A 27-year-old Caucasian female with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated with interferon (IFN) who developed severe autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is described. The infecting viral strain was of genotype Ib and the p...A 27-year-old Caucasian female with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated with interferon (IFN) who developed severe autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is described. The infecting viral strain was of genotype Ib and the pre-treatment HCV viral load was at a high level. The patient was treated with pegylated IFN-alpha 2b and ribavirin,and her HCV-RNA became negative at wk 12,but after that she developed fulminant hepatic failure. The patient recovered after steroid pulse therapy consisting of methylprednisolone 1000 mg/d for three days which was administered twice. A needle liver biopsy revealed the typical pathological findings of AIH.展开更多
AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of pegylated interferon α-2b(peg-IFNα-2b) plus ribavirin(RBV) therapy in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C(CHC) genotype Ib and a high viral load.METHODS:One hundred and twenty ...AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of pegylated interferon α-2b(peg-IFNα-2b) plus ribavirin(RBV) therapy in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C(CHC) genotype Ib and a high viral load.METHODS:One hundred and twenty CHC patients(58.3% male) who received peg-IFNα-2b plus RBV therapy for 48 wk were enrolled.Sustained virological response(SVR) and clinical parameters were evaluated.RESULTS:One hundred(83.3%) of 120 patients completed 48 wk of treatment.53 patients(44.3%) achieved SVR.Early virological response(EVR) and end of treatment response(ETR) rates were 50% and 73.3%,respectively.The clinical parameters(SVR vs non-SVR) associated with SVR,ALT(108.4 IU/L vs 74.5 IU/L,P = 0.063),EVR(76.4% vs 16.4%,P < 0.0001),adherence to peg-IFN(≥ 80% of planned dose) at week 12(48.1% vs 13.6%,P = 0.00036),adherence to peg-IFN at week 48(54.7% vs 16.2%,P < 0.0001) and adherence to RBV at week 48(56.1% vs 32.1%,P = 0.0102) were determined using univariate analysis,and EVR and adherence to peg-IFN at week 48 were determined using multivariate analysis.In the older patient group(> 56 years),SVR in females was significantly lower than that in males(17% vs 50%,P = 0.0262).EVR and adherence to Peg-IFN were demonstrated to be the main factors associated with SVR.CONCLUSION:Peg-IFNα-2b plus RBV combination therapy demonstrated good tolerability in Japanese patients with CHC and resulted in a SVR rate of 44.3%.Treatment of elderly female patients is still challenging and maintenance of adherence to peg-IFNα-2b is important in improving the SVR rate.展开更多
Cyclones with strong winds can make the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic a dangerous environment.Accurate weather forecasts are essential for safe shipping in the Southern Ocean and observational and logistical operat...Cyclones with strong winds can make the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic a dangerous environment.Accurate weather forecasts are essential for safe shipping in the Southern Ocean and observational and logistical operations at Antarctic research stations.This study investigated the impact of additional radiosonde observations from Research Vessel"Shirase"over the Southern Ocean and Dome Fuji Station in Antarctica on reanalysis data and forecast experiments using an ensemble data assimilation system comprising the Atmospheric General Circulation Model for the Earth Simulator and the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter Experimental Ensemble Reanalysis,version 2.A 63-member ensemble forecast experiment was conducted focusing on an unusually strong Antarctic cyclonic event.Reanalysis data with(observing system experiment)and without(control)additional radiosonde data were used as initial values.The observing system experiment correctly captured the central pressure of the cyclone,which led to the reliable prediction of the strong winds and moisture transport near the coast.Conversely,the control experiment predicted lower wind speeds because it failed to forecast the central pressure of the cyclone adequately.Differences were found in cyclone predictions of operational forecast systems with and without assimilation of radiosonde observations from Dome Fuji Station.展开更多
Background and Aims:Sarcopenia is associated with the prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Given their diverse physiological activities,we hypothesized that plasma fatty acids m...Background and Aims:Sarcopenia is associated with the prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Given their diverse physiological activities,we hypothesized that plasma fatty acids might influence the progression of sarcopenia.This study aimed to clarify the association between fatty acids and sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients with HCC.Methods:In this singlecenter retrospective study,we registered 516 cases and analyzed 414 cases of liver cirrhosis and HCC.The skeletal muscle mass index was measured using a transverse computed tomography scan image at the third lumbar vertebra.The cutoff value for sarcopenia followed the criteria set by the Japan Society of Hepatology.Fatty acid concentrations were measured by gas chromatography.Results:Fatty acid levels,particularly omega-3(n-3)polyunsaturated fatty acid(PUFA),were lower in patients with poor liver function(Child-Pugh grade B/C)and were negatively correlated with the albumin-bilirubin score(p<0.0001).The prognosis of HCC patients with low PUFA levels was significantly worse.Among the different fatty acid fractions,only n-3 PUFAs significantly correlated with skeletal muscle mass index(p=0.0026).In the multivariate analysis,the n-3 PUFA level was an independent variable associated with sarcopenia(p=0.0006).Conclusions:A low level of n-3 PUFAs was associated with sarcopenia in patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC.展开更多
Rapid declines in Arctic sea ice have captured attention and pose significant challenges to a variety of stakeholders. There is a rising demand for Arctic sea ice prediction at daily to seasonal time scales, which is ...Rapid declines in Arctic sea ice have captured attention and pose significant challenges to a variety of stakeholders. There is a rising demand for Arctic sea ice prediction at daily to seasonal time scales, which is partly a sea ice initial condition problem. Thus, a multivariate data assimilation that integrates sea ice observations to generate realistic and skillful model initialization is needed to improve predictive skill of Arctic sea ice. Sea ice data assimilation is a relatively new research area. In this review paper, we focus on two challenges for implementing multivariate data assimilation systems for sea ice forecast. First, to address the challenge of limited spatiotemporal coverage and large uncertainties of observations, we discuss sea ice parameters derived from satellite remote sensing that(1) have been utilized for improved model initialization, including concentration, thickness and drift, and(2) are currently under development with the potential for enhancing the predictability of Arctic sea ice, including melt ponds and sea ice leads. Second, to strive to generate the ‘‘best" estimate of sea ice initial conditions by combining model simulations/forecasts and observations, we review capabilities and limitations of different data assimilation techniques that have been developed and used to assimilate observed sea ice parameters in dynamical models.展开更多
文摘A 27-year-old Caucasian female with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated with interferon (IFN) who developed severe autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is described. The infecting viral strain was of genotype Ib and the pre-treatment HCV viral load was at a high level. The patient was treated with pegylated IFN-alpha 2b and ribavirin,and her HCV-RNA became negative at wk 12,but after that she developed fulminant hepatic failure. The patient recovered after steroid pulse therapy consisting of methylprednisolone 1000 mg/d for three days which was administered twice. A needle liver biopsy revealed the typical pathological findings of AIH.
基金Supported by A grant-in-aid from the Ministry of Health,Labour and Welfare of Japan (Study Group of the Standard Antiviral Therapy for Viral Hepatitis)
文摘AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of pegylated interferon α-2b(peg-IFNα-2b) plus ribavirin(RBV) therapy in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C(CHC) genotype Ib and a high viral load.METHODS:One hundred and twenty CHC patients(58.3% male) who received peg-IFNα-2b plus RBV therapy for 48 wk were enrolled.Sustained virological response(SVR) and clinical parameters were evaluated.RESULTS:One hundred(83.3%) of 120 patients completed 48 wk of treatment.53 patients(44.3%) achieved SVR.Early virological response(EVR) and end of treatment response(ETR) rates were 50% and 73.3%,respectively.The clinical parameters(SVR vs non-SVR) associated with SVR,ALT(108.4 IU/L vs 74.5 IU/L,P = 0.063),EVR(76.4% vs 16.4%,P < 0.0001),adherence to peg-IFN(≥ 80% of planned dose) at week 12(48.1% vs 13.6%,P = 0.00036),adherence to peg-IFN at week 48(54.7% vs 16.2%,P < 0.0001) and adherence to RBV at week 48(56.1% vs 32.1%,P = 0.0102) were determined using univariate analysis,and EVR and adherence to peg-IFN at week 48 were determined using multivariate analysis.In the older patient group(> 56 years),SVR in females was significantly lower than that in males(17% vs 50%,P = 0.0262).EVR and adherence to Peg-IFN were demonstrated to be the main factors associated with SVR.CONCLUSION:Peg-IFNα-2b plus RBV combination therapy demonstrated good tolerability in Japanese patients with CHC and resulted in a SVR rate of 44.3%.Treatment of elderly female patients is still challenging and maintenance of adherence to peg-IFNα-2b is important in improving the SVR rate.
基金a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS)Overseas Research Fellowship,JSPS Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research(KAKENHI)(Grant Nos.19K14802 and 18H05053)。
文摘Cyclones with strong winds can make the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic a dangerous environment.Accurate weather forecasts are essential for safe shipping in the Southern Ocean and observational and logistical operations at Antarctic research stations.This study investigated the impact of additional radiosonde observations from Research Vessel"Shirase"over the Southern Ocean and Dome Fuji Station in Antarctica on reanalysis data and forecast experiments using an ensemble data assimilation system comprising the Atmospheric General Circulation Model for the Earth Simulator and the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter Experimental Ensemble Reanalysis,version 2.A 63-member ensemble forecast experiment was conducted focusing on an unusually strong Antarctic cyclonic event.Reanalysis data with(observing system experiment)and without(control)additional radiosonde data were used as initial values.The observing system experiment correctly captured the central pressure of the cyclone,which led to the reliable prediction of the strong winds and moisture transport near the coast.Conversely,the control experiment predicted lower wind speeds because it failed to forecast the central pressure of the cyclone adequately.Differences were found in cyclone predictions of operational forecast systems with and without assimilation of radiosonde observations from Dome Fuji Station.
基金supported by AMED under Grant Number JP22fk0210114 and JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP21K20915.
文摘Background and Aims:Sarcopenia is associated with the prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Given their diverse physiological activities,we hypothesized that plasma fatty acids might influence the progression of sarcopenia.This study aimed to clarify the association between fatty acids and sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients with HCC.Methods:In this singlecenter retrospective study,we registered 516 cases and analyzed 414 cases of liver cirrhosis and HCC.The skeletal muscle mass index was measured using a transverse computed tomography scan image at the third lumbar vertebra.The cutoff value for sarcopenia followed the criteria set by the Japan Society of Hepatology.Fatty acid concentrations were measured by gas chromatography.Results:Fatty acid levels,particularly omega-3(n-3)polyunsaturated fatty acid(PUFA),were lower in patients with poor liver function(Child-Pugh grade B/C)and were negatively correlated with the albumin-bilirubin score(p<0.0001).The prognosis of HCC patients with low PUFA levels was significantly worse.Among the different fatty acid fractions,only n-3 PUFAs significantly correlated with skeletal muscle mass index(p=0.0026).In the multivariate analysis,the n-3 PUFA level was an independent variable associated with sarcopenia(p=0.0006).Conclusions:A low level of n-3 PUFAs was associated with sarcopenia in patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFA0605901)the NOAA Climate Program Office (NA15OAR4310163)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41676185)and the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences (QYZDY-SSW-DQC021)
文摘Rapid declines in Arctic sea ice have captured attention and pose significant challenges to a variety of stakeholders. There is a rising demand for Arctic sea ice prediction at daily to seasonal time scales, which is partly a sea ice initial condition problem. Thus, a multivariate data assimilation that integrates sea ice observations to generate realistic and skillful model initialization is needed to improve predictive skill of Arctic sea ice. Sea ice data assimilation is a relatively new research area. In this review paper, we focus on two challenges for implementing multivariate data assimilation systems for sea ice forecast. First, to address the challenge of limited spatiotemporal coverage and large uncertainties of observations, we discuss sea ice parameters derived from satellite remote sensing that(1) have been utilized for improved model initialization, including concentration, thickness and drift, and(2) are currently under development with the potential for enhancing the predictability of Arctic sea ice, including melt ponds and sea ice leads. Second, to strive to generate the ‘‘best" estimate of sea ice initial conditions by combining model simulations/forecasts and observations, we review capabilities and limitations of different data assimilation techniques that have been developed and used to assimilate observed sea ice parameters in dynamical models.
