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A physics-based model to estimate source conditions for a tephra-dispersal model is developed. The source condition is generally expressed by a distribution of released particles along an eruption plume (referred to as source magnitude distribution" SMD).The present model (NIKS-1D) calculates the SMD and the column height for given vent conditions(e.g. mass eruption rate and magma properties) on the basis of an eruption column model below the neutral buoyancy level (NBL), a downwind gravity current model around the NBL,and a particle sedimentation model.It quantitatively reproduces the following features of the SMD for typical explosive eruptions: (1) a significant amount of coarse particles are released from the rising eruption column, whereas most of the fine particles are carried to the NBL, (2) in a downwind gravity current, the coarse particles tend to decrease more rapidly with distance from the vent than the fine particles,(3) the SMD from the downwind gravity current decreases with distance more slowly in a strong ambient wind than that in a weak ambient wind, and (4) the SMD from the downwind gravity current for eruptions with large mass eruptionrates decreases with distance more slowly than that for eruptions with smalleruption rates. NIKS-1D includes a new parameter, $\mu$, which represents the ratioof the volumetric flux at the source of the downwind gravity current to that ofthe eruption column model at the NBL. This parameter is determined by thephysics of the entrainment process around the connection between the eruptioncolumn and the downwind gravity current, and depends on the intensity oferuptions. We propose an empirical formula to calculate the value of $\mu$ as afunction of the mass eruption rate on the basis of the observation data fromthree well-studied eruption events. In a real-time tephra-dispersal predictionsystem, NIKS-1D estimates the mass eruption rate from the observed plumeheight, and calculates the SMD from the estimated mass eruption rate as asource conditions for a tephra-dispersal prediction immediately after an eruption.

Phreatomagmatic eruptions are one of the most common styles of volcanic eruptions on Earth1–2. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of the eruption depth and magma discharge rate on the eruptive behaviour of underwater volcanoes2–7. Even though voluminous silicic eruptions in shallow-water environments are likely to be intense and hazardous, such eruptions mostly appear in geological records7–12 and the nature of this type of eruption is therefore poorly understood. Here, we show the first timeseries record of a large-scale silicic phreatomagmatic eruption that occurred at the Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba volcano, Ogasawara, Japan, on 13 August 2021. The eruption started on the seafloor at a depth of 3, including the subaerial tuff cone and the 300-km2 pumice raft, most of which can be explained by the effective accumulation of pyroclasts near the vent resulting from interactions between the eruption plume and the ambient water. This eruption provides a rare opportunity to investigate the process of a large-scale phreatomagmatic eruption in a shallow sea and contributes to our understanding of the nature, dynamics, and hazards of submarine volcanism.

Using a three-dimensional fluid dynamic model for eruption cloud dynamics, we present numerical simulations of the development of a volcanic eruption column and umbrella cloud formed during the 13 February 2014 eruptions of Mount Kelud, Indonesia. The model used in this study quantitatively reproduces the observed data and, in particular, the plume height and the horizontal expansion level and rate of the umbrella cloud. The simulation results suggest that on the basis of the plume height and structures and the horizontal expansion level of the umbrella cloud the mass eruption rate (MER) for the 2014 Kelud eruptions was 3 × 107 to 4 × 107 kg s− 1. On the basis of the horizontal expansion rate of the umbrella cloud, on the other hand, the estimated MER was 1 × 108 kg s− 1. The difference between these two estimates implies the strong diffusion in the umbrella cloud or the efficient entrainment of ambient air by eruption column.

We have developed a new two-layer pyroclastic density current (PDC) model that considers the effects of the entrainment and thermal expansion of ambient air in the upper dilute layer in order to investigate the dominant factors controlling the run-out distance of large-scale PDCs. Numerical simulations show a dilute current spreading radially from the collapsing eruption column edge and forming a thin, dense, basal current through particle settling; i.e., a two-layer PDC forms. Forward propagation of the two-layer PDC stops owing to lift-off of the dilute current and/or deposition of the dense current, and eventually the two-layer PDC converges to a steady state. Our parametric study classifies the flow patterns of steady-state two-layer PDCs into one of two flow regimes according to the relative magnitude of the run-out distances of the dilute and dense currents. This relative magnitude critically depends on the ratio of the deposition speed at the base of the dense current (D) to the speed of particles settling from the dilute current to the dense current (Ws). The run-out distance of the whole two-layer PDC is determined by that of the dilute current when D/Ws is large (≳4 × 10−3). Otherwise, when D/Ws is small (≲4 × 10−3), the run-out distance of the dense basal current exceeds that of the dilute current; the former increases as D/Ws decreases. The run-out distance of the dilute current is too short to explain some of the long run-out distances of PDCs observed in the field (e.g., the 1991 Pinatubo and 2014 Kelud eruptions). It is suggested that the dense current traveling beyond the lift-off point of the parent dilute current plays a significant role in the emplacement of PDCs with such long run-out distances.

As volcanic hazards induce damage with their flows of gases, liquids, and solid materials, a numerical simulation using multi-phase formulation is applicable to the analysis and evaluation of the risks from these volcanic hazards in both normal and emergent periods. A numerical simulation can also be useful for crisis management. Quick and precise evaluation is needed for upcoming and ongoing hazards, and we present here a concept for the development of a volcanic hazard evaluation system for these hazards, a system in which an input parameter database is compiled and countermeasure information is provided by considering the exposure and vulnerability database.

Numerical results of a two-layer depth-averaged model of pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) were compared with an experimental PDC generated at the international eruption simulator facility (the Pyroclastic flow Eruption Large-scale Experiment (PELE)) to establish a minimal dynamical model of PDCs with stratification of particle concentrations. In the present two-layer model, the stratification in PDCs is modeled as a voluminous suspended-load layer with low particle volume fractions ($$\lesssim {10}^{-3})$$ ≲ 10 - 3 ) and a thin basal bed-load layer with higher particle volume fractions ($$\sim {10}^{-2}$$ ∼ 10 - 2 ) on the basis of the source condition in the experiment. Numerical results for the suspended load quantitatively reproduce the time evolutions of the front position and flow thickness in the experimental PDC. The numerical results of the bed-load and deposit thicknesses depend on an assumed value of settling speed at the bottom of the bed load ($${W}_{\mathrm{sH}}$$ W sH ). We show that the thicknesses of bed load and deposit in the simulations agree well with the experimental data, when $${W}_{\mathrm{sH}}$$ W sH is set to about $$1.25\times {10}^{-2}$$ 1.25 × 10 - 2 m/s. This value of the settling speed is two orders of magnitude smaller than that predicted by a hindered-settling model. The small value of $${W}_{\mathrm{sH}}$$ W sH is considered to result from decreasing in the effective deposition speed due to the erosion process accompanied by saltating/rolling of particles at the bottom of the bed load.

Explosive super-eruptions can erupt up to thousands of km3 of magma with extremely high mass flow rates (MFR). The plume dynamics of these super-eruptions are still poorly understood. To understand the processes operating in these plumes we used a fluid-dynamical model to simulate what happens at a range of MFR, from values generating intense Plinian columns, as did the 1991 Pinatubo eruption, to upper end-members resulting in co-ignimbrite plumes like Toba super-eruption. Here, we show that simple extrapolations of integral models for Plinian columns to those of super-eruption plumes are not valid and their dynamics diverge from current ideas of how volcanic plumes operate. The different regimes of air entrainment lead to different shaped plumes. For the upper end-members can generate local up-lifts above the main plume (over-plumes). These over-plumes can extend up to the mesosphere. Injecting volatiles into such heights would amplify their impact on Earth climate and ecosystems.

We report a resected case of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSC). BSC is a rare type of malignant lung tumor. A 79-year-old woman had a 13 mm tumor in the left upper lobe on chest computed tomography (CT). On fluorodeoxyglucose-position emission tomography (FDG-PET), the tumor showed the accumulation of FDG with an SUVmax of 14.7. A left upper lobectomy with lymph node dissection was performed by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The pathological diagnosis was BSC (pT2aN0M0, stage IB). There was no recurrence following lung cancer resection for 12 months. BSC is generally poor prognosis.

Height of plumes generated during explosive volcanic eruptions is commonly used to estimate the associated eruption intensity (i.e., mass eruption rate; MER). In order to quantify the relationship between plume height and MER, we performed a parametric study using a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model of volcanic plumes for different vent sizes. The results of five simulations indicate that the flow pattern in the lower region of the plume systematically changes with vent size, and hence, with MER. For MERs 7 kg s − 1 , the flow in the lower region has a jet-like structure (the jet-like regime). For MERs > 10 8 kg s − 1 , the flow shows a fountain-like structure (the fountain-like regime). The flow pattern of plumes with 4 × 10 7 kg s − 1 8 kg s − 1 shows transitional features between the two flow regimes. Within each of the two flow regimes, the plume height increases as the MER increases, whereas plume heights remain almost constant or even decrease as MER increases in the transitional regime; as a result, the jet-like and fountain-like regimes show distinct relationships of plume height and MER. The different relationships between the two regimes reflect the fact that the efficiency of entrainment of ambient air in the jet-like regime is substantially lower than that in the fountain-like regime. It is suggested that, in order to estimate eruption intensity from the observed plume heights, it is necessary to take the different flow regimes depending on MER into account.

We performed an inter-comparison study of three-dimensional models of volcanic plumes. A set of common volcanological input parameters and meteorological conditions were provided for two kinds of eruptions, representing a weak and a strong eruption column. From the different models, we compared the maximum plume height, neutral buoyancy level (where plume density equals that of the atmosphere), and level of maximum radial spreading of the umbrella cloud. We also compared the vertical profiles of eruption column properties, integrated across cross-sections of the plume (integral variables). Although the models use different numerical procedures and treatments of subgrid turbulence and particle dynamics, the inter-comparison shows qualitatively consistent results. In the weak plume case (mass eruption rate 1.5 × 106 kg s− 1), the vertical profiles of plume properties (e.g., vertical velocity, temperature) are similar among models, especially in the buoyant plume region. Variability among the simulated maximum heights is ~ 20%, whereas neutral buoyancy level and level of maximum radial spreading vary by ~ 10%. Time-averaging of the three-dimensional (3D) flow fields indicates an effective entrainment coefficient around 0.1 in the buoyant plume region, with much lower values in the jet region, which is consistent with findings of small-scale laboratory experiments. On the other hand, the strong plume case (mass eruption rate 1.5 × 109 kg s− 1) shows greater variability in the vertical plume profiles predicted by the different models. Our analysis suggests that the unstable flow dynamics in the strong plume enhances differences in the formulation and numerical solution of the models. This is especially evident in the overshooting top of the plume, which extends a significant portion (~ 1/8) of the maximum plume height. Nonetheless, overall variability in the spreading level and neutral buoyancy level is ~ 20%, whereas that of maximum height is ~ 10%. This inter-comparison study has highlighted the different capabilities of 3D volcanic plume models, and identified key features of weak and strong plumes, including the roles of jet stability, entrainment efficiency, and particle non-equilibrium, which deserve future investigation in field, laboratory, and numerical studies.

Explosive super-eruptions can erupt up to thousands of km3 of magma with extremely high mass flow rates (MFR). The plume dynamics of these super-eruptions are still poorly understood. To understand the processes operating in these plumes we used a fluid-dynamical model to simulate what happens at a range of MFR, from values generating intense Plinian columns, as did the 1991 Pinatubo eruption, to upper end-members resulting in co-ignimbrite plumes like Toba super-eruption. Here, we show that simple extrapolations of integral models for Plinian columns to those of super-eruption plumes are not valid and their dynamics diverge from current ideas of how volcanic plumes operate. The different regimes of air entrainment lead to different shaped plumes. For the upper end-members can generate local up-lifts above the main plume (over-plumes). These over-plumes can extend up to the mesosphere. Injecting volatiles into such heights would amplify their impact on Earth climate and ecosystems., Super-eruptions such as Toba generate large co-ignimbrite plumes, but their behaviour is not fully understood. Here, the authors show that super-eruption plumes behave differently to Plinian eruptions and can generate over-plumes into the mesosphere, which would amplify their impact on the climate.

We report a resected case of fetal adenocarcinoma. Fetal adenocarcinoma is a rare type of malignant lung tumor. A 53-year-old man had a 25 mm tumor in the right upper lobe on chest computed tomography. On fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography( FDG-PET), the tumor showed the accumulation of FDG with a standardized uptake value( SUV) max of 5.63. He underwent bronchoscopic examination, but a diagnosis was not established. We suspected that the tumor was primary lung cancer or metastatic lung tumor of rectal cancer which was resected prior to the treatment for pulmonary lesion. A right upper lobectomy with lymph node dissection was performed and the pathological diagnosis was high-grade fetal adenocarcinoma, stage IB (pT2aN0M0). The patient was treated with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. There has been no recurrence after surgery resection for 9 months.

Background and aims Patients with pneumonia, a common cause of empyema, are stratified based on their risk factors, and the treatment of empyema might benefit from this risk stratification. Methods The etiology, bacteriologic profile and outcome of patients diagnosed with empyema in Shinko Hospital between May 2005 and October 2013 were retrospectively studied. The patients were stratified according to whether they had community-acquired empyema (CAE), health-care-associated empyema (HCAE) or hospital-acquired empyema (HAE). Results The study included 81 patients, 25 CAE, 40 HCAE and 16 HAE. The comorbidity rate was highest among HAE patients (100%), followed by 95% of HCAE and 72% of CAE patients (P = 0.005). The rates of cancer and central nervous system (CNS) disease were higher in patients with HCAE and HAE than in patients with CAE (P = 0.030, P = 0.018, respectively). Pleural fluid cultures were positive in 58/81 patients. Streptococcus species were the most common organisms cultured from CAE (12/15) and HCAE patients (17/30), but not from HAE patients (3/13). Anaerobic organisms were cultured from 3 CAE, 5 HCAE and 3 HAE patients. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were only cultured from HCAE and HAE patients. The mortality rates were higher in HCAE (18%) and HAE (50%) than in CAE (4%) patients (log-rank test: P = 0.0012). Conclusions Half of patients with empyema were HCAE patients, who had comorbidities, bacteriological profile and outcome different from CAE patients. The patient with HCAE should be differentiated from CAE patient, and the stratification of patients based on risk factors may be useful for treatment strategy.

The entrainment of air by turbulent mixing plays a central role in the dynamics of volcanic eruption clouds, as the amount of entrained air controls the height of the plume. In one-dimensional models of volcanic plumes, the efficiency of entrainment under a wind field is parameterized using two empirical constants. The first is the coefficient associated with the entrainment caused by the shear between the volcanic plume and the ambient air (i.e., the radial entrainment coefficient), and the other is associated with the entrainment caused by wind (i.e., the wind entrainment coefficient). In this study, we used three-dimensional numerical simulations of volcanic plumes to determine the effective values of these empirical constants from the relationship between eruption conditions and plume heights. These simulations suggest that the value of the radial entrainment coefficient is 0.05–0.06, which is slightly smaller than that of pure jets or plumes seen in laboratory experiments (0.07–0.15). The value of the wind entrainment coefficient was estimated to be 0.1–0.3, which is significantly smaller than those estimated from laboratory experiments (0.3–1.0). The entrainment coefficients derived from these simulations successfully explain the observations made during the 2011 Shinmoe-dake eruptions in which the volcanic plumes were significantly distorted by the wind.

The injection of HCl into the stratosphere by large volcanic eruptions has long been considered to be of minor importance. This is due to the widespread assumption that any HCl will be efficiently taken up by hydrometeors in the cooling plume. However, this assumption does not account for the possibility that prior scavenging processes can act within the high temperature core of the eruption plume. The adsorption of HCl onto ash surfaces to form soluble –Cl salts is a hitherto unconstrained scavenging mechanism, and their fate within the atmosphere and environment is uncertain. Here, we investigate the capacity of volcanic glasses of tephrite, phonolite, dacite and rhyolite composition to adsorb HCl. The experiments are conducted in the presence of He–SO 2 –CO 2 mixtures at temperatures of 200–800 °C. Our experimental findings show that only the tephrite and phonolite glasses exhibit significant reactivity to HCl, which show optimal efficiency of uptake at 400–600 °C. The primary reaction product formed during adsorption is halite (NaCl), in addition to minor quantities of Ca-, K-, Al- and Fe-bearing chlorides. Uptake of HCl by glass surfaces is sustained by the outward diffusion of Na + and other Cl-reactive cations via exchange with H + . Simple mathematical models can be used to yield Na diffusion coefficients for the four experimental glasses, and suggest that a varying structural role for Na within the glass network governs the capacity for HCl retention. The uptake of HCl under experimental conditions is limited above 500 °C by a Cl-induced dehydroxylation process, but the presence of H 2 O in the hydrous plume may sustain or even enhance adsorption. The present experimental data, combined with cooling gradients obtained from established plume evolution models, lead us to conclude that HCl adsorption within the eruption plume core can be a more significant scavenging mechanism in large explosive eruptions than previously considered. We additionally highlight the importance of magma composition in dictating volatile adsorption, and suggest that HCl adsorption by peralkaline ash may be highly effective as an HCl sink. The fate of adsorbed HCl is variable; some may be removed from the plume within pyroclastic flows, whereas any chloride-coated ash ejected into the stratosphere could promote the formation of reactive Cl species. Our study also suggests that HCl adsorption could emplace Fe- and Cl-bearing salts on ash surfaces within the plume cores of large explosive eruptions. The ocean fertilising potential of such eruptions could therefore be greater than that inferred from ash from smaller, compositionally similar events.

The study of volcano infrasound is becoming increasingly popular (Johnson and Ripepe, 2011; Fee and Matoza, 2013) with analysis of the recorded signals contributing to our understanding of eruption dynamics and enhancing capabilities in remote monitoring of volcanoes. Multiple studies have determined the source locations of the infrasound from volcanic eruptions. For example, Ripepe and Marchetti (2002) analyzed infrasound records for events occurring at Stromboli volcano. The authors successfully located different active vents in the craters to a horizontal resolution within a few tens of meters. Additionally, Jones and Johnson (2011) identified a migrating source of infrasound on the surface of the 200 m radius Santiaguito dome. Further from the vent region, infrasound signals are also generated by volcanic jet flow throughout the plume (Matoza et al. , 2009; Fee et al. , 2010). In these cases, large‐scale turbulent interactions within the volcanic plume are likely to be the source of infrasound waves. For these signals, the infrasound spectrum has a shape similar to that of man‐made turbulent jet noise (Tam et al. , 1996; Matoza et al. , 2009). It is plausible that infrasound waves recorded during volcanic eruptions are a composite signal generated by both processes at the vent/crater and within the eruption cloud itself. However, the source of infrasound is seldom constrained with sufficient spatial resolution to discriminate between signals at the vent or in the volcanic cloud. Determination of detailed infrasound source position and/or its time evolution during an eruption is a key research aim. In this paper, we investigate the locations of infrasound sources and reflections during vulcanian eruptions of Sakurajima volcano in Japan. Cyclic vulcanian eruptions and continuous open‐vent degassing characterize the recent activity of the Showa crater of Sakurajima volcano, which has been ongoing since June 2006 (Iguchi et al. , 2013). Total numbers of …

We propose a simple method for estimating the exit velocities of volcanic eruptions from the observation of volcanic plumes. For this purpose, we used a model of a vortex ring of an experimental jet, which was developed in the engineering field. To validate the model for the vortex structures of volcanic plumes, we applied it to plumes generated in 3-D numerical simulations. In 11 cases where exit velocity (66.8–200.5 m/s) is given as a boundary condition, we successfully estimated it with 7% underestimation by analyzing the size and motion of the leading vortex ring that forms at the plume front. Using the same procedure, we could also estimate the exit velocity by analyzing the trailing vortices that develop behind the vortex ring (14% underestimation). From these results, we conclude that: (i) the model of the vortex ring proposed by the jet engineering studies is appropriate for the vortex ring at the front of simulated volcanic plumes, and (ii) the model is also applicable to the trailing vortices of the plumes. These conclusions indicate that we can estimate the time evolution of the exit velocity for a series of eruptions from observations of the vortex structures of the actual volcanic plumes. By applying that method to an eruption of Sakurajima volcano on February 15, 2011, we found that following an increase during the first 10 s of the eruption, the exit velocity remained constant at >40 m/s up to 80 s after the onset of the eruption. Our method will be useful in understanding the time evolution of eruptive events, such as the transitional behavior from stable column to column collapse, from observations of volcanic plumes.

Introduction: Several studies have suggested that decreased FEV1 is associated with cardiovascular risk in COPD patients. Objective: To identify the prevalence of undiagnosed peripheral artery disease (PAD) and the relationship between leg atherosclerosis and clinical indices, which predict COPD mortality in Japanese COPD patients. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in 51 COPD patients and 51 age-matched, healthy control smokers. We measured ankle-brachial index (ABI) as a marker of atherosclerosis of the legs, pulmonary function, body mass index, modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnea scale, and smoking pack-years. We also calculated the ADO index (Age, Dyspnea, and Obstruction), an established predictor of mortality in COPD patients. Co-morbidities including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia were identified from blood laboratory tests and medical records. Results: Five subjects (9.8%) had an ABI < 0.9. ABI was significantly lower in the COPD patients than in the healthy control smokers (p < 0.05). The prevalence of PAD was marginally higher in COPD patients than in control smokers (p = 0.09), with the prevalence of ABI < 1.0 being significantly higher in COPD patients than in control smokers (p = 0.04). In the COPD patients, ABI showed significant correlations with age (p = 0.006), FEV1 (p = 0.004), smoking pack-years (p = 0.047), MMRC dyspnea scale (p = 0.0005), SaO2 (p = 0.001), and ADO index (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression modeling showed the factors associated independently with ABI were age, FEV1, smoking pack-years, MMRC dyspnea scale, and SaO2. Conclusion: The risk of leg atherosclerosis in Japanese COPD patients is higher than in smokers without COPD. Leg atherosclerosis in COPD patients is associated with clinical indices that predict COPD mortality.

An 84-year-old woman being treated for miliary tuberculosis (TB) with rifampicin (RFP), isoniazid (INH), ethambutol (EB) and corticosteroids suffered from a persistent fever for five months. While tapering the dose of prednisolone, chest computed tomography (CT) revealed diffuse ground glass opacities (GGO) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) showed an increase in lymphocytes. After the anti-TB drugs were discontinued and the dose of the corticosteroids was increased, the CT findings and fever improved considerably. However, readministration of RFP provoked an inflammatory reaction, leading to a diagnosis of RFP-induced pneumonitis. This condition is very rare. This is the first report of RFP-induced pneumonitis occurring during adjunct steroid therapy.

Background: Autoimmune involvement in the pathogenesis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been proposed, and autoantibodies are a hallmark of autoimmunity. Autoantibody assessment may help to better characterize asthma and COPD. Aims: Determine autoantibody profiles, and the relationship between autoantibodies and features of asthma and COPD. Methods: We recruited 102 asthma patients and 88 COPD patients prospectively. Six autoantibody types were evaluated: antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-cytoplasmic antibodies, rheumatoid factor (RF); anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody; myeloperoxidase-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA); proteinase 3–ANCA. Results: ANA prevalence was significantly higher in asthma than in COPD (24% vs . 10%, p=0.01). Low eosinophil counts in blood (ECB) were related to positive ANA in asthma and COPD. Conversely, high ECB and high levels of immunoglobulin-E were associated with RF in asthma but not in COPD. There was no relationship between ANA or RF and disease severity, including asthma control test, COPD assessment test, exacerbations in 1 % predicted. Prevalence of anti-cytoplasmic antibodies and anti-CCP antibody was low, and no patient harbored ANCA. Conclusions: It is possible asthma tends to involve autoimmunity more frequently than COPD because the prevalence of ANA is higher in asthma than in COPD. ANA and RF are associated with eosinophilic responses, but they do not work as biomarkers for disease severity.

Background Autoimmune involvement in the pathogenesis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been proposed, and autoantibodies are a hallmark of autoimmunity. This study aimed to compare the autoantibody profiles of asthma and COPD, and the relationship between autoantibodies and features of these diseases. Methods We recruited 110 asthma patients and 92 COPD patients for a prospective study. Six autoantibody types were evaluated: antinuclear antibody, anti-cytoplasmic antibodies, rheumatoid factor, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, myeloperoxidase–anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (MPO-ANCA) and proteinase 3-ANCA. Other clinical data were also recorded concurrently. Results An antinuclear antibody titre of ≥1:160 presented only in asthma but not in COPD (10% vs . 0%, p = 0.0002). Eosinophil counts in blood were negative predictors of antinuclear antibody in asthma. Conversely, eosinophil counts in blood and immunoglobulin-E levels of ≥100 IU/mL were positively associated with rheumatoid factor in asthma but not in COPD. There was no relationship between antinuclear antibody or rheumatoid factor and disease severity. Conclusions It is possible that asthma tends to involve autoimmunity associated with antinuclear antibody more frequently than COPD because asthma is the more robust factor for antinuclear antibody positivity. Antinuclear antibody and rheumatoid factor are associated with eosinophilic responses, but they do not work as biomarkers for disease severity.

Gefitinib and erlotinib, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), are widely used anticancer drugs for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially for those with EGFR-activating mutations. Both agents are considered to be less toxic compared with cytotoxic drugs; however, serious adverse events including interstitial lung disease (ILD) which can be fatal occur rarely. After such an event, physicians avoid to use another TKI. In such cases, patients and physicians are forced to make difficult decisions or reluctantly choose TKI when there is no other option. Here we report a case of a patient with lung adenocarcinoma who showed good recovery from gefitinib-induced ILD by high-dose corticosteroid therapy. The patient was then administrated erlotinib as second-line chemotherapy and showed tumor shrinkage without ILD after 6 months of treatment. We discuss the common features of the cases in the previous documentations and ours which were successfully retreated with erlotinib after gefitinib-induced ILD had previously developed.

Buoyant columns or pyroclastic flows form during explosive volcanic eruptions. In the transition-state, these two eruption styles can develop simultaneously. We investigated the critical condition that separates the two eruption styles (referred to as “the column collapse condition”) by performing a series of three-dimensional numerical simulations. In the simulation results, we identify two types of flow regime: a turbulent jet that efficiently entrains ambient air (jet-type) and a fountain with a high-concentration of the ejected material (fountain-type). Hence, there are two types of column collapse (jet-type and fountain-type). Which type of collapse occurs at the column collapse condition depends on whether the critical mass discharge rate for column collapse (MDR CC ) is larger or smaller than that for the generation of a fountain (MDR JF ) for a given exit velocity. Temperature controls the relative magnitude of MDR CC relative to MDR JF , and hence the type of collapse. For given magma properties (e.g., temperature and water content), the column collapse condition is expressed by a critical value of the Richardson number (Ri CC ≡ g′ 0 L 0 / w 0 2 , where g′ 0 is the source buoyancy, L 0 is the vent radius, and w 0 is the exit velocity). When the jet-type collapse occurs at the column collapse condition, Ri CC is independent of the exit velocity. When the fountain type collapse occurs at the column collapse condition, on the other hand, Ri CC decreases as the exit velocity increases. As the exit velocity exceeds the sound velocity, a robust flow structure with a series of standing shock waves develops in the fountain, which suppresses entrainment of ambient air and enhances column collapse.

A 30-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with high fever and chest pain. She had a ventricular septal defect, but was asymptomatic and had not undergone surgical repair. She also had had atopic dermatitis since childhood that had not been adequately treated. Chest computed tomography showed multiple peripheral nodules and infiltrates in both lungs. A transthoracic echocardiogram detected vegetation on the wall of the right ventricle, and Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from a peripheral blood sample. She was diagnosed as having a septic pulmonary embolism associated with right-sided infective endocarditis caused by S. aureus. She was treated with Cefazolin, resulting in gradual improvement of laboratory and chest radiographic findings. Recent studies have revealed that atopic dermatitis is one of the risk factors for infective endocarditis. In this case, uncontrolled atopic dermatitis might have caused the right-sided infective endocarditis.

The distribution of pituitary adenylatecyclase-activating polypeptide-immunoreactive (PACAP-IR) nerve fibers was studied in the rat epiglottis and pharynx. PACAP-IR nerve fibers were located beneath the mucous epithelium, and occasionally penetrated the epithelium. These nerve fibers were abundant on the laryngeal side of the epiglottis and in the dorsal and lateral border region between naso-oral and laryngeal parts of the pharynx. PACAP-IR nerve fibers were also detected in taste buds within the epiglottis and pharynx. In addition, many PACAP-IR nerve fibers were found around acinar cells and blood vessels. The double immunofluorescence method demonstrated that distribution of PACAP-IR nerve fibers was similar to that in CGRP-IR nerve fibers in the epithelium and taste bud. However, distributions of PACAP-IR and CGRP-IR nerve fibers innervating mucous glands and blood vessels were different. The retrograde tracing method also demonstrated that PACAP and CGRP were co-expressed by vagal and glossopharyngeal sensory neurons innervating the pharynx. These findings suggest that PACAP-IR nerve fibers in the epithelium and taste bud of the epiglottis and pharynx which originate from the vagal and glossopharyngeal sensory ganglia include nociceptors and chemoreceptors. The origin of PACAP-IR nerve fibers which innervate mucous glands and blood vessels may be the autonomic ganglion.

During an explosive volcanic eruption, tephra fall out from the umbrella region of the eruption cloud to the ground surface. We investigated the effect of the intensity of turbulence in the umbrella cloud on dispersion and sedimentation of tephra by performing a series of laboratory experiments and three dimensional (3-D) numerical simulations. In the laboratory experiments, spherical glass-bead particles are mixed in stirred water with various intensities of turbulence, and the spatial distribution and the temporal evolution of the particle concentration are measured. The experimental results show that, when the root-mean-square of velocity fluctuation in the fluid ( W rms ) is much greater than the particle terminal velocity ( v t ), the particles are homogeneously distributed in the fluid, and settle at their terminal velocities at the base of the fluid where turbulence diminishes. On the other hand, when W rms is as small as or smaller than v t , the particle concentration increases toward the base of the fluid during settling, which substantially increases the rate of particle settling. The results of the 3-D simulations of eruption cloud indicate that W rms is up to 40 m/s in most of the umbrella cloud even during a large scale plinian eruption with a magma discharge rate of 10 9 kg/s. These results suggest that relatively coarse pyroclasts (more than a few mm in diameter) tend to concentrate around the base of the umbrella cloud, whereas fine pyroclasts (less than 1/8 mm in diameter) may be distributed homogeneously throughout the umbrella cloud during tephra dispersion. The effect of the gradient of particle concentration in the umbrella cloud explains the granulometric data of the Pinatubo 1991 plinian deposits.

Anti-influenza hemagglutinin (HA) Fabs were isolated from a phage display library using purified HA of influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8; H1N1) as an antigen. Four Fab clones displaying a 25-50-fold higher binding signal to PR8 HA than the control were selected for further analysis and comparison with anti-PR8 monoclonal antibody (mAb). All four Fabs and mAb recognized the PR8 HA under non-reducing conditions but rarely bound to reduced PR8 HA. Inhibition of influenza virus infection on MDCK cells was observed with Fab1 and mAb in a dose-dependent manner while Fab3 and 4 exhibited only a partial inhibitory effect. Moreover, Fab1 clone and mAb exhibited cross-reactivity with the A/Peking/262/95 (A/Peking; H1N1) strain. The inhibitory effects of mAb on both influenza strains were more potent than Fab1, which is likely attributed to its higher affinity for the antigen. SPR analyses, in fact, revealed that Fab1 and mAb have K(D) of 1.5 x 10(-8) and 3.2 x 10(-9)M, respectively. These results strongly suggest that phage library-derived Fabs can be readily prepared and that such HA-specific Fabs with inhibitory action on influenza infection may be used to treat influenza patients.

To improve our understanding of the physics of volcanic plumes and their interaction with the atmosphere, increasingly sophisticated numerical models of eruptive columns have been developed by a growing number of research groups. These models are different in their design and scope, but all have the fundamental goal of characterizing the dynamics of volcanic plume formation and ultimately providing estimates of source conditions. Descriptions of volcanic columns (or plumes, we use the terms interchangeably in this paper) are important for hazard mitigation because they can be used in models that forecast the dispersion of ash and hazardous gases in the atmosphere. The accuracy of tephra dispersal forecasts is strongly dependent on the source term, which describes both the mass eruption rate of volcanic emissions and their initial vertical distribution in the atmosphere. However, until now there has not been a systematic effort to compare how these source terms are derived. For this study, we have brought together 13 different models to perform a set of simulations using the same input parameters, so that results can be meaningfully compared and evaluated. The motivation is twofold: (1) to provide a conceptual overview of what the various models can accomplish, and (2) to target specific areas for further exploration by the research community as a whole. AC was partially supported by a grant of the International Research Promotion Office Earthquake Research Institute, the University of Tokyo. AC, GM, AN, MdMV, TEO and MC were partially supported by the EU-funded project MEDiterranean SUpersite Volcanoes (MEDSUV) (grant n. 308665). AVE acknowledges NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship EAR1250029 and a USGS Mendenhall Fellowship. MIB was supported partially by NSF-IDR and AFOSR. AJH, MJW, and JCP were partially supported bythe NERC-funded projectVanaheim (grantno. NE/I01554X/1) and the EU-funded project FutureVolc (grant no. 308377). FG, GC, ST, and EK were partially supported by INSU, CNRS. We wish to thank T. Koyaguchi, S. Solovitz, and an anonymous reviewer for constructive suggestions that improved the quality of the manuscript.

The concurrent diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS) (overlap syndrome), can contribute to worsening respiratory symptoms, but whether the severity of COPD is associated with co-morbid SAHS is unknown. We investigated whether the severity of COPD is associated with the complication of SAHS by examination of nocturnal oximetry as an alternative to polysomnography. Patients with COPD concurrently completed nocturnal oximetry, pulmonary function tests, a COPD assessment test, an Epworth sleepiness scale and a hospital anxiety and depression scale to evaluate the severity of COPD and possible concurrent presence of SAHS. We retrospectively analysed the data to assess correlation between the oxygen desaturation index (ODI) and each clinical variables and evaluated the predictors of ODI ≥ 15. This study included 103 patients (91 males, 88%) with a mean age of 72 ± 8 years and body mass index of 22 ± 3 kg/m(2). ODI was positively correlated with FEV1, FEV1/FVC and FEV1% predicted, which meant that ODI was inversely correlated with airflow limitation. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that FEV1% predicted and FEV1/FVC were predictors of ODI ≥ 15. ODI is inversely correlated with airflow limitation and milder COPD patients may have co-morbid SAHS.

The chemical interactions between hot volcanic gases and co-erupted magmatic and lithic particles within eruption plumes and pyroclastic flows are increasingly investigated for their relevance to the impacts of ash emission on natural and human environments. Laboratory experiments are critical to our understanding of high-temperature gas-ash interactions, but previous studies are yet to replicate the chemical composition of the high-temperature volcanic gases involved. Here, we present a unique apparatus, the Advanced Gas-Ash Reactor, capable of generating an atmosphere of H2O, CO2, SO2 and HCl at temperatures ranging from 200 to 900 °C, under variable heating and cooling rates. Experiments utilising the reactor can inform investigations of a range of topics, from subsurface gas-rock interaction and in-plume gas adsorption processes, to the effect of ash surface chemistry on marine nutrient loadings and atmospheric chemistry. Our results demonstrate the differences in high-temperature gas uptake by volcanic glass powders under both hydrous and anhydrous atmospheres and, accordingly, demonstrate the utility of the new reactor.

Introduction Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is characterized by accumulation of surfactant and phospholipids in the pulmonary alveoli. Whole lung lavage is considered the first-line therapy, which requires special techniques. To the best of our knowledge, there have only been limited reports that have demonstrated the effectiveness of ambroxol on a mild case of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Case presentation A 72-year-old Japanese woman presented to our hospital with a one-year history of productive cough and progressive dyspnea. Her chest computed tomography scan showed a bilateral crazy-paving pattern in both of her lungs. She was diagnosed with autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis based on bronchoalveolar lavage findings and the presence of serum anti-granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor antibodies. She was severely hypoxemic, so we recommended whole lung lavage or inhaled granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor treatment, which she refused. We initiated treatment with ambroxol and her symptoms markedly improved. Conclusions Although whole lung lavage is the first-line therapy for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, oral ambroxol could be an alternative treatment option, even in patients with severe respiratory compromise.

The kinetics of infectious virus (p.f.u.), total virus and virus–Ig complex formation following influenza A/PR8 (H1N1) viral infection was examined in the nasal secretions of naive mice and mice immunized with A/PR8, A/Yamagata (H1N1), A/Guizhou (H3N2) and B/Ibaraki influenza viruses. The total number of virus particles and the number within virus–Ig complexes, captured in advance using an anti-mouse Ig-coated plate, were determined on the basis of viral genome copy number using quantitative RT-PCR. The kinetics of infectious and total virus particle formation, the latter of which increased by 103–104-fold above infectious virus numbers, showed that virus elimination from the nasal area was earlier in A/PR8, A/Yamagata and A/Guizhou-X virus-immunized mice, in decreasing order, compared with naive mice. Early virus elimination correlated with the level of A/PR8 virus-reactive antibodies in immunized mice. Virus elimination coincided with the appearance of virus–Ig complexes shortly after infection. This result suggested that antibodies led to the formation of immune complexes in a dose-dependent manner together with a reduction in number of infectious virus particles. The fact that a large number of virus particles was observed in immune complexes for a wide range antibody levels made it difficult to detect slight differences in virus number within the immune complexes, depending on antibody level. These results suggested that the formation of virus–Ig complexes in virus-immunized mice shortly after infection is involved in early virus elimination, which is determined by the strength of protective immunity against challenge viruses.

This study examined whether secretory IgA (S-IgA) antibodies (Abs) could confer cross-protective immunity against infection with influenza B viruses of antigenically distinct lineages. Wild-type or polymeric Ig receptor (pIgR)-knockout (KO) mice were immunized by infection with different B viruses or by intranasal (i.n.) administration with different inactivated vaccines. Four weeks later mice were challenged with either the B/Ibaraki/2/85 virus, representative of the B/Victoria/2/87 (B/Victoria)-lineage, or B/Yamagata/16/88 virus, representative of the B/Yamagata-lineage. Three days after challenge, nasal wash and serum specimens were assayed for IgA and IgG Abs specific for challenge viral antigens and for protection against challenge viruses. In wild-type mice, B/Ibaraki (or B/Yamagata) cross-reactive IgA Abs were detected at higher levels when infected or immunized with homologous-lineage viruses and at lower levels when infected or immunized with heterologous-lineage viruses. There was a correlation between the amount of nasal cross-reactive IgA Ab and the efficacy of cross-protection with a homologous-lineage virus. In mice lacking the pIgR, nasal cross-protective IgA Abs were only marginally detected in vaccinated mice and an accumulation of IgA in the serum was observed. This reduction of nasal IgA was accompanied by inefficient cross-protection against the B/Ibaraki (or B/Yamagata) virus infection. These results suggest that challenge viral-antigen cross-reactive S-IgA in nasal secretions induced by i.n. infection or vaccination is involved in providing cross-protection against challenge infection with virus within either the B/Victoria- or B/Yamagata-lineage.

The role of secretory IgA in conferring cross-protective immunity was examined in polymeric (p)IgR knockout (KO) mice immunized intranasally with different inactivated vaccines prepared from A/PR/8/34 (H1N1), A/Yamagata/120/86 (H1N1), A/Beijing/262/95 (H1N1), and B/Ibaraki/2/85 viruses and infected with the A/PR/8/34 virus in the upper respiratory tract (RT)-restricting volume. In wild-type mice, immunization with A/PR/8/34 or its variant (A/Yamagata/120/86 and A/Beijing/262/95) vaccines conferred complete protection or partial cross-protection against infection, while the B-type virus vaccine failed to provide protection. The protection or cross-protection was accompanied by an increase in the nasal A/PR/8/34 hemagglutinin-reactive IgA concentration, which was estimated to be >30 times the serum IgA concentration and much higher than the nasal IgG concentration. In contrast, the blockade of transepithelial transport of dimeric IgA in pIgR-KO mice reduced the degree of protection or cross-protection, in parallel with the marked increase in serum IgA concentration and the decrease in nasal IgA concentration (∼20 and 0.3 times those in wild-type mice, respectively). The degree of the reduction of protection or cross-protection was moderately reversed by the low but non-negligible level of nasal IgA, transudates from the accumulated serum IgA. These results, together with the absence of the IgA-dependent cross-protection in the lower RT and the unaltered level of nasal or serum IgG in wild-type and pIgR-KO mice, confirm that the actively secreted IgA plays an important role in cross-protection against variant virus infection in the upper RT, which cannot be substituted by serum IgG.

A 60-year-old woman presented with a dry cough without dyspnea or wheezing. Chest CT showed an image of mucoid impactions, which were identified as mucoid impactions by bronchofiberscopy. Aspergillus niger was cultured from her mucus. Her serum total IgE was 5150 IU/ml. Precipitins and IgE specific for Aspergillus were positive. She had no history of asthma and no evidence of bronchoconstriction by pulmonary function tests. Thus, a diagnosis was made of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis without asthma. She refused to take oral corticosteroids, although she improved spontaneously. However, her dry cough persisted. Her cough was relieved by administering an inhaled β-2 agonist; therefore, cough variant asthma was diagnosed. She was treated with an inhaled corticosteroid and her cough resolved completely.

The effectiveness and safety of mutant Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin, LT H44A (His to Arg substitution at position 44 from the N-terminus of the A1 fragment of the A subunit) as an adjuvant for nasal influenza vaccine were examined. (1) When 0.2 microg of LT H44A, together with 0.2 microg of influenza A/PR/8/34 virus (PR8, H1N1) vaccine, was administered intranasally into BALB/c mice (twice, 4 weeks apart), anti-PR8 hemagglutinin (HA) IgA and IgG antibody (Ab) responses were induced at levels that were sufficient to provide either complete protection against infection with a small volume of PR8 virus suspension or partial protection against infection with a lethal dose of the suspension. The dose of the mutant LT and vaccine used here (0.2 microg/ 20 g doses mouse) corresponded to the estimated dose per person, i.e. 0.1 mg/10 kg body weight. (2) Using these vaccination conditions, no additional total IgE Ab responses were induced. (3) The mutant was confirmed to be less toxic than the native LT when the toxicity was analyzed either using Y1 adrenal cells in vitro (1/483 EC(50)) or by an ileal loop test. (4) One hundred micrograms of the mutant, administered intranasally or intraperitoneally into guinea-pigs (Heartley strain, 0.3-0.4 kg), caused no body-weight changes 7 days after administration, although 100 microg of the native LT administered intraperitoneally caused death in all guinea-pigs due to diarrhea within 2 days. The intranasal administration of 100 microg of the mutant resulted in almost no pathological changes in the nasal mucosa 3 days after administration. These results suggest that LT H44A, which can be produced in high yields in an E. coli culture (about 5 mg/l), could be used as one of the effective and safe adjuvants for nasal influenza vaccine in humans.