Non-linear relationship between soluble interleukin-2 receptor and prognosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Despite an emphasis on the prognostic impact of serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) at diagnosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), whether the prognostic impact of elevated sIL-2R is linear remains unclear. To verify the presence of a non-linear association between sIL-2R level at diagnosis and overall survival (OS) in patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL, we conducted a multi-center, observational retrospective study. Among 488 analyzable patients, Cox proportional hazards modeling identified serum sIL-2R level at diagnosis as an independent predictor of OS.

The Relative Dose Intensity Changes during Cycles of Standard Regimens in Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

No studies have focused on the trajectory of the average relative dose intensity (ARDI) during cycles of first-line chemotherapy for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. To evaluate the impact of attenuating ARDI during cycles on overall survival, we conducted a multi-centre, longitudinal, observational retrospective study. A total of 307 analysable patients were enrolled.

Design of Cathode Coating Using Niobate and Phosphate Hybrid Material for Sulfide-Based Solid-State Battery.

Coating the surface of the cathode active material of all-solid-state batteries with sulfide-based solid electrolytes is key for improving and enhancing the battery performance. Although lithium niobate (LiNbO) is one of the most representative coating materials, its low durability at a highly charged potential and high temperature is an impediment to the realization of high-performance all-solid-state batteries. In this study, we developed new hybrid coating materials consisting of lithium niobate (Li-Nb-O) and lithium phosphate (Li-P-O) and investigated the influence of the ratio of P/(Nb + P) on the durability performance.

Microscopic Degradation Mechanism of Argyrodite-Type Sulfide at the Solid Electrolyte-Cathode Interface.

Interfacial engineering of sulfide-based solid electrolyte/lithium-transition-metal oxide active materials in all-solid-state battery cathodes is vital for cell performance parameters, such as high-rate charge/discharge, long lifetime, and wide temperature range. A typical interfacial engineering method is the surface coating of the cathode active material with a buffer layer, such as LiNbO. However, cell performance reportedly degrades under harsh environments even with a LiNbO coating, such as high temperatures and high cathode potentials.

High Capacity Li S-Li O-LiI Positive Electrodes with Nanoscale Ion-Conduction Pathways for All-Solid-State Li/S Batteries.

All-solid-state lithium-sulfur (Li/S) batteries are promising next-generation energy-storage devices owing to their high capacities and long cycle lives. The Li S active material used in the positive electrode has a high theoretical capacity; consequently, nanocomposites composed of Li S, solid electrolytes, and conductive carbon can be used to fabricate high-energy-density batteries. Moreover, the active material should be constructed with both micro- and nanoscale ion-conduction pathways to ensure high power.

Magnetization controlled by crystallization in soft magnetic Fe-Si-B-P-Cu alloys.

Soft magnetic materials have low coercive fields and high permeability. Recently, nanocrystalline alloys obtained using annealing amorphous alloys have attracted much interest since nanocrystalline alloys with small grain sizes of tens of nanometers exhibit low coercive fields comparable to that of amorphous alloys. Since nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials attain remarkable soft magnetic properties by controlling the grain size, the crystal grains' microstructure has a substantial influence on the soft magnetic properties.

Efficacy and Safety of Caspofungin Treatment in Febrile Neutropenic Patients with Hematological Disorders: A Multicenter Consecutive Case Series.

Introduction Invasive fungal infections have been attracting attention as significant fatal complications in patients with febrile neutropenia (FN) who undergo intensive chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to treat hematological malignancies. Although clinical trials are already underway in other countries, evidence supporting the use of caspofungin (CAS) in FN patients in Japan is still insufficient. Methods A retrospective study of patients treated with CAS for FN associated with hematological diseases between April 2015 and March 2018 was conducted to determine the treatment efficacy and safety.

Prognostic impact of six versus eight cycles of standard regimen in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: propensity score-matching analysis.

Background: R-CHOP-21 has been the standard treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but there is a paucity of evidence focusing on the number of cycles of regimens.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a retrospective study to compare the effectiveness of six cycles of standard regimens versus eight cycles for overall survival (OS) in DLBCL patients using propensity score matching, in consideration of relative dose intensity (RDI).

Results: A total of 685 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL were identified in three institutions from 2007 to 2017.

Association of the Geriatric 8 with treatment intensity and prognosis in older patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Because of the heterogeneity among older patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the establishment of an easy-to-use geriatric assessment tool is an unmet need. We verified the impact of the Geriatric 8 (G8) on treatment stratification and overall survival (OS). We conducted a retrospective, multicentre analysis of older patients (≥65 years) with DLBCL.

Utility of the Geriatric 8 for the Prediction of Therapy-Related Toxicity in Older Adults with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Background: The management of severe adverse events (AEs) is important in safely and effectively providing chemotherapy to older adults with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, reports on simple and DLBCL-specific predictive models for treatment-related toxicity in elderly individuals are scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the usefulness of Geriatric 8 (G8) in predicting treatment-related severe AEs, nonhematological toxicity, and febrile neutropenia in older adults with DLBCL in real-world practice.

A reversible oxygen redox reaction in bulk-type all-solid-state batteries.

An all-solid-state lithium battery using inorganic solid electrolytes requires safety assurance and improved energy density, both of which are issues in large-scale applications of lithium-ion batteries. Utilization of high-capacity lithium-excess electrode materials is effective for the further increase in energy density. However, they have never been applied to all-solid-state batteries.

High ionic conductivity of multivalent cation doped LiPSCl solid electrolytes synthesized by mechanical milling.

The performances of next generation all-solid-state batteries might be improved by using multi-valent cation doped LiPSCl solid electrolytes. This study provided solid electrolytes at room temperature using planetary ball milling without heat treatment. LiPSCl was doped with a variety of multivalent cations, where an electrolyte comprising 98% LiPSCl with 2% YCl doping exhibited an ionic conductivity (13 mS cm) five times higher than pure LiPSCl (2.

Prognostic utility of a geriatric nutritional risk index in combination with a comorbidity index in elderly patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Reflecting the increasing risk in elderly patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), prognostic predictors other than the International Prognostic Index have attracted more attention. This study presents the first analysis of the prognostic utility of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) in combination with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) for overall survival (OS) in elderly DLBCL patients. A multicentre retrospective was conducted on a cohort of 451 patients (≥65 years).

Quantitative analysis of crystallinity in an argyrodite sulfide-based solid electrolyte synthesized solution processing.

Liquid-phase synthesis is a useful technique for preparing argyrodite sulfide-based solid electrolytes, and the synthesis conditions such as heat treatment strongly affect the conductivity. Because the understanding of structural changes reveals crucial information about their properties, it is necessary to evaluate this change during heat treatment to determine the factors that affect the conductivity. In this study, X-ray diffraction measurements and transmission electron microscope observations reveal the effects of heat treatment on the crystallinities and ionic conductivities in the synthesis process of argyrodite electrolytes with tetrahydrofuran and ethanol.

Visceral disseminated varicella zoster virus infection with brachial plexus neuritis detected by fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography.

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection sometimes result in visceral disseminated VZV infection (VD-VZV), which is a fulminant disease featured by abdominal pain and the absence of skin lesions, particularly occurs in the immunosuppressive patients. Brachial plexus neuritis (BPN) is another rare type of VZV infection usually appears without blisters. Few diagnostic images of both VD-VZV and BPN-VZV have been reported.

Thermal behavior and microstructures of cathodes for liquid electrolyte-based lithium batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used as a power source for portable equipment. However, the use of highly flammable organic solvents in the liquid electrolyte component in these batteries presents a serious safety concern. In this study, the thermal stability of battery cathodes comprising LiNiMnCoO (NMC) and LiPF-based electrolyte solutions have been investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) methods.

Crystallization behavior of the LiS-PS glass electrolyte in the LiNiMnCoO positive electrode layer.

Sulfide-based all-solid-state lithium batteries are a next-generation power source composed of the inorganic solid electrolytes which are incombustible and have high ionic conductivity. Positive electrode composites comprising LiNiMnCoO (NMC) and 75LiS·25PS (LPS) glass electrolytes exhibit excellent charge-discharge cycle performance and are promising candidates for realizing all-solid-state batteries. The thermal stabilities of NMC-LPS composites have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which indicated that an exothermal reaction could be attributed to the crystallization of the LPS glass.

Pair distribution function analysis of sulfide glassy electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries: Understanding the improvement of ionic conductivity under annealing condition.

In general, the ionic conductivity of sulfide glasses decreases with their crystallization, although it increases for a few sulphide glasses owing to the crystallization of a highly conductive new phase (e.g., LiPS: 70LiS-30PS).

Direct observation of a non-crystalline state of LiS-PS solid electrolytes.

There are two types of solid electrolytes which has been recently expected to be applied to all-solid-state batteries. One is the glasses characterized by an amorphous state. The other is the glass ceramics containing crystalline in an amorphous matrix.

Bifunctional Oxygen Reaction Catalysis of Quadruple Manganese Perovskites.

Bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution/reduction reaction (OER/ORR) are desirable for the development of energy conversion technologies. It is discovered that the manganese quadruple perovskites CaMn O and LaMn O show bifunctional catalysis in the OER/ORR. A possible origin of the high OER activity is the unique surface structure through corner-shared planar MnO and octahedral MnO units to promote direct OO bond formations.

Reliability and validity of the patient disability-oriented diagnostic nomenclature system for prosthetic dentistry.

Purpose: The Japan Prosthodontic Society (JPS) has proposed a new diagnostic nomenclature system (DNS), based on pathogenesis and etiology, to facilitate and improve prosthodontic treatment. This system specifies patient disability and the causative factor (i.e.