Statistical Modeling of Subjective Sleep Quality.

Effective maintenance/improvement of sleep quality requires knowledge of how sleep quality is connected to quantitative features of sleep and arbitrarily selected habitual lifestyles, which naturally depend on the demographic characteristics of individuals. To fulfill these needs, a regression model of subjective sleep quality was constructed, whereby one might be able to design a practical strategy for achieving comfortable sleep adapted to individual conditions. Based on data obtained from our previous study, fundamental correlation profiles between day-to-day subjective and quantitative features of sleep were estimated. Obtained correlation profiles involving SRSs, quantitative features of sleep, and sleep habits across a week such as bedtime preference (chronotype), discrepancy between chronotype and social time cue (social jetlag), and habitual sleep-wake pattern (HSWP) were characterized specifically for each self-ratings of sleep quality (SRS) category through backward stepwise Linear Mixed Effect (LME) modeling. The LME model represented SRSs with acceptable accuracy, allowing identification of determinant factors for each category of SRS. The SRS is one possible option to clarify sleep status. In this study, we proposed a possible framework including model-based predictors of SRS in which self-awareness of sleep quality could be improved to facilitate healthy sleep practices.

Characterization of a half-wave plate for cosmic microwave background circular polarization measurement with POLARBEAR.

A half-wave plate (HWP) is often used as a modulator to suppress systematic error in the measurements of cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization. A HWP can also be used to measure circular polarization (CP) through its optical leakage from CP to linear polarization. The CP of the CMB is predicted from various sources, such as interactions in the Universe and extension of the standard model. Interaction with supernova remnants of population III stars is one of the brightest CP sources. Thus, the observation of the CP of CMB is a new tool for searching for population III stars. In this paper, we demonstrate the improved measurement of the leakage coefficient using the transmission measurement of an actual HWP in the laboratory. We measured the transmittance of linearly polarized light through the HWP used in Polarbear in the frequency range of 120-160 GHz. We evaluate the properties of the HWP by fitting the data with a physical model using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. We then estimate the band-averaged CP leakage coefficient using the physical model. We find that the leakage coefficient strongly depends on the spectra of CP sources. We thus calculate the maximum fractional leakage coefficient from CP to linear polarization as 0.133 ± 0.009 in the Rayleigh-Jeans spectrum. The nonzero value shows that Polarbear has a sensitivity to CP. Additionally, because we use the bandpass of detectors installed in the telescope to calculate the band-averaged values, we also consider systematic effects in the experiment.

Models to predict prognosis in older patients with heart failure complicated by pre-frailty and frailty: a pilot prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: There are no clinical prediction models to predict the prognosis of pre-frailty or frailty in patients with heart failure. We aimed to develop prediction models for the prognosis of pre-frailty and frailty in older patients with heart failure using the classification and regression tree (CART) method; we then tested the predictive accuracies of the developed models. METHODS: Patients with pre-frailty or frailty at admission were divided into improved and non-improved groups. The CART method was used to establish two models: A, which predicted the presence or absence of pre-frailty improvement during hospitalisation; and B, which predicted the presence or absence of frailty improvement during hospitalisation. RESULTS: Patients with heart failure complicated by pre-frailty (n=28) or frailty (n=156) were included. In model A, the accuracy of predicting pre-frailty improvement was high; the best predictor was single-leg standing time at admission, followed by left ventricular ejection fraction at admission. In model B, the accuracy of predicting frailty improvement was moderate; the best predictor was hand grip strength at admission, followed by estimated glomerular filtration rate at admission, haemoglobin level at admission, and change in single-leg standing time during hospitalisation. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of the CART models were 0.96 and 0.84 in models A and B, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although conditions at admission may predict the improvement of pre-frailty and frailty during hospitalisation, cardiac rehabilitation that improves single-leg standing time may help to improve frailty, particularly when conditions at admission are poor.

Estimation of Retinotopic Map of Awake Mouse Brain Based upon Retino-Cortical Response Model.

We proposed a novel retino-cortical response model on which the fine retinotopic map of the primary visual cortex was estimated from the intrinsic optical signal (IOS) induced by visual stimulation in an awake mouse. Our method was developed to overcome practical restrictions of measurement time and disturbances such as eye movement and brain background activity instead of synchronous averaging. In our model, it was assumed that the response of the cortical region was given by integrating the product of the image projected on a spherical retina and the retino-cortical sensitive function. In addition, in order to estimate parameters of the sensitive function, Monte Carlo-based numerical integration and nonlinear least square algorithm were employed. By applying this method to the actual IOS data, we estimated a biologically plausible spatial distribution of the sensitivity function parameters and a retinotopic map. Similar to our pervious study, higher-order brain regions such as the secondary visual cortex were also visualized. These results suggested usefulness of our proposed method based on the novel retino-cortical response model.Clinical Relevance- The method for evaluating visual functions under restoration was proposed and its validity was examined in animal experiments.

Internal Delensing of Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization B-Modes with the POLARBEAR Experiment.

Using only cosmic microwave background polarization data from the polarbear experiment, we measure B-mode polarization delensing on subdegree scales at more than 5σ significance. We achieve a 14% B-mode power variance reduction, the highest to date for internal delensing, and improve this result to 22% by applying for the first time an iterative maximum a posteriori delensing method. Our analysis demonstrates the capability of internal delensing as a means of improving constraints on inflationary models, paving the way for the optimal analysis of next-generation primordial B-mode experiments.

Successful Transcatheter Arterial Embolisation for a Traumatic Iliacus Hematoma: A Case Report.

A traumatic iliacus hematoma is rare and usually occurs in patients after a fall involving a lower back injury. Although the hematoma may compress the femoral nerve causing femoral nerve palsy, the gold standard treatment for this condition has not been established. Here we report transcatheter arterial embolisation as a useful treatment strategy for a traumatic iliacus hematoma.

Successful Transcatheter Arterial Embolisation for a Traumatic Iliacus Hematoma: A Case Report

@#A traumatic iliacus hematoma is rare and usually occurs in patients after a fall involving a lower back injury. Although the hematoma may compress the femoral nerve causing femoral nerve palsy, the gold standard treatment for this condition has not been established. Here we report transcatheter arterial embolisation as a useful treatment strategy for a traumatic iliacus hematoma.

The POLARBEAR Fourier transform spectrometer calibrator and spectroscopic characterization of the POLARBEAR instrument.

We describe the Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) used for in-field testing of the POLARBEAR receiver, an experiment located in the Atacama Desert of Chile which measures the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization. The POLARBEAR-FTS (PB-FTS) is a Martin-Puplett interferometer designed to couple to the Huan Tran Telescope (HTT) on which the POLARBEAR receiver is installed. The PB-FTS measured the spectral response of the POLARBEAR receiver with signal-to-noise ratio >20 for ∼69% of the focal plane detectors due to three features: a high throughput of 15.1 sr cm2, optimized optical coupling to the POLARBEAR optics using a custom designed output parabolic mirror, and a continuously modulated output polarizer. The PB-FTS parabolic mirror is designed to mimic the shape of the 2.5 m-diameter HTT primary reflector, which allows for optimum optical coupling to the POLARBEAR receiver, reducing aberrations and systematics. One polarizing grid is placed at the output of the PB-FTS and modulated via continuous rotation. This modulation allows for decomposition of the signal into different harmonics that can be used to probe potentially pernicious sources of systematic error in a polarization-sensitive instrument. The high throughput and continuous output polarizer modulation features are unique compared to other FTS calibrators used in the CMB field. In-field characterization of the POLARBEAR receiver was accomplished using the PB-FTS in April 2014. We discuss the design, construction, and operation of the PB-FTS and present the spectral characterization of the POLARBEAR receiver. We introduce future applications for the PB-FTS in the next-generation CMB experiment, the Simons Array.

Relationship between Dynamics of Physiological Signals and Subjective Quality of Life and Its Lifestyle Dependency.

In terms of preventive healthcare, how adopted lifestyle maintains healthy states or leads to pathological states is an essential issue. In this study, for the healthy subjects, their daily patterns of heart rate variability (HRV) and behavioral activity dynamics were analyzed in association with subjective quality of life (QOL), and how the relationship between the physiological signal dynamics and QOL is differentiated by the chronotype (sleep-wake pattern) was investigated. As a result, the morning type subjects were found to show higher sequential variation in R-R interval (rMSSD) and behavioral activity, and to have higher sleep quality and non-depressive tendency. Even the evening type subjects could have higher sleep quality under the condition that rMSSD shows a dip around early afternoon and keep a higher level of activity during the daytime, which may be due to realization of steady entrainment to the circadian time cues. Through this study, fundamental knowledge for preventive healthcare was obtained for us to help people's choice of an appropriate lifestyle for their health.

Monitoring of hemostatic abnormalities in major orthopedic surgery patients treated with edoxaban by APTT waveform.

INTRODUCTION: An analysis of the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) in major orthopedic surgery patients receiving edoxaban for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) was carried out. METHODS: The APTT waveform was analyzed in the above patients to monitor edoxaban administration. RESULTS: Of these 99 patients, 12 exhibited deep vein thrombosis, and 25 had massive bleeding. An increased biphasic pattern of the APTT waveform was observed after the administration of edoxaban, but there were no significant differences between the patients with and without complications. The peak times of acceleration, velocity, and 1/2 fibrin formation were significantly prolonged after the administration of edoxaban, especially in patients with massive bleeding, and were moderately correlated with the anti-Xa activity. While the heights of velocity and acceleration peak 2 were lower in patients receiving warfarin treatment than in those receiving edoxaban, the widths of these parameters were significantly longer. The height of 1/2 fibrin formation and the width of acceleration peaks 1 and 2 and the velocity were significantly increased after the administration of edoxaban. CONCLUSION: The peak time of the APTT waveform was significantly prolonged after the administration of edoxaban. The analysis of the APTT waveform may therefore be useful for the prediction of the risk of massive bleeding.

Scaling of Memories and Crossover in Glassy Magnets.

Glassiness is ubiquitous and diverse in characteristics in nature. Understanding their differences and classification remains a major scientific challenge. Here, we show that scaling of magnetic memories with time can be used to classify magnetic glassy materials into two distinct classes. The systems studied are high temperature superconductor-related materials, spin-orbit Mott insulators, frustrated magnets, and dilute magnetic alloys. Our bulk magnetization measurements reveal that most densely populated magnets exhibit similar memory behavior characterized by a relaxation exponent of [Formula: see text]. This exponent is different from [Formula: see text] of dilute magnetic alloys that was ascribed to their hierarchical and fractal energy landscape, and is also different from [Formula: see text] of the conventional Debye relaxation expected for a spin solid, a state with long range order. Furthermore, our systematic study on dilute magnetic alloys with varying magnetic concentration exhibits crossovers among the two glassy states and spin solid.

Observation of quadrupole helix chirality and its domain structure in DyFe3(BO3)4.

Resonant X-ray diffraction (RXD) uses X-rays in the vicinity of a specific atomic absorption edge and is a powerful technique for studying symmetry breaking by motifs of various multipole moments, such as electric monopoles (charge), magnetic dipoles (spin) and electric quadrupoles (orbital). Using circularly polarized X-rays, this technique has been developed to verify symmetry breaking effects arising from chirality, the asymmetry of an object upon its mirroring. Chirality plays a crucial role in the emergence of functionalities such as optical rotatory power and multiferroicity. Here we apply spatially resolved RXD to reveal the helix chirality of Dy 4f electric quadrupole orientations and its domain structure in DyFe3(BO3)4, which shows a reversible phase transition into an enantiomorphic space-group pair. The present study provides evidence for a helix chiral motif of quadrupole moments developed in crystallographic helix chirality.

Three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging findings in a patient with relapsing polychondritis.

OBJECTIVE: We report three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging findings in a patient with relapsing polychondritis. METHOD: Case report. RESULT: A 76-year-old woman initially presented with bilateral auricular swelling together with dyspnoea. Three months later, she experienced left hearing loss and recurrent vertigo. A biopsy of the auricle was performed and relapsing polychondritis was diagnosed. The patient underwent three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging 4 hours after intravenous injection of a standard dose of gadolinium. Gadolinium enhancement was visible throughout the vestibule and the endolymphatic space could not be visualised, suggesting breakdown of the blood-labyrinth barrier. CONCLUSION: This is the first radiological report to demonstrate breakdown of the blood-labyrinth barrier in a case of relapsing polychondritis with inner ear impairment.