Biomagnetic field measurement is a promising tool for the investigation of electrical activities in a living body. Room temperature (RT) magnetic sensors with an improved resolution such as ...magnetoresistance (MR) devices have been recently employed for the detection of weak magnetic fields, which were earlier detected solely using superconducting interference device magnetic sensors. The position, orientation, and sensitivity of each magnetic sensor in a sensor array must be precisely determined for accurate magnetic source analysis. We proposed a calibration method using an array of multiple coils, which is applicable to an RT magnetic sensor array. To demonstrate the validity of the proposed calibration method, we applied it to an MR device-based magnetocardiography (MCG) system equipped with an L-shaped planar sensor array, which was newly developed for the simultaneous observation of both anterior and lateral sides of the body. The deviation of the sensor parameters from the designed values was estimated via calibration. The result of the marker coil localization test indicated that the calibration considerably improved the accuracy of the magnetic source analysis. Finally, we demonstrated a preliminary MCG measurement using the calibrated magnetic sensor array.
The primary purpose of this study is to quantitatively clarify the effect of worker attributes on break behaviours, consciousness, and wellness in office environments. No studies have systematically ...examined how worker attributes including organizational climate influence break behaviours and consciousness, and how break behaviours and consciousness affect wellness. This study revealed the following points. 1. Organizational climate has an influence on break behaviours and consciousness and wellness. 2. Break behaviours and consciousness have an influence on break satisfaction and wellness. In summary, organizational climate is important to improve the wellness of workers. In addition, an office environment that induces various actions is also important at the same time.
“Proactive, interactive, and authentic learning” has been emphasized in Japanese education, and the consideration of school facilities that can realize such learning has become an urgent issue. In ...this study, we focused on students’ learning motivation, extracted 12 elements from all school environments as factors that contribute to the improvement of learning motivation, and explored the relationship between the school environment and learning motivation. A questionnaire survey of two junior high schools was conducted to measure subjective evaluations of the school environment and learning motivation. And we performed the univariate analysis using correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis. The results showed correlations between the environmental elements of classroom design, creative space, and peace of mind, and learning motivation. In particular, the total score of school environment correlated more strongly with learning motivation than the other environmental factors. The results also suggested that the elements of the school environment may lead to higher learning motivation through 4 factors for improving learning motivation and other factors. It is necessary to clarify the relationship between school environment and learning motivation through more structural analysis in the future.
The community effect of cardiomyocytes was investigated in silico by the change in number and features of cells, as well as configurations of networks. The theoretical model was based on experimental ...data and accurately reproduced recently published experimental results regarding coupled cultured cardiomyocytes. We showed that the synchronised beating of two coupled cells was tuned not to the cell with a faster beating rate, but to the cell with a more stable rhythm. In a network of cardiomyocytes, a cell with low fluctuation, but not a hight frequency, became a pacemaker and stabilised the beating rhythm. Fluctuation in beating rapidly decreased with an increase in the number of cells (N), almost irrespective of the configuration of the network, and a cell comes to have natural and stable beating rhythms, even for N of approximately 10. The universality of this community effect lies in the fluctuation-dissipation theorem in statistical mechanics.
In accordance with previous reports on the utility of polyethylene glycolic acid (PGA) felt and fibrin glue for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), we usually perform distal pancreatectomy (DP) ...with a PGA felt reinforcement stapler when dissecting the pancreas and cover the stump with PGA felt and fibrin glue (the PPF method). In this study, we retrospectively analyzed our DP cases to compare the risk factors for POPF and the postoperative course of patients receiving the PPF method of treatment versus that of those receiving conventional treatment.
A total of 127 DP procedures performed in our department between January 2008 and June 2021 were retrospectively analysed.
In the PPF method, grade B/C POPF rate tended to decrease, and POPF rate showed a significant decrease. The duration of drainage and the length of postoperative hospitalisation were also significantly shorter with the PPF method. The risk of grade B/C POPF significantly decreased with the PPF method if the pancreas was thick (> 13.5 mm) or the patients were obese.
The PPF method is useful for POPF in DP and is particularly effective when a thick pancreas or obese patient is involved. Removing the drainage tube early in the PPF method may lead to early discharge.
Pustulosis palmaris et plantaris (PPP) and pustulotic arthro‐osteitis (PAO) are tonsil‐related diseases. Treatment outcome of tonsillectomy and prognostic factors influencing the outcome have not ...been analyzed quantitatively. We evaluated those using the Palmoplantar Pustulosis Area and Severity Index (PPPASI). At 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and more than 24 months post‐tonsillectomy, 20 (31%), 34 (48%), 70 (60%), 57 (80%), 36 (95%) and 23 (96%) patients realized 80% or more improvement of PPP skin lesions, respectively, and eight (17%), 23 (36%), 30 (50%), 38 (79%), 12 (100%) and four (100%) patients showed 80% or more improvement of PPPASI (i.e. PPPASI% ≥ 80%), respectively. At 1, 3, 6, 12 and more than 12 months post‐tonsillectomy, 19 (73%), 21 (66%), 27 (73%), 19 (79%) and 15 (83%) patients realized a disappearance of PAO‐induced arthralgia, respectively. Kaplan–Meier analysis of 80 patients with PPP revealed that, at 12 and 24 months post‐tonsillectomy, lesions disappeared (i.e. PPPASI = 0) in 38% and 66% of patients, respectively, and lesions improved by 80% or more (i.e. PPPASI% ≥ 80%) in 71% and 95% of patients, respectively. The log–rank test and univariate and multivariate analyses showed that smoking cessation post‐tonsillectomy and PAO were significant predictive factors for the early disappearance of skin lesions. This report is the first demonstrating objective evidence of the great efficacy of tonsillectomy to improve PPP skin lesions. Even post‐tonsillectomy, smoking inhibited the early disappearance of the lesions.
We propose an alignment-based average delay time estimation algorithm between two time series in the propagation of time-varying delay. Though the number of the minimum cost alignments may be ...exponential in the length of the time series, the proposed algorithm takes account of all such alignments, and as a post-alignment process, it runs in time linear in the number of the nodes in the minimum cost alignment graph, which is at most the length squared. The efficiency of our algorithm is confirmed through numerical experiments compared to the naive enumeration algorithm using recursive calls to traverse the graph.
•Proposed average time delay estimation takes account of all the minimum cost alignments.•The proposed algorithm runs in time linear to the number of nodes in the minimum cost alignment graph.•The time complexity of the proposed algorithm does not depend on the number of the minimum cost alignments.
We introduce a three-dimensional mathematical model for the dynamics of vascular endothelial cells during sprouting angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is the biological process by which new blood vessels ...form from existing ones. It has been the subject of numerous theoretical models. These models have successfully replicated various aspects of angiogenesis. Recent studies using particle-based models have highlighted the significant influence of cell shape on network formation, with elongated cells contributing to the formation of branching structures. While most mathematical models are two-dimensional, we aim to investigate whether ellipsoids also form branch-like structures and how their shape affects the pattern. In our model, the shape of a vascular endothelial cell is represented as a spheroid, and a discrete dynamical system is constructed based on the simple assumption of two-body interactions. Numerical simulations demonstrate that our model reproduces the patterns of elongation and branching observed in the early stages of angiogenesis. We show that the pattern formation of the cell population is strongly dependent on the cell shape. Finally, we demonstrate that our current mathematical model reproduces the cell behaviours, specifically cell-mixing, observed in sprouts.
Substantial evidence suggests an important role of liver function in brain health. Liver function is clinically assessed by measuring the activity of hepatic enzymes in the peripheral blood. ...Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an important regulator of brain function. Therefore, we hypothesized that blood BDNF levels are associated with liver function and fibrosis. To test this hypothesis, in this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether serum BDNF concentration is associated with liver enzyme activity, aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/ alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio, and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index in middle-aged and older women. We found that serum BDNF level showed a significant positive association with ALT and γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) activity and negative association with FIB-4 index, and a trend of negative association with the AST/ALT ratio after adjustment for age. Additionally, these associations remained statistically significant even after adjustment for body mass index (BMI) and fasting blood glucose level. These results demonstrate associations of serum BDNF levels with liver enzymes and hepatic fibrosis-related indices, which may underlie liver-brain interactions.
Kiwifruit has been proposed as a phantom for prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to adjust multiparametric MRI factors. This study evaluated the variability in contrasts and apparent diffusion ...coefficients (ADCs) via repeated scans of kiwifruits for 1 week. All scans were performed using a 3T MRI system. Six kiwifruits were prepared as phantoms. Each kiwifruit was scanned consecutively for 1 week, and T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted images were acquired. Contrasts between the peripheral placenta (PP) and central placenta (CP), and between the outer pericarp (OP) and CP were calculated. The ADCs of the PP, OP, and CP were also determined. The Friedman test with Scheffé’s post hoc comparison was used to assess contrast and ADC variability over 1 week; no significant differences between the contrasts or ADCs were found. Thus, each kiwifruit phantom exhibited low variability when used as a prostate MRI phantom.
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