High-power, widely tunable, room-temperature picosecond optical parametric oscillator based on cylindrical 5%MgO:PPLN.

We report a high-power picosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on cylindrical MgO:PPLN synchronously pumped by an Yb-fiber laser. The singly resonant OPO is tunable in the near-infrared signal across 1413-1900 nm and mid-infrared idler over 2418-4307 nm by angle tuning of the crystal at room temperature. With non-optimized output coupling of ∼10%, the OPO simultaneously delivers 2.4 W of signal at 1664 nm and 1.7 W of idler at 2950 nm at an overall extraction efficiency of ∼45% with high beam-pointing stability <30 µrad and <14 µrad for the signal and idler, respectively. The generated signal and idler exhibit passive power stability better than 1% rms and 0.8% rms over 15 h, respectively, in high beam quality with TEM(00) profile. The extracted signal pulses from the OPO have duration of 15.2 ps with a spectral bandwidth of 0.7 nm, corresponding to a time-bandwidth product of ΔυΔτ∼1.2.

Magneto- to electroactive transmutation of spin waves in ErMnO3.

The low-energy dynamical properties of the multiferroic hexagonal perovskite ErMnO3 have been studied by inelastic neutron scattering as well as terahertz and far infrared spectroscopies on a synchrotron source. From these complementary techniques, we have determined the magnon and crystal field spectra and identified a zone center magnon excitable only by the electric field of an electromagnetic wave. Using a comparison with the isostructural YMnO3 compound and crystal field calculations, we propose that this dynamical magnetoelectric process is due to the hybridization of a magnon with an electroactive crystal field transition.

[Two consecutive episodes of intracerebral hemorrhage as the presenting feature of polyarteritis nodosa]. / Deux hémorragies cérébrales révélatrices d'une périartérite noueuse.

We report a case of polyarteritis nodosa revealed by intracranial haemorrhage. A 40-year-old woman presented two episodes of cerebral haemorrhage twelve days apart, the second due to an aneurysm rupture. The diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) was based on the following criteria: histological aneurysm examination, angiography suggesting PAN with cerebral, renal and splenic localizations, loss of weight and cutaneous nodules. Cerebral haemorrhage in PAN is rare and exceptionally the presenting feature of the disease.

Post-heparin lipolytic activity with no hepatic triacylglycerol lipase involved in a mammalian species.

It was found that lipolytic activity in bovine post-heparin plasma differed from that of other mammalian species by the fact that intravenous heparin induced the release of lipoprotein lipase but not hepatic triacylglycerol lipase. Initially, this fact was strongly suspected when no remaining lipolytic activity could be found after whole bovine post-heparin plasma had been tested with either 1 M NaCl or antiserum against lipoprotein lipase. This was further confirmed by using heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography when the entire lipolytic activity was eluted with 1.5 M NaCl but none with 0.4 or 0.7 M NaCl. The active fraction had lipoprotein lipase characteristics, i.e. it required serum activators to produce optimum activity and was fully inhibited by NaCl of high molarity and by anti-lipoprotein lipase antiserum. Neither the different doses of heparin nor the various times of sampling altered the results. This raises the question whether hepatic triacylglycerol lipase is absent from the bovine liver or whether this enzyme is present but cannot be released by heparin.

Extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma: case report and review of the literature.

A case of extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma in a 62-year-old woman is reported. This unusual sarcoma was localized in the right thigh (quadriceps) and treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Sixty-three cases were found in the literature, with neurologic localization in 29 cases and muscular localization in 34 cases. Among clinical features, a significant difference in age at the time of diagnosis was found between the two localizations, which strongly suggests the possibility of two different types of extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma.

Antibody against human lipoprotein lipase.

A polyclonal antibody against human lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was prepared. LPL from post-heparin plasma was first purified by heparin Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. Protein impurities co-eluted with LPL were then eliminated by electrophoresis in the presence of ampholytes. Antithrombin III was identified in this fraction of protein impurities by immunodiffusion against a human antithrombin antiserum, while no antithrombin III could be detected in the purified LPL fraction. Immunodiffusion revealed a single line of precipitation between this antibody and human post-heparin plasma LPL. When pre-incubated with a constant activity of highly purified post-heparin plasma LPL (2.7 mU/75 microliters), an equal volume of the anti-LPL antiserum, either pure or diluted to 1/32 caused complete inhibition of the enzyme activity. Half maximal inhibition was observed at a dilution of approximately 1/200. By using a secondary antibody, it was shown that antiserum inhibited LPL activity by means of its immunoglobulins. This antibody was able to inhibit LPL from human adipose tissue, indicating that human LPL released from endothelial cell membranes has common antigenic determinants with adipose tissue LPL.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia with a Philadelphia chromosome resulting from a complex translocation (2; 9; 22), following an undifferentiated acute leukemia.

This case report concerns a patient with acute leukemia considered at diagnosis to be undifferentiated. Unfortunately, because of the failure of the culture, a cytogenetic evaluation was not possible at that stage. A full remission was induced, but 17 months after the onset of the disease the patient developed chronic myelogenous leukemia. The karyotypes prepared at that time and during the follow-up revealed the presence of a Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1) in all examined cells. This Ph1 resulted from a complex translocation involving chromosomes No. 2, 9, and 22.

Translocation 1;7 in preleukemic states.

A translocation t(1;7) interpreted as t(1;7)(p11;p11) was first reported by Scheres et al. in eight patients with various hematologic disorders. The karyotype of the abnormal cells was trisomic for 1q and monosomic for 7q. Those investigators reported having found four other cases in the literature. We report herein studies of two patients with the same t(1;7).

Hematologic and cytogenetic study of two cases of acute leukemia associated with breast cancer.

The authors present two cases of patients with breast cancer with lymph node extension and who both had surgery. As a pancytopenia with hypercellular bone marrow was discovered at the same time in the first patient, she received no complementary treatment; 4 months later, she presented with an acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) for which a remission was easily induced, but she died of a pulmonary infection. The second patient received local radiotherapy (50 grays) and adjuvant chemotherapy (Alkeran for 26 months). Forty-seven months after the diagnosis of breast cancer and 16 months after the end of the treatment, an acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL; M6) was diagnosed after 8 months of a preleukemic state. Treatment did not produce any results and death occurred on the 17th day. Cytogenetic studies on the bone marrow cells of both patients were performed. In the first patient in the ALL phase normal cells coexisted with a 47 chromosome clone, the extra chromosome being a D (+ 13?). In the second patient, several karyotype abnormalities were already present in the preleukemic state and also during the acute leukemic phase. No normal mitoses were found; hypodiploidy was present as well as major abnormalities such as markers, rings, and, among others, the systematic loss of a #5 and a #7. The first patient seems to have presented with a de novo ALL, associated with the malignant tumor; whereas, the second patient showed all the characteristics of an induced ANLL. The clinical, hematologic, and cytogenetic characteristics of these two patients are analyzed and compared to those of other cases in the literature.

Refractory anemia with excess of blasts in transformation. Clinical, hematologic, and cytogenetic findings in nine patients.

Clinical, hematologic, and cytogenetic data of nine patients with refractory anemia with excess of blasts in transformation (RAEB-t), classified according to the French-American-British Cooperative Group for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), are reported. At diagnosis, eight out of nine cases, had chromosomal abnormalities and three out of nine developed acute leukemia. Karyotype studies allowed individualization of two groups of patients: five with nonrandom major karyotype abnormalities (MAKA) including hypodiploidy, chromosomes 5 and 7 involvement, at least four other abnormalities, and a poor prognosis (survival always under 3.5 months); and four patients with either normal karyotypes or minor karyotype abnormalities (MIKA) (no more than three abnormalities) and a better prognosis (survival from 14 to 38 months). Karyotype appears to be a major prognostic factor among RAEB-t.

Cytogenetic studies in twelve patients with primary myelofibrosis and myeloid metaplasia.

Chromosome studies on bone marrow and/or peripheral blood cells without phytohemagglutinin were performed on 12 patients with primary myelofibrosis with myeloid meta-plasia (PMMM) between 1980 and 1984. Abnormal clones were found in six patients (50%). In five cases the abnormal clone involved the long arm of chromosome #7, two of which also had partial trisomy of chromosome #1 and trisomy of 9. Additional abnormalities involving chromosomes #3, #5, #11, #13, #15, and #21 were each found once. Review of the literature showed few studies on the cytogenetics of PMMM. No specific chromosomal pattern can be established; however, abnormalities described are nonrandom.

[The combination of epirubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and prednisone (EBVP) before radiotherapy in localized stages of Hodgkin's disease. Phase II trials]. / Association d'épirubicine, bléomycine, vinblastine et prednisone (EBVP) avant radiotherapie dans les stades localisés de la maladie de Hodgkin. Essai de phase II.

A new regimen of chemotherapy was used to reduce toxicity of ABVD: adriamycin is replaced by epirubicin and dacarbazine by prednisone. Thirty eight patients with Hodgkin's disease, stage I to IIIA, previously untreated, received three courses of this regimen before radical radiotherapy. Gastro-intestinal toxicity and alopecia appeared less marked than with ABVD. Immediate efficacy is similar with 80% of complete remission (one third observed at day 28) and only 2 failures. This regimen appears thus as a clear improvement in the treatment of patients with Hodgkin's disease and deserves larger comparison with previously used chemotherapy in a more extensive controlled trial.

[Data collection from patients treated for Hodgkin's disease. Relation to quality of life]. / Information des malades traités pour une maladie de Hodgkin. Liaisons avec la qualité de vie.

One hundred and fifty patients treated for Hodgkin's disease (stage I to IIIA) in a cooperative trial, answered a questionnaire dealing partly with their information, after 2 to 7 years of complete remission. This information appears insufficient for the majority of patients (52%), at least as far as treatment and its complications are concerned. There are many significant relations with other parameters which suggest that a good level of information may improve quality of life of patients. These observations tend to increase information of patients with Hodgkin's disease, provided it is adapted to each patient.

[Digital blood flow measurement by venous occlusion plethysmography in Raynaud's phenomenon. Value of the rewarming test]. / Débitmétrie digitale par plétysmographie avec occlusion veineuse dans le phénomène de Raynaud. Intérêt du test de réchauffement.

The fingertip blood flow measured by mercury strain gauge plethysmography with venous occlusion, at 22 degrees C room temperature, had significantly lower mean values in 190 patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (55 men aged 49 yrs +/- 16, 135 women aged 48 yrs +/- 16) than in 40 age and sex matched controls: 18 ml/100 ml/minute +/- 14.6 versus 35 ml/100 ml/minute +/- 15 at level p less than 0.01. The mean fingertip blood flow was significantly lower (p less than 0.01) in 31 cases of scleroderma and 32 cases of pulpar necrosis (respectively 13 ml +/- 13 and 11 ml +/- 8) than in 55 cases of primary Raynaud's disease (no detectable etiology and normal capillaroscopy 5 years after onset) or in 34 cases of mild Raynaud's phenomenon (respectively 21.6 +/- 16 and 24.4 +/- 18). A warming test (both hands in water at 45 degrees C during 3 minutes) was performed in 50 cases with low basal fingertip blood flow. It induced a "normalized" flow in 22 cases (mostly primary or mild Raynaud), a partly improved flow in 20 cases (mostly secondary Raynaud) and no improvement in 8 cases (scleroderma). The warming test appears to be clinically useful to assess the vasospasm and the vasodilating capabilities.

[Beta blockers and disturbances of the microcirculation (author's transl)]. / Béta bloqueurs et troubles de la microcirculation.

Study of 192 cases of hypertensive patients, 89 of whom were treated by diet, general advice and correction of risk factors for an average period of 8 months. The group of patients treated beta blockers consisted of 103 subjects, 28 of whom received Propranolol, 29 Oxyprenolol, 20 Atenolol and 26 Practolol. The prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon was markedly greater in the patients treated with beta blockers, in comparison with the group not receiving any drugs. The highest incidence of vasomotor problems was seen in the group of subjects treated with Propranolol, with 57% of patients having a Raynaud-type paroxysmal acrosyndrome. In more than half of the cases attributed to Propranolol, the clinical picture of Raynaud's syndrome was severe. Discussion of the mode of action of beta blockers on the microcirculation.

[Human erythrocyte glycerides]. / Les glycérides des érythrocytes humains.

There are difficulties in measuring red cell glycerides mainly because the amount found in erythrocytes is so differne from that of other lipids in blood cells. The red corpuscles contain only very small quantities of glycerides, about 5mg/1, while the amount of cholesterol and phospholipids is 200 to 500 times higher. The methods currently used for estimating glycerides in serum can be used here only after removing these other lipids. The distribution of glycerides in erythrocytes is ver different from that of serum: serum contains mainly triglycerides while there are diglycerides as well as triglycerides in erythrocytes (on average 3,4 micro mol/1 of triglycerides and 1,7 mumol/1 of diglycerides).

[Chemotherapy in cancer of colon. General review]. / La chimiothérapie dans le cancer du côlon. Revue générale.

The results of surgery as sole treatment of colon cancer are summarized before dealing with those of chemotherapy. Curative or palliative chemotherapy remains controverted. The results of single drug treatments and of the conventional protocols with 5-fluorouracil and nitrosoureas have been disappointing. A promising approach is modulation of 5-fluorouracil by folinic acid, with a response rate of up to 45 p 100, and potentiation of 5-fluorouracil by cisplatin. Intra-arterial chemotherapy has been, and still is, an interesting method in liver metastases, but recent studies and the experience acquired with prolonged follow-ups have thrown doubts on some of its results, notably survival. Adjuvant chemotherapy is even more controversial than curative chemotherapy; however, a recent controlled study has yielded favourable results, and the best drug combinations have not yet been tested. It is concluded that cancers of the colon have shown some chemosensitivity, even though it has not reached the same level as that of cancers of other organs.

[Familial myeloma. Apropos of a case]. / Myélome familial. A propos d'un cas.

2 cases of multiple myeloma, both with IgG kappa, are reported in a man and his daughter. 33 other cases of myeloma involving two or more first degree relatives have been reported in the literature. Reported cases showed no major specific characteristics of the myelomas involved. Monoclonal protein family members were rarely identical. Our observation of identical monoclonal protein in two family members has only been found in 4 other reports. Occurrence of several cases of myeloma in one family is unlikely to be due to chance alone and the possibility of familial myeloma must be considered. Reports of benign monoclonal gammapathy in other members of the family of a patient with myeloma is also in favor of genetic factors. HLA-typing has shown an increase in frequency of the 4c complex and HLA-A9 in myeloma, and the latter was present in our patients. A genetic predisposition is further supported by experimental observations in mice. Finally, the short delay between onsets of myeloma in family members, less than 5 years in 20 families out of 27, and 4 years in our case, suggests a possible role of environmental factors.

[Retinal vasculitis in lupic disease]. / Vascularites rétiniennes au cours de la maladie lupique.

Three cases of retinal vasculitis in SLE-type diseases are reported. The first was central retinal vein occlusion occurring during clinical remission of SLE in a 55 year old black female. Prednisone maintenance therapy was unchanged and visual loss rapidly regressed with heparin therapy. The second case was a 33 year old black female in whom SLE was discovered following relapsing bilateral optic neuritis. A progressive visual improvement was obtained with high dose of prednisone (1 mg/kg/day). The third cas was a 17 year old white girl with retinal vasculitis. She had an unclassified connective tissue disease inaugurated by optic neuritis at the age of 10. High dose prednisone (1 mg/kg/day) was effective on the visual loss. Retinal vasculitis lesions in SLE and their therapy are reviewed.

[Anemia in the elderly subject secondary to jejunal vascular malformation. Apropos of 2 cases]. / Anémie du sujet âgé secondaire à une malformation vasculaire jéjunale. A propos de deux cas.

Two cases of normocytic regenerative anemia in two patients aged 84 and 86 respectively were related to gastrointestinal bleeding. Abdominal angiography was negative in both cases. Only laparotomy provided a diagnosis of jejunal vascular malformation with the aid of peroperative endoscopy. Angiodysplasia was diagnosed in one case and capillary hemangioma in the other. In these very old people with very somber prognosis, anemia was corrected by surgery without recurrence after 8 and 10 months respectively. Gastrointestinal malformations are found in about 20 p. 100 of unexplained digestive hemorrhages. In most cases they are localized in the right large bowel, especially in old patients. Jejunal localizations are 7 to 8 times less frequent and have been described in younger patients. Up to now, selective abdominal angiography has been the main diagnostic procedure. We must insist on the value of peroperative endoscopy when angiography is negative.