Subjective insomnia is associated with low sleep efficiency and fatigue in middle-aged women.

OBJECTIVES: Many middle-aged women are affected by sleep disturbance. We investigated how subjective insomnia is associated with objective sleep parameters and other background characteristics. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used baseline data obtained from 95 women aged 40-59 years who participated in another study assessing the effects of a dietary supplement. Participants wore an actigraph unit for 3 days to collect information concerning physical activities and objective sleep parameters and were then evaluated for body composition, cardiovascular parameters, and menopausal symptoms including insomnia and fatigue, and lifestyle factors. Stratifying Athens Insomnia Scale scores as low (0-5 points, control group) and high (≥ 6 points, subjective insomnia group), we sought to identify the parameters that are independently associated with subjective insomnia. RESULTS: Women with subjective insomnia (n = 30) had lower sleep efficiency than did the controls. They were also older; had more live births, lower height, higher body mass index, lower ankle brachial index, and more severe menopausal symptoms including fatigue; took more naps; smoked more cigarettes; and more of them were full-time workers. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that low sleep efficiency (adjusted odds ratio, 1.44 per 1% decrease in sleep efficiency; 95% confidence interval 1.06-2.05) and fatigue assessed with Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) (adjusted odds ratio, 1.57 per 1-point increase in BFI score; 95% confidence interval 1.19-2.13) were independent contributors to subjective insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: Low sleep efficiency and feeling of fatigue were found to be independently associated with subjective insomnia in middle-aged women.

Characterization of initial halogen adsorption on Si(111) surface by scanning tunnelling microscopy: correlation with optical measurements.

Initial adsorption processes of halogen atoms on a Si(111)-(7 × 7) surface were studied by means of scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). The adsorption sites of halogen atoms were clarified directly with STM, and the results were compared with the partial coverage at each site, estimated previously from surface differential reflectance and thermal desorption spectroscopic analyses. The microscopic geometry of the atomic structure showed a good correspondence with the optical measurements, especially in terms of the density of the reacted sites. Bromine atoms were predominantly adsorbed near already adsorbed bromine, while chlorine atoms were almost randomly adsorbed. Polybromide formation occurred at coverage levels above 0.1 ML. Bromine atoms break the back-bonds of Si adatoms at lower levels of coverage than do chlorine atoms. The reason for the difference in adsorption behaviour between chlorine and bromine is discussed.

[Concentrations of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in serum and tissues at venous injection of tegafur or 5-FU--clinical study on colorectal cancer].

Tissue and serum concentrations of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) after daily slow venous injection of tegafur or 5-FU for 5 days were measured. The serum concentration of 5-FU elevated to the highest level 6 hours after the venous injection (mean: 30 ng/ml). Compared with the tegafur injection, the serum concentration of 5-FU elevated to a higher peak level 6 hours after the 5-FU injection (mean: 827 ng/ml). The serum concentration of 5-FU after the tegafur injection tended to be maintained longer than after the 5-FU injection. When tegafur was injected, the concentration of 5-FU in cancer tissue or lymphnodes was significantly higher than in normal tissue. On the other hand, no significant difference was detected among the concentrations of 5-FU in the above three tissues when 5-FU was injected. Moreover, a significantly higher concentration of 5-FU in lymphnodes was caused by the tegafur injection compared to the 5-FU injection.

Prognosis after hepatic resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, estimated on the basis of the morphometric indices.

To determine whether the morphometric indices of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) correlated with the prognoses, the microscopic morphometric values for 84 HCC cases treated by hepatic resection were studied using an image analyzer in relation to the survival rate and the gross classification. The mean survival time (MST) was 58 months in cases with a nucleocytoplasmic area ratio (N/C) of less than 0.28; this was significantly longer than the 38-month MST in cases with an N/C of more than 0.28 (P < 0.05). In stage III disease, the MST for cases with an N/C of less than 0.28 was 63 months, which was significantly longer than the MST of 13 months for cases with an N/C of more than 0.28. After relatively noncurative hepatic resection, the MST for cases with an N/C of less than 0.28 was 49 months, and this was significantly longer than the MST of 8 months for cases with an N/C of more than 0.28. The MST was 71 months for cases with a coefficient of variance of the nuclear form factor (NCV) of less than 5.5%, which was significantly longer than the MST of 33 months for cases with an NCV of more than 5.5% (P < 0.05). In stage III disease, the MST was 69 months for cases with an NCV of less than 5.5%, and this was significantly longer than the MST of 29 months for cases with an NCV of more than 5.5% (P < 0.05). In cases with an N/C of less than 0.28, 18% had vascular invasion and 38% had intrahepatic metastases, whereas in those with an N/C of more than 0.28, 62% had vascular invasion and 67% had intrahepatic metastases (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Based on the results of these morphometric studies on HCC cases treated by hepatic resection, N/C and NCV may be useful as prognostic factors.