No abstract

We investigated whether captopril, an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor, would reduce proteinuria in patients with advanced diabetic nephropathy. Captopril (37.5 mg given in divided doses three times daily) was administered to 10 azotemic diabetics with heavy proteinuria. Urinary protein decreased promptly within two weeks (from 10.6 +/- 2.2 to 6.1 +/- 1.4 g per day [mean +/- S.E.M.]; P less than 0.01). The decrease in proteinuria did not coincide with a fall in systemic blood pressure or in the blood glucose concentration. Serum creatinine and potassium values did not change in any of the patients except one. We suggest that captopril caused a decrease in intrarenal hypertension, which contributed to the reduction of urinary protein excretion. The therapeutic value of this intervention remains to be established.

National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) integrated the land observation networks established since the 1995 Kobe earthquake with the seafloor observation networks established since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami as MOWLAS (Monitoring of Waves on Land and Seafloor) in November 2017. The purpose of MOWLAS is to provide comprehensive, accurate, and rapid observation and monitoring of earthquake, tsunami, and volcano events throughout Japan and its offshore areas. MOWLAS data are widely utilized for long-term earthquake forecasting, the monitoring of current seismic activity, seismic and tsunami hazard assessments, earthquake early warning, tsunami warning, and earthquake engineering, as well as earthquake science. Ocean bottom observations provide an extension of observations to areas where no people are living and have the advantage of increasing lead time of earthquake early warning and tsunami warning. The application of recent technology advancements to real-time observations as well as the processing of MOWLAS data has contributed to the direct disaster mitigation of ongoing earthquakes. These observations are fundamental for both science and disaster resilience, and thus it is necessary to continue ceaseless operation and maintenance.

We have successfully produced a laser pulse with a peak power of 0.85 PW for a pulse duration of 33 fs in a four-stage Ti:sapphire amplifier chain based on chirped-pulse amplification. To our knowledge this result represents the highest peak power pulses yet produced in any Ti:sapphire chirped-pulse amplification system.

The global ROCKET AF phase III trial evaluated rivaroxaban 20 mg once daily (o.d.) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). Based on rivaroxaban pharmacokinetics in Japanese subjects and lower anticoagulation preferences in Japan, particularly in elderly patients, the optimal dose regimen for Japanese AF patients was considered. The aim of this analysis was dose selection for Japanese patients from a pharmacokinetic aspect by comparison of simulated exposure in Japanese patients with those in Caucasian patients. As a result of population pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics analyses, a one-compartment pharmacokinetic model with first-order absorption and direct link pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic models optimally described the plasma concentration and pharmacodynamic models (Factor Xa activity, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and HepTest), which were also consistent with previous works. Steady-state simulations indicated 15 mg rivaroxaban o.d. doses in Japanese patients with AF would yield exposures comparable to the 20 mg o.d. dose in Caucasian patients with AF. In conclusion, in the context of the lower anticoagulation targets in Japanese practice, the population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling supports 15 mg o.d. as the principal rivaroxaban dose in J-ROCKET AF.