Replica Symmetry Breaking in Trajectories of a Driven Brownian Particle.

We study a Brownian particle passively driven by a field obeying the noisy Burgers' equation. We demonstrate that the system exhibits replica symmetry breaking in the path ensemble with the initial position of the particle being fixed. The key step of the proof is that the path ensemble with a modified boundary condition can be exactly mapped onto the canonical ensemble of directed polymers.

Laparoscopic intraperitoneal mesh repair of an incisional hernia after transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap reconstruction for breast cancer.

Breast reconstruction with transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap is performed for the treatment of large defects of the breast. However, this may result in an abdominal wall hernia or bulging. A 53-year-old Japanese woman with left breast cancer underwent left skin-sparing mastectomy, sentinel node lymph node dissection, and immediate reconstruction with a contralateral pedicled TRAM flap. Thirty-two months following surgery, right lower abdominal wall hernia (15.5 × 12 cm) and bulging were observed at the suprapubic region. The patient was diagnosed with an incisional hernia and was scheduled for laparoscopic intraperitoneal mesh repair. The mesh was coated with an absorbable hydrogel barrier and was trimmed to 26 × 22 cm, with a 5 cm overlap around the defect. The patient demonstrated a good postoperative course. In conclusion, intraperitoneal onlay mesh with hernia repair closure (IPOM-Plus) is a simple and useful method for hernia repair following TRAM flap reconstruction.

Memory-two zero-determinant strategies in repeated games.

Repeated games have provided an explanation of how mutual cooperation can be achieved even if defection is more favourable in a one-shot game in the Prisoner's Dilemma situation. Recently found zero-determinant (ZD) strategies have substantially been investigated in evolutionary game theory. The original memory-one ZD strategies unilaterally enforce linear relationships between average pay-offs of players. Here, we extend the concept of ZD strategies to memory-two strategies in repeated games. Memory-two ZD strategies unilaterally enforce linear relationships between correlation functions of pay-offs and pay-offs of the previous round. Examples of memory-two ZD strategy in the repeated Prisoner's Dilemma game are provided, some of which generalize the tit-for-tat strategy to a memory-two case. Extension of ZD strategies to memory-n case with n ≥ ~2 is also straightforward.

Emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy for hemorrhagic cholecystitis: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Hemorrhagic cholecystitis (HC) is a rare but specific complication of acute cholecystitis. HC progression often leads to fatal and severe outcomes. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We describe the case of a 64-year-old man who was diagnosed with HC. Intraoperatively, the gallbladder surface was congested. The resected specimen had no gallstones and showed basophilic degenerate material toward the mucosal surface. In addition, vascular congestion and red cell extravasation were noted at the bottom of the layer. The patient's postoperative course was good, and he was discharged with remission 4 days following the operation. DISCUSSION: Diagnosis and treatment during early stages are the most critical aspects of HC management and may lead to improved outcomes. We successfully performed timely laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the treatment of HC. CONCLUSION: In cases where HC occurs, appropriate treatment should be chosen by experiential judgment and consideration of the current literature.

Linear algebraic structure of zero-determinant strategies in repeated games.

Zero-determinant (ZD) strategies, a recently found novel class of strategies in repeated games, has attracted much attention in evolutionary game theory. A ZD strategy unilaterally enforces a linear relation between average payoffs of players. Although existence and evolutional stability of ZD strategies have been studied in simple games, their mathematical properties have not been well-known yet. For example, what happens when more than one players employ ZD strategies have not been clarified. In this paper, we provide a general framework for investigating situations where more than one players employ ZD strategies in terms of linear algebra. First, we theoretically prove that a set of linear relations of average payoffs enforced by ZD strategies always has solutions, which implies that incompatible linear relations are impossible. Second, we prove that linear payoff relations are independent of each other under some conditions. These results hold for general games with public monitoring including perfect-monitoring games. Furthermore, we provide a simple example of a two-player game in which one player can simultaneously enforce two linear relations, that is, simultaneously control her and her opponent's average payoffs. All of these results elucidate general mathematical properties of ZD strategies.

Stronger selection can slow down evolution driven by recombination on a smooth fitness landscape.

Stronger selection implies faster evolution-that is, the greater the force, the faster the change. This apparently self-evident proposition, however, is derived under the assumption that genetic variation within a population is primarily supplied by mutation (i.e. mutation-driven evolution). Here, we show that this proposition does not actually hold for recombination-driven evolution, i.e. evolution in which genetic variation is primarily created by recombination rather than mutation. By numerically investigating population genetics models of recombination, migration and selection, we demonstrate that stronger selection can slow down evolution on a perfectly smooth fitness landscape. Through simple analytical calculation, this apparently counter-intuitive result is shown to stem from two opposing effects of natural selection on the rate of evolution. On the one hand, natural selection tends to increase the rate of evolution by increasing the fixation probability of fitter genotypes. On the other hand, natural selection tends to decrease the rate of evolution by decreasing the chance of recombination between immigrants and resident individuals. As a consequence of these opposing effects, there is a finite selection pressure maximizing the rate of evolution. Hence, stronger selection can imply slower evolution if genetic variation is primarily supplied by recombination.

Durability of FTLA treatment as a medicament for dentin hypersensitivity--abrasion resistance and profiles of fluoride release.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the durability of tubules occluded with FTLA treatment by toothbrush abrasion test on the applied surface and by measuring fluoride release from the FTLA components. Dentin specimens with simulated hypersensitive surfaces were treated with APF containing tannic acid. After which, the specimens received lanthanum-chloride-with-powdered-fluoroapatite-glass-ceramics treatment. The specimens were subjected to toothbrush abrasion test up to 6,000 strokes. SEM observation revealed that dentinal tubules of the FTLA treated specimens were completely occluded with fine deposits even after toothbrush abrasion of 6,000 strokes. EPMA analysis revealed that fluoride, lanthanum, and aluminum were the main FTLA components on the dentin surface after 6,000-stroke abrasion. To measure fluoride release from the FTLA components, a slurry was enclosed in a cellulose tube and suspended in deionized water at 37 degrees C. After fluoride was dialyzed against deionized water, a high concentration of fluoride was found to be released from FTLA the components, indicating FTLA treatment's prominent durability. These results suggested that FTLA treatment has a superior resistance against toothbrush abrasion and a high fluoride-releasing performance. These characteristics lend much weight to showing that the FTLA method is an effective and durable medicament for dentin hypersensitivity.