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OBJECTIVE Posttraumatic stress disorder and prolonged grief disorder (PGD) arise following major life stressors and may share some overlapping symptomatology. This study aimed to examine the presence and response to treatment of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in bereaved adults with a primary diagnosis of PGD. METHODS A randomized controlled trial of 395 adults with PGD (defined as an Inventory of Complicated Grief score ≥ 30 plus confirmation on structured clinical interview) randomly assigned participants to either complicated grief treatment (CGT) with citalopram, CGT plus placebo, citalopram, or placebo between March 2010 and September 2014. This secondary analysis examined the presence of PTSS (per the Davidson Trauma Scale) at baseline and change in PTSS with treatment using longitudinal mixed-effects regression and examined the role of violent compared to nonviolent deaths (loss type). RESULTS High levels of PTSS were present at baseline, regardless of loss type, and were associated with increased functional impairment (P

The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of size specific dose estimates (SSDE) to estimate patient dose in Fast kVp switching dual energy CT. An anthropomorphic phantom (RAN-110) was repeatedly scanned (chest, abdomen and the pelvis) using a 64 detector row MDCT (Discovery CT750 HD, GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA) with various CT parameters, including Fast kVp switching. Dosimetry was performed using thermo-luminescent dosimeters, positioned both superficially and within the phantom. SSDE was calculated for all slices of the anthropomorphic phantom using both the localiser and axial images. In Fast kVp switching, SSDE underestimated the measured absorbed dose for the chest/abdomen region ~35% at the maximum, but were in closer agreement for the pelvic region about within 10%. In single energy techniques, SSDE could not be applied in the estimation of organ doses, but in Fast kVp switching dual energy techniques, SSDE could be applied for anatomical regions with larger thicknesses.

Cell-to-cell interactions (CCIs) through ligand-receptor (LR) pairs in the tumor microenvironment underlie the poor prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, there is scant knowledge of the association of CCIs with PDAC prognosis, which is critical to the identification of potential therapeutic candidates. Here, we sought to identify the LR pairs associated with PDAC patient prognosis by integrating survival analysis and single-cell CCI prediction. Via survival analysis using gene expression from cancer cohorts, we found 199 prognostic LR pairs. CCI prediction based on single-cell RNA-seq data revealed the enriched LR pairs associated with poor prognosis. Notably, the CCIs involved epithelial tumor cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and tumor-associated macrophages through integrin-related and ANXA1–FPR pairs. Finally, we determined that CCIs involving 33 poor-prognostic LR pairs were associated with tumor grade. Although the clinical implication of the set of LR pairs must be determined, our results may provide potential therapeutic targets in PDAC., Highlights • We found 199 prognostic ligand-receptor pairs of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. • PDAC scRNA-seq data showed cell-cell interactions for the prognostic LR pairs. • We determined that CCIs involving 33 LR pairs were associated with tumor grade.

To clarify the effectiveness of ward-assigned dental hygienists (DHs) on rehabilitation outcomes in rehabilitation wards. Retrospective cohort study. The registry data from the Japanese Rehabilitation Nutrition Database. 656 patients with hip fracture or stroke admitted to convalescent rehabilitation wards. The main outcome measures were the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), the Food Intake Level Scale (FILS), and the home discharge rate. Patients were divided into two groups based on the ward setting: with an assigned DH (DH group) and without an assigned DH (NDH group). Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compered between the groups. Between-facility differences were adjusted by generalized estimating equation. We performed post-hoc power analysis to confirm that there were enough samples included in this study to detect a significant difference. Of 656 patients (mean age, 77 years; 57.1% female; 65.5% stroke) from 10 facilities, 454 patients (69.2%) from 4 facilities were in the DH group. FIM score at discharge (107 vs 90, P

Anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia) are common, distressing, and impairing. While pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy are first-line treatment strategies for anxiety disorders, many patients are reluctant to take psychiatric medication, and many prefer to avoid any kind of mental health treatment due to stigma or distrust of traditional medical care. We present the trial protocol for the first study comparing first-line medication treatment with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a popular mindfulness meditation training program, for the treatment of anxiety disorders. We will use a non-inferiority, comparative effectiveness trial design, in which individuals with diagnosed anxiety disorders will be randomized to either pharmacotherapy with escitalopram or MBSR for 8 weeks of treatment. Treatment outcome will be based on gold standard symptom severity measures assessed by trained independent evaluators blind to treatment allocation. Secondary outcomes will include key symptom and function measures, as well as tolerability and satisfaction with treatment. Findings will provide crucial information to inform decision making about the relative benefits of MBSR versus a first line medication for anxiety disorders by patients, medical care providers, healthcare insurers and other stakeholders.

Background Five-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) compounds are used as the primary treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC); however, some patients are intolerant to this drug. There have been few studies on the natural history and clinical outcomes of 5-ASA intolerant patients. The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical outcomes of 5-ASA intolerant patients in terms of colectomy, immunomodulator use, and biologic (anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and Vedolizumab) therapy. Methods Data were obtained by a retrospective review of the charts of 2065 consecutive patients with UC who were treated with 5-ASA compounds at our tertiary referral inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) centre and a related IBD clinic from 2010 to 2020. Patients were considered to be intolerant to 5-ASA if they discontinued the drug because of any type of adverse effect. The cumulative rates of immunomodulator-, biologic- and colectomy-free survival rates in 5-ASA tolerant and intolerant patients were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Additionally, Cox regression was used to analyse other factors besides 5-ASA intolerance contributing to clinical outcomes. Results Intolerance to 5-ASA was identified in 268 patients. The cumulative probability of colectomy within 10 years in 5-ASA intolerant patients was 23%, which is significantly higher than that in tolerant patients, 10% (log-rank test < 0.0001). Within 10 year, 63% of 5-ASA intolerant and 20% of tolerant patients received immunomodulators (log-rank test < 0.0001); and 37% of 5-ASA intolerant and 11% of tolerant patients received biologic therapy (log-rank test < 0.0001). Cox regression multivariate analysis identified that younger age, disease extent and 5-ASA intolerance were predictors of colectomy. Conclusion In this retrospective cohort study, 5-ASA intolerant patients had worse clinical outcomes than those who tolerated 5-ASA treatment. This is the first report on the long-term prognosis of 5-ASA intolerant patients.

Background It has been reported that transplant recipients are exposed to physical and psychosocial stresses even after transplant surgery and exhibit psychological disorders such as depression. Purpose In this study, we extracted trends concerning how recipients of kidney transplants cope with stress, and we also examined how they cope with depression and its countermeasures. Method We administered questionnaire surveys to 109 kidney transplant recipients. These included items on personal attributes, medical information, depression, and stress-coping type scales. Statistical analysis was performed using factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. Results Fifteen out of 109 (13.8%) were found to be high-risk patients for depression based on responses to the questionnaire using the depression scale. We extracted 2 factors of stress-coping type, namely Factor 1, “Directly coping with the problem,” of patients who try to directly resolve the problem in a positive manner and Factor 2, “Stress-release while avoiding the problem,” for those who relieve their feelings in response to the stress without resolving the problem itself. When multiple regression analysis was conducted with the depression scale as the dependent variable and the stress-coping factor as the independent variable, Factor 1 tended to be associated with reduced depression and Factor 2 with increased depression. Conclusions Results showed that to improve the mental health of those who receive kidney transplants, it is necessary to examine the depression and stress-coping types of such patients at an early stage and carry out education on stress-coping, focusing on resolving the actual problem.

The current status of IRIS imager at NAOJ is reported. IRIS (Infrared Imaging Spectrograph) is a first light instrument of TMT (Thirty Meter Telescope). IRIS has just passed the preliminary design review and moved forward to the final design phase. In this paper, optical and mechanical design of IRIS imager and prototyping activities conducted during the preliminary design phase are summarized.

Infrared Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is the first light instrument for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) that consists of a near-infrared (0.84 to 2.4 micron) imager and integral field spectrograph (IFS) which operates at the diffraction-limit utilizing the Narrow-Field Infrared Adaptive Optics System (NFIRAOS). The imager will have a 34 arcsec x 34 arcsec field of view with 4 milliarcsecond (mas) pixels. The IFS consists of a lenslet array and slicer, enabling four plate scales from 4 mas to 50 mas, multiple gratings and filters, which in turn will operate hundreds of individual modes. IRIS, operating in concert with NFIRAOS will pose many challenges for the data reduction system (DRS). Here we present the updated design of the real-time and post-processing DRS. The DRS will support two modes of operation of IRIS: (1) writing the raw readouts sent from the detectors and performing the sampling on all of the readouts for a given exposure to create a raw science frame; and (2) reduction of data from the imager, lenslet array and slicer IFS. IRIS is planning to save the raw readouts for a given exposure to enable sophisticated processing capabilities to the end users, such as the ability to remove individual poor seeing readouts to improve signal-to-noise, or from advanced knowledge of the point spread function (PSF). The readout processor (ROP) is a key part of the IRIS DRS design for writing and sampling of the raw readouts into a raw science frame, which will be passed to the TMT data archive. We discuss the use of sub-arrays on the imager detectors for saturation/persistence mitigation, on-detector guide windows, and fast readout science cases (< 1 second)., 14 pages, 5 figures, 6 tables, Proceeding 10707-112 of the SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2018

The outcome of 55 children with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) who received a second hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was retrospectively analyzed using the registration data of the Japanese Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and failure-free survival (FFS) after the second transplantation were 82.9% (95% confidence interval (CI), 69.7-90.8)) and 81.2% (95% CI, 67.8-89.4), respectively. FFS was significantly better when the interval between the first and second transplantation was >60 days (88.9%; 95% CI, 73.0-95.7) than when it was ⩽60 days (61.4%; 95% CI, 33.3-80.5; P=0.026). All 12 patients who were conditioned with regimens containing fludarabine and melphalan were alive with hematopoietic recovery. These findings justify the recommendation of a second HSCT for children with SAA who have experienced graft failure after first HSCT.

Controlling Chiral Light Emission Circularly polarized light plays important roles in a number of applications such as displays, communication, and sensing. Thus, the ability to produce compact and readily controllable polarized light sources is important, and dichalcogenide materials such as tungsten diselenide may provide a route to such sources. Zhang et al. (p. 725 , published online 17 April; see the Perspective by Zaumseil ) formed an electric-double-layer transistor structure with WSe2 and used a gated ionic liquid to control the carrier density. Electrical control of the output light was achieved with the polarization being switched by reversing the polarity of the applied field and injected charge.

Severe adverse events (SAE) and late hematological malignancies have been reported after PBSC donation. No prospective data on incidence and risk factors have been available for family donors so far. The Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (JSHCT) introduced therefore in 2000 a mandatory registration system. It defined standards for donor eligibility and asked harvest centers to report any SAE immediately. All donors were examined at day 30 and were to be contacted once each year for a period of 5 years. Acute SAEs within day 30 were reported from 47/3264 donations (1.44%) with 14 events considered as unexpected and severe (0.58%). No donor died within 30 days. Late SAEs were reported from 39/1708 donors (2.3%). The incidence of acute SAEs was significantly higher among donors not matching the JSHCT standards (P=0.0023). Late hematological malignancies in PBSC donors were not different compared with a retrospective cohort of BM donors (N:1/1708 vs N:2/5921; P=0.53). In conclusion, acute and late SAEs do occur in PBSC donors at relatively low frequency but risk factors can be defined.

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) is an experimental technique whereby the lifetime spectrum of positrons injected into a material is measured. Analysis of this spectrum can be used to characterize defects in the material. While radioisotope positron sources are often used for PALS, there are several advantages of using mono-energetic, slow positron beams. In order to measure lifetime spectra with such beams it is necessary to produce a pulsed beam with an extremely short pulse length (~ 200 ps). In this article we discuss the advantages of using pulsed, slow-positron beams, the various methods of beam production and pulsing methods. We focus in particular on intense beams generated by electron accelerators and describe the current status and future plans for the accelerator based facility at AIST.

Patients with dermatomyositis have a predisposition to the development of malignant tumors. The incidence of ovarian carcinoma, especially, is higher in patients with dermatomyositis than in the general population. Recently, it was reported that serum levels of KL-6 (Krebs von den Lungen-6) may be elevated in patients with dermatomyositis associated with ovarian carcinoma. Herein, we describe two cases of ovarian carcinoma associated with dermatomyositis. The first patient was a 46-year-old woman with stage Ib serous papillary adenocarcinoma of the ovary. At the time of diagnosis, she had a 13-year history of dermatomyositis, and an elevated serum KL-6 level. Reduction of the serum KL-6 level was noted after resection of the tumor. Immunohistochemistry revealed positive staining of the tumor for KL-6. The other case was a 58-year-old woman with stage IV ovarian carcinoma who also had a history of dermatomyositis. She was initially started on chemotherapy, which resulted in shrinkage of the tumor and reduction of the serum KL-6 level. Surgery was then performed for resection of the tumor, and the chemotherapy was continued. However, the patient died of cancer 1 year and 4 months after the start of the treatment. For patients with dermatomyositis and with elevation of the serum KL-6 level in the absence of severe interstitial pneumonia, associated ovarian malignancy should be ruled out.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term clinical and histologic characteristics of alveolar ridge bone regenerated by 2 different types of bone graft materials in a Macaca fascicularis (nonhuman primate) species animal. METHODS: Bilateral osseous defects created in edentulous mandibular alveolar ridges in a nonhuman primate were grafted with bioactive glass (alloplast) on 1 side, and with human demineralized bone matrix (xenograft) on the contralateral side, with each covered by a dermomatrix barrier membrane before mucoperiosteal tissue flap closure and suturing. At 4 years posttreatment, surgical re-entry was performed, and bone core biopsies were obtained from each of the grafted edentulous alveolar ridges, placed in 10% formalin, and processed for light microscopic analysis. RESULTS: Normal alveolar bone was clinically noted at all sites on surgical re-entry at 4 years posttreatment, and mature cortical and cancellous bone formation was histologically observed with both types of bone graft materials. Residual bioactive glass particles (histologic sections) were found embedded in close contact with lamellar bone where bioactive glass was grafted. Xenograft-treated sites yielded remnants of residual human demineralized bone matrix particles and no foreign body reactions or inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Numerous particles of nonresorbed bioactive glass graft material, but not human demineralized bone matrix, were found in 4-year posttreatment bone core biopsies of regenerated bone in M. fascicularis mandibular alveolar ridge reconstructions.

Summary What is known and Objective: Montelukast, a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 antagonist, is safe and efficacious in patients with asthma. The mechanisms underlying the significant interpatient variability in response to montelukast are not clear but are believed to be, in part, because of genetic variability. Methods: To examine the associations between polymorphisms in candidate genes in the leukotriene pathway and outcomes in patients with asthma on montelukast for 4–8 weeks, we evaluated the changes in peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1·0) and patients’ subjective symptom before and after montelukast treatment. DNA was collected from 252 Japanese participants. Results and Discussion: Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ALOX5 (rs2115819) and LTA4H (rs2660845) genes were successfully typed. There was no difference between members of the general population (n = 200) and patients (n = 52) in each genotype frequency. Significant associations were found between SNP genotypes in the LTA4H gene and changes in PEF and FEV1·0. The PEF and FEV1·0 responses to montelukast in the A/A genotypes (n = 4) for the LTA4H SNP were significantly higher than those in the G allele carriers (A/G+G/G) (n = 17). What is new and Conclusion: Despite the small sample size, our results suggest that genetic variation in leukotriene pathway candidate genes contributes to variability in clinical responses to montelukast in Japanese patients with asthma.

We report a 49-year-old woman who developed lobular glomerulonephritis with prevalent deposition of material positive for IgG, C1q and lambda light chain, but which was not stained by Congo red. Glomeruli revealed massive electron-dense deposits with a microlamellar structure in the mesangial matrix and peripheral capillary loops. Clinically, the patient had nephrotic syndrome, microhematuria and hypertension. No Bence-Jones protein or cryoglobulin was found in the urine or serum. Anti-DNA antibody was positive, but systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was ruled out by repeated serological examinations. Immunoelectrophoresis of blood and urine revealed increased IgG-lambda paraprotein, but no free light chains were found. We reviewed 54 cases reported in the literature, which showed organized crystalline structures on ultrastructural examination, but were unassociated with amyloidosis, SLE, cryoglobulinemia or multiple myeloma. The present patient is the first reported to have exhibited a combination of glomerulonephritis with organized deposits, monoclonal IgG lambda paraproteinemia, and the presence of anti-DNA antibody.

Cavity-mirror degradation is one of the serious problems especially in short-wavelength storage ring free-electron lasers (FELs). To reduce the degradation problem, we tried to treat the Al 2 O 3 /SiO 2 mirror, degraded through irradiation by undulator radiation, with both oxygen plasma and thermal annealing. As a result, the optical loss of the degraded mirrors optimized around 200 nm was successfully restored. With such efforts, FEL application experiments are being performed. The recent progress on surface observation using a photoelectron emission microscopy (PEEM) at NIJI-IV is also reported.

This paper presents an experimental study on the development of a cyclogyro-based flying robot with a new variable angle of attack mechanism. A cyclogyro is a flying machine supported in the air by power-driven rotors that rotate about a horizontal axis, like the paddle-wheels of a steamboat. Machines of this type have been designed by some companies but there has been no record of any successful flights. Our design starts with a new variable angle of attack mechanism with an eccentric (rotational) point in addition to a rotational point connecting to a motor. The main feature of the mechanism with the eccentric rotational point is the ability to change attack of angles in accordance with the wing positions (as determined by the rotational angles of the cyclogyro) without actuators. The design parameters (wing span, the number of wings, and eccentric distance) of the flying robot are determined through a series of experiments. Experimental results show that the cyclogyro-based flying robot with the new variable angle of attack mechanism is capable of generating sufficient lift force for flying.

To clarify the validity of positron emission tomography using fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG-PET) for the preoperative evaluation of endometrial cancer, we analyzed the preoperative FDG-PET images of both primary and metastatic lesions of 30 patients with endometrial cancer, and compared them with computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images and the results of postoperative pathologic findings. As to the primary lesions, FDG-PET could easily identify the cancer, and the sensitivity was 96.7%, which tended to be higher than that of 83.3% by CT/MRI. As to the evaluation of retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis, FDG-PET could detect none of five cases of lymph node metastatic lesions of up to 0.6 cm in diameter but had higher specificity (100%) compared with CT/MRI (85.7%). The sensitivity of FDG-PET for detection of extrauterine lesions excluding retroperitoneal lymph nodes was 83.3% and was superior to that of CT/MRI (66.7%), although there was no difference in the specificity between the modalities (100%). The diagnostic ability of FDG-PET was limited if used alone, but FDG-PET gave additional information especially with regard to the extrauterine lesions whose significance could not be determined on CT/MRI. However, we also found that FDG-PET could not identify any lymph node metastasis less than 1 cm in diameter; therefore, a negative finding of lymph node metastasis on FDG-PET should not be interpreted as a reason for omitting retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for the precise surgical staging of endometrial cancer.

InAs quantum dots (QDs) on a GaNAs buffer layer by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition were investigated, focusing on the relation between the dot shape property and photoluminescence characteristics. Utilization of the GaNAs buffer layer restricted the dot evolution in the direction of height to result in the InAs supply independence of the emission wavelength. The nitrogen composition also influenced a little the dot shape. The emission efficiency was improved by the change of the dot morphology. The peak wavelength of 1280 nm, which was 40 nm increase from the sample without GaNAs, was obtained from InAs QDs on a GaNAs buffer layer with high intensity.

We have been studying a high finesse enhancement cavity for photon target of Laser Compton Scattering X-ray generation. It is very important to develop an extremely stable external optical cavity for laser Compton scattering. At the same time, a stable seed laser oscillator for an incident laser of an optical cavity is also very important tissue. Thus, we have been developing a stabil mode-locked Yb-doped fiber laser based on Non-Linear Polarization Rotation. We have generated laser pulses which have 102.9mW average power at repetition rate of 119MHz. Furthermore, we started accumulating lasers in the optical cavity, and we have already confirmed that our oscillator is able to accumulate in the cavity.

We present three cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that occurred in patients with gynecologic cancers. Case 1 and 2 had ovarian cancer and case 3 had endometrial cancer. The patients developed anxiety, difficulty in sleeping, and complaints of various discomforts after their diagnosis. On consulting with psychiatrists, PTSD was diagnosed based upon the DSM-IV classification. In cases 1 and 2, the symptoms worsened during the patients' primary treatment and interfered with their ability to continue the treatment. Psychiatric interventions were provided making it possible to complete their treatment. In case 3, the patient needed psychiatric intervention because of her psychological distress during her treatment. She was finally diagnosed as having PTSD. There are few reports regarding PTSD occurring in gynecologic cancer patients. However, attention should be given to the symptoms of these disorders so that patients may complete their standard therapies.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of gefitinib ('IRESSA') in Japanese patients with previously untreated stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This was a multi-institutional phase II study. Thirty-four patients with previously untreated stage IV NSCLC were enrolled between May 2003 and September 2004. Gefitinib was administered orally 250 mg once a day and was continued until there was either disease progression or severe toxicity. Objective tumour response rate was 26.5% (95% confidence interval, 11.7-41.3%). Adverse events were generally mild (National Cancer Institute-Common Toxicity Criteria grade 1 or 2) and consisted mainly of skin rash, fatigue and liver dysfunction. No pulmonary toxicity was observed. The global health status revealed that there was no change in quality of life during the study. This study found that single-agent gefitinib is active and well tolerated in chemo-naive Japanese patients with advanced NSCLC.

The present study compared the efficacy of cyclophosphamide combined with low-dose prednisolone in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) with efficacy in idiopathic fibrosing nonspecific interstitial pneumonia fibrosing (NSIP). A total of 27 patients with IPF and 12 patients with fibrosing NSIP were included in this study. All patients had undergone surgical lung biopsy. The diagnoses were made based on clinical, radiological and pathological findings. All patients were treated with intermittent pulse therapy with methylprednisolone for 4 weeks, followed by cyclophosphamide with low-dose prednisolone. According to pulmonary function tests, four of 27 patients with IPF had improved, 22 remained unchanged, and one had worsened at the completion of pulse therapy. After 1 yr of combination therapy, four of 27 patients had improved, 14 remained unchanged, and nine had worsened. After pulse therapy, four of 12 patients with fibrosing NSIP had improved, and eight remained unchanged. After 1 yr of combination therapy, eight of 12 patients had improved, four remained unchanged, and none had worsened. Median survival of IPF patients was 4.1 yrs, which is significantly worse than that of fibrosing NSIP patients. In conclusion, patients with fibrosing nonspecific interstitial pneumonia had a more favourable response to combination therapy and a better survival than those with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: Retinal detachment has been reported after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in myopic eyes.This complication may be related to the risk from myopia before surgery or may be induced by LASIK surgery itself. We performed a study to evaluate retinal peripheral changes after LASIK in patients with high myopia and to correlate symptoms on presentation and vitreoretinal anatomic changes. Methods: The study was carried out at a university-affiliated hospital in Sao Paulo between November 1997 and February 1999. Patients scheduled to undergo LASIK were included if their spherical equivalent was greater than 6.00 dioptres. The exclusion criteria were previous retinal treatment and myopic macular degenerations. We performed binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy with scleral indentation and fundus biomicroscopy with Goldmann lens before LASIK and 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery. Results: We examined 198 eyes preoperatively. Of the 198, 50 did not undergo LASIK surgery owing to refractive criteria, and 79 were lost to follow-up. We thus studied 69 eyes. The mean spherical equivalent preoperatively was -8.00 D (standard deviation 1.95 D). Twenty-four eyes had normal retinal periphery preoperatively; all 24 remained without alterations after LASIK. Forty-five eyes had peripheral alterations: 17 (24.6%) had cystic degeneration, 14 (20.3%) had lattice degeneration, 11 (15.9%) had white-without-pressure, 5 (7.2%) had cystic tufts, 3 (4.3%) had pavingstone degeneration, 2 (2.9%) had pigmentary alteration, 1 (1.4%) had holes with free operculum, and 1 (1.4%) had punctiform holes. The only alteration after surgery was almost punctiform holes around the previous cystic tuft I month after surgery in one patient. Retinal detachment did not develop in any of the eyes. Interpretation: In this group of patients it appears that LASIK did not lead to progressive peripheral retinal lesions in asymptomatic patients during the period studied.

Bubbles and dissolved gases in liquids greatly influence the performance of fluid power systems, coating solutions, plants in the food industry and so on. To eliminate bubbles from working fluids and to prevent degradation of liquids as well as to avoid possible damage of fluid components is an important engineering issue. Recently one of the authors, Ryushi Suzuki, has developed a new device using swirling flow with the capability of eliminating bubbles and of decreasing dissolved gases in fluids. This device is called "Bubble Eliminator." The swirling flow pattern and pressure distributions in the bubble eliminator greatly influence the effective performance of the bubble removal. In this paper the swirl flow pattern in a transparent bubble eliminator is experimentally visualized and processed as digital images by a high-speed video camera system. Velocity profiles and pressure distributions in the bubble eliminator are calculated and graphically visualized by a three-dimensional numerical simulation. The results of the flow visualization are compared with the numerical simulation. The performance evaluation of the bubble removal effectiveness is numerically and experimentally verified. It is also proposed to augment understanding of 3D flow fields for the swirling flow in the bubble eliminator with scientific flow visualization methods, which combine graphics or real images with haptic displays.

Deterioration of a polyurethane coating by Florida natural environments as a function of time up to 16 weeks was studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy. Doppler broadening energy spectroscopy (DBES) of annihilation irradiation and positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) were measured as a function of incident positron energy (0–30 keV). A significant decrease in the S-defect parameter from DBES and the intensity of orthopositronium from PAL was observed as a function of weathering time. This is interpreted as a loss of free volume and holes as a result of the weathering process. The gloss and surface morphology in the same system were measured by glossimetry and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The gloss decreased and surface roughness increased as a function of weathering time. The AFM images showed a new feature of a spherically coagulated microstructure on the surface after weathering. Direct correlations between the decrease in gloss and the increase in roughness as well as the decrease in the S-defect parameter from the DBES data and in the free volume from the PAL data were observed. These results were used to discuss the weathering process in terms of chemical and physical changes as a result of photodegradation in protective polymeric systems. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2290–2301, 2001

3C–SiC grown on n-type Si wafers by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was anodized in a HF–ethanol solution.Positron annihilation Doppler broadening and lifetime measurements were carried out to characterize a porousstructure formed in the SiC layer. In contrast to the case of porous Si, for which long-lived components withlifetimes 5–30 ns have been reported (Suzuki et al., 1994), a lifetime longer than 1 ns was not observed for theporous SiC. We discuss chemical e•ect in the pore surface based on the Doppler broadening spectrum in the highmomentum region. 7 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.1. IntroductionPorous silicon carbide (SiC) has received interest asa suitable material for optoelectronic devices because itexhibits blue–green luminescence at room temperature(Matsumoto et al., 1994; Monguchi et al., 2000). Inview of technological importance of Si in microelec-tronic devices, integration of porous SiC with Si-baseddevices is desirable and attempts are being made tofabricate a porous 3C–SiC layer on Si by electrochemi-cal anodization (Monguchi et al., 2000). Positron an-nihilation techniques are known to be useful to studymicrostructure, pore surfaces in porous materials(Krause-Rehberg et al., 1999; Lathinen and Vehanen,1991). In this paper, we report results of positron an-nihilation Doppler broadening and lifetime measure-ments for porous 3C–SiC on Si produced by chemicalvapor deposition (CVD) and subsequent anodizationin a HF–ethanol solution.2. Experiment3C–SiC films with a thickness of ca. 1.2 mm weregrown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on n-typeSi substrates. Anodization was performed at a currentdensity of 100 mA/cm

Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia in pregnancy. Pregnant women with anemia are, in general, exclusively treated with iron supplementation. We observed that several pregnant women with anemia who were nonresponsive to iron supplementation also had vitamin B6 deficiency, and that anemia in these cases improved with the administration of vitamin B6. Our prospective study in healthy pregnant women showed that blood levels of iron, ferritin and vitamin B6, in particular, fell to the lower limit of the nonpregnant reference range by the third trimester. We conclude that it is important to take into account the deficiency of vitamin B6 besides iron in the evaluation of anemia during pregnancy.

Quasi-monochromatic gamma-ray beam produced with the laser-Compton scattering (LCS) in 1–40 MeV has been used for various scientific studies and industrial applications in the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). We briefly overview the recent research progress in AIST. Since the first observation of the LCS gamma-ray beam in 1984 at AIST, photon generation techniques have been studied and improved. A beamline dedicated for user experiments was installed in FY 2000, and has been used by many users since then. There are many research programs being carried out using the LCS beamline, such as nuclear and atomic physics studies, radiation detector calibration and non-destructive tests.

Objective: To determine the adequate site of activated coagulation time (ACT) measurement during continuous haemodiafiltration (CHDF) using nafamostat mesilate. Design: Prospective, consecutive, clinical study. Setting: An intensive care unit of a general hospital. Patients: Ten patients with acute organ failure including kidney, lung and liver, caused by sepsis after major surgery. Interventions: A CHDF circuit with a haemofilter made of polymethylmethacrylate membrane was primed with 50 mg nafamostat in 500 ml saline, and was started at a circuit flow rate of 100 ml/min. Continuous injection of 0.5 mg/kg per h nafamostat, 700 ml/h of dialysis fluid and 1000 ml/h of filtrate fluid was set. Measurements and results: The circuit pressure at the inlet and outlet of the circuit were monitored, and ACT was measured every 2 h at the site of nafamostat injection, outlet, patient's artery and inlet until 24 h. A value of standard deviation of ACT at each site was regarded as the variation value of ACT. The circuit pressure did not change significantly. The ACT did not change significantly at any measurement site. The variation value of ACT at the inlet of the circuit was significantly lower than that at the site of nafamostat injection. Conclusions: The ACT value at the inlet of the circuit may be adequate to monitor anticoagulation during CHDF using nafamostat.

We developed a Na-22 based pulsed slow positron beam system for depth-selective positron-annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. The use of high-efficiency moderator and high-compression beam bunchers enable practical measurements with using a relatively low activity positron source. An initial performance test showed timing resolution less than 250 ps and count rate of 1k counts/s with use of 0.5 GBq Na-22. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The present status of the NIJI-IV storage ring free-electron laser (SRFEL) in the visible and ultraviolet region, the design and preliminary experimental results of the generation of quasi-monochromatic X-ray beam by exploiting the laser Compton backscattering using an infrared FEL, and possible application of those beams are presented.

A crank-line antenna is investigated for use as a dual circular polarization element. The current distribution along the antenna is obtained using the method of moments, and the dimensions of the radiation cell are optimized for the crankline antenna to radiate a circularly polarized wave in the broadside direction. The theoretical frequency responses of the gain, axial ratio, VSWR, and input port isolation are presented. It is found that an input port isolation of more than 20dB is obtained over a 4% bandwidth.

The effects of parasitic elements on the voltage standing wave ratios (VSWR's) of two antennas are investigated. First, a parasitic monopole is used for a normal-mode helical antenna. The VSWR investigation shows that dual-frequency operation is obtained by the parasitic element effects. The dual-frequency operation is revealed as a function of monopole position above a ground plane (monopole height). As the monopole height decreases, the separation of a higher resonance frequency f/sub H/ from a lower resonance frequency f/sub L/ increases. For a monopole length of L/sub MP//spl ap/0.4/spl lambda//sub HX/, where /spl lambda//sub HX/ is the resonance wavelength of the helix, the frequency bandwidth for a VSWR=2 criterion is 12.5% in the lower frequency f/sub L/ region and 5.2% in the higher frequency f/sub H/ region, with a frequency separation ratio of f/sub H//f/sub L/=2.14. Secondly, L-figured parasitic elements are used for an inverted-F antenna (IFA). The parasitic elements improve the VSWR performance. The frequency bandwidth for a VSWR=2 criterion is approximately two times as wide as that of the single IFA. It is also found that bending the horizontal sections of the IFA and parasitic elements contributes to reducing the antenna size while not significantly deteriorating the VSWR bandwidth. The radiation patterns are also presented and discussed.

The radiation hardness of prototype CsI(Tl) crystals has been tested for the barrel electromagnetic calorimeter for the BELLE detector of the KEK B factory. Although samples made by one of the producers were found to be soft under irradiation, the problem was quickly improved when this information was fed back. All the tested crystals were found to meet our requirement. The light output was found to be almost uniform along a crystal, even when the front part was damaged by radiation. The damage causes a degradation of the attenuation length due to the formation of color centers; this conclusion was confirmed by a Monte Carlo ray-tracing study.

Behavior of surface and volume degradation in dielectric multilayer mirrors, manufactured with ion beam sputtering (IBS) and electron beam evaporation (EBE), was investigated in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelength range. It was found in the IBS mirrors that the saturation in volume degradation enabled us to use the mirrors for a long period, because the surface degradation, causing only the narrowing of the mirror bandwidth, proved not to contribute seriously to the mirror loss as far as the mirrors are used at their optimized wavelength. This will reduce the cavity-mirror degradation problem in relatively high-gain free-electron laser (FEL) system by carefully selecting the laser wavelength, although the wavelength tunability in FEL is limited to a certain extent. In the EBE mirrors, only the surface-type degradation was found and the evolution of the mirror degradation was different from that in IBS mirrors. The detail on the mirror degradation in IBS and EBE mirrors is shown in the text.