Changes in Cargo Movement due to the Effects of COVID-19

This study analyses and discusses how the unique cargo movements in Japan and changes in the social environment during the COVID-19 pandemic have affected social life. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, cargo movements in Japan have undergone significant changes. This study analyses cargo movements in Japan by showing correlation coefficients to indicate the extent to which each industry was affected by the spread of the new coronavirus to infected persons. The heightened awareness of the pandemic caused by the state of emergency led to the closure of many stores and a decline in outbound shipments. Although the volume of incoming shipments increased, the volume of outgoing shipments did not. As a result, warehouse vacancy rates declined. Therefore, the study revealed that distribution centers in Japan are becoming more self-sufficient, and cloud-based logistics information systems are becoming more widely used. © 2023 Kuninori Suzuki et al., published by Sciendo.

Social work for vulnerable and marginalized people during COVID-19 in Japan

During the Coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19), working conditions became increasingly difficult for social workers, as they had to deal with new challenges and added workloads. This study describes the difficulties faced by social workers of the Self-Reliance Support System in Japan and clarifies the solution for each difficulty while conducting their duties to support vulnerable people during COVID-19. To this end, we conducted an open-ended questionnaire survey and an interview survey. The data were analyzed using qualitative coding. The results showed that the difficulties faced in consultation support work included supporting hitherto socially invisible groups such as sole traders and foreigners. Social workers also faced an ethical dilemma, as they could not provide support to clients who "did not try to solve their problems” or for whom "interventional attempts did not lead to counseling support” and who only sought benefits at the risk of becoming isolated and impoverished. Following this, consultants collaborated to resolve such difficulties while maximizing the use of various local resources. The study's findings clarify that it would be effective to understand the difficulties faced by social workers to obtain hints toward their resolution. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Gesture Recognition with non-contact sensor for Natural User Interface in the COVID-19 era

COBID-19, an infectious disease transmitted by droplet and contact, is prevalent. In order to reduce the risk of contact infection, various operations should be performed in silence and non-contact. A user interface using non-contact sensors is effective in such an environment. Among them, Natural User Interface based on Gesture Recognition using non-contact sensors are useful, we think. We have developed our NUI system in which the user instructs the computer in a full-body gesture. In this paper, we discuss several methods available for gesture recognition based on skeleton recognition. And, for some of the gesture recognition systems we have implemented with the combination of such methods, the design policy and experimental results of each are presented. © 2021 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.