Frequency-domain interferometry for the determination of time delay between two extreme-ultraviolet wave packets generated by a tandem undulator.

Synchrotron radiation, emitted by relativistic electrons traveling in a magnetic field, has poor temporal coherence. However, recent research has proved that time-domain interferometry experiments, which were thought to be enabled by only lasers of excellent temporal coherence, can be implemented with synchrotron radiation using a tandem undulator. The radiation generated by the tandem undulator comprises pairs of light wave packets, and the longitudinal coherence within a light wave packet pair is used to achieve time-domain interferometry. The time delay between two light wave packets, formed by a chicane for the electron trajectory, can be adjusted in the femtosecond range by a standard synchrotron technology. In this study, we show that frequency-domain spectra of the tandem undulator radiation exhibit fringe structures from which the time delay between a light wave packet pair can be determined with accuracy on the order of attoseconds. The feasibility and limitations of the frequency-domain interferometric determination of the time delay are examined.

Double-pulsed wave packets in spontaneous radiation from a tandem undulator.

We verify that each wave packet of spontaneous radiation from two undulators placed in series has a double-pulsed temporal profile with pulse spacing which can be controlled at the attosecond level. Using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer operating at ultraviolet wavelengths, we obtain the autocorrelation trace for the spontaneous radiation from the tandem undulator. The results clearly show that the wave packet has a double-pulsed structure, consisting of a pair of 10-cycle oscillations with a variable separation. We also report the characterization of the time delay between the double-pulsed components in different wavelength regimes. The excellent agreement between the independent measurements confirms that a tandem undulator can be used to produce double-pulsed wave packets at arbitrary wavelength.

Helical Phase Structure of Radiation from an Electron in Circular Motion.

We theoretically show that a single free electron in circular motion radiates an electromagnetic wave possessing helical phase structure, which is closely related to orbital angular momentum carried by it. We experimentally demonstrate it by interference and double-slit diffraction experiments on radiation from relativistic electrons in spiral motion. Our results indicate that photons carrying orbital angular momentum should be created naturally by cyclotron/synchrotron radiations or Compton scatterings in various situations in cosmic space. We propose promising laboratory vortex photon sources in various wavelengths ranging from radio wave to gamma-rays.

Angular Momentum of Twisted Radiation from an Electron in Spiral Motion.

We theoretically demonstrate for the first time that a single free electron in circular or spiral motion emits twisted photons carrying well-defined orbital angular momentum along the axis of the electron circulation, in adding to spin angular momentum. We show that, when the electron velocity is relativistic, the radiation field contains harmonic components and the photons of lth harmonic carry lℏ total angular momentum for each. This work indicates that twisted photons are naturally emitted by free electrons and are more ubiquitous in laboratories and in nature than ever thought.

Diagnosis and treatment of bone metastasis: comprehensive guideline of the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology, Japanese Orthopedic Association, Japanese Urological Association, and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

Diagnosis and treatment of bone metastasis requires various types of measures, specialists and caregivers. To provide better diagnosis and treatment, a multidisciplinary team approach is required. The members of this multidisciplinary team include doctors of primary cancers, radiologists, pathologists, orthopaedists, radiotherapists, clinical oncologists, palliative caregivers, rehabilitation doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, medical social workers, etc. Medical evidence was extracted from published articles describing meta-analyses or randomised controlled trials concerning patients with bone metastases mainly from 2003 to 2013, and a guideline was developed according to the Medical Information Network Distribution Service Handbook for Clinical Practice Guideline Development 2014. Multidisciplinary team meetings are helpful in diagnosis and treatment. Clinical benefits such as physical or psychological palliation obtained using the multidisciplinary team approaches are apparent. We established a guideline describing each specialty field, to improve understanding of the different fields among the specialists, who can further provide appropriate treatment, and to improve patients' outcomes.

Living situations associated with poor dietary intake among healthy Japanese elderly: the Ohasama Study.

BACKGROUND: Rapid increases in life expectancy have led to concurrent increases in the number of elderly people living alone or those forced to change living situations. Previous studies have found that poor dietary intake was common in elderly people living alone. However, there have been few studies about the dietary intake in elderly people living in other situations, particularly those living with family other than a spouse (nonspouse family), which is common in Japan. OBJECTIVE: To examine the differences in dietary intake by different living situations in elderly Japanese people. We analyzed the data of 1542 healthy residents in the town of Ohasama aged 60 years and over who had completed self-administered questionnaires. METHODS: The dietary intake was measured using a validated 141-item food frequency questionnaire. Multiple regression models with robust (White-corrected) standard errors were individually fitted for nutrients and foods by living situation. RESULTS: In men, although the presence of other family was correlated with significantly lower intake of protein-related foods, e.g., legumes, fish and shellfish, and dairy products, these declines were more serious in men living with nonspouse family. Conversely, in men living alone the intake of fruits and vegetables was significantly lower. In women, lower intakes of fruit and protein-related foods were significantly more common in participants living with nonspouse family than those living with only a spouse. CONCLUSION: These findings revealed that elderly people living alone as well as those living with family other than a spouse had poor dietary intake, suggesting that strategies to improve food choices and skills for food preparation could promote of healthy eating in elderly Japanese people.

Microbunching instability in relativistic electron bunches: direct observations of the microstructures using ultrafast YBCO detectors.

Relativistic electron bunches circulating in accelerators are subjected to a dynamical instability leading to microstructures at millimeter to centimeter scale. Although this is a well-known fact, direct experimental observations of the structures, or the field that they emit, remained up to now an open problem. Here, we report the direct, shot-by-shot, time-resolved recording of the shapes (including envelope and carrier) of the pulses of coherent synchrotron radiation that are emitted, and that are a "signature" of the electron bunch microstructure. The experiments are performed on the UVSOR-III storage ring, using electrical field sensitive YBa2Cu3O(7-x) thin-film ultrafast detectors. The observed patterns are subjected to permanent drifts, that can be explained from a reasoning in phase space, using macroparticle simulations.

Transverse-longitudinal coupling effect in laser bunch slicing.

We report turn-by-turn observation of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) produced by the laser bunch slicing technique at an electron storage ring operated with a small momentum compaction factor. CSR emission was intermittent, and its interval depended strongly on the betatron tune. This peculiar behavior of the CSR could be interpreted as a result of coupling between the transverse and longitudinal motion of the electrons. This is the first observation of such an effect, which would be important not only for controlling the CSR emission but also for generating and transporting ultrashort electron bunches or electron bunches with microdensity structures in advanced accelerators.

Shifted feedback suppression of turbulent behavior in advection-diffusion systems.

In spatiotemporal systems with advection, suppression of noise-sustained structures involves questions that are outside of the framework of deterministic dynamical systems control (such as Ott-Grebogi-Yorke-type methods). Here we propose and test an alternate strategy where a nonlocal additive feedback is applied, with the objective to create a new deterministic solution that becomes robust to noise. As a remarkable fact-though the needed parameter perturbations required have essentially a finite size-they turn out to be extraordinarily small in principle: 10;{-8} in the free-electron laser experiment presented here.

Observation of synchrotron sidebands in a storage-ring-based seeded free-electron laser.

Seeded free-electron lasers (FELs) are among the future fourth-generation light sources in the vacuum ultraviolet and x-ray spectral regions. We analyze the seed temporal coherence preservation in the case of coherent harmonic generation FELs, including spectral narrowing and structure degradation. Indeed, the electron synchrotron motion driven by the seeding laser can cause sideband growth in the FEL spectrum.

Optimization of a seeded free-electron laser with helical undulators.

Seeded single pass free-electron lasers are promising coherent, short-duration, and intense light sources, from the visible to x rays. Operated with adjustable undulators, they are also a unique device for providing fully variable polarized radiation. We report here the first seeding of helical undulators with a variable polarized source. We demonstrate that the adjustment of the seed polarization and focusing allows the free-electron laser radiation to be optimized in terms of intensity and quality.

Weekly paclitaxel/5-fluorouracil followed by platinum retreatment for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer: a single institution experience.

PURPOSE: Since the prognosis of recurrent ovarian cancer patients is still poor, we need to establish a useful treatment strategy to achieve their long-term survival. We treated recurrent ovarian cancer patients with weekly paclitaxel (PTX)/5-fluorouracil (5-FU) followed by platinum retreatment to investigate its clinical efficacy in a preliminary manner. METHODS: Sixteen patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, pretreated with taxane and platinum, were treated with weekly paclitaxel (PTX)/5-fluorouracil (FU). PTX (80 mg/m2) on day 1, 8, and 15 was combined with a bolus injection of 5-FU (500 mg/m2) on day 2, 9, and 16. Chemotherapy was given every four weeks. Patients with stable disease or progressive disease were subsequently retreated with a platinum-containing regimen. Response was evaluated by RECIST criteria or CA125 criteria. Toxicities were evaluated according to the National Cancer Institute-common toxicity criteria (NCI-CTC) version 3. RESULTS: Among five patients with sensitive disease, one of four patients with measurable tumor and one without measurable tumor responded to weekly PTX/5-FU. Among 11 patients with resistant disease, none of five patients with measurable tumor and three of six patients without measurable tumor responded to weekly PTX/5-FU. Overall objective response rate by weekly PTX/5-FU was 31.3% (5/16). Among 16 patients, 13 patients who showed no response or progressive disease (three with sensitive disease, ten with resistant disease) received platinum retreatment after weekly PTX/5FU. All three patients with sensitive disease and three of ten patients with resistant disease revealed response to platinum retreatment. Overall objective response rate by platinum retreatment after weekly PTX/5-FU was 46.2% (6/13). CONCLUSIONS: Weekly PTX/5FU followed by platinum retreatment could be a useful treatment strategy for recurrent ovarian cancer patients. We need to establish the standard treatment strategy for recurrent ovarian cancer patients with a poor prognosis.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia complicated with massive thrombosis of the inferior vena cava after filter placement.

A 45-year-old man presented with deep vein thrombosis of the right leg and bilateral pulmonary embolism. Heparin was administered on the initial one and a half days. On the 3rd day, an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter was placed with a heparin flush, after which massive IVC thrombosis developed. The platelet count was 221000/mm3, decreased 42% from the initial level, but remained within the normal range. Heparin was replaced by argatroban on the 13th day. The platelet count increased to 355000/mm3 on the 15th day. The patient was positive for antibody against complexes of heparin and platelet factor 4, and was diagnosed as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis syndrome (HITTS). When thrombosis develops during heparin treatment, it is important to suspect HITTs and to assay for the associated antibodies, regardless of the actual platelet count.

Gluteal compartment syndrome after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

A 66-year-old man underwent emergency surgery for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with right common and internal iliac aneurysms. Postoperatively, his right buttock was distended and tender to compression. A CT scan revealed an extremely swollen right gluteus maximus with decreased density. Macromyoglobinuria was noted, and creatine kinase and myoglobin were elevated: 87,800 IU/l and 144,300 ng/ml, respectively. Renal function had deteriorated and he was treated with hemodialysis until the 15th postoperative day. The patient recovered without any discomfort to the buttock or intermittent claudication. To our knowledge this is the first documented case of gluteal compartment syndrome after the repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Indications for and limitations of exercise training in patients with intermittent claudication.

BACKGROUND: The selection of candidates for exercise training among patients with intermittent claudication is still a matter of debate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-nine patients with intermittent claudication due to arteriosclerosis obliterans were tested. Forty-six patients were men and 3 were women, with an average age of 65 years (range, 46 to 76 years). The patients walked on a treadmill at 2.4 km/h on a 12% upgrade followed by an appropriate period of rest for 30 minutes twice a day during a 3-week hospitalization. Programs were individualized for each patient. Four parameters were assessed after exercise training: (1) Ankle-brachial index (ABI) at rest, (2) Fall in ABI after 40 m of treadmill walking (ABI Fall 40), (3) the recovery time (RT 40) required for the ABI to return to resting levels after 40 m of walking, and (4) the maximal walking distance (MWD) on the treadmill. RESULTS: The average ABI at rest before the 3-week training period was 0.60 +/- 0.02 (mean +/- SE), and after training it was 0.62 +/- 0.02. There was a small although not statistically significant increase in the ABI after training. This increase in the ABI did not exceed 0.21. The average ABI Fall 40 before training was 0.36 +/- 0.01, and after training it was 0.30 +/- 0.02. The average RT 40 before training was 9.9 +/- 0.8 min, and after training it was 6.2 +/- 0.6 min. There were significant decreases in the ABI Fall 40 and RT 40 after training (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). The MWD increased after training in 48 of the 49 patients. The average MWD increased from 134 +/- 13 m to 226 +/- 32 m after training (p < 0.001). The occlusion levels did not influence the results as training effects and hemodynamic parameters. Fourteen of 49 patients desired arterial reconstruction after exercise training. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with shorter RT 40's before training achieved greater increases in the MWD after training. In patients with an RT 40 under 12 min, exercise training is indicated. However, there is some discrepancy between the increase in MWD and the degree of satisfaction in individual patients.

Relationship between psychological factors and arthralgia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract Various factors were assessed in terms of their contribution to arthralgia in a rheumatoid arthritis patient. Eighty-two outpatients (62 women and 20 men) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were examined with respect to the subjective degree of arthralgia, age, disease duration, dysfunction, steroid dose, steroid period, depression, anxiety, extroversion, neurotic disorder, and number of caretakers. The results were explained on the basis of stepwise regression analysis and psychological and clinical data. We analyzed results of a correlation coefficient test on the mutual relationship between variables. Stepwise regression analysis was performed to assess factors of arthralgia in terms of "depression," "mean activity," "morning stiffness," and "steroid dose." Depression is a factor of arthralgia as shown in this study, but it is clear that other factors are also involved. Anxiety was a factor distinct from the activity of RA. The factor contributing most to arthralgia was found to be depression, whereas anxiety had no effect.

In vitro method for prediction of the phototoxic potentials of fluoroquinolones.

The phototoxic potential of eight fluoroquinolones (norfloxacin, ofloxacin, enoxacin, ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin, tosufloxacin, sparfloxacin and gatifloxacin) was evaluated by using three in vitro methods of cytotoxicity against mammalian cells, erythrocyte lysis and DNA strand breakage. All fluoroquinolones tested with the exception of gatifloxacin, an 8-methoxy quinolone, showed DNA strand breaking activities under UV-A irradiation. Their cytotoxicity against HeLa cells was also enhanced by UV-A irradiation. In particular, the phototoxic potential of sparfloxacin, enoxacin and lomefloxacin was high in both methods. Ofloxacin is very photocytotoxic against HeLa cells, while it has low potential to cause DNA strand breakage. Norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and enoxacin were very photohemolytic, but sparfloxacin was not, indicating that the in vivo phototoxic potencies of fluoroquinolones might not be predictable by the photohemolysis study. Gatifloxacin, a non-phototoxic quinolone, showed no phototoxic potential in any of these three in vitro tests. These results suggest that determination of DNA strand breaking activity, combined with cytotoxicity against mammalian cells, is available to predict the phototoxic potential of fluoroquinolones without laboratory animals.

Inhibition of PSA flare in prostate cancer patients by administration of flutamide for 2 weeks before initiation of treatment with slow-releasing LH-RH agonist.

BACKGROUND: A prospective randomized study was designed to determine whether flutamide (FLU) administered before treatment with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist (LH-RHa) prevented prostate-specific antigen (PSA) flare in prostate cancer patients. METHODS: Prostate cancer patients were randomized into two groups and received either FLU (n = 11) or no pretreatment (n = 13) for 2 weeks before the initial injection of LH-RHa. LH-RHa (every 4 weeks) and FLU (every day) were administered throughout the period of this study. Blood samples, for the determination of PSA, testosterone (T), and luteinizing hormone levels, were collected before FLU administration, and before and 2, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 84 days after the first administration of LH-RHa. RESULTS: Treatment with FLU prior to LH-RHa induced an early decline in PSA level. The mean PSA level showed no significant secondary rise after LH-RHa administration in those patients with FLU pretreatment. Patients in both groups showed T flare after the first LH-RHa administration. However, the number of patients with PSA flare was significantly lower in patients with prior FLU administration than in those with LH-RHa alone. CONCLUSION: These results clearly demonstrate that, in patients with prostatic cancer, the administration of FLU for 2 weeks prior to the first LH-RHa administration is effective in preventing PSA flare, as well as in inducing an early decline in PSA levels.

Target preference of 15 quinolones against Staphylococcus aureus, based on antibacterial activities and target inhibition.

The antibacterial activities and target inhibition of 15 quinolones against grlA and gyrA mutant strains were studied. The strains were obtained from wild-type Staphylococcus aureus MS5935 by selection with norfloxacin and nadifloxacin, respectively. The antibacterial activities of most quinolones against both mutant strains were lower than those against the wild-type strain. The ratios of MICs for the gyrA mutant strain to those for the grlA mutant strain (MIC ratio) varied from 0.125 to 4. The ratios of 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)s) of quinolones against topoisomerase IV to those against DNA gyrase (IC(50) ratios) also varied, from 0.177 to 5.52. A significant correlation between the MIC ratios and the IC(50) ratios was observed (r = 0.919; P < 0.001). These results suggest that the antibacterial activities of quinolones against the wild-type strain are involved not only in topoisomerase IV inhibition but also in DNA gyrase inhibition and that the target preference in the wild-type strain can be anticipated by the MIC ratios. Based on the MIC ratios, the quinolones were classified into three categories. Type I quinolones (norfloxacin, enoxacin, fleroxacin, ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin, trovafloxacin, grepafloxacin, ofloxacin, and levofloxacin) had MIC ratios of <1, type II quinolones (sparfloxacin and nadifloxacin) had MIC ratios of >1, and type III quinolones (gatifloxacin, pazufloxacin, moxifloxacin, and clinafloxacin) had MIC ratios of 1. Type I and type II quinolones seem to prefer topoisomerase IV and DNA gyrase, respectively. Type III quinolones seem to target both enzymes at nearly the same level in bacterial cells (a phenomenon known as the dual-targeting property), and their IC(50) ratios were approximately 2.

SPARC expression in primary human renal cell carcinoma: upregulation of SPARC in sarcomatoid renal carcinoma.

SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine, also called osteonectin, BM-40, and 43K protein) is a matricellular protein and is associated with cell-matrix interactions during cell proliferation and extracellular remodeling. It is also implicated in the neovascularization, invasion, and metastasis of human malignancies. To investigate a potential role of the SPARC in renal tumorigenesis, we examined primary renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) for SPARC expression by Northern blot analysis and for protein distribution by immunohistochemistry. We found that 6 (100%) of 6 sarcomatoid and 25 (70%) of 36 clear-cell carcinomas had enhanced SPARC transcription compared with that of the corresponding normal kidney tissue. In contrast, papillary and chromophobe RCCs characterized by a hypovascular or avascular tumor phenotype had undetectable SPARC expression. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that SPARC was strongly stained in the cytoplasm of the sarcomatoid neoplastic cells in sarcomatoid RCCs, whereas it was expressed only in the vascular endothelial cells and fibroblasts in clear-cell RCCs. SPARC staining intensity in the stromal cells was increased in the invading portion in some clear-cell RCCs. These findings suggest that tumor development, including neovascularization and invasion in clear-cell RCCs, might be regulated by SPARC from stromal endothelial cells and fibroblasts and that sarcomatoid transformation from common-type RCCs is associated with upregulation of SPARC expression; SPARC may contribute to its aggressive tumor phenotype.