Electrostatically-sprayed carbon electrodes for high performance organic complementary circuits.

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are promising building blocks of flexible printable electronic devices. Similar to inorganic FETs, OTFTs are heterostructures consisting of metals, insulators, and semiconductors, in which nanoscale interfaces between different components should be precisely engineered. However, OTFTs use noble metals, such as gold, as electrodes, which has been a bottleneck in terms of cost reduction and low environmental loading.

Relationship between salt intake and sleep disordered breathing in dialysis patients.

Background: The prevalence of sleep disordered breathing is high in patients with end-stage renal disease. Salt intake is related to the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with resistant hypertension and hyperaldosteronism. We investigated the relationship between salt intake and sleep disordered breathing in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Net-400-Gbps PS-PAM transmission using integrated AMUX-MZM.

Simple high-speed optical transmission technologies are desired for use in intra-and inter-datacenter networks. In this study, we demonstrate simple single-carrier intensity-modulated direct-detection (IMDD) transmissions at a net data rate of 400 Gbps (516.7 Gbps gross) over 20 km with a compact transmitter subassembly.

Ultra-compact coherent receiver with serial interface for pluggable transceiver.

An ultra-compact integrated coherent receiver with a volume of 1.3 cc using a quad-channel transimpedance amplifier (TIA)-IC chip with a serial peripheral interface (SPI) is demonstrated for the first time. The TIA with the SPI and photodiode (PD) bias circuits, a miniature dual polarization optical hybrid, an octal-PD and small optical coupling system enabled the realization of the compact receiver.

Impact of clinical and echocardiographic characteristics on occurrence of cardiac events in cardiac amyloidosis as proven by endomyocardial biopsy.

Background: Although patients with immunoglobulin light chain (AL) cardiac amyloidosis exhibit worse outcomes than those with transthyretin (TTR) cardiac amyloidosis, few data exist regarding the occurrence of cardiac events and the echocardiographic indices in endomyocardial biopsy (EMBx) proven amyloidosis.

Methods: From November 2007 to October 2012, we identified 33 patients with EMBx-proven amyloidosis. There were 12 patients (8 men; mean age: 66 years) with AL and 21 patients (20 men; mean age: 78 years) with TTR.

Very long-term (15 to 23 years) outcomes of successful balloon angioplasty compared with bare metal coronary stenting.

Background: Target lesion revascularization (TLR) continues to occur beyond 4 years after bare metal stent (BMS) implantation. However, long-term outcomes after balloon angioplasty (BA) compared with BMS are currently unknown.

Methods And Results: From 1989 to 1990, 659 patients (748 lesions) underwent successful BA with final balloon ≥3.

In-band OSNR monitor with high-speed integrated Stokes polarimeter for polarization division multiplexed signal.

An in-band optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) monitor is proposed, based on an instantaneous polarization state distribution analysis. The proposed monitor is simple, and is applicable to polarization division multiplexed signals. We fabricate a high-speed Stokes polarimeter that integrates a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) based polarization filter, high-speed InP/InGaAs photodiodes and InP hetero-junction bipolar transistor (HBT) trans-impedance amplifiers (TIA).

Incidence and clinical impact of stent fracture after everolimus-eluting stent implantation.

Background: Stent fracture (SF) after drug-eluting stent implantation has recently become an important concern because of its potential association with in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis. However, the incidence and clinical impact of SF after everolimus-eluting stent implantation remain unclear.

Methods And Results: A total of 1035 patients with 1339 lesions undergoing everolimus-eluting stent implantation and follow-up angiography 6 to 9 months after index procedure were analyzed.

100-Gbit/s PDM-QPSK coherent receiver with wide dynamic range and excellent common-mode rejection ratio.

We report the design and fabrication of a hybrid-integration-type coherent receiver. We optimize the receiver building blocks, and achieve a -25-dB common-mode rejection ratio and a 20-dB signal input power dynamic range.

Bare metal stent thrombosis and in-stent neoatherosclerosis.

Background: Very late stent thrombosis (VLST) was reported to occur even in patients with bare metal stent (BMS) implantation, although the annual incidence of VLST after BMS was much lower than that after drug-eluting stent implantation. Pathophysiologic mechanisms of VLST after BMS implantation remain largely unknown.

Methods And Results: From September 2002 to February 2010, we identified 102 patients with definite stent thrombosis (ST) of BMS and 42 control patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) unrelated to ST who underwent thrombus aspiration with histopathologic evaluation.

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction in the elderly aged ≥75 years.

Objectives: We aimed to see whether primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) benefits for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the aged could be validated.

Background: Primary PCI benefits in elderly patients with STEMI remain uncertain.

Methods: We reviewed 947 consecutive patients treated with primary PCI for STEMI: 331 were aged ≥75 years (older) and 616 <75 years (younger).

Very long-term (15 to 20 years) clinical and angiographic outcome after coronary bare metal stent implantation.

Background: We previously reported that the long-term luminal response after coronary bare metal stenting is triphasic, with an early restenosis phase spanning the 6 months after the index procedure, an intermediate-term regression phase from 6 months to 3 years, and a late renarrowing phase beyond 4 years. However, the clinical significance of late luminal renarrowing remains unknown.

Methods And Results: Angiographic and clinical follow-up of the same cohort of 405 patients with successful Palmaz-Schatz stent placement was extended beyond 15 years.

Impact of multiple and long sirolimus-eluting stent implantation on 3-year clinical outcomes in the j-Cypher Registry.

Objectives: Our aim was to study the relationships between total stent length (TSL) and long-term clinical outcomes after sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation.

Background: SES compared with bare-metal stent use for long lesion treatment is associated with reduced restenosis rates.

Methods: Three-year follow-up data were available for 10,773 patients (14,651 lesions) that had been treated with only SES (Cypher, Cordis Corp.

Efficacy of coronary venoplasty for left ventricular lead implantation.

Background: Optimal target vein selection for the pacing lead results in a better outcome, but left ventricular (LV) variability limits this selection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of coronary venoplasty for insertion of a LV lead.

Methods And Results: Transvenous LV lead placement was attempted in 208 consecutive patients from November 2002 to January 2007, with success in 206 patients (99%).

Comparison of 30-day outcomes in patients <75 years of age versus >or=75 years of age with acute myocardial infarction treated by primary coronary angioplasty.

We reviewed 1,087 consecutive patients treated by primary coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction; 309 were >or=75 and 778 were <75 years of age. Compared with the younger group, the older group had higher 30-day (8.1% vs 4.

Efficacy of nifekalant hydrochloride in the treatment of fatal ventricular arrhythmia in patients with ischemic heart disease.

Ventricular tachycardia (VT), which causes hemodynamic instability, and ventricular fibrillation (VF) sometimes occur in patients with severe underlying cardiovascular disease such as myocardial ischemia or infarction, and are associated with high mortality. This report presents the efficacy of nifekalant hydrochloride (nifekalant), a pure class III antiarrhythmic agent, in treating life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia in such patients. From June 2000, when nifekalant became commercially available in Japan, to May 2003, 30 ischemic heart disease (IHD) patients with VT/VF resistant to direct-current (DC) countershock received nifekalant in our hospital.

Late restenosis of the balloon-dilated site: serial angiographic observations beyond 7 years.

Background: The present retrospective study was performed to assess the long-term (>7 years) fate of stabilized balloon-dilated sites.

Methods And Results: Between February and April 1986, 171 patients underwent successful percutaneous balloon angioplasty. Early restenosis (<1 year) occurred in 53%, but repeat balloon angioplasty stabilized the balloon-dilated site.

Initial and follow-up results of the BiodivYsio phosphorylcholine coated stent for treatment of coronary artery disease.

Background: The BiodivYsio stent is coated with a phosphorylcholine containing copolymer to confer biocompatibility. The present study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of this coronary stent for the treatment of native coronary artery lesions in patients with coronary artery disease.

Methods And Results: From August 2001 to April 2003, 130 patients with lesions were treated with this stent.

Primary angioplasty of unprotected left main coronary artery for acute anterolateral myocardial infarction.

Background: Mortality of acute unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) occlusion is very high. The objectives of this analysis were to determine the effect of primary angioplasty and the impact of cardiogenic shock on unprotected LMCA occlusion-induced acute anterolateral myocardial infarction (AAMI).

Methods: Of 1,736 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 38 (2.

Long-term clinical and angiographic follow-up after coronary stent placement in native coronary arteries.

Background: Although coronary stents have been proved effective in reducing clinical cardiac events for up to 3 to 5 years, longer term clinical and angiographic outcomes have not yet been fully clarified.

Methods And Results: To evaluate longer term (7 to 11 years) outcome, clinical and angiographic follow-up information was analyzed in 405 patients with successful stenting in native coronary arteries. Primary or secondary stabilization, which was defined as freedom from death, coronary artery bypass grafting, and target lesion-percutaneous coronary intervention (TL-PCI) during the 14 months after the initial procedure or after the last TL-PCI, was achieved in 373 patients (92%) overall.

Comparison of results of coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction in patients > or =75 years of age versus patients <75 years of age.

We reviewed 1,063 consecutive patients treated with direct coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction (AMI): 261 were > or =75 and 802 were <75 years of age. Compared with the younger group, the older group had a higher percentage of women (48% vs 22%, p <0.0001), multivessel coronary disease (50% vs 39%, p <0.