Results of the search for inspiraling compact star binaries from TAMA300's observation in 2000-2004

We analyze the data of TAMA300 detector to search for gravitational waves from inspiraling compact star binaries with masses of the component stars in the range 1-3Msolar. In this analysis, 2705 hours of data, taken during the years 2000-2004, are used for the event search. We combine the results of different observation runs, and obtained a single upper limit on the rate of the coalescence of compact binaries in our Galaxy of 20 per year at a 90% confidence level. In this upper limit, the effect of various systematic errors such like the uncertainty of the background estimation and the calibration of the detector's sensitivity are included.Comment: 8 pages, 4 Postscript figures, uses revtex4.sty The author list was correcte

Observation results by the TAMA300 detector on gravitational wave bursts from stellar-core collapses

We present data-analysis schemes and results of observations with the TAMA300 gravitational-wave detector, targeting burst signals from stellar-core collapse events. In analyses for burst gravitational waves, the detection and fake-reduction schemes are different from well-investigated ones for a chirp-wave analysis, because precise waveform templates are not available. We used an excess-power filter for the extraction of gravitational-wave candidates, and developed two methods for the reduction of fake events caused by non-stationary noises of the detector. These analysis schemes were applied to real data from the TAMA300 interferometric gravitational wave detector. As a result, fake events were reduced by a factor of about 1000 in the best cases. The resultant event candidates were interpreted from an astronomical viewpoint. We set an upper limit of 2.2x10^3 events/sec on the burst gravitational-wave event rate in our Galaxy with a confidence level of 90%. This work sets a milestone and prospects on the search for burst gravitational waves, by establishing an analysis scheme for the observation data from an interferometric gravitational wave detector

Analysis of the Special Subsidiary Companies in Japanese Agriculture

Japanese rural areas are running short of farmers who can accept farmland from the retired farmers, and the amount of the abandoned farmland is increasing. Under these circumstances, the number of the special subsidiary companies which have expanded their business to agriculture has been increasing, and it will go on. If these new type special subsidiary companies can overcome their weaknesses in their agricultural business, they will become the farms which can support the regional agriculture where they are located because they have the better manpower (includes employed persons with disabilities) and many strengths, compared with the social-welfare corporations which have expanded their business to agriculture. If the special subsidiary companies can establish good relationships in their agricultural business with the farmers and the social-welfare corporations which belong to their regional areas, they will have possibilities to play important roles in the regional economics and the regional communities where they are located

A case of caffeine intoxication resulting in hypothermia

Key Clinical Message A 30‐year‐old woman arrived at our hospital with polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and hypothermia. Later, it was found that the cause was an overdose of caffeine exceeding the lethal dose. Although it is common for toxidrome caused by caffeine intoxication to produce hyperthermia, here we report a case of hypothermia

Constant current stimulation may improve apraxia of eyelid opening induced by deep brain stimulation

Background: Apraxia of eyelid opening (AEO) is a common side effect of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) and difficult to treat. We report the case of a patient with Parkinson's disease (PD) whose DBS-induced AEO was alleviated after adjustment from constant-voltage (CV) to constant-current (CC) stimulation. Case description: A female patient with PD underwent bilateral STN-DBS surgery 12 years after onset. Three months after the start of stimulation, she developed bilateral AEO though her motor symptoms improved. Her AEO severity deteriorated in line with an increase in stimulation-voltage. Three years after surgery, we replaced the implantable pulse generators (IPGs) because of low voltage. We changed the stimulation programs from CV stimulation to CC stimulation as only CC stimulation was available on the new IPG model. Her AEO was significantly improved after the stimulation programs were changed from CV to CC stimulation, even though the stimulation intensity did not change markedly. Her motor symptoms did not change. We evaluated the association between AEO severity and stimulation contact point and found that stimulation at the lowest contact on the left side strongly induced AEO. Conclusion: Shifting from CV stimulation to CC stimulation may improve DBS-induced AEO. The exact mechanism underlying this improvement is unknown and further studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of CC stimulation for AEO

Correlation of active contact location with weight gain after subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation: a case series

Background Weight gain (WG) is a frequently reported side effect of subthalamic deep brain stimulation; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The active contact locations influence the clinical outcomes of subthalamic deep brain stimulation, but it is unclear whether WG is directly associated with the active contact locations. We aimed to determine whether WG is associated with the subthalamic deep brain stimulation active contact locations. Methods We enrolled 14 patients with Parkinson's disease who underwent bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation between 2013 and 2019. Bodyweight and body mass index were measured before and one year following the surgery. The Lead-DBS Matlab toolbox was used to determine the active contact locations based on magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. We also created sweet spot maps for WG using voxel-wise statistics, based on volume of tissue activation and the WG of each patient. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography data were also acquired before and one year following surgery, and statistical parametric mapping was used to evaluate changes in brain metabolism. We examined which brain regions' metabolism fluctuation significantly correlated with increased body mass index scores and positron emission tomography data. Results One year after surgery, the body mass index increase was 2.03 kg/m(2). The sweet spots for WG were bilateral, mainly located dorsally outside of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Furthermore, WG was correlated with increased metabolism in the left limbic and associative regions, including the middle temporal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and orbital gyrus. Conclusions Although the mechanisms underlying WG following subthalamic deep brain stimulation are possibly multifactorial, our findings suggest that dorsal stimulation outside of STN may lead to WG. The metabolic changes in limbic and associative cortical regions after STN-DBS may also be one of the mechanisms underlying WG. Further studies are warranted to confirm whether dorsal stimulation outside of STN changes the activities of these cortical regions