All-optical 2R regeneration using the hysteresis in a distributed feedback laser diode

A broadband optical 2R regenerator based on a single distributed feedback laser is demonstrated for nonreturn to zero signals at a bitrate of 10 Gb/s. A semi-analytical approach for the influence of hysteresis on the transfer function of a 2R regenerator is shown

From Self-interest To Commons: Distinct Aspect Of social Bookmarking Services

With web contents being generated and shared at an ever-increasing pace, a number of approaches to effectively control and retrieve contents have been developed. Social tagging is a widely implemented method for classifying contents resulting from the dispersed activities of users. Social bookmarking services (SBM) is a web service with the purpose of making information generally available on a shared basis. Accumulation of tags on SBM occurs mainly without inviting the collaboration of others, but on the basis of activities satisfying individual self-interest. SBM is in fact the optimal web platform utilizing the sum of such activities for the formation of commons

Effects of SLIT with JCP tablets

Objective : We examined the effects of SLIT with tablets containing JCP antigens on nasal symptoms and sleep disturbance in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis during pollen dispersal season. Methods : A total of 128 patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis were categorized into four groups : 19 one-year SLIT with tablets group, 16 two-year SLIT with drops group, 19 antihistamine group, and 74 untreated group. The scores of nasal symptoms and sleep disturbance were evaluated based on the Japanese guidelines for allergic rhinitis and the Athens Insomnia Scale. Results : The scores of nasal symptoms and sleep disturbance at the peak cedar pollen period in the two-year SLIT with drop group and the one-year SLIT with tablets group were significantly lower than those in untreated group. Additionally, these scores were significantly lower in the one-year SLIT with tablets group than those in the antihistamine group. Conclusion : It is suggested that SLIT with JCP tablets improved both nasal symptoms and sleep disturbances at peak pollen period in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis. SLIT with JCP tablets for one year was more effective than SLIT with JCP drops for two years and prophylactic treatment with antihistamines

ナゼ アレルギーセイ ビエン ワ ゾウカ シテ イルノカ

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common disease in developed countries and its incidence has increased in recent years. In Japan, although AR is rare before the 1950s, about 10-20% of population is now reported to be suffering from AR. Especially, epidemiological studies showed a remarkable increase in the incidence of Japanese cedar pollinosis within the last four decades. The reason for the high incidence of AR cannot be explained only by an increased amount of antigens, such as cedar pollen. Several hypotheses, including hygiene hypothesis, are proposed. The hygiene hypothesis that declining exposure to infections increased the incidence of AR by Th 2 predominace in the immune response is now gaining supportive evidence. Air pollution hypothesis that diesel exhaust particles enhanced IgE-mediated immune response is also proposed. A Western lifestyle is another important factor in the increase in AR. Although antihistamines and topical corticosteroids are effective therapies for the patients with AR, laser turbinectomy under endoscopy is highly effective and minimally invasive for the treatment of intractable AR. Submucosal turbinectomy with posterior-superior nasal neurectomy is indicated for the treatment of perennial A

Nuclear-to-Disk Rotation Curves of Galaxies in the H_alpha and [NII] Emission Lines

We have obtained optical CCD spectroscopy along the major axes of 22 nearby spiral galaxies of Sb and Sc types in order to analyze their rotation curves. By subtracting the stellar continuum emission, we have obtained position velocity (PV) diagrams of the H alpha and [NII] lines. We point out that the H alphaline is often superposed by a broad stellar absorption feature (Balmer wind) in the nuclear regions, and, therefore, the [NII] line is a better tracer of kinematics in the central a few hundred pc regions. By applying the envelope-tracing technique to the H alpha and [NII] PV diagrams, we have derived nucleus-to-disk rotation curves of the observed galaxies. The rotation curves rise steeply within the central a few hundred parsecs, indicating rapidly rotating nuclear disk and mass concentration near the nucleus. [For more rotation curves : http://www.ioa.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/]Comment: 10 pages Latex, 8 fig. directories, each 22 galaxies ps figures. PASJ Vol. 50, No.5, in pres

Factorizing a String into Squares in Linear Time

A square factorization of a string w is a factorization of w in which each factor is a square. Dumitran et al. [SPIRE 2015, pp. 54-66] showed how to find a square factorization of a given string of length n in O(n log n) time, and they posed a question whether it can be done in O(n) time. In this paper, we answer their question positively, showing an O(n)-time algorithm for square factorization in the standard word RAM model with machine word size omega = Omega(log n). We also show an O(n + (n log^2 n) / omega)-time (respectively, O(n log n)-time) algorithm to find a square factorization which contains the maximum (respectively, minimum) number of squares

Efficacy of dual sublingual immunotherapy with Japanese cedar pollen and house dust mite allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis sensitized to multiple allergens

Objective: In the present study, we examined the effects of dual sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) with Japanese cedar pollen (JCP) and house dust mite (HDM) allergens on nasal symptoms during the peak pollen period (PPP) and in late fall (LF) in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) sensitized to both JCP and HDM. We then compared the efficacy of dual-SLIT with JCP and HDM to that of mono-SLIT with JCP at PPP. Methods: Twenty-five bisensitized patients with AR who showed positive serum specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) against both JCP and HDM were enrolled. In dual-SLIT, 16 patients received JCP drops/tablets and HDM tablets concurrently. In mono-SLIT with JCP, nine patients received JCP drops/tablets. Nasal symptoms were scored on a 0–4 point scale. Results: The nasal scores at PPP and in LF in the bisensitized patients with AR who received dual-SLIT with JCP and HDM in 2019 were significantly lower than those in the same patients who received antihistamines only in 2018. The decrease in scores of nasal obstruction at PPP from 2018 to 2019 in patients who received dual-SLIT was significantly greater than those in patients who received mono-SLIT with JCP. Dual-SLIT was well tolerated and only had mild adverse effects. Conclusion: These findings suggest that dual-SLIT suppressed both JCP-induced seasonal and HDM-induced perennial nasal symptoms in bisensitized patients with AR. Dual-SLIT was more effective in suppressing nasal obstruction at PPP than mono-SLIT with JCP with limitation of baseline characteristics not to be controlled between the two groups, suggesting that dual-SLIT suppressed HDM-induced priming effects, thus resulting in further suppression of nasal obstruction at PPP. Level of Evidence: 3b, a case-controlled stud

Definite ECRS diagnosis with systemic steroid

According to JESREC criteria, definite eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS) is postoperatively diagnosed based on over 70 eosinophils in high power magnification fields of the resected nasal polyps in patients with probable ECRS. Preoperative systemic administration with steroid is a standard practice, because it reduced intraoperative bleeding during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in patients with ECRS. However, it was recently reported that systemic administration with steroid decreased the number of eosinophils in the nasal polyps, leading to a false negative diagnosis of definite ECRS. To overcome the risk, we have adopted short-term pre-operative systemic administration with low-dose of steroid and examined if our steroid administration makes a false-negative diagnosis. We performed a retrospective chart review of 42 patients with probable ECRS. Eleven patients were administered with 0.5 mg of bethametasone for 7 days before ESS, and other 31 patients were not administered. The average number of eosinophils in nasal polyps in patients who were administered with steroid was 188 ± 167, which was not different from 199 ± 149 in the patients who were not administered. These findings suggest that short-term preoperative administration with low-dose of steroid has few risk of a false-negative diagnosis of definite ECRS