Search

Background/purpose The prognosis of patients with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma is favorable; therefore, a reduction therapy is desired. However, the long-term prognosis of those with residual tumor is unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the necessity of residual tumor resection. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients diagnosed with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma who either were treated by chemotherapy only (nonresection group; n=16), or received postchemotherapy tumor resection (resection group; n=9). Results In the nonresection group, tumor size decreased in 14 patients; 5 had no detectable local tumor at the end of the follow-up period. Tumor size increased in 2 patients 1.5–2.5years postchemotherapy. Both patients received additional treatment and survived. All patients survived during the median follow-up time of 127months. In the resection group, 5 patients received complete resections and 4 patients received nearly complete resections. All patients survived during the median follow-up time of 84months. In 8 out of 9 resected tumors, regression or maturation was pathologically induced by chemotherapy-only treatment. Conclusion Patients with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma with or without postchemotherapy residual tumor resection had an excellent long-term outcome. The tumor pathology with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma might be susceptible to change to regression or maturation by chemotherapy. Level of evidence IV

Many of the casualties in the phreatic eruption of Mt. Ontake, which is located in central Japan, on September 27, 2014, were climbers near the summit. The main cause of death was injury by lapilli and block ejecta (ballistic ejecta). The absence of shelters at the summit and along the climbing trails may be a major factor in the large number of casualties attributable to ballistic ejecta, and establishing and improving shelters on active volcanoes is an urgent need. The climbers who evacuated to wooden mountain huts survived the 2014 Mt. Ontake eruption, this research focuses on the impact characteristics of wooden materials. We therefore performed an experimental investigation into the safety of wooden materials under impact by simulated ballistic ejecta with a mass of 2.66 kg (equivalent to a diameter of 128 mm) as by assembling cylindrical abrasive travelling at up to 300 km/h (approximately 83 m/s). With abrasives acting as ballistic ejecta, the simulated shelter facility components serving as targets were wooden structures composed of Japanese cedar, which found on volcanoes at high elevations in Japan. The components of the fabricated roof were Japanese cedar with a thickness of 15 mm as roofboard installed on the surface waterproof sheet and 0.4 mm thick Galvalume® steel sheet with an additional rafter installed. The impact absorption energy of the fabricated roof increased with simulated ballistic ejecta impact velocity because the localization of bending deformation progressed at the impact part and the frequency of splitting failure increased with increasing impact velocity. This is attributable to variation in the mode of splitting failure of cedar boards and the dependence of the material strength on projectile velocity. We also experimentally investigated simple reinforcement methods in order to obtain basic data on conversion of mountain huts to shelters. The reinforced wooden structure could withstand simulated ballistic ejecta impacts of up to approximately 13 kJ by incorporating two layers of aramid fabric between a waterproof sheet and a cedar board. Review of the roof structures of existing wooden buildings based on these results promises further advances in safe impact-resistant design.

A growing number of studies suggest critical tumor suppressor roles of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex in a variety of human cancers. The recent discovery of SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcomas has added to the list of tumor groups with the SMARCA4 inactivating mutation. To better characterize these tumors and establish their nosological status, we undertook a clinicopathological and molecular analysis of 12 SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcomas and compared them with three potentially related disease entities. Eleven men and one woman with SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcomas (aged 27-82 years, median 39 years) were included in the study. Most of the patients had heavy smoking exposure and pulmonary emphysema/bullae. The primary tumors were large and involved the thoracic region in all cases and simultaneously affected the abdominal cavity in 3 cases. The patients followed a rapid course, with a median survival of 7 months. Histologically, all tumors showed diffuse sheets of mildly dyscohesive, relatively monotonous, and undifferentiated epithelioid cells with prominent nucleoli. Immunohistochemically, all tumors demonstrated a complete absence (8 cases) or diffuse severe reduction (4 cases) of SMARCA4 expression. Cytokeratin, CD34, SOX2, SALL4, and p53 were expressed in 6/12, 10/12, 10/12, 10/12, and 7/10 cases, respectively. SMARCA2 expression was deficient in 11/12 cases, and none (0/8) expressed claudin-4. Targeted sequencing was performed in 5 cases and demonstrated the inactivating SMARCA4 mutation in each case and uncovered alterations in TP53 (5/5), NF1 (2/5), CDKN2A (2/5), KRAS (1/5), and KEAP1 (1/5), among others. Comparative analysis supported the distinctiveness of SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcomas as they were distinguishable from 13 malignant rhabdoid tumors, 15 epithelioid sarcomas, and 12 SMARCA4-deficient lung carcinomas based on clinicopathological and immunohistochemical grounds. SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcomas constitute a unique, highly lethal entity that requires full recognition and differentiation from other epithelioid malignancies involving the thoracic region.

Laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (LSDP) with conservation of the splenic vessels is gaining acceptance as a reliable treatment for selected patients with low-grade malignant tumors of the pancreas in adults. The operation requires advanced laparoscopic skills to safely divide the fine branches of the splenic vessels. Laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy with conservation of splenic vessels is rarely reported in children. We describe a 12-year-old girl with solid pseudopapillary tumor in the body of the pancreas that was successfully treated with LSDP, preserving the splenic vessels. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the functional and aesthetic results were satisfactory. Laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy with conservation of splenic vessels may be a safe and feasible treatment option for children with pancreatic disease.

We investigated the telomere lengths of individual cell types in lingual mucosa using an improved tissue quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (Q-FISH) method. Our tissue Q-FISH method compensates for partially cut nuclei in a tissue section by using the telomere:centromere ratio (TCR). We normalized our TCR measurements (NTCR) using a section from a block of cultured cells placed on the same slide, thus improving the accuracy and reproducibility of the results. Normal lingual mucosa was obtained from 21 autopsied individuals. Immunohistochemistry showed positivity mainly for p27, p63, and CK19 in basal cells, and for Ki-67 in parabasal cells. Q-FISH revealed that NTCR was significantly highest in basal cells and lowest in prickle cells, and also that telomere length regressed at a certain rate in each cell type, firstly. Significant correlations of NTCR among the three epithelial cell types were demonstrated. The present findings appear to support the theory that stem cells exist in the basal layer of the lingual epithelium. The reduction of telomere length with age and in each cell layer is consistent with the telomere biology theory of cell proliferation and differentiation in oral mucosa.

Many studies have demonstrated the association between telomere length in mitotic cells and carcinogenesis and mortality, but little attention has been focused on post-mitotic cells and human life expectancy. We assessed the relationship between telomere length in cerebral gray and white matter and longevity in 72 autopsied Japanese patients aged 0–100 years using Southern blot hybridization. The mean telomere lengths in the gray and white matter were 12.3 ± 2.5 kilobase pairs and 11.4 ± 2.1 kilobase pairs, respectively. The mean telomere lengths in 60–69 year decadal group were less than those of neonates, and declined further in the 70–79-year age group, but those in groups of further advanced age were longer than in the 70–79 year group (70–79 < 80–89 < 90–100 years of age). Thus, the 90–100-year age group possessed significantly longer telomeres than the 70s (p = 0.029). Autopsy protocols showed a decrease in the rate of cancer death in individuals in their 80s (p = 0.041) and 90s (p = 0.017) versus those in their 60s, and in their 80s the mean telomere length in the gray matter from cancer death patients was significantly shorter than that of patients who died of other diseases (p = 0.04). These data suggest that innate telomere lengths are maintained very well in the cerebrum, and are associated with longevity. Our study lends indispensable support to the hypothesis that longer telomeres protect the genome from instability (a major cause of carcinogenesis) and are beneficial for longevity.

This paper describes the status of Japanese efforts for hosting ITER in Japan. In May 2002, Japanese Government decided to propose an ITER site, Rokkasho in Aomori Prefecture, a Northern part of the main island, based on the comprehensive/intensive assessments by the Site Selection Committee established by Japanese Government. ITER is designed basically with a potential flexibility beyond the detailed technical objectives to have more clear scope for developing technical key elements in a future power plant. Various flexibilities in the construction, operation and decommissioning of ITER are totally assessed. Consequently the Japanese site has been chosen and it satisfies sufficiently not only the Site Requirements and the Site Design Assumptions but also the further extension and flexibilities. In particular the potential for more flexible construction schedule and operations is technically described as well as the fulfillment of the site requirements and its assumptions as the minimum requirements in this paper. The socio-cultural environment is also described briefly because of a key aspect for the scientists and engineers who will participate in the project.

Background/Purpose: In infants, neuroblastoma has been known to spontaneously differentiate into a benign ganglioneuroma. Although several investigators have compared mass-screened with unscreened, disseminated with localized, and adrenal with retroperitoneal neuroblastoma, there are very few cross-comparisons of the above parameters. Herein, the authors report the maturation of mass-screened, localized adrenal neuroblastoma. Methods: Fifty-one mass-screened adrenal neuroblastomas were divided into 2 groups. In infants less than 1 year of age (Group A), 45 neuroblastomas were resected, whereas 6 neuroblastomas were resected after observation in 1- to 4-year-old children (group B). Histopathology of the tumors in the 2 groups was compared. Data were analyzed by X 2 test, and P Results: According to the International Neuroblastoma Pathological Classification, 41 of 45 tumors of group A were "differentiating neuroblastoma" and 4 of 6 tumors of group B were "maturing ganglioneuroma." Maturation toward ganglioneuroblastoma was observed in 16 neuroblastomas of group A (36%) and 6 neuroblastomas of group B (100%). In group A, 58% had low mitosis karyorrhexis index (MKI); all patients in group B had low MKI. Conclusions: If left untreated, maturation of mass-screened, localized adrenal neuroblastomas is a common phenomenon. These children do not need to undergo early operation. J Pediatr Surg 36:1633-1636. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.

The JT-60 project concentrates research efforts to contribute to the ITER EDA and to establish the basis of a steady-state tokamak reactor. Negative shear, as well as high-βp-mode, are the major operation schemes in the recent JT-60 experiments. Equivalent-QDT=1.05 with a negative shear discharge and the fusion triple product nD·τE·Ti=1.5×1021 m−3·s·keV with a high-βp H-mode have been achieved. A high recycling and strong radiative boundary plasma has been obtained in negative shear high confinement discharges. Long sustainment of high performance discharges has satisfied the conditions required for a steady-state tokamak reactor concept such as SSTR. JT-60 started operation in 1985 and had a significant modification to JT-60U in 1989–1990. The most frequent machine troubles occurred due to control software bugs, air-leaks of the vacuum vessel, and electric insulation breaks in the tokamak machine. Machine behaviors beyond our expectations have been the strong membrane vibrations of the vacuum vessel in the original machine JT-60, the cooling water leaks from the TF coils, divertor tile breaks due to halo current, and the cooling pipe damages due to high energy electrons penetrating under the divertor tiles. These should be considered the important engineering issues even with regard to future fusion research.

Interfacial adsorption of chondroitin sulfates (ChS-A) between isooctane and aqueous salt free solution were studied by interfacial tensions obtained from a drop volume method to elucidate effects of hydrophobic counterions on the adsorption. As counterions of ChS-A, NH 4 + and tetraalkylammonium ions R 4 N + ((CH 4 ) 4 + , (C 2 H 5 ) 4 N + , (C 3 H 7 ) 4 N + and (C 4 H 9 ) 4 N + ) were used. Increasing with the carbon numbers of R , the interfacial tensions showed more rapid decreases with concentrations of R 4 NChS-A than those of R 4 NBr. The former interfacial excesses Γ p were obtained using mean activity coefficients calculated from their osmotic coefficients. Γ p of R 4 NChS-A increased with the carbon numbers of R and were saturated in the region of very diluted concentrations about m = 10 −4 mol/dm 3 based on the concentration of the counterions. The interfacial excesses of R 4 NBr Γ were saturated at almost m = 2 × 10 −2 mol/dm 3 , which required almost 200 times as much as those of R 4 NChS-A. The saturated interfacial excesses of the counterions of R 4 NChS-A were found to be much more than those of R 4 NBr. The effects of the arrangements of the counterions along ChS-A chains enhanced their interfacial adsorptions, especially in the cases of the carbon numbers of R > 2.

A conceptual design study of the Steady State Tokamak Reactor (SSTR) has been performed in order to provide a realistic goal for the fusion research. The SSTR is designed as a DEMO or power reactor to be built in the near future [Y. Seki et al., Proc. 13th Int. Conf. Plasma Phys. and Contr. Nucl. Fusion Res., Washington, USA, IAEA-CN-53/G-1-2]. The major feature of the SSTR is the maximum utilization of bootstrap current in order to reduce the power required for steady state operation [M. Kikuchi, Nucl. Fusion 30 (1990) 265]. This requirement leads to the choice of moderate plasma current (12 MA) and high poloidal beta (βp = 2) for the device, which are achieved by selecting moderate aspect ratio (A = 4) and high toroidal magnetic field (Bt = 16.5 T). A negative-ion-based NBI system is used for central current drive to realize steady state operation. It is shown that a tokamak system based on the small extension of the present physics and technologies can produce net electricity of ∼ 1 GW if the proper physics and engineering R&D are conducted.

Diffusion-reactions through enzyme membranes were studied by using a multimembrane, consisting of an enzyme layer sandwiched between films. The multimembrane was shown to possess the following characteristics: (1) the microenvironments around the enzyme can be altered arbitrarily by adding polymers etc., and (2) the asymmetries of the multimembranes can be controlled easily by using various films. Diffusion-reactions of urea through symmetric and asymmetric multimembranes having a urease layer were studied by measuring total fluxes J p T and flux ratios — J p I / J p II of one of the products (NH 4 + ion) into a donor and an acceptor compartment. By adding sodium alginate NaAlg to the urease layer, the pH showing the maximum J p T shifted towards the alkaline pH region by 0.6 pH unit, and the maximum J p T increased. From the value of the pH shift, the electrostatic potentialψ α around the active site of the urease was calculated to be − 0.0343 V. The values of J p I / J p II through the symmetric multimembrane were in the range 1.2–1.7, and those for the asymmetric multimembrane were in the range 0.2–0.3. In the diffusion-reaction through the latter membrane, carbamate anions were found to play an important role. Diffusionreaction through the multimembranes was analyzed by assuming that the reactions in the enzyme layer obey a first order reaction.

We conducted an observation program of neuroblastoma in infants, detected by mass screening at 6 months of age; we followed up with them for 15 years. No recurrence was observed after disappearance of tumors, and persistent tumors showed no malignant transformation or metastasis. Histology of the resected tumors showed age-related differentiation.

The enthalpy of dilution, ΔdilH, of a nonionic surfactant, Surfynol 465, was measured in water at 25°C using a twin-type microcalorimeter. Both the amounts of water in the aqueous solution to be diluted and those in the diluent were kept constant, and the amount of Surfynol 465, n2, was varied. The value of ΔdilH was always negative and decreased nonlinearly with n2. The relative apparent molar enthalpy, φL2, increased sharply from nil, reached a plateau at 27.8 kJ mole−1, and increased again with the concentration of Surfynol 465. The relationship between ΔdilH and n2 was analyzed on the basis of an association equilibrium model and by using the optimal standard enthalpy of micellization at 23.7 kJ mole−1. In the analysis, an excess enthalpy of micelle in the concentration region higher than 0.4 mole kg−1 was found. An overlapping model was proposed for the excess enthalpy.

Contact angles of phospholipid monolayers with polished glass plate were measured by a Wilhelmy method. On monolayers of dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline and sphingomyelin with choline residue, we obtained finite contact angles which increased with the increase of surface pressure. On the other hand, on monolayers of dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine without choline residue and fatty acids, such as myristic acid and stearic acid, we had nearly zero contact angles in the surface pressure range of 0–40 dyn cm −1 .

The contact angle of dipahnitoyl lecithin monolayer on 0.1 M NaCl aq. with a fixed molecular area, ca. 134 A 2 molec −1 , in the coexisting state of gaseous and liquid-expanded phases against polished glass plate was measured at 25°C by a Wilhelmy method. They increased sigmoidlly with the lapse of time after an initial jump. The rate of contact angle increase was analyzed according to a first-order kinetics with respect to the transfer of lecithin from aqueous to glass surface, giving 2.59 × 10 −3 sec −1 as an apparent rate constant.

The osmotic coefficients of a nonionic surfactant, Surfynol 465, φ2, at various molalities, m2, were determined from the results of vapor-pressure depression measurements of its aqueous solutions up to 0.7 mole kg−1 at 25°C. Its activity coefficient and activity, γ2 and a2, respectively, were obtained through a thermodynamic analysis of the plot of φ2 vs m2. The relationships of φ2, γ'2, and a2 to m2 were described according to the association equilibrium model between monomeric and micellar species. Below ca. 0.1 mole kg−1, both species were treated as ideal solutes. To quantitatively account for the nonideal behavior of surfactant above 0.1 mole kg−1, overlapping among micelles was proposed, similar to the case of excess enthalpy discussed in a previous work of the authors.

The dynamic behavior of Aerosol OT in the monomeric state in methanol and in micellar states in water, chloroform and benzene has been studied by measurement of 13 C-NMR spin-lattice relaxation time ( T 1 ) with the following results. The correlation time for the overall reorientation of micelle or monomer calculated from T 1 was compared with that calculated from the viscosity of the solvent and a reasonably postulated radius of the solute particle, showing good agreement in organic solvents. In the micellar state the motion near the polar head group was restricted and the segmental mobility was increasing as one moves along the chain away from the polar group. This trend was significantly noticeable in organic solvents, where the polar head group serves to anchor the chain of Aerosol OT molecules. Also, the 13 C-NMR chemical shifts and the effects of lanthanide shift reagents, Yb( fod ) 3 in organic solvents and Pr(NO 3 ) 3 in water, were measured and analyzed on the basis of the molecular conformation and micellar structure of Aerosol OT.

Lipid-dispersed nitrocellulose membranes (L-N membranes) were prepared by casting mixed solutions composed of L-α-lecithin, β,γ-dipalmitoyl and nitrocellulose in a glass vessel. Their lipid contents varied from 0 to 0.2 in the weight ratio of lipid to nitrocellulose, and their water contents were adjusted to 60-65% w/w under experimental conditions depending on the composition of the casting solutions. Various strong electrolytes (LiCl, NaCl, KCl, MgCl2 and CaCl2) and carboxylic acids (acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and valeric acid) were permeated through the membranes in a two-compartment cell at 25°C while stirring two bulk solutions at 650 rpm. The results were analyzed quantitatively by a lipid multibarrier channel model, i.e., a membrane model which consists of water channels, WC, and lipid barrier channels, LC. The membrane parameters, such as the fractional areas of WC and LC and tortuosity, were obtained from the water content, the lipid content and the permeability of strong electrolytes, and the effects of the lipid content on these parameters were then examined. The permeability coefficients, P, of L-N membranes were theoretically shown to be a function of the ratio of the diffusivity of a permeant through the water channel to the diffusivity through the lipid barrier. In the case of weak electrolytes the effeccts of their degree of dissociation on the values of P were analyzed. Furthermore, the permeability coefficients of carboxylic acids through the lipid barrier phase in the channel were obtained from the values of P.

The retention and selectivity behaviour of some aromatic amines were studied by high-performance liquid chromatography using amino-chemically bonded stationary phases (column gel), prepared from silica gel treated with benzene solution containing 5–50% of N-(2-aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (N2AAPTS). The N2AAPTS gel was compared with the 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3APTS)-treated silica gel. From elemental analysis data for nitrogen and carbon, the maximum number of accessible amino surface groups per 100 A2 of silica gel (mean pore diameter 85 A, particle size distribution 5.8 μm) in N2AAPTS gel was estimated to be 1.81. The N2AAPTS gel provided better resolution of some amines than the 3APTS gel. The effect of the kind of component in the mobile phase on the capacity factor was studied using various alkanes (basic component) and normal alcohols (additive component).