Search

Background Leptin and adiponectin are adipokines, shown to have opposing functions for fat metabolism and development of metabolic syndrome. We determined if the ratio of serum leptin to adiponectin (L/A ratio) adjunctively contributes to the risk of metabolic syndrome beyond the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Methods This study included 1532 men and 1856 women, aged 40–70 y assessed in the Korean Genomic Rural Cohort Study from 2005 to 2008. The serum concentrations of adiponectin and leptin were measured by radioimmunoassay. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analyses were used to describe the ability of L/A ratio and HOMA-IR to differentiate between subjects with and without metabolic syndrome. Results There were no significant differences in the ability of L/A ratio and HOMA-IR to predict metabolic syndrome (AUROC of L/A ratio vs. HOMA-IR, 0.771 vs. 0.774, p = 0.8006 for men; 0.677 vs. 0.691, p = 0.3088 for women). There was a significant adjunctive contribution by the L/A ratio, beyond that of HOMA-IR, to the risk of metabolic syndrome in men ( p p = 0.025 with 0.017 increased AUROC). Conclusions The L/A ratio provides significant adjunctive information to the risk of metabolic syndrome beyond HOMA-IR alone. The L/A ratio could be a good surrogate marker to assess metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is considered to be an insulin-resistance syndrome, but recent evidence suggests that MetS has multiple physiological origins which may be related to atherosclerosis. This study investigated clustering patterns of metabolic risk factors and its association with sub-clinical atherosclerosis.This study used factor analysis of 11 metabolic factors in 1374 individuals to define clustering patterns and determine their association with carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). Eleven metabolic factors were used: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting blood insulin (FBI), serum triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and adiponectin. Two regression analyses were done, the first using individual metabolic variables and the second using each factor from the factor analysis to evaluate their relationships with CIMT.Four clustering patterns, insulin-resistance factor (FBG, FBI, HOMA-IR), obesity-inflammatory factor (BMI, WC, hsCRP), blood pressure factor (SBP, DBP) and lipid metabolic factor (HDL-C, TG, adiponectin) were categorized. In a multivariate regression model after adjustment for age, sex, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and smoking history (pack year), insulin resistance factor (B = 11.09, p = 0.026), obesity-inflammatory factor (B = 18.50, p0.001), blood pressure factor (B = 12.84, p = 0.010) and lipid metabolic factor (B = - 11.55, p = 0.023) were found to be significantly associated with CIMT.In conclusion, metabolic risk factors have four distinct clustering patterns that are independently associated with sub-clinical atherosclerosis.

Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is considered as a surrogate marker for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We determined the normative value of CIMT and correlates of CVD risk factors and Framingham risk score (FRS) in Korean rural middle-aged population. We measured CIMT with a B-mode ultrasonography in 1,759 subjects, aged 40 to 70 yr, in a population-based cohort in Korea. A healthy reference sample (n = 433) without CVD, normal weight and normal metabolic parameters was selected to establish normative CIMT values. Correlates between CIMT and conventional CVD risk factors were assessed in the entire population. Mean values of CIMT (in mm) for healthy reference sample aged 40-49, 50-59, and 60-70 yr were 0.55, 0.59, and 0.66 for men and 0.48, 0.55, and 0.63 for women, respectively. In multivariate regression analysis, CIMT was correlated with older age, higher BMI, male gender, higher LDL-cholesterol level and history of diabetes mellitus. The mean CIMT was also correlated with FRS in both gender (r(2) = 0.043, P < 0.01 for men; r(2) = 0.142, P < 0.01 for women). We identified normative value of CIMT for the healthy Korean rural middle-aged population. The CIMT is associated with age, obesity, gender, LDL-cholesterol, diabetes mellitus and FRS.

The distal forearm is the preferred site for hemodialysis access. However, forearm vessels have small diameter, which may lead to complications of arteriovenous fistulas constructed at this site. Indeed, the mean patency rate of such fistulas has been reported at 65.2% (range, 56–79%) at 1 y

BackgroundIn clinical practice, a risk prediction model is an effective solitary program to predict prognosis in particular patient groups. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)and N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are widely recognized outcome-predicting factors for patients with heart failure (HF).This study derived external validation of a risk score to predict 1-year mortality after discharge in hospitalized patients with HF using the Meta-analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC)program data. We also assessed the effect of adding BNP or NT-proBNP to this risk score model in a Korean HF registry population.Method and resultsWe included 5625 patients from the Korean acute heart failure registry (KorAHF) and excluded those who died in hospital. The MAGGIC constructed a risk score to predict mortality in patients with HF by using 13 routinely available patient characteristics (age, gender, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), HF diagnosed within the last 18 months, current smoker, NYHA class, use of beta blocker, ACEI or ARB, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, creatinine, and EF). We added BNP or NT-proBNP, which are the most important biomarkers, to the MAGGIC risk scoring system in patients with HF. The outcome measure was 1-year mortality. In multivariable analysis, BNP or NT-proBNP independently predicted death. The risk score was significantly varied between alive and dead groups (30.61 ± 6.32 vs. 24.80 ± 6.81, p < 0.001). After the conjoint use of BNP or NT-proBNP and MAGGIC risk score in patients with HF, a significant difference in risk score was noted (31.23 ± 6.46 vs. 25.25 ± 6.96, p < 0.001).The discrimination abilities of the risk score model with and without biomarker showed minimal improvement (C index of 0.734 for MAGGIC risk score and 0.736 for MAGGIC risk score plus BNP or NT-proBNP, p = 0.0502) and the calibration was found good. However, we achieved a significant improvement in net reclassification and integrated discrimination for mortality (NRI of 33.4%,p < 0.0001 and IDI of 0.002, p < 0.0001).ConclusionIn the KorAHF, the MAGGIC project HF risk score performed well in a large nationwide contemporary external validation cohort. Furthermore, the addition of BNP or NT-proBNPto the MAGGIC risk score was beneficial in predicting more death in hospitalized patients with HF.

Background Albuminuria is a surrogate marker of endothelial dysfunction and a predictor of cardiovascular events. Data are limited with regard to the relationship between albuminuria and subclinical atherosclerosis in a community-based cohort. We determined the association between albuminuria measured by the urine albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) in a Korean rural population. Methods We enrolled 1,369 healthy subjects older than 40 years (857 males and 518 females) with normal renal function and measured the CIMT. We excluded subjects with overt proteinuria (> 300 mg/day) or with treatment of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and any cardiovascular disease. The subjects were stratified into the quartile value of the UACR (lowest quartile: UACR < 4.8 and highest quartile: UACR > 17.7). And we evaluate the relationship between UACR and CIMT by linear regression and logistic regression analysis. Results Increasing quartile of the UACR had a stepwise increase in body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol profile [low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and triglyceride], glucose, homeostratic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and C-reactive protein (all p values < 0.001). Maximal CIMT from the 1st to the 4th quartile values of the UACR were 0.74 ± 0.17, 0.77 ± 0.18, 0.78 ± 0.18, and 0.82 ± 0.21 mm, respectively (p < 0.001). In a multivariate regression model adjusted for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, waist circumference, adiponectin, HOMA-IR, high sensitive C-reactive protein, smoking, UACR showed a significant association with maximal CIMT (B = 0.014, R2 = 0.145, p = 0.002). Conclusion Albuminuria measured by the UACR was significantly associated with both CIMT and traditional risk factors of atherosclerosis except for smoking in healthy Koreans.

We fabricated TiO2–ZnO core-shell nanofibers via a novel two-step process. In the first step, the TiO2 core nanofibers were synthesized by electrospinning. Subsequently, the ZnO shell layers were grown in a controlled manner using atomic layer deposition. The methodology proposed in this work is expected to be one of most suitable methods for preparing various kinds of oxide core-shell nanofibers or nanowires. We investigated the O2 sensing properties of the synthesized core-shell nanofibers. Good sensitivity and dynamic repeatability were observed for the sensor, demonstrating that the core-shell nanofibers hold promise for the realization of sensitive and reliable chemical sensors.

The prevalences of overweightedness and obesity are increasing globally at frightening rates, driven by social and economic changes. Furthermore, obesity is associated with the pathogeneses of major diseases, particularly diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, no satisfactorily safe, effective obesity drugs are commercially available at the present time. Only two drugs have been approved in the United States for the long-term treatment of obesity, sibutramine and orlistat. However, these drugs are minimally effective and have significant side effects, which are likely inhibit their use. Therefore, there is a huge opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of obese people through the discovery and development of additional pharmacotherapeutic options. In this review article, the authors focus on selected trends in medicinal chemistry and the approaches used to develop drugs for treating obesity.

For the Visible Korean Human (VKH), a male cadaver was serially ground off to acquire the serially sectioned images (SSIs) of a whole human body. Thereafter, more than 700 structures in the SSIs were outlined to produce detailed segmented images; the SSIs and segmented images were volume- and surface-reconstructed to create three-dimensional models. For outlining and reconstruction, popular software (Photoshop, MRIcro, Maya, AutoCAD, 3ds max, and Rhino) was mainly used; the technique can be reproduced by other investigators for creating their own images. For refining the segmentation and volume reconstruction, the VOXEL-MAN system was used. The continuously upgraded technique was applied to a female cadaver's pelvis to produce the SSIs with 0.1mm sized intervals and 0.1mm x 0.1mm sized pixels. The VKH data, distributed worldwide, encouraged researchers to develop virtual dissection, virtual endoscopy, and virtual lumbar puncture contributing to medical education and clinical practice. In the future, a virtual image library including all the Visible Human Project data, Chinese Visible Human data, and VKH data will hopefully be established where users will be able to download one of the data sets for medical applications.

(–)-Menthone was converted stereoselectively into 3-menthylpropargyl alcohol 8 in several steps and subsequently converted into enantiopure cyclopentadienone ruthenium carbonyl complexes. In the malonate cases, ruthenacycle 15 was also formed during the cyclization reaction. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)

Background: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is rare but is one of the most aggressive malignancies. Therefore, accurate diagnosis is important in order to provide appropriate therapy. Purpose: To establish useful computed tomographic (CT) criteria for differentiating anaplastic carcinoma from other thyroid masses. Material and Methods: The CT scans of nine patients with anaplastic carcinomas were retrospectively reviewed and compared with those of 32 patients with papillary carcinomas ( n = 12) or benign lesions ( n = 20) exceeding a maximum diameter of 2.0 cm. Image analysis was performed according to the following CT parameters: size, margin (well defined or ill defined), composition (cystic, mixed, or solid), mean attenuation value, ratio of attenuation of the mass to that of the adjacent muscle (M/m attenuation ratio), necrosis (present or absent), and calcification (stippled, nodular, or absent) of the thyroid mass; and tumor-spreading patterns including the presence of surrounding normal thyroid tissue in the involved lobe, involvement of the contralateral thyroid lobe, extension into the adjacent structures, and cervical lymphadenopathy. Results: Anaplastic carcinomas appeared as large (average 4.6 cm), solid (100%), and ill-defined (88.9%) masses accompanied by necrosis (100%), nodular calcification (44.4%), direct invasion into the adjacent organs (55.6%), and cervical lymph node involvement (77.8%). Tumor necrosis was the most valuable parameter in differentiating anaplastic carcinomas from other thyroid masses. Patient age (>70 years) and low attenuation value on postcontrast scan (attenuation value Conclusion: If a patient is older than 70 years of age and has a large necrotic thyroid mass of low attenuation, anaplastic carcinoma should be included in the differential diagnosis.

ECF-L is a novel autocrine stimulator of osteoclast (OCL) formation that enhances the effects of 1,25-(OH)2D3 and RANK ligand (RANKL) and is increased in inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. ECF-L acts at the later stages of OCL formation and does not increase RANKL expression. Thus, its mechanism of action is unclear. Therefore, RAW 264.7 cells and M-CSF-dependent murine bone marrow macrophage (MDBM) cells were treated with RANKL and/or with recombinant ECF-L expressed as a Fc fusion protein (ECF-L-Fc) to determine their effects on NF-kappaB, AP-1 and JNK activity, and on the expression of the adhesion molecules that have been implicated in OCL formation. These parameters were measured by semiquantitative and PCR and Western blot analysis. In addition, the role of ICAM-1 was further assessed by treating normal mouse marrow cultures with ECF-L-Fc and 10(-10) M 1,25-(OH)2D3 in the presence or absence of a blocking ICAM-1 antibody or treating marrow cultures from ICAM-1 knockout mice with ECF-L and 1,25-(OH)2D3. ECF-L-Fc by itself only modestly increased NF-kappaB binding and JNK activity in RAW 264.7 cells, which was further enhanced by RANKL. In contrast, ECF-L-Fc increased LFA-1alpha and ICAM-1 mRNA levels 1.8-fold in mouse marrow cultures, and anti-ICAM-1 almost completely inhibited OCL formation induced by 10(-10) M 1,25-(OH)2D3 and ECF-L. Furthermore, ECF-L did not increase OCL formation in marrow cultures from ICAM-1 knockout mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ECF-L enhances RANKL and 1,25-(OH)2D3-induced OCL formation by increasing adhesive interactions between OCL precursors through increased expression of ICAM-1 and LFA-1.

Introduction: The use of radial artery is gradually increasing because transradial approach have shown less mortality and bleeding complications compared to transfermoral approach. But, there is little known about the differences according to radial access site except for fluoroscopic time and learning curve. Hypothesis: We aimed to compare the success rate, procedural factors and radiation exposure according to radial access site in patients who performed coronary angiography (CAG). Methods: The study population was derived from TRI prospective registry from 20 institutes in Korea from Feb 2013 to Sep 2013. Exclusion criteria were patients with data missing≥30%, invalid data, less than 19-year old patients, patient received interventional treatment, and patient who performed CAG via femoral approach. A total of 3496 among 5779 patients was assessed for data analysis. Success rate for CAG, crossover rate, procedural factors, fluoroscopic time and fluoroscopic dose were compared between right radial (RR) and left radial (LR) approach. Results: Mean age was 62.9±11.6 years and male was 1974 patients (56.5%). The use or EMLA cream was higher in LR group (29.2% vs. 14.0%, p Conclusions: In KOTRI analysis, success rate for CAG was higher in RR group, but radiation time and dose were lower in LR group. Most common cause of crossover was puncture failure.

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive accuracy of invasive coronary microvascular indexes for identifying microvascular obstruction (MVO) on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Background We hypothesized that a combination of the index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) and the thermodilution-derived coronary flow reserve (CFRthermo) will enhance the predictive accuracy of detecting MVO compared with either index alone. Methods The IMR and CFRthermo were measured using a single pressure sensor/thermistor-tipped guidewire in 40 STEMI patients immediately after PCI and related to MVO assessed by CMR day 7. The primary endpoint was the predictive accuracy of the IMR for detecting MVO. Results Patients with an IMR >36 (upper tertile) had a higher rate of MVO compared with those with an IMR ≤36 (93% vs. 39%; p = 0.001). MVO occurred in all patients with an IMR >36 and a CFRthermo ≤1.7 and in no patients with an IMR ≤36 and a CFRthermo >1.7. The IMR remained an independent predictor of MVO (odds ratio: 1.212, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.004 to 1.464; p = 0.045) after adjustment for age, creatine kinase-myocardial band, myocardial blush grade, thrombus burden, and CFRthermo. Both the IMR (area under the curve, 0.868, 95% CI: 0.719 to 0.956; p = 0.001) and the CFRthermo (area under the curve, 0.706, 95% CI: 0.536 to 0.842; p = 0.03) were predictive of MVO. Combined IMR and CFRthermo increased the area under the curve for MVO to 0.941. Conclusions In patients who underwent primary PCI for STEMI, an increased IMR has an independent predictive value for MVO detection, and combined high IMR and low CFRthermo are highly predictive of MVO. These indexes could be used to further risk-stratify patients and guide regional and systemic therapies.

Strain Dae16T, a Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, was isolated from the soil of a ginseng field in South Korea and characterized in order to determine its taxonomic position. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain Dae16T belongs to the Gammaproteobacteria and had the highest degree of sequence similarity to Lysobacter gummosus ATCC 29489T (97.1 %), Lysobacter antibioticus DSM 2044T (96.6 %), Lysobacter enzymogenes DSM 2043T (96.2 %), Lysobacter concretionis KCTC 12205T (94.7 %) and Lysobacter brunescens ATCC 29482T (93.7 %). Chemotaxonomic data revealed that strain Dae16T possesses a quinone system with Q-8 as the predominant compound and C(15 : 0) iso, C(16 : 0) iso and C(17 : 1) iso omega9c as the predominant iso-branched fatty acids, all of which corroborated the assignment of the strain to the genus Lysobacter. Results of DNA-DNA hybridization and physiological and biochemical tests clearly demonstrated that strain Dae16T represents a distinct species. Based on these data, it is proposed that Dae16T (= KCTC 12204T = NBRC 101156T) should be classified as the type strain of a novel Lysobacter species, Lysobacter koreensis sp. nov.

Porcine myostatin(MS1N) gene plays a key role in the differentiation of myoblast and muscle development. Genetic polymorphism was screened by single stranded conformation polymorphism(SSCP) analysis and subsequent DNA sequencing detected a nucleotide substitution(C2150T) in exon 3 of MSIN gene. Phenotypic association of the polymorphism was tested in a Landrace population and positive effects of the allele T for lean growth traits were found in the population. Even though it is not significant, the pigs have IT and TC genotypes were heavier for the body weight at birth and at twenty weeks of age than those containing genotype. Cc. However, the allele T was significantly associated with higher eye muscle area(P

Objectives Macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), an osteoclast (OCL) stimulatory factor produced by primary multiple myeloma (MM) cells, increases bone destruction and tumor burden in murine models of MM. Several chemokine receptors (CCR1, CCR5, and CCR9) mediate the effects of MIP-1α. In this study, we determined which of these mediates the effects of MIP-1α on human OCL formation and myeloma cells. Methods We employed RT-PCR analysis, neutralizing antibodies to CCR1 and CCR5 as well as a CCR1-specific antagonist and OCL formation assays to identify the MIP-1α receptors involved in MIP-1α's effects on myeloma cells and OCL formation. Results RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that both CCR1 and CCR5 were expressed by highly purified human OCL precursors, myeloma cell lines, and purified marrow plasma cells from MM patients. Neutralizing antibodies to CCR1 or CCR5 inhibited MIP-1α-induced OCL formation. Furthermore, monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3), which binds CCR1 but not CCR5 and the CCR1-specific antagonist, BX471, markedly inhibited OCL formation stimulated with MIP-1α. Anti-CCR1, anti-CCR5, or BX471 also inhibited the upregulation of β 1 integrin mRNA in myeloma cells induced by MIP-1α, as well as the adherence of myeloma cells to stromal cells and IL-6 production by stromal cells in response to myeloma cells. Conclusion These data demonstrate that MIP-1α utilizes either CCR1 or CCR5 for its effects on OCL formation and myeloma cells, and that blocking either CCR1 or CCR5 inhibits OCL formation and myeloma cell adhesion to stromal cells.

Purpose Obesity is often associated with better clinical outcomes in heart failure (HF). This so-called obesity paradox remains controversial. The aim of present study was to investigate the prognostic value of obesity in patients hospitalized for systolic HF. Materials and methods We performed a pooled analysis of data from two multicenter, observational HF studies. Patients hospitalized for systolic HF were eligible for the present study. We divided the subjects into two groups, a normal body mass index (BMI) group and a high BMI group. Study endpoints included all-cause mortality and any re-hospitalization within 1 year. Results We enrolled 3145 patients (male, 1824; female, 1321). The high BMI group was significantly associated with lower 1-year mortality rate [odds ratio (OR), 0.543; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.355-0.832] after adjusting for age, hypertension, diabetes, ischemic HF, previous myocardial infarction, serum creatinine level, anemia, and ejection fraction in men. After adjustment for clinical characteristics, high BMI was not significantly associated with 1-year mortality (OR, 0.739; 95% CI, 0.450-1.216) or 1-year re-hospitalization (OR, 0.958; 95% CI, 0.696-1.319) in women. Conclusion In pooled analysis of data from two Korean HF registries, the high BMI group was independently associated with lower 1-year mortality rate from systolic HF, especially in men.

BACKGROUND Limited data are available on the clinical significance of residual thrombi after thrombectomy and prestenting reduced epicardial coronary flow in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarct (STEMI) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS The incidence of the no-reflow phenomenon, defined as a final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade of up to 2 or a myocardial blush grade of up to 1, was compared in 260 STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention according to thrombotic burden. Large thrombotic burden (LTB), defined as a thrombus score of at least 3, was observed in 134 patients, among whom 66 (49.3%) underwent aspiration thrombectomy. No-reflow incidence was compared on the basis of thrombectomy treatment, thrombus residue after thrombectomy, and prestenting TIMI flow grade. RESULTS The no-reflow phenomenon occurred most frequently in LTB patients without thrombectomy, followed by those who underwent thrombectomy and the small thrombus burden group (33.8 vs. 21.2 vs. 10.3%, respectively, P

Introduction: The efficacy of prasugrel and ticagrelor has not been well evaluated in East Asian. We sought to compare the pharmacodynamic efficacy of prasugrel and ticagrelor by using VerifyNow P2Y12 assay (Accumetrics, San Diego, CA, USA). Methods: From 2012 January to 2014 April, we selected 83 patients who were administered ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily (n = 24), prasugrel 10 mg daily (n = 39), or prasugrel 5 mg daily (n = 20) after percutaneous coronary intervention due to acute coronary syndrome in our institute. After 3-4 weeks, on-treatment platelet reactivity (OPR) was measured by VerifyNow assay. According to the previous studies, we used 2 different criteria for the therapeutic window of OPR (East Asian criteria: 275≥PRU>85; Western criteria: 208 ≥PRU>85). We compared the OPR and the proportion of the therapeutic window between 3 groups. Results: The OPR was the lowest in the ticagrelor group, followed by the prasugrel 10 mg and prasugrel 5 mg groups (49.1 ± 29.9 vs. 83.7 ± 57.1 vs. 168.5 ± 60.8, p < 0.001).When we used the East Asian criteria, the prasugrel 5 mg group had the highest proportion of patients in the therapeutic window of OPR followed by prasugrel 10mg and ticagrelor groups ( 90.0% vs. 46.2% vs. 12.5%, p < 0.001). When using Western criteria, the prasugrel 5mg group still showed the highest proportion of patients with therapeutic window followed by prasugrel 10mg and ticagrelor groups (60.0% vs. 43.6% vs. 12.5%, p Conclusion: Short-term administration of prasugrel 5mg highly led the patients into the therapeutic window of OPR (in both of East Asian and Western criteria), compared with prasugrel 10mg and ticagrelor 180mg group. The prasugrel 5mg daily might be the optimal maintenance regimen for East Asian patients.

Background/Aims: Newer P2Y12 inhibitors, such as prasugrel and ticagrelor, have greater antiplatelet efficacy but may increase the risk of bleeding. In this study, we compared the pharmacodynamic efficacy of prasugrel and ticagrelor in East Asian patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: We selected 83 ACS patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention who were discharged with 90 mg ticagrelor twice daily (n = 24), 10 mg prasugrel daily (n = 39) or 5 mg prasugrel daily (n = 20). After 2 to 4 weeks, on-treatment platelet reactivity (OPR) was assessed in terms of P2Y12 reaction units (PRUs) using the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay (Accumetrics). We compared East Asian (85 < PRU ≤ 275) and Caucasian (85 < PRU ≤ 208) criteria for assessing the therapeutic window of OPR. Results: OPR was lowest in the ticagrelor group, followed by the 10 mg prasugrel and 5 mg prasugrel groups (49.1 ± 29.9 vs. 83.7 ± 57.1 vs. 168.5 ± 60.8, respectively; p < 0.001). The 5 mg prasugrel group had the highest proportion of patients with OPR values within the therapeutic window, followed by the 10 mg prasugrel and ticagrelor groups (90.0% vs. 46.2% vs. 12.5%, respectively; p < 0.001 for East Asian criteria; 60.0% vs. 43.6% vs. 12.5%, respectively; p < 0.001 for Caucasian criteria). Conclusions: Short-term administration of 5 mg prasugrel facilitated maintenance within the therapeutic window of OPR compared with the 10 mg prasugrel and ticagrelor groups. Thus, 5 mg prasugrel daily may be the optimal antiplatelet regimen for stabilized East Asian ACS patients.

We investigated and compared the clinical outcomes between biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stents (BES) and durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents (EES) in a single-center prospective registry.There is limited data regarding the safety and efficacy of the biodegradable BES compared to second-generation drug-eluting stents.From January 2010 to April 2012, a total of 1,279 patients were treated with BES (n = 647) or EES (n = 632) in a single center. We included 1,231 patients (BES = 625, EES = 606) after excluding 48 patients (BES = 22, EES = 26) with acute myocardial infarction accompanied by cardiogenic shock. The 1-year incidences of target lesion failure (TLF), patient-oriented composite outcomes (POCO), and stent thrombosis (ST) after the index procedure were compared in propensity score-matched analyses.Propensity score matching yielded 406 well-balanced pairs (EES = 406, BES-B = 406). In the propensity-matched population, the 1-year incidence of TLF (BES = 3.0% vs. EES = 2.5%, P = 0.666) and POCO (BES = 5.4% vs. EES = 6.4%, P = 0.552) were similar between the 2 groups. In addition, the incidence of definite or probable ST was also similar (BES = 0.74% vs. EES = 0.74%, P = 1.000). In subgroup analysis, the number of patients who reached the primary end-point did not differ significantly between the 2 groups.In a single-center registry with unrestricted use of EES and BES-B, these stents showed comparable efficacy and safety in terms of TLF, POCO, and ST at 1-year follow-up.

The synthesis of 14 C-2-amino-9-(3-hydroxymethyl-4-isopropoxycarbonyloxybut-1-yl)purine from [1- 14 C] diethyl malonate is described. The overall radiochemical yield of the product in a nine-step sequence was 16.1%, and the compound's radiochemical purity was 98.5%

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Far Eastern Myotis, Myotis bombinus (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) is determined in this study. It is 17 128 base pairs in length with 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and a non-coding control region. Its gene order is identical to that of other typical vertebrates. There are two tandem repeat sequences in the non-coding control region. Each repeat sequences contains 5 copies of 81 nucleotides and 42 copies of 6 nucleotides. Phylogenetic tree of mt 13 protein-coding gene sequences of 18 species in the family Vespertilionidae shows two distinct clades. Clade I consists of Myotis and Murina, while Clade II contains all other species analyzed.

We obtained the complete mitochondrial genome of the Ussuri white-toothed shrew Crocidura lasiura (Insectivora, Soricidae) at 17 362 base pairs (bp) containing 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and a non-coding control region. Its gene order is identical to that of other vertebrates. Several repeat elements were identified in the non-coding control region (D-loop). Phylogenetic tree using mt protein-coding gene sequences showed that C. lasiura was closely related to C. attenuata. The reports of mt genome sequences of Crocidura were not enough to study phylogenetic relationships in genome levels. However, this report may help us to understand the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of Crocidura.

Korean Abstract: 우리나라 기업의 R&D 투자는 2012년 43조 2,229억 원으로 지난 2000년부터 2012년간 연평균 12.7% 속도로 증가해왔다. 전체 R&D 투자에서 기업의 R&D 투자가 차지하는 비중도 점차 증가하여 2012년 77.9%에 이르고 있으며, 이는 주요국인 미국, 일본, 중국보다 높은 수준이다. 한편, 우리나라 기업의 수출과 해외직접투자도 매년 증가하고 있으며 GDP에서 차지하고 있는 비중 역시 빠른 속도로 증가하고 있는 가운데 특히 R&D 투자를 기반으로 하는 주력 품목들인 선박, LCD, 자동차, 핸드폰 등이 우리나라 전체 무역규모에서 차지하는 비중은 50%를 초과하고 있다. 본 연구는 이렇듯 기업 주도의 R&D 투자가 주를 이루고 있으며, 아울러 해외시장에 대한 의존도가 높은 경제구조에서 기업의 R&D 투자가 수출 및 해외직접투자에 미치는 영향을 분석하고 있다. 특히, R&D 투자와 기업의 생산성, 기업의 생산성과 수출 및 해외직접투자와의 관계에 대해서 분석한 기존의 선행연구들을 참조하여 R&D 투자의 수출 및 해외직접투자 효과를 기업의 생산성과 연계하여 분석하였다.우리나라 기업의 R&D 투자와 수출 및 해외직접투자 현황을 조사한 결과 우리나라의 전체 R&D 투자 중에서 정부의 R&D 투자증가율은 둔화되고 있는 반면 기업의 R&D 투자증가율은 계속 확대되고 있으며 특히 2000년 이후 최근까지 기업의 R&D 투자에서 제조업 R&D 투자의 비중은 연평균 87%에 이르고 있어 제조업 부문에서의 R&D 투자가 매우 활발한 것으로 조사되었다. 수출은 2013년 5,620억 달러를 기록하여 최근 10년간 연평균 13.6% 증가세를 보이고 있으며 해외직접투자는 같은 기간 연평균 47.6% 증가하여 2013년에는 약 95억 달러를 기록하는 등 R&D 투자와 수출 및 해외직접투자는 계속 증가하는 추세를 보이고 있다.한편 산업별로 R&D 투자를 구분하여 조사한 결과 특정 산업에서의 R&D 투자와 수출 및 해외직접투자가 매우 활발한 것으로 나타났다. 특히 한국표준산업분류(KSIC) 2단위 기준으로 분류하여 조사한 결과 ‘전자부품, 컴퓨터, 영상, 음향 및 통신장비 제조업’, ‘자동차 및 트레일러 제조업’, ‘화학물질 및 화학제품 제조업(의약품 제외)’, ‘기타 기계 및 장비 제조업’ 등과 같이 자본집약적인 산업에서의 R&D 투자와 수출 및 해외직접투자가 매우 활발한 것으로 나타났다. 또한 R&D 투자와 수출 및 해외직접투자와의 상관관계를 통해 R&D 투자비중이 높은 산업일수록 수출과 해외직접투자도 많이 이루어지고 있는 것으로 나타났다.English Abstract: Since 2000, Korean firms' R&D investment have recorded an annual increase of 12.7% and accounted for 78% of total R&D investment in Korea, which surpasses that of U.S., Japan, and China. On the other hand, Korean firm exports and outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) have steadily increased to record 562 billion and 24 billion dollars in 2013, respectively, which accounts for more than 50% of total GDP. Given the fact that Korean economy heavily relies on firms' R&D investment, exports and OFDI, our report provides in-depth analysis on the effects of R&D investment on exports and OFDI by using rich set of Korean firm-level data.In particular, by considering the results from prior trade literatures that analyze the effects of R&D investment on firm productivity and that examine the effects of firm productivity on exports and OFDI, we analyze the effects of R&D investment on exports and OFDI by incorporating firm productivity as a mediator.Examining the effects of R&D investment on firm productivity, we first measure R&D investment as firms' total expenditure on R&D activities, while firm productivity is measured by total factor productivity, capital productivity, and labor productivity. Using these measures, we find that R&D investment significantly increases firm productivity. In particular, to analyze how firm R&D investment affects its productivity-level over time, we use lagged R&D variables to estimate their effects on current productivity-level. As a result, we find that current and previous R&D investment have positive and significant effects on current productivity-level and that its magnitude becomes larger over time. In other words, firm productivity is significantly and largely associated with prior R&D investment. Alternatively, estimating the effects of R&D investment on firm exports using lagged variables, we find that R&D investment have positive and significant effects on current exports and that its magnitude becomes larger as R&D investment is made in prior. Evaluating the effects of R&D on OFDI through lagged R&D variables, our results show that R&D investment made in prior years significantly increases current amount of OFDI and also raises the probability of firms' engagement in OFDI in the current period. To provide in-depth analysis on the effects of R&D investment on firm's exports and OFDI, we use path analysis methodology to estimate the effects of R&D on exports and OFDI with and without incorporating firm productivity as a mediator variable. Our estimation results show that firm R&D has positive and significant direct and indirect effects on exports and OFDI through the increase in total factor productivity. Estimating the magnitude of direct and indirect effects, we find that firm R&D investment is more effective in increasing exports and OFDI directly than indirectly through firm productivity increase.

Background and Objectives: The aim of our study was to compare the values of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) measured with two different non-invasive methods as predictors of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients who had undergone coronary angiography. Subjects and Methods: From 6373 patients who visited our laboratory for non-invasive procedures, we enrolled 965 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography. Data for baPWV and peripheral augmentation index (pAI) were recorded. CAD was defined as greater than 50% stenosis of a major epicardial artery in a coronary angiogram. In addition, the severity of CAD was classified as: none/ minimal or 1-, 2-, or 3-vessel disease, based on previous or current angiographic findings. Results: Among 965 subjects, the mean age was 63.7±11.6 years, and 58.2% were male. Compared with subjects without CAD disease, those with CAD showed higher values of baPWV (16.6±3.5 m/sec vs. 15.9±3.4 m/sec, p

Purpose We aimed to investigate whether combination therapy using intracoronary (IC) abciximab and aspiration thrombectomy (AT) enhances myocardial perfusion compared to each treatment alone in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Materials and methods We enrolled 40 patients with STEMI, who presented within 6 h of symptom onset and had Thrombolysis in MI flow 0/1 or a large angiographic thrombus burden (grade 3/4). Patients were randomly divided into 3 groups: 10 patients who received a bolus of IC abciximab (0.25 mg/kg); 10 patients who received only AT; and 20 patients who received both treatments. The index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) was measured with a pressure sensor/thermistor-tipped guidewire following successful PCI. Microvascular obstruction (MVO) was assessed using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging on day 5. Results IMR was lower in the combination group than in the IC abciximab group (23.5±7.4 U vs. 66.9±48.7 U, p=0.001) and tended to be lower than in the AT group, with barely missed significance (23.5±7.4 U vs. 37.2±26.1 U, p=0.07). MVO was observed less frequently in the combination group than in the IC abciximab group (18.8% vs. 88.9%, p=0.002) and tended to occur less frequently than in the AT group (18.8% vs. 66.7%, p=0.054). No difference of IMR and MVO was found between the IC abciximab and the AT group (66.9±48.7 U vs. 37.2±26.1 U, p=0.451 for IMR; 88.9% vs. 66.7%, p=0.525 for MVO, respectively). Conclusion Combination treatment using IC abciximab and AT may synergistically improve myocardial perfusion in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI (Trial Registration: clinicaltrials. gov Identifier: NCT01404507).

Recent studies suggest that the intracoronary administration of bone marrow (BM)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may improve left ventricular function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, there is still argumentative for the safety and efficacy of MSCs in the AMI setting. We thus performed a randomized pilot study to investigate the safety and efficacy of MSCs in patients with AMI. Eighty patients with AMI after successful reperfusion therapy were randomly assigned and received an intracoronary administration of autologous BM-derived MSCs into the infarct related artery at 1 month. During follow-up period, 58 patients completed the trial. The primary endpoint was changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) at 6 month. We also evaluated treatment-related adverse events. The absolute improvement in the LVEF by SPECT at 6 month was greater in the BM-derived MSCs group than in the control group (5.9% ± 8.5% vs 1.6% ± 7.0%; P=0.037). There was no treatment-related toxicity during intracoronary administration of MSCs. No significant adverse cardiovascular events occurred during follow-up. In conclusion, the intracoronary infusion of human BM-derived MSCs at 1 month is tolerable and safe with modest improvement in LVEF at 6-month follow-up by SPECT. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT01392105).

We propose a novel methodology for predicting human gait pattern kinematics based on a statistical and stochastic approach using a method called Gaussian process regression (GPR). We selected 14 body parameters that significantly affect the gait pattern and 14 joint motions that represent gait kinematics. The body parameter and gait kinematics data were recorded from 113 subjects by anthropometric measurements and a motion capture system. We generated a regression model with GPR for gait pattern prediction and built a stochastic function mapping from body parameters to gait kinematics based on the database and GPR, and validated the model with a cross validation method. The function can not only produce trajectories for the joint motions associated with gait kinematics, but can also estimate the associated uncertainties. Our approach results in a novel, low-cost and subject-specific method for predicting gait kinematics with only the subject's body parameters as the necessary input, and also enables a comprehensive understanding of the correlation and uncertainty between body parameters and gait kinematics.

A matrix of mesoporous molecular sieves (MCM-41) with various Si/Al ratios and various pore sizes was synthesized. These were structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction, IR and 27 Al NMR. The relative acidity of these materials was estimated catalytically based on the isomerization selectivity of 2-methyl-2-pentene. The activity and selectivity of this reaction are affected by both the Si/Al ratio and the pore size at fixed composition. The stability of Al in the wall structure (as tetrahedral Al) is also affected by the pore size, the smallest pore size resulting in the most stable tetrahedral Al.

Background and Objectives Experimental protocols for remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) utilize models in which a tourniquet is placed around the hindlimb or effluent is collected from an isolated heart. In analyzing the humoral factors that act as signal transducers in these models, sampled blood can be influenced by systemic responses, while the effluent from an isolated heart might differ from that of the hindlimb. Thus, we designed a new isolated hindlimb model for RIC and tested whether the effluent from this model could affect ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury and if the reperfusion injury salvage kinase (RISK) and survivor activating factor enhancement (SAFE) pathways are involved in RIC. Materials and Methods After positioning needles into the right iliac artery and vein of rats, Krebs-Henseleit buffer was perfused using a Langendorff apparatus, and effluent was collected. The RIC protocol consisted of 3 cycles of IR for 5 minutes. In the RIC effluent group, collected effluent was perfused in an isolated heart for 10 minutes before initiating IR injury. Results Compared with the control group, the infarct area in the RIC effluent group was significantly smaller (31.2%±3.8% vs. 20.6%±1.8%, p

Trade liberalization benefits consumers, according to trade theories, because it gives them access to a wider variety of products at lower prices than what their home country could supply. Despite Korea’s continuous trade liberalization over the years, however, it is criticized that Korean consumers have rarely realized welfare enhancement due to trade liberalization, pointing to no change or even an increase in consumer prices of imported goods for which tariff was reduced or eliminated through trade liberalization or effectuation of free trade agreements with other countries. While it is generally believed that trade liberalization benefits consumers, there is only a handful of direct evidence on the gains from trade that particularly focuses on consumers’ welfare. In this report, we examine and estimate the welfare impacts of trade liberalization and increased trade on consumers. First, we investigate the trend of prices of imported consumer goods over time and then identify factors that might affect those prices. Second, we examine changes in product variety available in Korea due to trade liberalization and estimate how these changes in product variety affect Korean consumers’ welfare. In particular, within a constant elasticity of substitution (CES) framework, we develop a price index for import that is corrected for new and disappearing varieties by following Feenstra’s (1994) approach and using Korea’s trade data. New varieties lower unit costs, depending on their substitutability with other varieties and their expenditure shares. Third, we investigate the marketing margins of imported consumer goods from the border to final consumers and estimate the margin on every stage for each marketing channel.

The heart has been used as a classic symbol to represent emotion from ancient times. For example, heartbreak or heartache is an informal expression used when we feel pain due to emotional events such as sorrow, grief, sense of loss, anger, anxiety, and panic. In Korea, the word “hwabyung” means “anger” or “fire” disease [1]. The most common symptoms are chest tightness, dyspnea, and heat sensation, and patients with this culture-related anger syndrome often pound their chest with fists to relieve the symptoms. Predisposing factors of hwabyung are known to be related to psychological stressors. Psychological stressors need to be considered an important issue, especially in cardiovascular disease [2]. Depression is an established risk factor for coronary heart disease [3]. Stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SICM) is currently regarded as a suitable model of cardiovascular psychophysiology. This chapter discusses the mechanism and clinical aspects of SICM.

Although central obesity is a more powerful predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than general obesity, there is limited information on structural and functional changes of the heart in central obesity. Therefore, we evaluated the association between abdominal obesity and geometric and functional changes of the heart in healthy males. A total of 1460 healthy males aged 40 to 70 years without known CVD from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study on Atherosclerosis Risk of Rural Areas in the Korean General Population were included. All individuals underwent conventional 2-dimensional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging to measure left atrial (LA) and left ventricle (LV) geometry and function. Increasing tertiles of waist circumference (WC) were associated with stepwise increases in LA volume, LV end-diastolic dimension, LV mass to height, deceleration time of E wave, and lower E/A ratio (all P trends 89 cm) to the lowest tertile (

Recently, the Ni-rich cathode materials (such as Li[Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05]O2) have attracted a lot of attention because of their high specific discharge capacity. However, they have several challenges such as insufficient rate capability, cyclic performance and thermal stability to be overcome. As an approach to address these issues, surface modification with stable materials has been applied to various cathode materials. In this study, the surface of the Li[Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05]O2 was double coated with stable oxide (Li2ZrO3) and carbon having a high electronic conductivity. Surface coating with Li2ZrO3 can improve the cyclic performance and thermal stability of Ni-rich cathode because the coating layer can prevent from unwanted reaction between cathode and electrolyte. Moreover, Li2ZrO3 is not only stable oxide, but also Li ion conductor with suitable structure for Li ion transportation, which can enhance rate capability of Ni-rich cathode. The carbon with high electronic conductivity was also coated to compensate for low conductivity of oxide cathode. So, the double coating layer composed of Li2ZrO3 and carbon may lead to enhanced electrochemical performance of Ni-rich cathode.

In this paper, we propose queueing strategies employing the service interval-based priority (sip) which can provide delay-bounded, and loss-free services, while maximizing bandwidth utilization in the atm network. We also describe a variation of the sip, the residual service interval-based priority (rsip) which can achieve almost full utilization by assigning priorities dynamically on the basis of the residual service interval. We store the realtime cells belonging to different connections in logically separated queues, and for each queue, we set a parameter called service interval, during which only one cell is allowed to be transmitted. The sip server takes and transmits the head-of-line (hol) cell of the queue which has the smallest service interval, while the rsip server selects the queue with the smallest residual service interval. When there is no eligible real-time cell, it transmits non-real-time cell, thus enabling a maximized bandwidth utilization. Employing the above queueing strategies, we analyze the delay characteristics deterministically with the leaky bucket bounded input traffic and then dimension the optimal service interval. In dimensioning the service interval and buffer space of each real-time service queue, we consider burstiness of traffic in conjunction with delay constraints, so that bandwidth utilization can get maximized. In addition, we consider the issues of protection from malicious users, average bandwidth utilization, and coupling between the delay bound and the bandwidth allocation granularity.

A thiazazincolidine complex, 1, was shown to be an excellent catalyst for enantioselective reduction with bis(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)borane (BDMPB) of meso N-phenylimides in high ee to the corresponding hydroxy lactams, which were eventually converted to the corresponding lactones of high optical purity.

Background Q waves on a 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) are considered to be classic hallmarks of prior myocardial infarction. However, one study suggested that the fragmented QRS complex (fQRS) on ECG is a highly sensitive and specific marker of myocardial scarring on a nuclear stress test. The study aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of fragmented QRS complexes compared with Q waves for myocardial injury detected by delayed contrast-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (DE-CMRI) in subjects with acute myocardial infarction. Methods Electrocardiograms of 190 subjects with myocardial infarction who underwent DE-CMR were analyzed. fQRS was defined by the presence of an additional R wave (R″), or notching of the S wave, or more than one R′ in two contiguous leads. Results Delayed enhancement was observed in 180 (94.7%) patients. Transmural enhancement was noted in 78 (43.3%) and subendocardial enhancement in 102 (56.7%) patients. The sensitivity and specificity of Q waved and fQRS for diagnosing delayed enhancement were 59.4% vs. 66.7% and 90.0% vs. 40.0%. The area under the receiver–operator characteristics curve of delayed enhancement was 0.75 for Q waves and 0.53 for fQRS (p=0.04). The areas under the ROC curves of the transmurality of delayed enhancement were 0.44 for fQRS and 0.58 for Q waves (p=0.73). Conclusions fQRS has poor accuracy for the detection of myocardial injury compared with Q waves. fQRS and Q waves are not valuable tools for the diagnosis transmural irreversible myocardial injury in acute myocardial infarction.

Flowable CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) process having merits in terms of both superior gap-fill performance of SOD (Spin-on Dielectric) and process stability of CVD was introduced for the interlayer dielectric (ILD) in sub-20nm devices based on new concept and precursor. Remote plasma during low temperature deposition and ozone treatment was adopted to stabilize the film. We also developed a novel Flowable CVD process which does not oxidize Si or electrode, resulted in removal of Si 3 N 4 stopper layer as an oxidation or diffusion barrier. After the application of Flowable CVD to 20nm DRAM ILD, we could reduce not only loading capacitance of Bit-line by 15% but also enhance comparable productivity. Through the successful development of sub-20nm DRAM ILD Gap-fill process, Flowable CVD was successful demonstrated as a promising candidate for mass production-worthy ILD in sub-20nm next generation devices.

In order to implement promising robot applications in our daily lives, robots need to perform manipulation tasks within the human environments. Especially for a humanoid robot, it is essential to manipulate a variety of objects with different shapes and sizes to assist humans in the human environments. This paper presents a method of manipulating objects with humanoid robot's dual arms. The robot is usually asked to control both the motion and force to manipulate the objects. We propose a novel concept of control method based on the virtual dynamics model (VDM), which enables the robot to perform both tasks of reaching to an object and grasping it under the uniform control system. Furthermore, the impedance model based on the VDM controller also enables the robot to safely grasp an object by reducing the impact at the contact point. The proposed algorithm is implemented on the humanoid robot, Mahru, with independent joint controller at each motor. Its performance is demonstrated by manipulating different types of objects.

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy has achieved global notoriety in only 20 years since it was introduced as “Takotsubo cardiomyopathy” (which means “octopus trap” in Japanese) (Dote et al., 1991). It is also known as “left ventricular apical ballooning”, “ampulla cardiomyopathy” and “broken heart syndrome”. Stress-induced cardiomyopathy is associated with typical electrocardiographic findings and severe chest pain suggesting ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, emergency coronary angiography usually does not show significant stenosis or definite flow limitation. In general, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is markedly depressed and is recovered within the normal range within 1–2 weeks. Most cases have a good outcome and some may not even need further medical therapy if the underlying the cause is uncovered. Several hypotheses have been proposed but the pathophysiologic mechanism is incompletely understood. Here we discuss the clinical findings, diagnostic modalities, possible pathophysiologic mechanisms, prognosis and management of stress-induced cardiomyopathy.

MACsec provides authenticity and integrity for data frame on data link layer by implementing data encryption. For these advantages, MACsec is highlighted as a solution to protect and transmit data safely from the various security threats in the Wired and Wireless LAN. Until now, MACsec can not guarantee stable ARP management for itself [1]. This paper will propose a design of enhanced ARP to protect IP and MAC address from external threats and the enhanced ARP will encrypt ARP Packet by SAK (Secure Association Key) for the authentication. It will help to keep the address system safe from various security threats on data link layer.

Reaction of diethylzinc with α-branched aldehydes in the presence of a catalytic amount of (1R,2S)-(–)-1-phenyl-2-piperidinopropane-1-thiol 1 provided the corresponding secondary alcohols in almost 100% enantiomeric excess.

A thiazazincolidine complex, 1, was shown to be an excellent catalyst for enantioselective reduction with bis(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)borane (BDMPB) of meso N-phenylimides in high ee to the corresponding hydroxy lactams, which were eventually converted to the corresponding lactones of high optical purity.