Bayesian analysis of lymphatic spreading patterns in cancer of the thoracic esophagus

For the treatment of patients with cancer of the thoracic esophagus, lymphatic spreading is one important factor to infer how advanced their cancer is. We introduced a one-dimensional scale based on lymphatic spreading patterns, the stage of cancer, to express how advanced their cancer is, and we proposed a method to infer each patient's stage from his lymphatic spreading pattern by applying a Bayesian model. Our Bayesian model was built based on the assumption that lymphatic spreading in cancer could be explained as what was brought about by the advance of stage. In the modeling, we introduced the probability of what stage each patient was in as a prior distribution. We also introduced distribution functions of Weibull distributions to express the relation between the advance of stage and the increase of the probability of metastasis. Our model was applied to the data of nodal involvement obtained from 103 patients with cancer of the thoracic esophagus and the parameters were estimated with the maximum likelihood method. AIC was used to check that the data had enough information to be divided into the stages of a clinically reasonable number. With the estimated parameters, we inferred the probability of metastasis to each lymph node in each stage and calculated by Bayes' theorem with 31 new patients the probability of what stage they were in. The results well represented some characteristics of the lymphatic spreading and suggested the appropriateness of our approach.The present study was carried out under the ISM Cooperative Research Program (91-ISM·CRP-18).     

On the rearrangement in carbonyl oxide intermediates

Sensitized photooxidation of alkylphenyldiazomethanes under oxygen afforded, in addition to alkyl phenyl ketones, alkyl benzoates, which are probably formed by a rearrangement via dioxirane diradical.     

Scanning near-field optical/atomic force microscopy for fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy of biomaterials in air and liquid: Observation of recombinantEscherichia coli with gene coding to green fluorescent protein

We have developed a system of scanning near-field optical/atomic force microscopy (SNOM/AFM) for fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy of biomaterials in air and liquid. SNOM/AFM uses a bent optical fiber simultaneously as a dynamic force AFM cantilever and a SNOM probe. Optical resolution of SNOM images shows about 50 nm in an illumination mode for a standard sample of a patterned chromium layer of 20 nm thickness on a quartz glass plate. The SNOM/AFM system contains a photon counting system and polychrometer/ICCD (intensified charge coupled device) system for observation of the fluorescence image and spectrograph of micro areas, respectively. The gene coding to green fluorescence protein (GFP) was cloned in recombinantEscherichia coli (E. coli). Topography, fluorescence image and spectrograph of recombinantE. coli by SNOM/AFM showed a difference in fluorescence in individualE. coli. Fluorescence activity of GFP can thus be used as a convenient indicator of transformation. SNOM/AFM is also applicable to observe immobilizedE. coli on a glass plate in water with a liquid chamber and may allow the viewing of observation of floating organisms.     

Kinetic study of the alternating copolymerization of butadiene and methyl methacrylate

A kinetic investigation of the alternating copolymerization of butadiene and methyl methacrylate with the use of a system of ethylaluminum dichloride and vanadyl chloride as a catalyst was undertaken. The relation between the polymer yield and the molar fraction of methyl methacrylate in the feed was examined by continuous variation of butadiene and methyl methacrylate, the concentrations of total monomer, ethylaluminum dichloride, and vanadyl chloride being kept constant. This continuous variation method revealed that the polymer yield attains its maximum value with a monomer feed containing less than the 0.5 molar fraction of methyl methacrylate. This value of the molar fraction of methyl methacrylate affording the maximum polymer yield decreased on increasing the total monomer concentration but was not changed on varying the concentration of ethylaluminum dichloride. The number of active species estimated from the relation between yield and molecular weight of the polymer was almost constant, regardless of the molar fraction of methyl methacrylate in the feed. Consequently, it can be said that the maximum polymer yield depends mainly on the propagation reaction, not on the initiation reaction or the termination reaction. Three types of the mechanism have been discussed for this alternating copolymerization: polymerization via alternating addition of butadiene and methyl methacrylate complexed with ethylaluminum dichloride by the Lewis-Mayo scheme; polymerization via the ternary intermediate of butadiene, methyl methacrylate, and ethylaluminum dichloride; polymerization via the complex formation of butadiene and methyl methacrylate complexed with ethylaluminum dichloride occurring only at the growing polymer radical. From the kinetic results obtained, it was shown that the first and third schemes are excluded, and polymerization by way of the ternary intermediate is compatible with the data.     

Multi-polariton scattering via excitonic molecules

We develop the theory of multi-polariton scattering via excitonic molecules under strong excitation. New emission lines, denoted by X- and L-bands, were observed at slightly lower energy side of two-photon Raman line in CuCl under strong excitation. In terms of the present theory, these lines can be for the first time assigned to the multi-polariton scatterings associated with the coherently (virtually) and incoherently (realy) created excitonic molecules, respectively.     

Two-dimensional measurement of laser-induced target movement by face-on interferometry

Initial movement of laser irradiated foil targets has been measured by face-on interferometry with two-dimensional resolution. This interferometric method provides direct and precise information about the initial movement of the rear surface of the target compared with conventional diagnostics. Target movement of 20–500 nm from the original position has been observed.     

18O-tracer study on the rearrangement of carbonyl oxide intermediates to esters

A tracer study for the rearrangement of carbonyl oxides to esters using doubly-labeled oxygen lead to a conclusion that carbonyl oxides do not isomerize directly to dioxyranes and the rearrangement to esters proceeds via a cyclic tetroxide.     

The resolution of α-amino acid by chiral polymer-copper complex

The (N-benzyl-l-leucinato) copper(II) complex was shown pH titration to coordinate l-amino acids more strongly than d enantiomers. A chiral polymer complex, containing N-alkylated amino acid residue and copper(II) ion, was used partially to resolve some optically active amino acids. Unlike the (N-benzyl-l-amino acidate)-copper(II) complex, the polymer—copper(II) complex coordinates d-amino acids more strongly than l-enantiomers; the effect was explained by formation of (N,N-dialkylated-amino acidate) copper(II) complex in the polymer.