Effect of Cathodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on a Child with Involuntary Movement after Hypoxic Encephalopathy

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation to the supplementary motor area to inhibit involuntary movements of a child. An 8-year-old boy who developed hypoxic encephalopathy after asphyxia at the age of 2 had difficulty in remaining standing without support because of involuntary movements. He was instructed to remain standing with his plastic ankle-foot orthosis for 10 s at three time points by leaning forward with his forearms on a desk. He received cathodal or sham transcranial direct current stimulation to the supplementary motor area at 1 mA for 10 min. Involuntary movements during standing were measured using an accelerometer attached to his forehead. The low-frequency power of involuntary movements during cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation significantly decreased compared with that during sham stimulation. No adverse effects were observed. Involuntary movement reduction by cathodal stimulation to supplementary motor areas suggests that stimulations modulated the corticobasal ganglia motor circuit. Cathodal stimulation to supplementary motor areas may be effective for reducing involuntary movements and may be safely applied to children with movement disorders

The relationships between AGN power and molecular gas mass within 500 pc of the center of elliptical galaxies

The physical quantity that directly controls the feedback of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in galactic nuclei (AGN) in elliptical galaxies remains to be determined. The discovery of molecular gas around the AGNs suggests that the gas is fueling the AGNs. Therefore, we analyze Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) data on CO line (J=1-0, 2-1, 3-2) emission and estimate the mass of molecular gas within 500pc of the center of 12 normal elliptical galaxies and 10 of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). We find that the mass (M_mol~10^5-10^9 M_sun) has a correlation with the jet power of their AGNs, which is represented by P_cav~6.2x10^42(M_mol/10^7M_sun)^{0.68} erg s^{-1}. We also find that M_mol is correlated with the AGN continuum luminosities at ~1.4GHz (L_{1.4}) and ~100-300GHz (L_con). Since P_cav reflects galactic-scale, long-term AGN activity, while the continuum luminosities reflect local (~<500pc), short-term AGN activity, our results suggest that the AGN activity depends on the amount of the gas, regardless of its time scale. On the other hand, we cannot find a clear correlation between the mass of the black holes in the AGNs (M_BH) and P_cav. While this is probably because the black holes in our sample galaxies have similar masses, it suggests that M_mol, rather than M_BH, is the main factor that controls the AGN activity. We confirm that the origin of the continuum emission from the AGNs at ~1.4-300GHz is mostly synchrotron radiation

The correlation between the 500 pc scale molecular gas masses and AGN powers for massive elliptical galaxies

Massive molecular clouds have been discovered in massive elliptical galaxies at the center of galaxy clusters. Some of this cold gas is expected to flow in the central supermassive black holes and activate galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. In this study, we analyze archival ALMA data of 9 massive elliptical galaxies, focusing on CO line emissions, to explore the circumnuclear gas. We show that the mass of the molecular gas within a fixed radius (500 pc) from the AGNs (M_mol ~ 10^7-10^8 M_sun) is correlated with the jet power estimated from X-ray cavities (P_cav ~ 10^42-10^45 erg/s). The mass accretion rate of the circumnuclear gas \dot{M} also has a correlation with P_cav. On the other hand, the continuum luminosities at ~1.4 GHz and ~100-300 GHz have no correlation with M_mol. These results indicate that the circumnuclear gas is sustaining the long-term AGN activities (~10^7 yr) rather than the current ones. The circumnuclear gas mass is a better indicator of the jet power than the continuum luminosity, which probably changes on a shorter time scale. We also study the origin of the continuum emission from the AGNs at ~100-300 GHz and find that it is mostly synchrotron radiation. For low-luminosity AGNs, however, dust emission appears to contaminate the continuum.Comment: Accepted for publication in PAS

Anemia among freshmen of a faculty of physical education : Risk factors among female students

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of anemia and to explore risk factors related to anemia among female students at admission. Methods: Participants were 2,361 freshmen in a faculty of physical education from 2008 to 2011. Risk factors for anemia were examined in 577 female students out of 2,361 students in total. Rates of anemia and iron storage depletion were examined in both male and female students, and risk factors for anemia were examined in a multiple logistic regression model. Results: The rate of anemia （less than 12 g/dl of hemoglobin） was 0.1% among males, 6.1% among females, and 1.7% among both sexes. The rate of anemia （less than 13 g/dl of hemoglobin） was 0.6% among males, 31.0% among females, and 8.0% among both sexes. The rate of ion storage depletion was 2.9% among males, 31.0% among females, and 25.3% among both sexes. A multiple logistic regression model indicated that sFe levels, TIBC, and CK levels were significant factors related to anemia among female students. Conclusion: The rate of anemia was 0.6% among male students（ defined as hemoglobin <13 g/dl） and 6.1% among female students（ defined as hemoglobin <12 g/dl） at admission. Results indicated that risk factors related to anemia in female students were an iron deficiency and elevated CK due to excessive exercise

Automated compact mobile Raman lidar for water vapor measurement: instrument description and validation by comparison with radiosonde, GNSS, and high-resolution objective analysis

We developed an automated compact mobile Raman lidar (MRL) system for measuring the vertical distribution of the water vapor mixing ratio (w) in the lower troposphere, which has an affordable cost and is easy to operate. The MRL was installed in a small trailer for easy deployment and can start measurement in a few hours, and it is capable of unattended operation for several months. We describe the MRL system and present validation results obtained by comparing the MRL-measured data with collocated radiosonde, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and high-resolution objective analysis data. The comparison results showed that MRL-derived w agreed within 10&thinsp;% (root-mean-square difference of 1.05&thinsp;g kg−1) with values obtained by radiosonde at altitude ranges between 0.14 and 1.5&thinsp;km in the daytime and between 0.14 and 5–6&thinsp;km at night in the absence of low clouds; the vertical resolution of the MRL measurements was 75–150&thinsp;m, their temporal resolution was less than 20&thinsp;min, and the measurement uncertainty was less than 30&thinsp;%. MRL-derived precipitable water vapor values were similar to or slightly lower than those obtained by GNSS at night, when the maximum height of MRL measurements exceeded 5&thinsp;km. The MRL-derived w values were at most 1&thinsp;g kg−1 (25&thinsp;%) larger than local analysis data. A total of 4 months of continuous operation of the MRL system demonstrated its utility for monitoring water vapor distributions in the lower troposphere.</p

BabyTigers 2001: Osaka Legged Robot Team

We have developed all kinds of motions such as walking, standing-up, and kicking towards Seattle. From a human designer’s point of view, it is easier to write strategies based on the geometric, global position data but seems less attractive. Then, we are attacking learning issues such as action selection [1] [2], observatio

Primary Thymic Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma: Diagnostic Tips

AbstractMucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma arising in the thymus is extremely rare and little is known regarding its clinicopathological features. This study examined the clinicopathological features of nine cases of thymic MALT lymphoma. Most patients had autoimmune disease or hyperglobulinemia, and they also had cysts in the tumors. Both increased serum autoantibody levels and polyclonal serum immunoglobulin levels remained essentially unchanged after total thymectomy in all patients. Thymic MALT lymphoma needs to be included in the differential diagnosis in Asian patients with a cystic thymic mass accompanied by autoimmune disease or hyperglobulinemia

Clinical Safety Assessment of Autologous Freeze-Drying Platelet-Rich Plasma for Bone Regeneration in Maxillary Sinus Floor Augmentation: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this clinical study is to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of autologous freeze-drying platelet-rich plasma (FD-PRP) on bone regeneration in maxillary sinus floor augmentation as a preliminary pilot study. Five patients that required sinus floor augmentation to facilitate the placement of dental implants participated in this clinical study. The PRP was prepared from the autologous peripheral blood and was lyophilized and stored at −20 °C for 4 weeks before surgery. At surgery, triple-concentrated FD-PRP (x3FD-PRP) mixed with synthetic bone grafting materials was rehydrated following the transplantation into the sinus floor. The primary outcome was a safety verification of x3FD-PRP, evaluated in terms of the clinical course and consecutive blood tests. The secondary outcome was clinical efficacy focused on bone regeneration in sinus floor augmentation evaluated by radiographic examination and implant stability. There were no adverse events, such as systemic complications, excessive inflammatory reactions, severe infection, or local site healing complications, besides those on the usual course associated with surgery. Vertical augmented height was maintained, and the initial stability of implants was achieved post-operatively in 6 months. The results obtained in this study suggest that x3FD-PRP can be used safely for bone engineering in clinical practice. Further studies are required to draw a conclusion concerning the efficacy of x3FD-PRP since this was a pilot study with a single arm and a small sample size

First national tuberculosis patient cost survey in Lao People's Democratic Republic: Assessment of the financial burden faced by TB-affected households and the comparisons by drug-resistance and HIV status.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) patients incur large costs for care seeking, diagnosis, and treatment. To understand the magnitude of this financial burden and its main cost drivers, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) National TB Programme carried out the first national TB patient cost survey in 2018-2019. METHOD: A facility-based cross-sectional survey was conducted based on a nationally representative sample of TB patients from public health facilities across 12 provinces. A total of 848 TB patients including 30 drug resistant (DR)-TB and 123 TB-HIV coinfected patients were interviewed using a standardised questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization. Information on direct medical, direct non-medical and indirect costs, as well as coping mechanisms was collected. We estimated the percentage of TB-affected households facing catastrophic costs, which was defined as total TB-related costs accounting for more than 20% of annual household income. RESULT: The median total cost of TB care was US$ 755 (Interquartile range 351-1,454). The costs were driven by direct non-medical costs (46.6%) and income loss (37.6%). Nutritional supplements accounted for 74.7% of direct non-medical costs. Half of the patients used savings, borrowed money or sold household assets to cope with TB. The proportion of unemployment more than doubled from 16.8% to 35.4% during the TB episode, especially among those working in the informal sector. Of all participants, 62.6% of TB-affected households faced catastrophic costs. This proportion was higher among households with DR-TB (86.7%) and TB-HIV coinfected patients (81.1%). CONCLUSION: In Lao PDR, TB patients and their households faced a substantial financial burden due to TB, despite the availability of free TB services in public health facilities. As direct non-medical and indirect costs were major cost drivers, providing free TB services is not enough to ease this financial burden. Expansion of existing social protection schemes to accommodate the needs of TB patients is necessary