Can Superflares Occur on Our Sun?

Recent observations of solar type stars with the Kepler satellite by Maehara et al. have revealed the existence of superflares (with energy of 10^33 - 10^35 erg) on Sun-like stars, which are similar to our Sun in their surface temperature (5600 K - 6000 K) and slow rotation (rotational period > 10 days). From the statistical analysis of these superflares, it was found that superflares with energy 10^34 erg occur once in 800 years and superflares with 10^35 erg occur once in 5000 years on Sun-like stars. In this paper, we examine whether superflares with energy of 10^33 - 10^35 erg could occur on the present Sun through the use of simple order-of-magnitude estimates based on current ideas relating to the mechanisms of the solar dynamo.Comment: Accepted by Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan on Dec. 6, 2012 (to be published on PASJ vol. 65, No. 3, (2013) June 25

Safety analysis of EpzicomR (lamivudine/abacavir sulfate) in post-marketing surveillance in Japan

Purpose: To obtain safety and effectiveness data on a combined anti-HIV drug, Epzicom (abacavir 600mg/lamivudine 300mg), a post-marketing surveillance on Epzicom that was required by the Japanese regulatory authority was conducted between January 2005 and December 2010. Methods: A joint survey (HIV-related drug [HRD] survey) has been conducted involving manufacturers of drugs for treatment of HIV infection in Japan. Safety and effectiveness data from total 624 cases (1107.3person-years) registered to the HRD surveys and received Epzicom were obtained. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were defined as adverse events (AE) of which association with Epzicom could not be \u27ruled out\u27. Results: It was found that the incidence of ADR was 32.4% (202/624 cases) on the case basis. In addition, the frequently reported ADR included hyperlipidaemia (59 cases), hypertriglyceridaemia (21 cases), blood bilirubin increased (19 cases), gamma-glutamyltransferase increase (14 cases), blood triglyceride increase (14 cases) and rash (14 cases). Serious AEs were seen in 19 patients (30 events), including one death (no evident association with Epzicom). There were four cases (0.6%) of survey-defined \u27hypersensitivity\u27, and the incidence was 0.9% (4/445) among abacavir naive patients; none of which was reported as serious. No case of myocardial infarction was reported. One pregnant case who delivered a normal baby by caesarean section was reported to have experienced aggravation of anaemia and nausea. Conclusions: The post-marketing surveillance indicated that the incidence of both ischaemic heart disease and hypersensitivity associated with Epzicom was considerably low, suggesting that this drug can be safely used in the Japanese population

Safety analysis of ZiagenR (abacavir sulfate) in postmarketing surveillance in Japan

Purpose: Abacavir is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor indicated for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In Japan, ZiagenR (300-mg abacavir sulfate) has been marketed since 1999. To obtain safety data on Ziagen, a mandatory postmarketing surveillance was conducted between September 1999 and September 2009. Methods: A joint survey [HIV-related Drug Surveys (HRD)] has been conducted involving manufacturers of drugs for HIV treatment in Japan. Safety data from total 643 cases (1345.7person-years) registered to the HRD surveys and received Ziagen were obtained. Adverse drug reaction (ADR) was defined as adverse event of which association with abacavir could not be "ruled out." Results: It was found that the overall frequency of ADR was 47.6% (306/643); the common ADRs were "hyperlipidemia," "nausea," "increased γ-glutamyltransferase level," "increased blood triglycerides," "abnormal hepatic function," and so on. Serious adverse events were reported in 65 subjects; however, none of the three fatal cases were clearly associated with Ziagen use. The survey-defined hypersensitivity has been infrequently reported in 15 subjects (2.3%). Although some studies had indicated of the association between abacavir and myocardial infarction, no ischemic heart diseases were reported in the present survey. Two of the three pregnant cases delivered normal neonates (one induced abortion). Conclusions: During the mandatory postmarketing survey of Ziagen, there were no cases of ischemic heart diseases, and the incidence of hypersensitivity was considerably low. These indicated that abacavir can be safely used in Japanese HIV+ population. However, the safety profile of Ziagen should be continued to be monitored through pharmacovigilance

Impaired CD4⁺ T cell response in older adults is associated with reduced immunogenicity and reactogenicity of mRNA COVID-19 vaccination

高齢者のT細胞応答は立ち上がりが遅く収束は早い --新型コロナワクチン接種機会を活用した免疫応答の個人差・年齢差の解明--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-01-13.T-Cell Responses in the Elderly Rise Slowly and Contract Quickly --Learning About Individual and Age Differences in Immune Response From COVID-19 Vaccinations--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-01-13.Whether age-associated defects in T cells impact the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of mRNA vaccines remains unclear. Using a vaccinated cohort (n = 216), we demonstrated that older adults (aged ≥65 years) had fewer vaccine-induced spike-specific CD4⁺ T cells including CXCR3⁺ circulating follicular helper T cells and the TH1 subset of helper T cells after the first dose, which correlated with their lower peak IgG levels and fewer systemic adverse effects after the second dose, compared with younger adults. Moreover, spike-specific TH1 cells in older adults expressed higher levels of programmed cell death protein 1, a negative regulator of T cell activation, which was associated with low spike-specific CD8⁺ T cell responses. Thus, an inefficient CD4⁺ T cell response after the first dose may reduce the production of helper T cytokines, even after the second dose, thereby lowering humoral and cellular immunity and reducing systemic reactogenicity. Therefore, enhancing CD4⁺ T cell response following the first dose is key to improving vaccine efficacy in older adults

Prevalence of and risk factors for post-intensive care syndrome: Multicenter study of patients living at home after treatment in 12 Japanese intensive care units, SMAP-HoPe study

Few studies have examined the epidemiology of post-intensive care syndrome in Japan. This study investigated the mental health and quality of life of patients living at home in Japan after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge. Additionally, we examined whether unplanned admission to the ICU was associated with more severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depressive symptoms. An ambidirectional cohort study was conducted at 12 ICUs in Japan. Patients who stayed in the ICU for > 3 nights and were living at home for 1 year afterward were included. One year after ICU discharge, we retrospectively screened patients and performed a mail survey on a monthly basis, including the Impact of Event Scale—Revised (IER-S), the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), and the EuroQOL—5 Dimension (EQ-5D-L) questionnaires. Patients’ characteristics, delirium and coma status, drugs used, and ICU and hospital length of stay were assessed from medical records. Descriptive statistics and multilevel linear regression modeling were used to examine our hypothesis. Among 7,030 discharged patients, 854 patients were surveyed by mail. Of these, 778 patients responded (response rate = 91.1%). The data from 754 patients were analyzed. The median IES-R score was 3 (interquartile range [IQR] = 1‒9), and the prevalence of suspected PTSD was 6.0%. The median HADS anxiety score was 4.00 (IQR = 1.17‒6.00), and the prevalence of anxiety was 16.6%. The median HADS depression score was 5 (IQR = 2‒8), and the prevalence of depression was 28.1%. EQ-5D-L scores were lower in our participants than in the sex- and age-matched Japanese population. Unplanned admission was an independent risk factor for more severe PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Approximately one-third of patients in the general ICU population experienced mental health issues one year after ICU discharge. Unplanned admission was an independent predictor for more severe PTSD symptoms

Employment status and its associated factors for patients 12 months after intensive care: Secondary analysis of the SMAP-HoPe study

BackgroundReturning to work is a serious issue that affects patients who are discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU). This study aimed to clarify the employment status and the perceived household financial status of ICU patients 12 months following ICU discharge. Additionally, we evaluated whether there exists an association between depressive symptoms and subsequent unemployment status.MethodsThis study was a subgroup analysis of the published Survey of Multicenter Assessment with Postal questionnaire for Post-Intensive Care Syndrome for Home Living Patients (the SMAP-HoPe study) in Japan. Eligible patients were those who were employed before ICU admission, stayed in the ICU for at least three nights between October 2019 and July 2020, and lived at home for 12 months after discharge. We assessed the employment status, subjective cognitive functions, household financial status, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and EuroQOL-5 dimensions of physical function at 12 months following intensive care.ResultsThis study included 328 patients, with a median age of 64 (interquartile range [IQR], 52–72) years. Of these, 79 (24%) were unemployed 12 months after ICU discharge. The number of patients who reported worsened financial status was significantly higher in the unemployed group (p<0.01) than in the employed group. Multivariable analysis showed that higher age (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–1.08]) and greater severity of depressive symptoms (OR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.05–1.23]) were independent factors for unemployment status at 12 months after ICU discharge.ConclusionsWe found that 24.1% of our patients who had been employed prior to ICU admission were subsequently unemployed following ICU discharge and that depressive symptoms were associated with unemployment status. The government and the local municipalities should provide medical and financial support to such patients. Additionally, community and workplace support for such patients are warranted

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

ホンガク コウベ トキワ タンキ ダイガク ニ オケル ダイ53カイ リンショウ ケンサ ギシ コッカ シケン ケッカ ブンセキ ニ ツイテ

We have analyzed results of the 53rd National Examination by the same method as we did in the last year. The examination pass rate of the Kobe Tokiwa College students was 77.4%. This number is better than that of the national average pass rate (74.7%). However, this number is still low relative to the pass rate of the new graduates (88.8%). Therefore, the further discussion on the improvement in pass rates is required. It is essential to raise the percentage of the correct answers in the categories which the Kobe Tokiwa College students find difficult. The examination pass rate is expected to be improved by making students to repeatedly solve the questions of the past five years according to each student level