Performance Monitoring of VoIP Flows for Large Network Operations

The monitoring of performance in VoIP traffic has become vital because users generally expect VoIP service quality that is as high as that of PSTN services. A lightweight method of processing by extracting VoIP flows from Internet traffics is proposed in this paper. Estimating delay variations and the packet loss ratio using knowledge about specific features and the characteristics of VoIP flows, i.e., the inter-packet gap (IPG) which is constant in VoIP flows, is also proposed. Simulation with actual traffic trace is used to evaluate the method, and this revealed that delay variations (IPG variance) can be accurately estimated by monitoring only a few percentage of all flows. The proposed method can be used as a first-alert tool to monitor large amounts of flows to detect signs of degradation in VoIP flows. The method can be used by ISPs to estimate whether VoIP flow performance is adequate within their networks and at ingress from other ISPs

Stream Mining for Network Management

Network management is an important issue in maintaining the Internet as an important social infrastructure. Finding excessive consumption of network bandwidth caused by P2P mass flows is especially important. Finding Internet viruses is also an important security issue. Although stream mining techniques seem to be promising techniques to find P2P and Internet viruses, vast network flows prevent the simple application of such techniques. A mining technique which works well with extremely limited memory is required. Also it should have a real-time analysis capability. In this paper, we propose a cache based mining method to realize such a technique. By analyzing the characteristics of the proposed method with real Internet backbone flow data, we show the advantages of the proposed method, i.e. less memory consumption while realizing realtime analysis capability. We also show the fact that we can use the proposed method to find mass flow information from Internet backbone flow data

Daikenchuto accelerates the recovery from prolonged postoperative ileus after open abdominal surgery : a subgroup analysis of three randomized controlled trials

Purpose Prolonged postoperative ileus (POI) is a common complication after open abdominal surgery (OAS). Daikenchuto (DKT), a traditional Japanese medicine that peripherally stimulates the neurogenic pathway, is used to treat prolonged POI in Japan. To analyze whether DKT accelerates the recovery from prolonged POI after OAS, we conducted a secondary analysis of three multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods A secondary analysis of the three RCTs supported by the Japanese Foundation for Multidisciplinary Treatment of Cancer (project numbers 39-0902, 40-1001, 42-1002) assessing the effect of DKT on prolonged POI in patients who had undergone OAS for colon, liver, or gastric cancer was performed. The subgroup included 410 patients with no bowel movement (BM) before the first diet, a DKT group (n = 214), and a placebo group (n = 196). Patients received either 5 g DKT or a placebo orally, three times a day. The primary endpoint was defined as the time from the end of surgery to the first bowel movement (FBM). A sensitivity analysis was also performed on the age, body mass index and dosage as subgroup analyses. Results The primary endpoint was significantly accelerated in the DKT group compared with the placebo group (p = 0.004; hazard ratio 1.337). The median time to the FBM was 113.8 h in the placebo group and 99.1 h in the DKT treatment group. Conclusions The subgroup analysis showed that DKT significantly accelerated the recovery from prolonged POI following OAS

A multi-ethnic meta-analysis identifies novel genes, including ACSL5, associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating progressive motor neuron disease that affects people of all ethnicities. Approximately 90% of ALS cases are sporadic and thought to have multifactorial pathogenesis. To understand the genetics of sporadic ALS, we conducted a genome-wide association study using 1,173 sporadic ALS cases and 8,925 controls in a Japanese population. A combined meta-analysis of our Japanese cohort with individuals of European ancestry revealed a significant association at the ACSL5 locus (top SNP p = 2.97 × 10−8). We validated the association with ACSL5 in a replication study with a Chinese population and an independent Japanese population (1941 ALS cases, 3821 controls; top SNP p = 1.82 × 10−4). In the combined meta-analysis, the intronic ACSL5 SNP rs3736947 showed the strongest association (p = 7.81 × 10−11). Using a gene-based analysis of the full multi-ethnic dataset, we uncovered additional genes significantly associated with ALS: ERGIC1, RAPGEF5, FNBP1, and ATXN3. These results advance our understanding of the genetic basis of sporadic ALS

Prevention of hypoglycemia by intermittent-scanning continuous glucose monitoring device combined with structured education in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus : A randomized, crossover trial

Aims: We conducted a randomized, crossover trial to compare intermittent-scanning continuous glucose monitoring (isCGM) device with structured education (Intervention) to self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) (Control) in the reduction of time below range. Methods: This crossover trial involved 104 adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) using multiple daily injections. Participants were randomly allocated to either sequence Intervention/Control or sequence Control/Intervention. During the Intervention period which lasted 84 days, participants used the first-generation FreeStyle Libre (Abbott Diabetes Care, Alameda, CA, USA) and received structured education on how to prevent hypoglycemia based on the trend arrow and by frequent sensor scanning (≥10 times a day). Confirmatory SMBG was conducted before dosing insulin. The Control period lasted 84 days. The primary endpoint was the decrease in the time below range (TBR; <70 mg/dL). Results: The time below range was significantly reduced in the Intervention arm compared to the Control arm (2.42 ± 1.68 h/day [10.1 %±7.0 %] vs 3.10 ± 2.28 h/day [12.9 %±9.5 %], P = 0.012). The ratio of high-risk participants with low blood glucose index >5 was significantly reduced (8.6 % vs 23.7 %, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The use of isCGM combined with structured education significantly reduced the time below range in patients with T1DM

先天性精管欠損症患者の精巣輸出管から微小穿刺法により取り出した精子を用いた顕微授精の1成功例

A case of successful in vitro microfertilization and pregnancy of 30-year-old woman with sperm from efferent duct retrieved by a micropuncture technique combined with perivascular nerve stimulation from a patient with congenital absence of the vas deferens is reported. Treatment of couples involving men with surgically unreconstructible vasal obstruction is now possible. Our experience indicates that sperm from the efferent duct retrieved by this new technique, when combined with assisted reproductive technologies, permit fertilization and subsequent pregnancy for the men with surgically irreparable vasal obstruction

陰嚢内脂肪肉腫の2例

症例1:24歳男.左側陰嚢内腫瘍は, 精巣・精索等の陰嚢内容物と明らかに分離しており, 腫瘍摘除術を施行した.病理組織診断は脂肪肉腫・類粘液型であり, 手術後21ヵ月再発を認めていない. 症例2:66歳男.左側陰嚢内腫瘍は, 精索より発生しており, 高位精巣摘除術を施行した.病理組織診断学的には脂肪肉腫・分化型であり, 手術後40ヵ月再発を認めていないLiposarcomas in the scrotum are relatively rare and only 40 cases have previously been reported in Japan. The inside wall of the scrotum is an unusual origin and we report here two cases arising at this site that have been followed for 21 and 40 months, respectively, after surgical resection. Case 1: the patient was a 24-year-old male who noticed a left intrascrotal mass which was histologically demonstrated to be a myxoid type liposarcoma. Case 2: the patient was a 66-year-old male who had the complaint of a left intrascrotal swelling. He underwent radical orchiectomy and histologic examination of the resected tumor revealed a well-differentiated type of liposarcoma. These two cases are the 41st and 42nd intrascrotal liposarcomas reported in Japan