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Microsurgery is a demanding surgical skillset which requires attention to detail and repeated practice to succeed. Microsurgery courses around the globe allow students to learn through performing a variety of technical exercises. Microsurgery education dates back to the late 1960s with notable instructors, Harry J. Buncke and Robert Acland. Currently, many microsurgery courses are available that share commonalities, and some important structural differences have been demonstrated to differentially affect student progression and competence. Multiple available training programs as well as the advancement of supermicrosurgery training is listed and described.The microsurgery training course at Columbia University’s New York Presbyterian Irving Medical Center led by Drs. Ronsenwasser, Strauch and Akelina provides students with expert instruction through a punctilious training curriculum. By imparting these techniques to the students, trainees’s progression markedly improves relative to alternative microsurgery courses that do not incorporate expert instruction. The Covid-19 pandemic, has resulted in the development of a virtual microsurgery training program at the lab which focuses on building the foundation of basic skills for trainees unable to travel or receive adequate education.

Using the effective medium model, the complex permittivity of the ocular surface system in the THz frequency range is considered. The penetration depth of THz radiation and the sensitivity of the reflected component to the dynamics of evaporation of the tear film are discussed. The results of in vivo experiments aimed to determine the reflection coefficient of the ocular surface using continuous THz reflectometers are well described using the developed model.

This study was purposed to evaluate release of nickel and chromium ions and methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers from functional appliances and their possible health effects.Study design: Twin-block appliances and Bionators were immersed in artificial saliva and kept in a thermal incubator. Control group was established as artificial saliva without appliances. Artificial saliva was analysed after 7 days, 30 days and 90 days. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for detection of nickel and chromium ions and MMA monomers. MTT assays and cytokine array were performed.One way ANOVA with Tukey test and Dunnett's T3 for post-hoc analysis was used for evaluation of time-dependent changes and independent t-test was used for evaluation of MTT assay results.The results revealed that metal ions and MMA monomers are released from the appliances. Metal ion detection pattern was irregular and could not be analysed. Twin-block group showed significantly larger amount of MMA release. MTT assay revealed statistically significant but minimally reduced cellular activity on Bionator and twin-block groups compared to control groups. Cytokine array showed no or less inflammatory cytokine release on Bionator and twin-block groups.MMA monomer release was confirmed but the cytotoxic effect of functional appliance material release is minimal or negligible. General toxicity of the functional appliance from the MMA monomer release is likely to be minimal or negligible.

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWNTs) were extracted from SWNT mixtures using a flavin derivative (FC12). We evaluated the thermoelectric properties of the s-SWNT sheets. Electrical conductivity, power factor and figure of merit values of the sheets were increased by two orders of magnitude after removing FC12 simply by dipping in dichloromethane.

Objectives No randomized controlled trials have evaluated the comparative outcomes of cefazolin versus nafcillin for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteraemia. Methods A prospective observational cohort study including all S. aureus bacteraemia was conducted at 10 hospitals. Patients (≥15 years) with MSSA bacteraemia who received cefazolin or nafcillin as definitive antibiotics were included. The rates of treatment failure (premature discontinuation of antibiotics because of adverse effects, switching of antibiotics because of clinical failure, all-cause mortality within 1 month, or recurrence) were compared between the cefazolin and nafcillin groups. Propensity score matching analyses were performed to balance the factors influencing the selection of antibiotics. Results Among the 242 included cases, the bones and joints (36.8%) were the most common sites of infection and 60.7% of the patients had sepsis. The overall treatment failure rate was 43.8% (106/242). All-cause mortality within 1 month was 6.2% (15/242). After propensity score matching, the treatment failure rate of cefazolin was lower than that of nafcillin (30.4% (24/79) vs. 49.4% (39/79), p 0.015) because of a higher rate of discontinuation caused by adverse events. When the data were limited to patients with sepsis, the treatment failure rates of both groups were not significantly different. Approximately 22% (24/110) of MSSA isolates exhibited a cefazolin-inoculum effect (CIE) that had significant impact on the failure rate and mortality of the cefazolin group. Conclusions Cefazolin might be recommended as an adequate and better-tolerated treatment for MSSA bacteraemia in the absence of CIE.

BackgroundPatients who have residual invasive carcinoma after the receipt of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–negative breast cancer have poor prognoses. The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in these patients remains unclear. MethodsWe randomly assigned 910 patients with HER2-negative residual invasive breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (containing anthracycline, taxane, or both) to receive standard postsurgical treatment either with capecitabine or without (control). The primary end point was disease-free survival. Secondary end points included overall survival. ResultsThe result of the prespecified interim analysis met the primary end point, so this trial was terminated early. The final analysis showed that disease-free survival was longer in the capecitabine group than in the control group (74.1% vs. 67.6% of the patients were alive and free from recurrence or second cancer at 5 years; hazard ratio for recurrence, second cancer, or death, 0.70; 95% ...

This study investigated the incidence, progression and clinical course of myocardial injury-related snake envenomation in South Korea. In addition, this study evaluated whether antivenom guidelines are appropriate to control envenomation in patients with myocardial injury. The study included 198 patients who received antivenom after a snakebite, and they were divided into two groups according to evidence of myocardial injury (defined as elevated troponin I or ischemic change on electrocardiogram) at presentation. Data including serial troponin I, echocardiogram/coronary angiogram findings, the clinical course, and treatment were collected and analyzed. The incidence of myocardial injury at presentation was 15.2%. The troponin I level was 0.11 (0.07–0.56) ng/ml at presentation and tended to decrease over 24 h. Echocardiograms revealed neither regional wall motion abnormalities nor left ventricular dysfunction in 15 of 17 patients, while two patients showed signs of coronary artery stenosis on echocardiograms and coronary angiograms. However, compared with patients without myocardial injury, patients with myocardial injury had a higher frequency of systemic envenomation complications, including bleeding, respiratory failure, hypotension, acute kidney injury, thrombocytopenia and venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC). The patients with myocardial injury at presentation needed significantly more frequent and larger doses of antivenom than indicated by the initial severity of envenomation. Multivariate analysis showed that myocardial injury was associated with the need for additional antivenom administration after initial administration. Myocardial injury is not uncommon after snake envenomation in Korea. Although myocardial injury itself seems to be benign, the clinical course of patients with myocardial injury is complicated, and myocardial injury is associated with the need for additional antivenom administration. The optimal use of antivenom to control envenomation in patents with myocardial injury after snake envenomation in South Korea should be established.

Purpose We investigated whether the combination of irinotecan plus capecitabine improved progression free survival (PFS) compared with capecitabine alone in patients with HER2 negative MBC previously exposed to anthracyclines and taxanes. Patients and methods A total of 211 patients were randomly assigned to irinotecan (80mg/m2 on D1 and D8) and capecitabine (1,000mg/m2 bid on D1 to D14) or capecitabine alone (1,250mg/m2 bid on D1 to D14) every 3 weeks. The primary objective was PFS; secondary objectives included overall response rate, overall survival and safety. Results Both arms were well balanced in terms of age, hormone receptor status, visceral involvement, and number of previous treatment. There was no significant difference in PFS between the combination and capecitabine monotherapy arm (median, 6.6 vs. 5.3 months; HR=0.87; 95% CI, 0.65 to 1.16; P=0.33). In patients with triple negative breast cancer (N=87), the combination treatment significantly improved PFS (median, 4.8 vs. 2.8 months; HR=0.59 ; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.94; P=0.03). Overall response rate was higher in the combination arm though it did not reach statistical significance (42.7% vs. 29.6%, P=0.06). Overall survival did not differ between two groups (median, 2.2 vs. 1.7 years; P=0.47). Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia occurred in 39.6% in the combination arm and 10% in the monotherapy arm. Hand-foot syndrome (≥ grade 2) was more common in the monotherapy arm (23.0% vs. 12.6%). Table 1. Patient characteristics IX(N=111)X(N=100)p-valueAge (yr, median, range)50 (29-73)49 (30-80)0.47ECOG 0.80025 (22.5%)22 (22%) 185 (76.6%)76 (76%) 21 (0.9%)2 (2%) Pre-menopause28 (25.2%)29 (29%)0.64Post-menopause83 (74.8%)71 (71%) ER/PgR 0.16positive60 (54.1%)64 (64%) negative51 (45.9%)36 (36%) Adjuvant Chemotherapy86 (77.5%)72 (72%)0.43Adjuvant Endocrine46 (41.4%)39 (39%)0.78Visceral meta 1.0yes64 (57.7%)58 (58%) no47 (42.3%)42 (42%) Previous Chemotherapy 0.40012 (10.8%)12 (12%) 160 (54.1%)46 (46%) 232 (28.8%)34 (34%) 35 (4.5%)8 (8%) 42 (1.8%)0 IX, irinotecan plus capecitabine; X, capecitabine. Conclusions Irinotecan plus capecitabine did not demonstrate superior clinical activity in heavily treated HER2 negative MBC patients. The role of adding irinotecan to capecitabine in triple negative breast cancer remains to be elucidated. Citation Format: Park IH, Im S-A, Jung KH, Sohn JH, Park YH, Park K-H, Nam B-H, Kim JH, Kim H-J, Lee S, Kim T-Y, Lee K-H, Kim S-B, Lee KS, Ro J. The PROCEED trial KCSG BR11-01 phase III multicenter randomized open-label study of irinotecan plus capecitabine versus capecitabine in patients previously treated with anthracycline and taxane for HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-15-04.

In this study, nucleation and growth of bone-like hydroxyapatite (HAp) mineral in modified simulated body fluids (m-SBF) were induced on chitosan (CS) substrates, which were prepared by spin coating of chitosan on Ti substrate. The m-SBF showed a two fold increase in the concentrations of calcium and phosphate ions compared to SBF, and the post- NaOH treatment provided stabilization of the coatings. The calcium phosphate/chitosan composite prepared in m-SBF showed homogeneous distribution of approximately 350 nm-sized spherical clusters composed of octacalcium phosphate (OCP; Ca8H2(PO4)6·5H2O) crystalline structure. Chitosan provided a control over the size of calcium phosphate prepared by immersion in m-SBF, and post-NaOH treatment supported the binding of calcium phosphate compound on the Ti surface. Post-NaOH treatment increased hydrophilicity and crystallinity of carbonate apatite, which increased its potential for bio- medical application.

The efficacy of amoxicillin sodium for controlling field and experimental Streptococcus iniae and S. parauberis infections in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) was evaluated after a single intramuscular administration. Furthermore, the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against 21 Streptococcus strains were determined. In addition, the pharmacokinetics and residue depletion in olive flounder were investigated. Single intramuscular doses of amoxicillin sodium at 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg b.w. fish significantly reduced cumulative mortality rates to 18.8-31.3% (P 0.05) for S. iniae and to 5.0-15.0% (P 0.01) for S. parauberis, whereas the S. iniae- and S. parauberis-infected positive control groups showed cumulative mortality rates of 68.8% and 60.0%, respectively. In a S. parauberis outbreak, amoxicillin sodium reduced the cumulative mortality rate to 7.5% and 4.8% at 20 and 40 mg/kg b.w. fish, respectively, whereas that of the untreated control group was 35.2%. Peak plasma concentrations (C

Recently, laminated rubber bearings are widely used as seismic isolators for road bridges. Although many studies have been conducted on the dynamic model of High Damping Rubber (HDR) bearings, few models can reflect phenomena such as the dependency of experienced shear strain on initial history. To develop a model that can represent the dependency of the experienced shear strain of HDR and a dynamic loading test was conducted using HDR specimens. The hysteresis characteristics of HDR was measured by applying a horizontal vibration using a hybrid actuator under a constant vertical load. Based on the cyclic shear test, the mechanical properties of HDR were calculated such as absorbed energy, hysteresis loop area, equivalent stiffness, equivalent damping ratio. Dynamic analysis was also performed from the experimental results. The dynamic model applied in program analysis is a bilinear type double-target model. This model can express the nonlinear characteristics related to the initial history of HDR bearings. The parameters required for dynamic analysis were determined from the experimental results. Through this dynamic analysis, the effectiveness of the bilinear type double target model was verified. In this research, a high damping rubber specimen was used.

Summary Aim The purpose of this study was to examine the association between breakfast consumption patterns and physical fitness variables based on a nationwide study in Korea focused on non-elderly and elderly adults. Methods A total of 2798 adults (men = 1662, women = 1136; aged 20–64 years) and 625 elderly people (men = 263, women = 362; aged over 65 years) participated in The Survey of National Physical Fitness in 2015, conducted by the Korea Institute of Sport Science and Korea Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The breakfast consumption pattern was collected via the self-report survey. Physical fitness variables in the adult group (grip strength, sit-ups, standing long jump, 50 m dash, sit-and-reach, and 20 m shuttle-run) and the elderly group (grip strength, sit-ups, sit-to-stand, sit-and-reach, back scratch, one-leg standing with eyes open, and six-minute walk) were directly measured. The association between breakfast consumption patterns and physical fitness variables were then evaluated by conducting one-way analysis of variance and post-hoc testing of Tukey. Results and conclusion Adult men showed significant differences in sit-ups (P = 0.043), standing long jump (P = 0.005), 50 m dash (P = 0.008), and sit-and-reach (P = 0.047) among the four breakfast pattern groups. Adult women showed significant differences in sit-ups (P = 0.018), standing long jump (P = 0.007), and 50 m dash (P = 0.044). However, both elderly men and women showed no significant differences in all physical fitness variables (P > 0.05). In Korean adults, the physical fitness variables, sit-ups (muscular endurance), standing long jump (power), and 50 m dash (speed), could be differentiated based on breakfast consumption patterns. However, in the elderly population, physical fitness variables showed no significant differences based on breakfast consumption patterns.

Among many cast irons, compacted graphite iron (CGI) has recently been gaining more attention due to its superior mechanical properties over the currently more popular flake graphite iron (FGI), aka gray cast iron. However, the poor machinability has prevented CGI to be used in a wider range of potential applications. The resulting tool life difference between FGI and CGI is staggeringly different to be simply explained by the difference in their physical properties. In particular, the excellent machinability of FGI is claimed to be due to the presence of the MnS layer at the interface between cubic boron nitride (cBN) inserts and FGI at high cutting speed. This paper presents the results of our experimental investigation in an attempt to explain the tool wear difference between FGI and CGI while reexamining the formation of such layers. Straight turning experiments were performed with both FGI and CGI with various cBN inserts in dry condition at high cutting speeds (mostly >400 m/min). The flank and crater surfaces of the inserts during turning experiments were investigated and the difference in both flank and crater wear among various cBN inserts are reported as a function of cutting speed. When turning FGI, speckles of MnS, not as a layer, were present based on our EDS/SEM measurement on the cBN inserts, mainly from the MnS inclusions in FGI smearing on the cBN inserts. However, the total area of MnS speckles did not increase as the turning process continues, questioning the formation of the extensive MnS layer protecting the inserts. When turning CGIs, both Mn and S were present individually, not as MnS, on the cBN inserts. Intriguingly, instead of MnS layer, the extensive Al2O3 layer is formed on the rake side on the certain grades of cBN inserts with the Al2O3 binder phase when cutting at high cutting speeds, which functions as the solubility barrier for certain grades of cBN inserts. The crucial difference between FGI and CGI is that the Al2O3 layer is not only larger in coverage but also significantly more stable after turning FGI. Therefore, the tool wear difference between FGI and CGI mainly comes from the formation of the stable Al2O3 layer on the cBN inserts with Al2O3 binder phase when turning FGI. A few additional mechanisms are introduced to make the complete argument behind the remarkable difference in tool wear.

In this paper, we propose an asymmetric split-loop resonator with an outer square loop (ASLR-OSL) based on vanadium dioxide (VO

Selective reduction of Cu from aqueous solutions containing Ni and Fe to produce Cu powders was investigated through hydrogen gas reduction. The reduction kinetics was found to depend on temperature, hydrogen gas pressure as well as trace amount of iron. Under optimum precipitation condition (solution pH: 3.5, temperature: 180 °C, time: 90 min., and hydrogen pressure: 30 kg/cm 2 ), copper powders (purity > 99.9%) was obtained with more than 99% precipitation efficiency. The SEM images revealed that the precipitated Cu particles have irregular shapes at lower precipitation temperatures, while spherical Cu particles form at higher reduction temperature. Addition of a surfactant modified the morphology of copper powders and also prevented their coating on the reactor's surface. Precipitated Cu powders are fine sized (more than 80% particles below 45 μm) and have lose and green densities of 3.28 g/cm 3 and 8.45 g/cm 3 , respectively.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the immunomodulating property of Polygonum multiflorum extracts using various in vitro and in vivo tests. In this study, Polygonum multiflorum extracts were shown to exhibit immunomodulating activities such as cytokine production in normal rat splenocyte and cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression model. The immunostimulant effects of Polygonum multiflorum extracts were further tested for various immunological markers. Polygonum multiflorum extracts significantly enhanced cytokines production activity in rat splenocyte. Consistently oral administration of Polygonum multiflorum extracts enhanced blood cytokine production and ameliorated spleen damage in cyclophosphamide immunosuppressed rat. In conclusion, the present investigation revealed that Polygonum multiflorum extracts possessed immunomodulating and immunostimulating properties.

H3N2, H5N1 and H5N8 virus were wide-spread epidemic in South Korea. Especially in 2014 Korea, the serious outbreak of avian influenza caused by H5N8 took place, effecting not only birds but also dogs. Antibody of H5N8 virus was found on a dog which differentiated the virus from existing H3N2 canine virus. At this point, we wanted to find out why H5N8 was self-medicated in dogs and whether H5N8 would cross species boundaries and be fatal to dogs or other species. While H5N1 is avian influenza like H5N8, many cases of fatal infections among dogs caused by H5N1 have been reported. Another kind of avian influenza, H3N2 is most common type of canine influenza in Asia. With the use of decision tree and apriori algorithm, we could find out characteristics of H5N8 by comparing it with H5N1 and H3N2.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a ceramide-containing dressing (Remois Pad®) on preventing pressure ulcers. Method: A total of 32 patients (64 samples) with a Braden Scale score of 16 or less in intensive care units were enrolled to have the dressing applied for an experimental bilateral comparison study. The dressing was randomly applied to the right or left greater trochanter for 7 days. Incidence of nonblanching erythema and the water-holding capacity of the skin were measured on the third day and seventh day after intervention. Results: On the third day after intervention, nonblanching erythema was not apparent in either the experimental or the control groups. On the seventh day, one (3.3%) and four (13.3%) cases of nonblanching erythema were observed in the experimental group and the control group, respectively; however, the difference was not statistically significant. The water-retaining capacity of the skin on the third and seventh days after the intervention was significantly higher than that of the control group. Conclusion: The data collected from this study gave no evidence that a ceramide-containing dressing had an effect on preventing pressure ulcers in the greater trochanter area. Declaration of interest: There were no external sources of funding for this study. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Purpose To evaluate clinical characteristics and outcomes of community-onset acute pyelonephritis (APN) caused by Escherichia coli in elderly patients. Patients/methods Cases of adult patients with community-onset APN caused by E. coli were collected from 10 referral centres in Korea from November 2006 to August 2007. Demographic, clinical and microbiological data were analysed. Results Diabetes mellitus (38% vs 23%, P =0.036), chills (83% vs 66%, P =0.015), gastrointestinal symptoms (55% vs 34%, P =0.008), altered mental status on admission (21% vs 9%, P =0.032), acute renal failure (17% vs 3%, P =0.004) and concomitant bacteraemia (34% vs 17%, P =0.015) were more frequently observed in patients aged≥65years compared with those aged P =0.008) and age of≥65years (OR=2.34, 95% CI=1.05–5.19, P =0.037) were significantly related to a longer duration of hospital stay (≥5days). Conclusion Elderly patients with APN have a higher frequency of atypical manifestations, such as gastrointestinal symptoms, altered mental status and longer durations of hospital stays. Age was independently associated with longer duration of hospital stays among patients with APN. Careful diagnosis and appropriate treatment are crucial in the management of elderly patients with APN.

Background DHP107 is a novel oral formulation composed of lipid based components and paclitaxel. DHP107 showed efficacy and safety comparable to IV paclitaxel in patients (pts) with AGC {Ann Oncol 2018}. DHP 107 was approved for marketing in 2016 for gastric cancer in Korea as first oral paclitaxel in the world. Another phase II clinical trial of DHP107 for PKs in breast cancer is ongoing in USA. Methods This trial is conducted using Simon’s optimal two stage design, and planned to proceed to stage 2, if ≥ 2 of 9 pts showed objective response in stage 1. DHP107 is considered adequately effective to proceed into phase III trial if ≥ 9 of 34 showed PR in stage 2. Subjects are eligible for the study regardless lines of endocrine therapy. Pts are administrated with DHP107 (200mg/m2 po bid D1, 8 & 15 q4wks) and response evaluation (RECIST v1.1) was done every 8wks (±1w). The primary tumor assessment was done by investigator’s review (IR). Independent central review (ICR) was followed for sensitivity analysis. Primary endpoint is objective response rate (ORR) and secondary endpoints are progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR) and safety. Results Total 36 subjects (including 11 TNBC pts) were enrolled during Dec 2017 until Oct 2018. Per Protocol set (PPS) was composed of 33 pts and 14 pts are still on treatment. Safety Analysis set (SAS) included 36 pts. ORR was 48.5% (CR 0%; PR 48.5%) by the IR vs 36.4% (CR 0%; PR 36.4%) by ICR. DCR was similar between the investigator’s decision (90.9%) and ICR (84.9%). Most common adverse events (AEs) were neutropenia; Gr. 3/4 Neutropenia (75%), Anemia (16.7%) and Peripheral neuropathy (5.6%). There were 2 SAEs related to Gr. 3/4 neutropenia without fever. One patient discontinued due to Gr 3 peripheral neurotoxicity. There was no treatment-related toxic death. Conclusions Based on confirmed PR (n = 16/33, 48.5%), DHP107 demonstrated adequate efficacy with manageable toxicity in the first line HER2 negative recurrent/metastatic breast cancer patients. Phase III trial in breast cancer is ongoing in Korea and China. Legal entity responsible for the study Daehwa Pharmaceuticals. Co. Ltd. Funding Daehwa Pharmaceuticals. Co. Ltd. Disclosure K.S. Lee: Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer; Advisory / Consultancy: Norvatis; Advisory / Consultancy: Lilly; Research grant / Funding (institution): Dong-A pharm. K. Lee: Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Consulting role & Lecture fee: AstraZeneca; Advisory / Consultancy, Lecture fee: Bayer; Advisory / Consultancy, Lecture fee: Eisai; Advisory / Consultancy, Lecture fee: Ono Pharmaceuticals; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Consulting role & Lecture fee: Roche; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Lecture fee: Eli Lilly; Advisory / Consultancy, Lecture fee: Samsung Bioepis. J. Sohn: Research grant / Funding (institution): MSD; Research grant / Funding (institution): Roche; Research grant / Funding (institution): Norvatis; Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca; Research grant / Funding (institution): Lilly; Research grant / Funding (institution): Pfizer; Research grant / Funding (institution): Bayer; Research grant / Funding (institution): GSK; Research grant / Funding (institution): CONTESSA; Research grant / Funding (institution): Diichi Sankyo. S. Kim: Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Research grant / Funding (institution): Sanofi-Genzyme; Research grant / Funding (institution): Dongkook. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

The location of commercial spaces in multistory buildings affects their values. We developed a three-level mixed-effects spatial hedonic model in which the nested structure of individual commercial units in multistory buildings is explicitly taken into account in the price determination process. The proposed modeling framework is intuitive and flexible from both substantive and technical perspectives, as evidenced by its diverse extensions to accommodate both the spatial autocorrelation and the complex heteroscedasticity inherent in property values. A unique data set based on the assessed values of commercial properties and officetels, collected by the National Tax Service of Korea in 2012, is merged with structural and location information on buildings for a case study. We found both the floor level and building effects are important factors when valuing commercial units in multistory buildings. We show that model fit is significantly affected if the spatial autocorrelation at the individual level is not included in hedonic price models.

Background: This phase II neoadjuvant trial evaluated bevacizumab–docetaxel and carboplatin in triple-negative breast cancer. Patients and methods: Women with hormone receptor- and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)negative, stage II/III breast cancer received six cycles of 75 mg/m 2 docetaxel, carboplatin (AUC = 5) and 15 mg/kg bevacizumab every 21 days. The primary end point was pathological complete response (pCR) in breasts and axillary lymph nodes (ALN). Results: Forty-five patients were recruited from the Korean Cancer Study Group. The median age was 45 (range 30–72) years. ALNs were positive in 80% of patients (n = 36) at diagnosis. Overall, 98% of patients (n= 44) completed therapy and underwent surgery. The pCR rate was 42% (n= 19); clinical response rate 96% (n = 43); complete 13% (n= 6); partial 82% (n = 37); stable disease 2% (n= 1). Breast-conserving surgery was undertaken in 78% of patients (n= 35). Most frequent grade 3/4 adverse events were neutropenia (84%, n= 38) and febrile neutropenia (9%, n= 4). One patient experienced delayed wound healing after surgery. Conclusions: Neoadjuvant bevacizumab, docetaxel and carboplatin resulted in an encouraging pCR rate and negligible wound healing problems after surgery.

The low-frequency noise (LFN) characteristics of triple-gate MOSFET with various fin widths are shown to exhibit 1/f type dependence. We show that LFN is generated by two parallel mechanisms, involving (i) the carrier number fluctuations due to trapping/release phenomena on the near-interface traps and (ii) the carrier mobility fluctuations in the channel. The relative contribution of each mechanism to LFN depends on the biasing conditions and varies with the fin width. The region of dominance of model (i) can be used for extracting the effective trap density, N"t, which decreases as the fin becomes thinner. That is attributed to the carrier confinement in the central part of the transistor body, due to the volume inversion. The volume inversion effect is confirmed by independent measurements of low-field mobility, shown to be enhanced with the reduction of the fin width. The model (ii) contributes to LFN, only at small current values as it exhibits a power spectral density dependence varying as 1/I"d. Random telegraph noise is manifested in small volume devices.

배경 : 삼중음성유방암은 비삼중음성유방암군에 비해 조기라 해도 더 나쁜 예후를 보이는 걸로 알려져 있다. 따라서 삼중음성유방암의 초기 치료를 위해서 정확한 예후인자를 찾는 것이 중요하다. 본 연구에서는, T1-2 림프절 음성인 삼중음성유방암의 나쁜 예후와 관련된 예후인자를 찾아 보고자 하였다. 방법 : 1995년부터 2006년까지 고려대학교 의료원 안암병원에서 유방암으로 근치절제술을 시행받은 환자 중 림프절 전이나 원격전이가 없는 환자를 대상으로 하였다. 이 중에서 호르몬 수용체 및 HER2 수용체 여부에 대한 기록이 있는 환자들만을 포함시켰다. 의무기록의 후향적 분석을 통해 삼중음성유방암 및 비삼중음 성유방암 환자들의 임상병리적 특징이 분석되었다. 결과 : 79명 (22.9%) 의 환자들이 삼중음성유방암군으로 분류되었다. 삼중음성유방암군에서 p53 양성 환자군에서 p53 음성 환자군보다 더 낮은 무병생존율을 보였다 (p=0.028). 다변량 회귀분석에서는 35세 이하의 낮은 연령이 삼중음성유방암과 관련된 독립적인 예후인자로 나타났으며, Ki-67은 단변량 회귀분석에서 삼중음성유방암과 통계적으로 유의하게 관련성을 보였다. 결론 : 본 연구에서, T1-2 림프절 음성인 삼중음성유방암에서 연령은 독립적인 예후인자이고 어릴수록 나쁜 예후와 연관됨을 알 수 있었고, Ki-67 은 통계적으로 증명되지는 않았지만, 삼중음성유방암의 예후인자가 될 수 있을 것으로 생각된다.

Thulium-doped Lu2O3 nanocrystals with $\mathit{Ia}\overline{3}$ cubic phase and mean grain size of 17 nm were synthesized by using a modified Pechini method. Their spectroscopic properties have been characterized by Raman, optical absorption, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence spectroscopies at low and room temperatures, with emphasis on blue and infrared emissions. The reduction of the crystal size induces an increase of the optical line widths and new non-radiative de-excitation paths ascribed to a surface effect.

The chemical states of Fe-oxide films deposited on Pt(110) surfaces were investigated by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The films were prepared by exposing 4or 6-monolayer (ML) Fe films pre-deposited on the substrates to oxygen. After a 300-Langmuir oxygen exposure at room temperature, the films were observed to be partially oxidized as a mixture of FeO and Fe3O4 phases, and the relative amount of the Fe3O4 phase was larger for the 6-ML Fe film than for the 4-ML film. Upon post-annealing, the oxides decomposed into Fe atoms and desorbing O2 molecules, and the former interdiffused into the substrate at temperatures higher than 700 K.

SOI technology offers ample room for scaling, performance improvement, and innovations. The current status is reviewed by focusing on several technological options for boosting the transport properties in SOI MOSFETs. The impact of series resistance, high-K dielectrics, and metal gate in advanced transistors is discussed. Carrier mobility measurements as a function of channel length and temperature reveal the beneficial effect of strain, mitigated however by various types of defects. The experimental data is exclusively collected from state-of-the-art, ultrathin body, fully depleted MOSFETs. Simple models are presented to clarify the mobility behavior.

This study investigated the effects of repeated starvation and feeding on the performance of a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) used for treating saline wastewater. The effects of aerobic and non-aerobic conditions on the sludge during starvation were evaluated to recover the performance of the SBR in terms of floc size and pollutant removal after resuming wastewater feeding. The floc size, fractal dimension, sludge volume index (SVI), specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR), and pollutant removal efficiency were monitored. Experiment results revealed that the floc size and fractal dimensions decreased during starvation under both aerobic and non-aerobic conditions and increased after re-feeding wastewater. However, the difference in floc physical characteristics and performance depended on the starvation condition and was pronounced as starvation and re-feeding were repeated. The floc size and fractal dimensions decreased from 152.7 to 72.2 and 1.98 to 1.79 at the end of the fourth starvation period, resulting in deterioration of the sludge settleability and effluent quality. On the other hand, the floc size and fractal dimensions decreased from 158.7 to 135.7 and 1.95 to 1.81 at the end of the fourth starvation period but remained relatively constant after sludge adaptation. Some correlations were observed between the parameters monitored in this study. The results showed that maintaining the sludge under non-aerobic conditions was an effective strategy for reducing the effects of repeated starvation.

The middle segment of the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC) consists mainly of metamorphosed Archean Dantazi Complex, Paleoproterozoic Hongqiyingzi Complex and unmetamorphosed gabbro-anorthosite-meta-alkaline granite, as well as metamorphosed Late Paleozoic mafic to granitoid rocks in the Damiao-Changshaoying area. The ~2.49 Ga Dantazi Complex comprises dioritic-trondhjemitic-granodoritic-monzogranitic gneisses metamorphosed in amphibolite to granulite facies. Petrochemical characteristics reveal that most of the rocks belong to a medium- to high-potassium calc-alkaline series, and display Mg # less than 40, right-declined REE patterns with no to obviously positive Eu anomalies, evidently negative Th, Nb, Ta and Ti anomalies in primitive mantle- normalized spider diagrams, eNd(t)=+0.65 to −0.03, and depleted mantle model ages TDM=2.78−2.71 Ga. Study in petrogenesis indicates that the rocks were formed from magmatic mixing between mafic magma from the depleted mantle and granitoid magma from partial melting of recycled crustal mafic rocks in a continental margin setting. The 2.44−2.41 Ga Hongqiyingzi Complex is dominated by metamorphic mafic-granodioritic-monzogranitic gneisses, displaying similar petrochemical features to the Dantazi Complex, namely medium to high potassium calc-alkaline series, and the mafic rocks show evident change in LILEs, negative Th, Nb, Ta, Zr anomalies and positive P anomalies. And the other granitiod samples also exhibit negative Th, Nb, Ta, P and Ti anomalies. All rocks in the Hongqiyingzi Complex show right-declined REE patterns without Eu anomaly. The metamorphic mafic rocks with eNd(t) = −1.64 may not be an identical magmatic evolution series with granitoids that have eNd(t) values of +3.19 to +1.94 and TDM ages of 2.55−2.52 Ga. These granitic rocks originated from hybrid between mafic magma from the depleted mantle and magma from partial melting of juvenile crustal mafic rocks in an island arc setting. All the ~311 Ma Late Paleozoic metamorphic mafic rocks and related granitic rocks show a medium-potassium calc-alkaline magmatic evolution series, characterized by high Mg # , obviously negative Th, Nb, Ta anomalies and positive Sr anomalies, from no to strongly negative Ti anomalies and flat REE patterns with eNd(t) = +8.42, implying that the mafic magma was derived from the depleted mantle. However the other granitic rocks are characterized by right-declined REE patterns with no to evidently positive Eu anomalies, significantly low eNd(t) = −13.37 to −14.04, and TDM=1.97−1.96 Ga, revealing that the granitoid magma was derived from hybrid between mafic magma that came from ~311 Ma depleted mantle and granitoid magma from Archean to Early Paleoproterozoic ancient crustal recycling. The geochemistry and Nd isotopic characteristics as well as the above geological and geochronological results indicate that the middle segment of the northern margin of the NCC mainly experienced four crustal growth episodes from Archean to Late Paleozoic, which were dominated by three continental marginal arc accretions (~2.49, ~2.44 and 311 Ma), except the 1.76−1.68 Ga episode related to post-collisional extension, revealing that the crustal accretion of this segment was chiefly generated from arc accretion and amalgamation to the NCC continental block.

The Guandishan granitoids consist mainly of various granitoid intrusions with different scales, including the Huijiazhuang intrusion, Shizhuang intrusion and Hengjian intrusion, which were formed between 1906 Ma and 1848 Ma. On the basis of geological and petrological characteristics, these granitoids can be classified into two groups: the earlier gneissic granodiorites and monzogranites, and the later massive leuco-monzogranites. Their geochemical and Nd isotopic features indicate that they could be derived from complicated partial melting of supracrustal rocks with an affinity of continental arc materials, such as sandy shale and pelite, and with garnet, pyroxene, hornblende and plagioclase as residual phases. Biotite, feldspar and other minerals were most likely fractionated during the magma evolution. Their source may have an affinity with continental arcs, and the granitoids could be derived from the main syn-collisional to late-orogenic tectonic environment, which may be related to the final amalgamation between the Eastern and Western continental blocks in the North China Craton.

Neoarchean metamorphic mafic rocks in the lower and the middle Wutai Complex mainly comprise metamorphic gabbros, amphibolites and chlorite schists. They can be subdivided into three groups according to chondrite normalized REE patterns. Rocks in Group #1 are characterized by nearly flat REE patterns (Lan/Ybn=0.86−1.3), the lowest total REEs (29−52 ppm), and weak negative to positive Eu anomalies (Eun/Eun * =0.84−1.02), nearly flat primitive mantle normalized patterns and strong negative Zr(Hf) anomalies. Their geochemical characteristics in REEs and trace elements are similar to those of ocean plateau tholeiite, which imply that this group of rocks can represent remnants of Archean oceanic crust derived from a mantle plume. Rocks in Group #2 are characterized by moderate total REEs (34−116 ppm), LREE-enriched (Lan/Ybn=1.76−4.34) chondrite normalized REE patterns with weak Eu anomalies (Eun/Eun * =0.76−1.16), and negative Nb, Ta, Zr(Hf), Ti anomalies in the primitive mantle normalized spider diagram. The REE and trace element characteristics indicate that they represent arc magmas originating from a sub-arc mantle wedge metasomatized by slab- derived fluids. Rocks in Group #3 are characterized by the highest total REEs (61−192 ppm), the strongest LREEs enrichment (Lan/Ybn=7.12−16) with slightly negative Eu anomalies (Eun/ Eun * =0.81−0.95) in the chondrite normalized diagram. In the primitive mantle normalized diagram, these rocks are characterized by large negative anomalies in Nb, Ta, Ti, negative to no Zr anomalies. They represent arc magmas originating from a sub-arc mantle wedge enriched in slab-derived melts. The three groups of rocks imply that the formation of the Neoarchean Wutai Complex is related to mantle plumes and island-arc interaction.

This journal suppl. entitled: Abstracts of the 26th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Rome, Italy, 27-30 June 2010

Jo HY, Park M-G, Kim D-S, Nam S-O, Park K-H. Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy in children: characterized by subacute, predominantly motor dominant polyeuropathy with a favorable response to the treatment. Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 121: 342–347. © 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard. Objectives – Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy (CIDP) is less well-studied in children than in adults, probably due to its relative rarity. This study was performed in order to characterize the clinical features of CIDP in children. Materials and methods – Twenty-eight patients with CIDP who were followed up for more than 1 year were included, and were divided into a child (n = 7, age

The goal of this study was to investigate how spectrographic features of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in rats vary among individuals and behaviors. Eighteen pairs of rats were allocated to individual pair cages. Each pair's behaviors and vocalizations were recorded during the 900s a known cage-mate was returning to the cage. The effects of individuals, behaviors, and the interaction between individuals and behaviors (individuals×behaviors) were tested on the duration and peak frequencies. There was difference in the duration and peak frequency: i) among individuals (p

The leaching of a complex matte in chlorine and chloride media was studied. The matte was prepared from manganese nodules by the reduction smelting-sulfidation route. From XRD analysis, the major phases of the matte were identified as CuFeS2, CuS2, (FeNi)9S8, (FeNi)S2, Ni9S8, Ni3S2, (CoFeNi)9S8 and Co metal. Investigated were the chlorine, hydrochloric acid, hydrochloric acid-oxygen, ferric chloride, ferric chloride-oxygen, cupric chloride and cupric chloride-oxygen systems. The results are discussed in terms of reagent concentration retention time, leach temperature and gas sparging rate. The chlorination process resulted >99% metal extraction efficiency within a short retention time and at atmospheric temperature. However, there were no preferential extractions of Cu, Ni and Co with respect to Fe. The cupric chloride-oxygen system produced leach liquors with the lowest Fe content and with a high base-metal extraction. Sulfide sulfur was converted to mixtures of elemental sulfur and sulfate in all the studied systems.

The possibility of using 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol dissolved in tetrachloromethane as extractant for boron recovery is discussed. The parameters optimized for this purpose are contact time, boron concentration in the aqueous phase, extractant concentration, equilibrium pH and phase ratio. NaOH is used as stripping agent for boron recovery from the loaded organic phase. Boron extraction is found to be a slow process (equilibrium time 20 minutes) compared to boron stripping, which is reasonably fast (equilibrium time 5 min). Maximum boron extraction is possible at a broad pH range from 1.0 to 6.0. Using 1.0M extractant concentration, a 1:1 phase ratio (organic: aqueous) and two stages, ~99% boron extraction is achieved. More than 97% boron stripping is possible using 0.5M NaOH at a 1:1 (organic: aqueous) phase ratio in two stages. Overall, a 95.6% boron recovery was achieved. Loss of solvent into the aqueous phase and co-extraction of Ca, Na and K into the organic phase at higher equilibrium pH are two major concerns in his process.

Extraction of Al(III) from aqueous sulfuric acid solutions into organic Cyanex 272®-carbon tetrachloride systems was investigated from a multi-component mixture containing aluminum, cobalt and nickel Al(III) extraction efficiency was quantitative with 1.0 M Cyanex 272® in two stages at an aqueous:organic (A.O) phase ratio of 1:1 and an equilibrium pH of 3.2. The stripping of Al(III) from the loaded organic (LO) with different acids indicated sulfuric acid to be the best stripping agent. More than 99% stripping of Al(III) from the LO was achieved using 2 M H2SO4 at an A:O phase ratio of 1:1 in a single stage. The stoichiometry of the extracted species of Al(III) was determined by the slope analysis method. The extraction reaction proceeded via the cation exchange mechanism and the extracted species was assumed to be AlA3·3HA, where HA refers to the dimeric and A the anionic form of the extractante, Cyanex 272®. The extraction of Al(III) was studied in the presence of various ions to ascertain the tolerance limit of individual ions.

This paper describes studies on the recovery of metals from spent hydro-processing catalyst using mixed acidophilic culture in presence of pyrite. This culture was initially grown in the 9K- medium (absence of 9 g/L Fe(II)) where ferrous sulphate (FeSO4) was replaced by pyrite, and then applied in this bioleaching study. Bacterial action on pyrite catalysed the formation of ferric ion (Fe+3), proton (H+) and sulphate ions (SO4-2) in the solution which leached metals (Ni, Mo and V) from the spent catalyst. Experiments were conducted by varying the reaction time, amount of spent catalyst and pyrite, and temperature. After 7 days with 30 g/L of spent catalyst and 50 g/L of pyrite, the leaching of Ni, V and Mo into the solution was 85, 92 and 26%, respectively. With increasing spent catalyst loading, the extent of metal dissolution was decreased, probably due to the precipitation of Fe+3 as a residue. Under all conditions tested, Mo showed recovery due to its precipitation with leach residues as MoO3 observed by applying EDAX and XRD techniques to the leach residues.

This paper describes the result of overall studies from development to characterization of undulator radiation. After three years of upgrading, PLS-II [1, 2] has been operating successfully since 21st March 2012. During the upgrade, we developed and installed an in-vacuum undulator (IVU) that generates brilliant X-ray beam. The IVU with 3 GeV electron beam generates undulator radiation up to ~ 21 keV using 11th higher harmonic. The characterizations of the undulator radiation at an X-ray beam line in PLS-II agreed well with the simulation. Based on this performance demonstration, the in-vacuum undulator is successfully operating at PLS-II., Comment: ICABU2015 conference (in Korea)

The aim of this study was to investigate the bioavailability of Allium hookeri root extracts and evaluate its beneficial effects on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress in cultured H9C2 cardiomyocytes. After H9C2 cardiomyocytes were treated with the AHE, a substantial decrease in the H2O2-induced cytotoxicity was observed in a dose dependent manner. These results suggest that AHE has beneficial effects on cardiac dysfunction which can be used as a valuable supplement in the health-care products.