Hybrid cladding-pumped multicore EDFA/Raman amplification for space division multiplexing transmission systems.

We propose and demonstrate a hybrid cladding-pumped multicore erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) and distributed Raman amplification for space division multiplexing transmission systems. The cladding-pumped multicore EDFA is used to efficiently amplify signals in multiple cores simultaneously, while Raman pumping is used to control loss in each core individually. We construct an in-line amplified 7-core transmission line, and show that distributed Raman amplification can compensate loss variation between cores.

Proposal and experimental demonstration of SDM node enabling path assignment to arbitrary wavelengths, cores, and directions.

We propose a novel simple space division multiplexing (SDM) node which is rearrangeble nonblocking, and effectively utilizes enhanced network resources through SDM. The proposed node can reduce a number of ports of wavelength selective switches (WSSs) and a number of WSS modules by modifying conventional multi-stage switches and employing integrated multiple arrayed WSSs. We experimentally actualized the newly proposed node, and demonstrate wavelength, core, and direction switching functions based on 127-Gbps Dual Polarization Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (DP-QPSK) signals.

Filtering-tolerant transmission by the Walsh-Hadamard transform for super-channel beyond 100 Gb/s.

Super-channel transmission is a promising solution to increase the capacity of a channel beyond 100 Gb/s in next-generation optical networks. The performance of a super-channel comprising multiple subcarriers, however, degrades if optical filtering distortions occur in particular subcarriers. In this paper, we propose a method that improves super-channel performance by dispersing the distortions over all subcarriers.

Experimental demonstration of arrayed optical amplifiers with a shared pump laser for realizing colorless, directionless, contentionless ROADM.

We propose arrayed optical amplifiers that share a single pump laser with the aim of realizing full-add/drop colorless, directionless, contentionless ROADM nodes and demonstrate its feasibility in experiments. The experimental results show that the fabricated arrayed optical amplifiers can be made to correspond properly to wavelength path reconfigurations by adjusting a splitting ratio of the variable splitter between the pump laser and eight EDFAs, and cause no significant penalty for 128-Gbit/s PDM-QPSK signal transmission.

Experimental demonstration of multi-degree colorless, directionless, contentionless ROADM for 127-Gbit/s PDM-QPSK transmission system.

We experimentally demonstrate the feasibility of a multi-degree colorless, directionless, and contentionless (C/D/C-less) ROADM node composed of high port count wavelength-selective switches and transponder aggregators using silica-based planar lightwave circuit technology. The experimental results show that the introduction of a C/D/C-less function to a multi-degree ROADM node induces no significant penalty in a 127-Gbit/s PDM-QPSK signal transmission.

Intravascular large B cell lymphoma: proposed of the strategy for early diagnosis and treatment of patients with rapid deteriorating condition.

We summarize our experience and propose methods for early diagnosis and treatment of intravascular large B cell lymphoma (IVL). A total of 16 patients with IVL between 1994 and 2007 were included and analyzed in this study. Predicted survival durations were short until September 2003.

Determination of Epstein-Barr virus association with B-cell lymphomas in Japan: study of 72 cases--in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemical studies.

The association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with B-cell lymphoma was examined in 72 human immunodeficiency virus-negative Japanese patients using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on DNA obtained from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues and an in situ hybridization (ISH) technique. EBV-encoded RNA 1 (EBER-1) was detected in 12 of 72 cases (17%); five of 33 cases (15%) of nodal B-cell lymphomas and seven of 39 cases (18%) of extranodal B-cell lymphomas. Three cases of post-bone marrow transplantation and one case of autoimmune disease (Evans syndrome) were included among seven EBER-1 positive extranodal lymphomas.

Dissemination of Epstein-Barr virus associated B-cell lymphoma of the brain after development of immunological incompetence with Evans syndrome.

A 54-year-old female with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated B-cell lymphoma of the brain and Evans syndrome is presented. After treatment of the lymphoma with irradiation to the brain and chemotherapy she developed Evans syndrome with autoimmune hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Further immunosuppressive treatment for Evans syndrome caused the dissemination of EBV-associated B-cell lymphoma.

[Long-term follow-up of 43 patients with Sjögren's syndrome].

Objective: To study the long-term outcome in patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS).

Methods: We retrospectively studied a cohort of 43 patients with SS; 31 patients with primary SS and 12 patients with secondary SS (6 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 3 patients with mixed connective tissue disease, 2 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 1 patient with systemic sclerosis). Follow-up assessments were performed for 10-20 years following the initial diagnosis.

[A case of Sjögren's syndrome with an eyelid tumor, a so-termed pseudolymphoma of the iacrimal gland].

The female subject, 64 years old, subjectively noticed a mild dryness of the eyes and bilateral, submandibular swelling in 1988. The clinical symptom was mild, and such autoantibody and hyper-gammaglobulinemia as often observed in Sjögren's syndrome were not recognized. However, by judging from the results of gum test (9 mL/10 min), salivary gland scan (Grade 2) and the labial biopsy, we diagnosed the case as Sjögren's syndrome.

[Clinical aspects and types of Sjögren's syndrome].

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic as well as an organ-specific autoimmune disease, characterized by destructive lymphocytic infiltration of the salivary and lacrimal glands. We divided SS patients into three stages: stage I is glandular SS, stage II is extraglandular SS, and stage III is extraglandular SS with lymphoid malignancy. The lymphoaggressive nature of the disease appears to lead SS patients from stage I to II and from stage II to III.

[Successful VEP-IFN-alpha therapy in a case of non-secretory plasma cell leukemia (BJ-kappa type)].

Plasma cell leukemia is a rare disorder with poor prognosis. We present a case of non-secretory primary plasma cell leukemia (Bence-Jones kappa type), which was treated successfully by VEP-IFN-alpha therapy. A 82-year old man was admitted to Kanazawa Medical University in May 1991, because of emaciation and dehydration.

Sweet's syndrome during therapy with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in a patient with aplastic anaemia.

A patient with aplastic anaemia developed Sweet's syndrome (a febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) during granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) therapy. Three repeated episodes of appearance and disappearance of erythematous nodules after administration and withdrawal of G-CSF confirmed that G-CSF induced Sweet's syndrome in the patient. Sweet's syndrome has been reported in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and acute leukemia, but not in patients with aplastic anaemia.

[In vitro production of gamma/delta T cell clones and their characteristics].

Human TCR gamma/delta cell clones were produced from both CD2-depleted normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and leukemia and lymphoma cell-predominant PBMC, effusion cells and lymph node cells in in vitro cultures with rIL-1 and rIL-2 and using limiting dilution techniques. These clones were then analyzed as to their cell morphology, phenotype and non-major histocompatibility-restricted cytotoxicity (NMRC) to K562. The results of the cloning from CD2-depleted PBMC showed 112 WT31+ gamma/delta-1- clones, 62 WT31- gamma/delta-1+ clones and 101 WT31- gamma/delta-1- clones.

[A case of Sjögren's syndrome at the age of 91 with a lymphoepithelial lesion].

A 91 year old woman with Sjögren's syndrome who developed a lymphoepithelial lesion and showed an active state of the disease is described. Since June, 1990, the patient had been complaining of dry eyes and mouth and a left submandibular tumor (1.0 x 1.

Establishment of a CD4-positive plasmacytoma cell line (AMO1).

A human plasmacytoma cell line (AMO1) was established. The AMO1 cells had the light and electron microscopic characteristics typical of plasmacytoma cells and did not harbor Epstein-Barr virus. These cells expressed cytoplasmic immunoglobulin A kappa and the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene (JH) and kappa light-chain gene (C kappa) were rearranged.

[Malignant lymphoma developing from the wall of chronic empyema following artificial pneumothorax].

A 60-year-old man who had had chronic empyema following an artificial pneumothorax for pulmonary tuberculosis when he was 26 years old developed malignant lymphoma of the chest wall. The patient was admitted because of right pyothorax as a result of pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and underwent right thoracotomy. During lavage of the right thoracic cavity a tumor was found arising from the empyematic wall.

Interleukin-7 (IL-7)-induced proliferation of CD8+ T-chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a growth factor for pro-B cells, pre-B cells, and thymocytes and is known to induce the proliferation of normal human peripheral T cells. Moreover, human B and T acute leukemia cells with immature surface markers proliferate in response to IL-7. Here we describe a case of T-chronic lymphocytic leukemia, in which the leukemic cells showed a proliferative response to human recombinant IL-7 in vitro.