This study sought to investigate the clinical outcome and the role of postoperative radiotherapy for patients with salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) who had undergone surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. We performed a retrospective analysis of 25 SDC patients treated between 1998 and 2011 with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. The median prescribed dose was 60 Gy (range, 49.5–61.4 Gy). The clinical target volume (CTV) was defined as the tumor bed in four patients, the tumor bed and ipsilateral neck in 14 patients, and the tumor bed and bilateral neck in six patients. Local control (LC), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and prognostic variables were analyzed with the log-rank test. The 5-year LC, DFS and OS were 67%, 45% and 47%, respectively. Disease recurrence was found in 12 patients: seven as local, four as regional and eight as distant failure. Perineural and lymphovascular invasion was a significant prognostic factor for LC (P = 0.03). Local failure was common, and the presence of local recurrence significantly affected the OS (P < 0.05). We conclude that surgery and postoperative radiotherapy is expected to decrease the risk of local failure and contribute to good prognoses for patients with SDC. It might be advisable to have the CTV include the cranial nerves involved and the corresponding parts of the skull base in cases of pathologically positive perineural invasion.

The spectral absorption properties of ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD)/amorphous carbon composite films grown by pulsed laser deposition with graphite were experimentally investigated. The indirect optical band gaps estimated from the absorption spectrum were 1.0 eV and approximately 5.65 eV, which correspond to those for the amorphous carbon surrounding the UNCDs and for UNCDs themselves, respectively. In addition, the spectrum revealed a direct gap having a value of approximately 2.2 eV. One probable origin can be the presence of grain boundaries between UNCDs and amorphous carbon since they are specific to UNCD/amorphous carbon; further, its appearance is consistent with the theoretical predictions.

Semiconducting β-FeSi2 thin films were epitaxially as-grown on Si(111) substrates at a substrate temperature of 600°C, which is at least 200°C lower than ordinary annealing temperatures, by using the facing targets direct-current sputtering (FTDCS) method using an FeSi2 target without annealing. The deposited film exhibits a smooth surface with a surface roughness root mean square of 1.47nm. The direct and indirect optical band gaps estimated from the experiment were in agreement with those of the single crystalline bulk. Temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity implied Co incorporation from the FeSi2 targets with a purity of 3N. The FTDCS method, in which a substrate is free of plasma and energetic neutral atoms diffused into the substrate owing to low Ar pressure sputtering, is effective for the direct epitaxial growth of β-FeSi2 thin films with smooth surfaces.

The prognosis of patients with post-operative loco-regional recurrence of esophageal cancer is poor. However, a long-term survival may be expected by definitive radiotherapy for the patients with small-size tumors and with a good PS.

n -type β-FeSi2/p-type Si heterojunctions were fabricated from β-FeSi2 films epitaxially grown on Si(111) by facing-target direct-current sputtering. Sharp film-substrate interfaces were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The current-voltage and photoresponse characteristics were measured at room temperature. They exhibited good rectifying properties and a change of approximately one order of magnitude in the current at a bias voltage of −1 V under illumination by a 6 mW, 1.31 μm laser. The estimated detectivity was 1.5×109 cm √Hz W at 1.31 μm. The results suggest that the β-FeSi2/Si heterojunctions can be used as near-infrared photodetectors that are compatible with silicon integrated circuits.