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SUMMARY To assure power system stability when variable photovoltaic (PV) power generation is deployed on a large scale, accurate irradiance forecasting will be important in the near future. A substantial amount of PVs will be generating power at numerous locations in the power service area, and it will be necessary to predict the total PV output for supply/demand balancing control. Therefore, irradiance forecasting accuracy should be verified using the total irradiance at numbers of sites equivalent to areas with large-scale PV deployment. This paper reports an investigation of the accuracy of an approach to area total irradiance prediction based on regional numerical weather prediction data from the Japan Meteorological Agency. The forecast area total irradiance is compared to the assumed total area irradiance for numbers of sites equivalent to large-scale PV deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally believed that large battery systems will be needed to store surplus electric energy due to the high penetration of renewable energy (RE) such as photovoltaic generation (PV). Since the main objective of high penetra-tion of RE is to reduce C02 emissions, reducing kWh output of thermal generation that emits large amounts of C02 in power systems should be sufficiently considered. However, thermal generation plays an important role in load fre-quency control (LFC) of power systems. Therefore, if LFC could be performed with batteries and hydropower genera-tion, the kWh output of thermal generation could be re-duced significantly. This paper presents a method of LFC using batteries in a power system with highly penetrated PVs. An assessment of the effect of the proposed method considering mutual smoothing effect of highly penetrated PVs is made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims The association between functional dyspepsia ( FD) and sleep disorders has yet to be studied in detail. The aim of this study is to evaluate the risk factors associated with sleep disorders and the clinical response to nizatidine therapy for sleep disorders in Rome III-based FD patients. Methods We enrolled 94 FD patients and 52 healthy volunteers. We used Rome III criteria to evaluate upper abdominal symptoms, and the Self-Rating Questionnaire for Depression scores to determine depression status. Sleep disorder was evaluated using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index ( PSQI) scores, and degree of anxiety by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Gastric motility was evaluated. Thirty-four FD patients were treated with nizatidine (300 mg/day) or placebo for 4 weeks in a crossover trial. The primary end point of this study was to determine whether nizatidine could improve clinical symptoms and sleep disorders in FD patients. Results The global PSQI score for FD patients was significantly ( P < 0.001) higher compared with healthy volunteers. There were significant correlations between global PSQI scores and total Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale and Self-Rating Questionnaire for Depression scores ( P < 0.001, P < 0.0001, respectively) in FD patients than in healthy volunteers. We found significant relationships between subjective sleep quality and both Tmax and T1/2 values in FD patients. Nizatidine significantly improved certain clinical symptoms, gastric emptying, and global PSQI score compared with placebo treatment. Conclusion Sleep disorders in FD patients correlated significantly with both clinical symptoms of dyspepsia and depression compared with healthy volunteers. Nizatidine significantly improved gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, gastric emptying, and sleep disorders in FD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In Japanese routine clinical practice, endoscopy is generally carried out without sedation. The present study aimed to identify the factors essential for appropriate selection of transnasal esophagogastroduodenoscopy ( TN-EGD) as an alternative to unsedated transoral esophagogastroduodenoscopy ( TO-EGD). Patients and methods Subjects in this prospective cohort study comprised consecutive outpatients who underwent EGD at a single center. Factors predicting TO-EGD-induced distress were evaluated on a visual analog scale ( VAS) and analyzed. Patients were classified into a two-layered system on the basis of these predictive factors, and the severity of distress between the TN-EGD and TO-EGD groups was compared using VAS and the change in the rate-pressure product as subjective and objective indices, respectively. Results In total, 728 outpatients (390 male, 338 female; mean age, 63.1 ± 0.5 years; TO-EGD group, 630; TN-EGD group, 98)met the inclusion criteria. Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that age <65 years ( P < 0.01; odds ratio [ OR], 1.69; 95% confidence interval [ CI], 1.14-2.52), gender (female; P < 0.01; OR,1.97; 95% CI, 1.34-2.91), marital status (single; P < 0.01; OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.18-3.27), and anxiety towards TO-EGD ( P < 0.001; OR, 3.62; 95% CI, 2.44-5.37) were independently associated with intolerance. Both indices were significantly higher in the TO-EGD subgroup than in the TN-EGD subgroup in the high predictive class, but not in the low predictive class. Conclusion Predictive factors for detecting intolerance to unsedated TO-EGD may be useful to appropriately select patients who transpose unsedated TO-EGD to TN-EGD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim Little is known about the clinical significance of treatment for endoscopically determined peptic ulcers ( EPU), incidentally detected as surrogate endpoints for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs)-associated ulcers complication, such as overt bleeding and perforation. Even uncomplicated- EPU without overt bleeding signs when antithrombotic agents ( AT) were cotherapied may be of potential bleeding sites. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether microcytic anemia, implying potential bleeding, is associated with NSAIDs-associated EPU or cotherapies with AT. Methods Two hundred and thirty-eight outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis under long-term NSAIDs therapies underwent upper endoscopy and were divided into the following four groups according to the pattern (presence: + or absence: -) of AT cotherapy/ EPU, respectively: A, -/- ( n = 165); B, -/+ ( n = 44); C, +/- ( n = 25); and D, +/+ ( n = 4). Results EPU were found in 48 of the 238 studied patients (20.2%). After significant interactions among four groups hadstatistically been identified, hemoglobin ( Hb) and mean corpuscular volume ( MCV) as biomarkers for potential bleeding were compared between the groups.Hb and MCV were significantly lower in the D group than in the A,B, or C groups (Hb: P < 0.01, respectively; P < 0.05, MCV; P < 0.01 or P < 0.05, respectively). Conclusions Patients with NSAIDs-associated EPU and AT cotherapy indicated significantly more severe microcytic anemia pattern than those without EPU or AT cotherapy, despite no evidence of overt bleeding. Even uncomplicated- EPU without overt bleeding when ATs were cotherapied may be of potential bleeding sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abnormalities of haploid medaka embryos were characterized by comparative analysis of histologic sections and expression patterns of some developmental marker genes between haploids and diploids to clarify whether medaka haploids are useful for identifying mutants. During gastrulation, an obvious defect was first observed as a delay of epiboly and involution. This delay was shown to be caused not by the perturbation of mesoderm induction, but by widespread cell death and disorganization of cell arrangement in the blastoderm. This disorganization of cell arrangement was also detected in various organs, such as the brain, somite and notochord, at a late developmental stage. Ten days after fertilization, a small head and a short body axis were formed; these changes were also observed in haploid embryos in other species, but their cause is unknown. Based on the expression patterns of HNF3β and goosecoid, it was demonstrated that a short and impotent prechordal plate induced near the marginal zone in haploid embryos was responsible for this defect. However, in these experiments it was also demonstrated that many major organs in haploids, such as the somite and notochord, differentiated incompletely but were present. Therefore, it was concluded that haploid screening is suitable for identifying mutations revealed by an obvious phenotype, such as dorsoventral polarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyogenic granuloma is a lobular capillary hemangioma that occurs mostly on the skin, and occasionally on the mucosal surface of the oral cavity, but very rarely in the gastrointestinal tract. We report the case of a 63-year-old woman who suffered from palpitations, and iron deficiency anemia for 5 years. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy could not reveal significant bleeding focus. She had not received medical treatment except for oral iron. Capsule endoscopy revealed a bleeding focus in the small intestine. Afterwards, we carried out double balloon endoscopy to treat the lesion. We found a subpedunculated polyp in the small intestine at 100 cm away from ileocecal valve by double balloon endoscopy and resected it endoscopically. The histological features of the polyp were consistent with pyogenic granuloma. Anemia had improved gradually without giving oral iron after polypectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Mutual smoothing effect of renewable energy (RE) is quite important because the amount and cost of countermeasures for maintaining soundness of power systems highly depend on evaluation of the effect. In spite of its importance, there is as yet no established method to evaluate the effect. The authors present a method for presuming the total output fluctuations of highly penetrated RE from a few measured data considering the effect. By analyzing the measured data, existing photovoltaic (PV) output fluctuations are revealed to be coherent at slower swing periods and random at faster swing periods. To represent the PV’s output fluctuation tendencies, a “Transfer Hypothesis” is introduced. A “Constant Transfer Swing Period Hypothesis” and “–20 dB/dec Slope Hypothesis” are also introduced. These hypotheses are verified by direct and indirect methods using the measured data. Only 3 sites’ data are able to presume total fluctuation of 15 sites successfully. The relationship between distance and the transfer swing period for every 2 sites out of the 15 sites agrees with these hypotheses. Finally, the authors show the total fluctuation presumption of highly penetrated PV deployment in the Hokuriku region using the proposed methods. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 186(3): 31–42, 2014; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.22327 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]