An analytical method to determine the electrochemical energy efficiencies of electrolytes with partial electronic conduction has been developed previously and reported in the literature. However, ...this analytical method does not address the effects of differing ionic species in electrolytes, i.e., the oxide‐ions or protons. Therefore, we aimed to modify this analytical method to account for the effects of differing ionic species, and applied it to compare the energy efficiencies of oxide‐ion conducting solid electrolytes such as yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and gadolinia‐doped ceria (GDC) to proton‐conducting solid electrolytes, such as yttria‐doped barium zirconate (BZY). With the modification, difference in the influence of the fuel consumption between the oxide‐ion conducting electrolyte and the proton‐conducting electrolyte has been successfully taken into account. The energy efficiency of the BZY electrolyte relatively increased against those of YSZ or GDC electrolytes by the modification. Additionally, partial oxide‐ion conduction in the proton‐conducting electrolyte was successfully estimated using the modified analytical method.
Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP), previously known as bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP), is a significant complication after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (HCT). However, the ...pathogenesis of this complication has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we identified the pre-transplant risk factors for the development of COP/BOOP using the Japan transplant registry database between 2005 and 2009. Among 9550 eligible recipients, 193 experienced COP/BOOP (2%). HLA disparity (odds ratio (OR) 1.51, P=0.05), female-to-male HCT (OR 1.53, P=0.023), and PBSC transplant (OR 1.84, P=0.0076) were significantly associated with an increased risk of COP/BOOP. On the other hand, BU-based myeloablative conditioning (OR 0.52, P=0.033), or fludarabine-based reduced-intensity conditioning (OR 0.50, P=0.0011) in comparison with a TBI-based regimen and in vivo T-cell depletion (OR 0.46, P=0.055) were associated with a lower risk. Of the 193 patients with COP/BOOP, 77 died, including non-relapse death in 46 (59%). Pulmonary failure and fatal infection accounted for 41% (n=19) and 26% (n=12) of the non-relapse death. Allogeneic immunity and conditioning toxicity could be associated with COP/BOOP. Prospective studies are required to elucidate the true risk factors for COP/BOOP and to develop a prophylactic approach.
Long‐term performance testes by CRIEPI (Central Research Institute for Electric Power Industry) on six industrial stacks have revealed an interesting correlation between cathode polarization loss and ...ohmic loss. To make clear the physicochemical meaning of this correlation, detailed analyses were made on the conductivity degradation of YSZ electrolyte in button cells and then on the ohmic losses in the industrial cells in terms of time constants which are determined from speed of the tetragonal transformation through the Y diffusion from the cubic phase to the tetragonal phase. In some cases, shorter time constants (faster degradations) were detected than those expected from the two‐time‐constant (with and without NiO reduction effects) model, suggesting that additional ohmic losses after subtracting the contribution from the tetragonal transformation must be caused from other sources such as cathode‐degradation inducing effects. Main cathode degradations can be ascribed to sulfur poisoning due to contamination in air in the CRIEPI test site. An important feature was extracted as this cathode degradations became more severe when the gadolinium‐doped ceria (GDC) interlayers were fabricated into dense film. Plausible mechanisms for cathode degradations were proposed based on the Sr/Co depletion on surface of lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSFC) in the active area. Peculiar cathode degradations found in stacks are interpreted in term of changes in surface concentration by reactions with sulfur oxide, electrochemical side reactions for water vapor emission or Sr volatilization, and diffusion of Sr/Co from inside LSCF.
Lightning strokes to transmission lines have been estimated using the electro-geometric model proposed by Armstrong and Whitehead. The observed results of the lightning to large-scale transmission ...lines are reported here to validate the calculated results, in which ultra high voltage (UHV) designed transmission lines and 500 kV transmission lines were selected as the subjects of the observation. Lightning observations were carried out for direct strokes to phase conductor caused by shielding failures, as well as strokes to ground wires that have rarely been previously reported. The observed results showed that total number of direct lightning strokes to phase conductor were nearly identical to the calculated results based on the conventional method, while observed strokes to upper phase were larger and strokes to lower phase were smaller than those derived from calculations. It was also revealed that lightning strokes to ground wires of UHV designed transmission lines and 500 kV transmission lines were 5.1 times and 2.7 times larger, respectively, than calculated results based on the conventional method.
BackgroundAlthough damage to large joints such as the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle has a substantially larger impact on functional ability than damage to the small joints of the hand and ...foot,1 2 large joints are not routinely monitored for progressive damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Furthermore, a little information is available regarding long-term follow-up results of radiographic progression of damage (RPD) to the large joints during treatment with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs).ObjectivesWe investigated ratios of RPD to the large joints in RA patients treated with bDMARDs for 3 to 4 years and analysed association between RPD and patient backgrounds or Larsen grades of individual large joint.MethodsSixty-eight patients (naïve: 42, switch: 26) receiving bDMARDs (IFX: 5, ETN: 9, ADA: 7, GLM: 3, CZP: 5, TCZ: 28, ABT: 11) for 3 to 4 years or achieving bDMARDs-free status were included in this study. The mean age and disease duration at the start of bDMARDs was 62.7 year-old and 10.7 years, respectively, and baseline DAS28-ESR and HAQ was 4.61 and 1.014, respectively. A total of 311 joints including shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle were evaluated whether there was RPD during the observation period by comparing radiographs before and after the treatment.ResultsRPD was found in 22 patients (31.4%) and 32 joints (10.0%), and it occurred during the former half period in 17 joints and during the latter half period in 15 joints. Joints with Larsen grade (LG) III or more had significantly higher ratios of RPD than those with LG II or less (p<0.01). An ROC analysis was performed to calculate the cut-off value for the progressive damage, which was 2.5 (sensitivity: 50.0%, specificity: 79.6%), suggesting that exceeding LG III would be a risk factor for the RPD to the large joints. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that stage and baseline HAQ were independent risk factors for RPD (cut-off value: 2.5, odds ratio: 8.864 for stage; cut-off value: 1.4375, odds ratio: 6.316 for baseline HAQ).ConclusionsThe stage and baseline HAQ were associated with RPD to the large joints, and progressive damage is expected to increase when the stage exceeds III and/or functional disability exceeds an HAQ score of 1.5. Progressive damage also increases when LG exceeds III. Treatment with bDMARDs should be started before stage, HAQ, and LG exceed III, 1.5, and III, respectively.References1 Drossaers-Bakker KW, Kroon HM, Zwinderman AH, Breedveld FC, Hazes JM. Radiographic damage of large joints in long-term rheumatoid arthritis and its relation to function. Rheumatology (Oxford)2000;39:998–1003.2 Kuper HH, van Leeuwen MA, van Riel PL, Prevoo ML, Houtman PM, Lolkema WF, van Rijswijk MH. Radiographic damage in large joints in early rheumatoid arthritis: relationship with radiographic damage in hands and feet, disease activity, and physical disability. Br J Rheumatol1997;36:855–60.Disclosure of InterestNone declared
We aimed to clarify the impact of the donor source of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) on Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia Ph(-) ALL with focus on cord ...blood (CB).
We retrospectively analyzed data of 1726 patients who underwent myeloablative allo-SCT for adult Ph(-) ALL. The sources of the allo-SCT were related donors (RD; N = 684), unrelated donors (URD; N = 809), and CB (N = 233).
Overall survival (OS) in patients after CB allo-SCT in first complete remission (CR1) was comparable with that after RD or URD allo-SCT (RD: 65%, URD: 64% and CB: 57% at 4 years, P = 0.11). CB was not a significant risk factor for relapse or non-relapse mortality as well as for OS in multivariate analyses. Similarly, the donor source was not a significant risk factor for OS in subsequent CR or non-CR (RD: 47%, URD: 39% and CB: 48% in subsequent CR, P = 0.33; RD: 15%, URD: 21% and CB: 18% in non-CR, P = 0.20 at 4 years).
Allo-SCT using CB led to OS similar to those of RD or URD in any disease status. To avoid missing the appropriate timing, CB is a favorable alternative source for adult Ph(-) ALL patients without a suitable RD or URD.
Achievements of NEDO durability projects on SOFC mode are summarized with a focus on the physicochemical mechanisms characterized by diffusion properties of cell components and chemical reactions of ...cell components with gaseous impurities. Ni sintering and depletion including impurity (P, B, S) effects have been examined in terms of the surface/interface energies of Ni/oxide cermet anodes. The conductivity degradation due to the transformation of the cubic YSZ electrolyte was found to be characterized in terms of two time constants for the reductive and the oxidative regions to be determined by the Y‐diffusivity and its enhancement on NiO internal reduction in YSZ, while observed gaps in conductivity degradation behavior between stacks and button cells were ascribed to differences in those physicochemical properties involved, namely cation diffusion and kinetics associated with NiO internal reduction. The cathode performance degradation due to sulfur poisoning exhibits a variety of dependences on the microstructure (dense or porous) of doped‐ceria interlayers, the thickness of YSZ electrolyte and the humidity in the anode atmosphere, suggesting effects of protons in the cathode vicinity and the SrO activity changes during fabrication the LSCF/GDC/YSZ multilayers. Some defect chemical considerations were made on how such defects are affected by fabrication processes.
Microwave processing and substitutional-combustion reaction have been utilized to fabricate ceramic matrix porous composite from the thermite reaction of Fe3O4/Al system. Stoichiometric and mixtures ...with lower and over aluminum were tested. As this system was highly exothermic, the melting of reaction products and destruction the porous structure may occur. In order to avoid that, reaction coupled with a smaller driving force by controlling the microwave (MW) ignition condition at low temperature exotherm, where substitutional reaction occurs has been investigated. The phase and microstructure evolution during the reaction is analyzed by differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermogram of the DTA analysis, irrespective of their mole ratio, recorded two exothermic peaks, one at ~1310 °C and another one at ~1370 °C. Fe and α-Al
2
O
3
were the main products for the combusted mixture. Hercynite appeared as the major phase in the stoichiometric and slightly lower Al content mixtures due to incompleteness of reaction. In contrary, over aluminized mixture revealed the presence of Al
3.2
Fe. When heated at 1360 °C, an additional FeO phase was observed. Mixtures with extremely low Al content showed the presence of unreacted Fe
3
O
4
and some free Al due to the decrease of combustion velocity associated with a decrease in the sample exothermicities. Sample heated in electric furnace was dense. When heating by microwave, controlling the reaction progress at low temperature exotherm allowed the achievement of porous structure composite consisting of micron size iron particles well distributed and embedded in the hercynite and/or Al
2
O
3
matrix.
Recently, more and more generic drugs have been used for immunosuppressive drugs in the field of organ transplantation. Some reports have indicated that blood concentration of most generic drugs is ...difficult to maintain stability, and it may cause the difference in graft survival of transplanted organs between original drugs and generic drugs. In this article, we report the cases could not maintain blood concentration of generic drugs of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF).
In 4 cases out of 5 cases that we had to change original MMF to generic MMF, there were cases that blood concentration level was not stabilized. There were possibility that the lowered blood concentration level of MMF caused a rejection, in two cases. Mean MMF trough level was decreased from 3.6 ± 1.9 μg/mL to 0.6 ± 0.4 μg/mL. Due to the early detection, it did not become severe or failure of graft function, however, we cannot deny the possibilities that side effects were increased and rejection rose. In these cases, we discontinued to use the generic drugs thereafter due to unstable plasma concentration of MMF.
Some reports have indicated that failure to maintain plasma concentration of MMF leads to rejection. Therefore, maintenance of effective plasma concentration and prevention of rejection are essential to long-term graft survival in kidney transplant.
Generic drug formulations may exhibit differences in effects and absorption compared to the brand-name drug. If the generic drug should be used, patients should be closely monitored.
•We report 4 cases in which patients treated with generic MMF did not maintain sufficient MMF blood concentration levels.•Conversion to the generic drug may cause differences in effects and absorption.•If the generic drug should be used, patients should be closely monitored.
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