Mechanisms of Significant Precipitation Hardening in a Medium Carbon Bainitic Steel by Complex Nanocarbides Composed of Nb, Ti and V

Precipitation-hardening behavior of various medium carbon bainitic steels with added elements of Nb, Ti and V was systematically investigated. Complex nanocarbides composed of Nb, Ti and V precipitated after aging in the steel with multiple additions of all the elements, whereas those with added individual elements were simple MC types. The amount of precipitation hardening (ΔHv) after aging at 873 K of the former steel was approximately 90 ΔHv, while those of the latter were less than 40 ΔHv at best. Therefore, significant precipitation hardening took place by multiple element addition. The different amount of precipitation hardening depending on added elements was reasonably understood by considering misfit parameters between carbides and ferrite matrix

分散相を含む中炭素鋼の機械的特性に及ぼす組織の影響に関する研究

炭素を0.2～0.6質量%含有する中炭素機械構造用鋼は、自動車、建築、機械部品など幅広い分野で使用されている。近年では、これらの部材に対して、高強度であるとともに、低価格化が求められている。このため、成形する際には加工性(冷間鍛造性)に優れ、部品として使用する際には高強度化するという、相反する性能が求められている。機械部品は、冷間鍛造性を向上させるため、球状化焼鈍を行い、成形後に熱処理して強度を付与して製造される。本研究では、中炭素機械構造用鋼の加工性向上と高強度化を両立させることを目的に、中炭素鋼の強度や延性などの機械的特性に及ぼす分散相（セメンタイト、合金炭化物）、および微小ボイドの影響について調査するとともに、分散相の形状や分散状態の制御方法についても検討した。セメンタイトが分散した鋼の機械的特性に及ぼす組織因子(セメンタイトサイズ、フェライト粒径)の影響について調査し、降伏強度と延性の支配因子を明らかにした。また、これらの組織因子は、球状化焼鈍前の組織や予加工、球状化焼鈍温度により変化することを示した。この結果、冷間鍛造性を改善するための、適正な組織因子の指針が得られた。また、微細な炭化物が分散した中炭素鋼の析出強化について検討し、高い析出強化に有効な組織と炭化物組成を明らかにした。さらに、鋼中に分散したボイドが熱間鍛造性に及ぼす影響とボイドの形状変化を検討し、微小ボイドは、熱間変形抵抗を高める効果があること、およびボイドの形状は熱間鍛造条件により変化することを明らかにした。そして、これらの知見に基づいて、球状セメンタイトの分散を制御した中炭素鋼を開発し、優れた冷間鍛造性が得られることを確認した。電気通信大学201

Development of a Vaginal Immobilization Device: A Treatment-planning Study of Carbon-ion Radiotherapy and Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy for Uterine Cervical Cancer

We developed a vaginal immobilization device for external radiotherapy in gynaecological malignancies and evaluated its bowel dose-reduction effect during carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in patients with cervical cancer

Carbon-ion radiotherapy for lymph node oligo-recurrence: a multi-institutional study by the Japan Carbon-Ion Radiation Oncology Study Group (J-CROS).

Background: The efficacy of carbon-ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT) for lymph node (LN) oligo-recurrence has only been evaluated in limited single-center studies. We aimed to investigate the benefit of C-ion RT for LN oligo-recurrence in a largemulti-center study.Methods: Patients who received C-ion RT between December 1996 and December 2015 at 4 participating facilities and who met the following eligibility criteria were included: (i) histological or clinical diagnosis of LN recurrence; (ii) controlled primarylesion; (iii) no recurrence other than LN; (iv) LN recurrence involved in a single lymphatic site; and (v) age ≥ 20 years.Results: A total of 323 patients were enrolled. Median follow-up period was 34 months for surviving patients. The most common dose fractionation of C-ion RT was 48.0 Gy (relative biological effectiveness) in 12 fractions. Forty-seven patientshad a history of RT at the recurrent site. The 2-year local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) rates after C-ion RT were 85% and 63%, respectively. Only 1 patient developed grade-3 toxicity. Factors such as LN diameter, histology, and history ofprevious RT did not correlate with LC. Smaller diameters (< 30 mm) and numbers (≤ 3) of LN metastases as well as longer disease-free intervals post-primary therapy (≥ 16 months) were associated with significantly better OS.Conclusions: C-ion RT for LN oligo-recurrence appeared to be effective and safe. C-ion RT may provide a survival benefit to patients with LN oligo-recurrence, particularly to those with few LN metastases, smaller LN diameters, and longer disease-free intervals

A Case of Hepatic Glomerulosclerosis with Monoclonal IgA1-κ Deposits

Glomerular immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposition is a common finding in hepatic glomerulosclerosis; thus, this disease is also called hepatic IgA nephropathy. However, only a small number of patients with hepatic IgA nephropathy have active glomerular lesions, so functional decline is slow in most cases. In this report, we describe a 60-year-old man who developed nephrotic syndrome and progressive renal impairment during follow-up for alcoholic liver cirrhosis. A renal biopsy showed a membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis-like pattern; diffuse double-contours of the glomerular basement membrane and focal active glomerular lesions with moderate-to-severe endocapillary proliferation and fibrocellular crescents. Immunofluorescence findings revealed granular staining for monoclonal IgA1-κ and C3 on the peripheral capillary walls. Laboratory examinations did not reveal any definitive evidence of myeloproliferative disorders. Therefore, this case may represent a previously unrecognized etiology of renal injury in relation to liver cirrhosis that is characterized by monoclonal IgA1-κ deposits and proliferative glomerulonephritis

Phase Ib study of durvalumab (MEDI4736) in combination with carbon-ion radiotherapy and weekly cisplatin for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (DECISION study): study protocol for a prospective open-label single-arm study

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is considered the standard treatment strategy for locally advanced cervical cancer. Most recent reports indicate that patients with bulky tumours or adenocarcinoma subtypes have poorer local control. Carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) with the concurrent use of chemotherapy has shown promising results in such cases of difficult-to-treat uterine cervical cancer. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) upregulation was observed in tumour tissue samples from patients who had undergone CIRT. Thus, a combination of CIRT and anti-PD-L1 antibody may suppress metastasis by activating antitumour immune response, in addition to exhibiting strong local effects

Glomerular Density in Renal Biopsy Specimens Predicts the Long-Term Prognosis of IgA Nephropathy

Background and objectives: An early histopathologic predictor of the renal prognosis, before the occurrence of advanced glomerular sclerosis/interstitial fibrosis and/or apparent renal dysfunction, remains to be established in IgA nephropathy (IgAN). This study aimed to determine whether the glomerular density (GD; nonsclerotic glomerular number per renal cortical area) of biopsy specimens obtained at an early stage of IgAN could predict the long-term renal outcome