Before-after (1998 and 2008) trend analyses on regional clustering of clinical dentist-to-population ratio in all 1,976 municipalities of Japan

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to obtain geographic clustering information in order to identify shortages (“cold spots”) and surpluses (“hot spots”) of dentists in all municipalities of Japan. Methods: Pretreatment steps were conducted to recover the lost comparability between pre-1998 and post-2008 data due to the large-scale merging of municipalities (42.1% reduction) in the Heisei era. Moran’s I, LISA and spatial multiple regression analyses with AIC were performed to verify regional clustering. Dependent variables of the regression analyses were the clinical dentist-to-population ratio in 2008 (Model 1) and the difference between 1998 and 2008 (Model 2). Results: The R2 was 0.8379 (p<0.0001) for Model 1 and 0.5832 (p<0.0001) for Model 2. The initial dentist-to-population ratio in 1998 showed the highest significance in both models. However, the coefficient of Model 2 was negative, which was exactly the opposite of that of Model 1. Furthermore, indices relating to urbanization and hospital dentist-to-population ratio in 1998 were also highly significant (p<0.01) after adjustment for confounding factors. High- High clustered municipalities are located in most urbanized areas, whereas Low-Low clustered municipalities are located in remote areas far from urbanized areas. This study revealed that factors which attract dental clinics are urbanization and hospitals with dental care capabilities. Conclusion: Clinical dentist-topopulation ratios have improved only in municipalities in urbanized areas in the past ten years. On the contrary, accessibility of dental treatment has not improved in remote/isolated areas

The effect of “Approach for Encouraging Patients' Initiative" for patients with unilateral spatial neglect

半側空間無視は右半球脳損傷による後遺症として比較的頻繁に現れ,患者の日常生活への復帰を困難にする因子として知られる.本研究はこれに対するアプローチにおいて患者の自発性という問題に焦点をあて,これを促すことが半側空間無視の改善を生むかどうかを検証することをめざしたものである.なお,本研究において“自発的解決を促す介入"とは患者が興味のある課題を行う中で,無視症状の正しい認識と代償戦略の立案・獲得を促すことを目的にデザインされたものである.2症例を対象にそれぞれA-B-A'型のシングルケースデザインを用いて実験を行った.独立変数を“自発的解決を促す介入"の有無,従属変数を半側空間無視による見落とし数を標的とした半側空間無視量とし,A,B,A'各期それぞれ10回のセッションを週3～4回の頻度で実施した.さらに汎化の程度を調べる目的で,行動性無視検査を実験開始時と各期の終了時に計4回実施した.その結果,半側空間無視量は2症例ともB期において改善を示し,行動性無視検査の成績も1症例においてB期終了後に改善を示した.また,B期で得られた代償法のA'期における使用や自発的な無視に関するコメントの出現が認められた.すなわち,“自発的解決を促す介入"は半側空間無視に対する病識の芽生えと代償法の獲得ならびに拡張的使用を促すものと判断された.Unilateral Spatial Neglect (USN) is common after right hemisphere brain damage and has beenfound to be an important predictor of functional ability after injury. In this study, the focus was on patients'own initiative to see if this initiative helps improve their USN. In this study, “Approach for EncouragingPatients'Initiative"is designed to encourage patients to acknowledge their neglect symptoms, and to planand acquire some compensations while doing their favorite tasks. The experiment was carried out on 2 cases using a single case design (A-B-A'). The independentvariable is considered to be “Approach for Encouraging Patients'Initiative", and the dependent variable tobe USN quantity. A series of 10 sessions for each of the A-B-A'stages were held at the frequency of 3-4times a week. The Behavioral Inattention Test (BIT) was administered at the beginning and at the end ofthe experiment, 4 times in total, in order to examine the degree of the generalization. As a result, both ofthe 2 cases on USN quantity showed an improvement at the B stage, and the BIT experiment alsoindicated an improvement at the end of the B stage. It allowed the compensatory methods acquired at theB stage to be used in the following A'stage. Voluntary comments about USN were also noted. It issuggested that “Approach for Encouraging Patients'Initiative"can prompt the patients'awareness ofUSN, plus the acquisition and expansion of its compensation methods

Spindle microtubules generate tension-dependent changes in the distribution of inner kinetochore proteins

The N and C termini of CENP-T undergo tension-dependent separation, suggesting that CENP-T elongation is responsible for changes in the shape of the inner kinetochore

〓

From, the invesigations on the changes in distribution of herbaceous and trees and their quantity, three vegatation zones were recognized, viz. Pieris japonica-Sasa nipponica-Asarum nipponicum Ass., Quercus serrata-Clethra barbinervis Ass. and Symplocos chinensis v. leucocarpa-Acer rufinerve-Para-benzoin trilobum Ass. Pieris japonica-Sasa-Asarum Ass. is caused by growing in groups of sixteenth types, viz. Clethra barbinervis-Sasa nipponica type, Clethra barbinervis-Pieris japonica type, Quercus serrata-Clethra barbinervis type, Quercus serrata-Parabenzoin trilobum type, Pieris japonica type, Pieris japonica-Sasa nipponica type, Pieris japonica-Ilex pedunculosa type, Pourthiaea villosa v. laevis-Pieris japonica type, Sasa nipponica type, Sasa-wither type, Pourthiaea villosa v. laevis-Quercus serrata-Sasa nipponica type, Ilex pedunculosa-Ilex crennata type, Quercus serrata-Sasa nipponica type, Miscanthus sinensis type, Sasa nipponica-Miscanthus sinensis type and Carex siderosticta type

Coincidence analysis to search for inspiraling compact binaries using TAMA300 and LISM data

Japanese laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors, TAMA300 and LISM, performed a coincident observation during 2001. We perform a coincidence analysis to search for inspiraling compact binaries. The length of data used for the coincidence analysis is 275 hours when both TAMA300 and LISM detectors are operated simultaneously. TAMA300 and LISM data are analyzed by matched filtering, and candidates for gravitational wave events are obtained. If there is a true gravitational wave signal, it should appear in both data of detectors with consistent waveforms characterized by masses of stars, amplitude of the signal, the coalescence time and so on. We introduce a set of coincidence conditions of the parameters, and search for coincident events. This procedure reduces the number of fake events considerably, by a factor $\sim 10^{-4}$ compared with the number of fake events in single detector analysis. We find that the number of events after imposing the coincidence conditions is consistent with the number of accidental coincidences produced purely by noise. We thus find no evidence of gravitational wave signals. We obtain an upper limit of 0.046 /hours (CL $= 90$) to the Galactic event rate within 1kpc from the Earth. The method used in this paper can be applied straightforwardly to the case of coincidence observations with more than two detectors with arbitrary arm directions.Comment: 28 pages, 17 figures, Replaced with the version to be published in Physical Review

Arthroscopic, histological and MRI analyses of cartilage repair after a minimally invasive method of transplantation of allogeneic synovial mesenchymal stromal cells into cartilage defects in pigs

AbstractBackground aimsTransplantation of synovial mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may induce repair of cartilage defects. We transplanted synovial MSCs into cartilage defects using a simple method and investigated its usefulness and repair process in a pig modelMethodsThe chondrogenic potential of the porcine MSCs was compared in vitro. Cartilage defects were created in both knees of seven pigs, and divided into MSCs treated and non-treated control knees. Synovial MSCs were injected into the defect, and the knee was kept immobilized for 10min before wound closure. To visualize the actual delivery and adhesion of the cells, fluorescence-labeled synovial MSCs from transgenic green fluorescent protein (GFP) pig were injected into the defect in a subgroup of two pigs. In these two animals, the wounds were closed before MSCs were injected and observed for 10min under arthroscopic control. The defects were analyzed sequentially arthroscopically, histologically and by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for 3 monthsResultsSynovial MSCs had a higher chondrogenic potential in vitro than the other MSCs examined. Arthroscopic observations showed adhesion of synovial MSCs and membrane formation on the cartilage defects before cartilage repair. Quantification analyses for arthroscopy, histology and MRI revealed a better outcome in the MSC-treated knees than in the non-treated control kneesConclusionsLeaving a synovial MSC suspension in cartilage defects for 10min made it possible for cells to adhere in the defect in a porcine cartilage defect model. The cartilage defect was first covered with membrane, then the cartilage matrix emerged after transplantation of synovial MSCs

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