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The ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee is an intergovernmental regional organization dealing with typhoon (tropical cyclones) related disasters. Millions of people around the Asia-Pacific region remain exposed to a higher frequency and intensity of natural hazards. For more developed countries, tropical cyclone related impacts cause major social and economic disruptions through loss of lives and property. With recognizing the importance of aligning its efforts with UN Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative which aims to strengthen early warning systems globally, Typhoon Committee resolved to initiate the monitoring of ongoing or past efforts by TC Members in contributing to the four key pillars of the EW4all initiative aiming to (1) evaluate the Committee's contributions to EW4All; and (2) identify the opportunities for enhancing performance through Member Reports and the WGs' AOP specification. TC had its 18th IWS/4th TRCG forum with a theme of "Early Warnings for All Through Enhancement of Typhoon Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)" and "Towards a Typhoon Resilient Society"; TC Secretary (TCS) initiated a reviewing and monitoring on the ongoing or previous efforts of TC Members, through analyzing the AOPs' implementation of TC WGs, in contributing to the pillars of the EW4All initiative with the objective of enabling an evaluation of the Committee's contributions to EW4All and identify opportunities for further enhancing its performance. This paper intends to discuss the directions on how to further enhance TC activities aligning with and contribution to EW4All in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two most common types of disasters caused by natural hazards in the Asia-Pacific region are floods and storms, many of them associated with typhoon (tropical cyclone) related impacts. To improve the capacity of typhoon-related disaster risk reduction so as to maximum reduce the losses of people's life and properties, the decision makers and the public are imminently demanding the information of the targeted impact caused by typhoon. As the front line in hydro-meteorological disaster prevention and mitigation against the typhoon-related disasters, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in TC Members have recognized that forecasting impact became more important than forecasting pure causing-disaster elements. Impact-based forecasting signals an evolution from "what the weather will be" to "what the weather will do". Many things change as impact based forecasts evolve from previous weather forecasts. To enhance impact-based typhoon forecasting, the Typhoon Committee added it into the new updated Strategic Plan 2022-2026. This paper briefed generally the concept of impact based forecasting, introduced the implementation and progresses on typhoon impact based forecasting in TC Members in recent years, and initially discussed the measures and direction for enhancement of impact-based typhoon forecasting and early warning services in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of heart failure (HF) on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients from southwestern China remains unclear. The present study aimed to compare in-hospital cardiovascular events, mortality and clinical therapies in AMI patients with or without HF in southwestern China. In total, 591 patients with AMI hospitalized between February 2009 and December 2012 were examined; those with a history of HF were excluded. The patients were divided into four groups according to AMI type (ST-elevated or non-ST-elevated AMI) and the presence of HF during hospitalization. Clinical characteristics, in-hospital cardiovascular events, mortality, coronary angiography and treatment were compared. Clinical therapies, specifically evidence-based drug use were analyzed in patients with HF during hospitalization, including angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and β-blockers (BBs). AMI patients with HF had a higher frequency of co-morbidities, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, longer length of hospital stay and a greater risk of in-hospital mortality compared with AMI patients without HF. AMI patients with HF were less likely to be examined by cardiac angiography or treated with reperfusion therapy or recommended medications. AMI patients with HF co-treated with ACEIs and BBs had a significantly higher survival rate (94.4 vs. 67.5%; P<0.001) compared with untreated patients or patients treated with either ACEIs or BBs alone. Logistic regression analysis revealed that HF and cardiogenic shock in patients with AMI were the strongest predictors of in-hospital mortality. AMI patients with HF were at a higher risk of adverse outcomes. Cardiac angiography and timely standard recommended medications were associated with improved clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adiponectin is reported to relate with cardiovascular diseases, we sought to examine whether adiponectin is associated with disease progression of heart failure from hypertension in rats in comparison with other known biomarkers and echocardiographic parameters. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR, n = 35), aged 1 month, were used and followed up to 18 months. High frequency echocardiography was performed both at baseline and every 3 months thereafter. Moreover, serum levels of N-terminal pro-natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as well as serum level and tissue expression of adiponectin were determined at the same time as echocardiography. Results: The results clearly demonstrated time-dependent progression of hypertension and heart dysfunction as evidenced by gradually increased left ventricular mass index, NT-proBNP, IL-6 as well as gradually decreased cardiac function as assessed by echocardiography. Meanwhile, tissue and serum adiponectin decreased from 3 months and reached plateau until 12 months in parallel with decreasing of cardiac diastolic function. Thereafter, adiponectin levels increased prior to occurrence of systolic dysfunction. Adiponectin concentration is inversely related with NT-proBNP, IL-6 and E/E' (correlation coefficient (r) = -0.756 for NT-proBNP, p < 0.001, -0.635 for IL-6, p = 0.002, and -0.626 for E/E', p = 0.002, respectively) while positively correlated with E/A and E'/A' (r = 0.683 for E/A, p = 0.001, 0.671 for E'/A', p = 0.001, respectively). No difference for adiponectin distribution among visceral adipose tissues was found. Conclusion: Adiponectin through its biphasic serum level is a useful biomarker during transition from diastolic dysfunction to systolic dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Chronic heart failure with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (HFNEF) is not only common, but also carries a high risk of substantial morbidity and mortality. However, few studies have been conducted in this population and no proven treatment is available. Although β-blockers are evidence-based first-line therapy in systolic heart failure, they have not been well studied in HFNEF. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents the authors' comments on red cell distribution width in chronic heart failure. They state that over the last decade, the inclusion of the natriuretic peptides, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), as biomarkers in the management of heart failure (HF) has greatly improved the ability to diagnose and make prognostic prediction in HF patients.