Replica-exchange multicanonical algorithm and multicanonical replica-exchange method for simulating systems with rough energy landscape

We propose two efficient algorithms for configurational sampling of systems with rough energy landscape. The first one is a new method for the determination of the multicanonical weight factor. In this method a short replica-exchange simulation is performed and the multicanonical weight factor is obtained by the multiple-histogram reweighting techniques. The second one is a further extension of the first in which a replica-exchange multicanonical simulation is performed with a small number of replicas. These new algorithms are particularly useful for studying the protein folding problem.Comment: 9 pages, (ReVTeX), 7 figures. Chem. Phys. Lett. (2000), in pres

Initial Surgical Versus Conservative Strategies in Patients With Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis

AbstractBackgroundCurrent guidelines generally recommend watchful waiting until symptoms emerge for aortic valve replacement (AVR) in asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS).ObjectivesThe study sought to compare the long-term outcomes of initial AVR versus conservative strategies following the diagnosis of asymptomatic severe AS.MethodsWe used data from a large multicenter registry enrolling 3,815 consecutive patients with severe AS (peak aortic jet velocity >4.0 m/s, or mean aortic pressure gradient >40 mm Hg, or aortic valve area <1.0 cm2) between January 2003 and December 2011. Among 1,808 asymptomatic patients, the initial AVR and conservative strategies were chosen in 291 patients, and 1,517 patients, respectively. Median follow-up was 1,361 days with 90% follow-up rate at 2 years. The propensity score–matched cohort of 582 patients (n = 291 in each group) was developed as the main analysis set for the current report.ResultsBaseline characteristics of the propensity score–matched cohort were largely comparable, except for the slightly younger age and the greater AS severity in the initial AVR group. In the conservative group, AVR was performed in 41% of patients during follow-up. The cumulative 5-year incidences of all-cause death and heart failure hospitalization were significantly lower in the initial AVR group than in the conservative group (15.4% vs. 26.4%, p = 0.009; 3.8% vs. 19.9%, p < 0.001, respectively).ConclusionsThe long-term outcome of asymptomatic patients with severe AS was dismal when managed conservatively in this real-world analysis and might be substantially improved by an initial AVR strategy. (Contemporary Outcomes After Surgery and Medical Treatment in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis Registry; UMIN000012140

NITOBE Inazo and Moral Cultivation for Women : Focus on Women's Magazines

This paper tries to elucidate the effect of Nitobe's Christianity on his concept of moral cultivation, through a research on his articles in well-known women's magazines in modern Japan, Fujin sekai and Fujin gahoo. 72 of his articles are identified in Fujin sekai from 1910 to 1931, and 75 ones in Fujin gahoo from 1907 to 1930. Most of them are published from Taisyo period to early Showa period, when the working women population had increased, as well as the variety of occupation had expanded. His suggestion conflicted with these social phenomenon. It is confirmed from his articles that Nitobe argued women should be at home. He believed that women's power is the source of the domestic happiness, which must be a basis of the state. He described women's power as the spirit of self-sacrifice. Showing this spirit means living with God based on his Christianity, he described it "vertical". He said, human being should recognize the Inner Light inherent in individual heart. Women can establish spiritual independence, when she lives with God

NITOBE Inazo's Colonial Policy : A Viewpoint of Human Beings

This paper tries to elucidate the characteristic of NITOBE's colonial policy, from a viewpoint of human beings. NITOBE is a Quaker, who insists on the equality of human beings and believes Inner Light existents in individual heart. At the same time, he accepted superiority and inferiority between races without contradiction. He believed that an inferior race could be changed into the excellent race through Inner Light. Because he was convinced that Western morality could be the common to the non-West with Inner Light

Impact of polyvascular disease on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing coronary revascularization: An observation from the CREDO-Kyoto Registry Cohort-2.

[Objective]Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) often have prior stroke or concomitant extra-cardiac vascular disease (EVD) such as cerebral, aortic, or peripheral vascular disease. However, clinical outcomes after coronary revascularization in patients with polyvascular disease have not been fully elucidated. [Methods]Among 15, 263 patients undergoing first coronary revascularization enrolled in the CREDO-Kyoto registry Cohort-2 from January 2005 to December 2007, there were 1443 patients with prior stroke (stroke + CAD group), 974 patients with EVD (EVD + CAD group), 253 patients with both prior stroke and EVD (stroke/EVD/CAD group) and 12, 593 patients with neither prior stroke nor EVD (CAD alone group [reference]). [Results]The cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE: composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke) through 3 years was significantly higher in patients with polyvascular disease compared with reference patients (19.9% in the stroke + CAD group, 18.5% in the EVD + CAD group, 20.1% in the stroke/EVD/CAD group, and 11.2% in the CAD alone group, P < 0.0001). After adjusting confounders, the presence of EVD and/or stroke was independently associated with higher risk for MACE compared with the reference group (adjusted HR [95%CI]: 1.34 [1.17–1.54], P < 0.0001 in the stroke + CAD group, 1.56 [1.32–1.84], P < 0.0001 in the EVD + CAD group, and 1.66 [1.24–2.23], P = 0.0007 in the stroke/EVD/CAD group). However, the presence of EVD and/or stroke was not associated with higher risk for myocardial infarction. [Conclusions]Clinical outcome after coronary revascularization was worse in patients with prior stroke and/or EVD, which was mainly driven by the increased risk for non-coronary cardiovascular events

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of heart failure patients with long-term care insurance ― Insights from the kitakawachi clinical background and outcome of heart failure registry

Kensuke Takabayashi, Kotaro Iwatsu, Tsutomu Ikeda, Yuko Morikami, Tahei Ichinohe, Takashi Yamamoto, Kotoe Takenaka, Hiroyuki Takenaka, Hiroyuki Muranaka, Ryoko Fujita, Miyuki Okuda, Osamu Nakajima, Hitoshi Koito, Yuka Terasaki, Tetsuhisa Kitamura, Shouji Kitaguchi, Ryuji Nohara, Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Heart Failure Patients With Long-Term Care Insurance　― Insights From the Kitakawachi Clinical Background and Outcome of Heart Failure Registry ―, Circulation Journal, 2020, Volume 84, Issue 9, Pages 1528-1535, Released August 25, 2020, [Advance publication] Released July 21, 2020, Online ISSN 1347-4820, Print ISSN 1346-9843, https://doi.org/10.1253/circj.CJ-20-0017, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/circj/84/9/84_CJ-20-0017/_article/-char/e

Clinical characteristics and social frailty of super-elderly patients with heart failure: The Kitakawachi clinical background and outcome of heart failure registry

Kensuke Takabayashi, Akihiro Ikuta, Yoshinori Okazaki, Mariko Ogami, Kotaro Iwatsu, Koichi Matsumura, Tsutomu Ikeda, Tahei Ichinohe, Yuko Morikami, Takashi Yamamoto, Ryoko Fujita, Kotoe Takenaka, Hiroyuki Takenaka, Yoshisumi Haruna, Hiroyuki Muranaka, Masaaki Ozaki, Tetsuhisa Kitamura, Shouji Kitaguchi, Ryuji Nohara, Clinical Characteristics and Social Frailty of Super-Elderly Patients With Heart Failure　― The Kitakawachi Clinical Background and Outcome of Heart Failure Registry ―, Circulation Journal, 2017, Volume 81, Issue 1, Pages 69-76, Released December 22, 2016, [Advance publication] Released November 30, 2016, Online ISSN 1347-4820, Print ISSN 1346-9843, https://doi.org/10.1253/circj.CJ-16-0914, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/circj/81/1/81_CJ-16-0914/_article/-char/e