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Various thermoplastic polymers have been spun to nanofibers by the electrospinning method, in which a polymer solution is ejected as a fine jet of liquid from the tip of the needle and is deposited on the collector by applying a high voltage to the polymer solution in the syringe. Due to special characteristics of nanofibers such as nanometer sized diameter, high surface area to volume ratio, and higher alignment of molecular chain, they have been used for a wide range of applications such as medical scaffolds and air filters. The morphology and diameter of electrospun fibers are dependent on a number of processing parameters that include the properties of the solution, the operational conditions and the surrounding conditions. The influence of the humidity on the fiber diameter of nanofibers in the electrospinning process has not been clarified yet. Polyamide 6 is an industrially important polymer thanks to its excellent physical properties, e.g. high fatigue strength, low coefficient of friction, and high resistance to chemicals. In this study, the influence of the humidity on the fiber diameter of PA6 in the electrospinning process was investigated by SEM observation and its mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile test. As the amount of humidity increased, the fiber diameters decreased. The tensile strengths of PA6 nanofibers nonwoven fabrics which were electrospun at 25 % and 65 % of humidity were 49±5 MPa and 71±12 MPa, respectively.

Introduction: The effects of first-line single-agent chemotherapy on overall survival (OS) might be confounded by subsequent treatments in elderly patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We, therefore, aimed to evaluate whether progression-free survival (PFS), postprogression survival (PPS), or tumor response might be a valid surrogate endpoint for OS in this patient population. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 58 elderly patients with advanced NSCLC, who received first-line single-agent cytotoxic chemotherapy at our institution between October 2003 and November 2013. The relationships of PFS, PPS, and tumor response with OS were individually analyzed. Results: The study cohort included 46 men and 12 women with a median age of 79 years (range: 75-87 years). There were 30 adenocarcinomas, 22 squamous cell carcinomas, and 6 other histologic types with 1 stage IIIA, 9 IIIB, and 48 IV cases. The performance status (PS) scores were 0, 1, and 2 in 18, 35, and 5 patients, respectively. The median PFS and OS were 2.8 and 5.4 months, respectively. Our analyses revealed a strong correlation of PPS and PFS with OS, whereas that between tumor shrinkage and OS was weak. Tumor stage and PS after initial treatment were significantly associated with PPS. Individual analysis indicated that PPS might serve as a surrogate for OS in elderly patients with advanced NSCLC receiving first-line single-agent chemotherapy. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that the disease course after progression following first-line single-agent chemotherapy might influence the OS of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC.

Subsequent therapies confound the ability to discern the effect of first-line chemotherapy on overall survival (OS). We investigated whether progression-free survival (PFS), post-progression survival (PPS) and tumor response were valid surrogate endpoints for OS following first-line chemotherapy in individual patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring sensitive epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutations. We retrospectively analyzed 35 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with first-line gefitinib. The associations of PFS, PPS and tumor response with OS were analyzed. PPS was found to be strongly correlated with OS, unlike PFS and tumor shrinkage. The factors significantly associated with PPS were performance status (PS) after first-line treatment, best response to second-line treatment and number of regimens used after disease progression. PPS may be a surrogate for OS in this patient population and further therapy after disease progression following first-line chemotherapy may significantly affect OS. However, a larger study is required to validate these results.

A 72-year-old male diabetic patient was admitted due to autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA).\nWe started 1mg/kg weight of prednisolone daily and multiple daily insulin infusion for hyperglycemia.\nGall bladder cancer and early stage gastric cancer were then diagnosed. We removed the gall bladder\nand the spleen for treatment of AIHA without prednisolone for better control of diabetes mellitus. Five\nweeks later, endoscopic gastromucosal resection (EMR) was performed for gastric cancer. The patient\nsuffered from fever and respiratory failure after 4 days. Chest computed tomography showed consolidation,\nbronchial wall thickening and a ground glass appearance in bilateral lungs. Although the sputum\nand blood culture were negative,β-D-glucan and mannan antigen increased. Neutrophilia (87％)was\nshown. The WBC count had not increased (7300/μl) compared with the CRP elevation (21.8mg/dl).\nTherefore, we diagnosed overwhelming postsplenectomy infection syndrome followed by atypical pathogen\ninfection. We used ciprofloxacin and fosfluconazol, respirator at low tidal volume ventilation,\nsivelestat sodium hydrate and methylprednisolone for respiratory failure and regular insulin aiming for\na blood glucose range of from 80 to 140mg/dl. The patient subsequently recovered

A 72-year-old male diabetic patient was admitted due to autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). We started 1mg/kg weight of prednisolone daily and multiple daily insulin infusion for hyperglycemia. Gall bladder cancer and early stage gastric cancer were then diagnosed. We removed the gall bladder and the spleen for treatment of AIHA without prednisolone for better control of diabetes mellitus. Five weeks later, endoscopic gastromucosal resection (EMR) was performed for gastric cancer. The patient suffered from fever and respiratory failure after 4 days. Chest computed tomography showed consolidation, bronchial wall thickening and a ground glass appearance in bilateral lungs. Although the sputum and blood culture were negative, β-D-glucan and mannan antigen increased. Neutrophilia (87%) was shown. The WBC count had not increased (7300/μl) compared with the CRP elevation (21.8mg/dl). Therefore, we diagnosed overwhelming postsplenectomy infection syndrome followed by atypical pathogen infection. We used ciprofloxacin and fosfluconazol, respirator at low tidal volume ventilation, sivelestat sodium hydrate and methylprednisolone for respiratory failure and regular insulin aiming for a blood glucose range of from 80 to 140mg/dl. The patient subsequently recovered.

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopath(PTTMpresents with severe manifestations and rapid progression and is difficult to diagnose ante mortem. We report a case of gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosed with PTTM before death. Chest XR and CT showed ground‑glass shadows in the bilateral lung fieldsgastric adenocarcinoma was demonstrated by gastrointestinal fiber scopy and biopsyand poorly differentiated carcinoma cells were detected in the pulmonary arterial blood by pulmonary wedge aspiration cytology on cardiac catheterization. After diagnosis of PTTM prednisolone therapy of 30 mg/day was started. Dyspnea and hypoxemia were improved on the next day of administration of prednisolone. Although PTTM is rareit should be considered the differential diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and progressive respiratory failure with diffuse ground‑glass shadow on chest radiographies. Furthermoreadministration of prednisolone should be considered one of the treatment for the dyspnea by PTTM.（Kitakanto Med J 2013；63：253～255）

A 71-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of an intractable productive cough. Although he was treated for bronchial asthma, the symptom did not improve. Furthermore, since he developed progressive dyspnea and hypoxemia, he was admitted to our hospital. Marked eosinophilia in a blood test and sputum, poorly defined centrilobular nodules throughout the bilateral lung fields in a chest CT scan, and mixed ventilatory impairment in a spirometric test were revealed. Thoracoscopic lung biopsy and bronchoalveolar lavage were not conducted because of progressive respiratory failure. Therefore, we clinically diagnosed eosinophilic bronchiolitis, and immediately administered oral prednisolone (30 mg daily). His symptoms and examination findings rapidly improved. This case suggests that eosinophilic bronchiolitis should be taken into consideration for differential diagnoses of eosinophilic lung disease and obstructive lung disease, and marked eosinophilia in sputum may be one of the useful tools for diagnosis of this disease when invasive examinations are inadequate.

Background: The effects of first-line chemotherapy on overall survival(OS) might be confounded by subsequent therapies in patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) harboring EGFR mutation. We retrospectively examined whether progression-free survival(PFS), post-progression survival(PPS), or tumor response could be valid surrogate endpoints for OS after first-line chemotherapy with gefitinib in advanced NSCLC harboring EGFR mutation in our institute. Patients and methods: Between January 2006 and June 2012, 35 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with gefitinib as first-line chemotherapy were analyzed. The relationships of PFS, PPS, and tumor response with OS were analyzed at the individual level. Male/female = 11/24; Median age was 67 years(range: 45 to 88); adenocarcinoma/others = 35/0; stageIIIB/IV = 3/32; ECOG PS0/1/ ≥ 2 = 15/17/3; EGFR mutation ex19del/ex21L858R/others = 20/15/0; Number of regimens after progression 0/1/2/3/4/5/ ≥ 6 = 11/6/6/3/5/1/3. Results: Spearman rank correlation analysis and linear regression analysis showed that PPS was strongly correlated with OS(r = 0.85, P Conclusions: Analysis of individual-level date suggested that PPS could be used as a surrogate for OS in patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR mutation.Our findings suggest that subsequent treatment after disease progression following first-line chemotherapy with gefitinib for the patients with advanced NSCLC harboring EGFR mutation may greatly influence OS.