Psychophysical Threshold Estimates in Logistic Regression Using the Bootstrap Resampling

We propose the non-parametric bootstrap resampling algorithm for the problem of psychophysical threshold estimates. We use the logistic regression with guessing rate and the log-likelihood ratio test statistics of two samples for testing the hypothesis by using the bootstrap resampling. We apply our algorithm to the visual acuity test, and show that the bootstrap resampling is useful for the problem of the two-sample test when the numbers of observations are not identical between the two samples. We also propose the bootstrap algorithm for one-sample testing to certify the values of parameters and threshold obtained by logistic regression

The Parametric and Non-parametric Bootstrap Resamplings for the Visual Acuity Measurement

We propose a useful tool for the visual acuity measurement from the results of parametric and non-parametric bootstrap algorithms in the logistic regression model. We present the kurtosis and the variance of deviance residuals to estimate the efficiency of bootstrap resampling. We applied our parametric and non-parametric algorithms to the problem of the visual acuity measurement and obtained the efficiency measures for the comparison of the parametric and non-parametric bootstrap resamplings

A statistical modelling of the visual acuity measurement and its multiple test procedure

To establish the computer assisted system of the visual acuity test, we propose a statistical modelling of the visual acuity measurement and its multiple test procedure. The psychometric functions for individual patients are produced by the logistic regression combined with the guessing rate. We adopt test statistics based on (i) psychometric functions (the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method) and (ii) psychophysical thresholds (the delta method). The multiple comparisons are performed by the step-down procedure with Ryan-Einot-Gabriel-Welsch (REGW) significance levels. To show the practical effectiveness of our system, we present a numerical example of four patient groups

Variations in the structure of airborne bacterial communities in a downwind area during an Asian dust (Kosa) event

Asian dust (Kosa) events transport airborne microorganisms that significantly impact biological ecosystems, human health, and ice-cloud formation in downwind areas. However, the composition and population dynamics of airborne bacteria have rarely been investigated in downwind areas during Kosa events. In this study, air samplings were sequentially performed at the top of a 10-m high building within the Kosa event arrival area (Kanazawa City, Japan) from May 1 to May 7, 2011, during a Kosa event. The particle concentrations of bacterial cells and mineral particles were ten-fold higher during the Kosa event than on non-Kosa event days. A 16S ribosomal DNA clone library prepared from the air samples primarily contained sequences from three phyla: Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, and Alphaproteobacteria. The clones from Cyanobacteria were mainly from a marine type of Synechococcus species that was dominant during the first phase of the Kosa event and was continuously detected throughout the Kosa event. The clones from Alphaproteobacteria were mainly detected at the initial and final periods of the Kosa event, and phylogenetic analysis showed that their sequences clustered with those from a marine bacterial clade (the SAR clade) and Sphingomonas spp. During the middle of the Kosa event, the Firmicutes species Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus were predominant; these species are known to be predominant in the atmosphere above the Chinese desert, which is the source of the dust during Kosa events. The clones obtained after the Kosa event had finished were mainly from Bacillus megaterium, which is thought to originate from local terrestrial areas. Our results suggest that airborne bacterial communities at the ground level in areas affected by Kosa events change their species compositions during a Kosa event toward those containing terrestrial and pelagic bacteria transported from the Sea of Japan and the continental area of China by the Kosa event. © 2014 Elsevier B.V

Hygroscopic mineral dust particles as influenced by chlorine chemistry in the marine atmosphere

Morphology and elemental compositions of individual dust particles were investigated with the use of Asian dust samples collected at a site along the Sea of Japan side of the archipelago. Our results indicate the preferential formation of chloride in Ca-containing dust particles (0.1 < Cl/Ca < 0.65) in cases when the particles contain little or no sulfate. Most of them are in an amorphous state and nearly spherical even under high vacuum. A likely explanation for the results is that highly soluble salts such as calcium chloride (CaCl2) are formed as a result of heterogeneous reactions of dust particles with chloride precursor gases (mostly, HCl) in the marine atmosphere. The chloride formation is expected to play an important role in enhancing the hygroscopicity of dust particles. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union

Reviewing E(sub peak) Relations with Swift and Suzaku Data

In recent years several authors have derived correlations between gamma-ray burst (GRB) spectral peak energy (E(sub peak)) and either isotropic-equivalent radiated energy (E(sub iso)) or peak luminosity (L(sub iso)). Since these relationships are controversial, but could provide redshift estimators, it is important to determine whether bursts detected by Swift exhibit the same correlations. Swift has greatly added to the number of GRBs for which redshifts are known and hence E(sub iso) and L(sub iso) could be calculated. However, for most bursts it is not possible to adequately constrain E(sub peak) with Swift data alone since most GRBs have E(sub peak) above the energy range (15-50 keV) of the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT). Therefore we have analyzed the spectra of 78 bursts (31 with redshift) which were detected by both Swift/BAT and the Suzaku Wide-band All-sky Monitor (WAM), which covers the energy range 50-5000 keV. For most bursts in this sample we can precisely determine E(sub peak) and for bursts with known redshift we can compare how the E(sub peak) relations for the Swift/Suzaku sample compare to earlier published results. Keywords: gamma rays: burst

Vertical distribution of airborne bacterial communities in an Asian-dust downwind area, Noto Peninsula

Bacterial populations transported from ground environments to the atmosphere get dispersed throughout downwind areas and can influence ecosystem dynamics, human health, and climate change. However, the vertical bacterial distribution in the free troposphere was rarely investigated in detail. We collected aerosols at altitudes of 3000 m, 1000 m, and 10 m over the Noto Peninsula, Japan, where the westerly winds carry aerosols from continental and marine areas. During the sampling period on March 10, 2012, the air mass at 3000 m was transported from the Chinese desert region by the westerly winds, and a boundary layer was formed below 2000 m. Pyrosequencing targeting 16S rRNA genes (16S rDNA) revealed that the bacterial community at 3000 m was predominantly composed of terrestrial bacteria, such as Bacillus and Actinobacterium species. In contrast, those at 1000 m and 10 m included marine bacteria belonging to the classes Cyanobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria. The entire 16S rDNA sequences in the clone libraries were identical to those of the terrestrial and marine bacterial species, which originated from the Chinese desert region and the Sea of Japan, respectively. The origins of air masses and meteorological conditions contribute to vertical variations in the bacterial communities in downwind atmosphere. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Embargo Period 24 month

Orexin Neurons Receive Glycinergic Innervations

Glycine, a nonessential amino-acid that acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, is currently used as a dietary supplement to improve the quality of sleep, but its mechanism of action is poorly understood. We confirmed the effects of glycine on sleep/wakefulness behavior in mice when administered peripherally. Glycine administration increased non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep time and decreased the amount and mean episode duration of wakefulness when administered in the dark period. Since peripheral administration of glycine induced fragmentation of sleep/wakefulness states, which is a characteristic of orexin deficiency, we examined the effects of glycine on orexin neurons. The number of Fos-positive orexin neurons markedly decreased after intraperitoneal administration of glycine to mice. To examine whether glycine acts directly on orexin neurons, we examined the effects of glycine on orexin neurons by patch-clamp electrophysiology. Glycine directly induced hyperpolarization and cessation of firing of orexin neurons. These responses were inhibited by a specific glycine receptor antagonist, strychnine. Triple-labeling immunofluorescent analysis showed close apposition of glycine transporter 2 (GlyT2)-immunoreactive glycinergic fibers onto orexin-immunoreactive neurons. Immunoelectron microscopic analysis revealed that GlyT2-immunoreactive terminals made symmetrical synaptic contacts with somata and dendrites of orexin neurons. Double-labeling immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that glycine receptor alpha subunits were localized in the postsynaptic membrane of symmetrical inhibitory synapses on orexin neurons. Considering the importance of glycinergic regulation during REM sleep, our observations suggest that glycine injection might affect the activity of orexin neurons, and that glycinergic inhibition of orexin neurons might play a role in physiological sleep regulation

Heterogeneous circulating miRNA profiles of PBMAH

ObjectivePrimary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PBMAH), a rare cause of Cushing syndrome, is often diagnosed as a bilateral adrenal incidentaloma with subclinical cortisol production. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are a characteristic of adrenocortical adenomas, but miRNA expression in PBMAH has not been investigated. We aimed to evaluate the circulating miRNA expression in patients with PBMAH and compare them with those in patients with non-functioning adrenocortical adenoma (NFA) and cortisol-producing adrenocortical adenoma (CPA).MethodsmiRNA profiling of plasma samples from four, five, and five patients with NFA, CPA, and PBMAH, respectively, was performed. Selected miRNA expressions were validated using quantitative RT-PCR.ResultsPBMAH samples showed distinct miRNA expression signatures on hierarchical clustering while NFA and CPA samples were separately clustered. PBMAH was distinguished from the adenoma group of NFA and CPA by 135 differentially expressed miRNAs. Hsa-miR-1180-3p, hsa-miR-4732-5p, and hsa-let-7b-5p were differentially expressed between PBMAH and adenoma (P = 0.019, 0.006, and 0.003, respectively). Furthermore, PBMAH could be classified into two subtypes based on miRNA profiling: subtype 1 with a similar profile to those of adenoma and subtype 2 with a distinct profile. Hsa-miR-631, hsa-miR-513b-5p, hsa-miR-6805-5p, and hsa-miR-548av-5p/548k were differentially expressed between PBMAH subtype 2 and adenoma (P = 0.027, 0.027, 0.027, and 1.53E-04, respectively), but not between PBMAH, as a whole, and adenoma.ConclusionCirculating miRNA signature was identified specific for PBMAH. The existence of subtype-based miRNA profiles may be associated with the pathophysiological heterogeneity of PBMAH