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Background: Patients with ruptured gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) are recommended for imatinib adjuvant therapy; however, their clinicopathological features and prognosis in the era of imatinib are unknown.Patients and Methods: The study cohort included 665 patients with histologically proven primary GISTs who underwent R0 or R1 surgery between 2003 and 2007; the validation cohort included 182 patients between 2000 and 2014. The definitions of tumor rupture in the study included perforation at tumor site, tumor fracture, piecemeal resection including open biopsy, and macroscopic injuries to the pseudocapsule.Results: Tumor rupture occurred in 21 (3.2%) of 665 and 5 (2.9%) of 182 patients in the study and validation cohort, respectively. Ruptured GISTs were more symptomatic, were larger in size, and had higher mitotic count than nonruptured GISTs but were not associated with tumor location or laparoscopic surgery. GISTs with intraoperative rupture had clinicopathological features and prognostic outcomes similar to those with preoperative rupture. Recurrence rates were higher and median recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were shorter with ruptured than nonruptured GIST. Tumor rupture was one of the independent prognostic factors for RFS, but not OS, according to multivariate analysis.Conclusions: Ruptured GISTs were symptomatic larger tumors with high mitotic activity, frequent relapse, and shorter RFS. Tumor rupture was an independent prognostic factor for RFS, but not for OS, in the era of imatinib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermophysical and rheological properties of magnetic suspensions, in which nm- and/or μm-sized magnetic particles disperse, are tunable by applying a magnetic field externally. In the present study, the influence of the size of magnetic particles on the thermophysical and rheological properties was investigated. Four types of the magnetic suspensions were prepared with varying the volume fractions of nm- and μm-sized magnetic particles. The total fraction of the magnetic particles in all samples was adjusted to be 6 vol.%. The thermal conductivity in the presence of homogeneous magnetic field was measured by the originally-designed transient hot-wire method (TPSY02, CLIMA-TEC). And the steady-state rheological behaviors were investigated by a magnetorheometer (MCR302, Anton-paar). As the obtained results, the thermal conductivity was enhanced when the magnetic field was applied parallel to the temperature gradient for all samples. On the other hand, the thermal conductivity decreased when the magnetic field was applied perpendicular to the temperature gradient in the case that both the nm- and μm-sized magnetic particles were dispersed. It was also found that the fluid only with the nm-sized magnetic particles showed a Newtonian-like behavior even in the presence of magnetic field. When the μm-sized magnetic particles were mixed and the fraction increased, the rheological behavior changed from Newtonian to viscoplastic fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexafluoropropene trimers were reacted with C6F5Si(CH3)3 to provide not only pentafluorophenyl but also perfluorophenylene derivatives [F(C6F4) nC9F17; n=2-9] by successive pentafluorophenylation of perfluoroaryl rings. Their structures, including rotational isomers, were determined by MS, 19F and 13C-{19F} NMR spectroscopy, and/or X-ray crystallography, and were further confirmed by B3LYP-GIAO calculation of NMR shieldings. Formation of a pair of gear-meshed rotamers with clockwise and counterclockwise conformations was identified by NMR measurements for the structures having geminal (CF3)2CF groups at the C=C bond. That the predominantly formed counterclockwise rotamer was gradually converted to the clockwise rotamer over 50 days at room temperature through a synchronized movement of gears was also confirmed by NMR measurements. A comparison between the X-ray structure and B3LYP calculations showed some structural differences that arise from the crystal packing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study examined the associations of masticatory ability evaluated by chewing-gum-stimulated salivary flow rate with anthropometric indices among a general Japanese population. Methods In total, 921 Japanese men and women aged 30-79 years participated in this cross-sectional study. Saliva production was stimulated by 5 min of gum chewing, then collected; salivary flow rate was calculated as g/min. Overweight, abdominal obesity in terms of waist circumference (WC), and waist-hip ratio (WHR), and elevated skinfold thickness statuses were determined. Results The multivariable odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals of overweight, abdominal obesity (WC, WHR), and elevated skinfold thickness status for highest vs. lowest quartile of salivary flow rate were 0.59 (0.37-0.95, P for trend = 0.02), 0.65 (0.43-0.98, P = 0.03), 0.54 (0.35-0.83, P < 0.01), and 0.61 (0.39-0.96, P < 0.01), respectively. The linear trends of multivariable-adjusted means of BMI, WC, WHR, and skinfold thickness according to quartiles of salivary flow rate did not vary after stratification by overweight status. Conclusions Higher stimulated salivary flow rate, a surrogate marker for mastication ability, was associated with lower prevalence of overweight, abdominal obesity (whether WC- or WHR-defined), and elevated skinfold thickness among the general Japanese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A reddish-brown fluoroalkyl end-capped 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) oligomer/acetone composite was prepared by heating the white oligomer powder with acetone at 80 °C for 3 h. The color was not observed in the corresponding non-fluorinated AMPS oligomer/acetone composite, which was prepared under similar conditions. The coloring was probably caused by the formation of acetone polyaldol condensation products in the fluorinated oligomeric gel network cores. The colored RF-(AMPS) n-RF/acetone composite powders were stable and did not exhibit any color change after 2 years in natural light at room temperature. The colored composite powders dissolved in methanol to give a reddish-brown solution at room temperature. However, the retro-polyaldol condensation decolored the solution after 1 day at room temperature. This is the first example of the retro-aldol polycondensation of acetone under mild conditions. The decoloration increased by between 38- and 70-fold under UV irradiation, compared with that in dark conditions. The coloring-decoloring behavior was consistent and repeatable; therefore our fluorinated oligomer/acetone composites are promising candidates for new fluorinated coloring materials. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2555-2564 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium chloride reacted with potassium fluoride in the presence of low molecular weight aromatic compounds ( ArH) such as bisphenol AF, bisphenol A, bisphenol F, biphenyl, and 1-(2-naphthyl)ethanol under alkaline conditions to afford new calcium fluoride/ ArH composites. Dynamic light scattering and field emission scanning electron micrographs measurements show that these calcium fluoride/ ArH composites are nanometer size-controlled fine particles and have a good dispersibility and stability in water, tetrahydrofuran, 1,2-dichloroethane, methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, N, N-dimethylformamide, and 2-propanol. Interestingly, aromatic compounds possessing acidic hydroxyl groups in the calcium fluoride nanocomposites were found to exhibit a nonflammable characteristic even after calcination at 800 °C, although the corresponding aromatic compounds possessing neither acidic hydroxyl groups nor hydroxyl groups in the nanocomposites exhibited a usual flammable characteristic under similar conditions. In contrast, calcium fluoride/ ArH nanocomposites, which were prepared under no catalytic conditions, afforded a clear weight loss corresponding to the contents of ArH in the composites to exhibit a usual flammable characteristic. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: A prospective , non-randomized cohort study on long-term lamivudine treatment , comparing efficacy, drug resistance, and prognosis for various stages of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)–related liver disease was performed to elucidate the significance and indication of lamivudine for individual patients at each stage of disease. Methods: A total of 158 cases consisting of 87 chronic hepatitis, 28 compensated cirrhosis, and 43 decompensated cirrhosis, with serum HBV-DNA > 5 log10 copies/mL and with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) over twice the upper normal limit or complications of hepatic insufficiency, were administered 100 mg of lamivudine daily and monitored for HBV markers, biochemistry, and prognosis. Results: Lamivudine reduced HBV-DNA and ALT equally in all groups. Serum albumin, prothrombin time (%), and platelet count increased in all groups. The increased margin of albumin was the highest in the decompensated cirrhosis and higher in the compensated cirrhosis than the chronic hepatitis groups. Cumulative incidence of virologic breakthrough was 16%, 42%, 49%, and 53% at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months, respectively, and the strongest predictive factor for lamivudine resistance was persistent HBV-DNA at 3 months. Ascites, encephalopathy, and jaundice improved in the majority of patients with decompensated cirrhosis. On the other hand, hepatic failure developed or deteriorated in 10 patients after virologic breakthrough, and nine of them had decompensated cirrhosis. Conclusions: Lamivudine was effective in reducing HBV-DNA and improving hepatic reserve at all stages and was most beneficial and significant for decompensated cirrhosis. Meanwhile, close monitoring of viral load and immediate rescue treatment for lamivudine resistance is necessary to prevent hepatic failure in decompensated cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we look at the history of social survey development in Japanese sociology. First, the history of social research in Japan before World War II is explored. Second, the introduction of survey research to Japan during the American occupation after World War II is examined, and third, the present state and roles of social survey research in Japanese sociology is discussed. Social research was introduced as an administrative tool for the government. Sociology and social research were developed under British empiricism and American pragmatism, but Japanese academia has been based on a metaphysical approach. Social research introduced as a practical tool long had difficulty in being accepted by Japanese academia. For this reason, most sociologists in universities did not use social survey research for practical purposes, but pursued qualitative methodologies for analyzing data to gain academic prestige even after Social Stratification and Mobility (SSM) and Sabro Yasuda's research projects spread social survey methods in the field of Japanese sociology. Such academics did not think that findings acquired through qualitative case studies had to be confirmed through quantitative data to serve a practical purpose, nor did they believe that quantitative data could be better understood when examined along side qualitative data. Social survey methods have been opposed by those who have favored case-study analysis methods in Japanese sociology. Needless to say, this opposition is fruitless. I propose that professional sociologists in Japanese universities should use social survey research for practical problems more frequently. This is the best way to establish sociology and social research as a science in Japanese society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]