Search

Several studies have shown that color plays a vital role in the perception of visual information. This study clarified the cognitive differences generated by open caption telop colors in the perception of news value as importance, novelty, and timeliness among the negative, neutral, and positive news contexts. We also explored the news value integration by the color in the news emotional context. In this study, three tones, that is, the bright, deep, and vivid with eight chromatic hues, were selected from the practical color coordinate system, which are tried to be loyal to the news practice. We conducted a repeated measures ANOVA and correlation tests to clarify the open caption telop color effects. Our findings suggest that the open caption telop with deep-tone hues can facilitate the news to be perceived as more important, particularly in the negative context and vice versa. In some ways, this result partially applies to the news timeliness dimension, although its performance is relatively more complicated. The color performance in the perception of news novelty was observed to be the contrary with the other two dimensions. The 3D spaces created reveal that the news value integration by color highly depends on the news emotional context.

Purpose Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is a valuable alternative to carotid endarterectomy, especially in high-risk patients. However, the reported incidences of perioperative stroke and death remain higher than for carotid endarterectomy, even when using embolic protection devices (EPDs) during CAS. Our purpose was to evaluate 30-day major adverse events after CAS when selecting the most appropriate EPD. Methods We reviewed the clinical outcomes of 61 patients with 64 lesions who underwent CAS with EPDs. Patients who underwent CAS associated with thrombectomy and who had a preoperative modified Rankin scale score >3 were excluded from the analysis. The EPD was selected based on symptoms, carotid wall magnetic resonance imaging and lesion length, and we analyzed combined 30-day complication rates (transient ischemic attack, minor stroke, major stroke or death). Results Forty-nine patients were men and 12 were women. The median age was 72 years (range: 59–89 years) and 44 lesions were asymptomatic. A filter-type EPD was selected in 23 procedures, distal-balloon protection in 14 procedures and proximal-occlusive protection in 27 procedures. Two patients (3.1%) experienced a transient ischemic attack and one patient (1.6%) had a minor stroke within 30 days of the procedure. No patients experienced procedure-related morbidities (modified Rankin score >2) or death. Conclusions The perioperative stoke rate was low when we selected a proximal-occlusive-type EPD in high-risk patients with vulnerable carotid artery disease. Our algorithm for EPD selection was an effective tool in the perioperative management of carotid artery stenosis.

A 73-year-old women visited emergency department because of sudden right hemiplegia. She had a history of duodenum papilla cancer terminal stage and multiple liver metastasis. On admission, diffusion weighted images revealed high intensity area at left middle cerebral artery territory. In addition, 3D-TOF MRA depicted proximal part of the left internal carotid artery. We performed endovascular thrombectomy because low platelet count met contraindication of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator therapy. Although we could get partial recanalization of middle cerebral artery occlusion after thrombectomy, the patient eventually died due to multiple organ failure. Autopsy findings showed white thrombus on mitral valve and also left middle cerebral artery occluded by similar white thrombus without infective findings. The patient was finally diagnosed with nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis due to white thrombus on the mitral valve. We should select appropriate mechanical thrombectomy devices with a case of cerebral infarction due to nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis because its thrombus is often white thrombus and would be hard.

Aim The objective of the present study was to develop a tool for mothers to assess their children’s skin condition with the ultimate goal of its wider use in general health checkups for infants and toddlers. Methods This was a single-institution, cross-sectional study in Japan, targeting parents of 200 infants and toddlers who visited a dermatology clinic between December 2018 and March 2019. The parents completed a self-administered survey of the mother’s perception of her child’s dermatological symptoms, itchiness, and sleep status, and a quality-oflife assessment, using a nine-question version of the Quality of life in Primary Caregivers of children with Atopic Dermatitis questionnaire (QP9). The attending physician was asked to complete a form about the child’s dermatological condition and the treatment prescribed. The severity of the dermatological condition noted by the physician was compared with the combined response to the 3 perception items (dermatological condition, itchiness, and sleep) reported by the parents, in order to identify the optimal cutoff score. Results Of 200 parent questionnaires distributed, 198 (99% response rate) were returned and analyzed, along with the responses from 198 physician records (100% response rate). The optimal cutoff score was 2/3 for the total score (range 0-6) for 2 items, itchiness and sleep status (sensitivity 73%, specificity 64%). There was a significant difference in QP9 scores between the 2 groups categorized by the cutoff score Conclusions A pediatric dermatological screening tool based on 2 symptoms reported by the parents of children with atopic dermatitis was developed, and its precision and criterion-related validity were confirmed. This simple tool could help parents become better aware of their children’s skin condition and allow healthcare workers to provide adequate skin care advice. This practical tool could be widely applicable in primary child care and public health service settings.

We propose a spectrally slicing-and-synthesizing coherent optical spectrum analyzer to measure complex field waveforms of quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) optical signals with ultralong periods. The optical spectrum of a measured optical signal is divided into multiple narrowband spectral components, called slices. The slices are sequentially measured using low-speed coherent detection. After phase noise suppression and frequency fluctuation compensation on each slice, the measured slices are synthesized to recover the original signal spectrum. Our numerical and experimental results confirm that the proposed method can overcome the limitation of the measurement bandwidth because the signal spectrum can synthesize more than 100 slices. We experimentally demonstrate complex field measurements of 16QAM optical signals. Our method can measure high-speed optical complex field waveforms with no bandwidth limitation.

Color sensations are tied not only to other sensations, but also emotions. There have been many studies on this. One study regarding architectural color showed that colors were associated with mental status; for example, red relates to arousal, excitation, and stimulus. The purpose of the present study is to investigate how colors are evoked by emotions. The emotions were described both by emotional words and by schematic faces. Since facial expressions are accompanied by facial color, facial expressions should relate more closely to facial color than emotional words. Therefore, we used numerous color samples for our experiments to show discrimination sensitivity to stimuli in subtle differences of color. Some associations between colors and emotions were found, and the tendencies of associations were different among emotions. Anger, joy, surprise, sadness, and no emotion were connected to particular colors. The distribution of color responses in sadness was spread among bluish colors. The emotional tendencies, among anger, joy, surprise, and sadness, were similar in the two conditions of our experiment. However, in the schematic face condition, the color responses for all emotions were increased in the skin-colored samples. Thus, the context of the face elicited the color responses.

Primary intracranial leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is an extremely rare tumor of the central nervous system. Only sporadic case reports have been published, and therefore data regarding long-term prognosis remain scarce. A 76-year-old woman presented with a right parietal mass, which had grown rapidly in the month prior to admission. Neuroimaging showed a resemblance to intraosseous meningioma. Gross total resection of the tumor was achieved, and histological diagnosis confirmed LMS. Because positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) just after the resection showed no abnormal uptake, we diagnosed the tumor as primary intracranial LMS. Follow-up PET at 16 months after treatment showed two foci of FDG uptake in the bilateral lungs. Histological diagnosis by surgical resection identified the lesions as lung metastases of LMS. In addition, follow-up head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 31 months showed local recurrence, and we conducted salvage therapy using CyberKnife system (Accuray incorporated) and pazopanib. To date, for 15 months after local recurrence, she is alive with intracranial recurrent disease remained inactive.

Purpose: Endovascular therapy for emergent large vessel occlusion has been established as the standard approach for acute ischaemic stroke. However, the effectiveness and safety of endovascular therapy in the very elderly population has not been proved. Objective: To determine the safety and effectiveness of endovascular therapy in octogenarians and nonagenarians. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent endovascular therapy at two stroke centres between April 2012 and July 2018. Functional outcome was assessed using the modified Rankin scale at 90 days after stroke or at discharge. A favourable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin scale score of 0–2 or not worsening of the modified Rankin scale score before stroke. Outcome was compared between younger patients (aged 46–79 years, n = 40) and octogenarians and nonagenarians (aged 80–97 years, n = 19). Results: Octogenarian and nonagenarian patients had pre-stroke functional deficit (modified Rankin scale score >1) more frequently than younger patients (57.9% vs. 20.0%, respectively, P = 0.0059). No difference was observed between very elderly and younger patients in the rate of successful reperfusion (89.5% vs. 67.5%, respectively, P = 0.11), favourable functional outcome (47.4% vs. 45.0%, respectively, P = 1.00) and mortality (21.1% vs. 27.5%, respectively, P = 1.00). On multiple regression analysis, successful reperfusion, concomitant use of intravenous thrombolysis, and out-of-hospital onset were independent predictors of favourable outcome ( P = 0.0003, 0.015 and 0.028, respectively). Conclusions: Successful reperfusion, concomitant use of intravenous thrombolysis, and out-of-hospital onset were clinical predictors of favourable outcome. However, we did not observe an age-dependent effect of clinical outcome after endovascular therapy.

This study examined the effects of the quantity of knots present in interior paneled walls of soft-wood through a preference evaluation. In this study, psychological evaluations were applied based on the ideas of cognitive psychology, such as the context effect, in which human perception not only depends on the object itself, but is also strongly influenced by the scene and the situation that surround the objects. To examine the ratio of knot area to panel area (KA/PA), the quantity of knots in the wall panels was set to four levels ranging from 0% to 1.32%. The scene chosen for subject evaluation was the living room of a residence. Photographs of four living rooms, each with different colored wallpaper and furniture arrangement were combined with the aforementioned wainscot wall panels. The preference evaluation of the four living rooms showed a decrease in subject preference with an increase of KA/PA. The rate of decrease in preference was slight in the range of 0-0.86%, but this rate then changed significantly at 1.32% with the increase of KA/PA. However, more than half of the subjects stated positive preferences that were within the range of 0.86% by that they either "like it" or "like it a little". The significance of the difference was checked statistically with the use of two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA). The effect of KA/PA was evident while no significant difference was observed by the effect of room type and interaction. The results suggested that the subjects of the study prioritized the context of a residential living room over the impression of each living room.

Patient: Male, 57-year-old Final Diagnosis: Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis Symptoms: Headache • visual acuity loss Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Venous sinus stenting Specialty: Oncology Objective: Unusual or unexpected effect of treatment Background: Cerebral venous sinus obstruction associated with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis is an extremely rare complication of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. There is little information available on the efficacy of therapeutic options because of its rarity and extremely poor prognosis. Case Report: A 57-year-old man presented with severe headache, vomiting, and visual loss for 1 month. Head magnetic resonance venography (MRV) showed occlusion of the left transverse sinus. Gd-enhanced MRI showed no abnormal enhancement. Lumbar puncture intracranial pressure was higher than 40 cmH2O. Positive cerebrospinal fluid tumor cytology confirmed the diagnosis of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC). The headache was relieved by repeated lumbar punctures, and ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was performed. Cerebral angiography showed severe stenosis of the left transverse sinus without thrombosis, and significant delay of cerebral circulation. The transverse sinus stenosis was judged to be contributing to raised intracranial pressure, and the patient underwent left transverse sinus stent placement. After the procedure, his visual acuity improved, the visual field was enlarged, and his headache could be controlled by medication. Follow-up Gd-enhanced MRI showed dural enhancement and spinal dissemination. Because molecular biology of the surgical specimen showed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-activating mutations, he was treated with osimertinib for 2 months. He survived for 8 months following the diagnosis of LC and left transverse sinus stenosis. Conclusions: Venous sinus stenting can offer an effective palliative interventional option for symptom relief of severe headache and visual symptoms, even in the end stage of malignancy.

A compact LED lidar was constructed and fieldtested with the aim to observe the Mars’ dust devils. To be able to fit it on the Mars rover, a specialized Cassegrain telescope was designed to be within a 10 cm-cube, with a field of view of 3mrad. The transmitter has 385 nm LED light source with 3 cmϕ opening, 70mrad divergence, 0.75W (7.5nJ/10ns) pulse power, and 500 kHz repetition frequency. The configuration of the optical system is biaxial to easily configure the overlap between their optical axes.

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility, technique, and clinical and angiographic outcomes of endovascular coiling to treat a cerebral aneurysm with a branch incorporated into the aneurysmal wall. Methods From 2012 to 2016, 25 patients with 26 cerebral aneurysms having a branch incorporated into the aneurysm (9 unruptured, 17 ruptured) were treated to prevent rupture or re-bleeding from the sac while preserving the incorporated branch by using single-catheter ( n = 18), balloon-remodeling ( n = 4), stent-assisted coiling ( n = 3), or double-catheter ( n = 1) techniques. Results Endovascular coiling was conducted in 26 procedures without angiographic occlusion of the incorporated branch. Post-embolization angiography revealed near-complete occlusion ( n = 8; 30.7%), neck remnant ( n = 13; 50%), and incomplete occlusion ( n = 5; 19.3%) aneurysms. Thromboembolisms were observed in four (15.4%) patients during or after the procedure. A procedure-related neurological deficit was observed in one (3.8%) patient. When patients with a preictal modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 3 presenting with grade 5 subarachnoid hemorrhage were excluded, all patients had favorable outcomes (mRS 0–2). Six (23.1%) recurrent aneurysms were observed during follow-up, five of which were treated endovascularly at 5–22 months without complication. The location of an aneurysm at the ICA-posterior communicating artery associated with the dominant-type posterior communicating artery was significantly associated with recurrence ( p = 0.041). Conclusions Cerebral aneurysms with an incorporated branch were safely treated using conventional endovascular coiling. However, treatment durability was unsatisfactory, especially for dominant-type ICA-posterior communicating artery aneurysms.

Background The recurrence rate of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) after trepanation is relatively high and involves various factors. We encountered an extremely rare case in which metastasis of an extracranial malignant tumor to the hematoma capsule was thought to be causing short-term repeated recurrences of CSDH. Case Description The patient was a 74-year-old man who had undergone bur hole evacuation of left CSDH 7 months earlier and had been receiving chemotherapy for stage IV gastric cancer for the preceding 6 months. He presented with symptoms of right hemiparesis and was diagnosed with left CSDH. Bur hole evacuation was performed twice, but the hematoma enlarged again both times within a short period. A third bur hole evacuation was performed after middle meningeal artery embolization, but the hematoma again enlarged shortly thereafter. Hematoma enlargement was finally suppressed by extracting the hematoma capsule under craniotomy. In histopathologic examinations, hematoxylin-eosin staining showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma primarily along the luminal side of the hematoma capsule and immunohistochemical staining showed results identical to findings from the existing gastric cancer. Pathologic results confirmed metastasis of the gastric cancer to the hematoma capsule, and this was considered to be the cause of short-term repeated recurrence of CSDH. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of metastasis to a hematoma capsule originating from an extracranial malignant tumor. The clinical course in the present case suggests metastasis of extracranial malignant tumor to the CSDH capsule as an extremely rare cause of recurrence.

Background: Large-scale clinical trials have analyzed risk factors for any ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the risk factors for cardioembolic stroke (CES), specifically, have not been reported. To clarify the risk factors for CES and clinically significant cardioembolic infarction, we examined the incidence of CES and larger infarct volume (IV) (> 30 mL) CES, employing the Fushimi AF Registry, a community-based prospective cohort of AF patients in the Fushimi ward, Kyoto, Japan. Methods: A total of 4,182 Fushimi AF patients were enrolled from March 2011 to December 2014. The risk factors for CES were evaluated using multivariate analysis. Results: Of 4,182 patients enrolled, 3,749 patients were observed for ≥1 year. During the follow-up period (mean duration, 979 ± 7.7 days), 91/3,749 patients experienced a CES (2.43%). Significant risk factors associated with CES were older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.72; p = 0.046), low body weight (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.03–1.65; p = 0.033), sustained AF (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.05–2.71; p = 0.034), and previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) (OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.22–3.06; p = 0.004). Predictors of a large IV were chronic kidney disease (CKD) (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.09–4.05; p = 0.027) and previous stroke/TIA (OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.19–4.24; p = 0.011). Conclusions: In this population-based cohort of Japanese patients with AF, in addition to previous stroke/TIA and older age, sustained AF and low body weight emerged as risk factors for CES, as opposed to any stroke, which may have a different risk profile. Patients with CKD or previous stroke/TIA who developed cardioembolic infarction exhibited more advanced severity. There is a need for direct oral anticoagulants that can be used safely in patients with comorbid AF and CKD.

A mini-lidar to observe the activity of Martian atmosphere is developed. The 10cm-cube LED mini-lidar was designed to be onboard a Mars rover. The light source of the mini-lidar is a high powered LED of 385nm. LED was adopted as light source because of its toughness against circumference change and physical shock for launch. The pulsed power and the pulse repetition frequency of LED beam were designed as 0.75W (=7.5nJ/10ns) and 500kHz, respectively. Lidar echoes were caught by the specially designed Cassegrain telescope, which has the shorter telescope tube than the usual to meet the 10cm-cube size limit. The high-speed photon counter was developed to pursue to the pulse repetition frequency of the LED light. The measurement range is no shorter than 30m depending back-ground condition. Its spatial resolution was improved as 0.15m (=1ns) by this photon counter. The demonstrative experiment was conducted at large wind tunnel facility of Japan Meteorological Agency. The measurement target was smoke of glycerin particles. The smoke was flowed in the wind tunnel with wind speed of 0 – 5m. Smoke diffusion and its propagation due to the wind flow were observed by the LED mini-lidar. This result suggests that the developed lidar can pursue the structure and the motion of dust devil of >2m.

Since Aristotle, people have believed that metaphors and similes express the same type of figurative meaning, despite the fact that they are expressed with different sentence patterns. In contrast, recent psycholinguistic models have suggested that metaphors and similes may promote different comprehension processes. In this study, we investigated the neural substrates involved in the comprehension of metaphor and simile using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate whether simile comprehension differs from metaphor comprehension or not. In the metaphor and simile sentence conditions, higher activation was seen in the left inferior frontal gyrus. This result suggests that the activation in both metaphor and simile conditions indicates similar patterns in the left frontal region. The results also suggest that similes elicit higher levels of activation in the medial frontal region which might be related to inference processes, whereas metaphors elicit more right-sided prefrontal activation which might be related to figurative language comprehension.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical predictors of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).102 patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms were treated (77 by clipping and 25 by coiling). 40 patients were male and 62 were female. Median age was 59 years (range 31-88). The modified Rankin Scale was used to assess functional outcomes 3 months after treatment or at discharge. The associations between potential clinical risk factors and DCI after SAH were assessed using the χ(2) test.52 patients (51.0%) had a good outcome and 13 patients (12.7%) died despite treatment. DCI was observed in 26 patients and hydrocephalus was observed in 37 patients. There were marginal differences in clinical outcomes between the treatment groups (p=0.053), mainly because functional outcomes were significantly superior in the coiling group (p=0.04) in patients with severe SAH. DCI was seen less frequently in the coiling group than in the clipping group (4.0% vs 32.4%, p=0.001). The presence of hydrocephalus was significantly associated with the occurrence of DCI (p0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis also showed that the treatment modality and the presence of hydrocephalus were independent risk factors for DCI.DCI was less frequently observed in the coiling group, and clinical outcomes were also superior in the coiling group, especially for patients with severe SAH. The results showed a significant correlation between DCI and hydrocephalus.

Complete remission can be achieved soon after irradiation in patients with intracranial germinoma. This study aimed to analyze the follow-up outcome of intracranial germinoma patients. About 39 intracranial germinoma patients (29 males and 10 females; average age, 15 years; range, 7-27 years) treated at Kyoto University Hospital from 1978 to 2004 were included in the study group. Six patients had multifocal disease at initial diagnosis, and 10 had human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)-producing tumors. Thirteen patients were treated with craniospinal axis irradiation, 6 with whole-brain irradiation, 17 with whole-ventricle irradiation, and 3 with local field irradiation. Since 1997, 15 patients were treated with reduced-dose whole-ventricle irradiation (median, 23.4 Gy; range, 20.4-27 Gy) followed by a local boost (median, 40.8 Gy; range, 36-54 Gy) combined with chemotherapy. The median follow-up was 94 months (18 months to 25 years). The 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates of the entire group were 97 and 90%, respectively. The 5- and 10-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates of the entire group were 91 and 87%, respectively. The 8-year OS and PFS in 15 patients treated by whole-ventricle irradiation combined with chemotherapy were 100% and 92%, respectively. Four patients had recurrences within a median period of 59.5 months (51-85 months). All relapses occurred outside the radiation fields. Tumor site, tumor size, HCG production, multifocal disease and radiation dose to the primary site or whole ventricle did not significantly affect PFS. All initial recurrences of intracranial germinoma occurred at the distant site out of the radiation field. Our data suggested that reduced doses to the whole ventricle, combined with chemotherapy, should be sufficiently effective in patients with intracranial germinoma.

BackgroundDouble origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (DOPICA) has been rarely reported in the literature, with a reported incidence of 1.45%. In contrast, a high concurrence rate of DOPICA and vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm has been reported.Clinical presentationA 61-year old woman presented with vomiting and diplopia with preceding headache. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed fresh infarction of the left lateral medulla and a vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm of the left vertebral artery. The next day, she exhibited transient loss of consciousness and worsening of headache, and MRI depicted subarachnoid hemorrhage. Four-vessel digital subtraction angiography showed a posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) arising both intracranially and extracranially from the left vertebral artery. Although the dissecting lesion involved the V3 and V4 portion, it did not involve an extracranially originating PICA. Internal trapping of the V3 and V4 portion was chosen as the extracranial channel was expected to supply the PICA territory. This procedure was safely performed.ConclusionEarly endovascular intervention should be considered in the treatment of dissecting aneurysm of vertebral artery associated with DOPICA for patients with relatively long lesions even in unruptured cases.

Epithelioid sarcoma is an uncommon soft tissue malignancy which is often misdiagnosed as necrobiotic granuloma or chronic inflammation. Many patients have local recurrence and distant metastasis because of its infiltrating growth. We report a 49-year-old Japanese man who had an ulcer with surrounding erythema on the left forearm after he sustained a bruise on this spot. His mother and father had died of rectal and bladder carcinoma, respectively, and he had also had a seminoma previously. Therefore, there was familial accumulation of malignancies. A skin biopsy revealed polygonal, plump, or spindle-shaped epithelioid cells and lymphocytes infiltrating through the dermis. Immunohistochemical studies showed positive staining for cytokeratins, epithelial membrane antigen, CD34 and vimentin and negative staining for desmin, CD68, HHF-35, 1A4 and p53. These clinical and histological features were diagnostic of epithelioid sarcoma. CT scans detected nodules in the right lung. A lung biopsy revealed that he had well-differentiated adenocarcinoma which expressed p53. Mutations in the TP53 gene were not searched for. We selected conservative treatment because the patient did not want surgical wide resection or amputation. Therefore, radiation, thermotherapy, application of 0.5% doxorubicin hydrochloride ointment and right lower lobectomy with lymph node dissection were performed. The size of the ulcer and the tumor invasion along the fasciae of muscles were decreased, however, metastasis of the epithelioid sarcoma was detected in the lymph node of the left axilla four years after the diagnosis.