Photorefractive Composite Based on a Monolithic Polymer

A new class of photorefractive (PR) composite based on a fully functionalized polymer with high phase‐stability is reported. The polymer containing non‐linear optical (NLO) chromophores and charge‐transporting carbazole moieties is synthesized by a polymer‐analogous reaction. The polymer is doped with plasticizer, NLO dye, and sensitizer to fabricate the PR composite. The NLO dye is the same as the NLO chromophore moiety in the polymer side chain. The PR performance of the composite is evaluated by degenerated four‐wave mixing and two‐beam coupling measurements. A diffraction efficiency of 30% at a relatively low applied electric field of 45 V μm^?1 is achieved. Despite a high concentration of NLO dye, the composites show good stability for a long period without phase separation.     

Clinical efficacy of individual cognitive behavior therapy for psychophysiological insomnia in 20 outpatients

Aim: Twenty patients (14 of them women) suffering from psychophysiological insomnia (PPI) were enrolled for cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The mean age of the patients was 56.9 years, and the mean duration of insomnia morbidity was 8.9 years. Each received individual combined CBT treatments consisting of stimulus control, sleep reduction, cognitive therapy and sleep hygiene education over a period of 1 month. Methods: Just before the CBT and after its completion, sleep measurements were conducted that involved (i) sleep logs, Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale (DBAS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); (ii) actigraphy measurement; (iii) dissociation between subjective and objective evaluation of sleep calculated from sleep logs and actigraphy results; and (iv) correlation between DBAS and the aforementioned sleep parameters. Because the intention was to focus on patients' incorrect cognition about sleep, the definition ‘changes in dissociation between the sleep log and actigraphically measured sleep’ was used as the primary outcome and ‘changes in DBAS score’ as the secondary outcome. Results: After the CBT the following was found: (i) underestimation by PPI patients of the objective evaluation of sleep; (ii) a decrease in the dissociation between the subjective and objective evaluation of sleep; (iii) improvement of the DBAS; and (iv) improvement of sleep logs and actigraphy measurements. Moreover, there was a correlation between the improvement of PSQI, sleep logs and DBAS. Conclusion: CBT for insomnia is able to redress incorrect cognition about sleep, leading to improvement of the disorder.     

Chromosomal and microsatellite instability in sporadic gastric cancer

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer can progress through two pathways of genomic instability: chromosomal (CIN) and microsatellite instability (MSI). It is hypothesized that these two pathways are not always independent and that some tumors show overlap between these two mechanisms. METHODS: A total of 98 sporadic gastric cancers were classified based on their MSI status, using microsatellite assay with BAT26. Evidence for CIN was investigated by identifying loss of heterozygosity (LOH) events on chromosome arms, 5q, 10p, 17p, 17q, and 18q, which are regions harboring tumor suppressor genes that are significant in gastric cancer development. RESULTS: Twelve tumors (12%) showed high-frequency MSI (MSI-H). Overall, 43 of the tumors (44%) had at least one LOH event, with most frequent chromosomal losses observed on 10p and 18q (30%, respectively), followed by 5q (21%), 17p (14%), and 17q (12%). Interestingly, overlap was observed between CIN and MSI pathways. Of 43 cancers with LOH events, four (9%) were also MSI-H. It was also found that 48% of cancers without MSI-H had no LOH events identified, comprising a subgroup of tumors that were not representative of either of these two pathways of genomic instability. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that molecular mechanisms of genomic instability are not necessarily independent and may not be fully defined by either the MSI or CIN pathways in sporadic gastric cancers.     

Angiographically documented coronary vasospasm as a cause of myocardial infarction during the acute phase of aortic dissection

Summary We angiographically documented coronary vasospasm which resulted in myocardial infarction during the acute phase of aortic dissection (Stanford A). Coronary and aortic angiography performed at admission of the patient revealed complete occlusion of the right coronary artery and dissection of the aorta. Intracoronary injection of isosorbide dinitrate and intravenous administration of verapamil opened the occluded right coronary artery and blood flow was fully restored. We conclude that, in this case of aortic dissection, the severe stimulation by the aortic dissection brought about vasospasm of the right coronary artery which was the major cause of myocardial infarction. This is the first case report showing clear evidence that myocardial infarction is brought about by vasospasm associated with aortic dissection.     

Immunoblastic lymphadenopathy-like T-cell lymphoma complicated by multiple gastrointestinal involvement

We report a rare case of immunoblastic lymphadenopathy (IBL)-like T-cell lymphoma complicated by multiple gastrointestinal involvement, which appeared to be ameliorated by chemotherapy but resulted in perforative peritonitis. A 66-year-old Japanese woman who had generalized lymphadenopathy and eruptions was admitted to our hospital because of bloody stool. Colonoscopic examination revealed hemorrhagic ulcers in the terminal ileum and a saucer-like ulcer in the cecum. Gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed several ulcerative or elevated lesions in stomach and duodenum. Biopsy specimens of these lesions and of a lymph node showed characteristic histological features of IBL-like T-cell lymphoma. The initial treatment with prednisolone (PSL) and cyclophosphamide (CPA) was effective. Six months after the treatment, however, she developed bloody stool again caused by multiple ulcerative lesions in the large intestine. The recurrence of the disease was determined histologically, and four courses of CPA, PSL, vinblastine sulfate and doxorubicin hydrochloride (CHOP) therapy were administered. One month after completing the CHOP therapy, she developed intestinal obstruction and then acute peritonitis resulting from perforation at an ulcer scar in the jejunum. Surgical treatment was successful, and histological examination demonstrated no lymphoma cells in the resected specimen. A gastrointestinal perforation should be recognized as a potential complication of IBL-like T-cell lymphoma, even during remission. (Received: June 24, 1998; accepted: Oct. 23, 1998)     

Health-related quality of life of outpatients with systolic and isolated diastolic dysfunction

Background The impact of isolated diastolic dysfunction (IDD) and systolic dysfunction (SD) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is unknown. Methods and Results To evaluate HRQOL in patients with IDD and SD under treatment, information on outpatients aged 60-84 years was extracted from the records of 4,500 consecutive individuals who underwent echocardiographic examination at Sado General Hospital. The medical records of these patients were reviewed and a questionnaire, including the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36, was mailed to 71 IDD and 99 SD patients; answers were obtained from 66 and 91 patients, respectively. The HRQOL of patients with cardiac dysfunction was impaired even when echocardiographic parameters improved with treatment. Patients with IDD showed an impairment of HRQOL similar to those with SD. Compared with males, female patients had a larger and more significant reduction in the physical and mental components of the HRQOL score. These scores correlated positively with exercise capacity in patients with IDD or SD. Conclusions Impaired HRQOL, in both its mental and physical components, is a serious problem for IDD and SD patients under treatment. Because exercise intolerance may underlie the reduced HRQOL, improving exercise capacity could be an important target for managing outpatients with heart failure. (Circ J 2008; 72: 1436 - 1442).