Health-related quality of life on the clinical course of patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving daclatasvir/asunaprevir therapy: A prospective observational study comparing younger (<70) and elderly (≥70) patients.

Interferon-free direct acting antiviral agent regimens for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) have been developed. These regimens have shown a high rate of sustained virologic response (SVR), and a reduction in side effects during treatment is also anticipated. However, the impact of the regimens on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and side effects during treatment is not fully understood.

Evaluation of the health-related quality of life using the 36-item short form health survey in patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving pegylated interferon/ribavirin/telaprevir triple treatment.

The rate of sustained virologic response (SVR) has increased in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC; genotype 1) since triple treatment with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN), ribavirin (RBV) and telaprevir (TVR) was included in Japanese health insurance. However, side effects such as high-grade anemia and skin disorders means it is important to investigate the extent to which quality of life (QOL) is maintained during treatment. The impact on health-related (HR) QOL, as a result of TVR-based triple treatment was investigated long-term (48 weeks) in 34 patients (18 men, 16 women) following TVR-based triple treatment, using the 36-item short form health survey (SF-36).

Evaluation of the thermal insulation of clothing of infants sleeping outdoors in Northern winter.

It is a common practice in Northern countries that children aged about 2 weeks to 2 years take their daytime sleep outdoors in prams in winter. The aim was to evaluate the thermal insulation of clothing of infants sleeping outdoors in winter. Clothing data of infants aged 3.

Differences in comfort perception in relation to local and whole body skin wettedness.

Relevance of local skin wettedness (w (local)) to general thermal comfort while wearing clothing was investigated in eight males. In the experiments, skin wettedness of the whole body (w (body)) was controlled to be around the thermal comfort limit, while w (local) in different target locations of equal area (anterior and dorsal torso, arms, and thighs) was pushed beyond the comfort limit using special test garments. Subjects walked on a treadmill at 4.

Heat and water vapour transfer of protective clothing systems in a cold environment, measured with a newly developed sweating thermal manikin.

A moveable sweating thermal manikin has recently been developed. Thermal and water-vapour resistances of three kinds of cold-protective clothing ensembles, laminated with polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane and without a laminate were measured, with the aid of the manikin in a cold environment of 5 degrees C with a relative humidity of 70% and an air velocity of around 1.5 m s(-1).

Comparison of thermal manikins of different body shapes and size.

Differences between manikins may be present due to manikin body shapes (male versus female). In order to examine such differences a study was designed. Comparisons were carried out based on: (1) tight versus loose clothing; (2) serial versus parallel calculation models; (3) even versus uneven clothing (insulation) distribution; and (4) the effect of donning clothes.