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Migration of tube stents within the bile duct is rare but possible, and it is important to determine the risk factors involved in stent migration.

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In 1986, a cuprate superconductor (Ba-La-Cu-O system) having a critical temperature which goes over the BCS limit (~30 K) was discovered and then a cuprate superconductor (Y-Ba-Cu-O system) with a critical temperature higher than 77 K was discovered. Furthermore, a Hg-based cuprate with a critical temperature of 133 K was found. The 133 K is still the highest critical temperature of conventional superconductors under atmospheric pressure. We have shown that materials obtained by bringing n-alkanes into contact with graphite are capable of conducting electricity with almost no energy loss at room temperature. We here report that the sudden jump in resistance showing a phase transition is observed in the materials during heating by two-probe resistance measurement. The measured critical temperatures of the materials consisting of pitch-based graphite fibers and n-alkanes having 7-16 carbon atoms range from 363.08 to 504.24 K and the transition widths range between 0.15 and 3.01 K. We also demonstrate that superconductors with critical temperatures beyond 504 K are obtained by alkanes with 16 or more carbon atoms.

Background Chemoradiotherapy is a treatment option for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. However, the efficacy of induction chemotherapy prior to chemoradiotherapy is uncertain. The aim of this randomized, multicentre phase II study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of chemoradiotherapy with and without induction chemotherapy to determine the significance of induction chemotherapy. Methods Patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer were randomly assigned to the chemoradiotherapy arm (Arm A) or induction chemotherapy followed by the chemoradiotherapy arm (Arm B). Patients in Arm A underwent radiotherapy with concurrent S-1. Patients in Arm B received induction gemcitabine for 12 weeks, and thereafter, only patients with controlled disease underwent the same chemoradiotherapy as Arm A. After chemoradiotherapy, gemcitabine was continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity in both arms. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Results Amongst 102 patients enrolled, 100 were eligible for efficacy assessment. The probability of survival was greater in Arm B in the first 12 months, but the trend was reversed in the following periods (1-year survival 66.7 vs. 69.3%, 2-year survival 36.9 vs. 18.9%). The hazard ratio was 1.255 (95% confidence interval 0.816–1.930) in favour of Arm A. Gastrointestinal toxicity was slightly more frequent and three treatment-related deaths occurred in Arm A. Conclusions This study suggested that the chemoradiotherapy using S-1 alone had more promising efficacy with longer-term survival, compared with induction gemcitabine followed by chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Clinical trial registration The study was registered at the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry as UMIN000006811.