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BACKGROUND: Endocan was reported to affect breast cancer patients negatively and was able to be detected from patients' blood. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate if the measurement of blood endocan in breast cancer patients with high ESM1 expression could be an effective tool to detect postoperative recurrence compared with existing tumor markers. METHODS: Blood was collected before and after the tumor resection from the mouse models of breast cancer, and endocan levels were measured while visualizing metastatic recurrence with noninvasive luminescence imaging. In clinical settings, blood was withdrawn from 16 breast cancer patients before and after the tumor resection, and the effect of lumpectomy on blood endocan level was evaluated. Additionally, the blood endocan from 20 patients diagnosed with postoperative recurrence was measured, and their positivity rate for endocan was compared with that for serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) or cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3). RESULTS: Our preclinical and clinical experiments revealed that blood endocan levels reflected tumor burden. Furthermore, over 60% of patients suffering from postoperative recurrence who tested negative for CEA or CA15-3 were positive for endocan. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the clinical significance of endocan in breast cancer patients for detecting breast cancer recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We deposited amorphous indium gallium nitride (a-[In.sub.x][Ga.sub.1-x]N) films at room temperature by reactive radio frequency sputtering with GaN and InN targets and investigated the change of their properties from thermal annealing at annealing temperatures, [T.sub.a], below 200°C. A large change in the indium and nitrogen composition ratios was not observed by thermal annealing at a [T.sub.a] below 200°C. In the X-ray diffraction patterns of the films annealed at a [T.sub.a] below 200°C, no perceivable peaks assigned to crystalline [In.sub.x][Ga.sub.1-x]N were found. The photoconductivty, [σ.sub.p], increased with an increase in [T.sub.a]. On the other hand, the increase of the dark conductivity, [σ.sub.d], was very small with an increase in [T.sub.a] below 200°C. As a result, the photosensitivity, [σ.sub.p]/[σ.sub.d], increased from 252 to 2500 by thermal annealing at a [T.sub.a] of 200°C. PACS Nos.: 73.61.Ey, 61.43.Dq, 73.61.Jc. Nous deposons des films de nitrure de gallium indium amorphe (a-[In.sub.x][Ga.sub.1-x]N) a temperature de la piece par pulverization cathodique radio-frequence reactive sur des cibles de GaN et de InN et nous analysons le changement de leurs proprietes sous recuit thermique a temperature [T.sub.a] plus basse que 200°C. Nous n'observons pas de changement dans les rapports de composition de l'indium et de l'azote a des temperatures de recuit sous 200°C. Dans les patrons de diffraction X des films recuits sous 200°C, nous ne trouvons aucun pic assignable a du [In.sub.x][Ga.sub.1-x]N cristallin. La photoconductivite [σ.sub.p] augmente avec [T.sub.a]. D'un autre cote, la conductivite en obscurite [σ.sub.d] n'augmente que tres peu lorsque [T.sub.a] augmente sous les 200°C. Le resultat est que le rapport [σ.sub.p]/[σ.sub.d] augmente de 252 a 2500 lorsque [T.sub.a] augmente jusqu'il 200°C. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction In multijunction thin film solar cells, photoabsorption layer materials with various band gap energies are required. At present, the band gap energy of the photoabsorption layer materials used in [...]

'Sandwich-type' noncompetitive (immunometric) assays allow for high-sensitivity high-throughput macromolecule sensing and determination but cannot be used on small molecules (haptens). Here, we isolated single-chain Fv fragments from a phage-display library, which hound to complexes of particular haptens (vitamin D and A derivatives) with immobilized [beta]-cyclodextrin or [beta]-maltosyl residues, and formed ternary complexes. These scFvs enabled novel 'semisandwich-type' immunometric assays of haptens with nanomole-range sensitivities. 10.1021/ac100865p

Immunoassays for haptens depend on competitive hapten-anti-hapten reactions, and consequently their sensitivities are significantly influenced by the affinities of anti-hapten antibodies. Thus, genetically engineered antibodies, which have much higher affinities than native antibodies, should increase assay sensitivities. Here, we created a mutated single-chain Fv fragment (scFv) against estradiol-17[beta] ([E.sub.2]) that allowed immunoassays with a much improved sensitivity. Two steps of affinity maturation were performed on a 'wild-type' scFv (scFv#E4-4) composed Of [V.sub.H] and [V.sub.L] domains from a mouse anti-[E.sub.2] antibody (Ab#E4-4). First, we conducted complementarity-determining region (CDR)-targeted mutagenesis by 'CDR-shuffling'. Gene fragments encoding CDRs H2, H3, L1, and L3, each of which contained random point mutations, were combined by 'shuffling' into the gene encoding the scFv#E4-4 scaffold. After phage display and repeated panning, we isolated a mutated scFv clone [scFv#ml-e7; [Ile.sup.L29]Val] that had 5-fold higher affinity ([K.sub.a] = 2.6 x [10.sup.8] [M.sup.-1]) compared to the Ab#E4-4 Fab fragment (Fab#E4-4). Next, the entire [V.sub.H] and [V.sub.L] of this clone were randomly mutated by errorprone polymerase chain reaction (PCR). From this library, we found an improved clone, scFv#m2-c4 ([K.sub.a] = 6.3 x [10.sup.8] [M.sup.-1]; [Lys.sup.H19]Arg, [Tyr.sup.H56]Phe, [Ser.sup.H84]Pro, [Glu.sup.H85]Gly, [Gln.sup.L27]Arg, [Leu.sup.L36]Met, [Ser.sup.L63]Gly, and [Ser.sup.L77]Gly). ScFv#m2-c4 had more than 10-fold higher sensitivity (the midpoint of its dose--response curve was 0.56 ng) than Fab#E4-4 (midpoint 9.0 ng/assay) in a competitive [E.sub.2] radioimmunoassay, and even higher sensitivity [midpoint 21 pg/assay, and a limit of detection of 0.47 pg (1.7 fmol)/assay] in a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Crossreactivity with selected [E.sub.2]-related endogenous steroids strongly suggested that scFv#m2-c4 has improved specificity compared to conventional antibodies. 10.1021/ac902283n

To overcome the sensitivity limit in immunoassays for small molecules (haptens), we established a noncompetitive immunoenzymometric assay (IEMA) format that can detect attomole-range hapten molecules. We selected 11-deoxycorfisol (11-DC; [M.sub.r] 346.5), a corticosteroid serving a diagnostic index for pituitary--adrenal function, as a model target hapten. A fusion of a single-chain Fv fragment (scFv) specific for 11-DC and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was generated for use as an enzyme-labeled antibody, instead of the conventional chemically linked enzyme--antibody conjugates. After binding reaction of llDC and fixed amounts of the fusion protein (scFv--ALP), the unbound fusion protein was removed by incubation with a mouse [beta]-type anti-idiotype antibody recognizing the scFv paratope. These complexes were captured by magnetic separation using anti-mouse IgG antibody-coated magnetic beads. Following magnetic sedimentation of the beads, immune complexes of scFv-ALP and 11-DC remained in the supernatant were further purified by capture on microtiter plates with immobilized [alpha]-type antiidiotype antibody. As measured fluorometrically, ALP activity from bound immune complexes on the plates increased with increasing 11-DC, which is characteristic of a noncompetitive relationship. This IEMA afforded an extremely low detection limit (20 amol/assay), a very wide measurable range, and practical specificity. The plasma 11-DC levels determined for healthy subjects were validated as reliable.

In recent years, power systems have become larger and more complicated. Deregulation of electric power industries has begun in some countries, and power system operations have become more difficult. However, the stability of the power supply is the most important consideration for customers. Therefore, power system operators should consider not only economic load dispatch but also on-line stability aspects. In this paper, we pay attention to one of the most important transient stability indices [critical clearing time (CCT)] and propose a new transient stability preventive control method using linear relationships between CCTs and generator rotor angles. At first, CCT calculations, as contingency screenings, are carried out to find contingencies that have smaller CCTs than predefined target values. The target values are taken as larger values than the actual circuit breaker operating times in the power system. A preventive control to achieve a more stable power system operating point is carried out by generator output rescheduling and generator terminal voltage control, which are determined using the relationships between CCTs and generator rotor angles. This proposed method is demonstrated using a Japanese standard power system called the IEE of Japan (IEEJ) EAST 10 machine system. Index Terms--Critical clearing time, generator rotor angle, power system, preventive control, transient stability.