Ilvaite, a hydrous calcium mixed–valent iron silicate, is found in red hematitic chert (jasper) lenses in altered basalt and an iron–manganese ore from the Sumaizuku unit (Middle Jurassic ...accretionary complex) of the Northern Chichibu belt, SW Japan. The jasper lenses are composed of ilvaite, andradite, stilpnomelane, riebeckite, hematite and quartz. Ilvaite in the jasper lenses shows an unusual spherical morphology (~ 100 µm in diameter) and each ilvaite spherule exhibits a foam–like microstructure with recrystallized quartz grains. Ilvaite also occurs as discrete euhedral crystals (up to 500 µm in length) in quartz segregation veins or monomineralic ilvaite veins. Ilvaite in the jasper lenses is close to the endmember composition, but the material in the iron–manganese ore is rich in 6Mn2+ (up to 0.84 atoms per formula unit) corresponding to manganilvaite. Thermodynamic modeling shows that the ilvaite–andradite–hematite–quartz association (ilvaite + O2 = hematite + andradite + quartz) is stable under the peak P–T conditions of the Sumaizuku unit (~ 0.35 GPa, 230–250 °C) and oxygen fugacity slightly above the hematite–magnetite buffer (log fO2 = ~ –38). Ilvaite spherules are intimately associated with colloform–textured andradite, suggesting that they probably originated from a Ca–Fe–Si colloidal precursor deposited along hydrothermal fluid conduits within the Early Permian oceanic crust, and recrystallized during subduction–related low–grade metamorphism.
The Raman spectra of carbonaceous material (CM) from 19 metasediment samples collected from six widely separated areas of Southwest Japan and metamorphosed at temperatures from 165 to 655°C show ...systematic changes with metamorphic temperature that can be classified into four types: low‐grade CM (c. 150–280°C), medium‐grade CM (c. 280–400°C), high‐grade CM (c. 400–650°C), and well‐crystallized graphite (> c. 650°C). The Raman spectra of low‐grade CM exhibit features typical of amorphous carbon, in which several disordered bands (D‐band) appear in the first‐order region. In the Raman spectra of medium‐grade CM, the graphite band (G‐band) can be recognized and several abrupt changes occur in the trends for several band parameters. The observed changes indicate that CM starts to transform from amorphous carbon to crystallized graphite at around 280°C, and this transformation continues until 400°C. The G‐band becomes the most prominent peak at high‐grade CM suggesting that the CM structure is close to that of well‐crystallized graphite. In the highest temperature sample of 655°C, the Raman spectra of CM show a strong G‐band with almost no recognizable D‐band, implying the CM grain is well‐crystallized graphite. In the Raman spectra of low‐ to medium‐grade CM, comparisons of several band parameters with the known metamorphic temperature show inverse correlations between metamorphic temperature and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the D1‐ and D2‐bands. These correlations are calibrated as new Raman CM geothermometers, applicable in the range of c. 150–400°C. Details of the methodology for peak decomposition of Raman spectra from the low to medium temperature range are also discussed with the aim of establishing a robust and user‐friendly geothermometer.
Two types of ophichthid larvae collected from Japanese coastal waters around Kyushu and Shikoku were identified by DNA barcoding as
Ophichthus celebicus
(Bleeker 1856) and
O. macrochir
(Bleeker ...1852). These two species have not been reported from Japan previously. The leptocephalus of
O. celebicus
was found to have melanophore spots or streaks on the eighth to last myosepta on the midline of the body. The metamorphic larva of
O. macrochir
was found to have subcutaneous melanophore distributed along myosepta in every first to fifth myomeres on the midline of the body. The larvae of those two species were distinguishable from other ophichthid larvae reported from Japan by these morphological features. The new standard Japanese names, “Torinoko-umihebi” and “Kuronaga-umihebi”, are proposed for
O. celebicus
and
O. macrochir
, respectively.
Few reports about surgical outcomes in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) have been based on reliable nationwide databases. Here, we analyzed the incidence, surgical outcome, and operative risk ...factors using Japanese nationwide database.
Characteristics and perioperative data from 622 patients who underwent curative-intent surgery for MPM between January 2014 and December 2017 were recorded from National Clinical Database of Japan. We analyzed the incidence, surgical outcomes, and risk factors for surgical complications after 2 surgical procedures (extrapleural pneumonectomy EPP and pleurectomy/decortication P/D).
During 4 years, EPP was performed in 279 patients and P/D in 343. EPP was more frequently performed in institutions less experienced in MPM, while P/D was more frequently performed in institutions well experienced in MPM (P < .001), especially in high-volume centers with more than 10 cases during this period. P/D was more frequently performed, especially in high-volume centers. The morbidity rates were 45.2% in EPP and 35.9% in P/D. Heart failure and pneumonia were most frequent in EPP, while prolonged air leakage was most frequent in P/D. Thirty-day and in-hospital mortality rates were 1.1% and 3.2% (EPP) and 1.2% and 3.2% (P/D), respectively. Regression analyses revealed that higher age (>65 years) was associated with operative complications in EPP (odds ratio, 3.56 95% confidence interval, 1.26-8.56), whereas no risk factor was observed in P/D.
In Japanese nationwide annual database, P/D was more frequently performed, especially in high-volume centers. Morbidity was higher in EPP than P/D; however, the mortality rates were quite low in Japan regardless surgical procedures.
To elucidate the clinical, pathologic, and prognostic impacts of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation and mutation subtypes in early-stage lung cancer, the study investigators conducted a ...retrospective analysis of the Japanese Joint Committee of Lung Cancer Registry database (a nationwide database for patients with surgically resected lung cancer; n = 18,973).
Of 13,951 patients classified as having nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer in the database, 5780 patients (41.0%) had been tested for an EGFR mutation and were included in this study.
An EGFR mutation was detected in 2410 patients (41.7%), and the presence of an EGFR mutation was significantly correlated with clinicopathologic factors such as the presence of ground-glass opacity (P < .001) and better prognosis. Analysis of initial recurrence sites identified significantly higher frequencies of brain and adrenal gland metastases in patients with and without an EGFR mutation, respectively. Of 2410 patients with EGFR mutations, 983 (40.8%) had an exon 19 deletion (Exon 19 Del), 1170 (48.5%) had an L858R mutation, and 257 (10.7%) had other EGFR mutations. A higher smoking rate was found in patients with other EGFR mutations (P = .02). In the comparison of Exon 19 Del and L858R, we found that Exon 19 Del correlated with younger age (P < .001), a higher rate of pure solid tumors (P < .001), advanced pathologic stage (trend P < .001), and poorer recurrence-free survival (P = .001).
In addition to the clinicopathologic and prognostic impacts of EGFR mutation status, tumors with Exon 19 Del have a more aggressive phenotype and patients have a poorer prognosis than with L858R in early-stage lung cancers.
Using an activation method with a well-thermalized neutron field, it is principally possible to drive a thermal-neutron capture cross-section without considering an epithermal neutron component. We ...demonstrated neutron capture cross-section measurements using the graphite thermal column (TC-Pn) of the Kyoto University Research Reactor. First, in order to confirm that the graphite thermal column was a well-thermalized neutron field, neutron irradiation was performed with neutron flux monitors:
197
Au,
59
Co,
45
Sc,
63
Cu, and
98
Mo. The TC-Pn was confirmed to be extremely thermalized on the basis of Westcott's convention, because the thermal-neutron flux component took a constant value regardless of the sensitivity of each flux monitor to epithermal neutrons. Next, as a demonstration, the thermal-neutron capture cross-section of
181
Ta(n,γ)
182m+g
Ta reaction was measured using the graphite thermal column, and then derived to be 20.5 ± 0.4 barn, which supported the evaluated value of 20.4 ± 0.3 barn. The
181
Ta nuclide could be useful as a flux monitor that complements the sensitivity between
197
Au and
98
Mo monitors.
Left upper lobectomy (LUL) with left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV) resection alters the left atrium (LA) physiological states and LA hemodynamics associated with thrombosis, although this underlying ...mechanism is poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the effects of LSPV resection and associated LA physiological changes on LA hemodynamics using four-dimensional computed tomography image-based computational simulations. Three cases were considered: the LA before and after LUL extracted from computed tomography images and artificial LSPV resection without physiological changes. Comparisons among the three cases demonstrated that physiological changes associated with LSPV resection are the possible factors that affect the LA hemodynamics after LUL.
Reliable neutron capture cross sections of lead isotopes are necessary for the development of lead or lead-bismuth cooled fast reactors. Although
204
Pb has the smallest natural abundance in stable ...Pb isotopes, its neutron capture cross-section data are important because a long-lived radionuclide
205
Pb (T
1/2
= 17.3 million years) is produced by a neutron capture reaction on
204
Pb. This study applied a mass spectrometry method to measure the neutron capture cross section of
204
Pb. An enriched
204
Pb sample was irradiated for 24 days with a neutron flux on the order of 10
13
n/cm
2
/sec at the Japan Research Reactor-3. The irradiated
204
Pb sample was analyzed by thermal ionization mass spectrometry to obtain the isotopic ratio between
205
Pb and
204
Pb. Consequently, the thermal-neutron capture cross-section of
204
Pb was found to be 0.536 ± 0.030 barns.
Cardiac four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) imaging is a standard approach used to visualize left atrium (LA) deformation for clinical diagnosis. However, the quantitative evaluation of LA ...deformation from 4D-CT images is still a challenging task. We assess the performance of LA displacement-field estimation from 4D-CT images using the coherent point drift (CPD) algorithm, which is a robust point set alignment method based on the expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm.
Subject-specific LA surfaces at 20 phases/cardiac cycles were reconstructed from 4D-CT images and expressed as sets of triangular elements. The LA surface at the phase that maximized the LA surface area was assigned as the control LA surface and those at the other 19 phases were assigned as observed LA surfaces. The LA displacement-field was estimated by solving the alignment between the control and observation LA surfaces using CPD.
Global correspondences between the estimated and observed LA surfaces were successfully confirmed by quantitative evaluations using the Dice similarity coefficient and differences of surface area for all phases. The surface distances between the estimated and observed LA surfaces ranged within 2 mm, except at the left atrial appendage and boundaries, where incomplete data, such as missing or false detections, were included on the observed LA surface. We confirmed that the estimated LA surface displacement and its spatial distribution were anisotropic, which is consistent with existing clinical observations.
These results highlight that the LA displacement field estimated by CPD robustly tracks global LA surface deformation observed in 4D-CT images.
•Displacement-field estimation of the left atrium (LA) from 4D-CT images is performed.•Displacement between LA shapes at different phases is obtained by the CPD algorithm.•Estimation results successfully fitted observation LA shapes in 4D-CT images.•LA deformation characteristics were consistent with existing clinical observations.
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