Japan Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guidelines 2017 for fertility preservation in childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer patients: part 2

The Japan Society of Clinical Oncology (JSCO) published the "JSCO Clinical Practice Guidelines 2017 for Fertility Preservation in Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Patients" in 2017. This was the first guideline in cancer reproductive medicine in Japan. In the field of cancer reproductive medicine, close cooperation between an oncologist and a physician for reproductive medicine is important from before treatment initiation until long after treatment. The guideline takes into consideration disease specificity and provides opinions from the perspective of oncologists and specialists in reproductive medicine that are in line with the current state of the Japanese medical system. It is intended to serve as a reference for medical staff in both fields regarding the availability of fertility preservation therapy before the start of cancer treatment. Appropriate use of this guideline makes it easier to determine whether fertility preservation therapy is feasible and, ultimately, to improve survivorship in childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer patients. In this article (Part 2), we describe details by organ/system and also for pediatric cancer.

Japan Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guidelines 2017 for fertility preservation in childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer patients: part 1

In 2017, the Japan Society of Clinical Oncology (JSCO) published the JSCO Clinical Practice Guidelines 2017 for Fertility Preservation in Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Patients. These were the first Japanese guidelines to address issues of oncofertility. In this field of medicine, sustained close cooperation between oncologists and reproductive specialists is essential from the diagnosis of cancer until many years after completion of cancer treatment. These JSCO guidelines were intended to guide multidisciplinary medical staff in considering the availability of fertility preservation options and to help them decide whether to provide fertility preservation to childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer patients before treatment starts, with the ultimate goal of improving patient survivorship. The guidelines are presented as Parts 1 and 2. This article (Part 1) summarizes the goals of the guidelines and the methods used to develop them and provides an overview of fertility preservation across all oncology areas. It includes general remarks on the basic concepts surrounding fertility preservation and explanations of the impacts of cancer treatment on gonadal function by sex and treatment modality and of the options for protecting/preserving gonadal function and makes recommendations based on 4 clinical questions. Part 2 of these guidelines provides specific recommendations on fertility preservation in 8 types of cancer (gynecologic, breast, urologic, pediatric, hematologic, bone and soft tissue, brain, and digestive).

Investigation of SO3 absorption line for in situ gas detection inside combustion plants using a 4-μm-band laser source

We have investigated 4-μm-band SO₃ absorption lines for in situSO₃ detection using a mid-infrared laser source based on difference frequency generation in a quasi-phase-matched LiNbO₃ waveguide. In the wavelength range of 4.09400-4.10600 μm, there were strong SO₃ absorption lines. The maximum absorption coefficient at a concentration of 170 ppmv was estimated to be about 3.2×10^-5  cm^-1 at a gas temperature of 190°C. In coexistence with H₂O, the reduction of the SO₃ absorption peak height was observed, which was caused by sulfuric acid formation. We discuss a method of using an SO₃ equilibrium curve to derive the total SO₃ molecule concentration.

Highly reversible capacity at the surface of a lithium-rich manganese oxide: a model study using an epitaxial film system

The surface region of a lithium-rich manganese oxide Li₂MnO₃ is intrinsically active at the electrochemical interface and exhibits a high discharge capacity over 300 mA h g⁻¹ in the fiftieth cycle.

Application of matrix decomposition algorithms for singular matrices to the Pawley method inZ-Rietveld

Z-Rietveldis a program suite for Rietveld analysis and the Pawley method; it was developed for analyses of powder diffraction data in the Materials and Life Science Facility of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex. Improvements have been made to the nonlinear least-squares algorithms ofZ-Rietveldso that it can deal with singular matrices and intensity non-negativity constraints. Owing to these improvements,Z-Rietveldsuccessfully executes the Pawley method without requiring any constraints on the integrated intensities, even in the case of severely or exactly overlapping peaks. In this paper, details of these improvements are presented and their advantages discussed. A new approach to estimate the number of independent reflections contained in a powder pattern is introduced, and the concept of good reflections proposed by Sivia [J. Appl. Cryst.(2000),33, 1295–1301] is shown to be explained by the presence of intensity non-negativity constraints, not the intensity linear constraints.

Giant magneto-elastic coupling in multiferroic hexagonal manganites

The motion of atoms in a solid always responds to cooling or heating in a way that is consistent with the symmetry of the given space group of the solid to which they belong. When the atoms move, the electronic structure of the solid changes, leading to different physical properties. Therefore, the determination of where atoms are and what atoms do is a cornerstone of modern solid-state physics. However, experimental observations of atomic displacements measured as a function of temperature are very rare, because those displacements are, in almost all cases, exceedingly small. Here we show, using a combination of diffraction techniques, that the hexagonal manganites RMnO3 (where R is a rare-earth element) undergo an isostructural transition with exceptionally large atomic displacements: two orders of magnitude larger than those seen in any other magnetic material, resulting in an unusually strong magneto-elastic coupling. We follow the exact atomic displacements of all the atoms in the unit cell as a function of temperature and find consistency with theoretical predictions based on group theories. We argue that this gigantic magneto-elastic coupling in RMnO3 holds the key to the recently observed magneto-electric phenomenon in this intriguing class of materials.

A novel mutation in the gene for canine acid beta-galactosidase that causes GM1-gangliosidosis in Shiba dogs

A homozygous recessive mutation, causing GM1-gangliosidosis in Shiba dogs, was identified as a deletion of C nucleotide 1668 in the gene for canine acid beta-galactosidase, which was a novel mutation in canine GM1-gangliosidosis.

Tetranuclear mixed-metal M(II)2Cu(II)2 complexes derived from a phenol-based macrocyclic ligand having two N(amine)2O2 and two N(imine)2O2 metal-binding sites

The reaction of N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-ethylenebis(5-bromo-3-formyl-2-hydroxybenzylaminato)copper(II) with ethylenediamine in aqueous DMF with excess perchloric acid resulted in the [2:2] cyclic condensation of the constituents, providing the dinuclear Cu(II) complex [Cu2(H2R)](ClO4)2. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c, with a = 19.603(3) A, b = 13.370(2) A, c = 21.072(3) A, beta = 98.87(1) degrees, V = 5456(1) A3, and Z = 4. The ligand R4- has two N(amine)2O2 and two N(imine)2O2 metal-binding sites sharing two phenolic oxygens, and [Cu2(H2R)](ClO4)2 has the two Cu(II) ions in the N(imine)2O2 sites and two protons in the N(amine)2O2 sites. [Cu2(H2R)](ClO4)2 was converted by neutralization into [Cu2(R)], from which mixed-metal Cu(II)2M(II)2 complexes [Cu2M2(R)Cl4] (M = Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II)) were derived. [Cu2Co2(R)Cl4]*2CHCl3*H2O crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c, with a = 32.514(3) A, b = 12.246(3) A, c = 19.827(2) A, beta = 126.082(1) degrees, V = 6380(1) A3, and Z = 4. [Cu2Zn2(R)Cl4]*2CHCl3*H2O crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c, with a = 32.53(1) A, b = 12.242(2) A, c = 19.729(9) A, beta = 126.03(3) degrees, V = 6354(4) A3, and Z = 4. The two complexes are isotructural and have a dimer-of-dimers structure with two separated Cu(II)M(II) units. In each dinuclear unit, the Cu(II) is bound to the N(imine)2O2 site and the M(II) is bonded to a phenolic oxygen and two nitrogens of the N(amine)2O2 site. The Cu(II) and M(II) ions are bridged by a phenolic oxygen and an exogenous chloride ion. The Cu(II)2Ni(II)2 complex has a defect double-cubane structure. Cryomagnetic studies for the Cu(II)2Co(II)2 complex indicate an antiferromagnetic spin-exchange interaction within each dinuclear Cu(II)Co(II) unit (J = -9.5 cm(-1) based on H = -2JS(Cu)S(Co)). The Cu(II)2Ni(II)2 complex shows a weak antiferromagnetic interaction between the adjacent Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions (-3.5 cm(-1)) and a weak ferromagnetic interaction between the two Ni(II) ions (+2.0 cm(-1)).

Temporal solitons in second-harmonic generation with a noncollinear phase-mismatching scheme

A noncollinear second-harmonic-generation scheme that includes two gratings and a nonlinear optical crystal generates temporal solitons with a noncollinear phase mismatch and frequency-chirped laser pulses. At 180-fs pulse duration, 25-GW/cm2 fundamental intensity, -7647.3-m(-1) wave-vector mismatch, 66-fs delay time, and +/-3.07163 x 10(25) s(-2) frequency-chirp rates, temporal solitons with durations from 139 to 155 fs and Gaussian shapes can be obtained. The corresponding conversion efficiency is greater than 40%.

Efficient type I second-harmonic generation of subpicosecond laser pulses with a series of alternating nonlinear and delay crystals

We propose a novel configuration of efficient type I second-harmonic generation (SHG) with ultrashort laser pulses by group-velocity compensation. The configuration is composed of a type I SHG crystal and a series of alternating time-delay and type I SHG crystals. The numerical calculations show that the conversion efficiency can be increased to almost 100% by using crystal pairs in series, and the duration of the second-harmonic pulse is almost the same as that of the fundamental pulse.

Multipass Michelson interferometer with the use of a wavelength-modulated laser diode

An improved multipass Michelson interferometer is implemented. This technique uses the fact that the wavelength of a laser diode varies in proportion to the diode's injection current. With this method the sensitivity augmentation is accomplished by inserting a beam splitter into one arm of the interferometer, resulting in multiple reflections between the end mirror and the beam splitter. In addition, the interference of laser beams reflected from two arms can be accomplished with unequal arms in the condition of a short coherence length. The sensitivity increase of interference fringes and the compensation of the short coherence length have been demonstrated in experiments.

Wavelength-change characteristics of semiconductor lasers and their application to holographic contouring

The dependence of double-heterostructure AlGaAs semiconductor laser wavelength on injection current and temperature was investigated by means of a Michelson interferometer. The lasers operated in a single longitudinal mode at 790 nm, permitting them to be applied to two-wavelength holographic contouring. Continuous change and discontinuous change by mode hopping were observed. The wavelength was continuously tunable by variation of injection current and temperature at rates of 0.0045 nm/mA and 0.070 mm/ degrees C, respectively. Discontinuties in wavelength change were observed to be integer multiples of the longitudinal mode spacing. Holographic contour fringes were interpreted given the measured variation in wavelength.

Holographic contour generation by spatial frequency modulation

A contouring method by spatial frequency modulation using hologram interferometry is presented. The principle is that Young's fringes produced by tilting the illumination ray are modulated by the object shape and demodulated by tilting the observation ray to generate depth contours. The problems of fringe localization and visibility in the arrangements of Fresnel holography and Fourier transform holography are studied. This method has the advantages that the sensitivity and the standard plane orientation are continuously variable, and high sensitivity and large measurable depth can be achieved for diffuse surface objects.

Endoscopic hologram interferometry using fiber optics

Basic and practical problems on the formation of fringes in endoscopic hologram interferometry using fiber optics have been studied in connection with medical diagnosis of living body cavities, nondestructive testing of inner parts of machines, etc. It is pointed out that fiber bundles instead of single fibers can be used to transmit high power laser light for object illumination to prevent the light path break induced by the high power density of concentrated laser light. The effects of extended source illumination by the fiber bundle, image transmission through the ordered fiber bundle, and fiber bundle movement on the fringe visibility were investigated.