WMO Space-Based Weather and Climate Extremes Monitoring Demonstration Project (SEMDP): First Outcomes of Regional Cooperation on Drought and Heavy Precipitation Monitoring for Australia and Southeast Asia

To improve monitoring of extreme weather and climate events from space, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) initiated the space-based weather and climate extremes monitoring demonstration project (SEMDP). Presently, SEMDP is focused on drought and heavy precipitation monitoring over Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Space-based data and derived products form critical part of meteorological services’ operations for weather monitoring; however, satellite products are still not fully utilized for climate applications. Using SEMDP satellite-derived precipitation products, it would be possible to monitor extreme precipitation events with uniform spatial coverage and over various time periods – pentad, weekly, 10 days, monthly and longer time-scales. In this chapter, SEMDP satellite-derived precipitation products over the Asia-Pacific region produced by the Earth Observation Research Center/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (EORC/JAXA) and the Climate Prediction Center/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (CPC/NOAA) are introduced. Case studies for monitoring (i) drought in Australia in July-October 2007 and September 2018 and (ii) heavy precipitation over Australia in December 2010 and Thailand and the Peninsular Malaysia in November-December 2014 which caused widespread flooding are also presented. Satellite observations are compared with in situ data to demonstrate value of satellite-derived estimates of precipitation for drought and heavy rainfall monitoring

Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) for Papua New Guinea

Developing and least developed countries are particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change and climate extremes, including drought. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), severe drought caused by the strong El Niño in 2015–2016 affected about 40% of the population, with almost half a million people impacted by food shortages. Recognizing the urgency of enhancing early warning systems to assist vulnerable countries with climate change adaptation, the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) international initiative has been established. In this chapter, the CREWS-PNG project is described. The CREWS-PNG project aims to develop an improved drought monitoring and early warning system, running operationally through a collaboration between PNG National Weather Services (NWS), the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the World Meteorological Organization that will enable better strategic decision-making for agriculture, water management, health and other climate-sensitive sectors. It is shown that current dynamical climate models can provide skillful predictions of regional rainfall at least 3 months in advance. Dynamical climate model-based forecast products are disseminated through a range of Web-based information tools. It is demonstrated that seasonal climate prediction is an effective solution to assist governments and local communities with informed decision-making in adaptation to climate variability and change

An annual report 2015 on campus wide Faculty Development programs at The University of Tokushima

Tokushima University’s FD promotion programs have started since 2002, promoting systematization, organization and routinization of Faculty Development. In 2015, in addition to the previous FD promotion programs, we have aimed to enhance the quality of higher education of our university, supporting effective implementation of Ministry of Education’s AP (=Acceleration Program for University Education Rebuilding) & building new educational system “Numbering System” for the assurance of higher education. Concretely, we carried out 3 programs; 1) educational innovation FD, 2) educational development FD, 3) comprehensive FD. As to each program, we showed their outlines and considered their results and problems shown from the questionnaire to their attendants

2016 Annual Report on Faculty Development Programs at Tokushima University

全学FD 推進プログラムは2002 年度から開始され，FD の体系化，組織化，日常化等を推進してきた。2016 年度は，例年開催している，「授業設計ワークショップ」，「授業参観・授業研究会」，「大学教育カンファレンスin 徳島」，「ティーチング・ポートフォリオ作成ワークショップ」の他に，各学部等におけるFD の実態を把握し，成果や課題を明らかにした上で，ニーズの明確化，今後の学部等FD と総合教育センターの支援の在り方について検討するために，「質保証のための分野別ワークショップ」を開催した。また，大学教育再生加速プログラムに関連するSIH 道場FD・説明会の実施や学内でアクティブ・ラーニングを推進するためにLED カフェ等を実施した。各プログラムについて概要を記載し，アンケート結果等から成果と今後の課題について考察する。Tokushima University's FD promotion programs started in 2000. They promote the systemization, organization and routinization of faculty development activities. In 2016, in addition to the regular faculty development programs, which include a Course Design Workshop, Classroom Observation and Discussion Meeting, the University Education Conference and a Teaching Portfolio Workshop, we conducted a Quality Assurance Disciplinary Workshop to ascertain the FD needs of the departments and to foster alignment between the department faculty development and the campus-wide faculty development provided by the Center of University Education. As a program for the implementation of the Ministry of Education's Acceleration Program for University Education Rebuilding (AP), we conducted a seminar to explain SIH Dojo: Introduction to Active Learning for first year students. To promote active learning, we also conducted another seminar called the Learning, Education, Development (LED) Cafe. We provide outlines of respective programs and discuss the issues raised in the responses to the questionnaire

Evaluation of Precipitation Estimates by at-Launch Codes of GPM/DPR Algorithms Using Synthetic Data from TRMM/PR Observations

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory will carry a Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) consisting of a Ku-band precipitation radar (KuPR) and a Ka-band precipitation radar (KaPR). In this study, \u27at-launch\u27 codes of DPR precipitation algorithms, which will be used in GPM ground systems at launch, were evaluated using synthetic data based upon the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) data. Results from the codes (Version 4.20131010) of the KuPR-only, KaPR-only, and DPR algorithms were compared with \u27true values\u27 calculated based upon drop size distributions assumed in the synthetic data and standard results from the TRMM algorithms at an altitude of 2 km over the ocean. The results indicate that the total precipitation amounts during April 2011 from the KuPR and DPR algorithms are similar to the true values, whereas the estimates from the KaPR data are underestimated. Moreover, the DPR estimates yielded smaller precipitation rates for rates less than about 10 mm/h and greater precipitation rates above 10 mm/h. Underestimation of the KaPR estimates was analyzed in terms of measured radar reflectivity ({\bf Z}-{\bf m}) of the KaPR at an altitude of 2 km. The underestimation of the KaPR data was most pronounced during strong precipitation events of {\bf Z}-{\bf m} \lt {\bf 18}~{\bf dBZ} (high attenuation cases) over heavy precipitation areas in the Tropics, whereas the underestimation was less pronounced when the {\bf Z}-{\bf m}\gt 26~{\bf dBZ} (moderate attenuation cases). The results suggest that the underestimation is caused by a problem in the attenuation correction method, which was verified by the improved codes

The GSMaP Precipitation Retrieval Algorithm for Microwave Sounders-Part I: Over-Ocean Algorithm

Abstract-We develop an over-ocean rainfall retrieval algorithm for the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) based on the Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) microwave radiometer algorithm. This algorithm combines an emissionbased estimate from brightness temperature (Tb) at 23 GHz and a scattering-based estimate from Tb at 89 GHz, depending on a scattering index (SI) computed from Tb at both 89 and 150 GHz. Precipitation inhomogeneities are also taken into account. The GSMaP-retrieved rainfall from the AMSU (GSMaP_AMSU) is compared with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) standard algorithm (NOAA_AMSU)-retrieved data using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data as a reference. Rain rates retrieved by GSMaP_AMSU have better agreement with TRMM estimates over midlatitudes during winter. Better estimates over multitudes over winter are given by the use of Tb at 23 GHz in the GSMaP_AMSU algorithm. It was also shown that GSMaP_AMSU has higher rain detection than NOAA_AMSU. Index Terms-Microwave radiometer (MWR), microwave sounder, precipitation, rain-rate retrieval

Phase Ib Study of Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab in Patients With Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE The immunomodulatory effect of lenvatinib (a multikinase inhibitor) on tumor microenvironments may contribute to antitumor activity when combined with programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) signaling inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We report results from a phase Ib study of lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab (an anti-PD-1 antibody) in unresectable HCC (uHCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS In this open-label multicenter study, patients with uHCC received lenvatinib (bodyweight $60 kg, 12 mg; , 60 kg, 8 mg) orally daily and pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously on day 1 of a 21- day cycle. The study included a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) phase and an expansion phase (first-line patients). Primary objectives were safety/tolerability (DLT phase), and objective response rate (ORR) and duration of response (DOR) by modified RECIST (mRECIST) and RECIST version 1.1 (v1.1) per independent imaging review (IIR; expansion phase). RESULTS A total of 104 patients were enrolled. No DLTs were reported (n 5 6) in the DLT phase; 100 patients (expansion phase; included n 5 2 from DLT phase) had received no prior systemic therapy and had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B (n 5 29) or C disease (n 5 71). At data cutoff, 37$ 3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 67% (grade 5, 3%) of patients. No new safety signals were identified. CONCLUSION Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab has promising antitumor activity in uHCC. Toxicities were manageable, with no unexpected safety signals

C57BL/KsJ-db/db-ApcMin/+ Mice Exhibit an Increased Incidence of Intestinal Neoplasms

The numbers of obese people and diabetic patients are ever increasing. Obesity and diabetes are high-risk conditions for chronic diseases, including certain types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to develop a novel animal model in order to clarify the pathobiology of CRC development in obese and diabetic patients. We developed an animal model of obesity and colorectal cancer by breeding the C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) mouse, an animal model of obesity and type II diabetes, and the C57BL/6J-ApcMin/+ (Min/+) mouse, a model of familial adenomatous polyposis. At 15 weeks of age, the N9 backcross generation of C57BL/KsJ-db/db-ApcMin/+ (db/db-Min/+) mice developed an increased incidence and multiplicity of adenomas in the intestinal tract when compared to the db/m-Min/+ and m/m-Min/+ mice. Blood biochemical profile showed significant increases in insulin (8.3-fold to 11.7-fold), cholesterol (1.2-fold to 1.7-fold), and triglyceride (1.2-fold to 1.3-fold) in the db/db-Min/+ mice, when compared to those of the db/m-Min/+ and m/m-Min/+ mice. Increases (1.4-fold to 2.6-fold) in RNA levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IRF-1R, and IGF-2 were also observed in the db/db- Min/+ mice. These results suggested that the IGFs, as well as hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia, promoted adenoma formation in the db/db-Min/+ mice. Our results thus suggested that the db/db-Min/+ mice should be invaluable for studies on the pathogenesis of CRC in obese and diabetes patients and the therapy and prevention of CRC in these patients