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In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements of single-walled carbon nanotube and C 60 -peapod samples under high pressures up to 13 GPa and at high temperature were carried out. Anisotropical shrinkages of their bundle 2-dimensional lattices by compression at room temperature were observed. It was found that the lattices recover original forms reversibly upon pressure release. It was also found Preprint submitted to Elsevier Science 19 August 2004that irreversible phase transformations occur by raising temperature at the highest pressure. The high-pressure and high-temperature treated samples were examined by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, and Raman measurements.It was indicated by transmission electron microscope observation that hexagonal diamond is able to be synthesized by high pressure and high temperature treatment of C 60 -peapods.

Decay times, or the relaxation times after poling, of nonlinear optical host-guest systems at room temperature have been evaluated from the behavior at elevated temperatures below glass transition temperature Tg using Arrhenius plots. The factors were investigated by comparing the behaviors of the nonlinear systems to those of α and β relaxations in host polymers. The activation energies of the nonlinear systems seem to agree with those of the β relaxation processes of host polymers; however, the frequency factors were very different. The decay time of nonlinearity seemed to be affected by α relaxation processes below Tg of host polymers.

PurposeThe aim of our retrospective study was to determine the time to progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in prostate cancer patients who undergo combined androgen blockade (CAB), as well as their prognoses.Materials and MethodsWe examined the overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival rates, as well as the time to CRPC development, in 387 patients who were treated with CAB for prostate cancer. The disease-specific survival rate and time to CRPC were stratified by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, Gleason score (GS), and presence of metastasis at diagnosis. We designated high-risk patients as those satisfying at least two of the following three criteria: extent of disease of bone metastasis grade ≥2, presence of metastasis at diagnosis, and a GS ≥8.ResultsThe 10- and 15-year OS rates were 74.0% and 50.4%, respectively, while the corresponding disease-specific survival rates were both 86.8%. Metastasis at diagnosis was an independent prognostic factor for disease-specific survival. The median time to CRPC development was 140.7 months. A PSA level ≥20 ng/mL, a GS ≥8, and the presence of metastasis at diagnosis were independent predictors of a shorter time to CRPC development. The 10-year disease-specific survival rate in the high-risk group was significantly lower than that in the low-risk group (approximately 74% vs. 98%), and the time to CRPC development was significantly shorter (median: 20.5 months vs. not reached).ConclusionsThe time to CRPC development was shorter in high-risk prostate cancer patients with metastases. Such patients require alternative novel treatment modalities.

There have been reports of strong correlations between poor prognosis in various cancers and concomitant expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its surface receptor (uPAR). We and others have previously shown that the uPA system plays a significant role in a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. In the present study, we found that uPAR is required for invasion and