Estimation of ocean thermal energy conversion resources in the east of Malaysia

The Malaysian Government has set a target of achieving 20% penetration of Renewable Energy (RE) in the energy mix spectrum by 2025. In order to get closer to the target, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) aligned with solar PV, biogas and biomass energy sources must be evaluated and comprehended. Hybrid OTEC systems consisting of energy and water production are currently under research and validation. Therefore, for the construction of a commercial OTEC plant, 1 MW or 2.5 MW, the choice of a strategic location or potential site is vital. In this paper, oceanographic data such as seawater temperature, depth, salinity and dissolved oxygen obtained from the Japan Oceanographic Data Center (JODC) for Semporna, Tawau, Kudat, Pulau Layang-Layang and Pulau Kalumpang in Sabah, Malaysia, are reported. The RE available from the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on the coast of Sabah was estimated based on the JODC data obtained. There were no remarkable differences in temperatures between the five sites, which were reported as approximately 27? C at the surface and 7? C at depths below 600 m. The surface salinities below 100 m at those sites were slightly lower than the deeper waters, where the salinity increased up to approximately 34.5 PSU. Dissolved oxygen data from the Pulau Kalumpang site showed a slight increment to approximately 4.7 mL/L at depth intervals below 50 m, before declining steadily to approximately 1.7 mL/L along with the depth. The temperature-salinity profiles of the Malaysian sites were congruent with those of Palau, Kumejima and Okinawa, but not with that of Fiji, where the salinity profile showed a distinct variation at the relative depth (below 200 m). Estimates of RE using two different methods were used to prove the potential of OTEC in Malaysia

Awa (Tokushima) lactate-fermented tea as well as green tea enhance the effect of diet restriction on obesity in rats

Drinking tea is recommended for promoting health due to its bioactive nutrients, such as catechins and caffeine. In Tokushima area, we have a unique traditional tea, named Awa tea, which are fermented with Lactobacillus pentosus and Lactobacillus plantarum. The present study was designed to investigate anti-obesity effects of the Awa tea and compare with those of non-fermented green tea. Obese male Wistar rats (19 weeks of age) were given by low energy diets containing 3% of Awa and green tea extracts, respectively, or without any tea extracts (control), for 4 weeks. Awa tea contained smaller amount of catechins than green tea, although they contained similar amounts of polyphenols. This finding indicates that there are distinct kinds of polyphenols from catechins. The diets containing Awa and green tea extracts further decreased whole body weight, fat tissue mass and plasma leptin level, compared with control diet. In addition, their diets increased the daily amount of lipid excreted to feces and total 24-h-energy consumption, compared with the control group. However, there is no significant difference in these anti-obesity effects between Awa tea and green tea. Our results indicate that Awa lactate-fermented tea as well as green tea similarly enhance the effect of diet restriction on obesity, at least in part, through the increase in fat energy consumption and the decrease in fat absorption in rats

Metagenomic Diagnosis of Bacterial Infections

To test the ability of high-throughput DNA sequencing to detect bacterial pathogens, we used it on DNA from a patient’s feces during and after diarrheal illness. Sequences showing best matches for Campylobacter jejuni were detected only in the illness sample. Various bacteria may be detectable with this metagenomic approach

Progressive perianeurysmal edema preceding the rupture of a small basilar artery aneurysm.

We herein report the first case of progressive perianeurysmal edema preceding the rupture of a small saccular aneurysm, without any intervention or intraluminal thrombosis. A 71-year-old woman was incidentally noted to have a cerebral aneurysm (5mm in diameter) at the lower basilar artery. Twelve months later, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed a T2-elongated area around a dome of the aneurysm buried in the brain stem, suggesting perianeurysmal edema formation. Interestingly, the edema progressed with the formation of a bleb, in addition to an increase in size of the aneurysm over the following 3-year period. The aneurysm eventually ruptured as a brain stem hemorrhage without any subarachnoid clots 3 days after the final check-up with MR imaging, by which a significant increase of edema formation with an increase in size of the aneurysm and a marked expansion of the bleb was observed. These findings raise the possibility that bleb formation and an enlargement of a small cerebral aneurysm might also be associated with perianeurysmal edema and a subsequent aneurysmal rupture. In addition to the pulsatile flow and/or compression from the expanded aneurysm, local inflammation in the aneurysm wall may play an important role in such edema formation

Japanese Orthopaedic Association Hip Disease Evaluation Questionnaire (JHEQ): a patient-based evaluation tool for hip-joint disease. The Subcommittee on Hip Disease Evaluation of the Clinical Outcome Committee of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association

AbstractBackgroundThe Japanese Orthopaedic Association Hip Score is widely used in Japan, but this tool is designed to reflect the viewpoint of health-care providers rather than that of patients. In gauging the effect of medical therapies in addition to clinical results, it is necessary to assess quality of life (QOL) from the viewpoint of patients. However, there is no tool evaluating QOL for Japanese patients with hip-joint disease.MethodsWith the aim of more accurately classifying QOL for Japanese patients with hip-joint disease, we prepared a questionnaire with 58 items for the survey derived from 464 opinions obtained from approximately 100 Japanese patients with hip-joint disease and previously devised evaluation criteria. In the survey, we collected information on 501 cases, and 402 were subjected to factor analysis. From this, we formulated three categories—movement, mental, and pain—each comprising 7 items, for a total of 21 items to be used as evaluation criteria for hip-joint function.ResultsThe Cronbach’s α coefficients for the three categories were 0.93, 0.93, and 0.95, respectively, indicating the high reliability of the evaluation criteria. The 21 items included some related to the Asian lifestyle, such as use of a Japanese-style toilet and rising from the floor, which are not included in other evaluation tools.ConclusionsThis self-administered questionnaire may become a useful tool in the evaluation of not only Japanese patients, but also of members of other ethnic groups who engage in deep flexion of the hip joint during daily activities

Integrated genetic and clinical prognostic factors for aggressive adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma

成人T細胞白血病リンパ腫（ATL）におけるゲノム情報と臨床情報を統合したリスクモデルを確立 --ATLの個別化医療を推進--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-04-10.The prognosis of aggressive adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is poor, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a curative treatment. To identify favorable prognostic patients after intensive chemotherapy, and who therefore might not require upfront allo-HSCT, we aimed to improve risk stratification of aggressive ATL patients aged <70 years. The clinical risk factors and genetic mutations were incorporated into risk modeling for overall survival (OS). We generated the m7-ATLPI, a clinicogenetic risk model for OS, that included the ATL prognostic index (PI) (ATL-PI) risk category, and non-silent mutations in seven genes, namely TP53, IRF4, RHOA, PRKCB, CARD11, CCR7, and GATA3. In the training cohort of 99 patients, the m7-ATLPI identified a low-, intermediate-, and high-risk group with 2-year OS of 100%, 43%, and 19%, respectively (hazard ratio [HR] 5.46, p < 0.0001). The m7-ATLPI achieved superior risk stratification compared to the current ATL-PI (C-index 0.92 vs. 0.85, respectively). In the validation cohort of 84 patients, the m7-ATLPI defined low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups with a 2-year OS of 81%, 30%, and 0%, respectively (HR 2.33, p = 0.0094), and the model again outperformed the ATL-PI (C-index 0.72 vs. 0.70, respectively). The simplified m7-ATLPI, which is easier to use in clinical practice, achieved superior risk stratification compared to the ATL-PI, as did the original m7-ATLPI; the simplified version was calculated by summing the following: high-risk ATL-PI category (+10), low-risk ATL-PI category (−4), and non-silent mutations in TP53 (+4), IRF4 (+3), RHOA (+1), PRKCB (+1), CARD11 (+0.5), CCR7 (−2), and GATA3 (−3)