Superstrate-type Cu(In,Ga)Se
2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells were fabricated using Zn
1−
x
Mg
x
O buffer layers. Due to the diffusion of Cd into CIGS during the growth of the CIGS layer, the ...conventional buffer material of CdS is not suitable. ZnO is a good candidate because of higher thermal tolerance but the conduction band offset (CBO) of ZnO/CIGS is not appropriate. In this study, the Zn
1−
x
Mg
x
O buffer layers were used to fulfill both the requirements. The superstrate-type solar cells with a soda-lime glass/In
2O
3:Sn/Zn
1−
x
Mg
x
O/CIGS/Au structure were fabricated with different band gap energies of the Zn
1−
x
Mg
x
O layer. The CIGS layers Ga/(In + Ga)∼0.25 were deposited by co-evaporation method. The substrate temperature during the CIGS deposition of 450 °C did not cause the intermixing of the Zn
1−
x
Mg
x
O and CIGS layers. The conversion efficiency of the cell with Zn
1−
x
Mg
x
O was higher than that with ZnO due to the improvement of open-circuit voltage and shunt resistance. The results well corresponded to the behavior of the adjustment of CBO, demonstrating that the usefulness of the Zn
1−
x
Mg
x
O layer for the CBO control in the superstrate-type CIGS solar cells.
► Superstrate-type ZnMgO/Cu(In,Ga)Se
2 solar cells were fabricated. ► The conduction band offset of buffer/absorber layers was controlled by ZnMgO. ► The efficiency of the cell with ZnMgO was higher than that with ZnO. ► We demonstrated the effect of band offset control in the Cu(In,Ga)Se
2 solar cells.
Background
Exon 19 deletions and L858R point mutation are the most commonly encountered active epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and they ...predict greater efficacy of gefitinib therapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether body surface area (BSA) affects the efficacy of gefitinib in patients with NSCLC harboring an active EGFR mutation.
Methods
We reviewed the medical records of consecutive patients with advanced NSCLC harboring an active EGFR mutation who received gefitinib monotherapy. The median BSA value was used as the cutoff value to evaluate the impact of BSA on the efficacy of gefitinib.
Results
The median BSA of the 103 NSCLC patients harboring an active EGFR mutation was 1.45 m
2
. The overall response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and median survival time (MST) were 65.0 %, 11.3 months, and 26.2 months, respectively. There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between the high-BSA group (BSA ≥ 1.45 m
2
) and low-BSA group (BSA < 1.45 m
2
), i.e., the response rates was 60.0 % and 69.8 %, respectively (
P
= 0.20), and their MST was 24.7 and 26.2 months, respectively (
P
= 0.78). Although BSA was predictive of PFS between high-BSA group and low-BSA group in the univariate analysis (9.0 and 12.2 months,
P
= 0.04), the multivariate analysis identified only performance status and smoking status as independent predictors of PFS.
Conclusions
The efficacy of gefitinib in patients with NSCLC harboring an EGFR mutation does not differ according to their BSA.
It is proved that the generating function defined by the numbers of isomorphism classes of absolutely irreducible representations of a finitely generated group
G into
GL
d
(
F
q
n
)
for
n
⩾
1
is a ...rational function. It is also proved that the generating function defined by weighted sums over isomorphism classes of representations of
G into
GL
d
(
F
q
n
)
for
n
⩾
1
is meromorphic over both the complex numbers and the
p-adic complex numbers.
The optimal chemotherapy regimen for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) remains unknown. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the real-world ...efficacy and safety of carboplatin (CBDCA) plus nab-paclitaxel (nab-PTX) as a first-line regimen for NSCLC patients with ILD.
We retrospectively reviewed advanced NSCLC patients with ILD who had received CBDCA plus nab-PTX as a first-line chemotherapy regimen between April 2013 and March 2018. Patients were diagnosed with ILD based on the findings of a pretreatment high-resolution computed tomography of the chest.
The 34 patients enrolled in this study were included in the efficacy and safety analysis. Collagen vascular disease or a history of exposure to dust or asbestos was not reported for any patients. The median age of patients was 71 years (range, 59-83 years), and 32 patients had a performance status of 0 or 1. The overall response rate was 38.2%. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 5.8 months and 12.7 months, respectively. Chemotherapy-related acute exacerbation of ILD was observed in two patients (5.7%). Other toxicities were feasible, and no treatment-related deaths occurred.
CBDCA plus nab-PTX, as a first-line chemotherapy regimen for NSCLC, showed favorable efficacy and safety in patients with preexisting ILD.
Pegfilgrastim is a long-acting granulocyte colony-stimulating factor formulation that has been approved for the prevention of febrile neutropenia. We herein report a case of interstitial pneumonia ...following administration of pegfilgrastim. A 65-year-old man with stage IV small-cell lung cancer was treated with carboplatin and etoposide as third-line chemotherapy. Pegfilgrastim was administered during the second cycle of chemotherapy. On the day after the administration of pegfilgrastim, interstitial pneumonia developed. The respiratory condition improved with pulse steroid therapy; however, the patient eventually succumbed to cancer progression. In conclusion, interstitial pneumonia due to pegfilgrastim is rare; however, physicians should be aware of the possibility of this adverse effect.
Abstract Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a subtype of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Most cases of MCL have extranodal involvement at the time of the initial diagnosis; however, endobronchial ...involvement is rare. An 87-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of dyspnea on exertion. A chest CT revealed diffuse irregular wall thickening of the trachea and bilateral bronchi. A bronchoscopy revealed a diffuse irregular surface of the tracheal and bilateral bronchial mucosa and polyposis-like lesions. He was diagnosed as having MCL based on an endobronchial biopsy, and the diagnosis was confirmed using immunohistochemical staining.
We report herein on a case strongly suspected of being pulmonary toxocariasis. A 22-year-old Indonesian man referred to our hospital presented with abnormal chest shadows upon medical examination. He ...had no symptoms. He did not have any pets nor did he eat raw beef or chicken. Hematological examination revealed eosinophilia and elevation of IgE. Chest computed tomography revealed 3 pulmonary nodules with the halo sign. We suspected a parasite infection and performed antiparasite antibody testing. Ascaris suum was slightly positive on the screening test. As specificantibody against the larval excretory-secretory products of Toxocara canis, measured at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, was positive (level 3 up to 8). Subsequently, the abnormal chest shadows disappeared. However, two months later, 2 pulmonary nodules with the halo sign reappeared in other places. Diagnostic therapy with albendazole was performed for 8 weeks. Mild hepatic impairment emerged during therapy, but it was within the allowed range. Thereafter,the results improved for the imaging findings, eosinophilia, serum IgE level, and specific antibody.The antibody level became negative two months after the treatment had ended. We should consider toxocariasis in the differential diagnosis of migratory nodular shadows with the halo sign on chest computed tomography,and immunoserological testing is useful for the diagnosis.
Background: The optimal chemotherapy regimen for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) remains unknown. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the ...real-world efficacy and safety of carboplatin (CBDCA) plus nab-paclitaxel (nab-PTX) as a first-line regimen for NSCLC patients with ILD. Patients and methods: We retrospectively reviewed advanced NSCLC patients with ILD who had received CBDCA plus nab-PTX as a first-line chemotherapy regimen between April 2013 and March 2018. Patients were diagnosed with ILD based on the findings of a pretreatment high-resolution computed tomography of the chest. Results: The 34 patients enrolled in this study were included in the efficacy and safety analysis. Collagen vascular disease or a history of exposure to dust or asbestos was not reported for any patients. The median age of patients was 71 years (range, 59-83 years), and 32 patients had a performance status of 0 or 1. The overall response rate was 38.2%. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 5.8 months and 12.7 months, respectively. Chemotherapyrelated acute exacerbation of ILD was observed in two patients (5.7%). Other toxicities were feasible, and no treatment-related deaths occurred. Conclusion: CBDCA plus nab-PTX, as a first-line chemotherapy regimen for NSCLC, showed favorable efficacy and safety in patients with preexisting ILD. Keywords: interstitial lung disease, non-small-cell lung cancer, carboplatin, nab-paclitaxel
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant causative bacterium in hospital-acquired pneumonia and nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia, but it seems to be rare in community-acquired pneumonia ...(CAP). We report two cases of severe CAP due to P. aeruginosa. Case 1 : A 52-year-old man was referred to our hospital for chest and back pain. He was being treated for diabetes mellitus and had a long history of smoking. Chest images showed consolidation in the right upper lobe. Soon after hospitalization, he developed sepsis shock and died seven hours later. Case 2 : A 73-year-old man with a history of heavy smoking was referred to our hospital for right chest pain. Chest images showed right upper lobe pneumonia. Although wide-spectrum antimicrobial agents were administrated, he died ten hours after admission. In both cases, there was a rapid progression to death, despite administration of a broad spectrum of antibiotics and treatment for sepsis. In cases of CAP involving the right upper lobe, the possibility of bacteremia and rapid progress should be considered.
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