Is it efficient to discriminate passengers in airport charges according to flight distance?

This paper examines the pricing strategy of private airports. To capture the relationship between airport fees and airport locations, we develop a model with the asymmetric hub-spoke network. We obtain the following results. First, spoke airports which are far from the hub set their airport fees low. Second, the hub airport offers a large discount for transit passengers when the average distance between the hub and spokes is long. Finally, when all cities possess the same population, the policy maker can improve social welfare by allowing the hub to discriminate transit passengers in the setting of airport fees

Four Cases with Rare Complications of Intramedullary Screw Fixation for Jones Fracture

Active treatment with intramedullary screw fixation is now common for athletes with Jones fracture. Outcomes are generally good, but complications can occur. We report 4 rare complications of intramedullary screw fixa-tion. Two cases developed osteomyelitis and pseudarthrosis caused by thermal necrosis. In the other two cases, screw-related complications occurred during the insertion of the tapered headless screw. Although thermal necrosis and screw insertion failures are considered rare complications and not widely reported in the litera-ture, they do occur occasionally. Knowing the mechanisms underlying these complications could help prevent them, and knowing their course could lead caregivers to appropriate interventions when they do occur

Visualization of c-di-GMP in multicellular Dictyostelium stages

The bacterial signaling molecule cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is only synthesized and utilized by the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum among eukaryotes. Dictyostelium cells undergo a transition from a unicellular to a multicellular state, ultimately forming a stalk and spores. While Dictyostelium is known to employ c-di-GMP to induce differentiation into stalk cells, there have been no reports of direct observation of c-di-GMP using fluorescent probes. In this study, we used a fluorescent probe used in bacteria to visualize its localization within Dictyostelium multicellular bodies. Cytosolic c-di-GMP concentrations were significantly higher at the tip of the multicellular body during stalk formation

Evaluation for interventions against influenza of H5N1 in Sapporo-city by using an Individual Based Model

The spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) among domestic poultry and wild birds has caused global concern over the outbreak of an influenza pandemic of H5N1. The "Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Action Plan" determines the strategy against an influenza pandemic in Japan. Simulations were carried out using an individual based model (IBM). The IBM targeted a virtual area with a population of 100,000 using the demographic data of Sapporo-city, Hokkaido. The effectiveness of targeted antiviral prophylaxis (TAP), geographical targeted antiviral prophylaxis (GTAP), school closure, and pre-pandemic vaccination were explored. Moreover, this study focused on infections among children, who have a high attack rate, and analyzed the effectiveness of interventions for school-age targeted antiviral prophylaxis (STAP). Consequently, TAP, which is recommended by the "Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Action Plan", was found to have high effectiveness in the suppression of the outbreak. Moreover, this study showed the importance of intervention among children, such as STAP and school closure, to prevent the spread of H5N1 influenza

Continuous optimization by quantum adaptive distribution search

In this paper, we introduce the quantum adaptive distribution search (QuADS), a quantum continuous optimization algorithm that integrates Grover adaptive search (GAS) with the covariance matrix adaptation - evolution strategy (CMA-ES), a classical technique for continuous optimization. QuADS utilizes the quantum-based search capabilities of GAS and enhances them with the principles of CMA-ES for more efficient optimization. It employs a multivariate normal distribution for the initial state of the quantum search and repeatedly updates it throughout the optimization process. Our numerical experiments show that QuADS outperforms both GAS and CMA-ES. This is achieved through adaptive refinement of the initial state distribution rather than consistently using a uniform state, resulting in fewer oracle calls. This study presents an important step toward exploiting the potential of quantum computing for continuous optimization

Reconstruction of Complete Peroneus Longus and Brevis Tendon Ruptures Using a Semitendinosus and Gracilis Tendon Graft

The patient was a 40-year-old female who had been treated at our hospital for left peroneal tendonitis due to an ankle sprain 2 years earlier. She re-injured that ankle while dancing. The pain in the lateral left foot soon improved, but she had difficulty standing with the left foot in equinus. Complete peroneus longus and brevis tendon ruptures were diagnosed. The ipsilateral semitendinosus and gracilis tendons were harvested and used to reconstruct the tendons. Three months after surgery, the patient was able to stand in equinus, and at 5 months after surgery she resumed her original level of sports activities

プロトン クドウガタ サイキン ベンモウ モーター コテイシ フクゴウタイ MotA B ノ キョクザイカ オヨビ プロトン トウカ カッセイ ニツイテノ ケンキュウ

Chapter 1 is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: FEBS Letters,Volume584, Issue6, 1268-1272, 19 March 2010, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2010.02.051.Chapter 2 is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Molecular Microbiology, Volume78, Issue5, 1117-1129, December 2010,which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07391.x