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Aims: MND-2119 is a novel once-daily dose self-emulsifying formulation of highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester (EPA-E) and is approved as an antihyperlipidemia agent in Japan. It has improved absorption and achieves higher plasma EPA concentrations at Cmax than conventional EPA-E. In the JELIS trial, concomitant use of EPA-E with statin therapy significantly reduced atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risks. As a potential mechanism of action of EPA, endogenous formation of EPA-derived anti-inflammatory metabolites is receiving greater attention. This study aims to investigate the endogenous formation of EPA-derived anti-inflammatory metabolites following single and multiple administrations of MND-2119. Methods: Healthy adult male subjects were randomly assigned to a nonintervention (control) group, MND-2119 2-g/day group, MND-2119 4-g/day group, or EPA-E 1.8-g/day group for 7 days (N=8 per group). Plasma fatty acids and EPA-derived metabolites were evaluated. Peripheral blood neutrophils were isolated, and the production of EPA-derived metabolites from in vitro stimulated neutrophils was evaluated. Results: After single and multiple administrations of MND-2119 2 g/day, there were significant increases in plasma EPA concentration, 18-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid (18-HEPE), and 17,18-epoxyeicosatetraenoic acid compared with those of EPA-E 1.8 g/day. They were further increased with MND-2119 4 g/day administration. In neutrophils, the EPA concentration in the MND-2119 2-g/day group was significantly higher compared with that in the EPA-E 1.8-g/day group after multiple administration, and 18-HEPE production was positively correlated with EPA concentration. No safety issues were noted. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that MND-2119 increases the plasma and cellular concentrations of EPA and EPA-derived metabolites to a greater extent than conventional EPA-E formulations.

Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) have attracted much attention as a key device for realizing the installation of photovoltaic plants (PVPs) in distribution networks. To improve the cost-effectiveness of BESSs, multipurpose utilization is required. In addition, the BESSs in a distribution network are generally used over a decade or more, and the role and size of BESSs may change according to the distribution network’s condition, such as the PVP penetration level. Consequently, an ad hoc BESS installation may increase excess BESS capacity, which is detrimental to cost-effectiveness. Therefore, a multipurpose utilization and planning method is desired for BESSs. This paper proposes a multipurpose control and planning (MCP) method for BESSs to cope with the increase of large-scale PVPs in distribution networks. The proposed method executes power smoothing, reversepower-flow (RPF) prevention, and state-of-charge (SoC) adjustment without interactions between controls, and it determines a suitable BESS site and type based on three indices: (1) BESS capacity, (2) the number of tap operations of an on-load tap changer (OLTC) and a step voltage regulator (SVR), and (3) PVP curtailment. The BESS is used for power smoothing of a substation/PVPs and RPF prevention at the substation. To evaluate the impact of the BESS installation on tap operation and PVP curtailment, the voltage regulation methods of OLTC, SVR, and PVP inverters were implemented. According to the results, the substation was selected as a suitable BESS site regardless of the number of PVPs and BESS type. Furthermore, lithium-ion battery (LiB) was the preferred BESS type when PVP penetration rate (PR) was less than 67%, and redox flow battery (RFB) was selected as the BESS type when the PR was 100%. The simulation results indicate that the MCP method can achieve multipurpose control and determine the suitable BESS site and type.

Herein, the effects of changes in acoustic and non-acoustic factors on public health and reactions were assessed using two follow-up investigations; this was achieved after three surveys were conducted on the impact of the step change in noise caused by the increased number of flights at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi (Vietnam) after the new terminal building was opened to the public. Exposure-response relationships established in the follow-up studies were less in number than those established in 2015 after the step change had occurred, and were almost similar to the relationship established in the survey conducted before the step change; however, these relationships were significantly greater than those established in the European Union position paper. Comparisons between respondents with high blood pressure and insomnia ratios at different noise level ranges showed that there is no significant association between ratios of high blood pressure and day-evening-night noise levels; however, an exposure-response relationship was discovered between insomnia and night-time noise levels. Non-acoustic factors such as noise sensitivity, sound insulation capacity of houses, and length of residence were found to curb the respondents’ annoyance, insomnia, and high blood pressure. Thus, an improvement in residence quality and a restriction on nighttime flight operation is necessitated.

Many decibel-based noise indicators are used in noise policy to evaluate aircraft sound in the environment. Among those, day–evening–night-weighted sound pressure level ( Lden ), day–night-weighted sound pressure level ( Ldn ), and nighttime average sound pressure level ( Lnight ) are the most widely used. However, the designation of reference time intervals (e.g., day, evening, and night) differs depending on the country’s lifestyle and culture. A dataset—extracted from socio-acoustic surveys conducted in Vietnam (2005–2019)—was analyzed to investigate temporal patterns of the Vietnamese lifestyle and changes in Lden , Ldn , and Lnight when temporal interval segmentations in these indicators were adjusted. Traffic congestion hours, go-to-bed time, and wake-up time in southern Vietnam were approximately one hour later than those in northern and central Vietnam. Further, a small-scale and Internet-based questionnaire survey on Vietnamese life rhythms was conducted to examine Vietnamese people’s daily behaviors. These data were compared with the relevant data of Japanese individuals, extracted from the Survey on Time Use and Leisure Activities of Japan. Differences in sleeping times and mealtimes were found between Japanese and Vietnamese data. We suggest an appropriate reference time interval for aircraft noise policy in Vietnam, referring to the current national and international noise standards and regulations.