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To investigate the relationship between serum total protein (TP) levels and maternal/neonatal outcomes among pregnant women with preeclampsia.TP was measured at preeclampsia diagnosis and delivery in 94 women with singleton pregnancies and preeclampsia as hypertension with proteinuria who delivered at ≥ 22 gestational weeks (GWs). As a control group, measurements were also made in 188 women with singleton pregnancies without hypertension and/or proteinuria.The relationship between serum TP levels and maternal outcomes.Serum TP levels showed a significantly negative relationship with urine protein-to-creatinine (P/C) ratio at preeclampsia diagnosis and delivery. Serum TP levels at delivery in the preeclampsia group (53 ± 7 g/L) were lower than in the control group (61 ± 4 g/L, P 0.0001). In each group, there was no relationship between the daily decrease in TP and the daily increase maternal body weight. However, there was a positive relationship between the daily increase in P/C ratio and the daily increase in maternal body weight in the preeclampsia group (P = 0.0021). Severe hypoproteinemia at preeclampsia diagnosis was a predictor of abruptio placentae (TP 49 g/L; odds ratio, 21.3) and peripartum cardiomyopathy (TP 45 g/L; odds ratio, 43.5). Furthermore, women with severe hypoproteinemia at delivery had higher morbidity due to pulmonary edema (TP 55 g/L; odds ratio, 26.4) and central serous chorioretinopathy (TP 42 g/L; odds ratio, 264).Serum TP levels and proteinuria severity at preeclampsia diagnosis and delivery showed a positive relationship and predicted poor maternal outcome.

The present study aimed to determine the relationship between the severity of proteinuria and maternal/neonatal outcomes among women with preeclampsia.Proteinuria severity was measured at preeclampsia diagnosis and at delivery in 94 women with preeclampsia (among 2904 women with singleton pregnancies, who delivered after 22 gestational weeks). Preeclampsia was defined as hypertension with proteinuria.Protein:creatinine (P/C) ratio to worse the maternal outcome was 4.8 among women with preeclampsia.The frequencies of HELLP syndrome and maternal pulmonary edema in women with a P/C ratio ≥5.0 (35.5% and 35.5%, respectively) were significantly higher than those in women with a P/C ratio5.0 (12.7%, P = 0.014 and 6.4%, P 0.001, respectively). The best P/C ratio cutoff value to determine early-onset preeclampsia and early preterm birth (EPB) was 4.1 (P 0.001 and P 0.001, respectively). The best P/C ratio cutoff values to determine the interval between the preeclampsia diagnosis and delivery7 days and the need to undergo cesarean section were 1.8 and 1.5, respectively. The best P/C ratio cutoff value to determine maternal pulmonary edema and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) was 4.8 (P = 0.020 and P = 0.014, respectively). Finally, the best P/C ratio cutoff values to determine EPB and maternal CSC in women with preeclampsia were 4.1 (odds ratio, 10.9; 95% confidence interval; 4.08 to 29.2, P 0.0001) and 4.8 (odds ratio, 17.6; 95% confidence interval; 0.898 to 344, P = 0.0008), respectively, according to the multivariate analysis.A higher P/C ratio at delivery in women with preeclampsia might cause EPB and CSC.

A rapid and quantitative analytical method for volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons and benzene, such as chloroethylene, dichloromethane, and carbon tetrachloride, in soil samples was developed using a needle-type extraction device packed with activated carbon-based adsorbents. The soil sample of 10 g was placed in a glass cartridge and fixed with quartz wool to make sure not to move during the extraction process. After the internal standard solution was spiked into the soil sample, the cartridge was sealed with a polytetrafluoroethylene adapter, and the needle extraction device was used to collect the headspace gas. Analytes were purged from the soil sample and collected on the adsorbent, while pure nitrogen gas was introduced to the soil sample during the sample collection. The sampling time was approximately 10 min for 100 mL of gas sampling. After the sampling process, the extraction needle was directly inserted into a heated injection port of gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) or that hyphenated to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The extracted VOCs were thermally desorbed and simultaneously introduced to a GC capillary column for subsequent separation and determination. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of all the examined analytes was less than 20 and 60 ng/10 g soil in GC-FID and less than 2.5 and 7.5 ng/10 g soil in the case of GC-MS. Linear calibration curves were obtained up to 10 μg/10 g soil for all the analytes. The relative standard deviations of the ratio of analyte peak area and internal standard peak area were less than 10%. The recovery and sensitivity of analytes confirmed in the proposed method were compared with that obtained with a standard method conventionally employed.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) While the non-inferiority of hypofractionation (HF) to conventional fractionation for prostate cancer had been investigated in some randomized clinical trials, we started a multi-institutional phase II study to confirm the safety with the efficacy of HF intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with image-guided technique for Japanese patients. MATERIALS/METHODS Eligibility criteria of the study included: pathologically proven adenocarcinoma; low or intermediate risk (cT1-T2c, PSA ≤ 20 and Gleason score (GS) ≤ 7) or high risk having one of the following factors, cT3a, PSA > 20/ ≤ 30, or GS = 8/9; cN0M0; age 50-80; performance status (PS) 0-1; written informed consent. HF IMRT with 70 Gy/28 fr (2.5 Gy/fr) was performed. The position of the prostate gland or inserted fiducial markers was verified with a full bladder before each treatment. Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (HT) for 4-8 months was allowed for patients with intermediate or high risk. The GTV was defined as the prostate (+ extracapsular invasion for cT3a). The CTV was defined as the GTV for low risk, and the GTV plus proximal seminal vesicles for intermediate and high risk. The PTV was defined as the CTV plus 4-8 mm margins for organ motions and set-up errors. The bladder, rectum, small and large intestines, and femoral heads were defined as the organs at risk (OAR) as the solid organ. The dose prescription was D50% for the PTV, with Dmax ≤ 105% and Dmin ≥ 95%. The dose constraints for OARs were defined as follows: bladder V70/V65/V60/V55, 15%/25%/35%/50%; rectum V65/V55/V50/V45, 15%/25%/35%/50%; small intestine V55 < 0.5 cc; large intestine V60 < 0.5 cc; femoral heads Vmax ≤ 50 Gy. The primary endpoint was the incidence of late toxicities at 5 years. The secondary endpoints were the incidence of acute toxicities, biochemical failure-free, clinical failure-free, and overall survivals at 5 years. The sample size was calculated to 130 patients using alpha/beta errors of 0.05/0.2, with the threshold/expectation values of ≥ grade 2 late toxicities as 15%/7%. RESULTS From Jul/2012 to Oct/2014, 134 patients from 20 institutions were registered. Patients and tumor characteristics were as follows: median age 71 (54 - 79); cT1c/T2a/T2b/T2c/T3a, 53/50/7/19/5; GS 6/7/8/9, 32/80/16/6; median pretreatment PSA 9.0 ng/ml (3.15 - 28.6); low/intermediate/high risk, 20 (15%)/80 (60%)/34 (25%); PS 0/1, 67/67. HT was used for 121 patients (90%). The median follow-up time was 5.16 years. The incidences of grade 2/ ≥ 3 gastrointestinal and genitourinary late toxicities at 5 years (primary endpoint) were 5.3%/0% and 5.3%/0%, respectively. The corresponding figures of acute toxicities were 3.8%/0% and 14.5%/0%, respectively. The biochemical failure-free, clinical failure-free, and overall survivals at 5 years were 90.4%, 93.8%, and 94.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION The primary endpoint was met, and the safety and efficacy of HF IMRT was confirmed in this trial, and accepted as one of the standard of care for Japanese patients with prostate cancer.

Replacement of Cu wires with Al wires has a significant impact on the overall cable and wire fields. This replacement is particularly important for reducing the weight of hybrid vehicles, significantly improving fuel efficiency, and reducing CO2 emissions. A promising analytical protocol is proposed for investigating the Al and polymer coating interface in samples fabricated by semiconductor-device-manufacturing techniques. The samples were analyzed by time-of-flight secondary ion spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), synchrotron hard-X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES), and electron energy loss spectroscopy with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM-EELS). The protocol provides information about the chemistry of interfaces fabricated by (1) Al deposition on a polymer substrate and (2) coating of a polymer precursor on Al. Observation of the Al and pyromellitic-dianhydride-oxydianiline-type polyimide (PMDA-ODA PI) interfaces revealed: For (1), the water adsorbed on the pristine PI surface contributed mainly to formation of the Al hydrate. For (2), at the Al/PI interface, the two events occur in a chain: first, hydrolysis of PAA occurred to form the carboxyl group, followed by acid-base reactions between the carboxyl group and hydroxide/oxide to generate water. Thus, Al O C O bonds form at the interface. The proposed protocol is applicable to the investigation of a wide-ranging combination of metals and polymers.

A novel miniaturized sample preparation device with braid-type extraction medium was successfully developed. Introducing a set of bundles of fine synthetic filaments as the materials of the braid-type extraction medium and also the application of an appropriate tension during the braiding process, the outer diameter of the resulting braid has been controlled. Optimization of the tension enables an easy preparation of a group of braids that can be well-compatible to various internal diameters of capillaries to be packed. The extraction conditions were systematically optimized, and the efficient extraction was confirmed under the optimized conditions. All the parameters affects the desorption efficiency were also optimized, where typical extraction efficiency was more than 90% for the extraction of phenanthrene (1.0 μg/mL) in water. The extracted analyte was desorbed sufficiently by employing a sequential pumping process of two organic solvents. During the preparation of the braid, a different type of fibrous materials could be inserted to the opening at the center of the braid. Taking advantage of this feature of the braid, a stainless steel wire was inserted into the center of the braid. By applying low voltages to the stainless steel wire, a heat-assisted desorption of the extracted analyte was also studied. Experimentally complete desorption (higher than 99.0%) was obtained with the voltage application of 2 V. The lowest limit of quantification (LOQ) and the lowest limit of detection (LOD) for phenanthrene were 0.048 and 0.014 μg/mL, respectively.

Purpose To assess the clinical applicability of a protocol evaluated in a previously reported phase II study of concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by consolidation chemotherapy with bi-weekly docetaxel and carboplatin in patients with stage III, unresectable, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials Between January 2000 and March 2006, 116 previously untreated patients with histologically proven, stage III NSCLC were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Radiation therapy was administered in 2-Gy daily fractions to a total dose of 60 Gy in combination with docetaxel, 30 mg/m2, and carboplatin at an area under the curve value of 3 every 2 weeks during and after radiation therapy. Results The median survival time for the entire group was 25.5 months. The actuarial 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 53% and 31%, respectively. The 3-year cause-specific survival rate was 60% in patients with stage IIIA disease, whereas it was 35% in patients with stage IIIB disease (p = 0.007). The actuarial 2-year and 5-year local control rates were 62% and 55%, respectively. Acute hematologic toxicities of Grade ≥3 severity were observed in 20.7% of patients, while radiation pneumonitis and esophagitis of Grade ≥3 severity were observed in 2.6% and 1.7% of patients, respectively. Conclusions The feasibility of the protocol used in the previous phase II study was reconfirmed in this series, and excellent treatment results were achieved.

Er 3+ -doped SiO 2 glasses with or without BaO were fabricated by containerless processing. Scanning electron microscope observations and the scan profiles of electron-probe microanalysis demonstrated that the Ba-silicate glass was homogeneous and no aggregation of Er 3+ ions occurred. The infrared fluorescence at around 1.55 μm from Er 3+ in the Ba-silicate glass excited by a 980-nm laser was broader and its lifetime was longer than that of the silica glass, indicating the difference in the local structures around Er 3+ ions between the Ba-silicate and silica glasses; this was supported by Raman scattering measurements. These results demonstrated that the Ba-silicate-glass system might be a new candidate for a host glass for Er 3+ -doped fiber amplifiers.

For two-dimensional reversed-phase liquid chromatography-gas chromatography (2D RPLC-GC), a specially-designed needle packed with a polymer-coated fibrous stationary phase was introduced as a novel interface. The bundle of synthetic fibers coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was packed into the head section of the needle, and served as the extraction medium. Using the post-column dilution of the LC eluent by water and subsequent extraction with the needle interface, the analyte was successfully concentrated to the PDMS phase on the fibrous support in the needle. The concentrated analytes were directly injected to GC system by inserting the needle to a heated GC injector. 2D separations of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, and also kerosene-extract were performed with the off-line RPLC-GC system interfaced by the needle extractor. The results suggested that the fiber-packed needle interface could be one of the simple and effective approaches to develop an on-line coupled LC-GC system.

A new approach to the determination of human breath acetone with particle-packed sample preparation needle was developed. The extraction needle was packed with a copolymer of methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the extraction medium. For the analysis of breath sample, exhaled breath was collected in a sampling bag, and 50 mL of the breath sample was extracted with the needle-type sample preparation device followed by analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). After the optimization of several basic extraction conditions for standard acetone samples, breath acetone concentration taken from controlled type-2 diabetic patients was determined. Furthermore, time variations of breath and urine acetone of four healthy individuals under fasting conditions were measured. Urine sample was collected in glass vial, and urine acetone concentration was also determined with the extraction needle by analyzing the corresponding headspace gas. The results demonstrated that the particle-packed extraction needle showed an excellent extraction performance for acetone in both breath and urine headspace samples, and that there is a clear correlation between the concentration of breath acetone and HbA1c level of controlled type-2 diabetic patients. The breath acetone level in controlled diabetic patients was in the range between 0.19 and 0.66 ppmv, where its concentration in medically untreated type-2 patient was 0.92 and 1.20 ppmv. The breath acetone concentration in healthy male was increased to 5.66 ppmv under the 24 h of fasting test, and a high correlation between the breath and urine acetone concentration was also observed. On the basis of the above results, the potential applications of the proposed method to the diagnosis of diabetes and/or ketoacidosis were suggested.

Fiber-packed sample preparation device was applied to the simultaneous derivatization/preconcentration of ethylene oxide (EO) in air samples. The polymer-coated filaments were packed longitudinally into the needle, and hydrogen bromide (HBr) was loaded onto the filaments in the preconditioning process. Simultaneous derivatization with HBr in the needle was made during the sampling process of the gaseous EO, and the corresponding derivatized analyte, 2-bromoethanol, was desorbed by passing a small amount of methanol through the extraction needle in the heated gas chromatograph (GC) injector. The basic extraction/desorption parameters for EO have been evaluated. The limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ) and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of run-to-run repeatability were 1.8 ng/L, 5.4 ng/L and less than 4%, respectively, with an extraction time of about 10 min. Satisfactory storage performance for three days at room temperature was also confirmed.

It has recently become clear that a long DNA with a size of more than several tens of kilo base-pairs (kbp) exhibits a large on/off change in conformation between elongated coil and folded compact states. To explore the possible effect of anticancer drugs on the conformation of large DNA, we observed single DNA molecules with regard to changes in their higher-order structure upon the addition of cisplatin and its derivatives, diamminedinitratoplatinum(II) and tetrammineplatinum(II). We found that these cisplatin analogues significantly affected the conformation of individual DNA molecules by inducing a folding transition.

Retention prediction models using multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural networks (ANN) were developed for adrenoreceptor agonists and antagonists chromatographed on a diol column under hydrophilic interaction chromatographic (HILIC) mode at three pH conditions (3.0, 4.0 and 5.0). Using stepwise MLR, the retention behavior of the analytes was satisfactorily described by a five-predictor model; the predictors being the percentage of acetonitrile in the mobile phase (% ACN), the logarithm of partition coefficient (log D), the number of hydrogen bond donor (HBD), the number of hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), and the total absolute atomic charge of the molecule (TAAC). Among the five descriptors, % ACN had the strongest effect on the retention as indicated by its relatively higher standardized coefficient compared to the other four predictors. The inclusion of the four predictors which are related to the properties of the compounds (log D, HBD, HBA and TAAC), suggested hydrophilic interaction, hydrogen bonding and ionic interaction as possible mechanisms of retention of the analytes on the studied system. The models derived from MLR also showed adequate fit as proven by the high correlation (R2 as high as 0.9667) between observed and predicted log k values for the training set and good predictive power on the test set (R2 greater than 0.97). ANN analyses of the data were also conducted using the five predictors derived from MLR as inputs and log k as output. The trained ANNs showed better predictive abilities as compared to MLR models as indicated by relative higher R2 and lower root mean square error of predictions (RMSEP) for both training and test sets. The derived models can be used as references for method development and optimization of chromatographic conditions for the separation of adrenoreceptor agonists and antagonists.

Miniaturized needle extraction device has been developed as a versatile sample preparation device designed for the rapid and simple analysis of smoking-related compounds in smokers' hair samples and environmental tobacco smoke. Packed with polymeric particle, the resulting particle-packed needle was employed as a miniaturized sample preparation device for the analysis of typical volatile organic compounds in tobacco smoke. Introducing a bundle of polymer-coated filaments as the extraction medium, the needle was further applied as a novel sample preparation device containing simultaneous derivatization/extraction process of volatile aldehydes. Formaldehyde (FA) and acetaldehyde (AA) in smoker's breath during the smoking were successfully derivatized with two derivatization reagents in the polymer-coated fiber-packed needle device followed by the separation and determination in gas chromatography (GC). Smokers' hair samples were also packed into the needle, allowing the direct extraction of nicotine from the hair sample in a conventional GC injector. Optimizing the main experimental parameters for each technique, successful determination of several smoking-related compounds with these needle extraction methods has been demonstrated.

We review the approach to miniaturization of sample preparation using a fiber-packed capillary as the medium, especially for on-line coupling of the processes of sample preparation and chromatographic separation. We summarize our novel use of polymeric fiber filaments as the extraction medium for microscale liquid-phase and gas-phase separations that we have developed.

A spot test for aqueous nitrate and nitrite for controlling nitrogen removal performance in small-scale wastewater treatment facilities is proposed. In this method, NO(2)(-) ion in water samples was allowed to react with sulfanilic acid and 1-naphthol to form an anionic azo dye. The resulting colored solution was introduced onto a mini column (similar to a gas detecting tube) packed with PVC particles coated with benzyl cetyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (BCDMA) and biphenyl. The NO(2)(-)-N concentration was determined visually by measuring the color band length (CBL) in the column. The CBL correlates linearly with nitrite concentration in the 4-20 mg-N l(-1) range. The concentration of nitrite+nitrate was determined after reduction to nitrite with zinc. The concentration of NO(3)(-)-N species was calculated by difference. This method was used to visually determine the concentrations of NO(2)(-)-N and (NO(2)(-)+NO(3)(-))-N in domestic wastewater samples with maximum suspended solid (SS) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations of 114 mg l(-1) and 73.9 mg l(-1), respectively.

Purpose: To analyze the outcomes of patients with early hypopharyngeal cancer treated with radical radiotherapy (RT). Methods and Materials: Ten institutions combined the data from 115 patients with Stage I–II hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with definitive RT between 1990 and 2001. The median patient age was 67 years; 99 patients were men and 16 were women. Of the 115 patients, 39 had Stage I and 76 had Stage II disease. Conventional fractionation was used in 98 patients and twice-daily RT in 17 patients; chemotherapy was combined with RT in 57 patients. The median follow-up period was 47 months. Results: The overall and disease-specific 5-year survival rate for 95 patients without synchronous malignancies was 66.0% and 77.4%, respectively. The 5-year disease-specific survival rate by T stage was 95.8% for patients with T1 disease and 70.1% for patients with T2 disease ( p = 0.02). Of the 115 patients, local control with laryngeal voice preservation was achieved in 34 of 39 patients with T1 lesions, including 7 patients successfully salvaged, and in 56 of 76 patients with T2 lesions. Sixty-five patients (56.5%) had synchronous or metachronous cancers. Of the 115 patients, 19 died of hypopharyngeal cancer, 10 died of second primary cancers, and 14 died of other causes during the study and follow-up periods. Conclusions: Patients with early hypopharyngeal cancer tended to have a good prognosis after RT. However, second malignancies had an adverse effect on the overall outcomes of patients with early hypopharyngeal cancer.

Purpose To report the long-term follow-up results of nonvitrectomizing vitreous surgery for idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). Design Nonrandomized comparative case series. Participants Thirty patients were followed up for at least 5 years after nonvitrectomizing vitreous surgery. Intervention Epiretinal membranes were peeled without infusion of balanced salt solution and removal of the vitreous. The data from the fellow eye was the control data. Main Outcome Measures We examined the visual acuities (VAs), objective refractions, and slit-lamp and Scheimpflug photographs from the preoperative and the final examinations of both eyes. Quantitative assessment of the progression of nuclear sclerosis was performed by densitometry analysis using Scheimpflug photography. The recurrence rate of ERM was determined. Results The follow-up periods ranged from 60 to 102 months (mean±standard deviation, 72.2±11.0 months). The patient ages ranged from 52 to 76 years (68.8±6.3 years). The final VA improved or stabilized within 2 lines in 29 of 30 eyes (96.7%). No unilateral progression of nuclear sclerosis occurred in any cases. The mean preoperative and postoperative refractions without additional surgery were −0.4±2.9 diopters (D) and −0.2±3.0 D in the operated eyes, respectively, and −0.2±2.5 D and 0.1±2.4 D, respectively, in the unoperated fellow eyes. The mean differences in the refractive error between both eyes (operated eye data minus fellow eye data) were −0.2±0.7 D before surgery and −0.3±0.8 D after surgery ( P = 0.319, paired t test). The mean preoperative and postoperative nuclear densities in 16 patients were 69±14 nuclear density units (NDUs) and 76±12 NDUs in the operated eyes and 71±14 NDUs and 78±14 NDUs in the fellow eyes, respectively. The mean preoperative and postoperative differences in nuclear densities in both eyes were −2±2 NDUs and −2±5 NDUs, respectively ( P = 0.836, paired t test). The ERM recurred in 10 eyes (33%), and 3 eyes underwent conventional vitrectomy combined with cataract surgery. Conclusions Unilateral nuclear sclerosis did not progress for at least 5 years after nonvitrectomizing vitreous surgery. The recurrence rate of ERM appeared to be higher than that after conventional vitreous surgery.

The ‘conshearing’ process, a continuous version of Equal Channel Angular Extrusion was applied to 2 mm thick 1100 aluminum alloy strips at room temperature. It was found that the optimum flection angle of the ECA die (or the supplementary angle of the channel angle) to impose high strain is 65°. The 〈1 1 1〉//ND shear texture was developed and showed maximum intensity after two passes. After six passes, banded microstructure with ultrafine grains of which mean thickness and length were 0.42 and 1.4 μm, respectively, was observed. The obtained material showed well-balanced mechanical properties; i.e., a tensile strength of 170 MPa and an elongation to failure of 23%.

Objective: Docetaxel and carboplatin (DC) have demonstrated activity as radiation sensitizers in pre-clinical studies. The aim of this phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of DC with concurrent thoracic radiation therapy (TRT) followed by consolidation chemotherapy with DC for stage III unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and methods: Thirty-three previously untreated patients with inoperable, locally advanced (LA) NSCLC received docetaxel 30 mg/m 2 over 1 h and carboplatin at an AUC of 3 every 2 weeks for six courses—four courses during concurrent chemoradiotherapy and two courses following completion of radiotherapy. Concurrent TRT was performed in 2-Gy daily fractions to a total dose of 60 Gy. Results: Among 32 evaluable patients, the overall response rate was 91%, with two complete responses (CR) and 27 partial responses (PR). Median survival time by intention-to-treat analysis was 27 months, with survival rates of 76% at 1 year and 61% at 2 years. Serious side effects were generally limited to grade 3 neutropenia in 6%, grades 3 and 4 pulmonary toxicity in 6 and 3%, respectively, and grade 3 esophagitis in 3% of patients. Conclusions: DC with concurrent TRT followed by consolidation chemotherapy was highly active with manageable toxicity in patients with stage III unresectable NSCLC.

Introducing fine polymeric filaments as the extraction medium, a miniaturized sample preparation technique for micro-column liquid chromatography (micro-LC) has been developed along with the investigation of a reproducible preparation scheme of the extraction capillary. The polymeric filaments were packed longitudinally into either a fused-silica capillary or a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) capillary of appropriate dimensions, and the extraction capillary was installed to the injection valve in micro-LC system. The number of packed filaments should be precisely counted before the packing process to make sure the reproducible preparation of the extraction capillary. With conventional stationary phase materials for open-tubular gas chromatography, polymeric coating to the surface of the filaments was also studied in order to further enhance the extraction performance and selectivity. Coated with the polymeric material suitable for the extraction of particular analyte, a dramatic improvement on the extraction power was obtained. The results suggest that the future possibility of novel tailored fibrous extraction medium with an appropriate coating on it, especially for the analysis of complex sample matrices.

A rolling method to increase the width of materials would have advantages in multi-width strip production, giving high yield efficiency and productivity. Textures of strips also could be controlled by the method. It is, however, still difficult to produce transverse metal flow in thin strips. It is due to the high width/thickness aspect ratio. The authors suggested a new method for spread rolling of thin strips. In this study, the method has been applied to interstitial atom free (IF) steel strip, which is a particular material utilized for deep drawing process and requires small planar anisotropy. The thin strip with 1 mm thick and 70 mm wide is widened up to 72 mm by a reduction of 35% in thickness for the spread rolling. The flat rolling with the same reduction of 35% is also performed for comparison. Both the spread-rolled and flat-rolled strips are subsequently annealed. As for the textures of the as-rolled strips, the evolution of 〈1 1 1〉//ND fiber is so remarkable in the spread strips as that in the flat-rolled strips. It is found that the planar anisotropy of r -values in the spread-rolled strips is smaller than that in the flat-rolled strip.

Miniaturized sample preparation methods designed as the sample pretreatment for liquid phase separations, such as liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography, have been reviewed especially for the on-line coupling of the sample preparation process and the separation process. The development of the desorption interfaces for the effective combining of the sample preparation and subsequent liquid phase separations is briefly described along with the applications of the combined analytical systems to the analysis of complex sample mixtures such as biological and environmental matrices. Novel use of fine polymeric filaments as the extraction medium for microscale liquid phase separation methods are investigated and a comparison is made with other sample preparation techniques. Polymer coating onto the fibrous material is also introduced to further develop microscale sample preparation methods with improved extraction performance. Several other microscale sample preparation methods having a potential compatibility to the liquid phase separations are also described for future applications of these techniques.

The purpose of this study is to improve the output power (Pout) and third-order inter-modulation distortion (IM3) of planar type GaAs power FET, which is used for RF power amplifiers for base stations of digital wireless communications systems. We focused on the GaAs surface state and attempted to improve the FET performance by intentional GaAs surface oxidation just prior to SiN cap deposition. Thermal or plasma oxidation has been found to improve Pout and IM3 characteristics. Distinct improvement of FET performance was observed in intentionally oxidized FET, and the highest Pout = 34 dBm and Pout (@IM3=−55 dBc) = 23 dBm was measured on plasma oxidized FET with Wg=5.2 mm. These results are shown in this article together with the results of photoelectron analysis.

Although cold ring rolling is used in the manufacturing of bearing races, research on this process has been limited. In this study, the fundamental characteristics of cold ring rolling are made clear by the finite element method. Steel rings with rectangular cross-sections are rolled on a mill with a driven mandrel and a work roll. The entire ring is analysed under the plane-strain condition. An elastic–plastic constitutive equation is used on non-steady-state scheme. It is found that at the beginning of the rolling, the ring vibrates irregularly. The reduction in thickness increases linearly during the first revolution of the ring, then increases slightly from the second revolution. At the early stage of rolling, the equivalent strain is higher at both surfaces and distributes inhomogeneously along the circumference. In the roll gap, the radial stress of surface elements shows a peak at the middle of the contact arc. The spatial distribution of stress components approaches the steady-state after a few revolutions. Outside the roll gap, generally compressive circumferential (hoop) stress acts on the outer surface, while tensile stress acts on the inner surface. The stress components change periodically with the revolution. The fundamental characteristics of the cold ring rolling process are discussed.

The role of shear strain on ultragrain refinement of aluminum during accumulative roll-bonding (ARB) process was studied. The complicated distribution of redundant shear strain through thickness of the ARB processed sheets was quantitatively shown first, and good correspondence between the grain size and the amount of shear strain was found.

PURPOSE: Nuclear sclerosis develops frequently after successful pars plana vitrectomy. We evaluated changes in the degree of nuclear sclerosis after nonvitrectomizing vitreous surgery for idiopathic epimacular proliferation. METHODS: Forty-one consecutive patients (41 eyes) underwent removal of idiopathic epimacular proliferation by nonvitrectomizing vitreous surgery and were followed postoperatively for at least 12 months. Visual acuity, refractive error, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and Scheimpflug photographs were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively to evaluate changes in the degree of lenticular opacification. Quantitative analysis of the nuclear sclerosis was performed by densitometry with Scheimpflug photographs performed on only the last 21 patients. We evaluated these measurements by comparing statistically the preoperative and postoperative difference between both eyes (operative eye minus nonoperative ocular data). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the progression of nuclear sclerosis or degree of myopic shift between the operated and fellow eyes during postoperative follow-up (mean ± SD, 22 ± 8 months; median, 22 months; range, 12 to 48 months). The average preoperative and postoperative refractive errors in operated eyes were 0.0 ± 2.4 diopters and 0.1 ± 2.5 diopters, respectively; the average difference in the refractive errors between both eyes was −0.2 ± 0.7 diopter preoperatively and −0.2 ± 0.9 diopter postoperatively ( P = .961, paired t test). The average preoperative and postoperative nuclear density values by Scheimpflug photography in 21 operated eyes were, respectively, 72 ± 18 nuclear density units and 75 ± 17 nuclear density units; the average difference in nuclear density values between both eyes was −1 ± 4 nuclear density units preoperatively and 0 ± 6 nuclear density units postoperatively ( P = .631, paired t test). CONCLUSION: Progression of nuclear sclerotic cataract based on changes in refractive error and Scheimpflug photography was not observed after nonvitrectomizing vitreous surgery.

An efficient sampling method for dioxins from flue gas, an efficient automatic purification and fractionation method by a new HPLC system using a sulfuric acid–silica/silica column, a Nitro column and a PGC column, and sensitive determination method by an economical HRGC/LRMS using a programmable temperature vaporization (PTV) injector were developed. It was confirmed that the dioxins could be easily collected by the proposed simple sampling train consisting of only two bottles, and the extracted sample could be purified sufficiently and separated as mono-ortho PCBs, non-ortho PCBs and PCDDs/PCDFs completely with the proposed HPLC system. The peak areas of GC/MS were increased linearly with the injection volume up to 40 μl by the PTV technique, and the sensitivity could be increased to 20 times higher than usual. This convenient measuring method can drastically reduce operation time, consumption of hazardous solvent and cost.

Organophosphorus pesticides spiked in water sample solutions were extracted with solid phase microextraction (SPME) technique and were desorbed by supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (SFCO2) before on-line introduction into high performance liquid chromatography system (HPLC). All of the 5-μl SFCO2 injected into the HPLC system were dissolved into the methanol/water (80/20) mobile phase without affecting the baseline of the UV detector signal. Preliminary experiments were performed in order to optimize the extraction conditions of pesticides from spiked water solutions with the SPME technique. Subsequently, desorption conditions of the pesticides from the SPME fiber coating using SFCO2 as the desorption medium were optimized.

Purpose: To evaluate definitive radiation therapy delivering doses in excess of 60 Gy for elderly patients aged 75 years or over with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and methods: The treatment results for 97 patients aged 75 years or older (mean age 78 years; elderly group) with inoperable or unresectable NSCLC were retrospectively analyzed and compared with those for 206 patients younger than 75 year old (mean age 64 years; younger group). The elderly patients were classified into two groups; 67 patients aged 75–79 years (the elderly A) and 30 patients aged 80 years or older (the elderly B). Most of all patients were treated with a total dose of 60 Gy or more in 2 Gy daily standard fractionation. Results: The overall 2 and 5 year survival rates were 32 and 13% for the elderly A group, and 28 and 4% for the elderly B group, respectively, compared with 36 and 12% for the younger group. There was not a statistically significant difference in survival rates among three groups. In stage I–II NSCLC patients there was also no significant difference in survival curves among the three groups. In patients with stage III disease, however, the survival curve of the elderly B was inferior to those of the younger group and the elderly A group, although the difference was not statistically significant. After the treatment the deterioration rate of the performance status was only 5% in the younger group and 8% in the elderly group. Only three younger and two elderly patients died of late pulmonary insufficiency associated with high-dose irradiation to the proximal bronchus. No other treatment-related event was observed except for mild acceptable acute complications in the elderly groups. Conclusions: Definitive radiation therapy is recommended to the elderly aged 75 years or older with inoperable or unresectable NSCLC, especially early stage disease, as an acceptable choice of treatment.

Solid phase microextraction (SPME)/supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) technique was investigated to realize the approach to the true solventless sample preparation procedures for pesticides analysis. Pesticides in spiked water samples were concentrated by SPME technique and were desorbed from the SPME fiber coating with supercritical carbon dioxide as the desorption solvent, prior to their analyses with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Preliminary experiments were performed in order to optimize the desorption conditions of pesticides from the SPME fiber coating using supercritical carbon dioxide as the desorption medium. Subsequently, extraction conditions of pesticides from spiked water samples with SPME technique were optimized using the optimized desorption conditions. Limit of detection of some pesticides used in this study was lower than the Japanese regulatory limits for environmental water in a golf course. Linearity was found between the tested concentration range between 0.1 and 5.0 mg l −1 with the R.S.D. between 7.4 and 12.0%.

The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the freeze-fracture electron microscopy of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes containing distearoyl-N-monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-succinyl-phosphatidylethanolamines (PEG-DSPE) were carried out. The DSC peak of DPPC liposomes containing PEG-DSPE had a shoulder. The main phase transition temperature of DPPC bilayer membranes containing PEG-DSPE whose molecular weight of PEG is less than 3000 was slightly shifted to a higher temperature, while that containing PEG-DSPE whose molecular weight of PEG is more than 5000 was slightly shifted to a lower temperature. The electron micrographs of freeze-fracture replicas of DPPC liposomes containing PEG-DSPE quenched from 37±2°C exhibited banded and planar textures, suggesting the lateral phase separation in the bilayer membranes.

The outcome of limited field irradiation for medically inoperable patients with peripheral stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was analyzed to discuss the elective irradiation of regional lymph nodes. From 1976 through 1994, 36 patients with peripheral stage I NSCLC were treated with definitive radiation therapy (RT) alone at Gunma University hospital. The total dose ranged from 60 to 81 Gy with a 2 Gy-daily standard fractionation, although only one patient received 48 Gy. Ten patients received elective irradiation of the regional lymph nodes with a total dose of 40 Gy or more. The overall response rate was 97% with 31% complete responses. The overall survival rates at 3 and 5 years were 42 and 23%, and disease-specific survival rates were 56 and 39% at 3 and 5 years, respectively. In 26 patients without the elective regional irradiation, disease-specific survival rates at 3 and 5 years were 53 and 40%, respectively, whereas they were 64 and 39% in 10 patients with the regional nodal irradiation. The cumulative 5-year local progression rate was 28%, and the overall progression rate was 60% at 5 years. Four patients had a local recurrence as the only site of initial tumor progression. Combined local and regional progression was seen in two patients, and one patient had a local recurrence in combination with distant metastasis. Twelve patients had distant failure without evidence of local or regional progression. Only one patient without regional nodal irradiation developed an isolated regional failure. No patient had serious complications related to RT. High-dose limited field RT is justified for medically inoperable patients with peripheral stage I NSCLC. The regional nodal irradiation can be omitted in these pulmonary compromised patients because of the low regional relapse rate. Dose-escalation by a conformal RT with a small target volume can be expected to provide a better local control rate and better survival.

Objective: The development or progression of postoperative nuclear sclerosis is the most common complication of successful vitrectomy in elderly patients. The authors treated idiopathic epimacular proliferation (EMP) with nonvitrectomizing vitreous surgery in an attempt to prevent postoperative nuclear sclerosis. Design: Prospective, nonrandomized, comparative case series. Participants: The authors surgically removed membranes from the sensory retina in 21 eyes of 21 patients with EMP. Intervention: Neither intravitreal infusion nor vitrectomy of any kind was performed during the procedure. The peeled membrane was left floating in the vitreous cavity in 11 (group 1) eyes and removed in 10 eyes (group 2). Nonoperated fellow eyes served as controls. Main outcome measures: Visual acuity, slit-lamp and/or Scheimpflug photography, and refractometry were performed pre- and postoperatively to evaluate changes in the degree of lenticular opacity. Results: There was no difference in the rate of development or progression of nuclear sclerosis or the degree of myopic shift between operated and control eyes during the postoperative follow-up period (mean, 9.7 months). No serious complications were noted. There was no difference in postoperative course between patients in the two operative groups. Conclusions: Although interpretation of the results of this study is limited due to its small size and short follow-up, nonvitrectomizing vitreous surgery seems to decrease the postoperative development or progression of nuclear sclerosis in patients with idiopathic EMP.

Much attention has been directed recently to ultra-grain refining of metallic materials, where the grain size is reduced to less than 1 {micro}m. It is expected that submicrometer grained structure would result in high strength and toughness at ambient temperature as well as high strain rate or low temperature superplasticity at elevated temperatures. The authors have recently developed a novel intense straining process for bulk materials, named Accumulative Roll-Bonding (ARB). They firstly tried to apply ARB to the aluminum alloys, and the bulk sheets with ultra-fine grains whose grain sizes are several hundred nano-meters were successfully produced. The purpose of the present study is to clarify whether or not it is possible to produce the bulk steel sheets with ultra-fine grains by ARB process. Because steel is the most useful structural material, the ultra-grain refining of steel is greatly desired. The ultra-grain refining and resulted strengthening of steels could largely reduce the weight of any constructions, and the strengthening without alloying elements would be preferable for recycling. However, no investigation concerning the intense straining of bulk steels has been carried out by now possibly due to the difficulty in processing, although limited results about small materials, such as grain refiningmore » by powder metallurgical process (MM) or TS of thin discs, have been reported.« less

Monocore Ag-sheathed (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox tapes were prepared by the oxide-powder-in-tube method. The effects of tension during intermediate rolling between sinterings have been investigated. It has been revealed that the critical current density Jc is higher when the front and back tensions are applied simultaneously than when only one of them is applied. The excessive tension deteriorates the Jc. The optimum level of tension has been found to be ∼5 MPa. The application of tension suppresses the sausaging of silver/oxide core interface, improves the grain alignment of oxide core and results in higher Jc.

Objective To determine the incidence and the clinical course of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of acute-onset infections in patients with atopic dermatitis after a scleral buckling procedures. Design A retrospective chart review. Participants Two hundred eighty-seven patients (293 eyes) who underwent scleral buckling procedures to treat rhegmatogenous retinal detachments at either Osaka Rosai Hospital or Osaka University Medical School between July 1, 1995, and June 30, 1997, participated. Of these, 32 eyes (10.9%) were associated with atopic dermatitis. Intervention Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from patients' medical records. Main outcome measures The incidence, clinical features, and management of postoperative infections associated with methicillin-resistant S. aureus were studied. Results Methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection after scleral buckling procedures was identified in 6 (18.8%) of 32 eyes of patients with atopic dermatitis but in only 1 (0.4%) of the other 261 cases without atopic dermatitis ( P Conclusions Methicillin-resistant S. aureus is an important causative pathogen of scleral buckling infections, particularly in patients with retinal detachment associated with atopic dermatitis. Preoperative evaluation and intraoperative attention to contamination are recommended to prevent methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections in these patients.

In this paper, a novel continuous tandem mill named the ‘elongation-controlled rolling mill’ is proposed, with the purpose of achieving free-size rolling. The mill is distinctive in its utilization of interstand force to control elongation, i.e. the nominal strain in the rolling direction or the lateral spread of the workpiece during rolling. The interstand forces vary widely from tensile to compressive. A prototype five-stand mill has been constructed. The interstand forces are applied by varying the set-up of roll speeds at stands. Flat rolling experiments of narrow aluminium strips have been performed with this mill and confirmed the effectiveness of this rolling technique.

The satellite mill with closed pass has been successfully applied to production of U- and H-shaped profiled wires. In this study, the influence of rolling parameters such as the pass schedule, the preform dimensions and the surface roughness of the roll groove has been investigated. It is shown that the satellite-mill rolling can form much higher ribs in products than a conventional method and has an advantage in its ability to fill the metal into roll grooves. This effect is enhanced by rougher grooves and by thicker preforms.

Objective This study aimed to determine the efficacy of photocoagulation to the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and fluid-gas exchange (FGX) in the treatment of persistent macular holes. Design A clinical trial. Participants Thirteen eyes of 12 patients who had undergone photocoagulation to the RPE and FGX for persistent macular holes after initial vitrectomy and gas tamponade were examined. All eyes had persistent full-thickness macular holes (diameter range, 290–820 μm; 610 ± 190, mean ± standard deviation) and no vitreous cortex around the holes on biomicroscopic examination. Intervention Argon laser photocoagulation was applied to the RPE in the hole bed, and FGX with 20% sulfur hexafluoride was then performed, followed by 2 weeks with the patient in a prone position. The follow-up period of the patients ranged from 3 to 18 months (10.2 ± 4.2; mean ± standard deviation). Main outcome measures Anatomic success and final visual outcome were measured. Results Macular holes were closed successfully after treatment in 12 (92%) of 13 eyes, and visual acuity improved 2 or more lines in 6 eyes (46%). Two eyes (15%) attained visual acuities of 20/40 or better, and seven eyes (54%) attained 20/67 or better visual acuity. There were no intraoperative complications. Cataract formation or progression was recognized during follow-up in five (83%) of six phakic eyes. Conclusions Although this study includes only a small number of patients, it suggests that photocoagulation and FGX can be effective in the treatment of persistent macular holes.