Coalition structure generation in cooperative games with compact representations

This paper presents a new way of formalizing the coalition structure generation problem (CSG) so that we can apply constraint optimization techniques to it. Forming effective coalitions is a major research challenge in AI and multi-agent systems. CSG involves partitioning a set of agents into coalitions to maximize social surplus. Traditionally, the input of the CSG problem is a black-box function called a characteristic function, which takes a coalition as input and returns the value of the coalition. As a result, applying constraint optimization techniques to this problem has been infeasible. However, characteristic functions that appear in practice often can be represented concisely by a set of rules, rather than treating the function as a black box. Then we can solve the CSG problem more efficiently by directly applying constraint optimization techniques to this compact representation. We present new formalizations of the CSG problem by utilizing recently developed compact representation schemes for characteristic functions. We first characterize the complexity of CSG under these representation schemes. In this context, the complexity is driven more by the number of rules than by the number of agents. As an initial step toward developing efficient constraint optimization algorithms for solving the CSG problem, we also develop mixed integer programming formulations and show that an off-the-shelf optimization package can perform reasonably well

Long-Term Preservation of Mouse Spermatozoa as Frozen Testicular Sections

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Student nurses' understanding about improvement in dietary habit through their practices

看護学生が自己の体験を通じて得た食習慣の改善や患者教育に関する考えを明らかにした。短大看護学科2年生84人を対象に自記式アンケート調査を行い，19歳～21歳の学生73名について分析を行った。栄養学の学習を終えた学生に通常の1日分の栄養摂取量を計算させ，それをもとにそれぞれの食習慣改善計画を立てさせ実行させた。1ヵ月後，再度摂取量の計算をさせて，前回の結果との比較の上で，自分の体験の評価をさせた。その結果，学生が主に考えたことは以下の3点に集約された。①食品の求めやすさや調理の方法の簡単さが食習慣の改善には重要である。②食習慣の改善が困難となるのは，知識の不足や意志の持続性と関連することである。③食習慣の改善の動機づけになるのは，そのことの意義を知ったり，自分の栄養摂取量を点検することである。学生は，食習慣の改善の困難さや容易さおよび患者の栄養指導における留意点について理解していた。Self-administrative questionnaire surveys were conducted twice for 84 junior college students in 1997 and data of 73 students aged 19 to 21 years old obtained were analyzed. Students who had already learned basic dietetics were asked to calculate by themselves one-day nutritional intake, to plan how to improve their dietary habit following their data calculated and to practice those plans. One month later, they calculated the daily intake again and compared it to previous data, and described the results of their practices. Results were as follows ; 1. Easiness of purchasing materials and preparing foods is a key to improve dietary habits readily. 2. A lack of knowledge in nutrition and/or discontinuous intention are bottlenecks in improving the dietary habit. 3. For successful improvement of dietary habit, they must be motivated by the explanation of the significance of dietary improvements, self-monitoring of nutritional states. These results suggested that through this practical study, students could learn not only what things were easy and difficult in improving the dietary habits, but also what they should pay attention to in improving the dietary habit and in orienting other person's nutritional improvement

Natural history of medium-sized atrial septal defect in pediatric cases

AbstractBackgroundThe indication for surgical repair of atrial septal defect (ASD) is pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio (Qp/Qs)>2.0, and therapeutic strategy depends on the facility in cases of Qp/Qs 1.5–2.0. Defect size increases with age, but hemodynamic changes of medium-sized ASD (Qp/Qs 1.5–2.0) are unknown.Methods and resultsFrom April 1, 1985 to March 31, 2008, we experienced 125 cases of cardiac catheterization for ASD. Twelve cases were re-evaluated without surgical repair. The first and second catheterizations were performed at median ages of 7 years (range, 2–13 years) and 16 years (range, 5–19 years), respectively. The mean follow-up period was 7 years. Qp/Qs increased from 1.6 to 2.0 during follow-up (p<0.05). Of four cases with Qp/Qs<1.5 at initial presentation, three had Qp/Qs≥1.5 at second inspection. Right ventricle diastolic volume (RVEDV/LVEDV) also increased.ConclusionsQp/Qs and RVEDV/LVEDV of medium-sized ASD increase together in childhood. Re-evaluation before adulthood should be considered in patients with no indications of ASD closure in childhood

Slr0967 and Sll0939 induced by the SphR response regulator in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 are essential for growth under acid stress conditions

AbstractTwo-component signal transduction is the primary signaling mechanism for global regulation of the cellular response to environmental changes. We used DNA microarray analysis to identify genes that were upregulated by acid stress in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Several of these genes may be response regulators that are directly involved in this type of stress response. We constructed deletion mutants for the response regulator genes and compared the growth rates of cells transfected with mutant and wild-type genes in a low pH medium. Of these mutants, deletion of sphR affected the growth rate under acid stress (pH 6.0) conditions. We examined genome-wide expression in ΔsphR mutant cells using DNA microarray to determine whether SphR was involved in the regulation of other acid stress responsive genes. Microarray and real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses of wild-type cells showed that the expression of phoA, pstS1, and pstS2, which are upregulated under phosphate-limiting conditions, increased (2.48-, 1.88-, and 5.07-fold, respectively) after acid stress treatment for 0.5h. In contrast, pstS2 expression did not increase in the ΔsphR mutant cells after acid stress, whereas the phoA and sphX mRNA levels increased. Furthermore, qRT-PCR and northern blot analysis indicated that downregulation of the acid-responsive genes slr0967 and sll0939 occurred with the deletion of sphR. Indeed, mutants of these genes were more sensitive to acid stress than the wild-type cells. Thus, induction of Slr0967 and Sll0939 by SphR may be essential for growth under acid stress conditions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosynthesis Research for Sustainability: from Natural to Artificial

DNA Methylation Is Dispensable for the Growth and Survival of the Extraembryonic Lineages

SummaryDNA methylation regulates development and many epigenetic processes in mammals [1], and it is required for somatic cell growth and survival [2, 3]. In contrast, embryonic stem (ES) cells can self-renew without DNA methylation [4–6]. It remains unclear whether any lineage-committed cells can survive without DNA-methylation machineries. Unlike in somatic cells, DNA methylation is dispensable for imprinting and X-inactivation in the extraembryonic lineages [7–12]. In ES cells, DNA methylation prevents differentiation into the trophectodermal fate [13]. Here, we created triple-knockout (TKO) mouse embryos deficient for the active DNA methyltransferases Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, and Dnmt3b (TKO) by nuclear transfer (NT), and we examined their development. In chimeric TKO-NT and WT embryos, few TKO cells were found in the embryo proper, but they contributed to extraembryonic tissues. TKO ES cells showed increasing cell death during their differentiation into epiblast lineages, but not during differentiation into extraembryonic lineages. Furthermore, we successfully established trophoblastic stem cells (ntTS cells) from TKO-NT blastocysts. These TKO ntTS cells could self-renew, and they retained the fundamental gene expression patterns of stem cells. Our findings indicated that extraembryonic-lineage cells can survive and proliferate in the absence of DNA methyltransferases and that a cell's response to the stress of epigenomic damage is cell type dependent

Investigation of collaboration among community-based medical facilities and patient support system in centralcommunity hospitals in Okayama

本研究の目的は, 1)県下中核病院の地域医療連携,患者支援活動の現状について面接調査を行い,その実態を明らかにすること, 2)その結果をもとに,今後の特定機能病院に求められる地域医療連携や患者支援のあり方を検討する上での参考にすること,の2点にあった｡県下10か所の地域中核病院を対象に,地域医療連携業務やその他の患者支援活動に関する質問紙を作成し,面接調査を行った｡その結果,医療連携部門の歴史や業務内容は様々であったが,どの病院も地域医療連携部門を設置することで,開業医との連携を強化し,紹介･逆紹介の円滑化を図ろうとしている状況がうかがえた｡特に連携業務の中 でも,開業医からの紹介患者を病院にスムーズに受け入れる機能を重視している傾向が見られた｡また,すべての対象病院が地域医療連携以外の患者支援活動を行う部門を有しており,医療相談や地域の医療保健施設との連携強化等の業務を主に行っていた｡これらの調査結果をもとに,特定機能病院である大学病院に求められる地域医療連携･患者支援のあり方について考察した｡The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of collaboration among community-based medical facilities and patient support system in ten central community hospitals in Okayama. Interviews were conducted using a questionnaire regarding the current status of collaboration among community-based medical facilities and patient support system in ten central community hospitals. It was revealed that although the size and position of the sections varied, all hospitals were trying to facilitate collaboration among other community-based medical facilities by developing stronger relationships with family doctors. They mainly focused on improving the quality of services for referred patients and referring physicians. Besides, all hospitals possessed another section providing patient support services such as patient education and counseling. Staffs in the sections were trying to build stronger relationship with other health-related and medical facilities in their communities. Finally, it is discussed regarding how to facilitate collaboration among community-based medical facilities and provide patient support system in a university hospital

Multi‐modal combination therapy rescued a frequent ischemic stroke patient due to giant cell arteritis

Ischemic stroke (IS) due to giant cell arteritis (GCA) is rare, but highly mortal. Here, we report a 72-year-old man who showed frequent IS with GCA. Initial therapy with prednisolone increased the frequency of IS, which disappeared after continuous multi-modal combination therapy with corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents, antiplatelets, and statin. The present case was discharged with independent walk, suggesting that a multi-modal combination therapy rescued the GCA patient from frequent IS

Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors Suppress Lactobacillus casei Cell-Wall-Induced NF-κB and MAPK Activations and Cell Proliferation through Protein Kinase A—or Exchange Protein Activated by cAMP-Dependent Signal Pathway

Specific strains of Lactobacillus have been found to be beneficial in treating some types of diarrhea and vaginosis. However, a high mortality rate results from underlying immunosuppressive conditions in patients with Lactobacillus casei bacteremia. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) is a small second messenger molecule that mediates signal transduction. The onset and progression of inflammatory responses are sensitive to changes in steady-state cAMP levels. L. casei cell wall extract (LCWE) develops arteritis in mice through Toll-like receptor-2 signaling. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether intracellular cAMP affects LCWE-induced pathological signaling. LCWE was shown to induce phosphorylation of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways and cell proliferation in mice fibroblast cells. Theophylline and phosphodiesterase inhibitor increased intracellular cAMP and inhibited LCWE-induced cell proliferation as well as phosphorylation of NF-κB and MAPK. Protein kinase A inhibitor H89 prevented cAMP-induced MAPK inhibition, but not cAMP-induced NF-κB inhibition. An exchange protein activated by cAMP (Epac) agonist inhibited NF-κB activation but not MAPK activation. These results indicate that an increase in intracellular cAMP prevents LCWE induction of pathological signaling pathways dependent on PKA and Epac signaling

Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract directly stimulates the expression of COX2 independent of Toll-like receptor 2 in rat glial cells

Kawasaki disease is an acute illness of early childhood that is characterized by prolonged fever and vasculitis of unknown pathogenesis. Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract (LCWE)-induced vasculitis in mice is a well-validated model of Kawasaki disease. In the nervous system, glial cells play an important role in fever development. This study investigated whether LCWE directly stimulates glial cells, resulting in the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), which is required for prostaglandin synthesis and fever development. We found that LCWE induced COX2 expression and activated the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway in rat B92 glial cells, but Toll-like receptor-2, which is one of the receptors for LCWE, could not be detected in the cells. These results suggest that LCWE activates the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway and induces COX2 in rat B92 glial cells through another LCWE receptor other than Toll-like receptor-2. © 2012