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Objective . The Japan Obstetric Compensation System for Cerebral Palsy (JOCSC) was launched in January 2009 as the first nationwide nofault compensation system. The aim of the study was to clarify the present status of functioning of the JOCSC in pediatric and obstetric departments at a general hospital. Method . Children eligible for compensation are as follows: (1) Gestational week at 32 weeks or later and birth weight of 1400 g or more, or 28 weeks or later with apparent asphyxia at birth. (2) Severe cerebral palsy related to hypoxia at delivery, not caused by congenital reasons or factors during the neonatal period. Results . Applications for the JOCSC were submitted for 11 cases (5 cases born at our hospital and 6 cases born at other childbirth facilities). Eight cases (4 cases born at our hospital and 4 cases born at other childbirth facilities) were authorized for the JOCSC. Remaining 3 cases were judged as not being eligible because of 2 cases with congenital reasons for the condition and 1 case with the judgement as mild cerebral palsy. Conclusion . Ten years have elapsed since the establishment of the JOCSC. Improved awareness of the medical staff and caregivers of children with cerebral palsy about the JOCSC should be promoted.

Plastics have benefited our lives in many ways, but their long persistence in the environment causes serious problems. Rapid decomposition and detoxification of plastics after use are significant challenges. As a possible solution, biodegradable plastics have attracted attention, and for environmental risk assessment research on polymer toxicity, use of indicator organisms, like water fleas and fish, has increased globally. However, such research often focuses on standardized substances without considering changes in toxicity due to plastic degradation products. Additionally, tests generally focus on acute toxicity, while long‐term effects on organismal reproduction and lifespan are largely unknown. Understanding the impact of degraded polymers on biological activities is crucial for accurate risk assessment. In this study, we investigated the biological toxicity of substances generated during degradation of polycaprolactone (PCL), a common biodegradable plastic, using the indicator organism, Daphnia magna. We examined PCL, oligocaprolactones (OCLs), and monomers resulting from polymer cleavage, as well as carbodiimides, added during polyester synthesis. As a result, PCL, which is insoluble in water, reduced individual survival and total number of offspring at an exposure concentration of 100 mg/L, while no toxicity was observed for water‐soluble degradation products, OCLs, and monomers. Furthermore, carbodiimides, which are expected to be released during PCL degradation, showed strong toxicity, significantly reducing individual survival and total number of offspring at 0.1–10 mg/L. These findings suggest that changes in physical properties due to polymer degradation and release of additives can significantly alter their toxicity. Plastics cause serious environmental problems due to their persistence, prompting research on biodegradable alternatives. This study investigated toxicity of substances generated during degradation of polycaprolactone (PCL), using Daphnia magna. PCL reduced survival and numbers of offspring at 100 mg/L, whereas water‐soluble degradation products showed no toxicity. Carbodiimides, expected to be released during PCL degradation, exhibited strong toxicity. These results highlight the importance of considering changes in toxicity due to polymer degradation and additive release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the security of IoT devices, the number and type of devices are generally large, so it is important to collect data efficiently and detect threats in a lightweight way. In this paper, we propose the architecture for malware detection, a method to detect malware using flow information, and a method to decrease the amount of transmission data between the servers in this architecture. We evaluate the performance of malware detection and the amount of data before and after the data reduction. And show that the performance of malware detection is maintained even though the amount of data is reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zonula occludens‐1 (ZO‐1) is a scaffolding protein of tight junctions, which seal adjacent epithelial cells, that is also expressed in adherens junctions. The distribution pattern of ZO‐1 differs among stratified squamous epithelia, including that between skin and oral buccal mucosa. However, the causes for this difference, and the mechanisms underlying ZO‐1 spatial regulation, have yet to be elucidated. In this study, we showed that epithelial turnover and proliferation are associated with ZO‐1 distribution in squamous epithelia. We tried to verify the regulation of ZO‐1 by comparing normal skin and psoriasis, known as inflammatory skin disease with rapid turnover. We as well compared buccal mucosa and oral lichen planus, known as an inflammatory oral disease with a longer turnover interval. The imiquimod (IMQ) mouse model, often used as a psoriasis model, can promote cell proliferation. On the contrary, we peritoneally injected mice mitomycin C, which reduces cell proliferation. We examined whether IMQ and mitomycin C cause changes in the distribution and appearance of ZO‐1. Human samples and mouse pharmacological models revealed that slower epithelial turnover/proliferation led to the confinement of ZO‐1 to the uppermost part of squamous epithelia. In contrast, ZO‐1 was widely distributed under conditions of faster cell turnover/proliferation. Cell culture experiments and mathematical modelling corroborated these ZO‐1 distribution patterns. These findings demonstrate that ZO‐1 distribution is affected by epithelial cell dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We showed previously that a thick three‐dimensional epidermal equivalent can be constructed with passaged keratinocytes on a patterned surface. Material and Methods: We first carried out computer simulations of a three‐dimensional epidermal equivalent model built on close‐packed arrays of 10 µm, 15 µm, 20 µm, 30 µm, and 60 µm diameter pillars. Based on these predictions, we evaluated epidermal equivalents built on a series of porous plastic membranes bearing arrays of pillars 15 µm, 20 µm, 25 µm, 30 µm, and 50 µm in diameter. Results: The simulations predicted that a model having near‐physiological thickness would be formed on 15 ~ 30 µm pillars. In the results of in vitro study, the thickest epidermal equivalent was obtained on the 20 µm pillars. Epidermal differentiation markers, filaggrin and loricrin, were expressed at the upper layer of the epidermal equivalent model, and tight‐junction proteins, claudin‐1 and ZO‐1, were expressed on the cell membranes. BrdU‐positive cells were observed at the base and also at the top of the pillars. Conclusion: The results of the study suggested that mathematical modeling might be a useful tool to guide biological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A quadratic-time algorithm for the maximum bisection problem on bounded-treewidth graphs is presented. • The running time of our algorithm is optimal, assuming some complexity-theoretic lower bounds. • Several algorithmic and complexity results for restricted graph classes are discussed. The maximum/minimum bisection problems are, given an edge-weighted graph, to find a bipartition of the vertex set into two sets whose sizes differ by at most one, such that the total weight of edges between the two sets is maximized/minimized. Although these two problems are known to be NP-hard, there is an efficient algorithm for bounded-treewidth graphs. In particular, Jansen et al. (2005) [5] gave an O (2 t n 3) -time algorithm when given a tree decomposition of width t of the input graph, where n is the number of vertices of the input graph. Eiben et al. (2021) [10] improved the dependency of n in the running time by giving an O (8 t t 5 n 2 log ⁡ n) -time algorithm. Moreover, they showed that there is no O (n 2 − ε) -time algorithm for trees under some reasonable complexity assumption. In this paper, we show an O (2 t (t n) 2) -time algorithm for both problems, which is asymptotically tight to their conditional lower bound. We also show that the exponential dependency of the treewidth is asymptotically optimal under the Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis. Finally, we discuss the (in)tractability of both problems with respect to special graph classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the problem of finding a maximum cardinality minimal separator of a graph. This problem is known to be NP-hard even for bipartite graphs. In this paper, we strengthen this hardness by showing that for planar bipartite graphs, the problem remains NP-hard. Moreover, for co-bipartite graphs and for line graphs, the problem also remains NP-hard. On the positive side, we give an algorithm deciding whether an input graph has a minimal separator of size at least k that runs in time 2 O (k) n O (1). We further show that there is no 2 o (n) n O (1) -time algorithm unless the Exponential Time Hypothesis (ETH) fails. Finally, we discuss a lower bound for polynomial kernelizations of this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a mathematical model of the epidermis, we propose a mechanism of epidermal homeostasis mediated by calcium dynamics. We show that calcium dynamics beneath the stratum corneum can reduce spatio-temporal fluctuations of the layered structure of the epidermis. We also demonstrate that our model can reproduce experimental results that the recovery from a barrier disruption is faster when the disrupted site is exposed to air. In particular, simulation results indicate that the recovery speed depends on the size of barrier disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We give an algorithm for computing the directed pathwidth of a digraph with n vertices in $$O(1.89^{n})$$ time. This is the first algorithm with running time better than the straightforward $$O^{*}(2^n)$$ . As a special case, it computes the pathwidth of an undirected graph in the same amount of time, improving on the algorithm due to Suchan and Villanger which runs in $$O(1.9657^n)$$ time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that the behavior of calcium in the epidermis is closely related to the conditions of the skin, especially the differentiation of the epidermal keratinocytes and the permeability barrier function, and therefore a correct understanding of the calcium dynamics is important in explaining epidermal homeostasis. Here we report on experimental observations of in vitro calcium waves in keratinocytes induced by mechanical stimulation, and present a mathematical model that can describe the experimentally observed wave behavior that includes finite-range wave propagation and a ring-shaped pattern. A mechanism of the ring formation hypothesized by our model may be related to similar calcium propagation patterns observed during the wound healing process in the epidermis. We discuss a possible extension of our model that may serve as a tool for investigating the mechanisms of various skin diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the odorant diacetyl is sensed by AWA sensory neurons in the amphid sensory organ and elicits an attractive response, whereas 2-nonanone is sensed by AWB amphid sensory neurons and elicits an avoidance response. In the present study, we report that nematodes exhibit a sensory interaction between the attractant diacetyl and repellent 2-nonanone. In the presence of food, the chemotactic response to 0.01% diacetyl in nematodes preexposed to 0.1% diacetyl was greater than that in nonexposed naive nematodes ( P < 0.05). The response to diacetyl was also greater in nematodes preexposed to 3% 2-nonanone in the presence of food than that in naive nematodes ( P < 0.01). In the absence of food, the response to diacetyl in nematodes preexposed to diacetyl or 2-nonanone was significantly lower than that in nonexposed control nematodes ( P < 0.01). The avoidance response to 10% 2-nonanone in nematodes preexposed to each odorant in the presence or absence of food was lower than that in nonexposed nematodes ( P < 0.05). To confirm the validity of our results, the chemotactic responses to diacetyl and 2-nonanone were observed using che-3, odr-4, and odr-10 mutants, which exhibited defective sensitivity to diacetyl or 2-nonanone. From the results of our experiments, we conclude that nematodes exhibit a sensory interaction between diacetyl and 2-nonanone and speculate that this interaction is driven by higher-level neuronal circuits that underlie sensory integration. J. Exp. Zool. 319A:285-295, 2013. © 2013 © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the isolation of novel strain of Luteolibacter algae which has an ability to degrade the polysaccharide fucoidan. It mentions that degradation of the polysaccharide was achieved by deacetylation reactions which are catalyzed by presence of multiple intracellular enzymes. It characterizes Luteolibacter strains as viable but non-culturable (VBNC) microorganisms with unique enzyme systems for degradation of fucoidin.

Complex combinatorial optimization can be used to design network systems having desired dynamics and that are robust against structural perturbations. Here genetic networks exhibiting limit-cycle oscillations with prescribed periods and, furthermore, that are robust against the deletion of links and nodes or the application of noise are constructed. Large ensembles of robust genetic clocks with different periods could thus be obtained, and some of their statistical properties have been investigated. Similar methods can be used to design robust network oscillators of various origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical framework is developed for the precise control of spatial patterns in oscillatory media using nonlinear global feedback, where a proper form of the feedback function corresponding to a specific pattern is predicted through the analysis of a phase diffusion equation with global coupling. In particular, feedback functions that generate the following spatial patterns are analytically given: (i) 2-cluster states with an arbitrary population ratio, (ii) equally populated multi-cluster states and (iii) a desynchronized state. Our method is demonstrated numerically by using the Brusselator model in the oscillatory regime. Experimental realization is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For problems intractable on graphs of bounded treewidth, two graph parameters treedepth and vertex cover number have been used to obtain fine-grained algorithmic and complexity results. Although the studies in this direction are successful, we still need a systematic way for further investigations because the graphs of bounded vertex cover number form a rather small subclass of graphs of bounded treedepth. To fill this gap, we use another graph parameter, vertex integrity, which is placed between the two parameters mentioned above. For several graph problems, we generalize fixed-parameter tractability results parameterized by vertex cover number to the ones parameterized by vertex integrity. We also show some finer complexity contrasts by showing hardness with respect to vertex integrity or treedepth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We assessed the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) in children 6 months to 15 years of age during the 2016/17 season. In addition, we estimated the impact of repeated vaccination in children on VE. Methods Our study for VEs in preventing influenza and admission due to influenza were conducted according to a test-negative case-control design (TNCC) based on influenza rapid diagnostic test results. We also analyzed the VE by vaccine status in the current and previous seasons for the impact of repeated vaccination. Results During the 2016/17 season, the quadrivalent IIV was used in Japan. The adjusted VE in preventing influenza illness was 38% (95% CI, 29–46) against influenza A and 39% (95% CI, 18–54) against influenza B. Infants showed no significant VE. The VE in preventing hospitalization was not demonstrated. For the analysis of repeated vaccination, the vaccine was effective only when immunization occurred in the current season. The children who were immunized in two consecutive seasons were more likely to develop influenza compared to those immunized in the current season only (odds ratio, 1.58 [95% CI, 1.05–2.38], adjusted odds ratio, 1.53 [95% CI, 0.99–2.35]). However, the odds ratio of repeated vaccination was not significant when the analysis excluded those who developed influenza in the previous season. Conclusions VE in children in the 2016/17 season was similar to values previously reported. Repeated vaccination interfered with the VE against any influenza infection in the 2016/17 season. The results of our study suggest that decreased VE by repeat vaccination phenomenon was associated with immunity by influenza infection in the previous season. However, the influenza vaccine should be recommended every season for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epithelia consist of proliferating and differentiating cells that often display patterned arrangements. However, the mechanism regulating these spatial arrangements remains unclear. Here, we show that cell-cell adhesion dictates multicellular patterning in stratified epithelia. When cultured keratinocytes, a type of epithelial cell in the skin, are subjected to starvation, they spontaneously develop a pattern characterized by areas of high and low cell density. Pharmacological and knockout experiments show that adherens junctions are essential for patterning, whereas the mathematical model that only considers local cell-cell adhesion as a source of attractive interactions can form regions with high/low cell density. This phenomenon, called cell-cell adhesion-induced patterning (CAIP), influences cell differentiation and proliferation through Yes-associated protein modulation. Starvation, which induces CAIP, enhances the stratification of the epithelia. These findings highlight the intrinsic self-organizing property of epithelial cells., (© 2024 Mai et al.)

Objectives: We assessed the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) by vaccine dose in children aged 6 months to 12 years for whom two doses are recommended in Japan to ascertain the appropriate vaccine doses., Methods: VE was assessed according to a test-negative case-control design based on rapid influenza diagnostic test (RIDT) results. Children aged 6 months to 12 years with a fever ≥38 °C who had received an RIDT in outpatient clinics of 24 hospitals were enrolled for all five seasons since 2013/14. VE by vaccine dose (none vs. once or twice, and once vs. twice) was analyzed., Results: In the dose analysis, 20,033 children were enrolled. Both one- and two-dose regimens significantly reduced cases in preventing any influenza, influenza A, and influenza B, but there was no significant difference in adjusted VE between one- and two-dose regimens overall (adjusted OR, 0.560 [95% CI, 0.505-0.621], 0.550 [95% CI, 0.516-0.586]), 0.549 [95% CI, 0.517-0.583], and 1.014 [95% CI, 0.907-1.135], for none vs. once, none vs. twice, none vs. once or twice, and once vs. twice for any influenza, respectively). Both one- and two-dose regimens significantly reduced cases with any influenza and influenza A every season. Also, both regimens significantly reduced cases of any influenza, influenza A, and influenza B among children aged 1-12 years, especially among those aged 1-5 years. In the 2013/14, 2015/16, and 2016/17 seasons, however, only the two-dose regimen was significantly effective in preventing influenza B. Both one- and two-dose regimens significantly reduced cases involving hospitalization due to any influenza and influenza A., Conclusions: Both one- and two-doses regimens of IIV were effective in preventing influenza for children aged 6 months to 12 years. The two-dose regimen was more effective against influenza B in some seasons., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

We investigate a two-dimensional spatially extended system that has a weak sense of excitability, where an excitation wave has a uniform profile and propagates only within a finite range. Using a cellular automaton model of such a weakly excitable system, we show that three kinds of sustained dynamics emerge when nonlocal spatial interactions are provided, where a chain of local wave propagation and nonlocal activation forms an elementary oscillatory cycle. Transition between different oscillation regimes can be understood as different ways of interactions among these cycles. Analytical expressions are given for the oscillation probability near the onset of oscillations.

Type XVII collagen (COL17) is a transmembrane protein located at the epidermal basement membrane zone. COL17 deficiency results in premature hair aging phenotypes and in junctional epidermolysis bullosa. Here, we show that COL17 plays a central role in regulating interfollicular epidermis (IFE) proliferation. Loss of COL17 leads to transient IFE hypertrophy in neonatal mice owing to aberrant Wnt signaling. The replenishment of COL17 in the neonatal epidermis of COL17-null mice reverses the proliferative IFE phenotype and the altered Wnt signaling. Physical aging abolishes membranous COL17 in IFE basal cells because of inactive atypical protein kinase C signaling and also induces epidermal hyperproliferation. The overexpression of human COL17 in aged mouse epidermis suppresses IFE hypertrophy. These findings demonstrate that COL17 governs IFE proliferation of neonatal and aged skin in distinct ways. Our study indicates that COL17 could be an important target of anti-aging strategies in the skin.

We propose a reaction-advection-diffusion model of epidermis consisting of two variables, the degree of differentiation and the calcium ion concentration, where calcium ions enhance differentiation. By analytically and numerically investigating this system, we show that a calcium localization layer formed beneath the stratum corneum helps reduce spatiotemporal fluctuations of the structure of the stratum corneum. In particular, spatially or temporally small-scale fluctuations in the lower structure are suppressed and do not affect the upper structure, due to acceleration of differentiation by calcium ions. Analytical expressions for the reduction rate of fluctuation amplitudes are shown.

We report on a synchronization-breaking instability observed in a noisy oscillator unidirectionally coupled to a pacemaker. Using a phase oscillator model, we find that, as the coupling strength is increased, the noisy oscillator lags behind the pacemaker more frequently and the phase slip rate increases, which may not be observed in averaged phase models such as the Kuramoto model. Investigation of the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation enables us to obtain the reentrant transition line between the synchronized state and the phase slip state. We verify our theory using the Brusselator model, suggesting that this reentrant transition can be found in a wide range of limit cycle oscillators.

We construct a phenomenological model describing aggregated spots and a loop structure. Our model is based on the Gray-Scott model which is supplemented with a global coupling term and advection terms. One of the species makes a field proportional to its concentration, which induces the advection. By numerically investigating the model, we show that the system has a transition from aggregated spots to a loop which wanders around chaotically or reaches a stationary state. Relation to a similar transition observed in a recent gas discharge experiment [S. Nasuno, Chaos 13, 3 (2003)] is discussed.