As the first stage of the research into factors determining the optimum listening level of music performance, its methodology was examined. In experiment 1, a part of Symphony No. 6 in b-minor Op. 74, ‘‘Pathétique,’’ composed by Tchaikovsky, was used and the instantaneous impressions of loudness were judged using the method of continuous judgment by categories developed by Namba and Kuwano. A high correlation coefficient was found between LAeq, 100 ms, and instantaneous impression of loudness sampled every 100 ms, which confirms the applicability of the method to the loudness of music performance. In experiment 2, musically significant portions whose durations were 5 to 20 s, were selected from the stimulus used in experiment 1 and rearranged in descending series and ascending series according to their sound levels with about 5-s silent intervals. The instantaneous impression of their loudness was judged as in experiment 1. It was found that each block in the ascending series was judged louder than the corresponding block in the descending series. It was suggested that the loudness of musical performance is significantly affected by the context.
The dose of calcineurin inhibitors in renal transplantation has been adjusted, based on the therapeutic drug monitoring data. However, the data do not always correlate with clinical drug efficacy. In vitro response of peripheral-blood mononuclear cells to immunosuppressive drugs is reported to correlate with the recipient-response to therapeutic efficacy of the drug. We report, here, usefulness of a lymphocyte immunosuppressant sensitivity test for the estimation of individual drug sensitivity in renal transplant recipients. The LIST we have developed includes MTT assay procedures without the use of radioisotope-labeled compounds, which is convenient for general hospital use. Utilizing this procedure, we compared the pharmacological efficacy between cyclosporine A and tacrolimus in 41 renal transplant recipients.
Is it possible by computerization of an ambulatory-care pharmacy to decrease outpatient waiting time and to increase the efficiency of the prescription-dispensing process? To improvework flow and reduce outpatient waiting time, we compared the total waiting time of a traditional outpatient pharmacy dispensing system (previous) with that of a computerized dispensing system (current). Various tasks performed in pharmacy are shown Figure 1.Using time recorders, the time taken to perform these tasks was recorded. Three separate weeks, one in July 1989 (previous), one in December 1989 (current) and one in March 1990 (current), were chosen for data collection.The decrease in waiting time was evaluated comprehensively by determining the average waiting time.the gradient of calculating the arrival time of medicines in pharmacy counter, and minimum and maximum waiting times for every 10 continuous prescriptions (Population. means a group of patients who received their own medicines in pharmacy counter just after lighting of indicator board). In comparison with the traditional system, both the average waiting time and the time to complete the clerical component of the outpatient dispensing process decreased, but maximum waiting time showed no change from the time-distribution curve.Indication of waiting time to each patient should be corrected properly.
Animals choose between sensory stimuli, a highly complex behavior which includes detection, discrimination, preference, and memory processes. Rodents are reported to display robust preferences for some odors, for instance, in the context of choosing among possible mates or food items. In contrast to the apparent robustness of responses toward these and other "ethologically relevant" odors, little is known about the robustness of behaviors toward odors which have no overt role in the rodent ecological niche, so-called "nonethologically relevant" odors. We developed an apparatus for monitoring the nose-poking behavior of mice and used this apparatus to explore the prevalence and stability of choices among different odors both across mice, and within mice over successive days. Mice were tested with a panel of either ethologically relevant or nonethologically relevant odors in an olfactory multiple-choice test. Significant preferences to nonethologically relevant odors were observed across the population of mice, with longer investigation durations to some odors more than to others. However, we found substantial inter-mouse variability in these responses, and that responses to these odors even varied within mice across days of testing. Tests with ethologically relevant odors revealed that responses toward these odors were also variable across mice, but within individual mice, responses were somewhat stable. This work establishes an olfactory multiple-choice test for monitoring odor investigation, choice, and preference behaviors and the application of this apparatus to assess across- and within-mouse odor-preference choice stability. These results highlight that odor preferences, as assayed by measuring choice behaviors, are variable. (PsycINFO Database Record
Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects males who are carriers of a premutation of a CGG expansion in the FMR1 gene. In Asian populations, FXTAS has rarely been reported. Here, we report the case of a Japanese FXTAS patient who showed predominant executive cognitive deficits as the main feature of his disease. In contrast, the patient exhibited only very mild symptoms of intention tremor and ataxia, which did not interfere with daily activities. A gene analysis revealed that the patient carried a premutation of a CGG expansion (111 CGG repeats) in the FMR1 gene. The mRNA expression level of FMR1 in the patient was 1.5-fold higher than in controls. On brain MRI scans, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images showed high-intensity lesions in the middle cerebellar peduncles and the cerebral white matter, with a frontal predominance. The present case extends previous notions regarding the cognitive impairment in FXTAS patients. Recognizing FXTAS patients with predominant cognitive impairment from various ethnic backgrounds would contribute to our understanding of the phenotypic variation of this disease.
