Search

Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine whether breast cancer subtype can affect locoregional recurrence (LRR) and ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and breast-conserving therapy (BCT). Materials and Methods We evaluated 335 consecutive patients with clinical stage II-III breast cancer who received NAC plus BCT from 2002 to 2009. Patients were classified according to six molecular subtypes: luminal A (hormone receptor [HR]+/HER2–/Ki-67 < 15%, n=113), luminal B1 (HR+/HER2–/Ki-67 ≥ 15%, n=33), luminal B2 (HR+/HER2+, n=83), HER2 with trastuzumab (HER2[T+]) (HR–/HER2+/use of trastuzumab, n=14), HER2 without trastuzumab (HER2[T–]) (HR–/HER2+, n=31), and triple negative (TN) (HR–/HER2–, n=61). Results After a median follow-up period of 7.2 years, 26 IBTRs and 37 LRRs occurred. The 5-year LRR-free survival rates were luminal A, 96.4%; B1, 93.9%; B2, 90.3%; HER2(T+), 92.9%; HER2(T–), 78.3%; and TN, 79.6%. The 5-year IBTR-free survival rates were luminal A, 97.2%; B1, 93.9%; B2, 92.8%; HER2(T+), 92.9%; HER2(T–), 89.1%; and TN, 84.6%. In multivariate analysis, HER2(T–) (IBTR: hazard ratio, 4.2; p=0.04 and LRR: hazard ratio, 7.6; p < 0.01) and TN subtypes (IBTR: hazard ratio, 6.9; p=0.01 and LRR: hazard ratio, 8.1; p < 0.01) were associated with higher IBTR and LRR rates. A pathologic complete response (pCR) was found to show correlation with better LRR and a tendency toward improved IBTR controls in TN patients (IBTR, p=0.07; LRR, p=0.03). Conclusion The TN and HER2(T–) subtypes predict higher rates of IBTR and LRR after NAC and BCT. A pCR is predictive of improved IBTR or LRR in TN subtype.

The thermal behavior of silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) was investigated for the preparation of silicon thin film using a solution process. TEM analysis of Si NPs, synthesized by inductively coupled plasma, revealed that the micro-structure of the Si NPs was amorphous and that the Si NPs had melted and merged at a comparatively low temperature (~750 °C) considering bulk melting temperature of silicon (1414 °C). A silicon ink solution was prepared by dispersing amorphous Si NPs in propylene glycol (PG). It was then coated onto a silicon wafer and a quartz plate to form a thin film. These films were annealed in a vacuum or in an N₂ environment to increase their film density. N2 annealing at 800 °C and 1000 °C induced the crystallization of the amorphous thin film. An elemental analysis by the SIMS depth profile showed that N₂annealing at 1000 °C for 180 min drastically reduced the concentrations of carbon and oxygen inside the silicon thin film. These results indicate that silicon ink prepared using amorphous Si NPs in PG can serve as a proper means of preparing silicon thin film via solution process.

Radio based train control system performs train safe interval control by receiving in realtime the position information of trains driving in the control area of the wayside system and providing onboard system in each train with updated movement authority. The performance of the train control system is evaluated to calculate the minimum operation headway, which reflects the operation characteristics and the characteristics of the train as well as the interval control performance of the train control system. In this paper, we propose the operation headway calculation for radio based train control system and a new train interval control algorithm to improve the operation headway. The proposed headway calculation defines line headway and station headway by the estimation the safety margin distance reflecting the performance of the train control system. Furthermore the proposed Enhanced Train Interval Control(ETIC) algorithm defines a new movement authority including both distance and speed, and improves the train operation headway by using braking distance occurring inevitably in the preceding train. The proposed operation headway calculation is simulated with Korean Radio-based Train Control System(KRTCS) and the simulated result is compared to improved train interval control algorithm. According to the simulated results, the proposed operation headway calculation can be used as performance indicator for radio based train control system, and the improved train control algorithm can improve the line and station headway of the conventional radio based train control system.

Practical difficulty in the HDDR (hydrogenation disproportionation desorption recombination) processing of Nd-Fe-B-type alloy is a poor reproducibility of coercivity of the HDDR-treated material. In an attempt to improve the reproducibility of coercivity of the HDDR-treated Nd12.5Fe80.6B6.4Ga0.3Nb0.2 alloy, the hydrogen decrepitation was carefully controlled so as to induce more extensive micro-cracks in the particle. Prior to the hydrogenation and disproportionation reaction of HDDR processing, an additional hydrogen degassing was carried out at an elevated temperature of 600 C under vacuum for the previously hydrogen decrepitated particle. During the additional hydrogen degassing the lattice of hydrogen absorbed Nd2Fe14B phase was further shrunken, hence more microcracks were introduced in the particle due to its brittle nature. Particles with more micro-cracks had more homogeneous hydrogen absorption and desorption reaction during the HDDR-treatment. The improved reproducibility of coercivity of the HDDR-treated material was attributed to the improved homogeneity of the HDDR reactions due to the presence of more micro-cracks.

본 연구는 약용식물인 적하수오의 부정근과 생리활성물질 대량생산을 위해 생물반응기 배양 조건을 확립하고자 실시되었다. 이를 위하여 생물반응기 배양 시 배지 내 무기물 함량과, auxin의 종류와 농도, sucrose 농도가 적하수오 부정근의 생장과 총 phenolics와 flavonoids 함량에 미치는 영향을 조사하였으며, 배양 중 methyl jasmonate (MeJA)와 salicylic acid (SA)의 첨가가 생리활성물질 축적에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 그 결과 $9.84{\mu}M$ IBA와 50 g/L sucrose가 첨가된 1배 MS배지에서 최적의 부정근 생장이 이루어졌으며 생리활성물질 축적도 가장 높았다. MeJA와 SA 처리시 적하수오 부정근의 생장과 생리활성물질 축적은 오히려 감소하였다. 본 연구 결과는 산업적 목적을 위한 적하수오의 부정근과 생리활성물질 대량생산시 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. 【This study was conducted to investigate the productivity of biomass and antioxidant compounds in Polygonum multiflorum by culturing explants in air-lift bioreactor containing Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, by adding different concentrations of auxins [indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA)], sucrose, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and salicylic acid (SA). Results of this study revealed that the explants culturing on the medium supplemented with $9.84{\mu}M$ IBA and 50 g/L sucrose were observed to have higher productivity of biomass and bioactive compound than other treatments used. Thus, we expect that these results will be helpful for large-scale production of biomass and antioxidant compounds from Polygonum multiflorum.】

Acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy is a rare toxic encephalopathy caused by accumulated plasma ammonia. A few literatures are reported about MRI findings of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy. It is different from the well-known chronic hepatic encephalopathy. The clinical symptom and MRI findings of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy can be reversible with proper treatment. Acute hepatic encephalopathy involves the cingulate cortex, diffuse cerebral cortices, insula, bilateral thalami on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery. Acute hepatic encephalopathy might mimic hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy because of their similar predominant involving sites. We experienced 2 cases of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy consecutively. They showed restricted diffusion at the cingulate cortex, cerebral cortices, insula, and bilateral dorsomedial thalami on DWI. One patient underwent acute fulminant hepatitis A, the other patient with underlying chronic liver disease had acute liver failure due to hepatotoxicity of tuberculosis medication. In this report, we presented the characteristic features of DWI in acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy. In addition, we reviewed articles on MRI findings of acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy.

In correlation with the nodal status in the era of modern radiotherapy, the chest wall recurrence (CWR) rate was investigated in pT1-2N0-1 breast cancer patients after a mastectomy without post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT). The data from the patients participating in two South Korean multi-institutional studies (KROG 14–22; N = 1842 and KROG 14–23; N = 1382) were analyzed. In total, 3224 pT1-2N0-1 breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy without PMRT were analyzed. The median follow-up time was 72.2 months (range 0.8–125.2 months). The overall CWRs during the follow-up period were 1.68% in N0 patients and 2.82% in N1 patients. There was no statistically significant difference in 5-year and 10-year CWR-free survival (CWRFS) between the N0 and N1 patients. Of the 70 patients with CWR, 33 (1% of all the patients) had isolated CWR, and the 10-year overall survival rate in this group was 96.9%. After the propensity score matching of the N0 and N1 groups, there was still no difference in CWRFS by nodal status. The incidence of CWR in pT1-2N0-1 breast cancer patients is very low, especially with isolated recurrence. Also, the obtained data showed that the nodal status had no impact on CWRFS.

Background Fluid collection (FC) of lymph or blood may accumulate at the site of excision after surgery for soft tissue sarcoma, with reported incidence rates from 10% to 36%. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of FC on local recurrence (LR) and wound complication rates after adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in lower extremity soft tissue sarcoma (LE-STS). Methods Eighty-eight patients diagnosed with LE-STS were curatively treated with wide excision and PORT. FC developed in 51.1% of patients. Full FC volumes were included in the irradiation field throughout the full course of PORT for 36 patients (80.0%). A median of 61.2 and 63 Gy was prescribed for patients with and without FC, respectively. Results After a median follow-up of 4.3 years, patients with and without FC had 5-year local control rates of 77.7% and 90.8% (P = 0.105). Eight patients with FC had LR, of which six patients had recurrent tumors at or within 4 cm of the FC wall and three of these patients had out-of-field LR. Wound complication occurred after RT in 3 (6.7%) of 45 patients with FC and 1 (2.3%) of 43 patients without FC. Conclusions FC presents a potential risk for increased LR, particularly near the FC wall. Based on reasonable wound complication rates, we suggest the need and feasibility of fully including FC volumes in the irradiation field.

배경 및 목적: 본 연구는 공통적 특징으로 감별진단이 어려운 특발성 파킨슨병(idiopathic Parkinson's disease, IPD)과 파킨슨플러스 증후군 환자의 말/인지기능 특징을 살펴보고, 감별진단을 위한 유용한 요소인지 알아보고자 하였다. 방법: IPD 환자 11명과 파킨슨플러스 증후군 중 산발적 올리브교소뇌위축(sporadic...

SummaryPancreatic β cell failure in type 2 diabetes is associated with functional abnormalities of insulin secretion and deficits of β cell mass. It’s unclear how one begets the other. We have shown that loss of β cell mass can be ascribed to impaired FoxO1 function in different models of diabetes. Here we show that ablation of the three FoxO genes (1, 3a, and 4) in mature β cells results in early-onset, maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY)-like diabetes, with abnormalities of the MODY networks Hnf4α, Hnf1α, and Pdx1. FoxO-deficient β cells are metabolically inflexible, i.e., they preferentially utilize lipids rather than carbohydrates as an energy source. This results in impaired ATP generation and reduced Ca2+-dependent insulin secretion. The present findings demonstrate a secretory defect caused by impaired FoxO activity that antedates dedifferentiation. We propose that defects in both pancreatic β cell function and mass arise through FoxO-dependent mechanisms during diabetes progression.

Rice bran (RB), a by-product obtained during polishing of un-milled rice, contains a large quantity of essential nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, fiber, amino acids, and antioxidants. In this study, the anti-obesity effects of stabilized RB addition as a food material in a diet-induced obese animal model were investigated. For the analysis, a total of 32 mice were randomly divided into four groups: normal diet group (ND, n=8), high-fat diet group (HFD, n=8), 20% RB added high fat diet group (HFRB20, n=8), and 40% RB added high fat diet group (HFRB40, n=8). The animals were sacrificed after 7 weeks. Body weight gain, various adipose tissue weights, blood glucose concentration, and serum leptin level of the HFRB40 group were found to be significantly lower than those of the HFD group. Moreover, antioxidant enzyme activity of the HFRB40 group was significantly higher than that of the HFD group. However, the HFRB20 group did not show significantly different values. The results of this study show that RB (40%) addition reduces body weight gain and improves obesity-related parameters. These results suggest RB could be considered as a functional additive material for the manufacture of anti-obesity products, and 40% RB addition would be the physiologically effective level.

In the present study, we developed an official individual analytical method for cymoxanil usingHPLC/UVD, respectively in different representative crops. Individual analytical methods for these pesticidesare not included in the Korea food code. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile, concentrated andpartitioned with dichloromethane and saturated sodium chloride solution. For cymoxanil, extracts wereconcentrated and clean-up through silica gel column chromatography with dicloromethane/acetone (60/40 v/v)and subjected to instrumental analysis. The limit of detection (LOD) for cymoxanil were 0.1 ng and 1 ngrespectively and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.02 mg/kg. Recoveries for cymoxail ranged from 79.6~107.6% respectively, at fortification level of 0.02 mg/kg (LOQ), 0.2 mg/kg (10 LOQ) and 1.0 mg/kg(50 LOQ) and the coefficient of variation (CV) was less than 10%, regardless of sample types. These resultswere further confirmed with LC/MS. The proposed simultaneous analysis method is reproducible andsensitive enough to determine the residues of cymoxanil in the agricultural commodities. According to thevalidation data and performance characteristics and high sample throughput, the proposed method is suitablefor routine application.Key words analytical method, Cymoxanil, HPLC/UVD, LC/MS

Disasters have effects on societies surrounded by various physical and psychological outcomes. Each society has its own way in coping with disasters because it has its own social contexts. Differences of social contexts can be explained by disaster issues. The occurrences and developments of disaster issues in societies are result from the differences of social contexts. This study reviewed the issues of China`s Sichuan earthquake and Korea`s Typoon Rusa and compared the both countries` social contexts. In responsibility issue, the collapse of school buildings was main controversial issue. In chinese case, the organization composed of victims was more temporary and the intervention of NGOs was more individualistic than Korean case. The response level of Victims`` activity was strong in Korea compared to China. In Korean case, local political institutes such as local political party and local Chamber of Commerce and Industry sided with local victims. The result showed that Korea is more pluralistic society than China. In chinese case, social values are concentrated to the central government and, therefore, voluntary activities kept step with policies of central government.

This presentation details a mixed methods study funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities that was conducted with 50 older adults aged 65 and older who lived in Portland, Oregon (n=25) and Salt Lake County, Utah (n=25). The purpose of the study was to improve understanding of how home modifications affect older adults’ mobility in different life-spaces (e.g., one’s bedroom, neighborhood), their understanding of aging in place and neighborhood, and their ability to age in place. During each home visit, a series of research protocols (i.e., surveys, interviews, mapping exercises) were carried out with each participant. The study found that home modifications (e.g., grab bars, replacing showers with bathtubs, and adding raised toilets) were reported to increase in-home mobility and, for some, their independence; however, for certain participants, those same modifications were less useful, especially to those with the need for caregiver supports. Life-space mobility outside the home was impacted by home modification such as ramps and railings on stairs; for some, those modifications bolstered social connections and access to services. Overall, home modification were seen as enabling both mobility and aging in place. Furthermore, respondents’ understanding and description of their neighborhoods varied greatly and were influenced by mobility barriers (e.g., presence of sidewalks and crosswalks) and available amenities.

Purpose: To report a phase 2 trial of accelerated, hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (AH-WBI) delivered as a daily dose of 3 Gy to the whole breast followed by a tumor bed boost. Methods and Materials: Two hundred seventy-six patients diagnosed with breast cancer (pT1-2 and pN0-1a) who had undergone breast-conserving surgery in which the operative margins were negative were treated with AH-WBI delivered as 39 Gy in 13 fractions of 3 Gy to the whole breast once daily over 5 consecutive working days, and 9 Gy in 3 sequential fractions of 3 Gy to a lumpectomy cavity, all within 3.2 weeks. Results: After a median follow-up period of 57 months (range: 27-75 months), the rate of 5-year locoregional recurrence was 1.4% (n=4), whereas that of disease-free survival was 97.4%. No grade 3 skin toxicity was reported during the follow-up period. Qualitative physician cosmetic assessments of good or excellent were noted in 82% of the patients at 2 months after the completion of AH-WBI. The global cosmetic outcome did not worsen over time, and a good or excellent cosmetic outcome was reported in 82% of the patients at 3 years. The mean pretreatment percentage breast retraction assessment was 12.00 (95% confidence intervalmore » [CI]: 11.14-12.86). The mean value of percentage breast retraction assessment increased to 13.99 (95% CI: 12.17-15.96) after 1 year and decreased to 13.54 (95% CI: 11.84-15.46) after 3 years but was not significant (P>.05). Conclusions: AH-WBI consisting of 39 Gy in 13 fractions followed by a tumor bed boost sequentially delivering 9 Gy in 3 fractions can be delivered with excellent disease control and tolerable skin toxicity in patients with early-stage breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery.« less

A dual-function nano-system for synergistic photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) was constructed. Gold nanorods (GNRs) as a PTT agent and chlorin e6 (Ce6) as a photosensitizer (PS) for PDT were loaded into a chitosan-functionalized, Pluronic-based nanogel that was proven to be an efficient delivery vehicle to the tumor site in vivo. Previously reported combined therapy systems relied on quenching and de-quenching of PS for PDT upon thermo-impact of PTT, thus only PTT followed by PDT procedure was possible. In contrast, the present dual-acting system has no quenching between PS and GNRs by preventing direct contact and self-aggregation of photo-sensitizers, allowing independent PDT or PTT procedure. In both in vitro cell culture and in vivo tumor-bearing mice experiments, a remarkably enhanced tumor ablation compared to the treatment of PDT or PTT only was observed by the treatment of PDT followed by PTT, but not significantly by the treatment of PTT followed by PDT. Thus, the present study demonstrated the synergistic effect of PDT and PTT in a sequence-dependent manner, and our system is a promising dual function nano system to achieve the enhanced phototherapy in vivo.

Successful development of antiobesity agents requires detailed knowledge of neural pathways controlling body weight, eating behavior, and peripheral metabolism. Genetic ablation of FoxO1 in selected hypothalamic neurons decreases food intake, increases energy expenditure, and improves glucose homeostasis, highlighting the role of this gene in insulin and leptin signaling. However, little is known about potential effects of FoxO1 in other neurons. To address this question, we executed a broad-based neuronal ablation of FoxO1 using Synapsin promoter–driven Cre to delete floxed Foxo1 alleles. Lineage-tracing experiments showed that NPY/AgRP and POMC neurons were minimally affected by the knockout. Nonetheless, Syn-Cre-Foxo1 knockouts demonstrated a catabolic energy homeostatic phenotype with a blunted refeeding response, increased sensitivity to leptin and amino acid signaling, and increased locomotor activity, likely attributable to increased melanocortinergic tone. We confirmed these data in mice lacking the three Foxo genes. The effects on locomotor activity could be reversed by direct delivery of constitutively active FoxO1 to the mediobasal hypothalamus, but not to the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The data reveal that the integrative function of FoxO1 extends beyond the arcuate nucleus, suggesting that central nervous system inhibition of FoxO1 function can be leveraged to promote hormone sensitivity and prevent a positive energy balance.

Validated analytical methods for isopyrazam are meager or lacking. In the present study, a singleresidual analytical method was developed for isopyrazam in selected commodities. Isopyrazam was analyzedin brown rice, soybean, green pepper, mandarin, cucumber, and Korean melon. We tried different solventsand methods through extraction, partition and purification steps to obtain best analytical results. Forisopyrazam samples were extracted with acetonitrile, concentrated and partitioned with n-hexane, clean-upusing florisil with n-hexane/ethylacetate (70/30) and analyzed with HPLC/UVD. The limit of quantitation(LOQ) for isopyrazam was 1.0 ng (S/N > 10) and method LOQ (MLOQ) was 0.04 mg kg Š 1 . Recovery rangedthrough 81.0~105.3% (syn-isomer) and 80.8~105.6% (anti-isomer) at fortification level of 0.04 (MLOQ), 0.4(10 × MLOQ), and 2.0 (50 × MLOQ). The coefficient of variation (CV) for isopyrazam was less than 10%regardless of sample types. These results were further confirmed with LC/MS, respectively. The proposedmethod is highly reproducible and sensitive and is suitable for routine analysis.Key words Agricultural products, Isopyrazam, Limit of quantitation, Pesticide, Single residual analytical method

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether two-phase dual-energy CT can differentiate between lung perfusion patterns of patients with chronic pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and those of patients with acute PTE.A total of 114 patients clinically suspected to have PTE were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent dual-energy CT at pulmonary artery (PA) and delayed phases. Of 68 patients diagnosed with PTE on CT, 42 were finally included. Iodine-related attenuation values (IRAs) were measured in PA and delayed phases for each lung segment, and IRA change ratios were calculated using the formula 100% × [(IRA of delayed phase) - (IRA of PA phase)]/(IRA of PA phase).Among the 42 patients (19 men and 23 women; mean age, 60.3 ± 13.2 years; range, 28-82 years), 24 had a diagnosis of acute PTE and 18 of chronic PTE. Those segments with both perfusion and filling defects (n = 143) in patients with acute PTE showed no significant changes of mean IRA between PA and delayed phases, whereas the segments from patients with chronic PTE (n = 94) showed significantly increased IRA on delayed phase as compared with PA phase. The mean IRA change ratios in acute and chronic PTE were -3.14% and 191.9%, respectively (p0.0001).Chronic PTE segments were significantly more enhanced on the delayed phase of two-phase dual-energy CT images than were acute PTE segments, possibly resulting from more extensive systemic collateral formation in chronic PTE. Two-phase dual-energy CT can be used to differentiate distinct regional perfusion patterns between acute and chronic PTE.

System on Chip (SoC) and System in Package (SiP) technologies provide a path for continued improvement in performance, power, cost and size at the system level without relying upon conventional CMOS scaling alone. SiP technology is rapidly evolved from specialty technology used in a narrow set of applications to a high volume technology with wide ranging impact on electronics markets. The broadest adoption of SiP to date has been for stacked memory/logic devices and small modules (used to integrate mixed signal devices and passives) for mobile phone applications. Both these applications are driving high volume and very cost competitive market with a broad base of suppliers has developed. The Multi-Chip Packaging (MCP) technique has been increasing die stacking numbers to allow increasing memory capacity. According to ITRS roadmap, The progression of wafer thinning will reach 8μm thickness of thinned wafer and stacking of multiple die up to 14 stacks by the year 2015. This will pose a number of technical challenges for wafer thinning processes and starting material.[1] Semiconductor companies have studied gettering techniques until today for eliminating metallic contamination induced during device processes. Metallic contamination is one of the main failure sources in the device process. Thus, many researchers have been studying various gettering techniques by means of improving semiconductor device yields. Gettering can be categorized as either internal gettering or external gettering. In particular, internal gettering is easily achieved in a silicon wafer through the presence of oxygen precipitate (i.e. BMD) and heavily boron dope. However, state-of–the-art MCP process achieved and required novel grinding performance as thin as silicon substrate DZ region. As a result, traditional intrinsic or internal gettering should be studied to gettering ability effectiveness for extremely thinned silicon substrate. In order to understand gettering ability of MCP thinning processed wafer, the gettering test involves two type wafers as CZ polished and epitaxial wafer with splitting resistivity and dopant type which conventionally used to memory and logic device. Table 1 showed to the detailed sample types and their properties. The gettering test of thinning processed wafer was performed to below procedure. First, MCP thinning wafers were fabricated to three MCP thinning condition as total wafer thickness of 30um, 50um, and 100um after device heat simulation treatment. Afterward, the thinned samples were intentionally contaminated by Cu and Ni on backside of thinned wafer. Subsequently contaminated thinned wafers were applied to high temperature diffusion heat treatment on 950C about 30min. Cu and Ni diffused from the surface of a backside to surface of front surface or captured by the gettering sinks in the bulk during diffusion heat treatment. Finally, gettering ability analysis was evaluated by front and backside Cu, Ni concentration measurement. Gettering efficiency can be calculated to below equation.

Background Previous observational epidemiological studies have shown inconsistent results on the relationship between hypnotics use and risk of cancer. To determine the association between hypnotics use and risk of cancer, we conducted a meta-analysis of available literature. Methods We searched databases PubMed, EMBASE, and the bibliographies of relevant articles to locate additional publications in February 2016. Three evaluators independently reviewed and selected eligible studies based on pre-determined selection criteria. Results A total of six observational epidemiological studies including three case-control studies and three cohort studies, which involved 1,830,434 participants (202,629 hypnotics users and 1,627,805 non-users), were included in the final analyses. In a random-effects meta-analysis, compared with non-use of hypnotics, the odds ratio for overall hypnotics use was 1.29 for various cancers (95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.53). Subgroup meta-analyses by various factors such as study design, type of case-control study, study region, and methodological quality of study revealed consistent findings. Conclusion Our findings from a meta-analysis of low-biased epidemiological studies suggested evidence linking the use of hypnotics to an increased risk of cancers. The results should be cautiously interpreted because of considerable heterogeneity with a high I square value.

Brain-targeted delivery of drug or imaging agent is hard to achieve efficiently due to the infiltrative nature of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Moreover, delivery of therapeutic proteins to brain tissue is further limited by the size and physic-chemical properties of proteins. In this work, we developed a chitosan-conjugated Pluronic-based nano-carrier with a specific target peptide for the brain (rabies virus glycoprotein; RVG29) and applied for the protein delivery to the brain. The in-vivo brain accumulation of the nano-carrier in mice followed i.v injection was optically monitored with Cy5.5-conjugation to the nano-carrier, and the result showed that the Pluronic-based nano-carrier conjugated with both chitosan and the peptide was very efficient for the accumulation in brain tissue and was remarkably better than the nano-carrier conjugated with the peptide only. β-galactosidase, a model protein, was also delivered and accumulated efficiently in the brain by loading in the nano-carrier, analyzed by the bio-distribution of β-galactosidase. The delivered protein in the brain also maintained its bioactivity. Therefore, RVG29- and chitosan-conjugated Pluronic-based nano-carrier could be potentially useful for the diagnosis and therapy of brain diseases.

β-Cell failure is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. Among several cellular biological mechanisms of cellular dysfunction, we and others have recently proposed that dedifferentiation of β-cells can explain the slowly progressive onset and partial reversibility of β-cell failure. Accordingly, we provided evidence of such processes in humans and experimental animal models of insulin-resistant diabetes. In this study, we asked whether β-cell dedifferentiation can be prevented with diet or pharmacological treatment of diabetes. db/db mice, a widely used model of insulin-resistant diabetes and obesity, were either pair fed or treated with the Sglt inhibitor phloridzin, the insulin-sensitizer rosiglitazone, or insulin. All treatments were equally efficacious in reducing plasma glucose levels. Pair feeding and phloridzin also resulted in significant weight loss. However, pair feeding among the four treatments resulted in a reduction of β-cell dedifferentiation, as assessed by Foxo1 and Aldh1a3 immunohistochemistry. The effect of diet to partly restore β-cell function is consistent with data in human diabetes and provides another potential mechanism by which lifestyle changes act as an effective intervention against diabetes progression.

Objective To investigate the disease course and identify prognostic factors for survival in patients with residual disease according to post-treatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for locally advanced cervical cancer. Methods We reviewed clinical data from the medical records of 545 consecutive women with biopsy-proven, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB2–IVA uterine cervical cancer treated with CCRT. Post-treatment MRI was checked in all patients 3months after CCRT completion. Out of the 545 patients, 53 with residual cervical cancer based on MRI following definitive CCRT were included in this analysis. Results Thirty-two patients were disease-free at the last follow-up. Of them, 31 had a residual tumor size of ≤2cm. Of these 32 women, 30 showed spontaneous regression of residual tumor during follow-up without salvage treatments, whereas the remaining two were alive with no evidence of disease after salvage surgery and chemotherapy. Disease progression was observed in 21 patients, including 7 local, 8 distant and 6 local and distant failures. Of these 21 women, 13 died of disease, 6 were alive with disease, and 2 remained disease-free after salvage treatments. Initial and residual tumor sizes were significant prognostic factors for overall survival; only residual tumor size was significant for local progression-free survival. Conclusions About 60% of patients with residual disease detected on post-treatment MRI remained disease-free without further disease progression. Careful observation without immediate salvage treatments might be feasible in selected patients with a residual tumor size ≤2cm.

Insulin resistance and β cell dysfunction contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Unlike insulin resistance, β cell dysfunction remains difficult to predict and monitor, because of the inaccessibility of the endocrine pancreas, the integrated relationship with insulin sensitivity, and the paracrine effects of incretins. The goal of our study was to survey the plasma response to a metabolic challenge in order to identify factors predictive of β cell dysfunction. To this end, we combined (i) the power of unbiased iTRAQ (isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification) mass spectrometry with (ii) direct sampling of the portal vein following an intravenous glucose/arginine challenge (IVGATT) in (iii) mice with a genetic β cell defect. By so doing, we excluded the effects of peripheral insulin sensitivity as well as those of incretins on β cells, and focused on the first phase of insulin secretion to capture the early pathophysiology of β cell dysfunction. We compared plasma protein profiles with ex vivo islet secretome and transcriptome analyses. We detected changes to 418 plasma proteins in vivo, and detected changes to 262 proteins ex vivo. The impairment of insulin secretion was associated with greater overall changes in the plasma response to IVGATT, possibly reflecting metabolic instability. Reduced levels of proteins regulating redox state and neuronal stress markers, as well as increased levels of coagulation factors, antedated the loss of insulin secretion in diabetic mice. These results suggest that a reduced complement of antioxidants in response to a mixed secretagogue challenge is an early correlate of future β cell failure.

This study was conducted to investigate the physiological activities of saccharified cherry tomato gruel containing different levels(0, 15, 30, and 45%) of cherry tomato puree. The total phenolic compound and flavonoids contents of saccharified cherry tomato gruel with cherry tomato puree were 1.73-5.09 mg/g and 0.28-7.01 mg/g, respectively. DPPH radical scavenging activities of saccharified cherry tomato gruel with cherry tomato puree were 8.67-92.58%, respectively. The ABTS radical scavenging activities of saccharified cherry tomato gruel with cherry tomato puree ranged from 6.02 to 61.59%. The ACE inhibitory activity of cherry tomato rice gruel increased with cherry tomato puree showed a range of 38.85-62.15%, respectively. With increasing additions of cherry tomato puree, the total phenolic compound and flavonoid contents, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities and, ACE inhibitory activities were increased significantly (p

The purpose of this study is to enhance the satisfaction of paramedics on the refreshment training by identifying the status and requests of 389 Grade I and II paramedics who participated in refreshment training and providing appropriate training according to job requirements, and to provide basic materials for the effective operation. From the study, in `Status and Difference of Refreshment Training of Grade I and II Paramedics`, statistically significant items were found to be `Satisfaction level of Refreshment Training`(p

In this paper, our goal is to investigate the influencing factors on the online-based interpersonal relationships formation of the SNS users. To achieve this, first, we collected the influencing factors on the online-based interpersonal relationships, conducted survey, and then we analyzed the data with the PLS(Partial Least Square) and structural equation. As a result, we verified the main cause of factors as personal, relational and environmental factors and 8 kinds of detailed factor as social attraction, physical attraction, informational post, reciprocality, similarity, contents quality, web appearance and perceived spatiality are the influencing factors on the online-based interpersonal relationships dimensions. Finally, these factors were proposed as the influencing factors on the online-based interpersonal relationships formation of the SNS users.

In this paper, the correlation which is at work between affecting factors and interpersonal relationships` dimension depend on developmental level has been studied to search for clues about how to develop the online based interpersonal relationships -the fundamental aims of SNS related services- efficiently. People who`d ever entered into a relation through the `online-based generated relationship` by SNS were divided into two groups on the development level. They were conducted a survey, and the results were derived using PLS statistics. As the result, 7 kinds of factors as social attraction, physical attraction, reciprocity, content quality, coexistence perception, information provision and similarity had an impact on the initial level of relationships, and 6 kinds of factors as social attraction, physical attraction, reciprocity, content quality, web appearance and coexistence perception had an impact on the developed level of relationships. This study could be utilized for the service design for facilitating interpersonal relationships efficiently by their level of development.

This study investigated the quality characteristics of saccharified minor cereal gruel prepared with different grain kojis (rice, buckwheat, sorghum, adlay, and Italian millet koji). The moisture, crude protein, crude lipid, and crude ash contents of raw materials showed ranges of 11.12 - 12.85; 5.81-16.24; 0.56 - 4.36, and 0.28 - 1.93%, respectively. The crude protein, crude lipid, and crude ash contents of the samples showed ranges of 1.64 to 2.44; 0.08 to 0.28, and 0.09 to 0.18%, respectively. The pH, L, a, and b values ranged from 6.11- 6.43; 58.72 - 65.96; 2.92 - 5.76, and 7.81- 9.42, respectively. The viscosities of saccharified minor cereal gruel prepared with different grain kojis were significantly (p

The new metrology, Advanced Poly-silicon Ultra-Trace Profiling (APUTP), was developed for measuring bulk Cu and Ni in heavily boron-doped silicon wafers. A Ni recovery yield of 98.8% and a Cu recovery yield of 96.0% were achieved by optimizing the vapor phase etching and the wafer surface scanning conditions, following capture of Cu and Ni by the poly-silicon layer. A lower limit of detection (LOD) than previous techniques could be achieved using the mixture vapor etching method. This method can be used to indicate the amount of Cu and Ni resulting from bulk contamination in heavily boron-doped silicon wafers during wafer manufacturing. It was found that a higher degree of bulk Ni contamination arose during alkaline etching of heavily boron-doped silicon wafers compared with lightly boron-doped silicon wafers. In addition, it was proven that bulk Cu contamination was easily introduced in the heavily boron-doped silicon wafer by polishing the wafer with a slurry containing Cu in the presence of amine additives.

The clinical significance of ADAMTS13 activity for response to treatment, mortality rate, recurrence, and prognosis is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the characteristics of severe ADAMTS13 deficiency and evaluated its prognostic features in Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). The Korean TTP Registry includes 66 patients from 13 teaching hospitals in Korea who received the diagnosis of TTP from January 2005 to December 2008. Blood samples obtained upon admission were sent for ADAMTS13 analysis (multimer analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis) to a central laboratory along with patient clinical information. Patients with severe ADAMTS13 deficiency had lower serum creatinine levels (P = 0.001) than patients with non-severe ADAMTS13 deficiency. Although severe ADAMTS13 deficiency was associated with better response rate (75 vs. 53%, P = 0.145), remission rate (81 vs. 61%, P = 0.209), and mortality rate (19 vs. 31%, P = 0.508) than non-severe ADAMTS13 deficiency, treatment outcomes did not differ significantly between groups. After adjusting for clinical and laboratory features, multivariate analysis did not reveal any independent risk factors for TTP-associated mortality. Patients with severe ADAMTS13 deficiency had lower serum creatinine levels at presentation, but severe ADAMTS13 activity deficiency at TTP diagnosis does not appear to have prognostic significance.

Background and purpose To investigate the dosimetric impact of beamlet size in the leaf travel direction for the spinal treatment using intensity-modulated radiosurgery (IMRS). Materials and methods The IMRS plans of ten patients (11 lesions – 6 thoracic, 2 cervical, 3 lumbar) were re-planned using four different beamlet sizes (1, 2, 5, and 10mm) – in the leaf travel direction, while keeping the Y -dimension by multi-leaf collimator (MLC) width fixed, and compared to the reference plan with beamlet size of 3mm. To evaluate the beamlet size effect, target volumes (coverage, conformity, and size effect), organ at risks (OARS) (doses to the spinal cord, lung and kidneys), and integral dose, and monitor units (MUs) were calculated. Results Target coverage and dose conformity for planning target volume (PTV) were not correlated with beamlet size. Maximum ( p =0.000) and mean ( p =0.000) spinal cord doses decreased by 4.0% and 3.4% from 23.4% and 28.6% as beamlet size decreased from 10 to 1mm. The integral doses, MUs and doses to other organs increased at smaller beamlet sizes. MUs for a beamlet size of 10mm decreased by 31.4%, as compared with that at the reference beamlet size. Conclusions Despite no dosimetric benefits with respect to target volume and an MU increase, a definite dose reduction was observed at the spinal cord for smaller beamlet sizes. Treatment with IMRS planning for the spine will benefit from the use of a beamlet size between 2 and 4mm.

Pluronic-based nano-carriers including bare forms that were composed of Pluronic F 68(NC(PF 68)) or Pluronic F 127(NC(PF 127)), and chitosan-conjugated forms (Chito-NC(PF 68) or Chito-NC(PF 127)) were prepared by photo-polymerizing two kinds of diacrylated Pluronic (F 68 and F 127) and acrylated chitosan to investigate the effect of chitosan conjugation and their physicochemical characteristics (size and hydrophilicity) of Pluronic-based nano-carriers on the tumor targeting efficiency. All of the nano-carriers were stable in serum-containing media without forming any aggregation and did not show any acute cytotoxicity to both normal (NIH3T3 fibroblast) and tumor (SCC7) cells. Chitosan conjugation did not change their sizes or thermo-sensitive properties of the nano-carriers, but significantly increased their in-vitro cellular uptake compared to the corresponding bare forms. The in-vivo tumor accumulation of these nano-carriers was optically monitored by using Cy5.5-attached nano-carriers in SCC7 tumor-bearing mice. For all cases, local accumulation of the injected nano-carriers in liver was not dominant compared to the tumor site, demonstrating good tumor targeting efficacy of the Pluronic-based nano-carriers. Among different samples, chitosan-conjugated nano-carriers showed much better tumor accumulation than bare forms, and mostly remained up to 72h, implying prolonged blood circulation and more efficient tumor accumulation. Between Chito-NC(PF 68) and Chito-NC(PF 127), Chito-NC(PF 68) showed a little better tumor accumulation and retention, suggesting the difference in Pluronic, thus difference in hydrophilicity and the size of the nano-carriers also might affect the tumor targeting. In contrast, bare nano-carriers were initially accumulated well in tumor, but they were excreted from the tumor site relatively rapidly. Therefore, chitosan-functionalization was very effective for improving the tumor targeting efficacy of Pluronic-based nano-carriers.

Since Mizoroki and Heck’s original work, numerous improve-ments and modifications have been reported for the catalytic system. However, most catalytic systems have focused on the development of suitable ligand systems that take into consi-deration the steric and electronic effects. Among them, sterically bulky phosphines

A simple method of depositing Pd nanoparticles onto carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as catalyst supports is devised for C C bond forming reactions. Thiol groups were utilized as linkers to secure the Pd nanoparticles without agglomeration. The samples were characterized by TEM, XPS and Raman spectroscopy. The prepared CNT-Pd nanocomposites effectively promoted the formation of C C bonds at a low Pd content (∼2.0%) and in the absence of any ligand. This result indicates that surface thiolation is an effective way to obtain highly dispersed metal nanoparticles on the surface of CNTs and markedly improves their catalytic activity.

In this study, we demonstrated the surface reaction in a LiCoO2/Li cell under high voltage condition and characterization of the composition and properties of electrode–electrolyte interface by 2D correlation analysis. 2D Raman correlation spectra revealed that the extraction of Li+ leads to the formation of surface components including Li2O and Co3O4 and structural distortion in hexagonal LiCoO2 structure.