Categories of hypermagmas, hypergroups, and related hyperstructures

In order to diagnose the cause of some defects in the category of canonical hypergroups, we investigate several categories of hyperstructures that generalize hypergroups. By allowing hyperoperations with possibly empty products, one obtains categories with desirable features such as completeness and cocompleteness, free functors, regularity, and closed monoidal structures. We show by counterexamples that such constructions cannot be carried out within the category of canonical hypergroups. This suggests that (commutative) unital, reversible hypermagmas -- which we call mosaics -- form a worthwhile generalization of (canonical) hypergroups from the categorical perspective. Notably, mosaics contain pointed simple matroids as a subcategory, and projective geometries as a full subcategory.Comment: 48 pages, 3 figure

Examination of prognostic factors in patients undergoing surgery for colorectal perforation: A case controlled study

AbstractObjectiveTo determine if the POSSUM, SOFA, MPI, and SAS scores provide a better measure of severity for patients with prognostic factors undergoing surgery for colorectal perforation.SubjectsFifty-nine patients who underwent surgery between 1996 and 2012.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed background factors, blood and physiological test results, and intraoperative findings of patients who survived and those who died. We also compared the POSSUM, SOFA, MPI, and SAS scores. Multivariate analysis was performed for factors that were significant by univariate analysis, and selected factors were used to produce a predictive prognostic model.ResultsUnivariate analysis revealed significant differences in age, anticoagulant/steroid administration, serum creatinine level, PF ratio, base excess (BE), chest radiography, pulse rate, and severity of peritoneal soiling. Age, serum creatinine level, pulse rate, and severity of peritoneal soiling were selected for multivariate analysis; only pulse rate was significantly different. There were significant differences between the two groups in POSSUM PS, OSS, SOFA, and MPI scores, and a comparison in terms of the ROC curve showed that our model had the highest peak; the area under the curve was 94.8% compared with 70–80% for the other systems, suggesting that our model is better than those systems.ConclusionsPOSSUM and SOFA are valid methods of evaluating risk from colorectal perforation, but our study revealed addition risk factors: (1) the PF ratio and BE, which are not included in POSSUM; (2) the pulse rate and severity of peritonitis, which are not included in SOFA; and (3) anticoagulant/steroid hormone administration

Efficacy of tension-free vaginal tape compared with transobturator tape in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women: analysis of learning curve, perioperative changes of voiding function

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In this study, by comparing TVT surgery and TOT surgery for stress urinary incontinence in women, the characteristics and learning curves of both operative methods were studied.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 83 women with stress urinary incontinence treated with tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) (n = 38) or transobturator tape (TOT) (n = 45) at Saiseikai Central Hospital between April 2004 and September 2009 were included. We compare the outcomes and learning curves between TVT surgery and TOT surgery. In statistical analysis, Student's t test, Fisher's exact test, and Mann-Whitney's U test were used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The surgical durations were 37.4 ± 15.7 minutes with TVT surgery and 31.0 ± 8.3 minutes with TOT surgery. A longer period of time was required for TVT surgery (p = 0.025). The residual urine at post-operative day 1 was higher in TVT surgery (25.9 ± 44.2 ml) than in TOT surgery (10.6 ± 19.2 ml) (p = 0.0452). The surgical duration of TVT surgery was shortened after the operator had performed 15 operations (p = 0.019).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In comparison of TVT surgery and TOT surgery, the surgical duration of TVT surgery was longer and the residual urine of TVT surgery was higher at post-operative day 1. Surgical experience could shorten the duration of TVT surgery.</p

A search for deeply bound kaonic nuclear states

We have measured proton and neutron energy spectra by stopping negative kaons on liquid helium4. Two distinct peak structures were found on both spectra, which were assigned to the formation of new kinds of strange stribaryons. In this paper, we summarize both results.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, HYP2003 conference proceeding

Airborne Microbial Communities at High-Altitude and Suburban Sites in Toyama, Japan Suggest a New Perspective for Bioprospecting

Airborne microorganisms, especially those at high altitude, are exposed to hostile conditions, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation, desiccation, and low temperatures. This study was conducted to compare the composition and abundance of airborne microorganisms at a high-altitude site, Mt. Jodo [2,839 m above mean sea level (AMSL)] and a suburban site (23 m AMSL) in Toyama, Japan. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate microbial communities in air samples collected simultaneously at two sites in relatively close proximity, from low and high altitude. Air samples were collected over a period of 3 years during 2009–2011. We then examined the bacterial and eukaryotic communities and estimated the abundance of bacteria and fungi with real-time TaqMan PCR. The airborne bacterial and eukaryotic communities differed between high-altitude and suburban sites on each sampling day. Backward trajectory analysis of air masses that arrived at high-altitude and suburban sites on each sampling day displayed almost the same paths. The bacterial communities were dominated by Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria, while the eukaryotic communities included Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Streptophyta. We also predicted some application of such microbial communities. The airborne bacterial and fungal abundance at the high-altitude site was about two times lower than that at the suburban site. These results showed that each airborne microbial communities have locality even if they are collected close location

Calcitonin Receptor Signaling Inhibits Muscle Stem Cells from Escaping the Quiescent State and the Niche

Masahiko Yamaguchi, Yoko Watanabe, Takuji Ohtani, Akiyoshi Uezumi, Norihisa Mikami, Miki Nakamura, Takahiko Sato, Masahito Ikawa, Mikio Hoshino, Kunihiro Tsuchida, Yuko Miyagoe-Suzuki, Kazutake Tsujikawa, Shin’ichi Takeda, Hiroshi Yamamoto, So-ichiro Fukada, Calcitonin Receptor Signaling Inhibits Muscle Stem Cells from Escaping the Quiescent State and the Niche, Cell Reports, Volume 13, Issue 2, 2015, Pages 302-314, ISSN 2211-1247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2015.08.083

Enzyme replacement therapy with pabinafusp alfa for neuronopathic mucopolysaccharidosis II : an integrated analysis of preclinical and clinical data

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) improves somatic manifestations in mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS). However, because intravenously administered enzymes cannot cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), ERT is ineffective against the progressive neurodegeneration and resultant severe central nervous system (CNS) symptoms observed in patients with neuronopathic MPS. Attempts to surmount this problem have been made with intrathecal and intracerebroventricular ERT in order to achieve CNS effects, but the burdens on patients are inimical to long-term administrations. However, since pabinafusp alfa, a human iduronate-2-sulfatase fused with a BBB-crossing anti-transferrin receptor antibody, showed both central and peripheral efficacy in a mouse model, subsequent clinical trials in a total of 62 patients with MPS-II (Hunter syndrome) in Japan and Brazil substantiated this dual efficacy and provided an acceptable safety profile. To date, pabinafusp alfa is the only approved intravenous ERT that is effective against both the somatic and CNS symptoms of patients with MPS-II. This article summarizes the previously obtained preclinical and clinical evidence related to the use of this drug, presents latest data, and discusses the preclinical, translational, and clinical challenges of evaluating, ameliorating, and preventing neurodegeneration in patients with MPS-II