectroscopic properties of BF2 complexes of N-(5-phenyl-2-pyrazinyl) pivalamides
exhibiting fluorescence in solution and solid state. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A: Chemistry, in press.
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2015.10.014)

2.2

Patent(1) Patent Number: P5464311：Luminescent substrate for firefly luciferase
Inventors：Shojiro Maki, Satoshi Kojima, Haruki Niwa
Applicant：University of Electro-Communications
Date of registration：2014.１.31(2) Patent: P5550035：The wavelength-controlled luminescence substrate for firefly luciferase, and the73preparation method
Inventors：Shojiro Maki, Satoshi Kojima, Haruki Niwa
Applicant：University of Electro-Communications
Date of registration：2014/05/30(3) Patent Application: P2013-097755：New Salts with hydrogen chloride
Inventors：Shojiro Maki, Haruki Niwa.
Applicant：University of Electro-Communications
Date of application ：2013/05/07.
Publication of the application：P2014-218456 (2014/11/20)(4) Patent application: P2013-198998 New heterocyclic compounds, the salts of those, and thebioluminescent contents containing those.
Inventors：Shojiro Maki, Haruki Niwa.
Applicant：University of Electro-Communications
Date of application：2013/09/25.
Publication of the application：P2015-193584 (2015/11/05)

4. Collaborators
4.1 Inside BLSC
(1) Professor Yukio Yamada and Assistant Professor Soichiro Morishira:Development of non-invasive pulmonary aspiration detection system utilizing high tissue-permeable
near infrared region (biological window) light (~2015).

4.2 Outside BLSC in UEC(1) Assistant Professor Shojiro Maki (Department of Engineering Science , Graduate School of Informatics
and Engineering):
Development of non-invasive pulmonary aspiration detection system utilizing a high tissue-permeable
near infrared region (biological window) light (~2015).

4.3 Outside UEC(1) Dr. Yukihiro Michiwaki (Japanese Red Cross Musashino Hospital):
Development of non-invasive pulmonary aspiration detection system utilizing a high tissue-permeable
near infrared region (biological window) light (~2015).

5. Outreach activities
5.1 Paper review of academic journals(1) Tetrahedron745.2 Other outreach activities(1) Part-time lecturer of Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Toho University (inDecember, 2015).

75

Yukio YAMADA Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1

Basic Policy in Research and Education

The major research topics are medical and biological measurements using near infrared light, such as(1) diffuse optical tomography (DOT) for imaging blood oxygenation and blood volume based on nearinfrared spectroscopy (NIRS), (2) optical mapping (or optical topography) for imaging brain function
based on NIRS, (3) fluorescence tomography for imaging the distribution of fluorophore concentration
inside bodies, (4) noninvasive and continuous measurement of blood glucose contents (BGC) using
NIRS and (5) detection of aspiration by the use of fluorescence in the near infrared wavelength range.
In addition, as an industrial application of NIRS (6) noncontact measurement of temperature andconcentration distributions of aqueous solutions in a microchannel is being examined. Summaries of theabove research topics are described below.
(1) Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT)The near infrared wavelength range from about 700 nm to1200 nm is called as the biological optical window because lightin the wavelength range is weakly absorbed by biological tissue,
and it is possible to detect the light scattered and absorbed bytissue with the thickness of about 10 cm. Utilizing thischaracteristics of weak absorption of the near infrared light bytissue, DOT has been developed to obtain tomographic images oftissue or organs of the size larger than a few centimeters. DOT
reconstructs the image of the absorption properties of the tissue
for the near infrared light, and the reconstructed absorption
images are converted to tomographic images of physiologicalinformation of the changes in blood statuses such as theconcentrations of oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobins and blood volume.
In contrast to X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) where
X-ray propagates straight in bodies, near infrared light does notpropagate straight but is strongly scattered by tissue. Therefore,
the algorithm of image reconstruction for X-ray CT cannot be

Fig. 1 (Top) Photo of DOT measurement

applied to DOT, and other algorithms are needed to be developed,

at a forearm, and (Bottom) DOT image

which are in the category of the inverse problem based on theshowing

equation of light propagation in biological tissue. For solving thedeoxy-hemoglobin concentration due toforward problem in the inverse problem, in this research, we study

theincreaseinthethe muscle activity in the forearm.

the methods to solve the radiative transfer equation and the photon diffusion equation describing lightpropagation in tissue as well as Monte Carlo methods statistically reproducing light propagation. Figure
1 shows a photo of DOT measurement for investigation of the muscle activity in the forearm during76

hand gripping (top), and the DOT image which reveals the increase in the deoxy-hemoglobin
concentration by 100 M due to the muscle activity (bottom). DOT imaging has also been applied tosuccessfully show the change in the oxygenation status in the head of a premature infant.
(2) Optical mapping (Optical topography)
Optical mapping images the changes in the blood status in the brain using NIRS as DOT does, butcannot obtain tomographic images. Optical mapping simply maps the 2D distribution of the lightintensities which are detected at multiple positions on the head surface after the source light is irradiatedon the head surface, propagates through the brain surface, and is reemitted from the head surface.
Although the mapping images reflect the changes in the blood status caused by the brain activity,interpretation of the images needs careful understanding of the phenomena occurring inside the headbecause the images are affected by various factors such as the spatial variation of the skull thickness,and the change in the blood volume (or blood flow) in the skin. In this research, the effects of thevarious factors on the mapping images are quantitatively investigated by numerical simulations. Figure
2 indicates that the increase in the skull thickness from 5 mm to 10 mm significantly changes the
mapping image while the brain activity remains the same.

Fig. 2 Illustration of optical mapping with ● and ○ indicating the positions of the sources and detectors, respectively(left panel, courtesy of Hitachi Ltd.). Simulated optical mapping images for the skull thickness of 5 mm and 10 mm,
respectively (middle and right panels).

(3) Fluorescence tomography
As an application of DOT, fluorescence tomography is developed to image the distribution offluorophore concentration inside a body. When a body contains fluorophore which emits fluorescence inthe near infrared wavelength range, it is possible to obtain a tomographic images of the fluorophore
concentration by measuring the fluorescence light emitted from the body surface. This technology is
expected to be used mainly for small animals in the development of new drugs for early diagnosis ofbreast cancers, and so on. Figure 3 shows a result of fluorescence tomography depicting theconcentration distribution of the fluorophore (Indocyaninegreen, ICG) embedded under the skin of amouse in our in vivo experiment.

77

Fluorophore
Fig. 3 Experiment of fluorescence
tomography. (Left) Arrangement of
the probes and a mouse with an

Mouse

embeddedfluorophore(Indocyaninegreen,

ICG)

for

fluorescence tomography. (Right)
The obtained tomographic imageof the ICG concentration.

(4) Noninvasive measurement of blood glucose contents (BGC) by NIRS
If the conventional method of BGC measurement using blood sampling with painful finger pricking
is replaced by a noninvasive measurement method, pains experienced by diabetes patients will begreatly alleviated. However, the development of noninvasive measurement of BGC is very difficult andstill unsuccessful even after a few tens of years so far. The purpose of this research is to develop anoninvasive measurement method of BGC using NIRS. The most frequently used method in the pastutilized multivariate analyses to build calibration functions from simultaneously measured BGC andspectra of reflected light at the skin by pre-experiments. However, the performance of this method using
multivariate analyses was found to be limited. So we have been developing new methods: a method
which builds the calibration functions from numerically simulated measurement data without thenecessity of pre-experiments, a method which cancels out the changes in the factors influencing theaccuracy of predicting BGC, and so on.
(5) Aspiration detection using fluorescenceAt the occasion of the symposium co-sponsored by the University of Electro-Communications
UEC) and Japan Commons for Collaborating Medicine and Engineering, which was held on Nov. 15,
2015, Dr. Y. Michiwaki of Musashino Red Cross Hospital (MRCH) gave a presentation titled as“Development of medical devises assisting the reduction of suffocation accidents and serious
pneumonia caused by dysphagia of elderly patients.” After his presentation, UEC started a research
project in collaboration with MRCH to develop a new method for aspiration detection by the use offluorescence, which is useful to examine whether food is trapped at the branch between the trachea andesophagus.
(6) Noninvasive measurement of temperature of aqueous solution and solute concentration
The optical absorption spectrum of water in the near infrared wavelength range slightly changes
with temperature. Using the characteristics of the spectrum, a new method to noninvasively measureand image the change in the temperature of aqueous solutions has been developed in this research.
Additionally using the dependency of the absorption strength on the solute concentration in the aqueous
solution, it is possible to simultaneously measure and image the changes in the temperature and solute78

concentration in the aqueous solution. This method will be applied to measure and image thetemperature, solute concentration, reaction rate, etc. in microscale channels in biochips and chemical
chips.
1.2

Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)(1) Diffuse optical tomography
As to the results and present status of the research topic of DOT, we have developed a new method
for solving the radiative transfer equation which is considered as the most accurate equation describing
the phenomena of light propagation in biological tissue, and have found the effect of void regions likethe trachea on the light propagation. These results have been presented in international conferences andalso published in academic journals (Ref. 3 and 4). Furthermore, DOT images about the muscle
activities in human forearms have been obtained. In this study of DOT for muscle activity, a method has
been developed to determine which muscles among many muscles in the forearm are active bycomparing the DOT images with the magnetic resonance (MR) images of the human forearms. These
results of DOT of active muscles have been published as a dissertation of a Ph.D. candidate (notebelow). In addition, the Optical Society of Japan invited us to write a review article about DOT, and thearticle has been published in the journal of “Optical Review” (Ref. 2). The research of DOT has been
progressing gradually but certainly.
(Note: Yukari Tanikawa, “In vivo Measurements of Muscle Activities of Human Forearm Using Diffuse
Optical Tomography,” Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Electro-Communications, Dec. 2014.)(2) Optical mappingThis study has made clear the effects of various factors on mapping images by numerical simulation
quantitatively, and published as a Ph.D. dissertation of a PhD candidate (note below). Based on manystudies including this study, Japan Optical Functional Brain Imaging Society (JOFBIS) has started acommittee for publishing a guidebook for beginners working with optical mapping. This guidebook
gives notes and advices in measurements of optical mapping and functional brain imaging using NIRS
in general. Yukio Yamada was assigned for the chair of the committee and is contributing to thedevelopment of this field.
(Note: Shuping Wang, “Influences of Anatomy and Blood Flow Changes in the Head Layers on Optical
Mapping,” Ph.D. Dissertation, UEC, Mar. 2014.)(3) Fluorescence tomography
As to the fluorescence tomography, a research group that Yukio Yamada participates in has
developed a new algorithm for fluorescence image reconstruction to improve the image quality, and apaper has been published in an academic journal. Yukio Yamada has been working and contributing as acollaborating researcher to a project of Japan Agency for Medical research and Development (AMED)(a project of Japan Science and Technology by the fiscal year of 2014).
(4) Noninvasive measurement of blood glucose contents (BGC) by NIRS
By cooperating with a company which has been collaborating with our group for a few years in thepast, a new method of noninvasive NIRS measurement of BGC has been developed and the results have79

been published in an academic journal. Our research of this topic is progressing steadily despite itsdifficulty.
(5) Aspiration detection using fluorescenceThis research has started in December 2015. Within the newly organized research group we havediscussed the efficiency of a fluorophore we used through the analysis of preliminary and phantom
experiments. We believe that a good start has been made toward the development of a new method for
aspiration detection using fluorescence at the initiative of our group.
(6) Noninvasive measurement of temperature of aqueous solution and solute concentration
Dr. Kakuta, an associate professor of Tokyo Metropolitan University, who used to be an assistantprofessor in the University of Electro-Communications, has been taking a leadership for conducting thisresearch. At the beginning, only the temperature distribution was the target of noncontact measurement
and imaging, but at present, we are trying to carry out simultaneous measurement and imaging of bothtemperature and solute concentration due to the technical development. The research group has received
awards from the Heat Transfer Society of Japan and Japan Council for Near Infrared Spectroscopy.
These awarding indicate that our achievements are highly evaluated and that further development is
expected.
1.3

Future Plan
For the research topics of (1) diffuse optical tomography and (3) fluorescence tomography, theprincipal investigator continues to participate in the research activities as a collaborator of the projects
titled “Establishment of fundamental technology of quantitative fluorescence molecular tomographysponsored by Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) (the fiscal year 2016 is
the final year) and “Mathematical analyses of light propagation in biological tissue toward medical
applications” sponsored by Japan Society for Promotion of Science (the fiscal year 2016 is the firstyear). For the topic of (2) optical mapping, the principal investigator continues to take part in theactivity as a committee chair of Japan Optical Functional Brain Imaging Society (JOFBIS). For the
topic of (4) noninvasive measurement of blood glucose contents (BGC) by NIRS, the principal
investigator continues collaboration with the related company. For the topic of (5) aspiration detection
using fluorescence, the group including the principal investigator performs the preliminary and clinicaltests from the fiscal year of 2016. For the topic of (6) noncontact measurement of temperature andsolute concentration in aqueous solution, the principal investigator continues to work in collaboration
with the associate professor of Tokyo Metropolitan University.

80

2. Research Achievements
2.1

Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4]

For the topics (1) diffuse optical tomography:(1) Eduardo Zamora-Rojas, Ana Garrido-Varo, Ben Aernouts, Dolores Pérez-Marín, Wouter Saeys,
Yukio Yamada, José Emilio Guerrero-Ginel, “Understanding near infrared radiation propagation in
pig skin reflectance measurements,” Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, Vol. 22,
pp. 137–146 (2014).
(2) Yukio Yamada and Shinpei Okawa, “Diffuse Optical Tomography: Present Status and Its Future,”
Optical Review, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 185-205 (2014). (Invited Review Paper)(3) Hiroyuki Fujii, Shinpei Okawa, Yukio Yamada, and Yoko Hoshi, “Hybrid model of lightpropagation in random media based on the time-dependent radiative transfer and diffusion
equations,” Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, Vol. 147, pp. 145–154(2014).
(4) Hiroyuki Fujii, Shinpei Okawa, Ken Nadamoto, Eiji Okada, Yukio Yamada, Yoko Hoshi, andMasao Watanabe, “Numerical Modeling of Photon Migration in Human Neck Based on the
Radiative Transport Equation,” Journal of Applied Nonlinear Dynamics, Vol. 5, pp. 117–125(2016).
For the topic of (3) fluorescence tomography:(5) Shinpei Okawa, Akira Yano, Kazuki Uchida, Yohei Mitsui, Masaki Yoshida, Masashi Takekoshi,
Andhi Marjono, Feng Gao, Yoko Hoshi, Ikuhiro Kida, Kazuto Masamoto, and Yukio Yamada,“Phantom and mouse experiments of time-domain fluorescence tomography using total lightapproach,” Biomedical Optics Express, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 635-651 (2013).
(6) Shinpei Okawa, Tatsuya Ikehara, Ichiro Oda, and Yukio Yamada, “Reconstruction of localized
fluorescent target from multi-view continuous-wave surface images of small animal with lp sparsity
regularization,” Biomedical Optics Express, Vol. 5, Issue 6, pp. 1839-1860 (2014).
For the topic of (4) noninvasive measurement of blood glucose contents (BGC) by NIRS:(7) Katsuhiko Maruo and Yukio Yamada, “Near-infrared noninvasive blood glucose prediction without
using multivariate analyses: introduction of imaginary spectra due to scattering change in the skin,”
Journal of Biomedical Optics, Vol. 20, No. 4, Paper No. 047003, pp. 1-11 (April, 2015)
For the topic of (6) noncontact measurement of temperature and concentration distributions of aqueous
solution:(8) Naoto Kakuta, Katsuya Kondo, Hidenobu Arimoto, and Yukio Yamada, “Reconstruction of
Cross-Sectional Temperature Distributions of Water around a Thin Heating Wire by Inverse Abel
Transform of Near-Infrared Absorption Images,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer,Vol. 77, pp. 852–859 (2014).
2.2 Non-refereed articles or translation(1) Naoto Kakuta, Katsuya Kondo, Hidenobu Arimoto, and Yukio Yamada, “Non-contact temperature
imaging using characteristics of near-infrared absorption by water,” ISCIE (the Institute of Systems,
81

Control and Information Engineers) Journal 'Systems, Control and Information,' Vol. 57, No. 12, pp.
493-497 (2013). (in Japanese)
2.3 Invited lectures(1)(Seminar

talk)

Yukio

Yamada,“Near-infrared

spectroscopy

anddiffuseopticaltomography/fluorescence tomography,” Meeting of research Institute for Mathematical Science,
Kyoto University, “Mathematical and numerical analyses of the inverse problems for partial
differential equations,” Kyoto, July 16-18, 2013. (in Japanese)(2) (Invited talk) Yukio Yamada, “Development of biomedical photonics, collaboration between
industries and academia, and their future prospects,” The Sixth Conference of BioOpto Japan,
Yokohama, Oct. 15, 2014. (in Japanese)(3) (Special lecture) Yukio Yamada, “Biological Measurements in Photonics,” College of Engineering,
Nihon University, Kohriyama, July 7, 2014. (in Japanese)(4) (Invited talk) Yukio Yamada, “Development of non-invasive optical measurement of blood glucose
level,” Seminar, Nihon University College of Engineering Worldwide Research Center for
Advanced Engineering & Technology (NEWCAT), Kohriyama, Aug. 21, 2014. (in Japanese)(5)(Invited talk) Yukio Yamada, “Fundamentals of time-resolved spectroscopy,” Seminar, Nihon
University, College of Engineering Worldwide Research Center for Advanced Engineering &Technology (NEWCAT), Kohriyama, Sep. 28, 2014. (in Japanese)
2.4

Awards(1) Yukio Yamada, Honorary member, The Heat Transfer Society of Japan, May 22, 2014.
(2) Yukio Yamada, Prize for Credit, Bioengineering Division, The Japan Society of MechanicalEngineers, Jan. 9, 2015.
2.5

Student guidance(1) Shuping Wang, “Influences of Anatomy and Blood Flow Changes in the Head Layers on Optical
Mapping,” Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Electro-Communications, Mar. 2014 (Yukio
Yamada, the former advisor).
(2) Yukari Tanikawa, “In vivo Measurements of Muscle Activities of Human Forearm Using Diffuse
Optical Tomography,” Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Electro-Communications, Dec. 2014
(Yukio Yamada, the former advisor). (in Japanese)

3. Research funding
3.1 Grant-in-aid for scientific research(1) Yukio Yamada (collaborating researcher with the principal researcher of Prof. Yusuke Iso, Kyoto
University), Title: Fundamental research for realization of high resolution diffuse optical
tomography by the approach of numerical analyses and applied mathematics, Category: Scientific82Research (B), Period: 2013-2015 (three years), Expenses: ¥ 200,000 (2013), ¥ 250,000 (2014),¥ 200,000 (2015).
(2) Yukio Yamada (collaborating researcher with the principal researcher of Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi, The
University of Electro-Communications), Title: Derivation of a derivative function describing themuscle fatigue as a function of the muscle potential and functional electric stimulation forprompting muscle function recovery, Category: Challenging Exploratory Research, Period:
2012-2014 (three years), Expenses: ¥ 200,000 (2012), ¥ 200,000 (2013), ¥ 200,000 (2014).
3.2

Competitive external research funding(1) Yukio Yamada (collaborating researcher with the principal researcher of Prof. Goro Nishimura,
Hokkaido University), Title: Establishment of fundamental technology of quantitative fluorescence
molecular imaging enabling deep tissue imaging of humans, Sponsor: Japan Science andTechnology Agency (JST) (2011-2014) and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development(AMED) (2015-2016), Category: Collaborative Research Based on Industrial Demand, Program:
Building of Innovative Biophotonics Technology toward human body imaging, Period: 2011-2016,
Expenses: ¥ 769,000 (2011), ¥769,000 (2012), ¥769,000 (2013), None (2014-2016).
(2) Yukio Yamada (collaborating researcher with the principal researcher of Prof. Naoto Kakuta, Tokyo
Metropolitan University), Title: Development of simultaneous imaging of temperature and watercontent in microscale regions using near-infrared spectroscopy, Sponsor: The Canon Foundation,
Category: Creation of Industrial Bases, Period: 2012-2013, Expenses: ¥ 250,000 (2012-2013).

4. Collaborators
4.1 Inside BLSC
For the research topic of (5) aspiration detection using fluorescence, collaboration with Profs.
Shojiro Maki, Haruki Niwa, and Soichiro Morishita.
4.2

Outside UEC

1. For the research topic of (1) diffuse optical tomography, collaborations with Prof. Y. Hoshi at
Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Prof. H. Fujii at Hokkaido University, Prof. S.
Okawa at National Defense Medical College.
2. For the research topic of (3) fluorescence tomography, collaborations with Prof. G. Nishimura at
Hokkaido University and Prof. S. Okawa at National Defense Medical College.
3. For the research topic of (4) noninvasive measurement of blood glucose contents (BGC) by
NIRS, collaboration with Dr. K. Maruo at Panasonic Healthcare co. Ltd.
4. For the research topic of (5) aspiration detection using fluorescence, collaboration with Dr.
Yukihiro Michiwaki of Musashino Red Cross Hospital (MRCH).
5. For the research topic of (6) noncontact measurement of temperature and concentration
distributions of aqueous solution, collaboration with Prof. N. Kakuta of Tokyo Metropolitan
83University.

5. Outreach activities
5.1

Paper review of academic journals(1) Journal of Biomedical Optics.
(2) Biomedical Optics Express.
(3) Physics in Medicine and Biology.
(4) Computers in Biology and Medicine.
(5) Optical Review.
5.2

Other outreach activities(1) Participation to governmental organization as an academic expert∙ From Feb. 20, 2014 to Mar. 31, 2014, from Feb. 1, 2015 to Mar. 31, 2015, and from Sep. 1, 2015 toMar. 31, 2016: Chair of the Working Group for Development of PDT Apparatuses in Medical
Navigation, in the Guides Formulation for Developments of Medical Devices, managed by
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).
∙ From Oct. 2011 to Sep. 2016, Committee member, No. 185 Committee on "Optical Imaging
Technique Development,” University-Industry Cooperative Research Committees, The Japan
Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
∙ From Mar. 2014 to present, Reviewer of the proposals for various projects sponsored by NEDO for
development of industrial technologies, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development
Organization (NEDO).
(2) Participation to committees of academic societies∙ From Aug. 1, 2015 to present: Chair of the committee for publishing “Guidebook for measurementsof functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)”, Japan Optical Functional Brain Imaging
Society (JOFBIS).
(3) Research and education in other organizations∙ From Jun. 1, 2013 to Mar. 31, 2015 and from Oct. 1, 2015 to Mar. 31, 2017: Professor of Nihon
University, College of Engineering Worldwide Research Center for Advanced Engineering &Technology (NEWCAT).
∙ From Apr. 1, 2013 to Mar. 31, 2017: Visiting Researcher of Theranostic Device Research Group,
Health Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology(AIST).

84

Kazuto MASAMOTO Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1 Basic Policy in Research and Education
Using two-photon laser scanning fluorescence microscopy recently introduced in Brain Science
Inspired Life Support Research Center (BLSC), our lab aimed to understand the signaling mechanisms
and cellular interplays in the brain neurovascular unit, specifically focusing on bio-transportation andcell-to-cell communications in a microscopic scale. The ultimate goal of our research activities is todevelop and establish the diagnostic methods for early detection and prevention against thepathogenesis of neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases, such as vascular dementia andmental diseases.
A. Research on functional plasticity in the neurovascular coupling by using bio-photonic imaging
techniques
Normal brain functions are maintained by cellular interplays among
the neurons, glial, and vascular cells. In this study, fluorescently-labeledbrain cells with genetically encoded indicators were automaticallyassigned with respect to their locations relative to the vascular networks.
Each cell’s activity was characterized with massive imaging data andquantitatively compared to understand the heterogeneity of the cellularstates and plasticity. To this end, a variety of bio-photonic imaging andquantitative analytical techniques have been developed (a collaborative
work with National Institute of Radiological Sciences).

Fig. 1 A three-dimensionallyreconstructed image offluorescently- labeled cells withgenetically-encoded calcium
indicator in mouse brain.

B. Research on in vivo cellular restructuring in the neurovascular unit based on multidimensional imaging data
To accurately simulate realistic flow, metabolism, and bio-transportation of the factors used in andout of the brain cells, it is prerequisite for capturing the imaging data on neurovascular unit at highspatiotemporal resolution. Here, we develop a novel algorithm to accurately visualize and quantify the
3D or 4D imaging data on neurovascular structures and functions with a custom written software.

Fig. 2Three-dimensionally reconstructed images of fluorescently-labeled astrocytes.

85

C. Research on Physiological Diversity of Astrocytes based on the Automatic Recognition of
Astrocytic Morphology
It is well-known that astrocytes of a star-like shape (Red in Figure) arecells interacting with neurons and vascular cells to maintain homeostasisof the cellular environment. The astrocytes change their morphology upon
the disturbance of the neural and/or vascular functions. We have studied
the underlying mechanism of their morphological changes associated withbrain diseases. It may be possible to use a pattern of the morphologicalchanges of the astrocytes as a potential biomarker for diagnosis of brain
diseases.

Fig.
3 A morphological image
50 mmof cortical vessels (green) andastrocytes (red).

D. Research on Spatiotemporal Fluctuation in Brain Microcirculation toward the development ofa Non-invasive Brain Health Monitoring System
A long lasting reduction of brain blood flow
eventually causes a variety of brain diseases. To
prevent and detect the early sign of the disturbanceof brain circulation, we have been developing themonitoring methods for states of brain circulation
using the spectra of spatiotemporal fluctuations inbrain microcirculation with non-invasive nearinfrared optical measurement techniques.

Fig. 4

A vascular structure (left) and its reconstructed image

500(right)
mmof rat cortical surface captured with EM-CCD camera.

E. Research on Neurogenic and Gliogenic Mechanisms of Brain Blood Flow Regulation and Its
Local Enhancement with Optogenetic Tools
Recently, we demonstrated that local brain blood flow transiently can be augmented by
optogenetically

activatingthecorticalastrocytes in in vivo mouse brains. In this study,
to further understand the physiological role ofneurogenic and gliogenic regulation of brain
blood flow. To this end, we have recently
established an animal model to activate a
specific type of the cells non-invasively by

Fig. 5 An optically- evoked increase in brain blood flow captured
with laser speckle flowgraphy in the mouse cortical surface (left:
pre-stimulation. right: post-stimulation).

using optogenetic tools. (a collaborative work with School of Medicine, Keio University).
1.2 Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)
・Using longitudinal in vivo two-photon microscopy in the mouse model of chronic cerebral hypoxia, wehave characterized morphological changes in cerebral microvascular networks
86(Yoshihata et al.,

AdvExpMedBiol 2013), the hypoxia-induced adaptation of cerebrovascular functions (Sekiguchi et al.,JCBFM 2014) and neurovascular coupling flow responses to chronic hypoxia (Takuwa et al., JCBFM
2013; Tajima et al., JCBFM 2014).
・Live imaging with longitudinal in vivo two-photon microscopy revealed vascular plasticity (i.e.,
capillary angiogenesis) and its effect on glio-vascular interface where newly-formed microvessel got
covered with thin processes of the neighboring astrocytes (Masamoto et al., JCBFM 2014).
・Using optogenetic tools, we have demonstrated that a cell-specific activation of cortical astrocytes
leads to a robust increase in local blood flow in the in vivo mouse cortex (Masamoto et al., Sci Rep
2015)．
1.3 Future Plan
A. Studies on Brain Cell Spacing: To identify and quantify the cellular locations and their activities
based on 3D two-photon microscopic images of the brain cells and microvessels, in order tocharacterize changes in the spatial relationships between a specific type of the cells and the vascular
networks during aging and/or in ischemic or dementia brains with comparison to normal brains.
Quantifying spatial relationships between microvessels and brain cells, and morphological features ofindividual cells in the reconstructed 3D structure of neurons, glial cells and microvessels in the mousebrain, we will examine changes of brain tissue in aged mice and the mouse model of diseases such ascerebral hypoxia and dementia.
B. Studies on Blood-Brain Exchange: To probe the cellular interplays between the vascular and brain
cells during the alteration of the brain microvascular networks and blood flow by specifically focusing
on environmental changes and cellular bio-transportation. We will investigate the effects of vasculargenesis and increase of blood flow on the functions of neurons and glial cells, paying attention tocellular bio-transportation and changes in cellular environment.
C. Studies on Brain Health Monitoring: To determine physiological sources of the slow oscillation of
the microvascular blood flow and its link to cellular states, functions, and environments by introducing
systemic changes and/or pharmacologically manipulating the local/global brain activities.

2. Research Achievements
2.1 Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](○1 ) Masamoto K, Unekawa M, Watanabe T, Toriumi H, Takuwa H, Kawaguchi H, Kanno I, Matsui K,
Tanaka KF, Tomita Y, Suzuki N. Unveiling astrocytic control of cerebral blood flow with
optogenetics. Sci Rep 5: 11455. (2015).
(○
2 ) Unekawa M, Tomita Y, Toriumi H, Osada T, Masamoto K, Kawaguchi H, Itoh Y, Kanno I, Suzuki
N. Hyperperfusion counteracted by transient rapid vasoconstriction followed by long-lastingoligemia induced by cortical spreading depression in anesthetized mice. J Cereb Blood Flow87

Metab 35(4): 689-98 (2015).
(○
3 ) Sekiguchi Y, Takuwa H, Kawaguchi H, Kikuchi T, Okada E, Kanno I, Ito H, Tomita Y, Itoh Y,
Suzuki N, Sudo R, Tanishita K, Masamoto K. Pial arteries respond earlier than penetratingarterioles to neural activation in the somatosensory cortex in awake mice exposed to chronic
hypoxia: an additional mechanism to proximal integration signaling? J Cereb Blood Flow Metab
34(11): 1761-70. (2014).
(○
4 ) Tajima Y, Takuwa H, Kokuryo D, Kawaguchi H, Seki C, Masamoto K, Ikoma Y, Taniguchi J,
Aoki I, Tomita Y, Suzuki N, Kanno I, Saeki N, Ito H. Changes in cortical microvasculature during
misery perfusion measured by two-photon laser scanning microscopy. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab
34(8): 1363-72. (2014).
(5) Murata R, Takada Y, Takuwa H, Kawaguchi H, Ito H, Kanno I, Tottori N, Yamada Y, Tomita Y, ItohY, Suzuki N, Yamada K, Masamoto K. Vessel specific imaging of glucose transfer with fluorescentglucose analogue in anesthetized mouse cortex. Adv Exp Med Biol 812: 241-246 (2014).
(6) Sugashi T, Yoshihara K, Kawaguchi H, Takuwa H, Ito H, Kanno I, Yamada Y, Masamoto K.
Automated image analysis for diameters and branching points of cerebral penetrating arteries andveins captured with two-photon microscopy. Adv Exp Med Biol 812: 209-215 (2014).
(7) Tajima Y, Takuwa H, Nishino A, Matsuura T, Kawaguchi H, Ikoma Y, Taniguchi J, Seki C,
Masamoto K, Kanno I, Saeki N, Ito H. Cerebral hemodynamic response to acute hyperoxia inawake mice. Brain Res 1557: 155-163 (2014).
(8) Tajima Y, Takuwa H, Kawaguchi H, Masamoto K, Ikoma Y, Seki C, Taniguchi J, Kanno I, Saeki N,
Ito H. Reproducibility of measuring cerebral blood flow by laser-Doppler flowmetry in mice.
Front Biosci (Elite Ed) 6: 62-68 (2014).
(○
9 ) Masamoto K, Takuwa H, Seki C, Taniguchi J, Itoh Y, Tomita Y, Toriumi H, Unekawa M,
Kawaguchi H, Ito H, Suzuki N, Kanno I. Microvascular sprouting, extension, and creation of newcapillary connections with adaptation of the neighboring astrocytes in adult mouse cortex underchronic hypoxia. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 34: 325-331 (2014).
(10) Masamoto K, Takuwa H, Ito H, Kanno I. Hypoxia-induced adaptation of cerebral microvasculature.
Microvascular Reviews and Communications 6: 13-18 (2014).
(11) Takuwa H, Tajima Y, Kokuryo D, Matsuura T, Kawaguchi H, Masamoto K, Taniguchi J, Ikoma Y,
Seki C, Aoki I, Tomita Y, Suzuki N, Kanno I, Ito H. Hemodynamic changes during neuraldeactivation in awake mice: A measurement by laser-Doppler flowmetry in crossed cerebellar
diaschisis. Brain Res 1537: 350-355 (2013).
(○
12 ) Maruyama M, Shimada H, Suhara T, Shinotoh H, Ji B, Maeda J, Zhang MR, Trojanowski JQ, Lee
VM, Ono M, Masamoto K, Takano H, Sahara N, Iwata N, Okamura N, Furumoto S, Kudo Y,
Chang Q, Saido TC, Takashima A, Lewis J, Jang MK, Aoki I, Ito H, Higuchi M. Imaging of tau
88pathology in a tauopathy mouse model and in Alzheimer patients compared to normal controls.
Neuron 79: 1094-1108 (2013).
(13) Sekiguchi Y, Masamoto K, Takuwa H, Kawaguchi H, Kanno I, Ito H, Tomita Y, Suzuki N, Sudo R,
Tanishita K. Measuring the vascular diameter of brain surface and parenchymal arteries in awake
mouse. Adv Exp Med Biol 789: 419-425 (2013).
(14) Masamoto K, Takuwa H, Tomita Y, Toriumi H, Unekawa M, Taniguchi J, Kawaguchi H, Itoh Y,
Suzuki N, Ito H, Kanno I. Hypoxia-induced cerebral angiogenesis in mouse cortex with
two-photon microscopy. Adv Exp Med Biol 789: 15-20 (2013).
(○
15 ) Hotta H, Masamoto K, Uchida S, Sekiguchi Y, Takuwa H, Kawaguchi H, Shigemoto K, Sudo R,
Tanishita K, Ito H, Kanno I. Layer-specific dilation of penetrating arteries induced by stimulationof the nucleus basalis of Meynert in the mouse frontal cortex. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 33:
1440-1447 (2013).
(16) Okawa S, Yano A, Uchida K, Mitsui Y, Yoshida M, Takekoshi M, Marjono A, Gao F, Hoshi Y, Kida
I, Masamoto K, Yamada Y. Phantom and mouse experiments of time-domain fluorescence
tomography using total light approach. Biomed Opt Express 4: 635-651 (2013).
(○
17 ) Takuwa H, Masamoto K, Yamazaki K, Kawaguchi H, Ikoma Y, Tajima Y, Obata T, Tomita Y,
Suzuki N, Kanno I, Ito H. Long-term adaptation of cerebral hemodynamic response tosomatosensory stimulation during chronic hypoxia in awake mice. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 33:
774-779 (2013).
(18) Unekawa M, Tomita Y, Toriumi H, Masamoto K, Kanno I, Suzuki N. Potassium-induced corticalspreading depression bilaterally suppresses the electroencephalogram, but only ipsilaterally affects
red blood cell velocity in intraparenchymal capillaries. J Neurosci Res 91: 578-584 (2013).
(19) Yoshihara K, Takuwa H, Kanno I, Okawa S, Yamada Y, Masamoto K. 3D analysis of intracortical
microvasculature during chronic hypoxia in mouse brains. Adv Exp Med Biol 765: 357-363 (2013).
(20) Masamoto K, Kawaguchi H, Ito H, Kanno I. Dynamic two-photon imaging of cerebral
microcirculation using fluorescently labeled red blood cells and plasma. Adv Exp Med Biol 765:
163-168 (2013).
2.2 Invited lectures(1) Masamoto K. 【Invited speaker】Optical imaging and stimulation of neurovascular coupling.
KAIST Program of Brain and Cognitive Engineering Seminar, Nov. 19, 2015, Daejeon, South
Korea.
(2) Masamoto K, Kanno I. 【Invited speaker】Neurogenic and astrogliogenic perturbation of local
CBF. Brain & Brain PET 2015, June 27-30, 2015, Vancouver, Canada.
(3) Masamoto K, Kanno I. 【Invited speaker】Astrocytic adaptation during cerebral angiogenesis
follows the new vessel formation induced through chronic hypoxia in adult mouse cortex, Proc.
SPIE 8928, Optical Techniques in Neurosurgery, Neurophotonics, and Optogenetics, 89281W, Feb.
89

2014, San Francisco, USA.
2.3

Student guidance(1) Takuma Sugashi, M.Eng 2013, B.Eng 2011(2) Masashi Takekosi, M.Eng 2013, B.Eng 2011
(3) Rei Murata, MEng 2014, BEng 2012
(4) Taku Katou, MEng 2015
(5) Ryo Hoshikawa, MEng 2015, BEng 2013
(6) Tatsushi Watanabae, MEng 2015, BEng 2013
(7) Naotomo Tottori, BEng 2013(8) Hiroaki Maeda, BEng 2013(9) Hideaki Suzuki, BEng 2014(10) Masahiro Nitta, BEng 2014(11) Hiroya Yuki, BEng 2014(12) Minoru Fukasawa, BEng 2014(13) Takeru Shiosato, BEng 2014(14) Satoshi Katakura, BEng 2015(15) Yuika Kurihara, BEng 2015(16) Hiroshi Takea, BEng 2015(17) Tomomi Nakahara, BEng 2015

3. Research funding
3.1 Grant-in-aid for scientific research
WAKATE (B) （H25-26: 4,160,000 yen）.

4. Collaborators（including codevelopment）
4.1 Inside BLSC
Prof. Yoichi Miyawaki (H27- ).
Prof. Hiroshi Yokoi (H25-H26).
4.2 Outside UEC
Dr. Iwak Kanno, Hiroshi Ito, National Institute of Radiological Sciences (H23-H26).
Dr. Harumi Hotta, (H26- ).

5. Outreach activities
5.1 Editor of academic journals
90

Progress in Brain Research: volume 225, New Horizons in Neurovascular Coupling (2015-2016).
5.2 Paper review of academic journals
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism，Editorial Board (2007- ).

5.3 Other outreach activities(1) Program Committee member, International Society for Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism(ISCBFM) (2013-2015).
(2) Executive Organizing Committee member, European Conference on Biomedical Optics (ECBO,
SPIE) (2014-2015).
(3) Program Committee member, Neurophotonics, Progress in Biomedical Optics (2012-2013)(4) Executive Committee member, International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissue (ISOTT) (20112014).

91

Yoichi MIYAWAKI Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1

Basic Policy in Research and Education

Representation of sensory and perceptual information in the human brain
We receive sensory information by seeing,
hearing, and touching the physical world.
Sensory information propagates to the brain andyields our perception. Although we performthese sensory/perceptual information processing
naturally and smoothly in the daily life, suchtasks are very hard for machines to perform evenwith the state-of-art technologies.
Our laboratory aims to elucidate how thehuman brain processes and represents sensory
and perceptual information so naturally andsmoothlybyperforming

psychophysicalFigure 1: Experiments using fMRI system(ATR-Promotions BAIC).

experiments and human brain imaging.

Our psychophysical experiments use systematically-controlled sensory stimuli (mainly in visual,auditory, and tactile domains) and quantifies perceptual
contents of the stimuli in human observers. Stimuli andbehavioral responses are analyzed with techniques suchasstatistics,

information

theory,andsystemidentification.
Human brain imaging is also a major part ofresearch activity in our laboratory as well as
psychophysical experiments. Particular sensory andperceptual experience corresponds to a particular activity
pattern of the human brain. Thus, the objective
measurement and analysis of brain activity patterns is apromising approach to unveil subjective sensory andperceptual experience. We mainly use functional

Figure 2: Experiments using the MEG

magnetic

system (ATR-Promotions BAIC).

resonance

imaging(fMRI)

andmagnetoencephalography (MEG) to measure humanbrain activity in a noninvasive manner. fMRI measures signals related to blood flow changes associatedwith neural activity in the brain at high spatial resolution, whereas MEG measures magnetic fieldsignals generated by neural current in the brain at high temporal resolution. We choose either of thesemethods or combine both depending on the purpose of experiments.
92Computational analysis of brain activity patterns
Human brain activity is a large-scale high-dimensional data. The standard measurement of fMRI and
MEG signals consists of 10^4-5 –dimension data points per second (or every second). Conventional
analyses focus on only limited aspects of such data sets and information contained in the rest is simply
discarded or ignored. For example, a typicalmethod of fMRI data is to perform statisticaltests on intensity changes in fMRI signals
atsingle brain locations independently. The
method does not deal with correlational
information between multiple brain locations,despite fMRI provides signals at 10^5different brain locations simultaneously.
Our laboratory uses novel methods that
exploit information as much as contained inthelarge-scale

high-dimensional

brain

activity data. Machine learning is one of such
examples.
One example is the analysis of brain
activity patterns using machine learning

Figure 3: Classification analysis using multivariatetechniques. In this method, brain activities

signal patterns.

are converted into multidimensional patterns
and computer programs are trained to learn
statistical relationships between the brain activity
patterns

andconditions.

thecorresponding

experimental

Close

investigations

onlearning

processes and acquired parameters of the computer
programs provide important clues for understandingof information represented by the brain activity
patterns while taking into account correlational
information between multiple brain locations.
Application to medical engineering
The trained computer programs can be also used to

Figure 4: Retinotopic map identified in lower

predict experimental conditions corresponding tovisual cortex the primary visual cortex?.

given brain activity patterns. This feature is also
useful in designing a brain-machine interface that translates human thoughts into machine commands.
By developing computer programs with high performance precision? in prediction, we will realize
prosthetic limbs that can be controlled by human motor intention and monitor systems that visualize
93what we are imagining in mind.
1.2

Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)

Dynamics of neural representation of visual object categories
We can visually recognize objects quickly and accurately. Object recognition in the human vision issuperior in its speed and accuracy to that in the machine vision. It has been considered as one of brain
functions most difficult to realize by artificial systems. To elucidate how the human brain performs
object recognition so quickly and accurately, we have conducted experiments combining MEG and
fMRI to achieve high resolution in the temporal and spatial domains. Results partially reveal the timing
at which information of particular object categories is represented after the stimulus presentation (Satoand Miyawaki, 2014).
Neural representation of tactile information
We can obtain spatial information of the external environment by touch as well as vision. We perform
fMRI experiments to measure brain activity patterns evoked by simple tactile stimuli given to the finger
tips to explore where and how tactile information is represented in the human brain. Results suggest thatthe parietal cortex in addition to the somatosensory cortex play important roles for information
representation of tactile stimuli consisting of moving lines (Nakatani et al., 2015).
Development of image processing techniques
To analyze brain activity patterns evoked by natural object images, it is also important to investigate
what kind of image features has major effects on brain activity patterns. For this purpose, we perform
image feature analysis by using deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) to extract higher-orderfeatures contained in the natural object images (Tanaka et al., 2015).
1.3

Future Plan

Dynamics of neural representation of visual object categories
We proceed with analyses of dynamics of neural representation for various object categories. In
particular, we focus on how the hierarchy of object categories is represented in the brain.
Neural representation of tactile information
We proceed with analyses to reveal where and how tactile information is represented in the brain. In
addition to the tactile stimuli that we currently use, we will use other types of stimuli defined bydifferent features.
Development of image processing and brain activity data processing techniques
We proceed with image feature analyses using DCNN to reveal relationships between higher-orderfeatures and brain activity patterns. We also plan to introduce sparse modeling techniques for efficient
analysis of natural images and brain activity patterns.
94

2. Research Achievements
2.1

Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](1) Miyawaki, Y. (in press), Multivariate analysis of magnetic resonance imaging signals of the humanbrain, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry.
(2) Yoichi Miyawaki (2015), Deciphering neural codes by functional magnetic resonance imaging,
System/Control/Information, 59: 353 - 359. (In Japanese)(3) Yamada, K., Miyawaki, Y., Kamitani, Y. (2015), Inter-subject neural code converter for visual
image representation, NeuroImage, 113: 289 - 297.
(4) Horikawa, T., Tamaki, T., Miyawaki, T., Kamitani, Y. (2013), Neural decoding of visual imagery
during sleep, Science, 340: 639 - 642.
(5) Fujiwara, Y., Miyawaki, Y., Kamitani, Y. (2013), Modular encoding and decoding models derived
from Bayesian canonical correlation analysis, Neural Computation, 25: 979-1005.
2.2 Book or Book Chapter
Yoichi Miyawaki (co-author)，“Visualize information in the brain, ” Unique Exciting Science II Chapter
1，pp. 7–37, Kindai kagaku sya (2013).
2.3 Non-refereed articles or translation(1) Tomoyasu Horikawa，Yoichi Miyawaki，Yukiyasu Kamitani (2014)，Visualizing mind from humanbrain activity, Japanese journal of optics, 43: 104 – 110.
2.4 Invited lectures(1) Masashi Sato, Yoichi Miyawaki，Study of temporal structure of visual object representation in thehuman visual cortex, Pre-symposium workshop: Brain, Mind, and Life Support Technology, UEC
Tokyo，November 2015．
(2) Yoichi Miyawaki, Masashi Sato, Neural dynamics of object representation in the human brain,
International Symposium on Object Vision in Human, Monkey, and Machine, UEC Tokyo,
November 2015．
(3) Yoichi Miyawaki, Masashi Sato, Temporal relationship between visual object category
representation and categorical hierarchy,

Symposium of Center for Systems Vision Science,

Ritsumeikan university, New movement of visual information processing-from local circuit torecognition，Ritsumeikan university, March 2014.
(4) Yoichi Miyawaki, Approach toward understanding of mechanism of sensation and perception usingneural decoding techniques, Japan Health Sciences Foundation Research Resource Committee
Seminar, UEC Tokyo，September 2013.
(5) Yoichi Miyawaki, Image basis representation in the visual cortex, The Japanese Psychological95

Association, Sapporo Convention Center, September 2013.
(6) Yoichi Miyawaki, Decoding of sensory and perceptual information from human brain activity, The
2nd telexistence research meeting, Keio university, July 2013.
(7) Yoichi Miyawaki, Neural representation of sensory and perceptual information in the human brain,
Brain Science Inspired Life Support Research Center Seminar, UEC Tokyo, July 2013.
2.5 Media release(1) Warashibe mad scientist，“Brain information – research on direct reading of information from thehuman brain” ，Weekly ASCII，March 18, 2015.
(2) “Research grant for 16 awardees in this fiscal year Yazaki Memorial Foundation for Science andTechnology”， THE MID JAPAN ECONOMIST, page 10，March 16, 2015
(3) “最新鋭のひみつ「これな～んだ」，”調布電通大どおり，2014 年 No. 39 autumn 秋号．
(4) “神は雲の中にあられる 最新の脳研究によると、私の 1 ビットがあなたの頭の中にあるかもしれません。” ，週刊アスキー，2014 年 7 月 1 日.
(5) Tech a GO! GO!, 遠藤諭の『デジタルの、これからを聞く』，"電通大宮脇准教授に聞く、視覚に関する脳研究の最新事情－わたしたちの脳は、目にしたものをどのように認識しているのか” ，ASCII.JP，2014年6月19日.
(6) "出町中後輩に助言 宮脇電気通信大准教授"，北日本新聞 23 面，2013 年 12 月 19 日.
(7) "宮脇准教授脳科学語る 砺波・出町中"，富山新聞 30 面，2013 年 12 月 19 日.
(8) "人の夢が見える"，東京新聞朝刊1面，2013年4月5日.
(9) "あなたの夢当てます"，読売新聞朝刊34面，2013年4月5日.
(10) "夢解読できた"，朝日新聞朝刊38面，2013年4月5日.
(11) "見ている夢解読"，毎日新聞朝刊24面，2013年4月5日.
(12) "「夢」の解読成功 的中率7割"，産経新聞朝刊1面，2013年4月5日.
(13) "「夢」の解読初の成功"，産経新聞朝刊2面，2013年4月5日.
(14) "夢の内容ばれる？ "，日本経済新聞朝刊34面，2013年4月5日.
(15) "(余録)" ，毎日新聞朝刊1面，2013年4月6日.
(16) "(編集手帳)" ，読売新聞朝刊1面，2013年4月6日.
(17) "(春秋)" ，日本経済新聞朝刊1面，2013年4月6日.
(18) "(産経抄)"，産経新聞朝刊1面，2013年4月6日.

2.6

AwardsFor P.I.（with students)(1) Masashi Sato，Yoichi Miyawaki，Excellent research award of Japanese Neural Network Society(2015).
(2) Tomoyasu Horikawa，Masako Tamaki，Yoichi Miyawaki，Yukiyasu Kamitani，Best paper awardof Japanese Neural Network Society (2014).
For students
96(1) Masashi Sato，IEEE CIS Japan Chapter Young Researcher Award (2015).
(2) Masashi Sato，Student award of UEC Tokyo (2015).
(3) Masashi Sato，Megurokai award (2013).

2.7

Student guidance(1) Masashi Sato, 2012, Bachelor（Engineering), 2014, Master（Engineering)(2) Ryo Obata, 2013, Bachelor（Engineering), 2015, Master（Engineering)(3) Shun Nakatani, 2013, Bachelor（Engineering), 2015, Master（Engineering)(4) Takashi Niijima, 2013, Bachelor（Engineering)(5) Kazuaki Akamatsu, 2014, Bachelor（Engineering)(6) Megumi Nozaki, 2014, Bachelor（Engineering)(7) Sosuke Tanaka, 2015, Bachelor（Engineering)(8) Shotaro Fuchibe, Bachelor（Engineering)

3. Research funding
3.1 Grant-in-aid for scientific research(1) Yoichi Miyawaki（Co-P.I.), Controlling artificial limbs as own limb: natural learning of artificial
limbs using human brain activity, KAKENHI challenging Exploratory Research, FY2015- FY2016,
800,000 JPY.
(2) Yoichi Miyawaki（P.I.), Study of dynamics of object image representation in the human brain using
sparse modeling, KAKENHI Innovative Areas “sparse modeling”, FY2014- FY2015, 5,100,000
JPY.
(3) Yoichi Miyawaki（P.I.), Study of tactile information representation in the visual cortex using neural
decoding technique, KAKENHI (C), FY2014-FY2016, 3,500,000 JPY.
3.2

Competitive external research funding(1) Yoichi Miyawaki（P.I.), Research and development of fast object recognition algorithm based onneural information representation, SCOPE, 2015 年度, FY2014 – FY2016, 34,670,000 JPY.
(2) Yoichi Miyawaki（P.I.), Study of fast extraction of object recognition information from human brain
activity, Yazaki Memorial Foundation for Science and Technology, Specific Research Grant,
FY2015-FY2017, 10,000,000 JPY.
(3) Yoichi Miyawaki（P.I.), Development and application of high spatio-temporal resolution analysis ofhuman neural activity, The Naito Foundation, Research Grant, FY2015-FY2016, 3,000,000 JPY.
(4) Yoichi Miyawaki（P.I.), Object Vision in Human, Monkey, and Machine, UEC Tokyo Research
Activity Support System（research meeting support), FY2015, 869,000 JPY.
(5) Yoichi Miyawaki（P.I.), Study of object representation in the human brain, KDDI Foundation
Research Grant, FY2014-FY2015, 2,750,000 JPY.
97

(6) Yoichi Miyawaki（P.I.), Study of temporal properties of object recognition mechanism in the humanbrain, Narishige Neuroscience Research Foundation, FY2014, 300,000 JPY.
(7) Yoichi Miyawaki（working member), Substitution of motor and communication functions using
BMI（development of intelligent electric assistance devices for BMI control), Strategic Research
Program for Brain Sciences, FY2013-FY2017, 120,000,000 JPY (for UEC Tokyo).
(8) Yoichi Miyawaki（P.I.), Study of temporal structure of neural representation of object categories,
UEC Tokyo Research Activity Support System （ KAKENHI acceptance support), FY2014,
1,400,000 JPY.

4. Collaborators
4.1 Inside BLSC
(1) Kazuto Masamoto, Image analysis of structural features of astrocytes, FY2015-.
(2) Hiroshi Yokoi, Soichiro Morishita, Substitution of motor and communication functions using BMI（development of intelligent electric assistance devices for BMI control), FY2013-.
4.2 Outside UEC(1) Gowrishankar Ganesh、CNRS-AIST Joint Robotics Laboratory, CNRS - Institut des sciences del'ingénierie et des systèmes (INSIS)（university/national institute), Controlling artificial limbs as
own limb: natural learning of artificial limbs using human brain activity, FY2015-.
(2) Norihiro Sadato, Ryo Kitada, NIPS／SOKENDAI（national institute/university), Study of tactile
information representation in the visual cortex using neural decoding technique, FY2014-.
(3) Yukiyasu Kamitani, Kyoto university ／ ATR computational neuroscience laboratories（university/private company), Study of tactile information representation in the visual cortex
using neural decoding technique, FY2014-.

5. Outreach activities
5.1

Editor of academic journals(1) Editorial board of IEICE ISS（FY2013 – FY2015)
5.2

Paper review of academic journals(1) Cortex, ad hoc reviewer.
(2) Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, ad hoc reviewer.
(3) NeuroImage, ad hoc reviewer.
(4) Human Brain Mapping, ad hoc reviewer.
(5) Journal of Neuroscience Methods, ad hoc reviewer.
(6) VISION, ad hoc reviewer(7) PLOS ONE, ad hoc reviewer
98

(8) IEICE TRANSACTIONS, ad hoc reviewer
5.3

Other outreach activities

Academic society(1) Japanese Neural Network Society board member（for strategic plan)（2015 – )(2) Special Interest Group on Telexistence, Virtual Reality Society Japan（2014 – )(3) The 31st International Congress of Psychology (ICP2016), Program Committee（2013 – )(4) The 25th Annual Conference of Japanese Neural Network Society Organizing committee（2014 – 2015)(5) Augmentend Human 2014,

Senior Reviewer（2014)(6) The 24th Annual Conference of Japanese Neural Network Society Program Committee（2014)(7) European Coordinated Research on Long-term Challenges in Information and Communication
Sciences & Technologies ERA-Net (Chist-Era), Funding reviewer (2014)
Outside lectures(1) Koshigayakita high school, Saitama（2013)(2) Demachi junior high school, Toyama（2013)(3) YumeNavi Live 2014, Tokyo（2014)(4) Shukutoku high school, Tokyo（2014)(5) Shonan gakuen high school, Tokyo（2014)(6) Bunkyo high school, Tokyo（2014)99

Shinji MATSUDA Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1 Basic Policy in Research and Education
Research
Brains are composed from a numerous number of neurons and glial cells. The function of brains,
including higher brain functions, are mediated by signal transduction among neurons. The signaltransduction between neurons are called synaptic transmission, and the efficiency of synaptictransmission can be regulated by neural activities. This phenomenon is called synaptic plasticity,which is thought to be a cellular basis of learning and memory. The molecular mechanisms ofsynaptic plasticity have been actively studied all over the world.
I have been studied the molecular basis of long-term depression (LTD) which is the one form ofsynaptic plasticity: the efficiency of synaptic transmission is reduced for a long term. Recently, I have
tried to develop the new technique to control LTD by light stimulation, and to directly examine therelationship between LTD and learning by using this technique. Moreover, I have also studied themolecular mechanism of long term potentiation (LTP), another form of synaptic plasticity, in which theefficiency of synaptic transmission is enhanced for a long term. To further promote the LTP research, I
am planning to develop new methods for controlling LTP.

Education
I would like to bring up the students who can contribute to the progress of the science. For students in“Bioscience and Technology Program”, I am going to give lectures not only on neuroscience but also on
basic biology. Moreover, I will discuss with the students general issues of how the basic knowledge of
biology can be obtained and how life should be studied in the future.
For the students out of the “Bioscience and Technology Program”, I am going to start withteaching fundamentals of biology and then to step up to giving lectures of current knowledge.
Recently, fusion research between biology and other fields has been actively promoted. Therefore,
students need to prepare for such kinds of interdisciplinary studies even though they may not become
specialists in biological sciences.
For education in my own laboratory, I would like students to carry out some forefront
research in neurosciences collaborating with me, and to bring them up to top scientists contributing to100

the advancement of neurosciences. For this purpose, I will let them make their own

research plans

and urge them to carry out research according to their plans as much as they can.
1.2 Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)
Although it is well established that the LTD is induced by the clathrin mediated endocytosis of AMPA
receptors, little is known about how clathrin is recruited to the postsynaptic site by neuronal activities.
Also, it is also well known that the dephosphorylation of TARP (Transmembrane AMPA receptor
Regulatory Protein) is required for the induction of LTD. However, there remains to be clarified about
how the dephosphorylation of TARP contributes to LTD.
Before 2013, we found the following facts: PIP5Kg was activated by LTD inducing stimuli suchas NMDA treatment, and generates phosphatidyl inositol di phosphate (PIP2) at postsynaptic sites
where Adaptor Protein complex (AP-2) was recruited.

Then, clathrin was bound to AP-2 andaccumulated at the postsynaptic site. After 2013, we successfully clarified the following facts: the
AMPA-receptor-TARP complex binds to AP-2, which plays an essential role for the clathrin mediatedendocytosis, and to AP-3A, which mediates the lysosomal targeting of membrane proteins, when
TARPs are dephosphorylated. These results indicated that the AMPA receptors are incorporated into theclathrin coated pit via interaction between TARP and AP-2 and that AMPA receptors are transported tolysosome via TARP-AP-3 interaction and degraded. From these results, we proposed the following
model for LTD: When LTD inducing stimulus was applied to neurons, TARPs are dephosphorylated andby this dephosphorylation AMPA receptor-TARP complex binds to AP-2 and internalized via clathrin
mediated endocytosis.

Then, via TARP-AP-3 binding, AMPA receptor-TARP complexes aretransported to lysosome and the amount of cell surface AMPA receptors are reduced for a long term.
More recently, we tried to develop a new technique to control the induction of LTD by lightstimulation in order to directly examine the relationship between synaptic plasticity and learning. We
succeeded to control LTD by expressing light driven proton pump in the endosome of neurons.
1.3 Future Plan
We are going to express light-driven proton pump in living animals and try to control the behavior bylight stimulation.

Specifically, we are going to express our proton pump in cerebellum, hippocampus

and amygdala in mice and examine various learning behaviors with or without light stimulation, whichis expected to clarify which brain region controls the learning and memory by LTD induction.

101

Figure 2
We would like to directly examine the relationship between cellular level phenomena, such as synaptic
plasticity and behavior of living animals such as learning and memory. By these approach, we would
like to contribute to the progress of neuroscience.

2. Research Achievements
2.1 Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](1) Takashi Sato, Tomohiko Iwano, Masataka Kunii, Shinji Matsuda, Rumiko Mizoguchi, Yongwook
Jung, Haruo Hagiwara, Yoshihiro Yoshihara, Michisuke Yuzaki, Reiko Harada, Akihiko Harada: Rab8aand Rab8b are essential for multiple apical transport pathways but insufficient for ciliogenesis. J Cell
Sci (2014) 127: 422-31.

(2) Shinji Matsuda, Wataru Kakegawa, Timotheus Budisantoso, Toshihiro Nomura, Kazuhisa Kohda,
Michisuke Yuzaki: Stargazin regulates AMPA receptor trafficking through adaptor protein complexes
during long-term depression. Nat Commun, 4: 2759 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3759 (2013).
2.2 Invited lectures
Shinji Matsuda

Understanding and controlling synaptic plasticity Japanese Neural Network

Society Workshop 「Data-driven approach for understanding cerebellar mechanisms on eye movement
control」University of Electro-Communications August 11/2015.
2.3

Student guidance

Hiroki Yamazaki、2016
Marine Sakayauchi、2016

102

3. Research funding
3.1 Competitive external research funding
Shinji Matsuda, JST PRESTO, 2011~2016, 91100(thousand yen).

4. Collaborators
4.1 Outside UEC
Michisuke Yuzaki, Keio University、Molecular mechanisms and controlling of synaptic plasticity,
2013~.

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Shojiro MAKI Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1 Basic Policy in Research and Education
Our principle is “innovation of optical in vivo imaging by artificial luciferins” for future life science
technology. Our principles also include “Orphan Drug” development which is high risk and may be avoided
by researchers.
“Cancer Eradication (anti-cancer)” and “Practical Applications of Regenerative Medicine” are the mostimportant goals in life science research.

It’s no exaggeration to say that these are universal targets.

Deep tissues are challenging for optical imaging technology. MRI, CT, and X-ray are good for in vivo
imaging, however they do not have as high a resolution as optical imaging. Many top scientists think thatR&D is hindered by today’s resolution limits. Whereas optical imaging has high resolution, it is hardly
suitable for deep tissues because the wave number (ca. 560-630 nm) is too short for deep tissue imaging
using traditional methods.
So, our challenge is to innovate an NIR (near infrared) probe and practical applications. It is moresuitable for bioluminescent probes than fluorescent probes because bioluminescence does not require
irradiation. Researchers need NIR bioluminescent probes for imaging cancer cells and/or graft cells inregenerative medicine research. In traditional technology, the natural firefly (ca. 560 nm) and the sea
firefly (ca. 480 nm) are employed as bioluminescent probes and are ill-suited for imaging deep tissues.
Top scientists long for a modified NIR emission using a man-made probe based on the fireflybioluminescence system.

Recently, top scientists wish to observe medium or large animals for practical application of regenerative
medicine. To promote research, a bio-optical (650-900 nm) light with high permeability of body tissue isneeded. The technology race is very hot in the world for optical in vivo imaging. In our lab, we havemarketed two NIR luciferins (“AkaLumine”: Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd. and “Tokeoni”:

104Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC.). These are the only two luciferins sold as NIR luciferins in the world.

105

1.2 Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)
1. 2011.10. “AkaLumine®” is put on market (Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.)
2. 2012.10. “AkaLumine®” is opened to the public in Report of Academic-Industrial Collaboration in 2011
(Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)
3. 2016. 3. “TokeOni” is put on market (Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC.)
Our laboratory developed “Akalumine®” and “TokeOni” as NIR luciferins. Whereas top scientists in thelife science field longed for this technology, no one successfully innovated a new NIR luciferin. In Oct.
2011, we developed and marketed the first NIR luciferin in the world.
In March 2016, “Tokeoni” with an NIR emission (max=675 nm) for in vivo imaging was put on market
from Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC.

In October 2011, we marketed “AkaLumine® (Wako Pure Chemical

Industries, Ltd.)” with an NIR emission for use as an in vivo imaging probe as the first NIR luciferin in theworld. “TokeOni” is a next generation luciferin with improved water solubility compared to AkaLumine®.
For deep tissue imaging, top scientists long for an NIR probe. Researchers with transgenic model animals
for their research want deep tissue imaging with a different (improved) luciferin. Cancer and regenerative
medicine researchers need an NIR luciferin because optical imaging has high resolution compared with
MRI, CT, and X-ray imaging.
“AkaLumine®” and “TokeOni” with NIR emission spectra could solve imaging technology problems indeep tissue optical in vivo imaging. These probes are sold worldwide for advancing high value science.

106This technology must be the best technology in the world for the life science field.
Practical application research requires reasonable cost, stability, usability and so on. In other words, apractical application technology should provide a comprehensive solution. Also, we should develop a
synthesis method for industrial production. Normally, life science researchers cannot synthesize material,
and they want to keep their results secret so as to market new material quickly. It is quite difficult toadvance life science technology merely by publishing in an academic journal, but it can be quite easy tomarket new compounds.
industrially.

Our materials not only show high performance, but they are synthesizedThis technology research contributes to society in a broader context and it is not justacademic research.

1.3 Future Plan
1. Innovation of next generation material “TokeOni”
Although “TokeOni” has better water solubility than “Akalumine®”, its acidic conditions present a practicalproblem in animal experiments because of the HCl salt. We should innovate the next generation material
to solve this problem while maintaining performance (brightness and NIR emission, >650nm). We have acandidate compound now being tested in animal experiments. When we achieve good results in animal
experiments, we will start to scale to industrial production.
2. Innovation of optical in vivo imaging technology for medium and/or large animals
It is hard to translate experiment data from mice and rat to human. We need imaging of medium and/or
large animals for reliability and reproducibility in higher animals.

In regenerative medicine (personalized

medicine), optical imaging technology with high resolution is more suitable than MRI, CT, and X-ray.

Inthis application, grafts are repeatedly monitored for activity, and higher brain function changes must be
confirmed.

For human graft research, the pig is a suitable animal; for higher brain function research, thecommon marmoset is useful. We think it is quite important technology for imagining the whole human.
Collaboration with animal experiment researchers is in progress.

2. Research Achievements
2.1 Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](1) Hirano Takashi, Nakagawa Tatsuki, Kodaka Ai, Maki Shojiro, Niwa Haruki and Yamaji Minoru (2013),“5-[4-(Dimethylamino)phenyl]-2-benzamidopyrazines:fluorescent dyes based on Cypridina
oxyluciferin”, Rsearch on Chemical Intermediates, 39, 233.
(2) Iwano Satoshi , Obata Rika , Miura Chihiro , Kiyama Masahiro , Hama Kazutoshi , Nakamura Mitsuhiro ,Amano Yoshiharu , Kojima Satoshi , Hirano Takashi , Maki Shojiro , Niwa Haruki (2013),“Development of simple firefly luciferin analogs emitting blue, green, red, and near-infrared biological
window light”, Tetrahedron, 69, 3847-3856.
(3) Iwano Satoshi, Kojima Satoshi, Hirano Takashi, Maki Shojiro, Niwa Haruki, (2013), “Evaluation of
Bioluminescence Activity of Firefly Luciferin Nucleotide Derivatives”, ECS Transactions, 50, 1-3.

107

(4) Miura Chihiro, Kiyama Masahiro, Iwano Satoshi, Ito Kazuto, Obata Rika, Hirano Takashi, Maki Shojiro,
Niwa Haruki, (2013), “Synthesis and luminescence properties of biphenyl-type firefly luciferin analogs
with a new, near-infrared light-emitting bioluminophore”, Tetrahedron, 69, 9726-9734.
(5) Saito Ryota, Hirano Takashi, MakiShojiro, Niwa Haruki, (2014), “Synthesis and chemiluminescent
properties of 6,8-diaryl -2- methylimidazo [1,2-a] pyrazin -3(7H)-ones: Systematicinvestigation ofsubstituent effect at para-position of phenyl group at 8-position”, Journal of Photochemistry andPhotobiology A: Chemistry, 293 12–25.
(6) Nakagawa Tatsuki, Yamaji Minoru, Maki Shojiro, Niwa Haruki and Hirano Takashi, (2014),“Substituent effects on fluorescence properties of thiazolo[4,5-b]pyrazine derivatives”,

Photochem.

Photobiol. Sciences, 13, 1765-1772.
(7) Nakagawa Tatsuki, Yamaji Minoru, Maki Shojiro, Niwa Haruki and Hirano Takashi, (2015),“Fluorescence Properties of Diphenylthiazolo [4,5-b]pyrazines Tuned by Donor-Acceptor Substituent
Effects”, Photochemistry and Photobiology, 91, 807–813.
(8) Suzuki Yoshihisa, Yamaji Minoru, Maki Shojiro, Hirano Takashi, “Enhanced brightness of
2,6-diphenylthiazolo[4,5-b]pyrazines by introducing double electron donating groups”,
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, 314, 93-95 (2016).
(9) Kiyama Masahiro, Saito Ryohei, Iwano Satoshi, Obata Rika, Niwa Haruki, Maki Shojiro, “Multicolor
bioluminescence obtained using firefly luciferin”, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 16 (24),2648-2655 (2016).
(10) Hachiya Sojiro, Hashizume Daisuke, Ikeda Hiroshi, Yamaji Minoru, Maki Shojiro, Niwa Haruki,
Hirano Takashi, (2015) “Spectroscopic properties of BF2 complexes of N-(5-phenyl-2-pyrazinyl)
pivalamides exhibiting fluorescence in solution and solid state”, Photochemistry and Photobiology A:
Chemistry, 311, 206-214 (2016).
(11) Ioka Shuji, Saitoh Tsuyoshi, Iwano Satoshi, Suzuki Koji, Maki Shojiro, Niwa Haruki, Miyawaki
Atsushi, Imoto Masaya, Nishiyama Shigeru,“Synthesis and evaluation of the luminescent properties offirefly luciferin analogues” Chemistry, A European Journal, 22 (27), 9330–9337 (2016).
(1○2) Takahiro Kuchimaru, Satoshi Iwano, Masahiro Kiyama, Shun Mitsumata, Tetsuya Kadonosono, Haruki
Niwa, Shojiro Maki, and Shinae Kizaka-Kondoh, "A luciferin analog generating near-infraredbioluminescence achieves highly sensitive deep-tissue imaging", nature communications, naturecommunications, 7, 11856 (2016).

2.2 Book or Book Chapter(1) General editor: Makoto kajitani, Shigeru Tanaka, “Unique & Exciting science II”<ISBN978-4-7649-0453-8>, p. 129-158, Kindai Kagakusha (2013)(2) General editor:Mitsuhiro Seki, “Tama no Chikara”, <ISBN978-4-87751-508-9> p. 36-39, p. 68-71, p.
72-75, p. 80-83, p. 84-87, p. 92-95, p. 108-111, p. 120-123, p. 184-187, p. 210-213, Keyaki-Shuppan (2013)(3) Gan-Kenkyu Tokuhon 3 (Cancer Research Book 3), (e-book:108http://ganshien.umin.jp/research/epub/index.html), Chapter 3, (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, 2014)

2.3 Non-refereed articles or translation(1) Shojiro MAKI, “Making Firefly Bioluminescence by Chemistry”, KagakutoKyoiku, The Chemical
Society of Japan, Vol 61, No. 8，392-395, (2013)(2) Shojiro MAKI, “Innovation of Firefly Bioluminescence in vivo imaging material”, Pharmacia, Vol 50,
No. 2，117-120 (2014)(3) Shojiro MAKI, “New Firefly Bioluminescence in vivo imaging material having water solubility”,
Hikari alliance, Vol. 25, 33-35 (2014)(4) Shojiro MAKI, “A Challenge to innovate multicolor Firefly Bioluminescence”, Seibutsu kougakukaishi,
Vol. 92 (8), 432-436 (2014)(5) Shojiro MAKI, “Innovation of NIR firefly luciferin analogues”, Chemical engineering, Vol. 60 (8),28-33 (2015).

2.4 Invited lectures
・International(1) Maki, Shojiro, “Chemistry on firefly bioluminescence”, The Irago Conference 2015, Irago, Japan,
October 22-23, 2015.
・Domestic(1) Maki, Shojiro, “Chemistry on firefly bioluminescence”, , Chiba, December 4, 2014.
(2) Maki, Shojiro, “Chemistry on firefly bioluminescence”, Society of Imaging of mice, Tokyo, January 20,
2015.
(3) Maki, Shojiro, “Innovation of NIR firefly bioluminescence”, Autumn meeting of The Electrochemical
Society of Japan 2015, Saitama, September 12, 2015.

2.5 Media release(1) “Cancer cell could image out of the body by NIR luciferin”, The Nikkei, March 26, 2013
(2) “Water solubility 2000 fold rising up: convenience for animal experiment”, The NIKKAN KOGYOSHIMBUN,LTD. May 17, 2013
(3) “In vivo imaging probe Practical Application of mass production”, The NIKKAN KOGYOSHIMBUN,LTD. march 8, 2016

2.6 Patent(1) P2014-218456A ”NOVEL HYDROGEN HALIDE SALTS”
Inventor：Shojiro MAKI，Haruki NIWA．
Applicant: The University of Electro-Communications
Date of filing May 7, 2013 (P2013-097755)
Date of publication of application: November 20, 2014109

(2) P2015-193584A “NOVEL HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS AND SALTS THEREOF, AND
LUMINESCENT SUBSTRATE COMPOSITIONS”
Inventor：Shojiro MAKI，Haruki NIWA．
Applicant: The University of Electro-Communications
Date of filing: Sep. 17, 2014 (P2014-189314)
Date of publication of application: Nov. 5, 2015(3) P2014-108957A “METHOD OF PRODUCING CYCLIZED COMPOUND, AND METHOD OFCAUSING SOLUTION CONTAINING CYCLIZED COMPOUND TO EMIT LIGHT”
Inventor：Takeshi SAITO, Shigeru NISHIYAMA, Shuji IOKA, Shojiro MAKI，Haruki NIWA．
Applicant: KEIO GIJUKU and The University of Electro-Communications
Date of filing: Dec. 04, 2012 (P2014-189314)
Date of publication of application: Dec. 06.2014

2.7 Practical use(1) “AkaLumine®”, Kurogane Kasei Co. Ltd., Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd. (2011~)(2) “TokeOni” Kurogane Kasei Co. Ltd., Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC. (2016~)

2.8 Awards(1) Shojiro Maki, Incentive award of electron transfer chemistry (Society of Electron transfer Chemistry)
2005(2) Shojiro Maki, Best Teacher award (The University of Electro- Communications) 2012
(3) Kazuma Karube, Good Student award (Meguro-Kai: An alumni association of The University ofElectro- Communications) 2013
(4) Kazuma Karube, poster award (Society of Bioluminescence & Chemiluminescence) 2013
(5) Ryohei Saito, Incentive research award (Scientific Support Programs for Cancer Research,
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology) 2014
(6) Nobuo Kitada, Best Student award (Meguro-Kai: An alumni association of The University ofElectro- Communications) 2012(7) Nobuo Kitada, Good Presentation award (Dept. of Engineering Science, Graduation School of The
University of Electro- Communications)(8) Nobuo Kitada, vice-poster award (Society of Bioluminescence & Chemiluminescence) 2014
(9) Nobuo Kitada, JSPS Fellowships for Japanese Junior Scientist 2016.
(10) Masahiro Kiyama, vice-poster award (Society of Bioluminescence & Chemiluminescence) 2014(11) Satoshi Iwano, poster award (9th Joint Symposiom of TUAT & UEC) 2011(12) Satoshi Iwano, SPI award (in vivo imaging forum) 2013(13) Satoshi Iwano, poster award (3ed CSJ festa 2013) 2013(14) Satoshi Iwano, Best Student award (The University of Electro- Communications) 2014110

2.9 Student guidance(1) Ryohei Saito, 2014, Bachelor (engineering)(2) Satoshi Ohtsuka, 2015, Bachelor (engineering)(3) Rei Morimitsu, 2016, Bachelor (engineering)(4) Yoshinao Kobyashi, 2014, Master (engineering)(5) Kazuma Karube, 2015, Master (engineering)(6) Ryohei Saito, 2016, Master (engineering)(7) Satoshi Iwano, 2014, Doctor (science)

2.10 Visit of oversea researchers and students(1) Winson Lu，”Synthesis of new firefly luciferin” 2013, June-September (UCLA, Dept. of Chemical &Biochemistry, internship student)(2) Winson Lu ， ”Synthesis of new firefly luciferin” 2015, September-2016, Janurly (JST visiting
Scientist)

2.11 Study abroad programs for students(1) Satoshi Iwano, University of California Berkeley (Cell engineering, G. Marriott lab.) 2012. 3-4(2) Masahiro Kiyama, University of California Berkeley (Cell engineering, G. Marriott lab.) 2014. 9-10(3) Nobuo Kitada, University of California Berkeley (Cell engineering, G. Marriott lab.) 2015. 3-8

3. Research funding
3.1 Grant-in-aid for scientific research(1) Shojiro Maki (representative) “Confirmation of control point for Innovating NIR luciferin (24650633)”
2012-2014, total 3,000 thousand yen (challenging Exploratory Research)(2) Shojiro Maki (allot) ”resonance Bio-imaging”, 3704, 2015-2019, total 20,000 thousand yen(Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas)

3.2 Competitive external research funding(1) Shojiro Maki (allot) “Practical application of in vivo imaging material for deep inside body (AS2614119N)” A-step (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan) 2014-2016,
total 34,460,000 yen(2) Shojiro Maki (representative)“Practical application of imaging material”, Kurogane Kasei Co., Ltd.
2012-current, every year, 500,000 yen.

4. Collaborators（including codevelopment）
4.1 Inside BLSC
Prof. Atsushi Nakamura “Innovation of new in vivo optical imaging technology without transgenic animal”

1112016~

4.2 Outside BLSC in UEC
1 Prof. Rei Furukawa “Development of organic waveguide sensing system for health monitoring of shieldtunnelling “ (Department of Engineering Science), 2015-2017

4.3 Outside UEC(1) Prof. Tsuyoshi Saito, Masaya Imoto, Koji Suzuki, Rika Obata, Shigeru Nishiyama, Tsukuba
University and Keio University “Study of imaging material” 2014 July – 2016 June
(2) Hidenori Kato, Kurogane Kasei Co., Ltd., “Innovtion & Practical Application of NIR firefly l
uciferin” 2012 April – current(3) Prof. Taichiro Kato, Kagoshima University, “Development of new firefly bioluminescence mat
erial”, 2014 October -2016 September(4) Prof. Shotaro Yamano, Osaka prefectural university, “Development of in vivo imaging material”, 2014 October -2016 September(5) Prof. Iijima Nippon Medical School, “Study of in vivo imaging on brain and neuron”, 2013
November -2015 October(6) Prof. Yoshihiro Miwa, Tsukuba University,”Study of imaging technology by new firefly luciferin”, 2014 April – 2016 March(7) Prof. Shinae Kondo and Takahiro Kuchimaru, Tokyo Institute of Technology “Development of in vivo imaging technology”, 2014 April – 2016 March(8) Prof. Kazuhiro Chiba, “Study of bio-imaging material”, 2015 Augst – 2016 March(9) Prof. Kenji Hirayama, Nagasaki University, “Dynamics study of in vivo imaging material inlive body”, 2015 November – 2017 October(10) Prof. Rika Numano, Toyohashi University of Technology, “Study of firefly imaging material”, 2015 November – 2017 November

4.4 NDA (Non-disclosure agreement)(1) Prof. Ken Annoura, Jikei University, “About NIR imaging material”, 2014 January – 2018
December

4.5 MTA (Material transfer agreement)(1) Prof. Rika Numano, Toyohashi University of Technology, “Study of firefly imaging material”
2012 December - unlimited

5. Outreach activities
5.1

Research and education in other universities
112(1) Experts Network Investigator Science and Technology Foresight Center of National Institute of
Science & Technology Policy (NISTEP)(2) APEC foresight center member(Roadmapping Converging Technologies to Combat Emerging Infectious Diseases)(3) Meeting Experts Network Investigator Science and Technology Foresight Center of National Instituteof Science & Technology Policy(4) Scientific Support Programs for Cancer Research, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative
Areas, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(5) Executive Board Member (Society of electro transfer chemistry)（2008- current）(6) Executive Board Member (Society of Electrochemistry Japan, branch of Kanto) (2010-2012)

5.2

Other outreach activities(1) Extension lecture for children (experimental class), August and December 2011 (JST program)(2) Extension lecture for children (experimental class), August 2012 (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)(3) Extension lecture for children (experimental class), June 2015 (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)(4) Extension lecture for children (experimental class), July 2015 (The University ofElectro-communications)(5) Extension lecture for children (experimental class), August 2015 (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)(6) Extension lecture for children (experimental class), January 2016 (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)

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Tadashi YAMAZAKI Laboratory
1. Outline of Research and Education
1.1

Basic Policy in Research and Education

We are conducting research in the interdisciplinary area between neuroscience and high-performancecomputing. Specifically, we are engaged in mathematical modeling of neural networks of the brain andlarge-scale computer simulation on supercomputers. Our final goal is to understand the neuralmechanisms of human-specific higher-order functions such as bipedal locomotion and language.
Currently as an initiative project, we are working on the following projects: (1) building awhole-brain-scale functional model for motor learning and control, (2) development ofhigh-performance neurocomputing methods for accelerators such as graphics processing units (GPUs),and (3) applications of an artificial brain for controlling musculoskeletal models and humanoid robots,
and for rehabilitation.
Students in the lab participate in one of the above projects. In other words, they take part in aworld-class advanced research project from the beginning as an on-the-job training to gain practicalexperience on research. We stress the importance of publishing results to students. Master course
students must present their results in international conferences at least once. We also strongly encourage
114

students to publish a research paper. To achieve these, we have generous research funds and provide thebest environment and equipment for students.
We also have a research scientist and a technical staff in the lab, who are leading our scienceaggressively and helping management.
1.2

Achievements and State of Progress (April, 2013 - March, 2016)

1. Theory of memory consolidation in the cerebellum
The location of memory in the cerebellum has been a matter of debate over 30 years. In particular,
recent experiments using genetically manipulated animals have provided paradoxical results, whichmakes the debate complicated. We built a simple theoretical model of the cerebellum for memory
consolidation, and succeeded to interpret almost all previous experimental results including theparadoxical genetic experiments with the model. We published the paper in PNAS and made a press
release. Part of this study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI. We wrote a book chapter and a review
article.

2. Large-scale simulation of the cerebellar circuit
Accelerators such as GPUs allow us to carry out computer simulation of neural networks efficiently inparallel. Using 4 GPUs simultaneously, we achieved realtime simulation of a cerebellar modelcomposed of more than 1 million neurons. We published a referred paper in an international journal. We
have been collaborating with overseas researchers to built a cerebellar model on Field Programmable
Gated Aray (FPGA), and published another referred paper. Furthermore, we achieved realtime
simulation of a cat-scale cerebellum composed of 1 billion neurons using a supercomputer Shoubu built
by PEZY Computing/Exascaler. We have submitted a paper to an international conference. We also
published a review paper.

3. Unified basal ganglia-cerebellar model for time perception
Time perception is inevitable for our daily life. It has been shown that the basal ganglia is responsible
for time perception longer 1 second, whereas the cerebellum for that shorter than 1 second for precise
motor control. We built a unified basal ganglia-cerebellar model that represents the passage of time
accurately for a long interval. This study was supported by JSPS KAKENH. We published a bookchapter on this issue and are preparing a research paper.

4. Whole-brain functional model for motor learning and control
By adding a model of the motor cortex to the basal ganglia-cerebellar model, we are building awhole-brain functionl model for motor learning and control. The cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, andcerebellum play roles of representation, production and adjustment of motor sequences, respectively,
and work together synergistically. We have started a collaboration with AIST AI Research Center while
receiving a research fund on “Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence Technology Research andDevelopment”, and are hiring a research scientist and a technical staff.
115

5. Bipedal locomotion by a neuromusculoskeleta model towards simulated rehabilitation
We built a musculoskeletal model of lower limbs which is controlled by a set of neural oscillators forbipedal locomotion. By adding a predictive control of our artificial cerebellum, the model succeed towalk. When a half hemisphere of the artificial cerebellum is stopped, the leg on the same side tended tomove crudely, suggesting that crude movement of cerebellar patients would be due to the failure ofpredictive control by the cerebellum. We have submitted a paper to a journal.

6. Predictive control of humanoid robots by the artificial cerebellum
We make Aldebaran Robotics NAO to play table tennis. Using our realtime artificial cerebellum, NAO
predicts the trajectory of a flying ball and the correct timing to swing a racket to hit the ball. This study
was supported by Artificial Intelligence Research Promotion Foundation.
1.3

Future Plan

We will extend the whole-brain functional model for motor learning and control to human –specifichigher-order functions such as language acquisition and production. We are in progress to conduct
computer simulation of a human-scale brain on K computer and Post-K computer. We are collaboratingwith AIST AI Research center on brain-style artificial intelligence projects, where we are focusing on
applications of our brain models. We expect that our collaboration realizes various applications such as
adaptive control of factory robots for agriculture, and personalized rehabilitation by building a detailed
neuromusculoskeletal model for a specific patient and carrying out computer simulation ofrehabilitation to test whether a rehabilitation method is effective or not.

2. Research Achievements
2. 1 Reviewed papers [〇: Impact factor greater than 4](1) Masato Gosui, Tadashi Yamazaki (2016) Real-world-time simulation of memory consolidation in alarge-scale cerebellar model. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 10(21): 1–10.
(2) Junwen Luo, Graeme Coapes, Terrence Mak, Tadashi Yamazaki, Chung Tin, Patrick Degenaar(2016) Real-Time Simulation of Passage-of-Time Encoding in Cerebellum Using a Scalable
FPGA-based System. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems, 10(3): 742-53.
(3) Tadashi Yamazaki, Soichi Nagao, William Lennon, Shigeru Tanaka (2015) Modeling memory
consolidation during post-training periods in cerebellovestibular learning. Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112(11): 3541-3546.
(4) William Lennon, Tadashi Yamazaki, Robert Hecht-Nielsen (2015) A Model of In Vitro Plasticity at
the Parallel Fiber – Molecular Layer Interneuron Synapses. Frontiers in Computational
Neuroscience, 9(150): doi: 10.3389/fncom.2015.00150.
(5) Leonard F. Koziol, Deborah Budding, Nancy Andreasen, Stefano D’Arrigo, Sara Bulgheroni,
Hiroshi Imamizu, Masao Ito, Mario Manto, Cherie Marvel, Krystal Parker, Giovanni Pezzulo,
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Narender Ramnani, Daria Riva, Jeremy Schmahmann, Larry Vandervert, Tadashi Yamazaki (2014)
Consensus Paper: The Cerebellum’s Role in Movement and Cognition. The Cerebellum,13(1):151-177.
(6) William Lennon, Robert Hecht-Nielsen, Tadashi Yamazaki (2014) A spiking network model of
cerebellar Purkinje cells and molecular layer interneurons exhibiting irregular firing. Frontiers in
Computational Neuroscience, 8(157): 1-10.
(7) Tadashi Yamazaki, Jun Igarashi (2013) Realtime Cerebellum: A large-scale spiking network modelof the cerebellum that runs in realtime using a graphics processing unit. Neural Networks, 47:
103-111.
(8) Soichi Nagao, Takeru Honda, Tadashi Yamazaki (2013) Transfer of memory trace of
cerebellum-dependent motor learning in human prism adaptation: A model study. Neural Networks,
47: 72-80.
2.2 Book or Book Chapter(1) Author・Annual Review Shinkei 2016 (Clock and Cerebellum), Chugai Igaku Sha, 2016.
(2) Co-author・Cerebellar Learning, Volume 210 (Long-Term Depression as a Model of Cerebellar
Plasticity), Progress in Brain Research, 2014.
2.3 Non-refereed articles or translation(1) Tadashi Yamazaki, Junichiro Makino, Toshikazu Ebisuzaki. Perceptron and Cerebellum (Japanese
article), Clinical Neuroscience, in press.
(2) Tadashi Yamazaki. Computer Simulation of the Cerebellar Network (Japanese article), Bulletin ofJapan Society of Arfificial Intelligence, 30(5): 639－646, 2015.
(3) Tadashi Yamazaki. Cerebellar Internal Clock and Timing Control (Japanese article), Shinkei Naika
78(6): 635－641, 2013.
2.4 Invited lectures(1) Tadashi Yamazaki, Toward building an artificial cerebellum, Advances in Neuroinformatics 2016,
RIKEN, 2016/5/28-29.
(2) Tadashi Yamaznaki. An artificial cerebellum (in Japanese), Tokai University Symposium, Tokai
University, 2015/1/10.
(3) Tadashi Yamazaki, Building a 1 mm^3 cerebellar module on a computer, INCF Congress
Neuroinformatics 2015, Cairns, Australia, 201/8/20-22.
(4) Tadashi

Yamazaki

NeuralNetwork

Modelsforsequenceandtimingcontrol,

8th

Whole-Brain-Architecture Workshop (Japanese), Gran-Toyo South Tower, 2014/11/10.
(5) Tadashi Yamazaki, Building the cerebellum on a computer (Japanese), Jichi University, 2013/2/19.
(6) Tadashi Yamazaki. Creating an artificial cerebellum on a computer, Neuro2013 Satellite
Symposium “Neuroscience on the Cerebellum”, Kyoto, 2013/5/22..
(7) Tadashi Yamazaki, Realtime simulation of a cerebellar spiking network model using a GPU, Open117

Source Brain Kickoff Meeting , Sardina, Italy , 2013/5/13 -15.
(8) Tadashi Yamazaki, Realtime Cerebellum: GPU-accelerated numerical simulation of a cerebellar
spiking network model in realtime, Computational Neuroscience (CNS) 2013 Paris, Paris, France,
2013/7/17-18.
2.5 Media release(1) NVIDIA Blog: Better Batting with CUDA: How GPU-based Brain Research Helped Japanese

Robot Swing for the Fences. Apr 26, 2013.
(2) WIRED Enterprise: Scientists Build Baseball-Playing Robot With 100,000-Neuron Fake Brain. Apr

27. 2013.
(3) insideHPC: GPU-based Brain Research Hits it Out of the Park. Apr 27, 2013.
(4) CNN: Scientists build baseball-playing robot with 100,000-neuron fake brain. Apr 29, 2013.
(5) Bio IT World: Swing Batter, Batter: GPUs and Baseball. Apr 29, 2013.
(6) WIRED Japanese Edition: GPU-Controlled Artificial Cerebellum: Baseball Robot by UEC andOIST (Japanese article). Apr 30, 2013.
(7) UEC e-Bulletin vol.4, 2014: Artificial intelligence: Brain-training for baseball robot. Dec 24, 2014.
(8)

UEC: [Media Release] Practice makes perfect: a theoretical model of memory consolidation in the
cerebellum. Mar 3, 2015.

(9) My Navi News: (In Japanese). Mar 4, 2015.
(10) UEC e-Bulletin vol.5, 2015: Motor memory: the long and short of it. Mar 25, 2015.
(11) MedicalXpress: Research explains the formation of long-term motor memory. Mar 26, 2015.
(12) The Japan Neuroscience Society: [Neuroscience Topics] Practice makes perfect: a theoreticalmodel for memory consolidation in the cerebellum. Apr 24, 2015.
(13) UEC eBulletin vol.8, 2015: Neuroscience: Creating realistic computational models of thecerebellum. Dec 25, 2015.
2.6

Data release(1) Cerebellar PF, http://cerebellum.neuroinf.jp/, 2006-.
(2) Simulation PF, http://sim.neuroinf.jp/, 2009-.
2.7

AwardsTadashi Yamazaki, Jun Igarashi. Best Paper Award. Japanese Neural Network Society, 2014.
2.8

Student guidance(1) Manabu Inaba, 2013, Master (Engineering).
(2) Mamoru Kubota, 2013, Master (Engineering).
(3) Shusei Yasumuro, 2014, Bachelor (Engineering).
(4) Masato Gosui, 2015, Master (Engineering).
(5) Yuki Yamamoto, Tokyo Medical and Dental University,(Internship from 205/6/1 to 2015/11/20).
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(6) Tsukasa Tsuyuki, 2015, Bachelor (Engineering), now in Master course.
(7) Ohki Katakura, 2014, Bachelor (Engineering), now in Master course.
(8) Daisuke Ichimura, 2014, Bachelor (Engineering), now in Master course.

2.9

Visit of oversea researchers and students(1) William Lennon, Spiking neural network simulation of plasticity at stellate and basket cells in the
cerebellum, 2013/6/18-8/20.

3

Research funding

3.1

Grant-in-aid for scientific research(1) Tadashi Yamazaki (Leader), Model Study on Representation of Time, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific
Research on Innovative Areas “Science of Mental Time”, 2014/4/1-2016/3/31, 2100 KYen.
(2) Tadashi Yamazaki (Leader), Study on Synergistic Motor Control Mechanisms of Distributed
Plasticity in the Cerebellum, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) , 2014/4/1-2017/3/3 3900
KYen.
3.2

Competitive external research funding(1) Tadashi Yamazaki (Leader), Adaptive Control of Small Humanoid Robots by an Artificial
Cerebellum, Artificial Intelligence Research Promotion Foundation, 2014/4/1-2016/3/31, 500
KYen.
(2) Tadashi Yamazaki (Leader), R&D of Artificial Motor Cortices, NEDO Next-Generation Artificial
Intelligence R&D, 2015/7/1-2019/3/31, 20000 KYen/Year.
(3) Tadashi Yamazaki (Leader), Development of Neuroinformatics Platforms, RIKEN, 2013-, 1000
KYen/Year.

4. Collaborators
4.1 Inside BLSC
(1) Shigeru Tanaka. Theoretical study on the cerebellum. 2013/04-.
4.2

Outside UEC(1) Neuroinformatics Japan Center, RIKEN, Study on Neural Network Simulation, 2013-.
(2) AI Research Center, AIST, R&D of Brain-style Artificial Intelligence, 2015-.
(3) Junichiro Makino, Kobe University,, Large-Scale Simulation of the Cerebellum on PEZY-SC,
2015.
(4) Toshikazu Ebisuzaki, RIKEN, Large-Scale Simulation of the Cerebellum on PEZY-SC, 2015-.
(5) Jun Igarashi, RIKEN, Computer Simulation of the Cerebellar Network Model on GPUs, 2013119

Tmagawa Hospital, Computer Simulation of Rehabilitation with Neuromusculoskeletal models.
2014-.
(6) Chung Tin, City Universyty of HongKong, Cerebellar circuit simulation on FPGAs, 2013-.

5. Outreach activities
5.1

Editor of academic journals(1) Review Editor, Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, 2012/05-.
(2) Action Editor, Neural Networks, 2016/01-.
5.2

Paper review of academic journals

Many times from prestigious journals including PNAS and Science to technical journals including
Neural Networks and Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience.
5.3

External review board(1) Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Information and Communications Bureau,
Brain-informatics AI WG, 2015/12-.
(2) IEICE, Neurocomputing WG, 2014/04-.
5.4

Other outreach activities(1) Lecturer, Autumn School on Computational Neuroscience, Japanese Neural Network Society,2014/10.

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