Development of a Multifunctional Lightweight Membrane with a High Specific Power Generation Capacity

As a lighter power generation system, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Sakase Adtech Corp. are developing a demonstrator component named “Harvesting Energy with Lightweight Integrated Origami Structure” (HELIOS), which is a deployable lightweight membrane structure. HELIOS has solar arrays on its surface and demonstrates the technology which enables higher specific power generation capacity compared to the conventional solar array panels. The membrane also has communication antennas, showing the potency of lightweight membrane’s multifunctionality such as large data transmitting by 5G antennas and high-resolution observation by interferometer antennas. This paper presents the component’s concept and design, and the expected achievements

Transoral surgery for superficial head and neck cancer: National Multi‐Center Survey in Japan

Head and neck cancers, especially in hypopharynx and oropharynx, are often detected at advanced stage with poor prognosis. Narrow band imaging enables detection of superficial cancers and transoral surgery is performed with curative intent. However, pathological evaluation and real-world safety and clinical outcomes have not been clearly understood. The aim of this nationwide multicenter study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of transoral surgery for superficial head and neck cancer. We collected the patients with superficial head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who were treated by transoral surgery from 27 hospitals in Japan. Central pathology review was undertaken on all of the resected specimens. The primary objective was effectiveness of transoral surgery, and the secondary objective was safety including incidence and severity of adverse events. Among the 568 patients, a total of 662 lesions were primarily treated by 575 sessions of transoral surgery. The median tumor diameter was 12 mm (range 1–75) endoscopically. Among the lesions, 57.4% were diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma in situ. The median procedure time was 48 minutes (range 2–357). Adverse events occurred in 12.7%. Life-threatening complications occurred in 0.5%, but there were no treatment-related deaths. During a median follow-up period of 46.1 months (range 1–113), the 3-year overall survival rate, relapse-free survival rate, cause-specific survival rate, and larynx-preservation survival rate were 88.1%, 84.4%, 99.6%, and 87.5%, respectively. Transoral surgery for superficial head and neck cancer offers effective minimally invasive treatment

Asymmetrically traveling auroral surges in the northern and southern hemisphere

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OS] Space and upper atmospheric sciences, Wed. 4 Dec. / Institute of Statistics and Mathematics (ISM) Seminar room 2 (D304) (3rd floor

Clinical Outcome of Patients with Pelvic and Retroperitoneal Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma : A Retrospective Multicenter Study in Japan

This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the clinical outcomes of patients with pelvic and retroperitoneal bone and soft tissue sarcoma (BSTS). Overall, 187 patients with BSTS in the pelvis and retroperitoneal region treated at 19 specialized sarcoma centers in Japan were included. The prognostic factors related to overall survival (OS), local control (LC), and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated. The 3-year OS and LC rates in the 187 patients were 71.7% and 79.1%, respectively. The 3-year PFS in 166 patients without any distant metastases at the time of primary tumor diagnosis was 48.6%. Osteosarcoma showed significantly worse OS and PFS than other sarcomas of the pelvis and retroperitoneum. In the univariate analyses, larger primary tumor size, soft tissue tumor, distant metastasis at the time of primary tumor diagnosis, P2 location, chemotherapy, and osteosarcoma were poor prognostic factors correlated with OS. Larger primary tumor size, higher age, soft tissue tumor, chemotherapy, and osteosarcoma were poor prognostic factors correlated with PFS in patients without any metastasis at the initial presentation. Larger primary tumor size was the only poor prognostic factor correlation with LC. This study has clarified the epidemiology and prognosis of patients with pelvic and retroperitoneal BSTS in Japan

Indication and benefit of upfront hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in the era of ALL-type induction therapies

Since the introduction of leukemia-type induction therapies for T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL), improvements in the long-term outcomes of T-LBL have been reported. However, indications for and the appropriate timing of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have not yet been established. Therefore, we performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients with T-LBL treated using leukemia-type initial therapies to compare the outcomes after HSCT at different disease stages. We enrolled 21 patients with T-LBL from a total of 11 centers, and all patients received hyper-CVAD as a leukemia-type initial regimen. HSCT was performed during the CR1/PR1 (standard disease) stage in 11 patients, while it was completed at a later or non-remission (advanced disease) stage in 10 patients. Following HSCT, the overall survival rate was significantly greater in standard disease than in advanced-disease patients (79.5% vs. 30.0% at 5 years; hazard ratio (HR) 5.97; p = 0.03), with trend to the lower incidence of relapse in the former group (27.3% vs. 60.0% at 5 years; HR 2.29; p = 0.19). A prognostic difference was not detected between cases treated with allogeneic and autologous HSCTs. Our study suggests that frontline HSCT may be a feasible treatment option for T-LBL, even in the era of leukemia-type initial therapy

ウコッケイハイ ノ タイガイバイヨウ ニ オケル セイゾンリツ ト フカリツ ニ オヨボス ダイヨウランカク ノ エイキョウ ト ランカクチュウ ミネラルドウタイ

本実験では,白色レグホン卵殻を代用卵殻として,ウコッケイ胚の体外培養を行い,その生存率におよぼす影響を検討するとともに,ウコッケイと白色レグホン有精卵の通常孵卵中におけるday 0およびday 21の骨形成に係る卵殻中ミネラル含有量を検証した。体外培養は,孵卵器内にて3日間通常孵卵したウコッケイ胚を白色レグホン卵殻に移し培養を行った。また,通常孵卵のday 0とday 21の卵殻は高周波プラズマ発光分析装置にて,Ca, P, Mgの含有量を分析した。体外培養の結果,白色レグホン卵殻を用いることによって,ウコッケイ胚を孵化させることに成功したが,その孵化率は低値を示し,生存率の推移から卵殻からのCa供給不足が推察された。一方,有精卵の卵殻含有量分析からday 0からday 21までのCa減少率がウコッケイでは白色レグホンの約1.8倍を示し,品種によりCaの供給量が異なっていることが示唆された。しかし,その他のミネラル分においては,大差が認められなかった。本実験の結果から,白色レグホン卵殻を用いてウコッケイ胚を培養した場合に生じる孵化率の低下は,主に卵殻から胚へ供給されるCaに起因していることが推察された。しかし,孵化した胚は,正常に成長し繁殖能力を得た。Using White Leghorn eggshell as a surrogate, silkie fowl embryos were cultured in vitro, and its influence on their viability was investigated. In addition, the mineral content of eggshell, which is involved in bone formation, was measured in normal silkie fowl and White Leghorn fertilized eggs on days 0 and 21 of incubation. In in vitro culture, silkie fowl embryos cultured in an incubator by the conventional method for 3 days were transferred into White Leghorn eggshell. The Ca, P, and Mg contents of eggshell of the normal eggs were measured by high-frequency plasma emission spectrochemical analysis on days 0 and 21 of incubation. Using White Leghorn eggshell in in vitro culture, some silkie fowl embryos hatched, but the hatchability was low, and changes in the viability suggested a lack of Ca supply from the eggshell. The content analysis of fertilized eggshell revealed that the Ca reduction rate from day 0 to day 21 was about 1.8 times higher in silkie fowl than in White Leghorn, suggesting a difference in Ca supply between the breeds. However, no major differences were noted in any other mineral content. These findings suggested that the reduction of hatchability in in vitro culture of silkie fowl embryos using White Leghorn eggshell was due to Ca mainly supplied from the eggshell. However, the growth of hatched embryos was normal, and they acquired reproductive ability

ウコッケイハイ ノ タイガイバイヨウ ニ オケル セイゾンリツ ト フカリツ ニ オヨボス ダイヨウランカク ノ エイキョウ ト ランカクチュウ ミネラルドウタイ

本実験では,白色レグホン卵殻を代用卵殻として,ウコッケイ胚の体外培養を行い,その生存率におよぼす影響を検討するとともに,ウコッケイと白色レグホン有精卵の通常孵卵中におけるday 0およびday 21の骨形成に係る卵殻中ミネラル含有量を検証した。体外培養は,孵卵器内にて3日間通常孵卵したウコッケイ胚を白色レグホン卵殻に移し培養を行った。また,通常孵卵のday 0とday 21の卵殻は高周波プラズマ発光分析装置にて,Ca, P, Mgの含有量を分析した。体外培養の結果,白色レグホン卵殻を用いることによって,ウコッケイ胚を孵化させることに成功したが,その孵化率は低値を示し,生存率の推移から卵殻からのCa供給不足が推察された。一方,有精卵の卵殻含有量分析からday 0からday 21までのCa減少率がウコッケイでは白色レグホンの約1.8倍を示し,品種によりCaの供給量が異なっていることが示唆された。しかし,その他のミネラル分においては,大差が認められなかった。本実験の結果から,白色レグホン卵殻を用いてウコッケイ胚を培養した場合に生じる孵化率の低下は,主に卵殻から胚へ供給されるCaに起因していることが推察された。しかし,孵化した胚は,正常に成長し繁殖能力を得た。Using White Leghorn eggshell as a surrogate, silkie fowl embryos were cultured in vitro, and its influence on their viability was investigated. In addition, the mineral content of eggshell, which is involved in bone formation, was measured in normal silkie fowl and White Leghorn fertilized eggs on days 0 and 21 of incubation. In in vitro culture, silkie fowl embryos cultured in an incubator by the conventional method for 3 days were transferred into White Leghorn eggshell. The Ca, P, and Mg contents of eggshell of the normal eggs were measured by high-frequency plasma emission spectrochemical analysis on days 0 and 21 of incubation. Using White Leghorn eggshell in in vitro culture, some silkie fowl embryos hatched, but the hatchability was low, and changes in the viability suggested a lack of Ca supply from the eggshell. The content analysis of fertilized eggshell revealed that the Ca reduction rate from day 0 to day 21 was about 1.8 times higher in silkie fowl than in White Leghorn, suggesting a difference in Ca supply between the breeds. However, no major differences were noted in any other mineral content. These findings suggested that the reduction of hatchability in in vitro culture of silkie fowl embryos using White Leghorn eggshell was due to Ca mainly supplied from the eggshell. However, the growth of hatched embryos was normal, and they acquired reproductive ability

ダイヨウランカクカンキョウ ガ バイヨウニワトリハイ ノ ハッセイ ニ オヨボス エイキョウ

ウズラ胚体外培養法を応用し,卵殻を使わず人工容器でのニワトリ胚の発生能について検証した。ニワトリ胚は,白色レグホンを用い,孵卵器内で3日間培養した後,卵の内容物を100mlカップ内に空気透過性のあるテフロン膜を卵型に装着した人工容器に移し,ラップで封をした。再び孵卵器内で孵化までの18日間培養した。人工容器は空気の流通を完全に遮断したもの(Type 1),空気の流通を自由に行わせたもの(Type 2),さらに空気の流通量をある程度人工的に調節可能としたもの (Type 3) の以上3タイプを用いた。また,人工容器に移す際には卵殻粉末あるいは乳酸カルシウムを添加した。人工容器を用い培養した結果,孵化させるまでは至らなかったが,卵殻粉末の添加により孵化直前の20日目まで培養することに成功した。最も好成績であったもので培養16日目に76.0%,18日目に52.0%,20日目に12.0%の生存率が得られた。一方,対照として行った,二黄卵卵殻を代用卵殻に用いた場合は60%が孵化したが,人工容器を用いた場合と同様に培養初期(孵卵6日目)と後期(孵卵16日目)に生存率の低下が認められることから,この2つの時期がニワトリ胚の体外培養において重要な時期であると推察された。The developmental ability of chicken embryos in an artificial vessel without eggshell was investigated using the in vitro quail embryo culture method. After White Leghorn eggs were incubated in an incubator for 3 days, the egg content was transferred into an artificial vessel consisting of a 100-ml cup attached with an egg-shaped air-permeable Teflon membrane and sealed with wrap, followed by incubation in an incubator for 18 days until hatching. Three types of artificial vessels were used : Type 1 with complete blockage of air flow, Type 2 with air flow, and Type 3 with controllable air flow. Eggshell powder or calcium lactate was added when the egg content was transferred to a vessel. Although no hatching was obtained, the eggshell powder addition allowed the culture by day 20, immediately before hatching. In the group with the best outcomes, the viabilities on days 16, 18, and 20 of culture were 76.0%, 52.0%, and 12.0%, respectively. In contrast, in the control group using eggshell containing 2 yolks as surrogate eggshell, 60% of the eggs hatched, but the viability decreased at early (day 6) and late (day 16) time points, similar to the eggs cultured in the artificial vessel. These findings suggested that these 2 time points are important for in vitro culture of chicken embryos