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NC JAPAN CENTER
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Harry C. Kelly Memorial Fund Recent Projects

“Smartphone usage during walking decreases the positive persistency in gait cycle variability” (read more)

  • Dr. Charles E. Smith, NC State Dept. of Statistics
  • Gait cycle variability during steady walking, described by the stride interval time series, has been used as a gait-stability-related measure. In particular, the positive persistency in the stride intervals with 1/f-like fluctuation and reduction of the persistency are the well-documented metrics that can characterize gait patterns of healthy young adults and elderly including patients with neurological diseases, respectively. Here, we examined effects of a dual task on gait cycle variability in healthy young adults, based on the mean and standard deviation statistics as well as the positive persistency of the stride intervals during steady walking on a treadmill. Specifically, three gait conditions were examined: control condition, non-cognitive task with holding a smartphone in front of the chest using their dominant hand and looking fixedly at a blank screen of the smartphone, and cognitive motor task with holding a smartphone as in the non-cognitive task and playing a puzzle game displayed on the smartphone by one-thumb operation. We showed that only the positive persistency, not the mean and standard deviation statistics, was affected by the cognitive and motor load of smartphone usage in the cognitive condition. More specifically, the positive persistency exhibited in the control and the non-cognitive conditions was significantly reduced in the cognitive condition. Our results suggest that the decrease in the positive persistency during the cognitive task, which might represent the deterioration of healthy gait pattern, is caused endogenously by the cognitive and motor load, not necessarily by the reduction of visual field as often hypothesized.

2021 Funded Project

“An Integrated Human and Environment In-the-loop Software Reliability Modeling, Algorithm, and Evaluation”

  • Dr. Mengmeng Zhu, NC State Wilson College of Textiles, Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science

Our modern societies are increasingly dependent on software-driven complex systems, such as transportation, smart grids, and the Internet of Things. However, large-scale software development is still considered a complicated and expensive activity. With the recent changes in the software industry, the complexities of many development environment-related factors have been greatly accelerated. This project, in cooperation with Kansai University, focuses on the development of a theoretical software reliability model in consideration of the complexities and interactions of development environment-related factors with evaluation algorithms to improve the accuracy of software reliability prediction and software quality. The support of this project will be used for
training the student in the STEM area and the dissemination of the research outcome.

2019 Funded Projects

“USA-Japan Alliance on Collaborative Research and Education: Multi-Scale Modeling of Air Pollution and Intercontinental Transport”

  • Dr. Yang Zhang, NC State College of Sciences, Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
  • Intercontinental transport plays a key role in air pollution worldwide.  In collaboration with researchers in Japan, our research work, supported by the Harry C. Kelly Memorial Fund under the Office of Global Engagement and the NC Japan Center, focuses on quantification of the impacts of intercontinental transport of Asian emissions and stratospheric intrusion on US air quality using a state-of-the science 3-D air quality model.  Our results showed that over the US, stratosphere-troposphere transport impacts have large day-to-day variations, and they can either originate from the same air mass over the entire U.S.A. with an eastward movement found during early April, or stem from different air masses at different locations indicated during late April. During April 2010 as monthly average.  These results have important implications to under the role of stratosphere-troposphere transport in surface O3 pollution in the US. and have been published in two journal papers on a high impact journal. In addition, this fund has been instrumental and provided excellent opportunities for organizing a workshop on Air Quality and Climate Research Across Scales, July 30, 2019 in Japan to promote research information exchange and explore potential collaboration with Japanese institutions.

“Towards Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications for 5G UAV Ecosystems: US-Japan Research Partnership”

  • Dr. Shih-Chun Lin, NC State College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • As one of the 5G envisioned services, ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) aim to provide secure data transmissions from one end to another with ultra-high reliability and deadline-based low latency requirements. This new type of communications enables tactile Internet, mission-critical Internet of Things, and vehicle safety applications. Meanwhile, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for wireless communications have drawn much attention as the mass production of high-performance, low-cost, intelligent UAVs becomes more practical and feasible, empowering 5G network functional. This project, supported by the Harry C. Kelly Memorial Fund for US-Japan Scientific Cooperation, initiated collaborative research discussion and external grant planning to introduce a holistic software-defined wireless architecture that ensures URLLC in 5G UAV ecosystems. Dr. Shih-Chun Lin (NC State) and Dr. Kentaro Kobayashi (Nagoya University) joined their efforts in this project with outstanding accomplishments. These achievements include teleconference and initial discussions, the first collaborative workshop organization with the ICMaSS at Nagoya University, Japan, and several joint grant writings. The student exchange program between NC State and Nagoya University is also planned to enhance the cross-linkage between the lines of research pursued by the two institutions and strengthen the longstanding relationship and strategic partnership in the long term.

“Sustainability at and Beyond NCSU: US-Japan Partnership – How to Accelerate the Use and Industrialization of Nanomaterials from Forest Biomass as Replacement of Fossil-based Materials?”

  • Dr. Nathalie Lavoine, NC State College of Natural Resources, Department of Forest Biomaterials
  • Buildings account for 40% of the total US energy consumption. The most simple and cheapest way to contribute to their energy efficiency consists in improving their thermal insulation by developing “green,” inexpensive, advanced functional materials as insulation panels. Conventional insulation materials such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) or phenolic foams (PF) have good insulation performances. However, these commercialized insulation materials are commonly made from fossil-based polymers or using toxic chemicals, and their ability to be recycled or combusted is a problem that causes significant environmental concerns. Greener insulation alternatives exist such as hemp, flax, or cellulose foams, but these materials have rather low insulation performances, a high density (i.e. a thicker material is needed for better insulation), and are sensitive to moisture and/or fungi. With growing attention towards energy and environmental issues, the market for eco-friendly, local and sustainable insulation materials, characterized by improved insulation performance and low embodied energy, as well as competitive sound insulation and fire retardancy, is rapidly growing. To address these challenges, my research focuses on exploiting lignocellulosic biomass, for the development of renewable, low-cost, and high value-added thermal insulating foams, with scale-up potential. A grant from the Harry C. Kelly Memorial Fund has greatly assisted me with costs related to traveling to Japan and collaborating with complementary organizations that are at the cutting-edge of this field of study. I’d like to thank the Office of Global Engagement and the NC Japan Center for this support.

“Novel Heavy-ion Radiation Treatment vs. Traditional Photon Radiation for Treatment of the Most Devastating Oral Cancer in Cats.”

  • Dr. Hiroto Yoshikawa, NC State Veterinary Medicine, Radiation Oncology Unit
  • Feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (FOSCC) is one of the most devastating diseases in veterinary medicine. Treatment outcomes after aggressive surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of these are still frustratingly poor, mainly due to local tumor recurrence. Radiation therapy with photons or electrons has been used to palliate clinical signs but is almost never able to extend survival rates. Heavy ion radiation, especially heavy metal radiation such as carbon ion and iron ion radiation, is known to damage cancer cells much more efficiently in comparison to traditional photon or electron radiation. This therapy has been used for clinical and research purposes in a limited number of countries, but is not yet available in the U.S. Therefore, my preliminary research, supported by the Harry C. Kelly Memorial Fund under the Office of Global Engagement and the NC Japan Center, is designed to evaluate radiobiological responses of several cell lines of FOSCC in response to different types of radiation; specifically, photon and carbon ion radiation. We hope that this study helps us in ultimately improving treatment outcomes of cats with this devastating cancer by potentially giving us more treatment options, such as a combination, multimodality treatment regimen.