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We compared the outcomes of autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT) with those of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) from a human leukocyte antigen-matched related donor in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Newly diagnosed patients who underwent allo-SCT (n = 486) or auto-SCT (n = 99) after achieving first complete remission (CR) were included. Propensity score matching (PS) and an inverse probability of the treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis were applied to compensate for imbalances in baseline characteristics. The 5 years rates of overall survival (OS) among those in the PS-matched cohorts were 57% [95% confidence interval (CI) 46-67%] for those who received allo-SCT and 44% (95% CI 33-54%) for those who received auto-SCT. Multivariable, propensity score-matched, and IPTW analyses all revealed no statistically significant differences in OS between the two groups [hazard ratios (HR) 0.81, 95% CI 0.53-1.27, p = 0.36; HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.40-1.78, p = 0.65; HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.25-2.02, p = 0.53, respectively]. Prospective trials that include autologous transplantation as a treatment option are needed to examine the potential of autologous transplantation.

Parsaclisib, a potent, selective, next-generation PI3Kδ inhibitor, has shown clinical benefit in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma. We undertook a phase Ib study (CITADEL-111) evaluating safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of parsaclisib in Japanese patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies. Patients received oral parsaclisib daily for 8 weeks then once weekly (10-mg dose, n = 3; 20-mg dose, n = 14). Pharmacokinetic samples were collected on days 1, 8, and 15, and efficacy was monitored according to Lugano criteria. At data cut-off (August 14, 2020), 6 patients (35.3%) remained on study treatment and 11 (64.7%) discontinued due to progressive disease (9 [52.9%]) or adverse events (2 [11.8%]). Median duration of treatment was 8.3 (range, 0.3-24.4) months. The most commonly reported nonhematologic adverse events were constipation (6 [35.3%]), nausea, and pyrexia (each 4 [23.5%]). Five patients (29.4%) experienced treatment-emergent new or worsening decreased neutrophils to grade 3 or 4. No treatment-emergent worsening in aminotransferase elevations to grade 3 or 4 were observed. Ten patients (58.8%) required dose interruption and 5 (29.4%) dose reduction. Body weight-normalized parsaclisib exposure was comparable between Japanese and Western patients. Objective response rate was 100% in follicular lymphoma (9 of 9 patients, including complete response in 2 patients [22.2%]) and marginal zone lymphoma (2 of 2 patients), and 16.7% in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (1 of 6 patients). Results observed in Japanese patients with relapsed or refractory follicular or marginal zone lymphoma support further clinical development of parsaclisib in these patient populations.

Background The International Myeloma Working Group response criteria require two consecutive assessments of paraprotein levels. We conducted an exploratory analysis to evaluate whether a single response assessment could be a substitute for the International Myeloma Working Group criteria using data from JCOG1105, a randomized phase II study on melphalan, prednisolone and bortezomib. Methods Of 91 patients with transplant-ineligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, 79 patients were included. We calculated the kappa coefficient to evaluate the degree of agreement between the International Myeloma Working Group criteria and the single response assessment. Results Based on the International Myeloma Working Group criteria, 11 (13.9%), 20 (25.3%), 36 (45.6%) and 12 (15.2%) patients had stringent complete response/complete response, very good partial response, partial response and stable disease, respectively. Based on the single response assessment, 17 (21.5%), 19 (24.1%), 35 (44.3%) and 8 (10.1%) patients had stringent complete response/complete response, very good partial response, partial response and stable disease, respectively. The kappa coefficient was 0.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.65–0.88), demonstrating good agreement. The single response assessment was not inferior to the International Myeloma Working Group criteria in the median progression-free survival (3.8 and 2.9 years) in stringent complete response/complete response patients, suggesting that the single response assessment was not an overestimation. Conclusions The single response assessment could be a substitute for the current International Myeloma Working Group criteria for transplant-ineligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma., The single response assessment could be a substitute for the current International Myeloma Working Group criteria with two consecutive assessments in patients with transplant-ineligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

Follicular T-cell lymphoma (FTCL), one of the nodal T-cell lymphomas with T follicular helper (TFH) phenotype, is an uncommon disease. The diagnosis of FTCL is challenging on the distinction from the morphological mimics mostly exemplified by follicular lymphoma. Here, we described a case of FTCL that mimicked lymphocyte-rich classic Hodgkin lymphoma (LRCHL). A 47-year-old male presented with cervical lymphadenopathy. The biopsy specimen demonstrated nodular lymphoid proliferation, which included scattered CD30+ CD15- CD20- PAX5 weakly+ Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS)-like cells and a rich distribution of CD3+ CD4+ PD1+ T-cells. Epstein Barr virus was not detected in HRS-like cells, but it was detected in a small proportion of the scattered lymphocytes. The large cells were also negative for programmed cell death ligand 1, which appeared to be coincidental as described in our previous report of LRCHL. However, flow cytometry showed a CD3- CD4+ T-cell population that constituted 37.4% of all gated lymphocytes. A PCR analysis showed a clonal T-cell receptor-gamma gene rearrangement, but not a clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement, and showed RHOA G17V mutation. The constellation of these findings led us to revise the diagnosis to FTCL. This result indicated that our case belonged to a relatively indolent subgroup of nodal peripheral T-cell lymphoma of TFH phenotype, which affects patients ≤60 years old, recently proposed by our group. This case report expands our understanding of the morphologic spectrum of FTCL and its clinicopathologic significance.

We established an IL-2 and IL-4 (IL2/4) - dependent adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) cell line (YG-PLL) by adding poly-L-lysine (PLL) to the culture medium. YG-PLL originates from lymphoma cells and contains a defective HTLV-I proviral genome. Although YG-PLL cannot survive without IL-2/4, the follicular dendritic cell (FDC)-like cell line HK expressing OX40-ligand gene (OX40L+HK) inhibited their death in the presence of soluble neutral polymers. After the prevention of cell death, YG-PLL proliferated on OX40L+HK without IL2/4 in the presence of two kinds of positively or negatively charged polymers. In particular, dermatan sulfate and poly-L-histidine supported growth for more than 4 months. Therefore, the original lymphoma cells proliferated transiently in the presence of IL2/4, and their growth arrest was inhibited by the addition of PLL. Furthermore, YG-PLL lost IL2/4 dependency by the following 3-step procedure: preculture with IL2/4 and neutral polymers, 3-day culture with neutral polymer on OX40L+HK to inhibit cell death, and co-culture with OX40L+HK in the presence of the positively and negatively charged polymers. The extracellular environment made by soluble polymers plays a role in the growth of ATLL in vitro.

Non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) treated with chemoimmunotherapy has limited efficacy in some patients, resulting in relapsed or refractory disease. Avadomide (CC‐122) is a novel cereblon‐binding agent that exhibits antilymphoma and immune‐modulation activities with a biological profile distinct from similar agents, such as lenalidomide. This phase I multicenter study evaluated avadomide in Japanese patients with advanced solid tumors or NHL. Fourteen patients with NHL and one with a solid tumor (esophageal carcinoma), were enrolled in four dose‐escalation cohorts using a 3 + 3 design. Primary endpoints included safety, dose‐limiting toxicities (DLT), maximum‐tolerated dose and/or recommended phase II dose (RP2D), and pharmacokinetics. Secondary endpoints included overall response rate (ORR) and duration of response. One patient with NHL experienced DLT, which included face edema, pharyngeal edema, and tumor flare (all grade 1) that led to a dose reduction. Eleven patients had grade ≥3 treatment‐emergent adverse events, most frequently decreased neutrophil count (33%) and decreased lymphocyte count (20%). The ORR in patients with NHL (n = 13) was 54%, including four complete and three partial responses. The best response for the solid tumor patient was progressive disease. Avadomide dose intensity was consistent across cohorts, and the 3‐mg dose given five consecutive days/week was established as the RP2D. This phase I study identified a tolerable dose of avadomide, with an acceptable toxicity profile and clinically meaningful efficacy in Japanese patients with previously treated NHL., Non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is typically treated with chemoimmunotherapy but approximately one‐third of patients develop relapsed and/or refractory disease and require alternative treatments. This phase I study of the novel cereblon‐binding agent avadomide (CC‐122) identified a dose with an acceptable safety profile and clinically meaningful efficacy in Japanese patients with previously treated NHL.

Dasatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is commonly used in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia. A rare side effect is peripheral neuropathy. A 54-year-old woman experienced gradually accelerated dysesthesia and hypoesthesia in her extremities, 2 months following treatment with dasatinib. Nerve conduction studies revealed a prolonged conduction velocity with temporal dispersion, indicating demyelinating peripheral neuropathy. After changing dasatinib to nilotinib, both her clinical symptoms and electrophysiological data gradually improved. We herein report the findings of this case with a review of the pertinent literature.

Summary Background Standard treatment for untreated advanced-stage follicular lymphoma is rituximab plus chemotherapy. The incidence of histological transformation of follicular lymphoma has been reported only in heterogeneously treated populations and rarely with long-term follow-up. Additionally, the incidence of secondary malignancies after treatment, without high-dose therapy for follicular lymphoma, is largely unknown. The aim of our study was to assess progression-free survival, overall survival, incidence of secondary malignancies, and incidence of histological transformation in a 10-year follow-up analysis of the JCOG0203 trial. Methods In the phase 2–3 randomised JCOG0203 trial, previously untreated patients with stage III or IV indolent B-cell lymphoma, including grades 1–3 follicular lymphoma, from 44 hospital centres in Japan, were randomly assigned (1:1) by use of a minimisation method to receive six cycles of R-CHOP (rituximab [375 mg/m2], given on day 1, plus cyclophosphamide [750 mg/m2], doxorubicin [50 mg/m2], vincristine [1·4 mg/m2, capped at 2·0 mg] given intravenously on day 3, and oral prednisone [100 mg once daily on days 3–7]) every 3 weeks (R-CHOP-21) or every 2 weeks (enabled by mandatory granulocyte-colony stimulating factor administration once daily for 6 days, starting on day 8; R-CHOP-14) without rituximab maintenance. Age, bulky disease (nodal or extranodal mass ≥10 cm in diameter on CT), and institution were used as adjustment factors. Investigators enrolled participants, and assignment to trial groups was done with a computer-assisted randomisation allocation sequence that took place centrally at the Japan Clinical Oncology Group Data Center, without the intervention of investigators. Interventions were not masked for patients or investigators. Data were collected 10 years after enrolment of the last patient. The primary endpoint of the phase 3 part of the study was progression-free survival, and the primary endpoint of the phase 2 part of the study was the proportion of patients who achieved a complete response. Accrual was 4·5 years, and follow-up was 3 years after registration was closed. Data were updated on the cutoff date of Feb 28, 2017. Intention-to-treat analyses (ie, progression-free survival, overall survival, and incidence of secondary malignancies) were predefined, to be done at 10 years after the last patient was enrolled. An additional analysis of the incidence of histological transformation was defined 15 years after the protocol, on May 8, 2017, in a supplementary analysis plan, and assessed at 10 years after the last patient was enrolled. Follow-up is ongoing. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00147121. Findings Between Sept 1, 2002, and Feb 28, 2007, 300 patients were enrolled, and 149 (50%) were assigned to the R-CHOP-21 group and 151 (50%) were assigned to the R-CHOP-14 group. After eligibility was assessed, one patient was excluded from the R-CHOP-21 group. 10-year progression-free survival was not different between groups (R-CHOP-21 33%, 95% CI 25–41; R-CHOP-14 39%, 31–47; hazard ratio 0·89, 95% CI 0·67–1·17). In 248 patients with grade 1–3a follicular lymphoma, progression-free survival was 39% (33–45) at 8 years and 36% (30–42) at 10 years. The cumulative incidence of histological transformation was 3·2% (95% CI 1·5–6·0) at 5 years, 8·5% (5·4–12·4) at 8 years, and 9·3% (6·1–13·4) at 10 years after enrolment. At 10 years, the cumulative incidence of secondary malignancies was 8·1% (5·1–12·0) and the cumulative incidence of haematological secondary malignancies was 2·9% (1·3–5·5). Interpretation R-CHOP is a viable option for first-line treatment in patients with newly diagnosed advanced follicular lymphoma. Clinicians choosing a first-line treatment for patients with follicular lymphoma should be cautious of secondary malignancies caused by immunochemotherapy and severe complications of infectious diseases in the long-term follow-up—both of which could lead to death. Funding National Cancer Center and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.

The effect on the gas permeance properties and structural morphology of the presence of methyl functional groups in a silica membrane was studied. Membranes were synthesized via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at 650 &deg, C and atmospheric pressure using three silicon compounds with differing numbers of methyl- and methoxy-functional groups: tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS), methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMOS), and dimethyldimethoxysilane (DMDMOS). The residence time of the silica precursors in the CVD process was adjusted for each precursor and optimized in terms of gas permeance and ideal gas selectivity criteria. Final H2 permeances at 600 &deg, C for the TMOS-, MTMOS-, and DMDMOS-derived membranes were respectively 1.7 &times, 10&minus, 7, 2.4 &times, 7, and 4.4 &times, 8 mol∙m&minus, 2∙s&minus, 1∙Pa&minus, 1 and H2/N2 selectivities were 990, 740, and 410. The presence of methyl groups in the membranes fabricated with the MTMOS and DMDMOS precursors was confirmed via Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. From FTIR analysis, an increasing methyl signal in the silica structure was correlated with both an improvement in the hydrothermal stability and an increase in the apparent activation energy for hydrogen permeation. In addition, the permeation mechanism for several gas species (He, H2, Ne, CO2, N2, and CH4) was determined by fitting the gas permeance temperature dependence to one of three models: solid state, gas-translational, or surface diffusion.

Growing adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) cells in vitro is difficult. Here, we examined the effects of static electricity in the culture medium on the proliferation of ATLL cells. Six out of 10 ATLL cells did not proliferate in vitro and thus had to be cultured in a medium containing negatively charged polymers. In the presence of poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA) or chondroitin sulfate (CDR), cell lines (HKOX3-PGA, HKOX3-CDR) were established from the same single ATLL case using interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and feeder cells expressing OX40L (OX40L(+)HK). Dextran sulfate inhibited growth in both HKOX3 cell lines. Both PGA and OX40L(+)HK were indispensable for HKOX3-PGA growth, but HKOX3-CDR could proliferate in the presence of CDR or OX40L(+)HK alone. Thus, the specific action of each negatively charged polymer promoted the growth of specific ATLL cells in vitro.

To demonstrate the possibility of stress measurement at depths of more than 3 km, in-situ stress states were determined around the source faults of three seismic events: a Mw2.2 seismic event at about 3.3 km below surface in Mponeng gold mine, a Mw3.5 seismic event at about 3.5 km below surface in the Savuka gold mine, and the Orkney earthquake (Mw5.5), with its hypocentre about 5 km below surface, beneath the Moab Khotsong gold mine. The Mw2.2 seismic event occurred in a 30 m thick gabbroic dyke that intruded into a host rock of quartzite. A 90 m long borehole was drilled to penetrate its source fault. Borehole breakout and core discing were observed in the host rock and the hanging wall of the source fault, i.e., in the dyke. Diametrical core deformation analysis (DCDA) and deformation rate analysis (DRA) were applied to core samples retrieved from the borehole. The DCDA determines the differential stress in the plane normal to a borehole by measuring the cross-section shape of a core sample, while the DRA reproduces the normal stress in the orientation in which a cyclic loading is applied, i.e., to obtain hysteresis of the stress-strain curves. By integrating these measurements and criteria of the borehole breakout and the core discing, the principal stress states in the host rock, the footwall in the dyke and the hanging wall in the dyke were reproduced. Significant differences were found between the stress states in the footwall and the hanging wall. The Mw3.5 seismic event occurred in a 36 m thick dyke called BV78. A tunnel that was damaged by the seismic event passed through the source region. The compact conical-ended borehole overcoring (CCBO) technique was applied at two sites along the tunnel; one site was in an area de-stressed by mining and the other about 10 m from the dyke in an area of increased stress owing to the mining abutment above. DCDA was also applied to the core samples. Three boreholes (Hole A, Hole B and Hole C) that reach an aftershock area in the upper margin of the source fault of the Orkney earthquake (Mw5.5), were drilled by the ICDP-DSeis project (Ogasawara et al, 2019). Since the holes were designed to be drilled in the direction of the maximum compression, borehole breakout or core discing rarely occurred. The DCDA was applied to core samples recovered from Hole A and Hole B. The DRA was also applied to core samples of Hole A. The differential and the normal stresses along Hole A showed a spatial variation that correlates with a variation in lithology and the aftershock distribution.

Immunophenotype is an important prognostic factor for childhood and adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, immunophenotypic data from adult patients with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) are scarcely available.Subjects were unselected adult patients with T-LBL who were treated with intensive chemotherapy. Immunophenotyping of tumor cells was performed according to standard techniques.A total of eight patients with a median age of 31 years were analyzed who received hyper-CVAD treatment for LBL. Immunophenotypic analysis showed that the most common tumor type was cortical T-cell type [early T (n = 2), cortical T (n = 4), and medullary T (n = 2)]. Two patients diagnosed with early T-cell type had early disease progression.Assessment of T-cell differentiation stages in malignant T lymphoblasts would be important in choosing treatment strategies for adult patients with T-LBL.

Clonal heterogeneity in lymphoid malignancies has been recently reported in adult T-cell lymphoma/leukemia, peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified, and mantle cell lymphoma. Our analysis was extended to other types of lymphoma including marginal zone lymphoma, follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. To determine the presence of clonal heterogeneity, 332 cases were examined using array comparative genomic hybridization analysis. Results showed that incidence of clonal heterogeneity varied from 25% to 69% among different types of lymphoma. Survival analysis revealed that mantle cell lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with clonal heterogeneity showed significantly poorer prognosis, and that clonal heterogeneity was confirmed as an independent predictor of poor prognosis for both types of lymphoma. Interestingly, 8q24.1 (MYC) gain, 9p21.3 (CDKN2A/2B) loss and 17p13 (TP53, ATP1B2, SAT2, SHBG) loss were recurrent genomic lesions among various types of lymphoma with clonal heterogeneity, suggesting at least in part that alterations of these genes may play a role in clonal heterogeneity.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a peripheral T-cell neoplasm with an extremely poor prognosis. Maintaining ATLL cells in vitro is difficult and little is known about how they maintain themselves or grow in patients. Elucidating the interaction between ATLL cells and surrounding host factors might therefore provide important insights into pathophysiology. We cultured primary ATLL cells in various culture conditions using IL-2, IL-4 and feeder cells, and established two cell lines dependent on IL-2, IL-4 and a follicular dendritic cell-derived cell line, HK, in which OX40-ligand was induced. Our study indicates the importance of microenvironment in the homeostasis of ATLL.

Malignant lymphomas encompass various types of lymphoid neoplasms, possibly originating from cells in various stages of differentiation. The development of high throughput technologies based on knowledge of the human genome identifies novel mutations, epigenetic alterations, and signaling pathways characteristics of each of the lymphoma subtypes. The mutational landscape of tumors may have a clinical impact in terms of identifying rational approaches for molecular target therapy and predictive biomarkers for new therapies. This review will focus on our current understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms, new molecular target drugs, and their activity in lymphomas.

Risk stratification of patients with relapsed and refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) remains challenging. Recently, much attention has been paid to the impact of early progression of disease within 2 years of diagnosis (early POD) on subsequent survival. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical features and prognostic factors of patients with FL who experienced early POD. Data were available for 94 patients diagnosed with FL (clinical stage II–IV) who had received immunochemotherapy. Early POD was seen in 20 % of these patients. The Cox proportional hazards model showed worse overall survival (OS) in the patients with early POD compared with those without early POD (5-year OS rates 48 % vs. 96 %, P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, early POD (P = 0.003) and poor performance status (P = 0.006) remained a significant factor for subsequent OS. In Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI)- and Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index-2 (FLIPI2)-adjusted Cox regression analysis, early POD was associated with markedly reduced OS with a hazard ratio of 11.2 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 3.13–40.3, P < 0.001] and 13.5 (95 % CI 3.22–56.3, P < 0.003), respectively. Among patients who had early POD, high levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) both at the time of initial diagnosis and first progression could be associated with worse survival (2-year OS rates 33 vs. 92 %, P < 0.0001). Evaluation of LDH levels at the time of initial diagnosis and first progression may be important to define patients who were associated with worse prognosis. Risk stratification of patients with early POD could lead to improved clinical outcomes for FL patients. Further research is needed to investigate its value for decision making.

Introduction During the past decade, interstitial pneumonia (IP) is one of the newly recognized adverse events regarding rituximab therapy. However, disease characteristics of IP after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) have not been well-described since the introduction of rituximab. Patients and Methods We retrospectively analyzed 103 patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma undergoing ASCT. A propensity scoring system was applied in our analysis to eliminate potential confounding factors of covariates. Results The total number of patients who developed IP was nine. Five patients developed IP among 57 patients previously treated with rituximab, and four patients developed IP among 46 who were rituximab-naive. Cumulative incidence of IP was 7.8% at 1 year. Among the patients using rituximab, one patient had IP during the peri-engraftment period (cytomegalovirus infection), three patients had IP between 3 and 12 months (Pneumocystis pneumonia [PCP, n=1] and unknown cause [n = 2]), and the other one patient had IP 3.3 years after ASCT (unknown cause). Four patients in the rituximab-naive group developed IP between 3 and 12 months (PCP [n = 1] and unknown cause [n = 3]). All nine patients had symptomatic episodes before IP, three of which died of IP or secondary infections. Patients receiving a total body irradiation conditioning regimen had a higher risk of IP (odds ratio=3.6, P P = .85, Log-rank test). Conclusion This study shows that the rituximab usage was not identified as a risk factor of IP and that total body irradiation was the only independent risk factor for IP. Close monitoring is encouraged when symptomatic unexplained episodes are identified during follow-up examinations after ASCT.

The optimal treatment for adult Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia [Ph(−)ALL] during first complete remission (CR1) remains a matter of debate. One treatment option for Ph(−)ALL is autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT).[1][1],[2][2] Previous

Objectives: We report a single institution experience with gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in an attempt to evaluate the roles of different treatment modalities, to assess the value of pretreatment positron emission tomography (PET) scan, and to identify potential prognostic factors. Methods: Among 384 patients diagnosed with DLBCL between 1995 and 2008, 75 patients had primary gastric DLBCL and were reviewed and analyzed. Results: The median age was 66. International prognostic index (IPI) risk was low in 52%, low-intermediate in 23%, high-intermediate in 9%, and high in 16%. Pretreatment PET scan was highly sensitive in detecting gastric lesions except stage I gastric DLBCL without detectable mass by CT or gastroscopy. As a general rule, patients with limited-stage disease were treated with three times of CHOP (with or without rituximab) and radiotherapy, and those with advanced-stage disease were treated with eight cycles of CHOP (with or without rituximab), and radiotherapy was given to residual diseases after chemotherapy. Three-year overall survival (OS) rate was 78%. Multivariate analysis revealed that low albumin, hemoglobin

Observando o potencial energético do palhiço da cana-de-açúcar, iniciou o recolhimento dessa biomassa, realizado pelas máquinas enfardadoras. O recolhimento mecanizado do palhiço encontra alguns entraves como altos custos, heterogeneidade e baixa densidade do palhiço, além de se utilizar, atualmente, equipamentos de baixa capacidade operacional e custos elevados, por serem equipamentos adaptados para colheita de forragens. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho operacional e econômico do enfardamento de palhada de cana-de-açúcar utilizando duas enfardadoras em dois volumes diferentes de palha aleirada. O ensaio foi realizado durante a safra 2014, em área de produção de cana-de-açúcar da usina canavieira Caeté S/A, localizada no município de São Miguel dos Campos – AL. Foram ensaiados dois modelos de enfardadoras de fardos prismáticos retangulares, em dois volumes diferentes de aleiramento do palhiço, e os tratamentos consistiram em: E1V1 (Enfardadora 1 – 50% de volume de palhiço enleirado), E2V1 (Enfardadora 2 – 50% de volume de palhiço enleirado), E1V2 (Enfardadora 1 – 90% de volume de palhiço enleirado) e E2V2 (Enfardadora 2 – 90% de volume de palhiço enleirado). A enfardadora 2 apresentou Cct e Cco melhores (6,57 e 5,87 ha h-1) respectivamente. O menor custo operacional foi obtido no tratamento E1V1, de R$750,34 h-1. O tratamento E2V2 apresentou menor custo por fardo produzido e por tonelada de matéria seca de palha enfardada (MS), R$16,17 fardo-1 e R$30,84 Ton.MS-1 respectivamente.Palavras-chave: Biomassa, Enfardamento, Custo. OPERATIONAL AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE EVALUTION OF SUGAR - CANE STRAW PRISMATIC BALES USING DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF STRAW ACCUMULATEDABSTRACT: Considering the sugar cane straw energy potential, this biomass started to be collected by baling machines. It’s mecanized harvesting face some obstacles such as high costs, heterogeneity and low density of the straw. In addition there are low operational capacity and high costs, since equipment are adapted from fodder harvesting. This study aimed to evaluate the operational and economic performance of baler machines using two balers with different amounts of straw accumulated. The experiment was carried during the 2014 sugarcane harvest, at Caeté S / A, located in São Miguel dos Campos, Alagoas States, Brazil. Two models of rectangular prismatic balers machines were tested with two different amounts of straw accumulated,: E1V1 (Baler 1 - 50% amounts of straw accumulated), E2V1 (Baler 2 - 50% amounts of straw accumulated) E1V2 (Baler 1 - 90% amounts of straw accumulated) and E2V2 (Baler 2 - 90% amounts of straw accumulated). The baler machine 2 presented better theoretic field capacity and oprerational field capacity (6.57 and 5.87 ha-1 respectively). The lowest operating cost was obtained in the E1V1 treatment, from R $ 750.34 h-1. The E2V2 treatment presented lowest costs per bale produced and per ton of dry matter, R $ 16.17 bale and R $ 30.84 Ton - MS-1 respectively.KEYWORDS: Biomass, Baling, Cost

We carried out laboratory hydraulic fracturing tests, which revealed that the pressure at the reopening and closing of fractures during hydraulic fracturing can be detected by monitoring the strains in the borehole wall and the triggering of acoustic emissions.In the experiments, we measured the pressures during the reopening and closing of a fracture caused by elastic restitution in a block of rock not subjected to compressive load. The pressures are used for correcting those obtained in blocks of rock when biaxial compressive load is applied. The reopening pressure (Pr)is smaller than that obtained by the conventional method. This result expresses the following theoretical relationship.Pr=(3Sh-SH)/2where SH is the maximum horizontal stress, and Sh is the minimum horizontal stress.The corrected reopening pressure of fracture agrees to within 0.7 MPa with that obtained from the above equation.

Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic value of absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) at diagnosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Methods: In a large cohort of patients with DLBCL treated with CHOP (n = 119) or RCHOP (n = 102) in our institution, we evaluated the prognostic value of ALC at diagnosis with regards to treatment response, overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Use of rituximab, all International Prognostic Index (IPI) determinants, β2microglobulin level, presence of B symptoms or bulky disease, and ALC were evaluated. Results: Low ALC (

Objectives: We evaluated the predictors of recurrent restenosis and the impact of lesion length and vessel size on outcomes in patients treated with routine sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation for in-stent restenosis (ISR) of bare-metal stent (BMS). Methods: In this study, 250 consecutive patients with 275 lesions after SES implantation for ISR of BMS were enrolled. Follow-up angiogram was obtained in 239 patients with 258 lesions eight months after implantation (follow-up rate: 95.6%). We compared characteristics of patients and lesions between the two groups (the recurrent restenosis group and the no-restenosis group). Results: Recurrent restenosis was angiographically documented in 43 lesions (16.7%). Recurrent restenosis was found in 30.4% with small vessel lesions (reference diameter of less than 2.5 mm, 92 lesions) and 23% with the diffuse type lesions (106 lesions). Seventy-two per cent of patients had a focal pattern of recurrent restenosis. Previously recurrent ISR lesions (odds ratio (OR) 1.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94 to 4.06, p = 0.05), reference diameter of less than 2.5 mm (OR 2.41, CI 1.05 to 5.41, p = 0.03), diffuse type restenosis (OR 4.48, CI 2.12 to 9.94, p = 0.0001) and dialysis patients (OR 4.72, CI 1.42 to 15.7, p = 0.01) were independent predictors of recurrent restenosis. Conclusions: Small vessels, diffuse type restenosis and dialysis patients were still the predictors of recurrent restenosis in patients treated with SES for ISR of BMS.

It is well-known that granite has anisotropy due to the preferred orientation of micro-cracks. Therefore, it is important to investigate the orientation of micro-cracks in granite to discuss the anisotropy. It has been postulated that the orientation of micro-cracks in rock can be determined by DSCA (Differential Strain Curve Analysis). In the case of DSCA, however, it is necessary to use a lot of specimens to determine the orientation of micro-cracks precisely. Additionally, it is impossible to evaluate the orientation of micro-cracks if the rock contains few oriented micro-cracks.The seismic wave velocity shows the extreme values in the direction of principal axes of elasticity. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the information of the orientation of micro-cracks in rock by the measurement of the wave velocities. In this study, longitudinal wave velocities in various directions were measured to determine the orientation of micro-cracks in granite by using polyhedral specimens.From the measurement of the longitudinal wave velocities, the three-dimensional distribution of the velocities in granite could be obtained. By using the associated Legendre function, it was shown that the three-dimensional distribution of the longitudinal wave velocity could be approximated within 2nd order terms of the associated Legendre function. This result means that the wave distribution function can be expressed with the quadric surface and the coefficients can be expressed as the symmetric tensor of the 2nd rank. This shows the existence of the principal axes and the principal values which can be expressed with the eigen values and the eigen vector same as the cases of the stress and the strain. It is concluded that the directions of the principal axes and the values of the longitudinal wave velocities in granite can be determined by the calculation as evaluating the principal stress or the principal strain from the stress tensor or the strain tensor.

The emergence of rituximab has changed the clinical outcome of patients with B-cell lymphoma, which necessitates reassessment of previously determined prognostic factors. Thus, we evaluated the prognostic significance of serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL2R) levels in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), treated with CHOP (n = 108) or RCHOP (n = 94). Serum sIL2R level ranged from 316 to 23 800 U/mL (median 1064 U/mL) and levels were generally higher in higher IPI risk group. Multivariate analyses revealed that sIL2Ror =1000 U/mL was associated with shorter progression free survival [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.52, p = 0.011] and overall survival (HR = 2.34, p = 0.037) independent of IPI risk group or rituximab use. Further subgroup analyses revealed that the impact of sIL2R was most apparent in patients with IPI low risk, both in CHOP alone and RCHOP group. Our study confirmed the prognostic value of sIL2R in patients with DLBCL with low International Prognostic Index (IPI) risk, also in the era of rituximab.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that have potential to differentiate into various phenotypes and appear useful for therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine. Mesenchymal Stem Cell Basal Medium (MSCBM; Cambrex) is a widespread and suitable medium used in MSC cultivation, but it is extremely difficult to use generally for clinical treatment because of its unclear traceability and cost. Assessment of cost-effectiveness is a critical issue for successful practical application; therefore, we have evaluated the effects of a generally used medium, Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (D-MEM) on the expansion of MSCs in comparison with MSCBM. To isolate human MSCs, bone marrow aspirates were taken and cultured in MSCBM or D-MEM. Proliferation assay indicated that MSCs isolated in both media showed a similar growth rate. When supplemented with osteo-inductive reagents, alkaline phosphatase activity was not significantly different between cells in D-MEM and MSCBM. Moreover, the cells expressed identical mesenchymal lineage markers, but not endothelial and hematopoietic lineage markers. Our findings suggest that cells obtained from bone marrow and cultured in D-MEM might possess proliferative capacity and the potential to differentiate into an osteogenic lineage. In conclusion, D-MEM might be a suitable basal medium for the cultivation of MSCs for clinical applications.

This report concerns a rare case of follicular lymphoma with features suggestive of primary hepatic lymphoma. At the disease onset, multiple nodular lesions in the liver and small para-aortic nodes were detected by abdominal magnetic resonance imaging without generalized lymphadenopathy. After careful observation for three months, lymphadenopathy was observed in the right occipital, para-aortic, and bilateral inguinal regions. The patient was treated with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) and achieved complete remission for more than 2 years. To the best of our knowledge, this is the ninth report of primary hepatic follicular lymphoma. Insufficient cases have been reported to determine the long-term outcome and clinical characteristics of primary hepatic follicular lymphoma. However, it seems that patients with primary hepatic follicular lymphoma that are treated with appropriate chemotherapy with or without surgical resection have favorable outcomes.

Why do the currently available data sets from field hydrofracturing tests indicate that the measured re-opening pressure lies close to the shut-in pressure far more often than can reasonably be expected? In order to explain such a strange phenomenon, it is necessary to take into consideration two additional factors, those of (1) a residual aperture of fracture and (2) hydraulic compliance of the test equipment, both of which are ignored in the conventional theory of hydraulic fracturing. The residual aperture causes pressure penetration into the fracture prior to opening, and its effect is to reduce the re-opening pressure by a factor of two from the value expected when the conventional theory is used. The conventional theory implies that the fracture always begins to open at a borehole pressure less than the shut-in pressure. However, due to the effect of large hydraulic compliance, the reopening pressure measured in the conventional manner becomes larger than the true reopening pressure and approaches the shut-in pressure. Contrary to this, the reopening pressure measured using the test equipment with sufficiently small compliance represents a good estimate of the true reopening pressure. This pressure is related to the maximum horizontal stress S H, and its measured value allows us to estimate the value of S H.

Studies of thermophysical and mechanical properties of rocks at great depths have been conducted as part of research into the hydrology and geochemistry of groundwater, the migration of substances such as uranium, and drift excavation effects on surrounding rock mass by the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute. Measurement results and evaluation are given of thermal conductivity, λ, of core specimens collected from three research wells, 1000 m in depth, dug in granitoid stratum around the Tono mine, Japan. Twenty specimens were collected from each well, taking account of depth interval and lithofacies. The λ value of the specimens was measured by the unsteady hot-wire comparative method in the temperature range 25 - 85 °C. Experimental results showed that the values of λ were 1.9-2.1 W m - 1 K - 1 for conglomeratic sandstone, 2.9-3.6 W m - 1 K - 1 for quartz porphyry, 2.1-3.6 W m - 1 K - 1 for sandstone and 1.9-3.8 W m - 1 K - 1 for granite. A weak reverse temperature dependence of the λ values was observed in the tested temperature range. The distribution of the values of λ versus well depth, Z, showed that the values of λ were influenced by microcracks in the specimens which might have been caused by the stress released during the digging process of the core. In-situ λ values were evaluated with the core data prescribed above and the three-phase geometric-mean model as the A values for the intact rocks eliminated porosity.

Nodal Relapse After Helicobacter pylori Eradication in a Patient With Primary Localized Gastric Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma

A colheita mecanizada da cana-de-acucar foi implantada devido a questoes economicas, operacionais e ambientais. Desta forma o material remanescente das operacoes de colheita mecanizada pode causar problemas como a incidencia de pragas de dificil controle e incendios acidentais e criminosos. A utilizacao do residuo disponivel no campo, atraves do recolhimento e enfardamento desse material, proporciona novas fontes de energia para a industria. Esse trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o desempenho operacional e economico de duas enfardadoras de palhico de cana-de-acucar em condicoes distintas de velocidade e quantidades de palhico Aleirada para enfardamento, em uma usina canavieira no municipio de Sao Miguel dos Campos – AL. As maquinas foram avaliadas em tres volumes diferentes de recolhimento do palhico, regulando-se o aleirador para o recolhimento de cada volume de palhico. Foi avaliado, o tempo de producao entre cada fardo, a quantidade de fardos produzidos por hora por cada maquina, distâncias entre fardos, capacidade operacional, custo horario e operacional de trabalho. Os resultados obtidos mostram que o T1 proporcionou menor tempo na producao entre fardos. A menor distância entre fardos foi no T1 com media de 61 metros, entre cada fardo produzido A Maquina 2 produziu maior quantidade de fardos por hora. A Maquina 2 apresentou maior rendimento operacional (49,7% e 51,8%) no volume de 50% e 70% respectivamente. A enfardadora 2 apresentou menor custo operacional de R$ 28,39 ha -1 quando recolhido 70% do volume total do palhico. Quanto mais se recolhe palhico, menor sera o custo por fardo. PALAVRAS-CHAVE : Enfardamento, Residuo Vegetal, Biomassa COMPARISON OF TWO BALERS PRODUCTION OF SUGAR CANE STRAWBALES PRISMATIC SQUARE. ABSTRACT: The mechanized harvesting of sugar cane was implemented due to economic, operational, and environmental issues. Thus, the remaining material of mechanized harvesting operations can cause problems such as the incidence of difficult to control pests and accidental and criminal fire. The use of the residue available in the field, through collection and baling of this material provides new energy sources for industry. This study aimed to evaluate the operational and economic performance of two balers for sugar cane straw under conditions of speed and amounts of straw accumulated for baling, at a sugar cane company located in Sao Miguel dos Campos - AL. The machines were evaluated in three different volumes of straw gathering, regulating the straw collecting volume. The production time between each burden, the quantity of bales produced per hour for each machine, the distances between bales operating capacity and operating cost per hour of labor were assessed. The results showed that the T1 took less time in production between bales. The shortest distance between bales was reach by the T1 with an average of 61 meters between each bale produced Machine 2 produced the greatest amount of bales per hour. The machine 2 presented higher operating efficiencies, 49.7% and 51.8%, collecting 50% and 70% volume of straw, respectively. The baler 2 showed lower cost (R$ 28.39 ha -1 ) collecteing 70% of the total volume of straw. The more straw volume was collected, the lower was the cost per bale. KEYWORDS: Baling, Plant residue, Biomass.