Beads-Milling of Waste Si Sawdust into High-Performance Nanoflakes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Nowadays, ca. 176,640 tons/year of silicon (Si) (>4N) is manufactured for Si wafers used for semiconductor industry. The production of the highly pure Si wafers inevitably includes very high-temperature steps at 1400-2000 °C, which is energy-consuming and environmentally unfriendly.

Photoluminescence Enhancement of Adsorbed Species on Si Nanoparticles.

We have fabricated Si nanoparticles from Si swarf using the beads milling method. The mode diameter of produced Si nanoparticles was between 4.8 and 5.

A region-based palliative care intervention trial using the mixed-method approach: Japan OPTIM study.

Background: Disseminating palliative care is a critical task throughout the world. Several outcome studies explored the effects of regional palliative care programs on a variety of end-points, and some qualitative studies investigated the process of developing community palliative care networks. These studies provide important insights into the potential benefits of regional palliative care programs, but the clinical implications are still limited, because: 1) many interventions included fundamental changes in the structure of the health care system, and, thus, the results would not be applicable for many regions where structural changes are difficult or unfeasible; 2) patient-oriented outcomes were not measured or explored only in a small number of populations, and interpretation of the results from a patient's view is difficult; and 3) no studies adopted a mixed-method approach using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to interpret the complex phenomenon from multidimensional perspectives.

Ultrathin SiO2 layer with a low leakage current density formed with approximately 100% nitric acid vapor.

An ultrathin silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) layer with 0.65-1.5 nm thickness has been formed by approximately 100% nitric acid (HNO(3)) vapor oxidation, and its electrical characteristics and physical properties are investigated.

Catalytic functions of Mo/Ni/MgO in the synthesis of thin carbon nanotubes.

The functions and structures of Mo/Ni/MgO catalysts in the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. Thin 2-5-walled CNTs with high purities (over 90%) have been successfully synthesized by catalytic decomposition of CH(4) over Mo/Ni/MgO catalysts at 1073 K. It has been found that the yield of CNTs as well as the outer diameter or thickness correlates well with the contents of these three elements.

Photochemistry of cyclohexane on Cu(111).

The photochemistry of cyclohexane on Cu(111) and its excitation mechanism have been studied by temperature-programmed desorption, ultraviolet and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Cyclohexane weakly adsorbed on Cu(111) has been known to show a broadened and redshifted CH stretching band, i.e.

Why is formate synthesis insensitive to copper surface structures?

Experiments have revealed that formate synthesis from carbon dioxide and hydrogen is structure insensitive to copper catalyst surfaces, while the reverse formate decomposition reaction is structure sensitive. The present ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the reaction of CO2 with surface atomic hydrogen initially leads to the formation of unstable monodentate formate, which has similar adsorption energies on Cu(111), Cu(100), and Cu(110). The structure of the transition state is similar to that of monodentate formate.

Analysis of incomplete quality of life data in advanced stage cancer: a practical application of multiple imputation.

This paper presents a practical approach to analyzing incomplete quality of life (QOL) data that contains non-ignorable dropouts in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). QOL scores for the physical domain at baseline and at the end of the first and second courses of chemotherapy were compared between two treatment groups in a phase III trial. One hundred and 103 eligible patients were randomized to receive cisplatin and irinotecan (CPT-P) or cisplatin and vindesine, respectively; of those two groups, 83 and 85, respectively, completed a QOL questionnaire at least at baseline.

Randomized trial of oral versus intravenous antibiotics in low-risk febrile neutropenic patients with lung cancer.

Background: Neutropenic fever is one of the most serious adverse effects of cancer chemotherapy. Neutropenia may cause a life-threatening bacterial infection. Therefore, febrile neutropenic inpatients are empirically treated with intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Reduction of Pt usage in fuel cell electrocatalysts with carbon nanotube electrodes.

The 12 wt% Pt-deposited carbon nanotube electrode gives 10% higher voltages than 29 wt% Pt-deposited carbon black and reduces the Pt usage by 60% in polymer electrolyte fuel cells with hydrogen and oxygen.

Influence of clinical parameters on quality of life during chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: application of a general linear model.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relative influence of physician-assessed clinical parameters, including non-hematological adverse events and performance status, on quality of life (QOL) during chemotherapy.

Methods: QOL questionnaires consisting of four domains (functional, physical, mental and psychosocial) were self-administered every week during chemotherapy by patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer in two phase III clinical trials; 377 patients who completed the questionnaires at baseline and at least once during the first course of therapy were analyzed. A general linear model was applied, where the four domains and the clinical parameters (nausea/vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, fever, peripheral neuropathy and performance status) were used as the response and explanatory variables, respectively.

Individually different "weights" of quality of life assessment in patients with advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer.

Background And Objective: The structure of quality of life (QOL) assessment was investigated by estimating subject-specific as well as population-averaged "weights" for four domains (functional, physical, mental, and psychosocial) relative to global QOL.

Methods: Among 583 eligible patients with advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer in two phase III trials, 377 completed QOL questionnaires at baseline, and during treatment. A random coefficients model was applied, using the global QOL score and scores for the four domains as response and explanatory variables, respectively.

Combination second-line chemotherapy with gemcitabine and docetaxel for recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer after platinum-containing chemotherapy: a phase I/II trial.

Purpose: In a randomized trial, docetaxel monotherapy yielded longer survival than the best supportive care in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy, and combination chemotherapy regimens containing docetaxel have been assessed to enhance the efficacy of second-line chemotherapy. We conducted a phase I/II trial of gemcitabine and docetaxel in patients with recurrent NSCLC after platinum-based chemotherapy and with an ECOG performance status (PS) of 0 or 1.

Patients And Methods: Docetaxel administration was fixed at a dosage of 60 mg/m(2) on day 8, and gemcitabine was administered on days 1 and 8.

Encapsulated thymoma metastasizing to a pectoralis major muscle.

An extensive review of the literature suggests that ours is the first case of encapsulated thymoma metastasizing to a skeletal muscle. A 43-year-old man underwent thymothymectomy for encapsulated Masaoka's stage I thymoma. Four years after complete resection, the tumor metastasized to the left pectoralis major muscle.

Phase II study of docetaxel and cisplatin administered as three consecutive weekly infusions for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Weekly administration of low-dose taxane reduces myelosuppression and increases dose intensity as compared with an every third week schedule. We conducted a phase II trial of weekly docetaxel and cisplatin in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to evaluate safety and efficacy. Thirty-seven patients with chemonaïve stage IIIB (n=15), stage IV (n=16), or recurrence after operation (n=6) NSCLC received intravenous infusions of docetaxel at 35 mg/m(2) and cisplatin at 25 mg/m(2) for three consecutive weeks, followed by a week of rest.