CoSix contact resistance after etching and ashing plasma exposure

K. Katahira et al., Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A 27, 844 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1116/1.313014

Effects of Oak Wilt Disease on Fungal Community Composition and Wood Decomposition in Dead Quercus serrata Trunks

departmental bulletin pape

Involvement of B cells in the development of systemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare intractable systemic disease that causes fibrosis and vasculopathy against a background of autoimmune abnormalities. Although the etiology is not yet fully understood, the type of autoantibodies detected in SSc is closely associated with disease severity and prognosis, supporting that those autoimmune abnormalities play an important role in the pathogenesis of SSc. Although the direct pathogenicity of autoantibodies found in SSc is unknown, many previous studies have shown that B cells are involved in the development of SSc through a variety of functions. Furthermore, a number of clinical studies have been conducted in which B-cell depletion therapy has been tried for SSc, and many of these studies have found B-cell depletion therapy to be effective for SSc. However, the involvement of B cells in pathogenesis is complex, as they not only promote inflammation but also play an inhibitory role. This article outlines the role of B cells in the development of SSc, including the latest research

Effects of hydrogen ion irradiation on zinc oxide etching

Mechanisms of zinc oxide (ZnO) etching by hydrocarbon plasmas were investigated both experimentally and theoretically with the use of a mass-selected ion beam system and first-principle quantum mechanical (QM) simulation based on the density functional theory. The mass-selected ion beam experiments have shown that the sputtering yield of ZnO increases by a pretreatment of the ZnO film by energetic hydrogen (H) ion injections prior to heavy ion bombardment, suggesting that chemically enhanced etching of ZnO by hydrocarbon plasmas is closely related to hydrogen storage and/or formation of damage in the ZnO layer by energetic hydrogen injections. In this study, the effects of hydrogen storage in ZnO are examined. First-principle QM simulation of ZnO interacting with H atoms has shown that H atoms in ZnO form hydroxyl (OH) groups (or partially convert ZnO to ZnOH), which results in the weakening or breaking of the Zn-O bonds around H atoms and thus makes the ZnO film more prone to physical sputtering. The formation of hydroxyl groups in ZnO is also expected to occur in ZnO etching by hydrocarbon plasmas and increase its sputtering yields over those by inert-gas plasmas generated under similar conditions.H. Li et al., Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A 35, 05C303 (2017) https://doi.org/10.1116/1.498271

Efficacy and Complications of Emergent Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for the Management of Intractable Uterine Bleeding

Objective：Transcatheter arterial embolization（TAE）, including uterine artery embolization（UAE）, is effective for the management of obstetric and gynecologic hemorrhage. Some adverse effects have been reported with TAE, such as amenorrhea, endometrial trauma, and subsequent infertility. Herein we report the efficacy and complications of emergent TAE for the management of severe intractable uterine bleeding at our institute.Methods：From 2010 to 2019, thirty-eight patients underwent emergent TAE for intractable uterine bleeding. We evaluated the efficacy and complications of TAE, including a change in menstruation, fertility, and pregnancy outcomes in perinatal patients（group A；n＝23）, and in patients with gynecologic hemorrhage（group B；n＝15）.Results：In group A, 7 cases of retained placenta, 4 cases of postpartum hemorrhage, 2 cases of placenta accrete, 2 cases of uterine artery pseudoaneurysm, 2 cases of cervical pregnancy, 1 case of cesarean scar pregnancy, and 5 cases of unexplained hemorrhage were included. The median age of the group A was 37. In group B, 4 cases of uterine artery pseudoaneurysm, 2 cases of uterine arteriovenous malformation, 3 cases of uterine fibroids, 1case of adenomyosis, and 5 cases of unexplained hemorrhage were included. The median age of the group B was 39. The first attempt at TAE successfully controlled hemorrhage in 33 of 38 patients （86.8％）without major complications, and the remaining 5 patients required an additional attempt at TAE to control hemorrhage. One patient（2.6％）had transient buttock pain and foot ischemia. Among the 33 patients who had adequate follow-up care, all patients resumed regular menstruation. The median time to resume regular menstruation after TAE was 3 months （range, 1-13 months）in group A（n＝20）and 1 month（range, 1-6 months）in group B（n＝13）. Four of patients had 6 pregnancies in total：3 full-term live births, 2 missed abortions, and 1 artificial abortion. Among the 13 patients who desired pregnancy, 3（23％）conceived spontaneously.Conclusions：This retrospective study showed that emergent TAE may be effective and safe in treating intractable uterine bleeding with a high success rate. Ovarian and endometrial function were preserved based on the relatively early return of menstruation. Further prospective investigations with large number of patients are needed to confirm the preservation of ovarian function, fertility, and pregnancy outcome in reproductive-aged women

Development and External Validation of a Nomogram Predicting the Probability of Significant Gleason Sum Upgrading among Japanese Patients with Localized Prostate Cancer

Objective. The aim of this study is to develop a prognostic model capable of predicting the probability of significant upgrading among Japanese patients. Methods. The study cohort comprised 508 men treated with RP, with available prostate-specific antigen levels, biopsy, and RP Gleason sum values. Clinical and pathological data from 258 patients were obtained from another Japanese institution for validation. Results. Significant Gleason sum upgrading was recorded in 92 patients (18.1%) at RP. The accuracy of the nomogram predicting the probability of significant Gleason sum upgrading between biopsy and RP specimens was 88.9%. Overall AUC was 0.872 when applied to the validation data set. Nomogram predictions of significant upgrading were within 7.5% of an ideal nomogram. Conclusions. Nearly one-fifth of Japanese patients with prostate cancer will be significantly upgraded. Our nomogram seems to provide considerably accurate predictions regardless of minor variations in pathological assessment when applied to Japanese patient populations

Mycorrhizal generalist with wood-decay fungi

The climbing orchid Erythrorchis altissima is the largest mycoheterotroph in the world. Although previous in vitro work suggests that E. altissima has a unique symbiosis with wood-decaying fungi, little is known about how this giant orchid meets its carbon and nutrient demands exclusively via mycorrhizal fungi. In this study, the mycorrhizal fungi of E. altissima were molecularly identified using root samples from 26 individuals. Furthermore, in vitro symbiotic germination with five fungi and stable isotope compositions in five E. altissima at one site were examined. In total, 37 fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to nine orders in Basidiomycota were identified from the orchid roots. Most of the fungal OTUs were wood-decaying fungi, but underground roots had ectomycorrhizal Russula. Two fungal isolates from mycorrhizal roots induced seed germination and subsequent seedling development in vitro. Measurement of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope abundances revealed that E. altissima is a full mycoheterotroph whose carbon originates mainly from wood-decaying fungi. All of the results show that E. altissima is associated with a wide range of wood- and soil-inhabiting fungi, the majority of which are wood-decaying taxa. This generalist association enables E. altissima to access a large carbon pool in woody debris and has been key to the evolution of such a large mycoheterotroph

Pembrolizumab for Treatment-Refractory Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: Multicohort, Open-Label Phase II KEYNOTE-199 Study

PURPOSE: Pembrolizumab has previously shown antitumor activity against programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Here, we assessed the antitumor activity and safety of pembrolizumab in three parallel cohorts of a larger mCRPC population. METHODS: The phase II KEYNOTE-199 study included three cohorts of patients with mCRPC treated with docetaxel and one or more targeted endocrine therapies. Cohorts 1 and 2 enrolled patients with RECIST-measurable PD-L1-positive and PD-L1-negative disease, respectively. Cohort 3 enrolled patients with bone-predominant disease, regardless of PD-L1 expression. All patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks for up to 35 cycles. The primary end point was objective response rate per RECIST v1.1 assessed by central review in cohorts 1 and 2. Secondary end points included disease control rate, duration of response, overall survival (OS), and safety. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-eight patients were enrolled: 133 in cohort 1, 66 in cohort 2, and 59 in cohort 3. Objective response rate was 5% (95% CI, 2% to 11%) in cohort 1 and 3% (95% CI, = 21.8 months) and 10.6 months (range, 4.4 to 16.8 months), respectively. Disease control rate was 10% in cohort 1, 9% in cohort 2, and 22% in cohort 3. Median OS was 9.5 months in cohort 1, 7.9 months in cohort 2, and 14.1 months in cohort 3. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 60% of patients, were of grade 3 to 5 severity in 15%, and led to discontinuation of treatment in 5%. CONCLUSION: Pembrolizumab monotherapy shows antitumor activity with an acceptable safety profile in a subset of patients with RECIST-measurable and bone-predominant mCRPC previously treated with docetaxel and targeted endocrine therapy. Observed responses seem to be durable, and OS estimates are encouraging

Ramucirumab plus docetaxel versus placebo plus docetaxel in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma after platinum-based therapy (RANGE): a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial

Few treatments with a distinct mechanism of action are available for patients with platinum-refractory advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. We assessed the efficacy and safety of treatment with docetaxel plus either ramucirumab-a human IgG1 VEGFR-2 antagonist-or placebo in this patient population

Micro-cantilever bending for elastic modulus measurements of a single trabecula in cancellous bone

Mechanical tests performed on small bone specimens such a single trabecula remain challenging because their isolation, fixation, and precise loading are complicated. Hence, we describe a novel experimental method to measure the elastic properties of a single trabecula using micro-cantilever bending (MCB) testing. The method does not require specimens to be completely separated from the cancellous bone, and the specimen can be easily fixed during the test. In total, 10 trabecular specimens taken from the proximal epiphysis of an adult bovine femur were used in the present study. Measurements were conducted using a small testing device comprising a 1-axial stage, load cell, optical microscope, and small plate with a taper bore for applying load at the edge of the specimen. Each specimen was positioned at the edge of the bore and was deformed by displacing the stage. The deflection of the specimen was observed by optical microscopy. The elastic modulus of the specimen was calculated on the basis of the force-deflection relationship, assuming that the shape of the specimen was a vertical circular cylinder. As a result, an average elastic modulus of 9.1 +/- 5.4 GPa was obtained for a single trabecula, including the values in literature. Thus, the MCB test is a novel simple method for biomechanical analysis of a single trabecula