[Study of purity tests for silicone resins].

In the 8th edition of Japan's Specifications and Standards for Food Additives, the purity test for silicone resins requires the determination of the refractive index and kinetic viscosity of the extracted silicone oil, and allows for only a limited amount of silicon dioxide. In the purity test, carbon tetrachloride is used to separate the silicone oil and silicon dioxide. To exclude carbon tetrachloride, methods were developed for separating the silicone oil and silicon dioxide from silicone resin, which use hexane and 10% n-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid in hexane. For silicone oil, the measured refractive index and kinetic viscosity of the silicone oil obtained from the hexane extract were shown to be equivalent to those of the intact silicone oil. In regard to silicon dioxide, it was confirmed that, following the separation with 10% n-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid in hexane, the level of silicon dioxide in silicone resin can be accurately determined. Therefore, in this study, we developed a method for testing the purity of silicone resins without the use of carbon tetrachloride, which is a harmful reagent.

Transmanubrial approach combined with video-assisted approach for superior sulcus tumors.

Surgical resection after chemoradiotherapy with strict patient selection is an established treatment for superior sulcus tumors. Several surgical approaches have been described, but surgery for superior sulcus tumors is still a challenge. Among the approaches, the anterior transmanubrial approach has been reported to provide good access to apical chest tumors. A technique for video-assisted thoracic surgery combined with the anterior transmanubrial approach for superior sulcus tumor is reported.

[Video-assisted thoracic surgery for lung cancer at Kyoto City Hospital].

From April 1994 to April 2008, we were started on 313 cases video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) operations for primary lung cancer at the thoracic surgical department of Kyoto City Hospital. Exclude cases such as conversion to open surgery, partial resection and double primary cancer, 212 cases were evaluated. Most common surgical approach was 111 lobectomy cases (90%) and pneumonectomy is 3 cases. Histopathologic diagnosis was adenocarcinoma was 74% and squamous cell carcinoma was 22%. There were no intraoperative and hospital death. Most common complications were prolonged air leak in 20 cases (9.4%). Five year survival rate were stage IA 87.8%, IB 71.8%, II 52.4%, III 47.8%, IV 33.3%. Our data demonstrate thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer is a safe procedure and excellent prognosis.

Wide-ranging molecular mobilities of water in active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) hydrates as determined by NMR relaxation times.

In order to examine the possibility of determining the molecular mobility of hydration water in active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) hydrates by NMR relaxation measurement, spin-spin relaxation and spin-lattice relaxation were measured for the 11 API hydrates listed in the Japanese Pharmacopeia using pulsed (1)H-NMR. For hydration water that has relatively high mobility and shows Lorentzian decay, molecular mobility as determined by spin-spin relaxation time (T(2)) was correlated with ease of evaporation under both nonisothermal and isothermal conditions, as determined by DSC and water vapor sorption isotherm analysis, respectively. Thus, T(2) may be considered a useful parameter which indicates the molecular mobility of hydration water. In contrast, for hydration water that has low mobility and shows Gaussian decay, T(2) was found not to correlate with ease of evaporation under nonisothermal conditions, which suggests that in this case, the molecular mobility of hydration water was too low to be determined by T(2). A wide range of water mobilities was found among API hydrates, from low mobility that could not be evaluated by NMR relaxation time, such as that of the water molecules in pipemidic acid hydrate, to high mobility that could be evaluated by this method, such as that of the water molecules in ceftazidime hydrate.

Comparative study of vascular enhancement on post-contrast CT using three dosages of iodinated contrast media for the aim of detecting brain metastasis in patients with lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: A prospective double-blind randomized study was performed to compare the contrast of vascular enhancement using three dosages of iodinated contrast media for a possible metastatic lesion in the brain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-six patients with lung cancer received brain computed tomography (CT) with intravenous administration of iodinated contrast medium (CM). The patients were randomly assigned to receive one of the three types of CM: 30 g iodine, 24 g iodine, and 15 g iodine. Three radiologists judged the degree of vascular contrast enhancement and diagnosed the presence of brain metastasis. The CT numbers in major arteries were also measured. RESULTS: The subjective average scores with standard deviation were 2.06+/-0.48, 1.97+/-048, and 1.44+/-0.43, and the measured average CT numbers with standard deviation (SD) were 168.5+/-39.6, 166.1+/-28.6, and 146.1+/-27.0 HU with 30 g, 24 g, and 15 g iodine, respectively. The scores and the CT numbers in 15 g iodine were less than those with 30 g and 24 g iodine. Brain metastasis was detected in one patient each in groups A and C, and one false-positive case was found in group B. CONCLUSION: CT study with a dose of 24 g iodine showed equivalent quality on vascular enhancement in comparison with a 30 g iodine dose.