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Several kinds of hydroxyapatites (HAp) prepared by modification of Ca2+-HAp with transition metal (Fe2+, Fe3+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+) or aluminum (Al3+) ions were evaluated via a gas bag-detection tube method whether they could be used as novel deodorant materials. The samples treated with divalent cation (Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+) retained hydroxyapatite structure as well as Ca2+-HAp, whereas those treated with trivalent cation (Al3+ and Fe3+) showed lower crystallinity than Ca2+-HAp. 5–8 wt% cation of the samples was introduced by modification with divalent metal cations, whereas about 40 wt% cation of the samples was introduced with relatively larger surface area and higher content of adsorbed water for trivalent cations. For NH3 gas, modification of Ca2+-HAp with a divalent metal cation enhanced its adsorption ability, and that with a trivalent metal cation resulted in considerable improvement of the ability. On the other hand, modification of Ca2+-HAp with Cu2+ ion gave it remarkable H2S gas adsorption ability in comparison to that with other metal cations. However, adsorption ability for H2S of some polycrystalline powders including Cu2+ was not higher than that of Cu2+-modified HAp. The effect of the incorporated cation on adsorption ability for NH3 molecules may be based not only on a simple Lewis acid-base reaction but also on specific surface area and adsorbed water content, and the effect for H2S molecules based on the specific local electron density around the cation present on/in the material.

We develop the exact WKB analysis of an M2P1T (merging two simple poles and one simple turning point) Schrodinger equation. Our emphasis is put on the analysis of the singularity structure of its Borel transformed WKB solutions near fixed singular points relevant to the two simple poles contained in the potential of the equation. In Part I, we focus our attention on the construction and analytic properties of a WKB-theoretic transformation that transforms an M2P1T equation to an algebraic Mathieu equation. That transformation plays an important role in Part II ( [7] ) when we discuss the singularity structure of Borel transformed WKB solutions of an M2P1T equation.

We develop the exact WKB analysis of an M2P1T (merging two simple poles and one simple turning point) Schrodinger equation. In Part II, using a WKB-theoretic transformation to the algebraic Mathieu equation constructed in Part I, we calculate the alien derivative of its Borel transformed WKB solutions at each fixed singular point relevant to the simple poles through the analysis of Borel transformed WKB solutions of the Legendre equations. In the course of the calculation of the alien derivative we make full use of microdifferential operators whose symbols are given by the infinite series that appear in the coefficients of the algebraic Mathieu equation and the Legendre equation.

Background The phase II trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of low starting dose of afatinib in patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In primary analysis, progression free survival (PFS) met the primary endpoint. Here, we report updated survival outcomes. Methods This study was a multi-center, single-arm, open-label phase II trial. Treatment-naive patients with common EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC were treated with afatinib starting at a dose of 20 mg/day. If tolerated, the dose is increased by 10- mg increments up to 50mg/day. PFS and overall survival (OS) were re-evaluated at the final data cut-off point (October 2018). Results 46 patients were enrolled. Median age was 73 years (range, 43-86). The median follow-up was 31.9 months. Median PFS of entire population was 15.2 months (95% confident interval (CI), 13.2–21.2), and 2-year PFS rate was 27.7% (95% CI, 17.1-44.7). Median OS was not estimated, and the 2-year overall survival was 76.1% (95% CI, 64.7-89.5). Performance status (PS) and existence of brain metastases at study entry were revealed to have significant impact on the survival with Cox-regression test. Among patients with disease progression on afatinib (n = 36), rebiopsy was performed on 29 patients, and T790M was proved positive on 14 patients. Twelve out of the 14 patients positive for T790M received osimertinib as a second line therapy. Median time from enrollment to progression on the osimertinib (PFS2) was 32.6 months (95%CI: 20.5-NE). Conclusions Low starting dose afatinib therapy demonstrated promising OS outcome. PS and existence of brain metastases were predictive factors of this therapy. Clinical trial identification UMIN 000016444. Legal entity responsible for the study Kyoto Thoracic Oncology Research Group. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure T. Yokoyama: Honoraria (self): Boehringer Ingelheim Japan; Honoraria (self): Chugai Pharmaceutical; Honoraria (self): Taiho Pharmaceutical; Honoraria (self): Bristol-Myers Squibb; Honoraria (self): Novartis; Honoraria (self): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self): Ono pharmaceutical; Honoraria (self): MSD. H. Yoshioka: Honoraria (self): Boehringer Ingelheim; Honoraria (self): Chugai Pharmaceutical; Honoraria (self): Taiho Pharmaceutical; Honoraria (self): Eli Lilly Japan; Honoraria (self): Bristol-Myers Squibb; Honoraria (self): Novartis; Honoraria (self): Merck Serono; Honoraria (self): Kyowa Kirin; Honoraria (self): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self): Ono pharmaceutical; Honoraria (self): Daiichi Sankyo; Honoraria (self): MSD. D. Fujimoto: Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (self): AstraZeneca KK; Honoraria (self): Ono Pharmaceutical Co Lt; Honoraria (self): Bristol-Myers Squibb Co Ltd; Honoraria (self): Taiho Pharmaceutical Co ; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (self): Chugai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd; Honoraria (self): MSD KK; Honoraria (self): Boehringer Ingelheim Japan Inc; Honoraria (self): Eli Lilly Japan KK. K. Hirano: Honoraria (self): Boehringer Ingelheim Japan. T. Ishida: Honoraria (self): Boehringer Ingelheim Japan. T. Hirai: Research grant / Funding (institution): Boehringer Ingelheim Japan. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

In this work, the availability of calcium phosphates for the light emitting layer of a thin-film electroluminescent (TFEL) device was investigated. The goal of this work was to develop an electronic device with ordinary materials such as a calcium phosphate, the principal ingredient of the skeleton of the vertebrate. Compositions of 2CaO·P 2 O 5 (Ca 2 P 2 O 7 ), 3CaO·P 2 O 5 (Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ) and 4CaO·P 2 O 5 (Ca 4 O(PO 4 ) 2 ) were examined as the candidates for the light emitting layer. Before composing the TFEL device, the photoluminescence (PL) properties of the three compositions were investigated in the powder form to evaluate the performance as the light emitting layer. Among the examined calcium phosphates, Eu-doped β-Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 showed the best PL properties. It showed typical red-emission from Eu 3+ . The PL intensity was enhanced with the heat-treatment temperature and the optimal temperature was 1250 °C. Then, a TFEL device was prepared by a spray pyrolysis method with the β-Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 :Eu 3+ phosphor layer on a BaTiO 3 disk. The TFEL device exhibited the red emission originating in Eu 3+ at 610 nm under applying alternating voltage. Different from the power sample, the intensity of EL decreased with the heat-treatment temperature from 1000 to 1250 °C. The deterioration of EL at the higher temperatures was attributed to chemical interaction between the phosphor layer and the BaTiO 3 disk.

In this work, two approaches were developed to extend the coating area of diamond by continuous deposition in a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method above the liquid. The techniques were based on the methods previously developed by our research group and the characteristic was to use dc (direct current) plasma generated between the liquid surface and the metal electrode. In the first approach, a tungsten rod was rotated in a chamber at reduced pressure so that a diamond film was formed as a ‘belt’ in 6 mm width around the side of the rod. The deposited diamond was polycrystalline with a grain size of 1–3 μm. The film thickness increased almost linearly with deposition time, whereas the grain size was almost constant against the deposition time. The second approach was for a plate substrate. A tungsten plate was hung with an iron wire and the plasma was horizontally generated between the liquid and plate surfaces. When the W plate was vertically slid down slowly, a diamond film was continuously deposited on the surface. The deposited film was covered with a soot-like carbon layer on the top and the post-treatment with H2O/N2 gas at 600 °C was effective in removing it. The continuous deposition successfully demonstrated the expansion of the deposition area with the novel plasma CVD method above the liquid.

Fatty liver is strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome characterized by obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes, but the genetic basis and functional mechanisms linking fatty liver with the metabolic syndrome are largely unknown. The SMXA-5 mouse is one of the SMXA recombinant inbred substrains established from SM/J and A/J strains and is a model for polygenic type 2 diabetes, characterized by moderately impaired glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, and mild obesity. SMXA-5 mice also developed fatty liver, and a high-fat diet markedly worsened this trait, although SM/J and A/J mice are resistant to fatty liver development under a high-fat diet. To dissect loci for fatty liver in the A/J regions of the SMXA-5 genome, we attempted quantitative trait loci (QTLs) analysis in (SM/JxSMXA-5)F2 intercross mice fed a high-fat diet. We mapped a major QTL for relative liver weight and liver lipid content near D12Mit270 on chromosome 12 and designated this QTL Fl1sa. The A/J allele at this locus contributes to the increase in these traits. We confirmed the effect of Fl1sa on lipid accumulation in liver using the A/J-Chr12(SM) consomic strain, which showed significantly less accumulation than A/J mice. This suggests that the SM/J and A/J strains, neither of which develops fatty liver, possess loci causing fatty liver and that the coexistence of these loci causes fatty liver in SMXA-5 mice.

We generalize the reduction theorem for 0-parameter solutions of a traditional (i.e., second order) Painleve equation with a large parameter to those of some higher order Painleve equation, that is, each member of the Painleve hierarchies ( P J ) ( J = I , II - 1 or II-2). Thus the scope of applicability of the reduction theorem in [KT1] has been substantially enlarged; only six equations were covered by our previous result, while Theorem 3.2.1 of this paper applies to infinitely many equations.

The association constant between guanine and a series of cytosine derivatives in dichloromethane was determined by fluorescence quenching experiment of pyrene connected to guanine with methylene spacer. The association constant for guanine with 5-methylcytosine is found to be higher than that with cytosine. This enables us to distinguish target cytosine from its derivatives.

Coating organic polymers with hydroxyapatite is an attractive method for the development of materials for medical applications, as it allows hydroxyapatite to show its unique biological properties such as its ability for bone bonding and protein adsorption. The biomimetic process focuses attention on fabricating such hydroxyapatite-polymer hybrids, where bone-like apatite is deposited on an organic polymer surface in solutions mimicking physiological conditions. In this process, a bone-like apatite layer can be coated onto organic substrates either by using a simulated body fluid (SBF), which has ion concentrations nearly equal to those of human extracellular fluid, or by using fluids that are supersaturated with respect to apatite at ambient conditions. We previously reported that apatite was deposited on polyamide films containing carboxyl groups in a solution mimicking body fluid, when they were incorporated with calcium salts. In the present study, to find an alternative functional group effective in apatite formation, we examined the apatite-forming ability of polyamide films containing sulfonic groups in the same solution. It was found that the polyamide film containing sulfonic groups could deposit apatite on its surface in the solution when the film was incorporated with calcium salts. These results show that the sulfonic group also acts as a functional group, and is as effective for apatite deposition in the body environment as the carboxyl group.

To analyze differential operators whose WKB solutions admit infinitely many phases, we introduce a class of differential operators of WKB type and analyze their exact WKB theoretic structure near their turning points. Our analysis makes full use of techniques and ideas in microlocal analysis; we use a quantized contact transformation to construct a WKB solution of a differential equation of WKB type, and we use a Spath-type division theorem for a differential operator of WKB type to study its structure near turning points. As an application, we show a connection formula for WKB solutions near a simple turning point.

We conducted biventricular pacing in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy and complete left bundle branch block who had recurrent heart failure and mitral valve regurgitation 18 months after partial left ventriculectomy and mitral valve repair. An epicardial lead was fixed on the left ventricular free wall surgically through a thoracotomy, and the other two leads were implanted transvenously. Biventricular pacing restored contractile synchrony and led to more efficient left ventricular contraction and reductions in mitral regurgitation. Biventricular pacing may produce beneficial effects for patients with the recurrent intractable heart failure associated with cardiomyopathy and complete left bundle branch block after partial left ventriculectomy.

5-Methyl-5-phenylpyrroline N-oxide was proved to be a useful 1,3-dipole for determining the absolute configuration of chiral allenes by means of NMR spectroscopy.

We investigated the suppression of threading dislocation generation in GaAs-on-Si(100) with strained short-period superlattices by reflection high-energy electron diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. A two-dimensional growth mode was kept during the lattice relaxation process. As a result, the density of threading dislocations in the GaAs epilayer was markedly reduced. A lattice mismatch of 4% was accommodated at hetero-interfaces by generating misfit dislocations in the directions of 〈011〉.

The recent progress of the theory of microdifferential operators of infinite order [l-4] and their usefulness in several branches of analysis [IS, 11, 16-241 have enhanced the interest in such operators. However, our knowledge on such operators is still quite limited, particularly compared with our knowledge on operators of finite order. For example, we do not know much about such a basic problem as characterizing a linear differen- tial operator of infinite order which is of closed range as a map from germs of holomorphic functions to germs of holomorphic functions. To the best of our knowledge, Ishimura’s recent work [7] is the only result that has some general applicability, although it is still far from the final goal. The purpose of this paper is to prove some theorems which we hope to contribute toward the progress of the study of such operators. To be con- crete, we present some conditions on a linear differential operator P which guarantees the finiteness of the dimensions of the kernel and the cokernel of the map P: Ccn,o -+ O,,,,, where Ocn,O denotes germ at origin of sheaf 0,. of holomorphic functions on C:“. In particular, under those con- ditions the map has finite index, and it is of closed range (Theorem 4 and Theorem 5). Our results are a natural generalization of Bony and Schapira [S, Thtoreme 5.11 to the infinite-order case. It is also quite akin to Kashiwara, Kawai, and Sjostrand [12] in its philosophy in the sense that some ellipticity condition for a suitably chosen tangential system lies 155

The purpose of this article is to show that some finiteness theorem (= finite dimensionality of the space of solutions) holds for a class of systems of linear differential equations of infinite order. Although finiteness theorems for holonomic systems of (micro-)differential equations of finite order have recently become quite popular, the character of the theorems which we present here is different from the results for equations of finite order. Hence, in this introduction, we discuss a simple and instructive example so that it may help the reader’s understanding of the character of the results in this article. As the example will indicate, our results have close connection with the celebrated result of Hamburger on the characterization of the c-function of Riemann, although we deal with theta functions (Hamburger [2], Hecke [3], and Weil [8]; see also Ehrenpreis and Kawai [ 11). This connection was pointed out to one of us (T.K.) by Professor L. Ehrenpreis. Concerning the basic properties of linear differential operators of infinite order, we refer the reader to Sato-Kawai-Kashiwara [6, Chap. II]’ (hereafter referred to as S-K-K). Here we only emphasize that a linear differential operator of infinite order acts upon the sheaf of holomorphic functions as a sheaf homomorphism. Hence our main result (Theorem 2.14 in Section 2) is of local character. This forms a striking contrast to the hitherto known way of characterizing theta functions through their automorphic properties. Now, in order to provide an example of our results, let us show how the theta zero-value (Nullwerte) is related to a system of linear differential equations of infinite order. In order to fix the notations, let us consider