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BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) can achieve durable responses in a subset of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (aUC). The use of tumor genomic profiling in clinical practice may help suggest biomarkers to identify patients most likely to benefit from ICI.MethodsWe undertook a retrospective analysis of patients treated with an ICI for aUC at a large academic medical center. Patient clinical and histopathological variables were collected. Responses to treatment were assessed for all patients with at least one post-baseline scan or clear evidence of clinical progression following treatment start. Genomic profiling information was also collected for patients when available. Associations between patient clinical/genomic characteristics and objective response were assessed by logistic regression; associations between the characteristics and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were examined by Cox regression. Multivariable analyses were performed to identify independent prognostic factors.ResultsWe identified 119 aUC patients treated with an ICI from December 2014 to January 2020. Genomic profiling was available for 78 patients. Overall response rate to ICI was 29%, and median OS (mOS) was 13.4 months. Favorable performance status at the start of therapy was associated with improved OS (HR 0.46, p=0.025) after accounting for other covariates. Similarly, the presence of a TERT promoter mutation was an independent predictor of improved PFS (HR 0.38, p=0.012) and OS (HR 0.32, p=0.037) among patients who had genomic profiling available. Patients with both a favorable performance status and a TERT promoter mutation had a particularly good prognosis with mOS of 21.1 months as compared with 7.5 months in all other patients (p=0.03).ConclusionsThe presence of a TERT promoter mutation was an independent predictor of improved OS in a cohort of aUC patients treated with an ICI who had genomic data available. Most of the clinical and laboratory variables previously shown to be prognostic in aUC patients treated with chemotherapy did not have prognostic value among patients treated with an ICI. Genomic profiling may provide important prognostic information and affect clinical decision making in this patient population. Validation of these findings in prospective patient cohorts is needed.

본 연구의 목적은 지역경관관리를 위한 정책추진에 있어 저해요인을 체계적으로 정립하여 실행력 개선을 위한 기초자료로 활용하고자 하는데 있다. 연구방법은 먼저, 지자체 경관정책 및 사업담당자 10명을 대상으로 심층면담 조사를 실시하여 각 지역별 경관 정책 개선을 위한 추진과정에 대해 의견을 수집하였다. 다음으로, 질적 연구데이터의 분석 소프트웨어인 Nvivo를 활용하여 저해요인을 체계적으로 분석하였다. 분석결과, 사업추진 주체가 가장 중요한 요인이었고, 다음으로 사업절차, 사업담당자의 전문성, 사후관리, 이해관계자 갈등 순이었다. 사업추진 주체의 경우 사업추진의 공공성 부족과 사업추진주체(주민)의 역량 부족이 가장 큰 저해요인으로 나타났고, 그 외 인력(사무장) 부족, 이해관계자 간 협력체계 미흡, 사업추진의 컨트롤타워 부재, 사업의 지속적 운영 한계 등이 구체적 저해요인으로 나타났다. 다음으로, 사업절차의 경우 사업지침 가이드라인이 미비한 것이 가장 큰 문제로 지적되었고, 사업지침 및 절차의 자율성, 마을특성의 반영이 미흡한 점이 저해 요인으로 나타났다. 셋째, 사업담당자의 전문성에 대해서는 담당자 업무와 전문분야의 불일치가 가장 큰 저해요인으로 나타났고, 다음으로 업무단계가 분리되어 있는 점이 저해요인으로 나타났다. 특히, 담당자 업무와 전문분야의 불일치(16%)는 키워드 분류 시 가장 많이 언급된 사항으로 분석되었다. 넷째, 사후관리의 경우 시설물 유지·관리 미흡과 관리주체(마을)의 자발성 결여가 구체적 저해요인으로 나타났다. 마지막으로 이해관계자 갈등의 경우 토지매입, 주민들의 잦은 의견 변경, 예산이 구체적 저해요인으로 나타났다. 본 연구는 지역경관 관리의 효율성 증진을 위해 지역경관 정책의 실제 운영자를 대상으로 정책 실행의 저해요인에 대한 실증적 근거를 마련하고, 경관분야의 질적 연구를 위한 새로운 방법을 제시하는데 의의가 있겠다.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles have been investigated for decades due to their potential biomedical applications. In this study, we synthesized, characterized and biologically tested multifunctional Fe3O4-based drug delivery systems for such an application. The nanosystems were successfully prepared with a small size, high saturation magnetization and high drug loading. The Fe3O4 core in an alternating magnetic field could generate enough heat for both effective hyperthermia therapy and doxorubicin release from the alginate shell for chemotherapy. Also, a folate factor was attached to the nanoparticles to help the system to enter and stay in the tumor cells for a longer time. In vivo experiments showed that the combined treatment was very helpful for the survival of lung cancer-bearing mice, especially in the case of the presence of a folate factor.

Typical fundus photography produces a two-dimensional image. This makes it difficult to observe the microvascular and neural abnormalities, because the depth of the image is missing. To provide depth appreciation, we develop a single-channel stereoscopic fundus video imaging system based on a rotating refractor. With respect to the pupil center, the rotating refractor laterally displaces the optical path and the illumination. This allows standard monocular fundus cameras to generate stereo-parallax and image disparity through sequential image acquisition. We optimize our imaging system, characterize the stereo-base, and image an eyeball model and a rabbit eye. When virtual realities are considered, our imaging system can be a simple yet efficient technique to provide depth perception in a virtual space that allows users to perceive abnormalities in the eye fundus.

The humanized monoclonal antibody hR3, both alone and in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy, can be used to treat head and neck cancers. Substantial progress has been made in the development of targeted radioimmunotherapy using iodine-131 (hR3 was labeled withThe purified radioimmunoconjugates with specific activities of 187-191 MBq/mg had radiochemical purity98% and80% immunoreactivity with HEp-2 cells. Mice with HEp-2 xenografts treated with

Charge transport in topological insulators is primarily characterised by so-called topologically projected helical edge states, where charge carriers are correlated in spin and momentum. In principle, dissipation-less current can be carried by these edge states as backscattering from impurities and defects is suppressed as long as time-reversal symmetry is not broken. However, applied magnetic fields or underlying nuclear spin-defects in the substrate can break this time reversal symmetry. In particular, magnetic impurities lead to back-scattering by spin-flip processes. We have investigated the effects of point-wise magnetic impurities on the transport properties of helical edge states in the BHZ model using the Non-Equilibrium Green's Function formalism and compared the results to a semi-analytic approach. Using these techniques we study the influence of impurity strength and spin impurity polarization. We observe a secondary effect of defect-defect interaction that depends on the underlying material parameters which introduces a non-monotonic response of the conductance to defect density. This in turn suggests a qualitative difference in magneto-transport signatures in the dilute and high density spin impurity limits., Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures + appendices

This paper aims to explore potential issues in implementing peer-to-peer recognition to motivate employees. A qualitative inquiry is applied to enhance our understanding of peer-to-peer recognition schemes in practical situations. Sixteen participants, including HR researchers and managers from different organizations where this program has been implemented, attended semi-structured interviews. From which twelve cases are chosen for this study. Using thematic analysis on the collected responses, the researcher finds that challenges to peer-to-peer recognition are to be found in four categories: the impact of personal relationship, the unsuitability of working climate, the confusing nomination criteria, and the lack of an appropriate rewarding policy. Practical solutions to deal with those challenges are also proposed, which include building the culture and assigning monitor, to assist employers to effectively make use of a peer-to-peer program in motivating employees. This study therefore raises the awareness of optimizing motivation program for HR practitioners, as well as contributes a qualitative approach toward the non-cash recognition evaluation.

The humanized monoclonal antibody hR3, both alone and in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy, can be used to treat head and neck cancers. Substantial progress has been made in the development of targeted radioimmunotherapy using iodine-131 (131I) and yttrium-90 (90Y) radioisotopes in recent years. In the present study, we examined the efficacy of hR3 conjugated with 131I or 90Y to inhibit tumor growth in a laryngeal carcinoma xenograft tumor model. hR3 was labeled with 131I or 90Y to generate the conjugates 131I-hR3 or 90Y-hR3. The conjugates were incubated with HEp-2 laryngeal carcinoma cells to evaluate binding capacity. The efficacy of the labeled hR3 conjugates to treat laryngeal cancer was also evaluated in nude mice inoculated with HEp-2 tumors. The purified radioimmunoconjugates with specific activities of 187–191 MBq/mg had radiochemical purity >98% and >80% immunoreactivity with HEp-2 cells. Mice with HEp-2 xenografts treated with 131I-hR3 or 90Y-hR3 showed reduced tumor volume and improved survival rates compared to the untreated control group and the group treated with unlabeled hR3. At equivalent doses, radioimmunotherapeutic hR3 labeled with 90Y had increased tumor inhibition activity compared to hR3 labeled with 131I. 131I-hR3 and 90Y-hR3 are promising targeted radiopharmaceuticals for treatment of head and neck cancers, especially laryngeal cancers.