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In many countries municipal solid waste (MSW) is expected to soon increase beyond the pace of population growth due to urbanization. To minimize its negative impact, MSW management needs to be advanced. We studied administrative awareness-raising projects aimed at reducing household solid waste (HSW), which accounts for a large portion of MSW. An online questionnaire survey was administered to local governments (LGs) in Japan to research the implementation status of the awareness-raising projects and estimate the waste reduction effect of intervention methods within those projects. Regarding social factors, multiple linear regression analysis showed significant negative relationships of HSW generation rate with the household population, total population, and waste charge system. Conversely, positive relationships were identified with age, the number of cars, income, and the frequency of collection. Intervention methods, such as briefing sessions, utilization of resident leaders, and mobile phone apps, were revealed to be effective; in contrast, information dissemination using the traditional intervention method was not. In particular, the utilization of resident leaders may be the most cost-effective, but some LGs seem to have abolished this form of intervention after its introduction 30 years ago due to lack of empirical evidence supporting its effectiveness.

Environmental education (EE) using a scientific approach is needed to foster environmental science literacy, which is indispensable for a deep understanding of environmental problems imposed on sustainable communities. We used a national questionnaire survey to research the availability of Local Government Institutes for the Environment (LGIEs) in Japan to revitalize EE. Conventional EE in Japan features themes on nature experiences, waste, recycling and others, which probably initiates interest in environmental issues and promotes simple pro-environmental behaviors. In contrast, EE by LGIEs focuses on themes on water, the atmospheric environment, and radiation and risk communication. This EE is characterized by numerous opportunities to think based on environmental data using LGIEs’ scientific skills for monitoring of pollutants in various environments. LGIEs’ EE fosters literacy that bridges the gap between interest and behaviors and should be incorporated into conventional EE in Japan through political support for developing sustainable communities.

A 65-year-old man who had diabetes mellitus was referred to our hospital due to fever and back pain. Laboratory findings showed liver dysfunction and C-reactive protein (CRP) elevation. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed multiple liver abscesses, hepatic vein and inferior vena cava thrombosis, and spondylodiscitis in the fourth lumbar vertebrae. Based on several detections of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) in blood culture, he was diagnosed as having invasive liver abscess syndrome (ILAS), which is characterized by liver abscess and metastatic infection caused by K. pneumoniae. Despite the prompt improvement of liver abscess and thrombosis, after administering antibiotics and anticoagulant, spondylodiscitis worsened. Additionally, iliopsoas abscess emerged on repeated CT imaging. Lumbar laminectomy was needed as a radical treatment. We reviewed 12 cases of ILAS representing spondylodiscitis, and surgical treatments for spondylodiscitis were required in 7 of these cases (58%). When encountering patients with liver abscess and spondylodiscitis, we should consider the possibility of invasive disseminated K. pneumoniae infection, which is hard to treat with antibiotics alone and sometimes requires surgical treatments for spondylodiscitis.

For organic compounds in fine particles ( PM 2.5 ), the knowledge on their sources and formation processes are still rather limited because of labile characteristics. To assess the contribution of primary and secondary organic aerosols, it is necessary to utilize the behavior of organic markers. In this study, cluster analysis was applied to the seasonal variations of peaks in chromatogram for unquantitative organic compounds in PM 2.5 obtained by a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis after derivatization method. We used the PM 2.5 samples collected at Maebashi in Japan for four seasons. Based on cluster analysis, total 115 peaks were divided into nine clusters. The combination effects of the primary and secondary particles transported plume from urban atmosphere were found in two clusters for spring and summer. For dicarboxylic acids, C3 − C5 diacids were in same cluster, whereas C2 and C6 diacids were separated with the other cluster. These results show different trends of secondary formation for dicarboxylic acids. This approach might help to find a group of markers in organic aerosols and to classify potential source of secondary organic aerosols.

Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment can achieve a high sustained virological response (SVR) rate in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection regardless of a history of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC [+]). We examined 838 patients (370 men, median age: 69 years) who were treated with DAAs for comparisons of clinical findings between 79 HCC (+) (9.4%) and 759 HCC (-) (90.6%) patients and associations with treatment outcome. Male frequency was significantly higher in the HCC (+) group (60.8% vs 42.4%, P = 0.006). There were significant differences between the HCC (+) and HCC (-) groups for platelet count (115 vs 152 ×109 /L, P < 0.001), baseline alpha fetoprotein (AFP) (9.9 vs 4.5 ng/mL, P < 0.001) and the established fibrosis markers of FIB-4 index (4.7 vs 3.0, P < 0.001), AST-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) (1.1 vs 0.7, P = 0.009), M2BPGi (3.80 vs 1.78 COI, P < 0.001) and autotaxin (1.91 vs 1.50 mg/L, P < 0.001). The overall SVR rate was 94.7% and significantly lower in the HCC (+) group (87.3 vs 95.5%, P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that a history of HCC was independently associated with DAA treatment failure (odds ratio: 3.56, 95% confidence interval: 1.32-9.57, P = 0.01). In conclusion, patients with chronic HCV infection and prior HCC tended to exhibit more advanced disease progression at DAA commencement. HCC (+) status at the initiation of DAAs was significantly associated with adverse therapeutic outcomes. DAA treatment for HCV should therefore be started as early as possible, especially before complicating HCC.

Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P) are direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) that achieve a high sustained virological response (SVR) rate for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We investigated G/P effectiveness for HCV patients based on real-world experience and the clinical features of retreatment cases. HCV patients (n = 182) were compared for clinical features and outcomes between first treatment (n = 159) and retreatment (n = 23) G/P groups. Overall, 77 patients (42.3%) were male, the median age was 68 years, and 86/66/1/4 cases had genotype 1/2/1+2/3, respectively. An SVR was achieved in 97.8% (178/182) of cases by intention-to-treat analysis and 99.4% (178/179) of cases by per-protocol analysis. There were no remarkable differences between the first treatment and retreatment groups for male (42.8% vs. 39.1%, p = 0.70), median age (68 vs. 68 years, p = 0.36), prior hepatocellular carcinoma (5.8% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.59), or the fibrosis markers AST-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) (0.5 vs. 0.5, p = 0.80) and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index (2.2 vs. 2.6, p = 0.59). The retreatment group had a significantly more frequent history of interferon treatment (12.3% vs. 52.2%, p &lt, 0.01) and the Y93H mutation (25.0% vs. 64.7%, p = 0.02). The number of retreatment patients who had experienced 3, 2, and 1 DAA treatment failures was 1, 3, and 19, respectively, all of whom ultimately achieved an SVR by G/P treatment. In conclusion, G/P was effective and safe for both HCV first treatment and retreatment cases despite the retreatment group having specific resistance mutations for other prior DAAs. As G/P treatment failure has been reported for P32 deletions, clinicians should consider resistance mutations during DAA selection.

Bonfire night is a worldwide phenomenon given to numerous annual celebrations characterised by bonfires and fireworks. Since Thailand has no national ambient air quality standards for metal particulates, it is important to investigate the impacts of particulate injections on elevations of air pollutants and the ecological health impacts resulting from firework displays. In this investigation, Pb and Ba were considered potential firework tracers because their concentrations were significantly higher during the episode, and lower than/comparable with minimum detection limits during other periods, indicating that their elevated concentrations were principally due to pyrotechnic displays. Pb/Ca, Pb/Al, Pb/Mg, and Pb/Cu can be used to pin-point emissions from firework displays. Air mass backward trajectories (72 h) from the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model indicated that areas east and north-east of the study site were the main sources of the airborne particles. Although the combined risk associated with levels of Pb, Cr, Co., Ni, Zn, As, Cd, V, and Mn was far below the standards mentioned in international guidelines, the lifetime cancer risks associated with As and Cr levels exceeded US-EPA guidelines, and may expose inhabitants of surrounding areas of Bangkok to an elevated cancer risk.

Bonfire night is a worldwide phenomenon given to numerous annual celebrations characterised by bonfires and fireworks. Since Thailand has no national ambient air quality standards for metal particulates, it is important to investigate the impacts of particulate injections on elevations of air pollutants and ecological health impacts resulting from firework displays. In this investigation, Pb and Ba were considered potential firework tracers because their concentrations were significantly higher during the episode and lower than/comparable with minimum detection limits during other periods, indicating that their elevated concentrations were principally due to pyrotechnic displays. Pb/Ca, Pb/Al, Pb/Mg, and Pb/Cu can be used to pin-point emissions from firework displays. Air mass backward trajectories (72 h) from the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model indicated that areas east and north-east of the study site were the main sources for the air transportation. Although the combined risk associated with levels of Pb, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Cd, V, and Mn was far below the standards mentioned in international guidelines, the lifetime cancer risks associated with As and Cr levels exceeded US-EPA guidelines, and may expose inhabitants of surrounding areas of Bangkok to elevated cancer risk.

Estimating the atmospheric concentrations of PM10-bounded selected metals in urban air is crucial for evaluating adverse health impacts. In the current study, a combination of measurements and multivariate statistical tools was used to investigate the influence of anthropogenic activities on variations in the contents of 18 metals (i.e., Al, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Ba, La, Ce and Pb) in ambient air. The concentrations of PM10-bounded metals were measured simultaneously at eight air quality observatory sites during a half-year period at heavily trafficked roads and in urban residential zones in Bangkok, Thailand. Although the daily average concentrations of Al, V, Cr, Mn and Fe were almost equivalent to those of other urban cities around the world, the contents of the majority of the selected metals were much lower than the existing ambient air quality guidelines and standard limit values. The sequence of average values of selected metals followed the order of Al > Fe > Zn > Cu > Pb > Mn > Ba > V > Sb > Ni > As > Cr > Cd > Se > Ce > La > Co > Sc. The probability distribution function (PDF) plots showed sharp symmetrical bell-shaped curves in V and Cr, indicating that crustal emissions are the predominant sources of these two elements in PM10. The comparatively low coefficients of divergence (COD) that were found in the majority of samples highlight that site-specific effects are of minor importance. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that 37.74, 13.51 and 11.32 % of the total variances represent crustal emissions, vehicular exhausts and the wear and tear of brakes and tires, respectively.

Chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ClPAHs) are novel species of environmental contaminants whose possible sources remain unclear. The occurrence of ClPAHs within total suspended particles (TSP) is compared with weekly air samples at two sites of differing characteristics (industrial and residential) in the megacity of Nagoya, Japan. Samples were collected over 12 months during 2011–2012. All 24 species of targeted ClPAHs were detected at both industrial and residential sites, where mean concentrations of total ClPAHs in TSP were 20.7 and 14.1 pg/m3, respectively. High concentrations at the industrial site were frequently observed during winter, suggesting potent seasonal ClPAH sources there. Positive matrix factorization modeling of particulate ClPAH source identification and apportioning were conducted for datasets including ClPAHs, PAHs, elements and ions, plus elemental carbons in TSP. Eight factors were identified as possible ClPAH sources, with estimates that the dominant one was a specific source of ClPAH emission (31%), followed by traffic (23%), photodegradable and semi-volatile species (18%), long-range transport (11%), and industry and oil combustion (10%). Source contributions of ClPAHs differed substantially from those of PAHs. This suggests specific and/or potent ClPAH sources in the local area, and that the production mechanisms between ClPAHs and PAHs are substantially different.

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a fatal cancer-related pulmonary complication. It is generally caused by gastric adenocarcinoma, and several molecules produced by tumor cells are reported to play important roles in its pathogenesis. We herein report an autopsy case of PTTM caused by urothelial carcinoma. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and osteopontin were found to be expressed in both the primary tumor cells and metastatic cells in the PTTM lesions. These findings implicate the possible involvement of VEGF, PDGF, and osteopontin in the pathogenesis of PTTM caused by urothelial carcinoma.

Various pesticides are considered hazardous to human health. Of particular concern are potential problems of neurotoxicity associated with their use. Cellular toxicity may manifest as a variety of biological events, such as carcinogenesis (mutagenesis) and/or cell death. Recent reports indicate that signaling pathways regulate these cellular events. Thus, the toxicity of pesticides in cells may involve modulation of signaling pathways. In this review, we mainly focus on relationships between cellular events and signaling pathways in various pesticide-affected neural cells. Our data and those of related studies suggest that these pesticides affect both the viability and various signaling pathways of neural cells.

Fine particles were collected at a suburban site in the inland Kanto plain, Japan, in the spring and winter of 2007, and the summer of 2008. Organic carbon (OC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), elemental carbon (EC), inorganic ions, and water-soluble organic compounds (dicarboxylic acids and levoglucosan) were analyzed. The WSOC/OC ratio was the highest in summer, followed by in spring, suggesting that organic aerosols were influenced by aging. The concentrations of total diacids (C2–C9) in spring and summer were higher than in winter. In each season, WSOC showed a strong positive correlation with the total diacids. Levoglucosan, which is recognized as a biomass burning tracer, was observed in a considerably higher concentration in winter than in spring or summer. In winter, WSOC also showed a strong positive correlation with levoglucosan. These results indicate that secondary formation is important as a source of WSOC and OC especially in the warm seasons, although emissions from biomass burning also contribute to WSOC in winter. By using the combination of source profile for biomass burning emission and EC tracer method, OC derived from biomass combustion in winter was calculated to be 47% of OC and OC derived from secondary formation in summer was calculated to be 75% of OC.

In order to obtain more accurate assessments of global contamination by potentially toxic antimony (Sb) and the toxicological effects of Sb on ecosystems, speciation analysis of inorganic Sb species in size-classified airborne particulate matter (APM) was performed. Thirteen fractions of size-classified APM (with aerodynamic diameters: Dp 11 μm) were collected on a filter by using a multistage cascade impactor sampler. Speciation analysis of inorganic Sb(III) and Sb(V) was performed by using HPLC-ICP-MS. Portions of sample-loaded filters were sonicated with 30 mmol l−1 citric acid under purified N2 in order to avoid the oxidation of Sb(III) to Sb(V) during the extraction process. Sb(III) and Sb(V) were separated on a PRP-X100 anion exchange column using a mixture of 10 mmol l−1 EDTA and 1 mmol l−1 phthalic acid (pH 4.5) as a mobile phase, and they were subsequently detected by ICP-MS. The size distributions of the total Sb concentration exhibit a bimodal profile in which peaks corresponded to fine (0.50–0.70 μm) and coarse (3.6–5.2 μm) fractions. The speciation analysis demonstrated for the first time that Sb(III), which is the more toxic form, is dominated by coarse fractions whereas Sb(V) is distributed in both the fine and coarse fractions. The presented high-resolution size distributions of inorganic Sb species will provide helpful information in discussing both health risks by inhalation exposure to Sb and the extent of the effects of emission sources by atmospheric circulation.

An investigation of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in atmospheric particles was conducted as an index of the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from April 2005 to March 2006 at Maebashi and Akagi located in the inland Kanto plain in Japan. Fine (

Abrasion dusts from three types of commercially available non-steel brake pads were generated by a brake dynamometer at disk temperatures of 200, 300 and 4001C. The number concentration of the abrasion dusts and their aerodynamic diameters (Dp) were measured by using an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) spectrometer with high temporal and size resolution. Simultaneously, the abrasion dusts were also collected based on their size by using an Andersen lowvolume sampler, and the concentrations of metallic elements (K, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sb and Ba) in the size-classified dusts were measured by ICP-AES and ICP-MS. The number distributions of the brake abrasion dusts had a peak at Dp values of 1 and 2mm; this peak shifted to the coarse side with an increase in the disk temperature. The mass distributions calculated from the number distributions have peaks between Dp values of 3 and 6mm. The shapes of the elemental mass distributions (Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sb and Ba) in size-classified dusts were very similar to the total mass distributions of the brake abrasion dusts. These experimental results indicated that the properties of brake abrasion dusts were consistent with the characteristics of Sb-enriched fine airborne particulate matter. Based on these findings and statistical data, the estimation of Sb emission as airborne particulate matter from friction brakes was also discussed. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In this work, a complexation effect of Sb compounds with citric acid was observed using electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS). It was found that both Sb(III) and Sb(V) could form complexes readily with citric acid in an aqueous solution at room temperature. These complexes were found to be very stable in various matrices (moat water and aqueous extracts of airborne particulate matter), therefore, a novel HPLC-ICP-MS analytical method for the speciation of Sb(III) and Sb(V) in environmental samples was developed by using the observed complexation effect. Sb(III)- and Sb(V)-citrate complexes were separated on a PRP-X100 anion-exchange column with 10 mmol l−1 EDTA–1 mmol l−1 phthalic acid (pH 4.5) as a mobile phase. All complexes were retained on the separation column, and none of them eluted in the solvent front. Low detection limits of 0.05 µg l−1 and 0.07 µg l−1 were achieved for Sb(III) and Sb(V), respectively. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 1.0–250 µg l−1 for the investigated Sb species. The precisions, evaluated by using the relative standard deviation (%RSD) with a 2 µg l−1 standard solution, were 1.8% and 3.3% for Sb(III) and Sb(V), respectively. Several advantages of the developed method, such as improving chromatographic separation, stabilizing Sb compounds in a water sample, and preventing Sb(III) from oxidizing to Sb(V) during the ultrasonic-assisted and microwave-assisted extraction of an airborne particulate matter (APM) sample using 26 mmol l−1 citric acid as an extraction solvent, and alleviating the adsorption of Sb compounds on the sample surface, were observed. The developed method enabled us to detect the most toxic Sb specie, Sb(III), in an APM sample for the first time.

Prevalence and disease association of the TT virus (TTV) were studied in Japanese patients with various types of viral hepatitis. A total of 317 patients with viral hepatitis were analyzed, and the results were compared to those of 100 apparently healthy controls. TTV DNA in serum was measured by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction. Prevalence of TTV DNA was significantly higher in patients with hepatitis A (36%, 5/14), hepatitis B (35%, 35/101), hepatitis C (61%, 90/148), and non-A-E hepatitis (41%, 22/54) than in healthy controls (12%, 12/100), respectively. In each type of hepatitis, the prevalence did not differ between acute and chronic liver diseases, and did not increase with the complication of hepatocellular carcinoma. The clinical backgrounds did not differ between TTV DNA positive and negative patients, in patients with acute hepatitis or in those with chronic liver diseases. Similarly, no liver function test showed a significantly higher level of in TTV DNA positive patients than in negative ones. In conclusion, TTV infection was highly prevalent in patients with viral hepatitis, especially in those with hepatitis C. TTV was suggested to have a weak pathogenicity (or no pathogenicity), at least when co-infecting with an established hepatitis virus.

To elucidate the risk factors for liver carcinogenesis and to examine the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after interferon therapy, 1,022 chronic hepatitis C patients treated with interferon were followed by ultrasonography for 13 to 97 months (median 36 months). Sustained response with prolonged alanine aminotransferase normalization was found in 313 patients, transient response with alanine aminotransferase relapse after therapy in 304, and no response in 405. Forty-six developed HCC, of whom 5 were sustained responders, 9 were transient responders, and 32 were nonresponders. The cumulative incidence of HCC in transient responders was almost equal to that in sustained responders, and it was significantly higher in nonresponders than in sustained and transient responders (P=.0009). The seventh-year cumulative incidence rates of HCC in sustained responders, transient responders, and nonresponders were estimated to be 4.3%, 4.7%, and 26.1%, respectively. However, there was no significant difference in the cumulative incidence of HCC between patients with HCV subtype 1 and 2 (P=.14). Cox regression analysis showed that the risk of HCC development was not elevated in transient responders compared with sustained responders, but that the risk was 7.90-fold higher in nonresponders than in sustained responders (P=.008). Patients > or =55 years of age had a significantly higher risk ratio (4.65) than did those under 55 years of age (P=.006). The risk of HCC development in men was 4.35 times higher than the risk in women (P=.02). However, the degree of fibrosis was not a significant risk factor for the development of HCC (risk ratio, 3.16; P=.052). These results suggest that patients in the high-risk group of HCC after interferon therapy were those who showed no response, those who were older, and those who were male, and that such patients should be carefully followed using ultrasonography.

症例は72歳, 男性. 検診で胸部レントゲン異常陰影を指摘され, 肺結核の診断を受け, isoniazid (INH) およびrifampicin (RFP) の内服を開始した. 投与開始4週後より食欲低下, 7週後より全身倦怠感を認め, 8週後に黄疸が出現したため某病院に入院となった. 入院第4病日より意識障害も出現してきたため, 当科転院となった. 劇症肝炎と診断し血漿交換等を行うも, 入院第6病日に死亡した.薬剤投与の経過および各種ウイルスマーカー陰性より, 抗結核薬による劇症肝炎が強く疑われ, 原因薬についてはINHとRFPが考えられた. 薬剤性の劇症肝炎のうち, 抗結核薬によるものは約10%とされていたが, 結核の減少により劇症肝炎の報告は減少している. しかし, 近年再び結核の増加もみられ, 本例のごとく抗結核薬については, 注意深い観察と定期的な肝機能検査が必要と考えられる.

We previously reported an area of high endemic hepatitis C virus (HCV) in which over 30% of the inhabitants were positive for HCV antibody. Folk remedies such as acupuncture and cutting of the skin using nonsterilized knives were considered to be possible routes of HCV transmission in this area. Hepatitis G virus/ GB virus C (HGV/GBV-C), a newly discovered hepatitis virus, was analyzed to determine the role and transmission of its infection in this area. A total of 100 individuals were selected randomly from 420 inhabitants who were medically screened for liver disease in 1993, and were subjected to this study. HGV/GBV-C RNA in serum was measured by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction with primers in the putative non-structural 5 region. Of the 100 subjects, five (5%) were positive for HGV/GBV-C RNA and 40 (40%) were positive for HCV antibody (34 were also positive for HCV RNA). The prevalence of HCV antibody in five individuals with HGV/GBV-C RNA (100%) was significantly (P < 0.008) higher than in 95 individuals without HGV/GBV-C RNA (37%). None of five individuals with HGV/GBV-C infection had a history of blood transfusion, but 80% of those had a history of folk remedies. Serum level of alanine aminotransferase was similar between individuals with HCV and HGV/GBV-C infections and those with only HCV infection. In conclusion, 5% of the inhabitants in an area of high endemic HCV were infected with HGV/GBV-C. HGV/GBV-C infection in this area was closely associated with HCV infection and seems to have mainly been spread by folk remedies.

A new virus named hepatitis G virus or GB virus C (HGV/GBV-C) was recently identified as a causative agent for acute and chronic hepatitis. In this study, we tested HGV/eGBV-C RNA in serum in addition to hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA to study the causative agents involved in chronic non-B, non-C hepatitis. Of the 1089 patients with histological evidence of chronic viral hepatitis, 25 (2.3%) were negative for both hepatitis B surface antigen and second generation HCV antibody in serum. The 25 patients diagnosed as having chronic non-B, non-C hepatitis, were investigated in this study. HGV/GBV-C a RNA was detected by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using primers in 5′-untranslated, and the nonstructural (NS) 3 and NS5 regions. Of the 25 patients with chronic non-B, non-C hepatitis, four (16%) were positive for HGV/GBV-C RNA, only one (4%) was positive for HBV DNA, and none were positive for HCV RNA. Of the four patients with HGV/GBV-C RNA, two histologically had mild fibrosis, and the remaining two had cirrhosis. One patient with cirrhosis also had hepatocellular carcinoma, HBV DNA was positive in this patient. All three patients with only the HGV/GBV-C infection had a mild histological grade. In conclusion, HGV/GBV-C infection was involved in 16% of Japanese patients with chronic non-B, non-C hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis G seemed to exhibit mild hepatitis activity.

A long-term campaign for monitoring the concentration of atmospheric Particulate Matter (PM) was conducted at multiple sites located in the center and suburbs of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area in Japan. The concentration of fine PM has shown a declining trend over the last two decades. A positive matrix factorization model elucidated that the contribution of combustion sources was drastically reduced. In Japan, the regulations on vehicle exhaust emissions were phased in and gradually tightened over the last two decades, which has triggered a notable reduction in PM emissions from automobiles and has contributed to the mitigation of the problem of fine PM pollution., {"references":["Ministry of the Environment, Japan, Annual Report on the Environment,\nthe Sound Material-Cycle Society and the Biodiversity in Japan 2012,\nChiyoda-ku, Tokyo: Ministry of the Environment, Japan, 2012.","D. W. Dockery, C. A. Pope, X. Xu, J. D. Spengler, J. H. Ware, M. E. Fay,\nG. G. Ferris, and F. E. Speizer, \"An association between air pollution and\nmortality in six U.S. cities,\" N. Engl. J. Med., vol. 329, pp. 1753-1759,\n1993.","S. Wakamatsu, \"Overseas trends of PM2.5 and future challenges in\nmeasurement, monitoring and componential analysis,\" J. Jpn. Soc. Atmos.\nEnviron., vol. 46, pp. 77-83.","A. Iijima, G. Shimizu, and K. Kozawa, \"Characterization of atmospheric\naerosols in Kanto air basin,\" in Proc. 50th Annu. Meeting of Jpn. Soc.\nAtmos. Environ., Yokohama, 2009, p. 466.","A. Iijima, H. Tago, K. Kumagai, M. Kato, K. Kozawa, K. Sato, and N.\nFuruta, \"Regional and seasonal characteristics of emission sources of fine\nairborne particulate matter collected in the center and suburbs of Tokyo,\nJapan as determined by multielement analysis and source receptor\nmodels,\" J. Environ. Monit., vol. 10, pp. 1025-1032, 2008.","P. Paatero and U. Tapper, \"Positive matrix factorization: a non-negative\nfactor model with optimal utilization of error estimates of data values,\"\nEnvironmetrics, vol. 5, pp. 111-126, 1994.","A. V. Polissar, P. K. Hopke, P. Paatero, W. C. Malm, and J. F. Sisler,\n\"Atmospheric aerosol over Alaska 2: Elemental composition and sources,\"\nJ. Geophys. Res., vol. 103, pp. 19045-19057.","P. Paatero and P. H. Hopke, \"Discarding of downweighting high-noise\nvariables in factor analytic models,\" Anal. Chim. Acta, vol. 490, pp.\n227-289."]}

Abrasion tests were conducted using a brake dynamometer to determine the antimony (Sb) emission factor originating from automobiles. Abrasion dusts from commercially available brake pads (nonasbestos organic type) were emitted into an enclosed chamber under various braking conditions in terms of initial driving speed and deceleration. Suspended dusts inside the chamber were collected on a quartz fiber filter and weighed. From the experimental data, dust emission could be regressed as a function of the initial kinetic energy loading and the braking time. Using the regression function, the emission factors of brake abrasion dusts under the typical braking conditions (initial driving speed; 50 km/h, deceleration; 1.0 m/s2) were calculated as 5.8 mg/braking/car for PM10 and 3.9 mg/braking/car for PM2.5. The elemental composition of the collected dusts indicated that the fraction originating from disk wear contributed to approximately 30% of the suspended dusts. From these analytical results, it was concluded that the Sb emission factors originating from automobiles were approximately 32 microg Sb/braking/car for PM10 and 22 microg Sb/ braking/car for PM2.5. These essential data will contribute to the modeling of atmospheric Sb concentration alongside roadways and also to the better understanding of Sb source apportionment.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) viraemia is one of the factors for histological prognosis of chronic hepatitis C. Methods: One hundred and thirty-five patients who received hepatic biopsies twice at intervals of 5 years or longer were followed up for a mean of 9.7 ± 4.0 years were studied retrospectively. The amount of HCV viraemia present was measured as the concentration of HCV core protein by using the fluorescence enzyme immunoassay method. Results: Multiple-regression analysis, using deterioration of the histological stage as a dependent variable, showed that greater age (P = 0.041), higher stage of hepatic histology at the start of follow up (P = 0.029), and higher serum concentration of core protein (P < 0.001) were independent factors affecting the deterioration of the liver’s histological stage. At follow up, no significant difference in histological stage was seen between patients with serum HCV core protein ≥ 100 pg/mL (n = 60) and those with serum core protein < 100 pg/mL (n = 75). The histological grade in patients with high serum core-protein levels tended to be significantly worse and the deterioration rate of the histological stage was significantly higher than in those with low HCV core protein levels (68 vs 35%, P < 0.001). The mutation rate of the HCV envelope-2/non-structural 1 (E2/NS1) nucleotide region was compared in two patients who had high serum concentrations of HCV core protein and whose histological stage had deteriorated with two patients who had low serum concentrations of the core protein and whose histological stages remained unchanged. No significant difference in E2/NS1 mutation was found. Conclusions: The amount of HCV viraemia was suggested to be a significant factor for determining histological outcome in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The mutation rate in the E2/NS1 region did not seem to be associated with the prognosis of chronic hepatitis C. © 2000 Blackwell Science Asia Pty Ltd