Comparative clinical study of adjuvant postoperative chemotherapy (5-FU, Tegafur, 5-FU + MMC) in curatively resected cases of gastric cancer. Study Group on 5-FU Oral Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancer

A multi-center collaborative study was conducted in curatively resected gastric cancer patients at Stages II and III to compare oral 5-FU (Group A), oral Tegafur (Group B) and i.v. MMC + oral 5-FU (Group C). From May 1982 to April 1985, 1,012 cases were enrolled at 55 institutions. Some 138 (13.8%) were excluded, and 874 were analyzable. In the analysis of background factors, Group B had more cases with tumor of large diameter and advanced Stage. Adverse effects were relatively mild in all groups, and there was no problem in drug tolerance. Five-year survival rate was 67.6%, 62.4% and 68.6% in Groups A, B and C, respectively, reflecting no significant difference among them. It was 85.0%, 83.0% and 81.1% in Stage II and 52.5%, 51.0% and 59.0% in Stage III of Groups A, B and C, respectively. No significant difference was found, but Stage III of Group C showed a slightly higher survival rate. Supportive clinical study will be required to assess the usefulness of MMC as an introduction therapy. We found no difference in efficacy between 5-FU and Tegafur as maintenance therapy. The life-prolongation effect of fluoropyrimidines in comparison with surgery alone should be studied separately.     

Multiobjective dynamic load-dispatching method for optimal operation of power systems

A new practical method is proposed which gives a quasi-optimal solution of the dynamic load-dispatching problem formulated by a multiconstraint multiobjective optimization problem. Here, the multiple constraints are rate reserve constraints and power flow ones, and the multiple objectives are fuel cost and CO₂ emission. The proposed method is an integration of the following three techniques: (1) “Group Dispatch Scheme,” which is developed by the authors, is used to satisfy a violated constraint easily. This scheme consists of three steps. The first step is to classify all generators into two groups. One is the group which should be more loaded to satisfy the violated constraint, and the other is the should-be less loaded group. The second step is to add some load to the former group, and to subtract the same load from the latter. The third step is to dispatch each group load to each groups generators, respectively; (2) the dynamic load-dispatching algorithm is used which provides, in practical time, quasi-optimal generation trajectories; (3) the conventional weighting parametric method is used to obtain a Pareto optimal solution of multiobjective problems. The effectiveness of the method is clarified by a computer simulation on the actual power system of Kansai Electric Power Company.     

Synergistic interaction of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in the modulation of the reinforcing effect of brain stimulation.

Rats were trained to press a bar for hypothalamic stimulation, and a frequency-response function was plotted. Quinpirole (a selective D2 agonist) facilitated self-stimulation when injected alone but failed to show the facilitatory effect when injected either 1 hr before or 1 hr after injection of SCH 23390 (a D1 antagonist). Injection of reserpine followed by α-methyl-p-tyrosine virtually eliminated self-stimulation. Subsequent injection of either SKF 38393 (a D1 agonist) alone or quinpirole alone did not restore self-stimulation, but a combination of quinpirole and SKF 38393 did. Results suggest that a D2 dopamine agonist facilitates the reinforcing effect of brain stimulation only if D1 receptors are activated by endogenous dopamine or by an exogenous agonist. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Morphological changes of epithelial rests of Malassez in rat molars induced by local administration of N-methylnitrosourea

The objective was to examine the possibility that epithelial rests of Malassez can give origin to odontogenic tumours. A mixture of N-methylnitrosourea (MNU) and alginate impression material for dental use was injected onto the periosteum of the buccal side of the left mandible of 5-week-old, male Wistar rats (300 mg/kg body wt). The mixture was left at the site for several months. The rats were killed 1, 3, 5, and 8 months after the injection. After 5 and 8 months, the epithelial rests of Malassez in the cervical and bifurcational regions of the first, second, and third left mandibular molars were significantly enlarged and the alveolar bone around the lesion was resorbed by multinucleated cells in all rats. The epithelial masses were characterized by enamel organ-like structures, deposition of eosinophilic amorphous material, duct-like structures, and squamous metaplasia. In addition to these masses in the molar regions, odontogenic tumours were induced in the incisal region and carcinomas and sarcomas in the buccal region, knee, bladder, and skin. Local administration of a mixture of MNU and alginate impression material can induce odontogenic tumours from the epithelial rests of Malassez at high incidence.     

Plasma lens experiment at the final focus test beam

The proposed plasma lens experiment at the Final focus Test Beam (FFTB) facility of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center has been approved by the adminstration. The experiment would allow the examination of plasma focusing devices for particle beams in the parameter regime of interest to future high-energy colliders. It is expected to lead to compact plasma lens designs capable of focusing the beam to unprecedented small spot sizes.     

Production of uniform droplets using membrane, microchannel and microfluidic emulsification devices

This review provides an overview of major microengineering emulsification techniques for production of monodispersed droplets. The main emphasis has been put on membrane emulsification using Shirasu Porous Glass and microsieve membrane, microchannel emulsification using grooved-type and straight-through microchannel plates, microfluidic junctions and flow focusing microfluidic devices. Microfabrication methods for production of planar and 3D poly(dimethylsiloxane) devices, glass capillary microfluidic devices and single-crystal silicon microchannel array devices have been described including soft lithography, glass capillary pulling and microforging, hot embossing, anisotropic wet etching and deep reactive ion etching. In addition, fabrication methods for SPG and microseive membranes have been outlined, such as spinodal decomposition, reactive ion etching and ultraviolet LIGA (Lithography, Electroplating, and Moulding) process. The most widespread application of micromachined emulsification devices is in the synthesis of monodispersed particles and vesicles, such as polymeric particles, microgels, solid lipid particles, Janus particles, and functional vesicles (liposomes, polymersomes and colloidosomes). Glass capillary microfluidic devices are very suitable for production of core/shell drops of controllable shell thickness and multiple emulsions containing a controlled number of inner droplets and/or inner droplets of two or more distinct phases. Microchannel emulsification is a very promising technique for production of monodispersed droplets with droplet throughputs of up to 100?l?h^?1.     

Crystallization process and magnetic properties of Fe100−x,B x (10 ≦ × ≦ 35) amorphous alloys and supersaturated state of boron inα-Fe

Amorphous specimens of Fe_100–x B _x were prepared in the range 10 × 35 at % B by a single-roller method. The crystallization process and the boron concentration dependence of the Curie temperature were examined by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. Two-step crystallization was observed in specimens with× < 17: amorphous amorphous + boron-supersaturated b c c phase (-Fe(B)) t-Fe₃B +-Fe. A single-Fe(B) phase was not observed. The transition temperature from t-Fe₃B to stable (-Fe + t-Fe₂B) sensitively depends on the boron content in the alloys. The crystallization temperature (T _x) of the amorphous alloys was almost unchanged for 17 × 31, but increased remarkably at high boron concentrations of× 33, where the decomposition products consisted of t-Fe₂B and o-FeB. The Curie temperature (T _c) of the amorphous phase was as low as 480 K at× = 10, increased with increasing boron content up to 820 K and then decreased in the high boron concentration alloys of× > 28. A single-Fe(B) phase was not detected in the as-quenched specimens of× = 8 and 10. The phase coexisted with the o-Fe₃B and amorphous phases. The lattice parameter of the phase was 0.2861₀ nm which was smaller than that of pure iron by 2/1000, indicating the substitutional occupation of boron atoms in the b c c lattice.     

Preparation of zirconia-toughened bioactive glass-ceramics

Bioactive glass-ceramics toughened by tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (TZP) were prepared by hot-pressing mixed powders of the MgO-CaO-P₂O₅-SiO₂ glass and TZP containing 20 to 80% alumina. The bending strength and the fracture toughness of the composite materials were improved compared with those of the material without TZP. These composites showed high bending strengths (400 to 500MPa) and high fracture toughness ( 2.8MPa m^1/2). The existence of a crack deflection mechanism was observed by scanning electron microscopy. After soaking in simulated physiological solution at 100 °C, no phase transformation from tetragonal to monoclinic of TZP in the composites and no degradation in bending strength occurred.