No abstract

High-grade invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) of the breast with large, central acellular zones on their cut surfaces are usually associated with the myoepithelial immunophenotype of carcinoma cells, which includes the expression of S-100 protein, alpha-smooth muscle actin, and keratin 14. To clarify the clinical significance of these features of IDCs, the authors compared the incidence of the myoepithelial immunophenotype immunohistochemically, patient prognosis, and metastatic sites of the tumor between 20 high-grade IDCs with large, central acellular zones and 40 control high-grade IDCs without these zones. The myoepithelial immunophenotype was detected in 16 IDCs (80%) with large, central acellular zones but in only seven IDCs (18%) without. The risk ratio of metastasis, especially in the brain and lung, and death from cancer were significantly higher (p = 0.0096 and p = 0.030) for the 20 IDCs with large, central acellular zones than for those without by Cox's univariate analysis. Using Cox's multivariate analysis, large, central acellular zones in IDCs were an indicator of high risk of brain and lung metastases and of death by cancer independent of nodal status and tumor size. Examination of large, central acellular zones and myoepithelial immunophenotype in high-grade IDCs appears helpful in predicting patient prognosis and preferential metastatic sites of the tumors.

We have grown [100]-oriented BaSi2 multidomain epilayers on Si(111) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using a BaSi2 epitaxial template formed by reactive deposition epitaxy (RDE). The [100]-oriented BaSi2 films were obtained over a wide temperature range from 450 to 700°C: The optimum growth temperature was about 600°C at which the integrated intensity of X-ray diffraction peak was maximum and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) was minimum. X-ray pole figure measurements revealed that there were three epitaxial variants of [100]-oriented BaSi2 due to the three-fold symmetry of the Si(111) surface.

Room temperature electroluminescence (EL) was obtained for the first time from a Si-based light emitting diode with semiconducting silicide (β-FeSi2) active region. The peak wavelength was 1.6 µm and it is from β-FeSi2 balls embedded in a Si p-n junction. An a-axis oriented β-FeSi2 layer was grown on n+-(001) Si by reaction deposition epitaxy (RDE), then p- and p+-Si layers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The β-FeSi2 aggregated into balls with about 100 nm diameter in this process. The EL intensity increased superlinearly with increase of the injected current density, and reasonable EL was obtained at current density above 10 A/cm2, though the photoluminescence (PL) was difficult to be detected at room temperature.

Optical and electrical properties of polycrystalline orthorhombic BaSi2 prepared by arc melting in Ar atmosphere were investigated. The optical absorption spectra measured at room temperature showed that indirect and direct absorption edges were 1.15 and 1.25 eV, respectively. The activation energy estimated from temperature dependence of the resistivity was 1.10 eV. These results agreed well with a calculated band structure of the orthorhombic BaSi2 by first principles calculation using density functional theory.

The optimum growth temperature is determined for the epitaxial growth of semiconducting orthorhombic BaSi2 films on Si(111) substrates by reactive deposition epitaxy (RDE). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) analyses confirmed that smooth, [100]-oriented epitaxial BaSi2 films could be obtained by RDE at a substrate temperature of 600–650°C when the Ba deposition rate was 10 nm/min.

No abstract

We recently established a mouse model of peritoneal dissemination of human gastric carcinoma, including the formation of ascites, by orthotopic transplantation of cultured gastric carcinoma cells. To clarify the processes of expansion of the tumors in this model, nude mice were sacrificed and autopsied at different points of time after the orthotopic transplantation of the cancer cells for macroscopic and histopathologic examination of the tumors. The cancer cells grew actively in the gastric submucosa and invaded the deeper layers to reach the serosal plane. The tumor cells then underwent exfoliation and became free followed by the formation of metastatic lesions initially in the greater omentum and subsequent colonization and proliferation of the tumors on the peritoneum. Although this model allowed the detection of even minute metastases, it was not satisfactory from the viewpoint of quantitative and objective evaluation. To resolve these problems, we introduced a luciferase gene into this tumor cell line with a high metastasizing potential and carried out in vivo photon counting analysis. This photon counting technique was found to allow objective and quantitative evaluation of the progression of peritoneal dissemination on a real-time basis. This animal metastatic model is useful for monitoring the responses of tumors to anticancer agents. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(15): 7532-9)