Temporal evolution of electron-bunch length in macropulse of resonator-type free-electron lasers.

Microbunching caused by free-electron laser (FEL) interactions in an electron bunch deforms the overall bunch shape. Recent reports indicate the timing of the electron bunch overlapping with the FEL micropulse affects deformation in resonator-type FELs. The electron bunch shape is expected to change with the FEL micropulse energy because the FEL micropulse energy is enhanced within the electron beam macropulse; however, this has not yet been investigated.

Breakdown of argon by a train of high-repetition long-wave-infrared pulses from a free-electron laser oscillator.

This study presents an experimental demonstration of laser-induced breakdown in argon, employing a free-electron laser with a wavelength of 10 μm and a repetition rate of 2.856 GHz. Despite the fluence of individual laser pulses being an order of magnitude smaller than the breakdown threshold, cascade ionization developed in the pulse train, leading to breakdown.

Nonlinear compression of naturally down-chirped superradiance pulses from a free-electron laser oscillator by thick germanium plates.

Naturally down-chirped superradiance pulses, with mirco-pulse energy, peak wavelength, and micropulse duration of 40 µJ, 8.7 μm, and 5.1 optical cycles, respectively, emitted from a free-electron laser (FEL) oscillator were nonlinearly compressed down to 3.

Full characterization of superradiant pulses generated from a free-electron laser oscillator.

The detailed structure of superradiant pulses generated from a free-electron laser (FEL) oscillator was experimentally revealed for the first time. Owing to the phase retrieval with a combination of linear and nonlinear autocorrelation measurements, we successfully reconstructed the temporal waveform of an FEL pulse including its phase variation. The waveform clearly exhibits the features of a superradiant pulse, the main pulse followed by a train of sub-pulses with π-phase jumps, reflecting the physics of light-matter resonant interaction.

Study of the origin of the complex beam profile of a hole-coupled free electron laser oscillator.

Hole coupling is a way to extract laser beams from an optical cavity through a hole on a cavity mirror. Hole coupling is often used in free electron laser oscillators and inherently causes a non-Gaussian beam profile at user stations, which are more than 10 m apart from the coupling hole. The laser beam extracted from a coupling hole has a bright central region (Airy disk) surrounded by a series of concentric rings (Airy pattern).

A common classification framework for neuroendocrine neoplasms: an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and World Health Organization (WHO) expert consensus proposal.

The classification of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) differs between organ systems and currently causes considerable confusion. A uniform classification framework for NENs at any anatomical location may reduce inconsistencies and contradictions among the various systems currently in use. The classification suggested here is intended to allow pathologists and clinicians to manage their patients with NENs consistently, while acknowledging organ-specific differences in classification criteria, tumor biology, and prognostic factors.

Real-time observation of structural change in semi-crystalline polymer films through mid-IR transmission spectroscopy: determination of instantaneous film temperature during recrystallization.

We report the real-time observation of entire structural change in dye-doped semi-crystalline polymer (polyethylene) films through mid-IR transmission spectroscopy. The laser-heated dye molecules heat the polymer film through thermal diffusion, and accordingly the polymer film undergoes the structural change from the crystalline to amorphous structures, which is followed by the reverse structural change, namely recrystallization, during the natural cooling. By tuning the mid-IR probe pulse to one of the few structure-sensitive vibrational modes and varying the time delay between the pump and probe pulses we can monitor the structural change of the polymer film and time-varying film temperature during recrystallization through the transmission change of the resonant mid-IR probe pulse with the time-resolution of sub-μs.

Combination Therapy of Intravenously Injected Microglia and Radiation Therapy Prolongs Survival in a Rat Model of Spontaneous Malignant Glioma.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of combination therapy with intravenously injected microglia (MI) and radiation therapy (RT) for malignant glioma in rats.

Methods And Materials: Transgenic rats expressing v-erbB and spontaneously developing malignant glioma were used. The rats were divided into 4 groups: control (n = 19), RT alone (n = 10), MI alone (n = 9), and combination MI and RT (MI + RT) (n = 10).

Degradative solvent extraction of biomass using petroleum based solvents.

The aim of this study was to examine the possibility to use two petroleum based solvents, kerosene and a distillate rich in benzene (A150), as practical solvents for the degradative solvent extraction at 350 °C in reference to 1-MN. It was found that the thermal degradation behavior of two biomass samples, a rice straw and Leucaena, in the three solvents was rather similar and that only the distribution of Soluble, Deposit, and Residue was affected by the difference of solubility of the solvents. Preparation of solvent treated biomass (STB) using the three solvents gave the yields close to the sum of the yields of Soluble, Deposit, and Residue.

Germline MSH6 Mutation in a Patient With Two Independent Primary Glioblastomas.

We previously reported a patient who had developed 2 glioblastomas at the age of 54 and 64 years, respectively. The first glioblastoma in the right frontal lobe was treated with surgery and radiotherapy. Ten years later, the patient developed a second, left frontal glioblastoma.

CASP9 germline mutation in a family with multiple brain tumors.

We report a novel CASP9 germline mutation that may increase susceptibility to the development of brain tumors. We identified this mutation in a family in which three brain tumors had developed within three generations, including two anaplastic astrocytomas occurring in cousins. The cousins were diagnosed at similar ages (29 and 31 years), and their tumors showed similar histological features.

Braf Mutations Initiate the Development of Rat Gliomas Induced by Postnatal Exposure to N-Ethyl-N-Nitrosourea.

A single dose of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) during late prenatal or early postnatal development induces a high incidence of malignant schwannomas and gliomas in rats. Although T->A mutations in the transmembrane domain of the Neu (c-ErbB-2) gene are the driver mutations in ENU-induced malignant schwannomas, the molecular basis of ENU-induced gliomas remains enigmatic. We performed whole-genome sequencing of gliomas that developed in three BDIV and two BDIX rats exposed to a single dose of 80 mg ENU/kg body weight on postnatal day one.

The 2016 World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System: a summary.

The 2016 World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System is both a conceptual and practical advance over its 2007 predecessor. For the first time, the WHO classification of CNS tumors uses molecular parameters in addition to histology to define many tumor entities, thus formulating a concept for how CNS tumor diagnoses should be structured in the molecular era. As such, the 2016 CNS WHO presents major restructuring of the diffuse gliomas, medulloblastomas and other embryonal tumors, and incorporates new entities that are defined by both histology and molecular features, including glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype and glioblastoma, IDH-mutant; diffuse midline glioma, H3 K27M-mutant; RELA fusion-positive ependymoma; medulloblastoma, WNT-activated and medulloblastoma, SHH-activated; and embryonal tumour with multilayered rosettes, C19MC-altered.

Molecular subgroups of adult medulloblastoma: a long-term single-institution study.

Background: Recent transcriptomic approaches have demonstrated that there are at least 4 distinct subgroups in medulloblastoma (MB); however, survival studies of molecular subgroups in adult MB have been inconclusive because of small sample sizes. The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular subgroups in adult MB and identify their clinical and prognostic implications in a large, single-institution cohort.

Methods: We determined gene expression profiles for 13 primary adult MBs.

Glioblastoma in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland revisited: 2005 to 2009.

Background: A population-based analysis of patients with glioma diagnosed between 1980 and 1994 in the Canton of Zurich in Switzerland confirmed the overall poor prognosis of glioblastoma. To explore changes in outcome, registry data were reevaluated for patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2009.

Methods: Patients with glioblastoma who were diagnosed between 2005 and 2009 were identified by the Zurich and Zug Cancer Registry.

Epidemiology.

More than 250,000 new cases of primary malignant brain tumors are diagnosed annually worldwide, 77% of which are gliomas. A small proportion of gliomas are caused by the inheritance of rare high-penetrance genetic variants or high-dose radiation. Since 2009, inherited genetic variants in 10 regions near eight different genes have been consistently associated with glioma risk via genome-wide association studies.

Cancer prevention as part of precision medicine: 'plenty to be done'.

Cancer burden worldwide is projected to rise from 14 million new cases in 2012 to 24 million in 2035. Although the greatest increases will be in developing countries, where cancer services are already hard pressed, even the richest nations will struggle to meet demands of increasing patient numbers and spiralling treatment costs. No country can treat its way out of the cancer problem.

Genetic Alterations in Gliosarcoma and Giant Cell Glioblastoma.

The majority of glioblastomas develop rapidly with a short clinical history (primary glioblastoma IDH wild-type), whereas secondary glioblastomas progress from diffuse astrocytoma or anaplastic astrocytoma. IDH mutations are the genetic hallmark of secondary glioblastomas. Gliosarcomas and giant cell glioblastomas are rare histological glioblastoma variants, which usually develop rapidly.

Alterations in the NF2/LATS1/LATS2/YAP Pathway in Schwannomas.

Schwannomas are benign nerve sheath tumors composed of well-differentiated Schwann cells. Other than frequent NF2 (neurofibromatosis type 2) mutations (50%-60%), their molecular pathogenesis is not fully understood. LATS1 and LATS2 are downstream molecules of NF2 and are negative regulators of the yes-associated protein (YAP) oncogene in the Hippo signaling pathway.

Alterations of the RRAS and ERCC1 genes at 19q13 in gemistocytic astrocytomas.

Gemistocytic astrocytoma (World Health Organization grade II) is a rare variant of diffuse astrocytoma that is characterized by the presence of neoplastic gemistocytes and has a significantly less favorable prognosis. Other than frequent TP53 mutations (>80%), little is known about its molecular profile. Here, we show that gemistocytic astrocytomas carry a lower frequency of IDH mutations than fibrillary astrocytomas (74% vs 92%; p = 0.

Olig2 labeling index is correlated with histological and molecular classifications in low-grade diffuse gliomas.

Diagnosis of low-grade diffuse gliomas based on morphology is highly subjective and, therefore, is often difficult, with significant intra- and interobserver variability. Here, we investigated WHO grade II diffuse astrocytomas, oligoastrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas for immunohistochemical expression of Olig2, measuring its labeling index (LI), and evaluated the significance of Olig2 LI in the histological and molecular classifications. The means of Olig2 LI in glioma cells were 43.

TP53, MSH4, and LATS1 germline mutations in a family with clustering of nervous system tumors.

Exome DNA sequencing of blood samples from a Li-Fraumeni family with a TP53 germline mutation (codon 236 deletion) and multiple nervous system tumors revealed additional germline mutations. Missense mutations in the MSH4 DNA repair gene (c.2480T>A; p.