水の光電気化学的酸化分解に活性な BiVO4薄膜光電極への Zr 添加効果

Effects of zirconium (Zr) doping into BiVO4 electrode on its structural properties and photoelectrochemical (PEC) property for water oxidation were examined. The BiVO4 electrodes with different Zr contents were prepared via a spin-coating process. Structural analyses using XRD and Raman spectroscopy indicated that all the samples consisted of mixtures of monoclinic scheelite (ms-BiVO4) and tetragonal scheelite (ts-BiVO4) structures. The highest PEC property for water oxidation was achieved when the sample doped with a relatively small amount of Zr (i.e., 0.5% of Zr-doped BiVO4); further doping caused a reduction of PEC property, probably due to the enhancement of carrier recombination induced by such excess Zr components

Reconstruction of Near-Total Loss of the Upper and Lower Lips due to Purpura Fulminans with Local Tissue and a Dual-Skin Paddled Anterolateral Thigh Flap

Summary:. It is difficult to totally reconstruct the lip, achieving good functional and aesthetic results. There have been few reports of reconstructing complete lip defects. Moreover, upper and lower lip necrosis by purpura fulminans has not been reported. We present a case of a 60-year-old male purpura fulminans patient with upper and lower lip necrosis. Fortunately, our patient had retained his oral commissure function. We reconstructed this defect with an orbicularis oris muscle-skin-mucosal pedicled flap derived from the region between the nasolabial folds for upper lip; a similar bipedicled flap for the lower lip and the donor site was closed with a dual-skin paddled anterolateral thigh flap. Postoperative results were satisfactory, that is, no lip tightness or aperture restriction was seen, and symmetry had been achieved. The new lips exhibited complete sensory recovery. Drooling was minimal during rest and feeding. We could select a method that combined the advantages of local and free flaps. We consider our method for this defect is superior to those described in previous studies, in that the restoration of lip sensation and oral sphincter function can be achieved to some extent in 1 stage while preserving the oral commissure function

A Case of Abdominoplasty after Removal of Giant Ovarian Cyst

Summary: When treating a giant ovarian cyst, management of inferior vena cava (IVC) syndrome, bleeding, abdominal competence, and cosmetic appearance are difficult. The details of abdominoplasty for patients with such a cyst have not been discussed. We present a patient requiring 85,000 ml of fluid evacuation before surgery

Function Preservation of the Upper Lip after Tumor Resection Using Residual Orbicularis Oris Muscle and Attached Levator Labii Superioris Alaeque Nasi

Summary:. We report a case, function preservation of the upper lip after tumor resection was possible using residual orbicularis oris muscle and attached levator labii superioris alaeque nasi. Patient was 67-year-old male with squamous cell carcinoma at the vermilion border. The tumor was resected with an 8-mm margin, leaving the oral mucosa as intact as possible. To reconstruct the red lip, we used the oral mucosa as a rotational transposition flap. The white lip was reconstructed with a cheek rotation flap. A levator labii superioris alaque nasi muscle flap, which was attached to the remaining orbicularis oris muscle, was used to increase marginal lip volume. The movement of the reconstructed lip was good. At 9 postoperative months, induration of the red lip was palpable, and we suspected that the blood supply to the levator labii superioris alaque nasi was borderline insufficient. Slight drooping of the reconstructed lip occurred. We dissected this was caused by dissection of mid facial muscles from orbicularis oris muscle to ease downward rotation of the cheek flap and obscure the original nasolabial fold. Although some drooping and induration of the lip occurred, the white and red lip were reconstructed in a single-stage procedure, which resulted in good movement and preserved the function of the orbicularis oris muscle

Gastric CLTC-ALK fusion-positive inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor showing an endoscopic superficial depressed-type appearance

We present a 76-year-old Japanese male who had a history of removal of a gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) 6 years ago. Although asymptomatic and having no evidence of recurrence, follow-up endoscopy revealed a small, white depressed lesion of approximately 1 cm with converging mucosal folds in the greater curvature of the fundus, which was suspicious of depressed-type early gastric cancer (GC) by conventional endoscopy. However, no evidence of GC except a “white globe appearance”-like area was identified by magnifying endoscopy with blue laser imaging. The biopsy specimens showed a proliferation of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive spindle cells in the gastric mucosa, and ALK-rearrangement was detected by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Furthermore, clathrin heavy chain (CLTC)-ALK fusion was seen by genetic analysis, thus the lesion was preoperatively diagnosed as gastric inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT). For the curative intent, a laparoscopic endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) was performed. On the specimens resected by LECS, ALK-positive cells were sporadically distributed in the gastric mucosa and submucosa in the depressed area. In addition, two sporadic GISTs originating from the muscularis propria were found under the gastric IMT. Although there have been many reported cases of gastric IMTs, almost all those cases showed huge elevated tumors. Thus, this lesion is an extremely rare IMT case presenting a superficial depressed-type appearance, like 0-IIc type early GC. Keywords: Stomach, Superficial depressed-type, IMT, CLTC-ALK fusio

Ramucirumab Plus Erlotinib Versus Placebo Plus Erlotinib in Patients With Untreated Metastatic EGFR-Mutated NSCLC: RELAY Japanese Subset

Introduction: The phase 3 RELAY global study (NCT02411448) revealed significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) with ramucirumab plus erlotinib (RAM + ERL) compared with placebo plus ERL (PL + ERL) in untreated EGFR-mutated metastatic NSCLC (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.59 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46–0.76, p < 0.0001]). This prespecified analysis evaluates efficacy, safety, and postprogression EGFR T790M rates of RELAY patients enrolled in Japan. Methods: Patients were randomized (1:1) to oral ERL (150 mg/d) plus intravenous RAM (10 mg/kg) or PL every 2 weeks. End points included PFS (primary), safety (secondary), and biomarker analyses (exploratory). Plasma samples collected at baseline and poststudy treatment discontinuation were evaluated for EGFR T790M mutations by next-generation sequencing. Results: The Japanese subset included 211 of 449 (47.0%) RELAY patients (RAM + ERL, n = 106; PL + ERL, n = 105). Median PFS was 19.4 versus 11.2 months for RAM + ERL versus PL + ERL treatment (HR = 0.610 [0.431–0.864]) in the Japanese intent-to-treat population, 16.6 versus 12.5 months (HR = 0.701 [0.424–1.159]) in the EGFR exon 19 deletion subgroup, and 19.4 versus 10.9 months (HR = 0.514 [0.317–0.835]) in the EGFR exon 21 L858R subgroup, respectively. Adverse events of grade 3 or above with RAM + ERL included hypertension (24.8%, all grade 3) and dermatitis acneiform (23.8%). Postprogression treatment-emergent T790M rates were similar between arms (RAM + ERL: 47%, 9 of 19 patients; PL + ERL: 50%, 20 of 40 patients). Conclusions: Clinically meaningful efficacy was observed with RAM + ERL versus PL + ERL in the RELAY Japanese subset, with no new safety concerns. Postprogression T790M rates were similar across treatment arms, indicating the addition of RAM did not affect the ERL-associated EGFR T790M rates at disease progression