We detected clear concentric waves and short‐period oscillations in the ionosphere after an Enhanced Fujita scale (EF)5 tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma, U.S., on 20 May 2013 using dense wide‐coverage ...ionospheric total electron content (TEC) observations in North America. These concentric waves were nondispersive, with a horizontal wavelength of ~120 km and a period of ~13 min. They were observed for more than 7 h throughout North America. TEC oscillations with a period of ~4 min were also observed to the south of Moore for more than 8 h. A comparison between the TEC observations and infrared cloud image from the GOES satellite indicates that the concentric waves and short‐period oscillations are caused by supercell‐induced atmospheric gravity waves and acoustic resonances, respectively. This observational result provides the first clear evidence of a severe meteorological event causing atmospheric waves propagating upward in the upper atmosphere and reaching the ionosphere.
Key Points
Ionospheric waves detected in the ionosphere after a massive tornado
The first clear evidence that a meteorological event affects the ionosphere
A possibility to apply monitoring tornado by ionospheric observation
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The Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy (JSDT) guideline committee, chaired by Dr Y. Tsubakihara, presents the Japanese guidelines entitled “Guidelines for Renal Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease.” ...These guidelines replace the “2004 JSDT Guidelines for Renal Anemia in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients,” and contain new, additional guidelines for peritoneal dialysis (PD), non‐dialysis (ND), and pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.
Chapter 1 presents reference values for diagnosing anemia that are based on the most recent epidemiological data from the general Japanese population. In both men and women, hemoglobin (Hb) levels decrease along with an increase in age and the level for diagnosing anemia has been set at <13.5 g/dL in males and <11.5 g/dL in females. However, the guidelines explicitly state that the target Hb level in erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) therapy is different to the anemia reference level. In addition, in defining renal anemia, the guidelines emphasize that the reduced production of erythropoietin (EPO) that is associated with renal disorders is the primary cause of renal anemia, and that renal anemia refers to a condition in which there is no increased production of EPO and serum EPO levels remain within the reference range for healthy individuals without anemia, irrespective of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). In other words, renal anemia is clearly identified as an “endocrine disease.” It is believed that defining renal anemia in this way will be extremely beneficial for ND patients exhibiting renal anemia despite having a high GFR. We have also emphasized that renal anemia may be treated not only with ESA therapy but also with appropriate iron supplementation and the improvement of anemia associated with chronic disease, which is associated with inflammation, and inadequate dialysis, another major cause of renal anemia.
In Chapter 2, which discusses the target Hb levels in ESA therapy, the guidelines establish different target levels for hemodialysis (HD) patients than for PD and ND patients, for two reasons: (i) In Japanese HD patients, Hb levels following hemodialysis rise considerably above their previous levels because of ultrafiltration‐induced hemoconcentration; and (ii) as noted in the 2004 guidelines, although 10 to 11 g/dL was optimal for long‐term prognosis if the Hb level prior to the hemodialysis session in an HD patient had been established at the target level, it has been reported that, based on data accumulated on Japanese PD and ND patients, in patients without serious cardiovascular disease, higher levels have a cardiac or renal function protective effect, without any safety issues. Accordingly, the guidelines establish a target Hb level in PD and ND patients of 11 g/dL or more, and recommend 13 g/dL as the criterion for dose reduction/withdrawal. However, with the results of, for example, the CHOIR (Correction of Hemoglobin and Outcomes in Renal Insufficiency) study in mind, the guidelines establish an upper limit of 12 g/dL for patients with serious cardiovascular disease or patients for whom the attending physician determines high Hb levels would not be appropriate.
Chapter 3 discusses the criteria for iron supplementation. The guidelines establish reference levels for iron supplementation in Japan that are lower than those established in the Western guidelines. This is because of concerns about long‐term toxicity if the results of short‐term studies conducted by Western manufacturers, in which an ESA cost‐savings effect has been positioned as a primary endpoint, are too readily accepted. In other words, if the serum ferritin is <100 ng/mL and the transferrin saturation rate (TSAT) is <20%, then the criteria for iron supplementation will be met; if only one of these criteria is met, then iron supplementation should be considered unnecessary.
Although there is a dearth of supporting evidence for these criteria, there are patients that have been surviving on hemodialysis in Japan for more than 40 years, and since there are approximately 20 000 patients who have been receiving hemodialysis for more than 20 years, which is a situation that is different from that in many other countries. As there are concerns about adverse reactions due to the overuse of iron preparations as well, we therefore adopted the expert opinion that evidence obtained from studies in which an ESA cost‐savings effect had been positioned as the primary endpoint should not be accepted unquestioningly.
In Chapter 4, which discusses ESA dosing regimens, and Chapter 5, which discusses poor response to ESAs, we gave priority to the usual doses that are listed in the package inserts of the ESAs that can be used in Japan. However, if the maximum dose of darbepoetin alfa that can currently be used in HD and PD patients were to be used, then the majority of poor responders would be rescued.
Blood transfusions are discussed in Chapter 6. Blood transfusions are attributed to the difficulty of managing renal anemia not only in HD patients, but also in end‐stage ND patients who respond poorly to ESAs. It is believed that the number of patients requiring transfusions could be reduced further if there were novel long‐acting ESAs that could be used for ND patients.
Chapter 7 discusses adverse reactions to ESA therapy. Of particular concern is the emergence and exacerbation of hypertension associated with rapid hematopoiesis due to ESA therapy.
The treatment of renal anemia in pediatric CKD patients is discussed in Chapter 8; it is fundamentally the same as that in adults.
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A practical preparation of 4-(substituted benzyl)-3-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acyl-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-1H-pyrazole derivative 2 is described. O-Glycosylation of 4-(substituted ...benzyl)-1,2-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one derivative 3 was facilitated by introduction of electron-withdrawing substituents, such as an acetyl group, at the N1-position of the pyrazole ring. 1-Acetyl-4-(substituted benzyl)-1,2-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one 10 reacted with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl bromide 5 in the presence of potassium carbonate in acetonitrile to provide the 1-acetyl-4-(substituted benzyl)-3-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acyl-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-1H-pyrazole derivative 11 in high yield. When 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-pivaloyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl bromide (5b) was used as a glycosyl donor, the resulting O-glycosylated product 11 was N1-deacetylated in the presence of potassium bicarbonate in methanol without unfavorable deprotection of the glycosyl moiety to provide 2 in excellent yield. The synthetic intermediate 2b of Remogliflozin etabonate (1b) was synthesized using this strategy.
Influenza A viruses cause seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics. The emergence of viruses resistant to neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors and M2 ion channel inhibitors underlines the need for ...alternate anti-influenza drugs with novel mechanisms of action. Here, we report the discovery of a host factor as a potential target of anti-influenza drugs. By using cell-based virus replication screening of a chemical library and several additional assays, we identified clonidine as a new anti-influenza agent in vitro. We found that clonidine, which is an agonist of the alpha2-adrenergic receptor (α2-AR), has an inhibitory effect on the replication of various influenza virus strains. α2-AR is a Gi-type G protein-coupled receptor that reduces intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels. In-depth analysis showed that stimulation of α2-ARs leads to impairment of influenza virus replication and that α2-AR agonists inhibit the virus assembly step, likely via a cAMP-mediated pathway. Although clonidine administration did not reduce lung virus titers or prevent body weight loss, it did suppress lung edema and improve survival in a murine lethal infection model. Clonidine may thus protect against lung damage caused by influenza virus infection. Our results identify α2-AR-mediated signaling as a key pathway to exploit in the development of anti-influenza agents.
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We focused on propagating wave‐like structures which frequently appeared in the O I 630.0 nm airglow images obtained by an all‐sky imager installed at Poker Flat Research Range (65.1°N, 147.4°W, ...magnetic latitude 65.6°) in Alaska. These events are classified as medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) on the basis of the wavelength and propagating speed. The unique points of our observation are (1) the two‐dimensional structures of MSTIDs in the subauroral region are revealed; (2) the horizontal direction of the electric field can be estimated from the motion of the Evening Co‐rotating Patch (ECP) aurora appearing simultaneously; and (3) neutral winds are simultaneously observed by a Fabry‐Perot spectrometer. Statistical study of these MSTID events from November 2001 to April 2002 indicates the following characteristics. The MSTIDs were observed almost every evening, and sometimes in the morning, but were not observed at midnight. Typical propagating speed, direction, and wavelength of the wave phenomena were about 135 m/s, southwestward, and about 250 km, respectively. When the MSTIDs appeared, northward neutral winds and westward plasma drifts were dominant. This indicates that the Perkins instability does not contribute to the development of MSTIDs in the Alaska region. The vertical wavelength analysis using the dispersion relation of gravity waves with the observed wave parameters and background winds suggests that the observed MSTIDs over Alaska are the atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs). As a case study, temporal variation of an MSTID event on 21 December 2001 is shown. Results of a ray tracing analysis of this event suggest that the AGWs come from the equatorward edge of the auroral oval.
Key Points
Characteristics of nighttime MSTIDs or AGWs observed over Alaska are studied
MSTIDs are purely caused by atmospheric gravity waves
MSTIDs or AGWs are generated around the lower‐latitude edge of the auroral oval
Research on the Kangakue 勧学会 has focused on middle-class aristocratic bureaucrats, but work on the Buddhist monks who participated in the Kangakue is scarce. It was young Buddhist monks from Hieizan ...who participated in the Kangakue. The most authoritative teacher of these young monks was Ensho 延昌, the head of the Tendai order. Ensho gathered the young monks in his Kangakudo 勧学堂 hall and held a ritual. These monks joined the Kangakue.
During the period 22–28 July 2004, three geomagnetic storms occurred due to a sequence of coronal mass ejections. In this paper we present and discuss the ionospheric observations from a set of in ...situ satellites and ground‐based GPS total electron content and scintillation receivers, a VHF radar, and two chains of ionosondes (∼300°E and ∼120°E, respectively) that provide the evolutionary characteristics of equatorial and low‐latitude ionospheric irregularities versus longitude during these storm periods. It is found that the irregularities occurred over a wide longitudinal range, extending from around 300°E to 120°E on storm days 25 and 27 July 2004. On 25 July plasma bubbles (PBs) began premidnight in America and postmidnight in Southeast Asia. On 27 July the occurrence of irregularities followed the sunset terminator and was observed sequentially after sunset from American to Southeast Asian longitudes. Past studies have reported that storm‐time low‐latitude ionospheric irregularities are mostly confined to a narrower longitude range, <90°, after sunset hours and are associated with the prompt penetration of eastward electric fields (PPEFs) into low latitudes. In June solstice months the occurrence of range‐type spread F or PBs is very low in Southeast Asian and South American sectors. In contrast, the present results indicate that geomagnetic storms triggered the wide longitudinal development of PBs. In the American sector this was probably due to the effects of PPEFs on both storm days. However, in the Southeast Asian sector the PBs on the 2 days probably arose from disturbance dynamo electric field (DDEF), PPEF, and gravity wave seeding effects. This study further shows that under complex storm conditions, besides the long duration or multiple penetrations, the combined effects of PPEFs and DDEFs could result in a wide longitude extent of ionospheric irregularities at times.
Eikan (永観, 1033–1111) has been studied as a Jōdo thinker. However, he was also active as a debater. In his time, debate was connected with royal power and was very vibrant. Eikan participated in many ...debates, but refused to participate three times. So we need to consider what he thought of debate.According to his main work, Ōjō Jūin (往生拾因), he devalued language. He also emphasized continuing nenbutsu practice. This seems to have led to his unwillingness to participate in debate, and he focus instead on long-term nenbutsu recitation.
Prader–Willi Syndrome (PWS) is characterized by hyperphagia, severe obesity, and mental retardation from early childhood and occurs 1/10,000 to 1/15,000 live births in Japan. There is high prevalence ...of diabetes mellitus because of hyperphagia. The patient may sometimes face the necessity of renal replacement therapy (RRT) because of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) caused by diabetes-associated kidney disease (DKD). Since mental retardation and extreme obesity usually prevent to introduce peritoneal dialysis (PD), hemodialysis (HD) has been the first choice of RRT. In this report, we experienced one case of patient with PWS suffering from ESKD due to DKD who started PD as an initial RRT and succeeded to continue for total of 40 months. The patient was 37-year-old man at the time of initiation of dialysis. PD was chosen for RRT because we suspected that he might have more technical difficulties for continuing HD. After several episodes of peritonitis, he successfully continues PD without peritonitis for next 27 months until the present time with good support by his family member. To our best knowledge, this is the first reported case of ESKD associated with PWS who was successfully treated with PD for long period.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
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