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Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the planned continuation of bevacizumab beyond first progression (BBP) in Japanese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).Methods: Previously untreated patients with assessable disease were treated with mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab until tumor progression, followed by FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab. The primary endpoint of the study was the second progression-free survival (2nd PFS), defined as duration from enrollment until progression after the second-line therapy. Secondary endpoints of the study were overall survival (OS), survival beyond first progression (SBP), progression-free survival (PFS), response rate (RR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety.Results: In the first-line setting, 47 patients treated with mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab achieved RR of 61.7 %, DCR of 89.4 %, and median PFS of 13.1 months (95 % CI, 8.7-17.5 months). Thirty-one patients went on to receive a second-line therapy with FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab and achieved RR of 27.6 %, DCR of 62.1 %, and median PFS of 7.3 months (95 % CI, 5.0-9.6 months). Median 2nd PFS was 18.0 months (95 % CI, 13.7-22.3 months). The median OS and SBP were 30.8 months (95 % CI, 27.6-34.0 months) and 19.6 months (95 % CI, 13.5-25.7 months), respectively. No critical events associated with bevacizumab were observed during the second-line therapy.Conclusion: The planned continuation of bevacizumab during a second-line treatment, BBP strategy, is feasible for the Japanese mCRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mg:C60 co-evaporation method has been performed to obtain fulleride of MgxC60 thin films for carrier doping. Atomic concentration of the film has been examined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to calibrate the composition ratio, and the results indicated that Mg concentration in the film was controlled well. Then, crystal structure of the Mg:C60 mixing film has been examined by using grazing incidence x-ray diffraction method. The diffraction patterns suggested that these films were microcrystalline MgxC60. Conductivity of the mixing films was increased as composition ratio of Mg increasing. It indicates that Mg atoms acted as carrier dopant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Excitation photon energy dependence of the relaxation processes of the photoexcited states in a quasi-one-dimensional halogenbridged platinum complex has been investigated by femto second transient absorption measurements. In a Pt complex, [Pt(en)2][Pt(en)2I2](SO4)2.6H2O (Pt-I-SO4), a photo-induced absorption (PA) band caused by self trapped excitons (STE’s) has been observed when the excitation photon energy is close to the peak energy, 1.44 eV, of the absorption band of the one photon allowed charge transfer (CT) exciton with odd parity. In addition, a long lived PA bands caused by charged solitons (CS’s) has been observed. The intensity of these long lived CS absorption band shows quadratic excitation power dependence. This shows that CS’s pairs are not generated from odd-CT-excitons but from the higher energy two photon excited states. When the excitation photon energy is close to a half of the of the even CT- exciton energy, 1.84 eV, PA bands caused by STE’s and CS’s have been observed. These states are generated from the two photon excited even CT-excitons. When the excitation photon energy is much higher than the energy of the odd CT-exciton, PA bands caused by CS’s and polarons have been observed. The intensities of these PA bands show linear excitation power dependences. Photo-generated free electron hole pairs are considered to relax into CS’s and polarons. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Transnasal ultrathin esophagogastroduodenoscopy (N-EGD) with less gagging reflexes under non-sedation is likely suitable for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), however, N-EGD might have drawbacks, including its low image resolution. Limited information is available regarding the diagnosability of N-EGD for GERD. We compared the utility and gagging reflexes of three different endoscopies, including N-EGD, ultrathin transoral EGD (UTO-EGD) and conventional oral EGD (CO-EGD), in the diagnosis of GERD. We performed screening endoscopy in 1580 patients (N-EGD n = 727, UTO-EGD n = 599, CO-EGD n = 254) and compared the frequency distributions of the severity of reflux esophagitis, hiatus hernia, and Barrett's epithelium to estimate the diagnostic performance of each endoscopy. We also analyzed patients' tolerability of endoscopy by the subjective evaluation of gagging reflexes. In the diagnosis of reflux esophagitis and Barrett's epithelium, there was no significant difference in the frequency distributions of the severity of the diseases among three EGDs. However, the incidence of Barrett's epithelium was higher than that in the previous nationwide survey of GERD in Japan. The evaluated size of hiatus hernia was smaller in N-EGD than in two other peroral endoscopies. The size of hiatus hernia correlated significantly with severity of gagging reflexes that was also lowest when diagnosed with N-EGD. N-EGD had an equivalent performance in the diagnosis of reflux esophagitis and Barrett's epithelium compared with CO-EGD. Enlargement of hiatus hernia induced by gagging reflexes was minimal in N-EGD, resulting in its better performance in the diagnosis of Barrett's epithelium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compression neuropathy of the common peroneal nerve (CPN) at the fibula head is a common condition, but it has not attracted attention in working environments. Here, we report a 38-year-old sewer pipe worker who presented with bilateral CPN palsy following 6 h working with a squatting posture in a narrow sewer pipe. During the work, he could not stretch his legs sufficiently because of the confined space. His symptoms deteriorated with repetition of the same work for 1 week. Motor nerve conduction study showed conduction block at the fibula head of bilateral CPNs, compatible with compression neuropathy at this lesion. Three months after cessation of work requiring the causative posture, his symptoms and neurophysiological abnormalities had resolved completely. Almost all seven of his co-workers presented transiently with similar and milder symptoms, although one showed CPN palsy for 6 months. Prolonged squatting posture in a confined space causes acute compression neuropathy at the fibula head in the CPN. More attention should be paid to 'confined space worker's compression neuropathy'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The jet-cooled Fourier-transform microwave spectrum of N-methylacetamide (CH3&z.sbnd;NH&z.sbnd;C(&z.dbnd6;O)&z.sbnd;CH3), a molecule containing two methyl tops with relatively low barriers to internal rotation, has been recorded and fit to nearly experimental uncertainty. Measurements were carried out between 10 and 26 GHz, with the nitrogen quadrupole splittings resolved for many transitions. The permutation-inversion group for this molecule is G18 (not isomorphic to any point group), with irreducible representations A1, A2, E1, E2, E3, and E4. One of these symmetry species and the usual three asymmetric rotor quantum numbers JKaKc were assigned to each torsion–rotation level involved in the observed transitions. F values were assigned to hyperfine components, where F=J+IN. Transitions involving levels of A1 and A2 species could be fit to an asymmetric rotor Hamiltonian. The other transitions were first fit separately for each symmetry species using a Pickett-like effective rotational Hamiltonian. Constants from these fits show a number of additive properties which can be correlated with sums and differences of effects involving the two tops. A final global fit to 48 molecular parameters for 839 hyperfine components of 216 torsion–rotation transitions involving 152 torsion–rotation levels was carried out using a newly written two-top computer program, giving a root-mean-square deviation of observed-minus-calculated residuals of 4 kHz. This program was written in the principal axis system of the molecule and uses a free-rotor basis set for each top, a symmetric-top basis set for the rotational functions, and a single-step diagonalization procedure. Such an approach requires quite long computation times, but it is much less prone to subtle programming errors (a consideration felt to be important since checking the new program against precise fits of low-barrier two-top molecules in the literature was not possible). The two internal rotation angles in this molecule correspond to the Ramachandran angles ψ and φ often defined to describe polypeptide folding. Barriers to internal rotation about these two angles were found to be 73 and 79 cm-1, respectively. Top–top coupling in both the kinetic and potential energy part of the Hamiltonian is relatively small in this molecule. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Line assignments were carried out for about 600 Fourier-transform microwave transitions for dimethyl methylphosphonate involving levels of all six symmetry species in the G18 molecular symmetry group appropriate for three large-amplitude motions and covering J and K values of 1⩽J⩽6 and 0⩽|K|⩽3. The assignments are based on combination–difference loops, variations in line shape for different symmetry species caused by the small internal-rotor splitting patterns of the third, high-barrier methyl top, and agreement with theoretically expected positions. A global fit of 609 lines to a phenomenological tunneling–rotational Hamiltonian with 54 constants was performed, yielding a standard deviation of 8.0 kHz, which is close to the experimental measurement uncertainty. The A/E tunneling splitting for the lowest barrier methyl group internal rotation motion was determined indirectly to be about 34 GHz. The much smaller tunneling splitting for the methoxy interchange motion was determined (with some assumptions) to be 3.3 MHz. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Eye movements in smooth and pathological (saccadic and ataxic) pursuit patterns were separated by the use of the inverse fast Fourier transform. Results showed that the smooth component was significantly smaller while the saccadic component was significantly greater in the pathological pursuit patterns than in the smooth pursuit pattern. In addition, the smooth and saccadic components showed a linear relationship. These findings give some support to the threshold theory in explaining the relationship between smooth pursuit and saccades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]