Golden Globes

Dallas Buyers Club の Matthew McConaughey が主演男優に。

よかった。

どこからどうみてもエイズ闘病中の患者にしかみえなかった。

21キロダイエットしたそうです。

勉強帰りにジムでトレッドミルやりながら授賞式を見てました。

来週はAFC Championship 

忙しくなります。 

  

Her

お勉強終わりに見にいきました。

Her

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/


評価高かった割にあんまりだったなー。


Spike Jones はマルコビッチの穴　もそーんなに好きではなかったような覚えが。


それにしてもアメリカ人は映画館で大爆笑。


そっちの方がおもしろいです。

Yoga

半年くらい前からYoga 継続的にやってます。

前も何度かやったことはあるんだけど続かず。


今日は仕事終わりに友達の妹さんがやっているYoga 教室へ。

少人数クラスで1時間、5ドルとは、超お手頃。

自分ひとりでやると、どうしても辛いポーズは早く終わらせてしまうから

やっぱりインストラクターに週１くらいはついてやった方がいいなと。


今からルームメイトと週３routine のトレーニング。

Art Thursday

仕事帰りにMFAとBSOをはしご。


MFAはJohn Sargent という水彩画家さんの展示。


人生で最も感動したexhibition かも。ということで二回目。


なぜかすごく地味なのが気にいってます。

Boston Symphony Orchestra は


Robert　SpanoさんというAtlanta Symphony Orchestra の

La Pasión según San Marcos ("The Passion According to St. Mark）

というタイトルのperformance で、Bach の死後250年を記念した作品だそうです。

Jessica　Rivera。ホントに伸びてく声が桁はずれだったな。

ベネズエラのchoir もよかったけど

Latino な音楽は、踊れるところで聴きたかったような。





　

reunited

またまた徹夜明け、3時間仮眠してクリニックへ。


だいぶ内視鏡を通すのはうまくなったけど、細部はまだまだ学んでます。


夕方終わって、新しい研究の倫理審査申請をボスに提出。


あと論文1本投稿。




で、仕事終わりに同僚とBUのホッケー観戦。

からのモヒート。



眠い。


とりあえず寝ます。


明日はプレゼン準備だな。

all nighter

久々の徹夜。

翌日の効率がすごく悪くなるから極力したくないんだけど。


結局いろいろ直し続けてなかなか原稿が仕上がらず、

もう一気にやる勢いで朝まで。


とりあえず共同研究者の人に送ったので、

それが返ってきたらまたなおして

あと10日以内に提出できれば一応オンタイム。


新しい研究のIRBも書き始めました。

授業が始まる今月半ばまでにこちらも仕上げてしまいたい。



今日はボスとアポがあるので病院へ。

その前にちょっと仮眠。

初稿修了

とりあえずfirst draft がやっと終わった。

English review が戻ってきたらco-investigator によるチェックがあります。

このco-investigator がいなかったら私は今頃ボストンにいません。



指導教授のresearch assistant 兼　共同研究者なんだけど

実験のデザインや機材の準備から論文指導まで、

どれだけ時間を割いてもらったことか。今まで嫌な顔一つされたことはありません。

神様みたい。

これからの人生で、彼の役に立つco-investigator になれるように努力するしか

恩返しの道はない。



Exercise と　野菜と蛋白質中心の食事で、不摂生した年末の影響を何とか取り戻しつつある。


運動と食事、あとroom mate含めた住環境は、

大学院生活を乗り切るkeys です。

deadly cold

外はマイナス15度。


このレベルの寒さを1年ぶりに体が思い出した。


息ができないし、寒さというか、もう痛み。


駅から10分ほど歩いて帰ったら、めっちゃ息があがってた。


ボストンは人の住むところではない、と冬が来るたびに思う。



夏は確かに一番いい季節なんだけど、


でも、このありえない寒さを経験してこそ本物のNew Englandを知ったことになるんだと思う。



今日の午後から明日にかけては、emergency のために大学も病院もお休み。


家にこもって書き続けます。

2014年

明けました。

あっという間の1年だったなあ。



大晦日の朝に風邪ひきました。

やっぱり不規則な食事と睡眠が蓄積してしまったと思われ。

薬飲んで、野菜もりもり食べてます。


大晦日の夜はfamily と一緒にDallas Buyers' Club を。

http://www.focusfeatures.com/dallas_buyers_club

すごいよかったわ。

アカデミー候補らしいです。

でもアクセントのせいなのか、スラング満載の早口だからか聞き取りが難しい。

英語の試練は今年も続く。

Christmas in Boston

実は3年目にして初のボストンで迎えるクリスマス。

去年も一昨年もNYで過ごしていました。

今年は博士のcandidate qualify されるための審査が近いので、

そのための論文を書いています。



アメリカでは教授と学生の距離がとても近いのですが、

私の担当教授は中でもとても気さくな方で、

ご自分が休暇で留守の間、ボストンの一等地にある

ご自宅の高層マンションを貸して下さっています。

論文書きに集中できるように。

しかも、最近は1日1回メールをくれます、バカンス先のカリフォルニアから。

この論文は読んだか、とか、今日、同じような研究をしている研究者に会ったよとか。

心配かけてしまってるのかも。



というわけで、ボストン市を一望しながら　

書いて読んで書いて読んで、5日目。


一日1回はコーヒーを買いがてら散歩に出かけます。

ビーコンヒル。一番ボストンらしい街並み。

友達とQuincy Market のツリーを見に行ったり、

Boston Ballet の　The Nutcracker を見に行ったり。

素晴らしかったなー。

ぼちぼち息抜きしながら、頑張って書いてます。

Boston Strongest

They brought glory and our pride back to the city.

From the worst to the best

VERY PROUD OF THEM!

BOSTON STAY STRONG!

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=bos&sv=1

Red Sox weekend

Just a random note.

I pushed myself so much doing semi-allnighters during this week, 

I had a little bit of time to be relaxed over this weekend.

watched the first game of the American League Championship at a bar in South End

although the game was disappointing one.

This morning, I went to Museum of Fine Art with my husband to see a rich series of collections 

of a water-color painter, John Sargent. 

His works were really remarkable in a sense that a painting shows two different faces. 

His touches seem to be very rough when we look them in a close distance, 

but once we step back away from the painting, like a couple of meters,

those touches start becoming very delicate. This was like a super magic  

and I really enjoyed his art.

One of the coolest things of the US is that we can approach historical masterpieces 

as close as we want. We can even take photos of Gogh's, Monet's, and many other 

famous painters in the history, which we only usually see in textbooks for art classes..

In addition, students can get free admission.

I don't think I will go to any museums back in Japan after exposing myself to such a 

wonderful environment regarding art: I don't wanna see paintings exhibited behind a grass after 

waiting hours in a long line. 

Then, I studied in the whole afternoon and went for running with my friend.

The reservoir was beautiful as always.

Then we concluded this Sunday with a heavy American style dinner at a restaurant,

watching Red Sox's second game.

Now I'm watching the remaining of the game at home,

preparing for another upcoming intense week.

Red Sox, Yes, we are so behind.  

Petit Robert, South End

One of the best restaurants in Boston.

This will be the final weekend in that we can enjoy dinner outside.

  

A slave of Starbucks

When I was in Tokyo, Starbucks was always the last cafe for us to stop by

since there were tons of much nicer cafes than the franchised  "OK" brand.

But now, I really cannot imagine how I could live without it simply because 

nothing better than this mediocre cafe is available in Boston, at least in my area. 

One of the challenges that happened to me today was that 

when I ordered a tall coffee, again, as always I do, 

a store clerk asked me about my preference in the degree of brew.

I think what he said was

Pike Place (light), Bold (strong), and something else (medium)?

 

I think I need to just stick to medium, whatever it is. 

There are still a lot of things that I need to learn from my routine life.

 

 

wanna keep your tab open??

The first run along the Charles of this semester




The first girls night-out of the semester with my friends at Beehive








When I ordered a glass of Mojito, just as I always do,

a bartender asked me if I want to keep my tab open.

I was like "what?"


Since all I could catch was something sounds "tap",

I thought he was asking me if I need a glass of tap water as a chaser for the mojito.


Tons of misunderstandings have been still happening in my life.

spreading myself too thin

After an overwhelmingly busy summer, I've been having an extremely rough fall.


don't know how to survive in this situation where so many things are going on and

so many deadlines are coming up.

This is typically how a grad school life in the U.S. goes.




An apple pie from my friend for condolence.

interesting to see our cultures are sharing the same concept for treating

a loss of our loved one.

Keeping ticks off your pets

Daily News,

Experts are predicting an extremely high threat of Lyme disease this year. This warning was developed by the same group of statisticians that are responsible for forecasting severe weather.

The Northeast is the large problem area, and Massachusetts is the bull's eye for this highlighted region.

It seems as though everyone has heard of Lyme disease. This debilitating (衰弱させる）illness is just the tip of the iceberg for tick-borne disease. The Newburyport area has a reputation for ticks galore. Our popular friend, the deer tick, is high on this list. American dog ticks and the increasingly more common lone star tick are runners-up.

Each species of tick has its repertoire of transimssible disease. In Essex County, Lyme disease is the most common, with 1 in 6 dogs testing positive. 

Anaplasma is a close second, accounting for more than 20 percent of canine anaplasmosis in the country. Ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain spotted fecer and tularemia continue the list.

Ticks spread illness by attaching to animals (or humans) and feeding. As it sucks blood, the tick's body concentrates the nutritious components and spits water back into the animal. If the ticl is carrying bacteria, such as for Lyme disease, this tick spit will also infect its host.

Tick diseases are not spread directly from dog to person or vice versa. Protecting your pet and family from tick-transmitted disease means you have to prevent ticks from attaching.

Although a　vaccine　is　available　to　help　prevent　Lyme　disease　in　dogs other　tick　disease　can　only　be　avoided　by keeping the tick from attaching to your pet.

Try to avoid tick-infected areas. Wooded trails are frequently visited by common tick hosts, such as rodents, chipmunks, racoons, coyotes and white-tailed deer. However, the list of hosts is almost endless, as virtually any mammal or bird can be a tick host, depending on the tick species and its life stage.

Trimming grass and brush in  your backyard to minimize tick habitats is helpful. A wooded home environment invites wildlife, and hitchhiking ticks, to your back door.

Your pet- and his humans- should be checked daily for ticks. A fine-toothed comb for Fido and Fluffy is essential. Immature ticks can be as tiny as poppy seeds. These are difficult to find on people, and virtually impossible to find on your furry pet, Sometimes, immature deer ticks (nymphs) will be visible on the eyelid margins of cats, appearing as tiny dark grains of sand. Nevertheless, god tick checks will reveal many ticks, especially larger adult ticks.

If you find a tick on your pet, carefully remove it. Use tweezers to grasp the tick. Do not twist, squeeze or crush it. After removal, dab the area with disinfectant and wash your hands. Flush the captured tick down to the toilet to prevent it from crawling our of your trash. If this process makes you squeamish, ask your veterinary team for help.

Year-round tick prevention is recommended for cats and dogs. Contrary to popular belief, ticks survive New England winters. Effective anti-tick products are applied topically and cannot be given as  pill.

The myriad tick-prevention products can be mind-boggling. Here are some considerations during your selection:

1. Ticks are difficult critters to kill. No products is 100 percent effective. Expect to find occasional ticks on your pet regardless of what product you use.

2. Cats are not little dogs. Never use a product on cats that is labeled for dogs only. This can be deadly for Fluffy.

2. Cats are not little dogs. Never use a product on cats that is labeled for dogs only. This can be deadly for Fluffy.

3. Typical over- the counter  tick collars are poorly effective. Choose something that has a better chance of keeping the nasty critters off your sweet pet.

4. Most topical tick products need to be applied monthly. However, not all will give you satisfactory performance throughout the month.

5. It's unreasonable to expect a topical product to be unaffected by repeated swimming or bathing. Any topical product can have reduced effectiveness if Fido is bathed a lot or swims frequently.

6. certain products are more likely than others to wash off. Your veternarian can help you wade through this information.

7. Certain medicated shampoos can strip the coat of topical parasite prevention. Talk to your veterinarian before using shampoos.

8. Topical products need to be applied properly in order to maximize their effectiveness. Your veterinary team can teach you how to apply the product

correctly for optimal tick prevention. If  your pet is squirmy, ask your veterinary team for help. Most offices are happy to do this as a complementary service every month.

9. If pesticides concern you, let your veterinarian know. Pememer that ticks are difficult to kill, so options are limited. However, topical medicines (as opposed to pesticides) are available.

10. The goal is to keep your pet and family safe. Pets can bring ticks into the home, infecting two-legged family members.

Tick-borne illnesses, especially the Lyme disease is my biggest concern recently because a friend of mine unfortunately got the Lyme disease when she visited Cape Cod last summer. The disease left her, a brilliant artist as well as a researcher from South America, to give up to pursue a Ph.D., which is extremely unfortunate.I have also heard many incidences of the Lyme disease in Up State NY areas this year.

 

Late nights 'sap children's brain power'

BBC News 

Late nights and lax bedtime routines can blunt young children's minds, research suggests.

The findings on sleep patterns and brain power come from a UK study of more than 11,000 seven-year-olds.

Youngsters who had no regular bedtime or who went to bet later than 21;00 had lower scores for reading and maths. 

Lack of sleep may disrupt natural body rhythms and impair how well the brain learns new information say the study authors.

They gathered data on the children at the agas of three, five and then seven to find out how well they were doing with their learning and whether this might be related to their sleeping habits.

"Establishing a good bedtime routine early in childhood is probably best, but it's never too late" Study author Prof Sacker 
Erratic  bedtimes were most common at the age of three, when around one in five of the children went to bet at varying times. By the age of seven, more than half the children had a regular bedtime of between 19:30 and 22:30. Overall, children who had never had regular bedtimes tended to fare worse than their peers in terms of test scores for reading, maths and spatial awareness.
The impact was more obvious throughout early childhood in girls than in boys and appeared to be cumulative. The researchers, led by Prof Amanda Sacker from University College London, said it was possible that inconsistent bedtimes were a reflection of chaotic family settings and it was this, rather than disrupted sleep, that had an impact on cognitive performance in children.

"We tried to take these things into account," said Prof Sacker.
The children with late and erratic bedtimes came from more socially disadvantaged backgrounds and were less likely to be read to each night and, generally, watched more TV- often on a set in their own bedroom.
After controlling for such factors, the link between poorer mental performance and lax bedtimes remained.The findings are published in the J of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Prof Sacker said:"The rake-home message is really that routines really do seem to be important fro children." 

Establishing a good bedtime routine early in childhood is probably best, but it's never too late."
she said there was no evidence that putting children to bet much earlier than 19:30 added anything in terms of brain power.

Dr Robert Scott-Jupp of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said:"At first glance,
this research might seem to suggest that less sleep makes children less intelligent, however, it is clearly more complicated than that. While it's likely that social and biological brain development factors are inter-ralated in a complex way, in my opinion, for schoolchildren to perform their best, they should all, whatever their background, get a good night sleep."



I'm a strong believer of benefit of sleep for cognitive functions and
children need to go to bed before 21:00. This is how my bro and I were brought up.
Even though the bedtime is becoming later and later as I get older, whether taking sufficient sleep or not still makes huge differences in my life.

When I was working in Tokyo, the average sleeping hours was 3-4 hours, which is I think now  ridiculously short. Since I came to the States, my sleeping hour is becoming longer up to 6 hours on average because I found that without sufficient sleep, I can easily fall a sleep during daytime study. So, spending few more hours at night for sleep ends up improving the efficiency of my work.








 

New data confirms a dementia epidemic as the Baby Boomers age

The Observer

The findings of the Cognitive Module in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) confirms the growing prevalence of cognitive decline and future implications of an aging America- and underscores the need for individuals to talk to their doctors about memory problems. This is the first data ever released throught the BRFSS on cognitive decline and its impact.
 
According to survey results of 21 states, nearly 13 percent of Americans aged 60 years or older ( 1 in 8) reported confusion or memory loss happening more often or getting worse in the previous 12 months. Of these individuals, one-third reported that confusion or memory loss interfered with their work, social activities or ability to do household chores.

"Unfortunately, the number of people affected by dementia is growing at an alarming rate as the baby boomer population grows older," said Richard Elbein, CEO of the Alzheimer's Association, Houston& Southeast Texas Chapter. "Most people don't know when forgetting becomes a serious health problem. By putting off learning more about their condition, people impacted by dementia are being diagnosed too late and miss the opportunity to get the best help possible."

In Texas, 12.6 percent of respondents aged 60 years or older reported increased confusion or memory loss and 40 percent reported that in interfered with their daily life. Despite the know benefits of early detection, nearly 80 percent of individuals with increase memory problems in Texas have NOT discussed their symptoms with a health care provider.

"If you notice signs of memory loss in yourself or someone you know, don't ignore them,' Elbein said. "See your doctor for a checkup."
Early detection allows people to get the maximum benefit from available treatments, consider participating in a clinical trial, establish a support network and plan for the future.

Additionally, studies have shown that the ability to educate oneself and plan for the future is a tremendous asset in anticipating challenges and reducing anxiety, depression and stress- and improves quality of care by allowing for better management of other chronic conditions.

The data collected in Texas was made possible by a collaboration between the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Alzheimer's Disease Program and its volunteer partnership, the Texas Council on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, and the Alzheimer's Association. Through the dedicated work of volunteer members implementing the 2010-2015 Texas State Plan on Alzheimer's Disease, the first set of Texas guidelines were developed to assist health care providers in detecting, diagnosing, and treating Alzheimer's disease.

The number of individuals affected by dementia is growing at alarming rate all over the world
as the societies get aged. Huge research grant has been awarded to brain and cognitive research, yet still dementia is not a curable disease. Like this article suggests, however, being aware of the onset of dementia and preparing for upcoming symptoms will certainly beneficial for all prospective patients.