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Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of yokukansan, a traditional Japanese medicine, as treatment for nocturia due to sleep disorders. Methods: In this study, we included patients diagnosed with nocturia due to sleep disorders, evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Participants received 2.5 g of yokukansan, three times daily, for 12 weeks. We evaluated the changes in the overactive bladder (OAB) symptom score (OABSS), hours of undisturbed sleep (HUS), and PSQI score. In addition, patients were categorized based on the severity of their sleep disorders, and we divided patients into two groups according to whether the severity of the disorder was downgraded after treatment: the improved and unchanged groups. Results: Among 35 patients with a mean ± standard deviation age of 73.2 ± 10.5 years, yokukansan administration was associated with significant improvements in nighttime urinary frequency (from 3.8 ± 2.1 to 2.1 ± 1.9), total OABSS score (from 4.9 ± 1.8 to 2.9 ± 1.9), OABSS urgency score (from 1.3 ± 1.0 to 0.7 ± 0.9), HUS (from 2.2 ± 0.6 to 3.5 ± 1.1 h), and global PSQI score (from 11.9 ± 3.1 to 10.0 ± 1.4; all p < 0.001). In addition, significant improvements were noted in both the improved and unchanged groups in terms of the total OABSS, nocturia, and urgency scores. Furthermore, yokukansan treatment was related to improved global PSQI scores in both groups (improved group: from 10.8 ± 0.7 to 8.6 ± 0.5, p = 0.001; unchanged group: from 12.3 ± 3.4 to 10.4 ± 1.3, p = 0.004). Conclusion: Yokukansan may effectively ameliorate nocturia due to sleep disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ant colony optimization (ACO) is a stochastic optimization algorithm inspired by the foraging behavior of ants. We investigate a simplified computational model of ACO, wherein ants sequentially engage in binary decision-making tasks, leaving pheromone trails contingent upon their choices. The quantity of pheromone left is the number of correct answers. We scrutinize the impact of a salient parameter in the ACO algorithm, specifically, the exponent α , which governs the pheromone levels in the stochastic choice function. In the absence of pheromone evaporation, the system is accurately modeled as a multivariate nonlinear Pólya urn, undergoing phase transition as α varies. The probability of selecting the correct answer for each question asymptotically approaches the stable fixed point of the nonlinear Pólya urn. The system exhibits dual stable fixed points for α ≥ α c and a singular stable fixed point for α < α c where α c is the critical value. When pheromone evaporates over a time scale τ , the phase transition does not occur and leads to a bimodal stationary distribution of probabilities for α ≥ α c and a monomodal distribution for α < α c . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we apply a multidimensional self-exciting negative binomial distribution (SE-NBD) process to default portfolios with 13 sectors. The SE-NBD process is a Poisson process with a gamma-distributed intensity function. We extend the SE-NBD process to a multidimensional process. Using the multidimensional SE-NBD process (MD-SE-NBD), we can estimate interactions between these 13 sectors as a network. By applying impact analysis, we can classify upstream and downstream sectors. The upstream sectors are real-estate and financial institution (FI) sectors. From these upstream sectors, shock spreads to the downstream sectors. This is an amplifier of the shock. This is consistent with the analysis of bubble bursts. We compare these results to the multidimensional Hawkes process (MD-Hawkes) that has a zero-variance intensity function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: There is currently no gold standard in evaluating frailty in patients with heart failure (HF), and the prognostic value of frailty according to the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) on mortality in patients with HF is still unknown. Methods and results: Among consecutive 596 patients after their discharge from HF in Kokura Memorial Hospital (Kitakyushu, Japan) during 2015, their frailty at discharge was assessed according to CFS. Patients were classified into three groups: low (N = 232, 38.9%), intermediate (N = 230, 38.6%), and high (N = 134, 22.5%). The primary endpoint was defined as 2 year all‐cause death. The mean age was 76.6 ± 10.1 years, and 55.3% were men in entire cohort. There were significant differences in age, living environment, and dementia among low, intermediate, and high CFS groups. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and co‐morbidities such as severe renal failure and severe anaemia tended to increase with frailty severity, while body mass index (BMI) and albumin level tended to decrease with frailty severity. Two year cumulative incidences of all‐cause death for the three groups were 12.8%, 25.4%, and 52.7% (P < 0.001), respectively. This significant difference in the risk for all‐cause death among the CFS groups was driven by the risk for cardiac (8.6%, 14.2%, and 31.0%, respectively, P < 0.001) and non‐cardiac death (4.6%, 13.0%, and 31.4%, respectively, P < 0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that high frailty was independently associated with all‐cause death (intermediate CFS group: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.43, 95% confidence interval, 0.86–2.36, P = 0.16; high CFS group: adjusted hazard ratio, 3.90, 95% confidence interval, 2.32–6.55, P < 0.001), and this result was consistent, irrespective of stratification based on age, sex, BMI, and LVEF without significant interaction. Conclusions: The simple CFS tool was successful in predicting the risk for all‐cause death in patients with HF, and frailty according to CFS was independently associated with all‐cause death irrespective of stratification based on age, sex, BMI, and LVEF without significant interaction. The CFS is a valuable prognostic tool in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evaluation of the morphology of the lower urinary tract as well as the movements associated with urination are required for the symptomatic diagnosis of lower urinary tract obstruction as well as the assessment of postoperative adaptation. However, no tool currently exists for direct and easy patient evaluation. Purpose: To evaluate lower urinary tract obstruction and postoperative adaptation using a four-dimensional (4D) virtual reality urination image (urodynamic 4D-CT image). Material and Methods: We used a 320-row area detector CT scanner and PhyZiodynamics image analysis software to perform 197 urodynamic 4D-CT examinations on 175 first-time patients between January 2014 and March 2017. Results: A comparison of the obtained images before and after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate revealed the morphological changes due to prostate enucleation and enabled visualization of the ideal urination conditions, showing that the anatomical structural changes during urination and the opening of the urethra play a major role in improving voiding function. Conclusion: Using low-dosage radiation, the sharply defined moving image obtained via urodynamic 4D-CT examination can be utilized as a physiological diagnostic tool to evaluate a series of urinary movements from any angle between the prostate, urethra, and bladder in a unitary manner with the time axis added. There was negligible patient impact. This technique could provide new opportunities for the diagnosis of lower urinary tract symptoms and post-surgical adaptation assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple distributed object model, called an asynchronous distributed object protocol (ADOP), was designed and implemented as middleware for a control system of a synchrotron radiation source. The ADOP replaces time-constrained parts of the control system that were previously based on the Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) model. Under RMI’s synchronous communication, when a client executes a remote-method invocation for a device/component to be controlled on a remote server, the client is suspended until the server sends a result back to the client after completing the control sequence. Using the ADOP, even in a multi-client environment, clients are not blocked when they make remote-method invocations with an object parameter/return object that includes short control data associated with the event data, status data, and setting data for the devices/components. The clients can asynchronously receive resultant control data from the remote servers. Performance measurements obtained in experiments demonstrate that the ADOP had an execution time that was 1.4–13.1% of the RMI’s execution time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We obtain the conditions for the emergence of the swarm intelligence effect in an interactive game of restless multi-armed bandit (rMAB). A player competes with multiple agents. Each bandit has a payoff that changes with a probability p per round. The agents and player choose one of three options: (1) Exploit (a good bandit), (2) Innovate (asocial learning for a good bandit among n randomly chosen bandits), and (3) Observe (social learning for a good bandit). Each agent has two parameters ( c, p ) to specify the decision: (i) c, the threshold value for Exploit, and (ii) p , the probability for Observe in learning. The parameters ( c, p ) are uniformly distributed. We determine the optimal strategies for the player using complete knowledge about the rMAB. We show whether or not social or asocial learning is more optimal in the ( p , n ) space and define the swarm intelligence effect. We conduct a laboratory experiment (67 subjects) and observe the swarm intelligence effect only if ( p , n ) are chosen so that social learning is far more optimal than asocial learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Object: To compare the differences in diffusion properties-namely fractional anisotropy (FA), three eigenvalues of the diffusion tensor (λ1, λ2, and λ3), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)-between athletically-trained and untrained lower leg musculature. Materials and methods: Twelve athletes (Group A) and 11 non-athletes (Group B) were recruited. All were females in their 20s. We scanned diffusion tensor images of both calves and compared FA, the three eigenvalues, and ADC in the gastrocnemius medialis, gastrocnemius lateralis, soleus (SOL), and anterior tibialis muscles between Groups A and B, and between the right and left sides, using two-factor fractional ANOVA. Results: In all muscles of bilateral calves, all three eigenvalues and ADC were lower in Group A than in Group B, with statistically significant differences in all muscles for λ1, λ2, and λ3 and ADC, with a P value of <0.01. Moreover, statistical differences were also found between right and left for λ1, λ2, and λ3 ( P < 0.05), and ADC ( P < 0.01) of the SOL muscle. FA showed no statistically significant differences in any muscles. Conclusions: Our results indicate that training causes a decrease of the three eigenvalues and ADC, which we hypothesize is due to an increase of density of myofilaments in the intracellular space, and deformation of the cell induced by enlargement of extracellular components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the propagation characteristics of an optical fiber with an inhomogeneous core are analyzed, the vector wave equation must be solved. Typical refractive index profiles of an optical fiber with an inhomogeneous core can be expressed in terns of even polynomials. Since uniform asymptotic solutions of the scala: wave equation are available for such profiles, they are used as unpereturbed solution in the perturbation method to derive the vector solution. The principal parameters are computed for an optical fiber with its center core having quasi. quadratic and Gaussian refractive index profiles. The accuracy of the solutions was investigated numerically. It is demonstrated that accurate solutions including those in the single-mode region can be obtained within a short tint. The accuracy of the vector solution depends strongly on that of the unperturbed solutions since the latter is a uniform asymptotic solution. However, it is found sufficient to use a first-Order correction for the vector solution. The investigation of the accuracy of the vector solution found that a vector correction is needed as the relative index difference in the inhomogeneous region is increased, although the accuracy of the scalar solution is excellent in an ordinary optical fiber since a weak guiding approximation holds. In the present procedure. these calculations for an inhomogeneous core fiber can be executed easily on a desktop computer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the transmission characteristics of an optical fiber with an inhomogeneous core are analyzed, direct numerical analysis of the vector wave equation requires excessive time. To alleviate this deficiency, one may use an analytical solution. When the vector wave equation is solved by a perturbation method in which the scalar solution is used as a nonperturbed solution, it is necesesary to derive the analytical solution in a closed form. In this paper, the index profile is restricted to an even polynomial. The analytical solution of the waist wave equation is constructed as a uniform asymptotic solution by means of a related equation method. This solution is * refinement of a WKB solution. By investigating the accuracy of the uniform asymptotic solution obtained, it is demonstrated that this solution is effective as a nonperturbed solution in vector wave analysis. Also, the accuracy of the WKB solution is studied and it is shown that the WKB solution contains a large error in the single-mode region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression pattern of Notch family receptors during mouse spermatogenesis was examined by immunohistochemistry. The entire cytoplasm of spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatids showed staining with antibodies against extracellular domains of Notch1, 2 and 4. In contrast, the nuclei of spermatogonia showed staining with an antibody against the intracellular domain of Notch3, and the nuclei of spermatocytes and spermatids showed staining with antibodies against the intracellular domains of Notch1 and 4. During regeneration of spermatogonia in busulfan-treated mice, the nuclei of all proliferating cells showed staining for the intracellular domain of Notch3. Western blot analysis showed that the molecular weights of the intracellular domains of Notch1 and 3 localizing in the nuclear fraction were smaller than those in the cytoplasmic fraction. This was consistent with the theory that the intracellular domain of Notch was cleaved in the cytoplasm and translocated to the nucleus. These results suggest that different Notch signals are sequentially activated during mouse spermatogenesis and control the proliferation and differentiation of spermatogenic stem cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]