Enhancing proton mobility and thermal stability in phosphate glasses with WO3: the mixed glass former effect in proton conducting glasses.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of WO3 on the thermal stability of glass, as measured by the glass transition temperature (Tg), as well as the activation energy (Ea) of proton conduction and proton mobility (µH). These parameters were analyzed based on variations in the glass network structure and the nature of the P-O and O-H bonds in 35HO1/2-xWO3-8NbO5/2-5LaO3/2-(52 - x) PO5/2 (x = 2, 4, 6, and 8) glasses. As previously predicted by a linear regression model, replacing PO5/2 with WO3 resulted in an increase in Tg and µH at Tg. The observed enhancement rates were +9.1 °C per mol% of WO3 for Tg and 0.09 per mol% of WO3 for log(µH at Tg [cm2 V-1 s-1]), which aligned with the predicted values of +6.5 °C and 0.08, respectively, validating the linear regression model. The increased Tg was attributed to the formation of heteroatomic P-O-W linkages that tightly cross-linked the phosphate chains. The decrease in Ea and increase in µH at Tg with increasing WO3 content were attributed to the reduction of the energy barrier for inter-phosphate chain proton migration owing to the increasing proton migration paths through P-O-W linkages. This µH enhancement is distinct from previously reported ones due to the reduction of the energy barrier for proton dissociation from OH groups. This phenomenon can be attributed to the mixed glass former effect in proton conducting glass.

Transperitoneal laparoscopic umbilical resection of urachal remnants: a feasible surgical method.

BACKGROUND: To date, there is no standard established laparoscopic surgical method for managing urachal remnants because of their rarity, and several questions remain unanswered. Are there any problems for considering the operative indications about patients' factors for example, body mass index and so on? This study aimed to determine the feasible surgical method for managing urachal remnants and presents the operative outcomes of our cases in relation to the findings from the existing literature. METHODS: We analyzed the data of 16 patients (7 women and 9 men; age range, 19-48 years) who underwent surgery for urachal remnants between January 2013 and March 2019 at our institution. RESULTS: In our cases, all urachal remnants were urachal sinuses, and the primary complaints were umbilical pain and pus discharge. Most of these symptoms were controlled using umbilical drainage and oral antibiotic intake; however, incisional drainage was required in two cases. In all cases, we performed a laparoscopic resection of the urachal remnants; one patient underwent an open conversion due to a very thick abdominal wall. Therefore, "peri-umbilical distanse" was proposed as an index to verify the periumbilical abdominal wall thickness. This index may clear the difficulties of the laparoscopic resection of the urachal remnunts. A postoperative complication-local infection that was treated using re-suturing-was observed in one patient. No adverse events occurred in the other cases. Our method was appropriate because it allowed for complete urachal resection with good cosmetic results, i.e., a small and natural scar appearance. Additionally, if bladder injury occurred, bladder re-suturing was easily possible because of the laparoscopic port's position. CONCLUSIONS: We present an feasible method for laparoscopic urachal resection. This method may be recommended for young patients with an peri-umbilical distanse of < 2 cm.

[A Case of Secondary Syphilis Mimicking a Penile Cancer with Lymph Node Metastases].

A 42-year-oldman visited our hospital because of gradually worsening penile swelling over 3 weeks. A hard mass on the glans was palpated; however, we were unable to observe it due to severe phimosis. Magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis revealed enlargement of glans and swelling of bilateral inguinal lymph nodes as both showed a low signal intensity on T2-weightedimaging, a high signal intensity on diffusion-weighted imaging, and a low signal intensity on the apparent diffusion coefficient map. Fluorine- 18-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography showed FDG uptake at the external iliac, common iliac, obturator, and cervical lymph nodes besides the glans and inguinal lymph nodes. Although his serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen level was within the normal range, his soluble interleukin-2 receptor concentration was elevated to 2,290 U/ml. Therefore, we diagnosed these lesions as penile cancer with multiple lymph node metastases, with a possible differential diagnosis of malignant lymphoma. We planned a penile needle biopsy; however, the rapid plasma reagin test and treponema pallidum hemagglutination test, which were performed during the preoperative examination, were positive and led to a diagnosis of secondary syphilis. The patient was treated with oral amoxicillin at 1,500 mg/day for 8 weeks. The penile and lymph node swelling subsided after starting medication.

Anhydrous Silicophosphoric Acid Glass: Thermal Properties and Proton Conductivity.

Anhydrous silicophosphoric acid glass with an approximate composition of H5 Si2 P9 O29 was synthesized and its thermal and proton-conducting properties were characterized. Despite exhibiting a glass transition at 192 °C, the supercooled liquid could be handled as a solid up to 280 °C owing to its high viscosity. The glass and its melt exhibited proton conduction with a proton transport number of ∼1. Although covalent O-H bonds were weakened by relatively strong hydrogen bonding, the proton conductivity (4×10-4  S cm-1 at 276 °C) was considerably lower than that of phosphoric acid. The high viscosity of the melt was due to the tight cross-linking of phosphate ion chains by six-fold-coordinated Si atoms. The low proton conductivity was attributed to the trapping of positively charged proton carriers around anionic SiO6 units (expressed as (SiO6/2 )2- ) to compensate for the negative charges.

Phase Transformation of Metastable Cu2ZnGeO4 with a Wurtz-Kesterite Structure at Elevated Temperatures.

The thermal stability and high-temperature phase transformation of metastable Cu2ZnGeO4 were investigated in an Ar atmosphere by thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis, and high-temperature X-ray diffraction. Three Cu-deficient CuI2-xZnGeO4-2/x phases with a wurtzite-related structure were observed, with varying amounts of copper deficiency. The metastable Cu2ZnGeO4 was stable at approximately 275 °C and transformed into intermediate phases. The intermediate phases had a wurtz-kesterite structure with a small number of copper and oxygen vacancies, which later transformed into a high-temperature phase at approximately 425 °C. The crystal structure of the high-temperature phase was assumed to be a deficient wurtzite-related structure with hexagonal closely packed oxygen and deficient copper sites on the order of tens of a percent. The high-temperature phase decomposed into stable Cu2O, GeO2, and Zn2GeO4 phases above 550 °C. The mechanism for the formation of the phase with a large amount of copper deficiency is discussed, leading to an understanding of the formation process for the copper-deficient phase of complex compounds containing monovalent copper.

Direct evaluation of hole effective mass of SnS-SnSe solid solutions with ARPES measurement.

Valence band dispersions of single-crystalline SnS1-xSex solid solutions were observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). The hole effective masses, crucial factors in determining thermoelectric properties, were directly evaluated. They decrease slightly with increasing Se content in the low Se composition range but sharply in the high Se composition range.

Atypical oncologic failure after laparoscopic and robot-assisted radical cystectomy at a single institution.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of atypical oncologic failure in patients with bladder cancer, including peritoneal carcinomatosis, and recurrences at the port site and soft tissue after laparoscopic and robot-assisted radical cystectomy are not well characterized. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 52, 51, and 12 patients who underwent open, laparoscopic, and robot-assisted radical cystectomy, respectively, for bladder cancer from 2007 to 2018 at our institution. We identified techniques associated with atypical oncologic failure. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 29 months. Among the 115 patients, 29 (25%) experienced oncological recurrences, and 7 (6%), 12 (10%), and 23 (20%) had atypical, local, and distant recurrences, respectively. The laparoscopic and robot-assisted radical cystectomy groups had significantly higher incidences of total atypical oncologic failure than the open radical cystectomy group (p = 0.013), including six, one, and two patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, port site carcinomatosis, and soft tissue involvement, respectively. All 7 patients with atypical oncologic failure died of cancer; the median time from surgery to death was 9.3 months. All these patients were cT â‰§ 3 and had grade 3 disease. In three patients (43%), the pathological tissue contained variants other than urothelial carcinoma. Five (71%) were among the initial twenty patients. Four patients (57%) had histories of intraoperative urine spillage or bladder perforation during transurethral resection. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cT â‰§ 3 stage, with pathological variants other than urothelial carcinoma, and those undergoing procedures that lead to extravesical dissemination should avoid laparoscopic radical cystectomy when the procedures are first introduced.

[Simple Methods to Prevent Postoperative Inguinal Hernia after Extraperitoneal and Transperitoneal Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy].

Herein we present simple methods to prevent postoperative inguinal hernia (IH) after extraperitoneal and transperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Among 275 patients who underwent RARP between January 2014 and December 2016 at our institution, we evaluated 143 and 115 patients who underwent extraperitoneal-RARP (e-RARP) and transperitoneal-RARP (t-RARP), respectively, after excluding those with intraoperative detection of IH (17 patients). In the e-RARP group, all 143 patients (286 groins) underwent an IH prevention procedure. In the t-RARP group, the first 22 patients (44 groins) did not undergo an IH prevention procedure, whereas 29 patients (37 groins) with patent processus vaginalis (PPV) among the last 93 patients underwent the procedure. The IH prevention procedure during e-RARP included release of the vas deferens from the peritoneum and spermatic cord, and peritoneal dissection of the spermatic cord at the internal inguinal ring. The IH prevention procedure during t-RARP included release of the vas deferens from the peritoneum and spermatic cord, complete circumferential dissection of the peritoneum around the PPV at the level of the internal inguinal ring, and ligation of the PPV with a Hem-o- Loc○R clip. In the e-RARP group, postoperative IH occurred in 3 of the 143 patients (1.9%) during the follow-up period of 22.0±9.2 months. In the first subgroup of t-RARP, postoperative IH developed in 4 of the 22 patients (18%) during the follow-up period of 33.1±12.1 months, whereas in the last t-RARP group, postoperative IH developed in 3 of the 93 patients (3.3%) during the follow-up period of 20.1±8.6 months. Different IH prevention procedures performed in patients undergoing e-RARP and t-RARP were simple and effective in preventing postoperative IH.

[Necessity of Pelvic Drain Placement after Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy].

Sixty eight patients had robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) from January 2016 to April 2017 with estimated blood loss of less than 500 ml. We compared the postoperative complication rates and the length of hospital stay between 34 of these patients who had pelvic drain placement (PD group), and the remaining 34 patients who had no drain placement (ND group). The approach was intraperitoneal in 25 patients in each group. The PD and ND groups were comparable for age (69.5 vs 70 yrs, P=0.459), clinical Gleason Score (6/7/≧8) 2/17/15 vs 3/8/23 (P=0.077), clinical stage (1c/2/3) 3/25/6 vs 1/25/8 (p=0. 539), operative time (311 vs 309 min, P=0.868), and estimated blood loss (p=0.166). The PD group had significantly higher median PSA level than the ND group (8.01 vs 6.25 ng/ml, P=0.023). Incidence of 30- day overall complications in the PD group (35 events) was lower than that in the ND group (38 events). All complications were classified as Clavien Dindo grade I. The postoperative hospital stay was 8 days in the PD group and 7 days in the ND group, showing no prolongation in the ND group. Pelvic drainage may be omitted after RARP without increasing postoperative complications or prolonging the hospital stay.

Selective Monoarylation of Aromatic Ketones via C-H Bond Cleavage by Trialkylphosphine Ruthenium Catalysts.

A catalyst system consisting of RuHCl(CO)(PiPr3)2, CsF, and a styrene derivative was found to be applicable to selective monoarylation of aromatic ketones via ortho C-H bond cleavage. The reaction of 2'-methoxyacetophenone with arylboronates gave C-H arylation products without cleaving the ortho C-O bond. Acetophenone was also converted to monoarylation products with high selectivity. Cyclohexanone was found to be an effective solvent for the C-H arylation using the catalyst system.

Tunable Direct Band Gap of ß-CuGaO2 and ß-LiGaO2 Solid Solutions in the Full Visible Range.

We synthesized solid solutions of ß-CuGaO2 and ß-LiGaO2 (i.e., ß-(Cu1- xLi x)GaO2) by partial ion exchange of Cu+ in ß-CuGaO2 with Li+ from LiCl in the composition range of 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.89. The energy band gap of ß-CuGaO2 (1.47 eV) increased linearly up to 3.0 eV with increasing Li content, covering the full visible range. The crystal structures of the solid solutions were analyzed using the Rietveld method. The structural distortions of the solid solutions with respect to the ideal binary wurtzite-type structure were relatively small because of the similar ionic radii of Li+, Cu+, and Ga3+. Based on a recently proposed hypothesis relating structural distortion to the nature of the band gap (i.e., direct or indirect), it is expected that the solid solution has a direct band gap. We anticipate that this solid solution system will contribute to the realization of oxide-based optoelectronic devices.

The energy level of the Fe2+/3+-transition in BaTiO3 and SrTiO3 single crystals.

An approach to determine the defect energy levels of the Fe impurities in BaTiO3 and SrTiO3 single crystals using electrical conductance measurements is presented. The defect levels are obtained from the dependence of the activation energy of electrical transport on the oxygen vacancy concentration, which is varied by stepwise re-oxidation of a reduced sample. An energy level at 0.7-0.8 eV below the conduction band minimum ECB is identified for BaTiO3, which can be assigned to the Fe2+/3+-transition in good agreement with literature. In contrast, the conductivity of Fe-doped SrTiO3 does not show a defect energy level in the upper half of the band gap, indicating that the Fe2+/3+-transition in SrTiO3 is near the conduction band minimum. The often reported alignment of defect energy levels, which is fulfilled for the Fe3+/4+-transition in BaTiO3 and SrTiO3, does not hold for the Fe2+/3+-transition in these compounds. This limits the applicability of Fe-doped SrTiO3 as a model system for studying resistance degradation in acceptor-doped high-permittivity dielectrics.

En bloc laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy: A single-institution experience.

OBJECTIVE: To report the outcomes of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy for right renal cell carcinoma at Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. METHOD: A retrospective review of the clinical records of five patients who underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy for right renal cell carcinoma between 2013 and 2017 was carried out. The surgical procedure included ligation and cutting of the right renal artery, followed by kidney mobilization. The left renal vein, and the caudal and cephalad sides of the inferior vena cava thrombus were clamped using laparoscopic vascular clamps, and the inferior vena cava was incised. The free kidney and tumor thrombus were placed en bloc in a retrieval bag. Subsequently, the inferior vena cava was laparoscopically closed using a continuous suture. RESULTS: The median operative time, pneumoperitoneum time, blood loss and postoperative hospital stay were 316 min, 266 min, 400 mL and 7 days, respectively. The median clamp time was 28 min (range 13-105 min). One patient (20%) required a perioperative blood transfusion. The surgical margin was negative in all patients. Only one patient experienced a major complication (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥3), namely a postoperative hemorrhage requiring transarterial embolism. CONCLUSION: En bloc laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy is a challenging yet feasible procedure for experienced surgeons in carefully selected patients. Further studies of this surgical procedure are required for standardization and safe application.

Comparison of perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy without renorrhaphy: Comparative outcomes of cT1a versus cT1b renal tumors.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy without renorrhaphy for cT1b renal tumors compared with cT1a. METHODS: From February 2015 to May 2018, 100 robot-assisted partial nephrectomy patients who underwent robot-assisted partial nephrectomy without renorrhaphy for renal tumors were included. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records, and compared the perioperative outcomes of 66 and 34 patients for cT1a and cT1b tumors, respectively. Inner suture was carried out in the opened collecting system or renal sinus, whereas parenchymal renorrhaphy was not. For hemostasis, the soft-coagulation system was used, and absorbable hemostats were placed on the resection bed. RESULTS: The median tumor size and RENAL nephrometry score were significantly different between the two groups (cT1a vs cT1b: 23.5 vs 45 mm, P < 0.001, 6 vs 8, P < 0.001). The median operating time and warm ischemic time were significantly longer in the cT1b group than in the cT1a group (154 vs 184 min, P < 0.001; 14 vs 21 min, P < 0.001). The median blood loss was not significantly different (2.5 vs 50 mL, P = 0.109). The positive surgical margin rate was 4.5% versus 11.7% (P = 0.22). Postoperative complications classified as Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher were port-site herniation (one patient), acute cholecystitis (one patient) and pseudoaneurysm (one patient) in the cT1b group. Urinary leakage was not observed in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy without renorrhaphy using the soft-coagulation system and absorbable hemostats appears to be feasible for renal or cT1b tumors. However, longer warm ischemic time and a high rate of complications can be expected compared with cT1a tumors.

[A Case of Renal Oncocytosis with Bilateral Multiple Renal Masses].

A 63-year-old man with microscopic hematuria underwent contrast-enhanced CT, which showed multiple bilateral renal masses. Percutaneous biopsy results indicated renal oncocytosis. The tumors remained unchanged for 3 years. Renal oncocytosis is a very rare tumor, but it is an established disease entity characterized by numerous oncocytic tumors and diffuse (sporadic) renal parenchymal epithelial oncocytic changes on an analysis histopathology. Although renal oncocytosis can be sporadic or part of Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome (BHDS), our case did not associate with BHDS because of absence of lung cyst.

[Traumatic Adrenal Injury : A Single-Institution Experience].

Traumatic adrenal injury is quite rare. From January 2008 to March 2018, out of 287 patients with genitourinary trauma, 23 patients (8%) were diagnosed with traumatic adrenal injury at Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and assessed the traumatic category, image findings and outcome. All 23 patients were bluntly injured. The causes of traumatic adrenal injury were motor vehicle accident (11 patients : 48%) and falls (9 patients : 39%). The majority of injuries occurred on the right side (18 patients : 78%). Associated injuries occurred in all 23 patients, most frequently in the liver (57%) and ribs (57%). Extravasation of contrast materials was identified on computed tomography (CT) in 4 patients (17%). Although 22 patients (96%) were conservatively managed, only 1 patient was treated by transcatherter arterial embolization because of hypotension. One patient died of intraabdominal bleeding. To our knowledge, the present study is the largest on traumatic adrenal injury in Japan.

[A Case of Systemic Polyarteritis Nodosa Presenting with Scrotal Pain].

A 76-year-old man with a history of hypertension was admitted with high fever and left scrotal pain. Laboratory findings revealed high serum C-reactive protein levels. The left epididymis appeared to be swollen on computed tomography. The patient was diagnosed with bacterial epididymitis and treatment with antibiotics was initiated. Despite treatment, his left scrotal pain and fever did not improve. Additionally, he developed right scrotal and posterior neck pain. For histopathological diagnosis, a left high orchiectomy was performed and the findings revealed thickened arteriolar walls with infiltration of inflammatory cells around the testis, leading to a final diagnosis of systemic polyarteritis nodosa. Treatment with steroids led to complete resolution of the patient's systemic pain and inflammation.

Significance of sarcopenia as a prognostic factor for metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients treated with systemic chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Recently, numerous studies have reported an association between sarcopenia and poor outcomes in various kinds of malignancies. We investigated whether sarcopenia predicts the survival of patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma who underwent systemic chemotherapy. METHODS: We reviewed 87 metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients who underwent chemotherapy (gemcitabine plus cisplatin or gemcitabine plus carboplatin for cisplatin-unfit patients) between 2007 and 2015. A computed tomography scan prior to chemotherapy was used for evaluating sarcopenia, and we measured three cross-sectional areas of skeletal muscle at the third lumbar vertebra and calculated the skeletal muscle index (SMI), the paraspinal muscle index (PSMI), and the total psoas area (TPA) of each patient. Predictive values of survival were assessed using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: The median overall survival (OS) was 16 months (95% CI 13.5-18). Although SMI alone was not a significant predictor of shorter OS (P = 0.117) in univariate analysis, SMI stratified by the value of the body mass index (BMI) was a significant predictor of shorter OS in univariate analysis (P = 0.037) and was also an independent predictor of shorter OS in multivariate analysis (P = 0.026). PSMI and TPA were not significant prognostic factors even when stratified by BMI (P = 0.294 and 0.448), respectively. CONCLUSION: Neither PSMI nor TPA could substitute SMI as a predictor for poor outcomes in metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients treated with systemic chemotherapy in our study. SMI stratified by BMI is a useful predictor of prognosis in these patients.

[Evaluation of Lymphoceles by CT Scan Early after Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy].

We report the incidence and characteristics of lymphoceles after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Computed tomography was performed on 79 patients one month after RARP or when symptoms appeared. The lymphocele was defined as a cystic lesion over 10 mm in diameter. Symptomatic and asymptomatic lymphoceles were identified in 25% (20/79) of all cases, and in 40.9% (18/44) of the cases with lymph node dissection (LND). Symptomatic lymphoceles were identified in 2.5% (2/79) of all cases. Lymphoceles were significantly associated with LND, pathological stage over T3, longer period of indwelling drain tube,and higher volume fluid of drain tube (p<0.05). In conclusion, lymphoceles are quiet common after RARP. However, they rarely become symptomatic.

[Off-Clamp, Non-Renorrhaphy Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy : An Initial Experience in a Single Institution].

We report the surgical procedures and perioperative outcomes of off-clamp, non-renorrhaphy robotassisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) in 7 out of 76 patients who underwent RAPN with off-clamp and nonrenorrhaphy between February 2015 and August 2017. The approach was chosen depending on the location of the tumor. Tumor enucleation was performed by using sharp incision and blunt dissection. For hemostasis, the soft-coagulation system was used and TachoSil○R was placed on the resection bed. As a rule, renorrhaphy was not performed. Median (range) patient age was 67 years (40-79), tumor size ; 14 mm (12-18), operative time ; 139 minutes (102-166), console time ; 51 minutes (41-75), estimate blood loss ; 10 ml (0-100). No patients required a perioperative blood transfusion. Median (range) tumor intraparenchymal depth was 10.4 mm (4.3-15.5) and distance from urinary collecting system was 9.3 mm (4.1-13.0). Pseudoaneurysm and urine leakage were not observed. No complications classified as Clavien-Dindo grade higher than grade 1 appeared. No cases had a positive surgical margin. Median (range) estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) change rate at 3 months after surgery was 0% (-12.7-14.5). Off-clamp, non-renorrhaphy RAPN with the soft-coagulation system and TachoSil® is a feasible and safe procedure for patients carefully selected among those with superficial tumors.