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A developing supercritical collisionless shock propagating in a homogeneously magnetized plasma of ambient gas origin having higher uniformity than the previous experiments is formed by using high-power laser experiment. The ambient plasma is not contaminated by the plasma produced in the early time after the laser shot. While the observed developing shock does not have stationary downstream structure, it possesses some characteristics of a magnetized supercritical shock, which are supported by a one-dimensional full particle-in-cell simulation taking the effect of finite time of laser-target interaction into account., 7 pages, 6 fitures

[Background] A multidisciplinary approach based on guidelines and pathological diagnosis by specialized pathologists are important for improving the prognosis and QoL of GIST patients. This study examined the adherence to the guidelines and the concordance of the pathological diagnosis of high-risk GISTs. [Patients and methods] Among 541 patients with high-risk GISTs recruited to the prospective registry between Dec. 2012 and Dec. 2015, 534 patients were analyzed after central pathology with KIT and DOG1 IHC and genotyping of KIT and PDGFRA. [Results] Of the 534 patients, 432 (81%) received imatinib adjuvant therapy at a starting dose of 400 or 300 mg/day. Multivariate analysis indicated that age (HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.58–0.88), tumor size (HR for > 10 cm vs 10 vs

BackgroundThe paradigm shift has caused in the treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) before the last decade [1]. The advent of high-dose MTX and biologics has maked it possible to treat RA with early and aggressive therapy, and prevent the joint destruction [2].ObjectivesTo aim of this study, we investigated the joint destruction and clinical outcomes in patients with early RA every 5 years in the last decade.Methods81 patients with early RA (within 1 year from their onset of RA) enrolled retrospectively in this study. The number of patients with early RA were 21 in 2009, 23 in 2014, and 37 in 2019, respectively. They had 17 males and 64 females. Mean age was 59 years (19-92) at the first visit to our department. The following items were investigated: age, disease duration from onset to consultation, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) positivity (positivity was defined as >4.5 U/ml), CRP, DAS28CRP4, medications, and modified total sharp score (mTSS) at the time of initial consultation and 1 year later. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for statistics (PASW 25 software, SPSS Institute Inc., Chicago, IL, USA, pResultsThe ACPA positivity rates were 71.4% (15/21) in 2009, 78.3% (18/21) in 2014, and 78.4% (29/37) in 2019, respectively. The mean value of DAS28CRP4 was 4.7 (2.4-6.8) in 2009, 4.2 (1.2-6.2) in 2014, and 4.2 (2.1-6.7) in 2019 at the time of the first visit to our department respectively. DAS28CRP4 under 2.6 was 29% (6/21) in 2009, 61% (14/23) in 2014, and 54% (20/37) in 2019 1 year after the first visit. The mean improvement of DAS28CRP4 (ΔDAS28CRP4) was -1.2 (-3.9 - 2.1) in 2009, -1.5 (-4.0 - 1.7) in 2014, and -1.7 (-4.1 - 0.4) in 2019, respectively. It had tended to improve gradually, however, it was not significantly different (p= 0.20, Figure 1).Figure 1.Mean value of improvement of mTSS and DAS28CRP4 (ΔmTSS and ΔDAS28CRP4) from initial visit to 1 year later at 2009, 2014 and 2019.The changing of mTSS for a year (ΔmTSS) was 4.2 (0-17) in 2009, 0.9 (0-10) in 2014, and 0.6 (0-4) in 2019, respectivly. ΔmTSS in 2014 and 2019 was significantly lower compared to that in 2009 (pOne year after the first visit to our department, the mean dose of MTX increased to 9.2 mg/week (2-14) in 2014 and 8.7 mg/week (4-16) in 2019 compared to 6.6 mg/week (2-8) in 2009 (p=0.19). The mean dose of PSL decreased 4.2 mg/day (1-8) in 2014, and 3.8 mg/day (1-10) in 2019 compared to 4.9 mg/day (2-10) in 2009, respectively (p=0.11). On the other hand, biological DMARDs were introduced in 24% (5/21) in 2009, 13% (3/23) in 2014, and 13% (1/37) in 2019, respectively.ConclusionJonit destruction has been already reported to begin in patients with early-stage of RA [1, 2]. Based on the results of this study, joint desctruction in early RA was decreased in the last decade, because of more early and aggressive therapy for early RA with increasing mean dose of MTX gradually, not biologic DMARDs in real world. In addition, the mean dose of PSL in 2014 and 2019 decreased compared to that in 2009. The intensive therapy for early RA at our hospital has shown the improvement of joint destruction in the last decade.References[1]Emery P, Breedveld FC, Dougados M, et al. Early referral recommendation for newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis: evidence based development of a clinical guide. Ann Rheum Dis 2002;61:290–297.[2]Smolen JS, Landewé RBM, Bijlsma JWJ, et al. EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis with synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: 2019 update. Ann Rheum Dis 2020;79:685-699.Disclosure of InterestsNone declared

BackgroundThe pharmacotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has changed dramatically and caused a paradigm shift with the advent of methotrexate (MTX) and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs).Before the paradigm shift of RA therapy, the frequency of carpal collapse was high in patients with RA.It has been reported that certain numbers of patients with RA rapidly advance the destruction of the carpal bones during the early onset in the natural course of it [1].Another report showed that hand function was positively correlated with disease activity[2]In Japan, bDMARDs were approved in 2003, and the maximum allowable dose of MTX was raised from 8 mg/week to 12 mg/week in 2012.We hypothesize early aggressive therapy for the patients with early RA may have improved outcomes of carpal bone destruction in this last decade.In this study, we investigated the change of drug therapy and carpal height ratio (CHR) in patients with early RA in the last decade.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate CHR and drugs for the patients with early RA who developed it and started the therapy in 2009, 2014, and 2019.MethodsPatients with early RA diagnosed in our department in 2009, 2014, and 2019 were included in the study.The CHR was measured at the first visit and two years later on radiographs of both hands.The drug history for RA was obtained in the medical records retrospectively.All statistical analyses were performed with EZR version 1.55.ResultsThis study included 43 cases (36 females, 7 males). The number of cases in 2009, 2014, and 2019 was 16, 13, and 14, respectively.The mean age at the time of initial examination was 55 years (30-72).There was no significant difference in the mean value of DAS28-CRP at the time of the first visit in each year.The left hand CHR of initial diagnosis was 0.554 (0.484-0.632), 0.551 (0.490-0.618), and 0.567 (0.517-0.632) in 2009, 2014, and 2019, respectively, with no significant difference.Two years later, the left-hand CHR was 0.541 (0.475-0.651), 0.549 (0.502-0.617), and 0.562 (0.528-0.591), respectively, with no significant difference.There was also no significant difference in the amount of change.The right hand CHR of initial diagnosis was 0.525 (0.475-0.607), 0.539 (0.459-0.589), and 0.557 (0.506-0.635) in 2009, 2014, and 2019, respectively, with no significant difference.Two years later, the right-hand CHR was 0.532 (0.444-0.627), 0.529 (0.478-0.588), and 0.548 (0.491-0.593), respectively, with no significant difference.There was also no significant difference in the amount of change.The DAS28-CRP of initial diagnosis for cases in 2009, 2014, and 2019 was 4.68 (3.11-6.83), 4.19 (1.21-6.15), and 4.23 (2.41-6.38), respectively.The DAS28-CRP at 2 years after treatment for cases in 2009, 2014, and 2019 was 2.12 (0.96-3.60), 2.25 (1.13-4.81), and 2.04 (0.99-3.45), respectively.Although DAS28-CRP was improved, there was no significance among the three groups.The usage rate of MTX was 56.3% in 2009, 76.9% in 2014, and 50% in 2019, with mean doses of 6.2 mg (2-8 mg), 8.6 mg (4-12 mg), and 9.1 mg (4-16 mg), respectively. There was no significant difference in the rate and dosage of MTX use in each year.bDMARDs were used in one case in 2009, two cases in 2014, and one case in 2019.ConclusionIn this study, DAS28-CRP showed a trend of improvement in this decade, but there was no obvious improvement in the progression of carpal collapse.Further early aggressive therapy may be necessary to prevent the destruction of the carpal bones.References[1]Ochi T, Iwase R, Yonemasu K, Matsukawa M, Yoneda M, Yukioka M, et al. Natural course of joint destruction and fluctuation of serum C1q levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis and rheumatism. 1988 Jan; 31(1):37-43.[2]Palamar D, Er G, Terlemez R, Ustun I, Can G, Saridogan M. Disease activity, handgrip strengths, and hand dexterity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical rheumatology. 2017; 36(10):2201-2208.Disclosure of InterestsNone declared

Background Blood pressure (BP) variability has reportedly been a risk factor for various clinical events. To clarify the influence of BP visit‐to‐visit variability on adverse events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, a post hoc analysis of the J‐RHYTHM Registry was performed. Methods and Results Of 7406 outpatients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation from 158 institutions, 7226 (age, 69.7±9.9 years; men, 70.7%), in whom BP was measured 4 times or more (14.6±5.0 times) during the 2‐year follow‐up period or until occurrence of an event, constituted the study group. SD and coefficient of variation of BP values were calculated as BP variability. Thromboembolism, major hemorrhage, and all‐cause death occurred in 110 (1.5%), 121 (1.7%), and 168 (2.3%) patients, respectively. When patients were divided into quartiles of systolic BP‐SD (P =0.015 for thromboembolism; HR, 2.60, 95% CI, 1.36–4.97, P =0.004 for major hemorrhage; and HR, 1.85, 95% CI, 1.11–3.07, P =0.018 for all‐cause death) after adjusting for components of the CHA 2 DS 2 ‐VASc score, warfarin and antiplatelet use, atrial fibrillation type, BP measurement times, and others. These findings were consistent when BP‐coefficient of variation was used instead of BP‐SD. Conclusions Systolic BP visit‐to‐visit variability was significantly associated with all adverse events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Further studies are needed to clarify the causality between BP variability and adverse outcomes in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Registration URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ ; Unique Identifier: UMIN000001569.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of neutron (n) irradiation on hydrogen isotope transport in tungsten (W). W samples were irradiated with neutrons in a fission reactor and then exposed to high flux deuterium (D) plasma at 563 K in a linear plasma device. The fraction of D release increased with increasing exposure time. In addition, the D retention in n-irradiated W increased in proportion to the square root of the plasma exposure time. These observations were explained by increase in the penetration depth of D with filling up displacement damages acting as strong trapping sites.

The recent increasing demand for magnetic materials for applications such as electric motors in electric vehicles, as well as issues with restrictions to the supply of certain rare-earth elements, has led to renewed interest in SmFe-based alloys. The SmFe12-type crystal structure is especially desirable due to its high saturation magnetisation, but it is difficult to obtain this metastable phase on its own. Co, Zr, and Ti substitutions have been found to improve the magnetic properties and stabilise the hard magnetic Sm1Fe11Ti1 phase, while melt spinning and the hydrogenation disproportionation desorption recombination (HDDR) process have been found to produce fine grain size, and thus high coercivity. Therefore, in this work the effect of Co and Zr content on the magnetic properties of melt-spun and HDDR processed ( Sm 1 - x Zr x )( Fe 1 - y Co y )11.2Ti0.8 samples has been examined, where 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.3 and 0 ⩽ y ⩽ 0.25. Melt-spun, HD, and DR samples were analysed to determine the effect of varying the Co or Zr content. Amorphous Sm1Fe11Ti1 phase was found in all melt-spun samples. Co was found to exist in equal amounts in the α -(Fe, Co) and (Fe, Co)2(Ti, Zr) phases in the HD treated samples, while Zr existed mostly within the (Fe, Co)2(Ti, Zr) phase. The crystal size of the α -Fe or α -(Fe, Co) phase was shown to increase with increasing Co content but decreased with increasing Zr content. Increasing Co content generally improved M r and M s in the DR treated samples, whereas increasing Zr content was generally detrimental to M r , M s , and H cj . However, each sample had a different fraction of the Sm1Fe11Ti1 phase, and higher Sm1Fe11Ti1 phase fractions were found to increase the M r , M s , and H cj . Values of M r , M s , and H cj corrected for the fraction of Sm1Fe11Ti1 phase were highest in the (Sm0.8Zr0.2)(Fe0.8Co0.2)11.2Ti0.8 sample. This composition should be investigated further to determine if superior magnetic properties can be produced, by optimising the DR treatment conditions to obtain 100 % Sm1Fe11Ti1 phase.

Background:An all-case post marketing surveillance (PMS) of baricitinib (Bari), that started in Sep 2017, collects safety and effectiveness for the first 24 wks of treatment and continues to collect serious adverse events (SAEs) for 3 yrs.Objectives:To evaluate Bari safety in RA patients (pt) in clinical practice.Methods:We report pt baseline demographics and adverse events (AEs) up to 24 wks for pts whose case report files for 24-wk data were completed as of Jun 2020.Results:Data from 3445 pts were analyzed (females=80%, mean age=64yr, mean RA duration 12yr). Bari dose regimen was as follows: 4mg, 60%, 2mg, 27%, 4mg→2mg, 5%, 2mg→4mg, 5%, and others, 2%. Concomitant use of MTX and glucocorticoid was 65% and 48%, respectively. 74% continued treatment for 24 wks. AE and SAE were recognized in 887 (26%) and 122 pts (4%), respectively. 6 pts died of pneumonia, aspiration pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, cerebral infarction/ILD/aspiration pneumonia, adenocarcinoma, and colorectal cancer. Major AEs were as follows: herpes zoster=3%, liver dysfunction=3%, serious infection=1%, anemia=1%, hyperlipidemia=1%, malignancy=0.3%, interstitial pneumonia=0.2%, MACE=0.1%, and VTE=0.1%.Conclusion:Data do not show new safety concerns and encourage guideline-compliant use of Bari.Disclosure of Interests:Takao Fujii Speakers bureau: Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.; Eisai Co. Ltd; Eli Lilly Japan K.K.; Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.; Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Consultant of: Asahikasei Pharma Corp, Grant/research support from: Asahikasei Pharma Corp; AbbVie Japan GK; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Eisai Co. Ltd; Eli Lilly Japan K.K.; Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma Co.; Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tatsuya Atsumi Speakers bureau: AbbVie Japan GK; Astellas Pharma Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. Ltd; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.; Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd.; Eisai Co. Ltd.; Eli Lilly Japan K.K.; Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co.; Pfizer Japan Inc.; Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., UCB Japan Co. Ltd., Consultant of: AbbVie Japan GK; AstraZeneca plc.; Boehringer Ingelheim Co. Ltd.; Medical & Biological Laboratories Co. Ltd.; Novartis Pharma K.K.; Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.; Pfizer Japan Inc., Grant/research support from: Astellas Pharma Inc., Alexion Inc.; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.Pfizer Japan Inc.; Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Nami Okamoto Speakers bureau: AbbVie Japan GK; Asahikasei Pharma Co.; AYUMI Pharmaceutical Co.Eisai Co. Ltd; Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. Ltd.; Eli Lilly Japan K.K.; Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma Co.; Pfizer Japan Inc.Sanofi K.K.; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.; Novartis Pharma Co.; Teijin Pharma Ltd.; Torii Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Nobunori Takahashi Speakers bureau: AbbVie Japan GK; Eisai Co. Ltd.; Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co.; Pfizer Japan Inc.; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Eli Lilly Japan K.K.; Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.; UCB Japan Co. Ltd.; Astellas Pharma Inc.; Bristol Myers Squibb Co. Ltd., Grant/research support from: Bristol Myers Squibb Co. Ltd., Naoto Tamura Speakers bureau: AbbVie Japan GK; Bristol Myers Squibb Co. Ltd.; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.; Eisai Co. Ltd.; Eli Lilly Japan K.K.; Glaxo Smith Kline K.K.; Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.; Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma Co.; Novartis Pharma Co., Atsuo Nakajima: None declared, Ayako Nakajima Speakers bureau: AbbVie Japan GK; Actelion Pharmaceuticals Japan Ltd., Asahi Kasei Pharma Co., Astellas Pharma Inc., Ayumi Pharmaceutical Co., Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Ltd.,Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Glaxo Smith Kline K.K., Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co. Inc., Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Pfizer Japan Inc., Teijin Pharma Ltd., Grant/research support from: Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Pfizer Japan Inc., Hiroaki Matsuno Speakers bureau: Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Consultant of: Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Grant/research support from: Astellas Pharma Inc., Eli Lilly Japan K.K.; Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K, Naoto Tsujimoto Shareholder of: Eli Lilly, Employee of: Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Atsushi Nishikawa Shareholder of: Eli Lilly, Employee of: Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Taeko Ishii Shareholder of: Eli Lilly, Employee of: Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Tsutomu Takeuchi Speakers bureau: AbbVie Japan GK, Ayumi Pharmaceutical Co., Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Ltd., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd. Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Eisai Co., Ltd. Eli Lilly Japan K.K.; Gilead Sciences, Inc. Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.; Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma Co.; Novartis Pharma Co.; Pfizer Japan Inc.; Sanofi K.K.; UCB Japan Co., Ltd., Consultant of: AbbVie Japan GK, Astellas Pharma, Inc.; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd.; Eli Lilly Japan K.K.; Eisai Co., Ltd.; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.; Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma Corp., Pfizer Japan Inc., Grant/research support from: AbbVie Japan GK, Asahikasei Pharma Corp., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd., DNA Chip Research Inc.; Eisai Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K.; Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma Corp., UCB Japan Co., Ltd., Masataka Kuwana Speakers bureau: AbbVie Japan GK, Astellas Pharma Inc., Asahi Kasei Pharma Co., Boehringer-Ingelheim, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd., Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Medical &Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd.; Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co.; Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd.; Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Pfizer Japan Inc., Consultant of: Boehringer-Ingelheim, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc.; Medical &Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd.; Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Grant/research support from: Boehringer-Ingelheim, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd., Medical &Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd; Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Michiaki Takagi Speakers bureau: Yes, but sponsored lectures without COI in the academic meetings, only.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a quinic acid conjugate of caffeic acid, and a phytochemical found in many fruits and beverages that acts as an antioxidant. The present study investigated the effects of CGA supplementation during in vitro maturation, on in vitro development of porcine oocytes, in order to improve the porcine in vitro production (IVP) system. Oocytes were matured either without (control) or with CGA (10, 50, 100, and 200 µM). Subsequently, the matured oocytes were fertilised, and cultured in vitro for 7 d. The rates of maturation, fertilisation, and blastocyst formation of oocytes matured with 50 µM CGA was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of the control oocytes. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is one of the reactive oxygen species and induces DNA damage in porcine oocytes. When oocytes were matured with 1 mM H2O2 to assess the protective effect of CGA, 50 µM CGA supplementation improved the maturation rate and the proportion of DNA-fragmented nuclei in oocytes compared with control oocytes matured without CGA. Moreover, when oocytes were matured with either 50 µM CGA (control) or caffeic acid (10, 50, and 100 µM), the rates of maturation, fertilisation, and the blastocyst formation of oocytes matured with 50 µM CGA were similar to those of oocytes matured with 10 and 50 µM caffeic acid. Our results suggest that CGA has comparable effects to caffeic acid, and in vitro maturation with 50 µM CGA is particularly beneficial to in vitro production of porcine embryos and protects oocytes from DNA damage induced by oxidative stress. Supplementation of CGA to the maturation medium has a potential to improve porcine IVP system.

Repeat-breeder (RB) cows are a major source of economic waste due to their decreased fertility. Embryo transfer (ET) is an alternative tool to improve the fertility of RB cows. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the effects of recipient parity and the season on pregnancy rates following ET in RB Japanese Black beef cattle. Embryos were transferred nonsurgically to recipients, consisting of 155 heifers (

We have implemented laser Thomson scattering for local plasma measurement of electron and ion temperatures, electron density, flow velocity, and charge state. The electron density increases by two times in the interaction of two plasma flows, indicating collisionless interaction. The density and velocity show fluctuations only at t = 40 ns, and the density suddenly decreases, indicating the plasma ejection from the interaction region, which can be explained by a magnetic reconnection. The electron temperature in the double-flow is larger than that in the single flow. This may be explained by the energy transfer from the plasma kinetic energy to thermal energy. The ion temperature is much larger than electron temperature in the double-flow, and this may be explained by collisional effects between two plasmas, and/or possibly interpreted as a thermalization due to magnetic reconnection.

Chemotherapy is among the standard treatments for esophageal cancer. The docetaxel, 5-fluorouracil, and cisplatin (DCF) protocol yields a better response rate than 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin. However, the incidence of side effects, such as febrile neutropenia and hematologic toxicity, is also significantly high with the DCF protocol. The granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and pegfilgrastim are prophylactically administered to prevent febrile neutropenia. This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of pegfilgrastim in patients receiving DCF therapy. Of the 65 patients who were administered DCF therapy in our hospital from 2011 through 2016, 21 received pegfilgrastim 24 hours or more after the end of chemotherapy. The protocol comprised 70 mg/m2 each of docetaxel and cisplatin on day 1 and 700 mg/m2 5-fluorouracil on days 1 to 5 via intravenous injection in a 3-week cycle. The primary endpoint was the rate of grade 3-4 neutropenia and febrile neutropenia. The mean patient age was 66.4 years. The incidence of grade 3 and 4 neutropenia was 14.2 % and 11.4 %, respectively, in the pegfilgrastim group and 31.9 % and 37.8 %, respectively, in the non-pegfilgrastim group. The incidence of febrile neutropenia in the pegfilgrastim group and non-pegfilgrastim group was 11.4 % and 40.3 %, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the incidence of neutropenia and febrile neutropenia was significantly different (p0.05) between the two groups. Pegfilgrastim prevents severe neutropenia and febrile neutropenia in patients with esophageal cancer who are treated according to the DCF protocol.

Aims To determine differences in predictors of albuminuria and decreased estimated GFR in Japanese people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus without chronic kidney disease. Methods This single‐centre observational cohort study involved 1802 Japanese people with Type 2 diabetes with normoalbuminuria and estimated GFR ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (740 women; mean ± sd age 58 ± 12 years). Two separate outcomes were evaluated: onset of albuminuria ( ≥ 30 mg/g creatinine, albuminuria cohort; n = 1655) and decrease in estimated GFR (, What's new? This was a cohort study showing differences in risk factors for the onset of albuminuria and decreased estimated GFR (

Background: This study aimed to determine whether combination S-1 plus cisplatin (CDDP) therapy, the most widely used therapy for Japanese patients with advanced gastric cancer, and the novel oral antiangiogenic agent TSU-68 could contribute to gastric cancer treatment. Methods: Ninety-three patients with chemotherapy-naïve unresectable or recurrent advanced gastric cancers were randomised into two groups: TSU-68 plus S-1/CDDP (group A) and S-1/CDDP (group B) groups. Both patient groups received identical S-1 and CDDP dosages. TSU-68 was orally administered for 35 consecutive days. Group B patients received S-1 orally twice daily for three consecutive weeks, followed by intravenous CDDP on day 8. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Median PFS periods were 208 and 213 days in groups A and B, respectively (P=0.427). Median survival periods for groups A and B were 497.0 and 463.5 days, respectively (P=0.219). No statistically significant differences were noted for PFS, survival or the adverse event (AE) incidence rate. All AEs were expected according to previous reports for TSU-68, TS-1, and CDDP. Conclusion: Combination therapy involving TSU-68, S-1, and CDDP was safe and well tolerated in patients with chemotherapy-naïve unresectable or recurrent advanced gastric cancers. However, factors related to therapeutic efficacy should be investigated further.

The effect of crystallographic orientation on the morphology change of tungsten (W) has been investigated in the linear plasma device, NAGDIS-I by exposing high density helium plasma to ITER grade W. After helium plasma exposure, the surface of specimens was analyzed by scanning electron microscope and orientation imaging microscope. The internal structure was analyzed with transmission electron microscope after the sample was milled by focused ion beam procedure. A clear difference in the surface morphology was observed on different crystal grains. Regular wavy structure were observed on crystal grains of {0 0 1}, {1 1 2}, {1 0 1}, and {1 1 1} surface, but there were no clear wavy structure on the crystal grains of {1 0 3}, {1 0 2}, {4 0 7} and {2 0 3}. The experimental results indicate that the angle between a slip face and face of each grains are important to determine the helium induced surface morphology change of tungsten.

Deuterium retention in isotropic graphite (ETU-10) was investigated by using nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) under high flux steady state plasma exposure, relevant to divertor plasma conditions. The sample temperature was controlled precisely from 350 K to 550 K with a step of 50 K by using air cooling and electron heating. The sample was irradiated by deuterium plasma at three different fluxes up to 1.0 × 10 18 cm −2 s −1 with the incident ion energy of 33 eV. As the result, dynamic retention was clearly observed. The dynamic retention decreased with the sample temperature and increased with the plasma flux (at the flux of 1.0 × 10 18 cm −2 s −1 , dynamic retention was 8.8 × 10 16 cm −2 at 350 K and 3.5 × 10 16 cm −2 at 550 K). However, a fraction of the dynamic retention normalized by total retention for each sample temperature remained constant. Furthermore, the sample temperature dependence of release time was observed (48–84 ms).

A neutron generator is developed using 1-mm-diam spherical deuterated polystyrene targets on a rotating disk irradiated with an ultrahigh-intensity (>1018 W/cm2) diode-pumped laser. It consists of ...

Deuterium atomic density in the divertor region of fusion reactors is an important parameter. In this study, atomic density is estimated in the divertor simulator NAGDIS-T by use of an absorption effect of Lyman-β, of which the wavelength is in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV). The calibration of the spectrometer in the VUV wavelength was performed by using a branching ratio method. The intensity ratio of Lyman-β to Balmer-α significantly decreased in detached plasmas because of radiation trapping. The atomic density was estimated by use of self-absorption effect. © 2012 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Background To clarify the influence of hypertension and blood pressure ( BP ) control on thromboembolism and major hemorrhage in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, a post hoc analysis of the J‐ RHYTHM Registry was performed. Methods and Results A consecutive series of outpatients with atrial fibrillation was enrolled from 158 institutions. Of 7937 patients, 7406 with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (70.8% men, 69.8±10.0 years) were followed for 2 years or until an event occurred. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg, a diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg, a history of hypertension, and/or antihypertensive drug use. Hypertension was an independent risk factor for major hemorrhage (hazard ratio 1.52, 95% CI 1.05–2.21, P =0.027) but not for thromboembolism (hazard ratio 1.05, 95% CI 0.73–1.52, P =0.787). When patients were divided into quartiles according to their systolic BP at the time closest to the event or at the end of follow‐up (Q1, CI 1.75–4.74, P CI 1.02–2.53, P =0.041) after adjustment for components of CHA 2 DS 2 ‐ VAS c score, warfarin use, and antiplatelet use. A systolic BP of ≥136 mm Hg was an independent risk factor for thromboembolism and major hemorrhage. Conclusions BP control appears to be more important than a history of hypertension and baseline BP values at preventing thromboembolism and major hemorrhage in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Clinical Trial Registration URL : http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr . Unique identifier: UMIN 000001569.

Radiologists often encounter intraosseous tumors of the calvarium. Compared with parenchymal lesions, information is limited. In this review, we list the calvarial tumors and correlate the radiologic appearance with the pathologic findings. We discuss primary intraosseous tumors and tumor secondary to systemic disease as well as metastatic malignant tumor. Differentiation between primary tumors and tumors secondary to systemic disease can be difficult. Physicians should explore the systematic disease. In the case of primary tumors, it is important to verify any soft-tissue component since this is an important differential diagnostic feature with the potential for malignant transformation.

The influence of graft site on the survival of canine follicles and oocytes after autografting was investigated. Hemi-ovaries were autografted to three locations (quadriceps femoris muscle fascia, kidney capsule, and gastrosplenic ligament), and grafted ovaries were recovered (under anesthesia) 28 to 31 d after transplantation. The grafted hemi-ovaries were bisected: one-quarter ovary was used for histological assessment and another quarter for evaluation of oocyte viability. As controls, the remaining fresh hemi-ovaries were used to assess the viability of follicles and oocytes in non-transplanted ovaries. Most follicles in the histological sections of the grafts were classified as primordial or primary follicles. Antral follicles were not observed in the grafts, irrespective of the graft site. The percentages of viable follicles in the sections from control ovaries, and the ovaries grafted to the kidney capsule, the quadriceps femoris muscle fascia, and the gastrosplenic ligament were 17.4, 22.9, 18.3, and 32.4%, respectively. A total of 12 oocytes was recovered from the 15 hemi-ovaries grafted in five bitches, of which five (41.7%) oocytes from the ovaries grafted to the quadriceps femoris muscle fascia and the kidney capsule were cultured for assessment of meiotic competence. Three oocytes were viable but remained in the germinal vesicle stage after 72 h of maturation culture. The quadriceps femoris muscle fascia might be useful for grafting like the kidney capsule, but improvement of follicle survival and meiotic competence of oocytes in the grafts is necessary.

Background: The pathogenesis of breast cancer in very elderly women is of interest, because estrogen levels are likely to be extremely low during the development of the disease. Estrogens have opposing effects on the pathogenesis of breast cancer and osteoporosis. In an effort to understand the significance of estrogens in the pathogenesis of breast cancer in this group, we examined the association between breast cancer and osteoporosis in women at least 85 years old, taking body mass index (BMI) and hormone receptors status into consideration. Methods:Clinical records of consecutive elderly women (≥ 85 y/o) who underwent breast cancer surgery at Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital (BC) and control women of the same age group (Cont) were reviewed; osteoporosis and BMI status in both groups were recorded and compared. The status of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) of breast cancers was examined immunohistochemically and compared between BC with and without osteoporosis (BC-OP and BC-nonOP, respectively). Results:Frequency of osteoporosis was significantly lower among BC than Cont. There was no difference in BMI measured after 85 y/o between BC and Cont; however, percentage of women, whose BMI measured when they were in their sixties or seventies was ≥ 20% higher than BMI measured when they were 85 y/o or older, was significantly higher among BC than Cont (31% and 2%, respectively. P = 0.0001). ER positivity of breast cancer did not differ between BC-OP and BC-nonOP, whereas PR positivity was significantly higher among BC-nonOP than BC-OP (P = 0.0359). Discussion: The inverse relationship between the incidence of breast cancer and osteoporosis suggests an important role for estrogens in the pathogenesis of breast cancer in the very elderly women. Our finding that one third of BC had ≥ 20% higher BMI when they were in their sixties or seventies suggests they may also had elevated serum estrogens during these earlier years, because increased BMI has been reported to be associated with increased serum estrogens in postmenopausal women. Expression of PR is regulated by estrogen-ER signaling, and PR positivity is considered to reflect the effectiveness of estrogen-ER pathway. Significant difference of PR positivity between BC-nonOP and BC-OP suggests the more importance of estrogens in BC-nonOP than BC-OP. Conclusion:Estrogens seem to play an important role in the pathogenesis of breast cancers in very elderly women, especially without osteoporosis. With increasing aging population in developed countries, those findings may have implications for breast cancer prevention in this age group. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-17-04.

In order to investigate the morphology change of tungsten due to helium plasma exposure, tungsten (W) materials fabricated in different processes, ITER grade W, ultra-fine grained W (W–0.8TiC), and powder metallurgy W after helium plasma exposure were observed by scanning electron microscope. In all the three cases, pin-holes are observed on the surface; moreover, the non-uniformity of the formation of helium bubbles and fiberform nanostructure was observed on ITER grade W. From the detailed analysis of the crystal orientation with the help of focused ion beam method (FIB) indicates that the initial growth of the nanobubbles may be slow on the (1 1 0) face of tungsten.

This study reports about follicular development on the surface of canine ovarian tissue after autografting under the fascia of the thoracolumbar muscle and about meiotic resumption of follicle-derived oocyte after maturation culture. After ovarian excision from a bitch, each ovary of the pairs was cut approximately into half. The hemi-ovaries were transplanted into the bitch of origin at three different body sites (under the fascia of the quadriceps femoris muscle and the thoracolumbar muscle, and in the deltoid muscle in the scapular region). All grafted ovaries were recovered from the bitch at 35 days post-transplantation. A visible antral follicle was observed on the surface of the ovary grafted under the thoracolumbar fascia. Histological examination revealed viable follicles at different stages of development irrespective of graft site. Most granulosa cells in the follicles at different stages of development expressed proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). A total of three oocytes were collected from an ovary grafted under the fascia of the thoracolumbar muscle, wherein an oocyte reached metaphase I after maturation culture. This is the first report to demonstrate follicular development and meiotic resumption of oocytes recovered from autografted canine ovarian tissues.

Background and Purpose— The purpose of this study was to evaluate further the efficacy of 0.6 mg/kg intravenous alteplase on vascular and clinical outcomes in patients with middle cerebral artery occlusion in a postmarketing Phase IV trial of prospective cohort study design. Methods— Alteplase was given intravenously at 0.6 mg/kg to patients with ischemic stroke within 3 hours of onset with MR angiography-documented middle cerebral artery occlusion. Vascular outcome was evaluated by MR angiography at 6 and 24 hours after symptom onset based on the modified Mori grade. The primary end points also included a favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0 to 1 at 3 months after onset) and incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 36 hours after treatment. The impact of recanalization on clinical outcome was assessed by stepwise logistic regression analysis. Results— Fifty-eight patients were enrolled. Recanalization was noted in 51.7% on 6-hour MR angiography and 69.0% on 24-hour MR angiography. A favorable clinical outcome was achieved in 46.6%. None had symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. In logistic regression models, recanalization on either 6-hour or 24-hour MR angiography was an independent predictor for clinical outcome as well as the baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score. Conclusions— Early recanalization of an occluded middle cerebral artery can be provoked by 0.6 mg/kg intravenous alteplase and may induce a favorable clinical outcome. The rates of recanalization and favorable outcome are comparable to that previously reported with the 0.9-mg/kg dose.

We have developed a compact divertor plasma simulator (CDPS) that can produce steady-state deuterium and/or helium plasmas with densities above ∼ 1018 m−3 for Plasma-Wall Interaction (PWI) studies of neutron-irradiated materials. The maximum particle flux is about 1022 m−2s−1. The CDPS was installed and is being operated in the radiation-controlled area of the International Research Center for Nuclear Materials Science, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University. We are able to control sample temperature within uncertainty of 5 °C during plasma exposure by adjusting the cooling air flow rate to the sample holder. The CDPS has a sample-carrier system, which makes it possible to transfer a plasma-irradiated sample from the sample holder to an infrared heater for analysis using thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) without exposing it to the air. This avoids the oxidation of the sample and minimizes the time between the end of plasma exposure and TDS analysis. An ITER-like tungsten (W) sample (A.L.M.T. Corp.), which has been irradiated by neutrons to 0.06 dpa in a fission reactor, was exposed to a deuterium plasma in the CDPS. The experimental results clearly show that the total deuterium retention in the neutron-irradiated W sample increases significantly in comparison with a pristine W, as demonstrated by broadening of the TDS spectrum at high temperatures.

This overview describes recent studies of nuclear fusion by using divertor plasma simulators generating high heat flux plasma. The experimental results regarding plasma-material interaction related to tungsten and carbon dusts, and detached recombining plasma are reviewed. © 2009 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The formation of micron-sized helium bubbles/holes on tungsten surface due to helium ion irradiation has been investigated in the linear divertor plasma simulator NAGDIS-II [1]. In order to investigate the surface variation during the helium plasma exposure, the optical reflectivity is measured by using a He–Ne laser and a photodiode. When the incident helium ion energy is 15 eV, a great amount of bubbles and holes were formed by the exposure with the ion fluence of 1.8 × 1027 m−2. The degradation of the reflectivity is enhanced when increasing the incident ion energy. When the incident ion energy is 30–50 eV, the surface is covered with fiberform nanostructured tungsten. The reflectivity recovery effect by a ruby laser with a long pulse duration of ∼0.6 ms is demonstrated. The reflectivity recovers to the initial value when the laser pulse energy exceeds ∼1.2 MJ m−2.

Detached deuterium recombining plasma has been generated in the toroidal divertor simulator. The electron temperature (0.1–0.4 eV) and density (∼10 18 m −3 ) in the detached plasmas were evaluated with a spectroscopic method using a series of deuterium Balmer line emission from highly excited levels and the Stark broadening of D(2–12). We have investigated the role of volume plasma recombination through Electron–Ion Recombination (EIR) and Molecular Activated Recombination (MAR) processes. Moreover, the carbon erosion in the detached deuterium plasma has been studied with a weight loss method. It is found that deuterium neutrals generated by EIR process could have strong influence on the carbon chemical erosion.

Unexpected positive results from the widely used IDEXX ELISA for the detection of antibodies to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) may confound investigations of the disease. Supplementing the ELISA with blocking agents and the use of IgG purified from serum samples had no effect on the unexpected positive results, suggesting that they were due to an antibody-antigen reaction. Simple competitive and blocking ELISAs were developed by modifying the IDEXX ELISA, and they and an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) were used to examine PRRSV antibodies in 33 antibody-negative, 88 antibody-positive and 73 unexpectedly positive sera. All the unexpectedly positive sera were negative by IFAT, and 89.0 per cent were negative by both the competitive and blocking ELISAs. The competitive ELISA (97.7 per cent) and the blocking ELISA (96.5 per cent) detected more positive sera than the IFAT (90.9 per cent). These results show that both ELISAs are capable of distinguishing positive and unexpectedly positive sera, and suggest that most of the unexpected positive signals are false-positives.

The current capsule target design for the first ignition experiments at the NIF Facility beginning in 2009 will be a copper-doped beryllium capsule, roughly 2 mm in diameter with 160-µm walls. The capsule will have a 75-µm layer of solid deuterium-tritium on the inside surface, and the capsule will be powered by X-rays generated from a gold/uranium cocktail hohlraum. The design specifications are extremely rigorous, particularly with respect to interfaces, which must be very smooth to inhibit Rayleigh-Taylor instability growth. This paper outlines the current design, and focuses on the challenges and advances in capsule fabrication and characterization; hohlraum fabrication, and deuterium-tritium layering and characterization.

Urea is an important reutilizable nitrogen source for the ruminant and is mainly synthesized through the urea cycle in the liver. The cycle is undertaken by 5 enzymes: carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPS), ornithine transcarbamoylase (OTC), arginino-succinate synthetase (AS), argininosuccinate lyase (AL), and arginase. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in the activity of the enzymes and mRNA expression, given that previous observations have indicated an increase in plasma urea concentrations with age in Holstein calves. First, plasma concentrations of metabolites and hormones were determined in calves at 1, 3, 8, 13, and 19 wk of age (n = 4, weaned at 6 wk of age). The plasma concentration of urea drastically increased after weaning (P < 0.001). The plasma concentration of glucose was lowest at 8 wk. The plasma concentration of IGF-I gradually increased with age, although those of NEFA, glucagon, and cortisol decreased (P < 0.001). Concentrations of triglyceride, alpha-amino nitrogen, growth hormone, and insulin did not change significantly with age of the calf. Next, using the liver tissues taken from calves at 2, 13, and 19 wk of age (n = 4 to 6 at each time point, weaned at 6 wk of age), we measured the activity and mRNA expression of the enzymes by biochemical methods and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, respectively. The activities of CPS (P < 0.001), OTC (P = 0.001), and AS (P = 0.015) increased with age, whereas AL (P = 0.003) decreased. Although mRNA expression was decreased with age for AL (P = 0.002) and arginase (P = 0.007), no significant change was observed for CPS, OTC, or AS mRNA expression. We conclude that the increased urea production in the liver may be explained not only by an increase in the activities of the urea cycle enzymes, but also by increased ammonia production by rumen fermentation and gluconeogenesis from amino acids around weaning time.

Nedocromil sodium has a number of known hydrate states, a monohydrate, a trihydrate and a heptahemihydrate, including an amorphous state. Effect of grinding on the hydration states of nedocromil sodium crystals was studied. After grinding the trihydrate, heptahemihydrate was observed in the ground sample, even though, the water content in the ground sample was not sufficient to cover the heptahemihydrate’s hydration level. On the other hand, in the ground heptahemihydrate, trihydrate was existed. Apparent activation energies (ΔE) for hydrates, monohydrate→anhydrate, trihydrate→monohydrate and heptahemihydrate→amorphous(anhydrate), were calculated using TG data. ΔE for the dehydration of heptahemihydrate was significantly lower than that of other hydrates. Obtained ΔE data explained the inter-conversion behavior of nedocromil sodium induced by grinding.

The crossed polarized-light microscopy has revealed that the as-deposited LB film of the 2C 14 –Au(dmit) 2 salt consists of giant domains of several hundred microns, which have a uni-axial molecular arrangement. By the electrochemical oxidation, the giant domains disappear and smaller domains of 5–10 μm appear. According to the atomic force microscopy (AFM) observation, the as-deposited film consists of domains of several microns but it appears that the observed domains are fragments formed by cracks generated in much larger domains, as seen by the shapes. It is hypothesized that there exist giant domains at the air/water interface but cracks are made during the transfer process. Thus, the uni-axial molecular arrangement is kept over the macroscopic range. Considering the random potentials set up by grain boundaries and/or defects, fabrication of the crack-free LB film is considered to be indispensable for realizing metallic properties down to much lower temperatures and global superconductivity.