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Purpose Approval of eribulin for metastatic breast cancer was based on data primarily from Western patients, and there is a paucity of data on the effectiveness and safety of eribulin for Asian patients. To determine the effectiveness and safety of eribulin in Korean women with breast cancer in a real-world setting, we conducted a nationwide, multicenter, retrospective study. Methods Patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who were treated with eribulin in 14 centers throughout Korea were included in this study. Eribulin was generally administered at a dose of 1.23 mg/m2 (equivalent to 1.4 mg/m2 eribulin mesylate) by intravenous infusion for 2–5 min, or as a diluted solution, on Days 1 and 8 of every 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) rate at 6 months. Secondary endpoints included median PFS, overall survival (OS), time-to-treatment failure (TTF), tumor response rate, and incidence of hematologic treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Results The safety and full analysis populations included 398 and 360 (38 had no efficacy data) patients, respectively. The PFS rate at 6 months was 37.8%. Median PFS, OS, and TTF were 134, 631, and 120 days, respectively. Objective response rate, clinical benefit rate, and disease control rate were 18.1%, 50.6%, and 49.4%, respectively. Hematologic TEAEs were reported in 65.1% of patients; neutropenia (56.8%) and anemia (11.3%) were most common. Conclusion Real-world effectiveness and safety of eribulin in Korean breast cancer patients were consistent with previous reports; no new safety concerns were identified., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Metastatic breast cancer patients were treated with eribulin (1.23 mg/m2, IV). • Progression-free survival rate at 6 months was 37.8% in eribulin-treated patients. • Median progression-free and overall survivals were 134 and 631 days, respectively. • Hematologic treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 65.1% of patients. • Effectiveness and safety of eribulin were consistent with previous reports.

Background Direct-to-implant breast reconstruction following nipple-sparing mastectomy is becoming increasingly common. The weight of the breast specimen informs implant selection. However, specimens of the same weight may have different volume. Therefore, identifying the factors affecting the density of breast specimens may facilitate the selection of implants with an appropriate volume. Methods From December 2015 to May 2018, 108 patients underwent direct-to-implant reconstruction following nipple-sparing mastectomy. The weight of the breast specimens was measured using an electronic scale in the operating room. Furthermore, the volume of specimens was measured using the water displacement technique. Multiple regression analysis was performed on factors that can affect breast density, such as menopause, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CTx), age, body mass index, and diabetes mellitus. Results The average density of breast specimens in patients older than 50 years (n=36) was 0.96±0.04 g/mL, which was significantly lower than the 1.01±0.08 g/mL observed in patients younger than 50 years (n=72) (P=0.007). The mean density of breast specimens in patients who underwent neoadjuvant CTx (n=25) was 0.96±0.06 g/mL, which was significantly lower than the value of 1.00±0.08 g/mL in those who did not (n=83). Conclusions It is advisable to select an implant slightly larger than the mastectomy specimen weight in patients older than 50 years or in those who have undergone neoadjuvant CTx.

The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is amplified in approximately 20% of breast cancers, and HER2 receptor targeting therapy is associated with a significant improvement in disease-free and overall survival. In several clinical trials, the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate was significantly increased with combined pertuzumab and trastuzumab treatment in HER2-amplified breast cancer. Although the efficacy and safety of anti-HER2 dual blockade therapy has been reported, the markers that predict the response are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the level of HER2 amplification and the pCR in trastuzumab and pertuzumab neoadjuvant therapy. Twenty-two HER2-amplified early breast cancer patients who had received neoadjuvant docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab (TCHP) therapy were included in this study. HER2/CEP17 ratio and average HER2 copy number were measured by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. The relationship between level of HER2 amplification and tumor pCR status was investigated. The median age was 47.5 years (range, 36–62). 31.8% of the patients were hormone receptor (HR) positive and 68.2%% of the patients were HR negative. The pCR (ypN0/is ypN0) rate in the breast and axilla was 68.2%. The patients who experienced a pCR had a median HER2/CEP17 ratio of 7.08 (range, 3.16–10.40) and average HER2 copy number of 17.00 (range, 5.85–37.50). The patients who did not experience a pCR had a median ratio of 4.70 (range, 1.06–9.00) and median HER2 copy number of 12.00 (range, 5.85–20.95) (P = .030, P = .174), respectively. pCR was highly correlated with HER2/CEP17 ratio in neoadjuvant anti-HER2 dual blockade. This suggests that the HER2/CEP17 ratio can be used as a predictive marker for pCR in neoadjuvant trastuzumab and pertuzumab therapy.

Background Several oncoplastic approaches have been implemented in recent years to enhance cosmetic results and to reduce complications. The round block technique is a volume displacement technique for breast reconstruction after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). However, its indications are currently limited according to tumor location, and its cosmetic results and complications have not been clearly established. We hypothesized that the round block technique could produce favorable cosmetic results without major complications regardless of tumor location or nipple-tumor distance, below a certain resected tumor volume and tumor-breast volume ratio. Methods All breast reconstructions using the round block technique after BCS were included in this analysis. Patients’ data were reviewed retrospectively to investigate complications during follow-up, and clinical photos were used to evaluate cosmetic results. The relationships of tumor location, nipple-tumor distance, tumor volume, and the tumor-breast volume ratio with cosmetic results were investigated. Results In total, 108 breasts were reconstructed. The mean resected tumor volume was 30.2±15.0 mL. The cosmetic score was 4.5±0.6 out of 5. Tumor location, nipple-tumor distance, tumor volume, tumor-breast volume ratio, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy had no significant effects on cosmetic results or complications. There were no major complications requiring reoperation. Conclusions Breast reconstruction using the round block technique after BCS can lead to good cosmetic results without major complications regardless of the tumor location, nipple-tumor distance, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. Below the maximum tumor volume (79.2 mL) and the maximum tumor-breast volume ratio (14%), favorable results were consistently obtained.

We describe an assembly-disposable microfluidic device based on a silicone-coated release polymer thin film. It consists of a disposable polymeric superstrate and a reusable functional substrate and they are assembled simply using vacuum pressure. The disposable polymeric superstrate is manufactured by bonding a silicone-coated release polymer thin film and a microstructured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) replica, containing only a simple structured microchannel. The reusable functional substrate generates an intricate energy field that can penetrate the micrometer-thick polymer film into the microchannel and control microfluids. This is the first report to introduce a silicone-coated release polyethylene terephthalate (PET) thin film as a bonding layer on a microstructured PDMS replica. The bonding strength was ∼600 kPa, which is the strongest among bonding methods of PDMS and PET polymer. Additionally, accelerated tests for bond stability and leakage demonstrated that the silicone-coated release PET film can form a very robust bond with PDMS. To demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed assembly-disposable microfluidic device, a lateral magnetophoretic microseparator was developed in an assembly-disposable microfluidic device format and was evaluated for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients with breast cancer.

Rationale. Neo-adjuvant systemic therapy includes endocrine therapy and chemotherapy, which is widely used. Luminal breast cancer is resistant to chemotherapy and is more likely to not respond to chemotherapy before surgery. Palbociclib is a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitor. Palbociclib with letrozole combination therapy was an effective chemotherapy in metastatic luminal type breast cancer and had fewer side effects; however, the benefit of palbociclib in neoadjuvant systemic therapy is unclear. Patient concerns A 50-year-old female patient visited our hospital with palpable lump in the right breast. The lymph nodes fixed in the ipsilateral axilla. Diagnosis The patient was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast; the nuclear grade was moderate. The ipsilateral fixed lymph node was diagnosed as metastasis. The breast cancer subtype was luminal A type and was positive for estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, and negative for HER2/neu and Ki-67 marker index

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the existence of a learning curve for procedures using ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VAB) system in terms of the cumulative sum (CUSUM). Methods: Data from a series of 54 consecutive patients who had undergone ultrasound-guided VAB were reviewed in the study. Patients’ characteristics, operative times, and complication rates were analyzed. The total operation time was analyzed by using the CUSUM method. Results: CUSUM analysis revealed three phases of the learning curve: phase 1 (the initial 15 cases), phase 2 (intermediate 23 cases), and phase 3 (subsequent cases). Operative times, including preparation time, procedure time, and total operation time, in phase 1 were significantly longer than those in phases 2 and 3. Surgical complications were the most frequent in the initial phase (26.7%); however, complication rates were not significantly different among the three groups. Conclusion: The current study showed the three different phases of the learning curve for ultrasound-guided VAB using CUSUM analysis. CUSUM analysis can be used to determine appropriate competency of various procedures in patients with breast diseases.

Background : Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy system (VAB) is an alternative modality to core needle biopsy for the diagnosis of breast lesions. Material and methods : Fifty-four patients who underwent ultrasound-guided VAB procedures were analyzed. Patients were categorized into two groups: The first 20 consecutive patients as group A and the next 34 consecutive patients as group B. Results : Fifty-two patients underwent excision, and two underwent biopsy only. Moving average curves showed a plateau phase for performing VAB procedures after the 20th patient. Total operation times of group B were significantly shorter than those of group A (p < 0.001). Complication rates in group B tended to be lower, and VAB probe position of group B tended to be better than that of group A, but these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion : Our data suggest the existence of a learning curve for ultrasound-guided VAB procedures. VAB procedures can be performed safely, even during the early learn...

This paper presents a circulating tumor cell (CTC) microseparator for isolation of CTCs from human peripheral blood using immunomagnetic nanobeads with bound antiepithelial cell adhesive molecule (EpCAM) antibodies that specifically bind to epithelial cancer cells. The isolation is performed through lateral magnetophoresis, which is induced by high-gradient magnetic separation technology, involving a ferromagnetic wire array inlaid in the bottom substrate of a microchannel. Experimental results showed that the CTC microseparator isolates about 90% of spiked CTCs in human peripheral blood at a flow rate of up to 5 mL/h and purifies to approximately 97%. The overall isolation procedure was completed within 15 min for 200 μL of peripheral blood. CTCs from peripheral blood of patients with breast and lung cancers were isolated with the CTC microseparator, and the results were compared with those of healthy donors. Using a fluorescence-based viability assay, the viability of CTCs isolated from peripheral blood of patients with cancer was observed. In addition, the usefulness of the CTC microseparator for subsequent genetic assay was confirmed by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification of cancer-specific genes using CTCs isolated from patients with cancer.

In a High temperature superconducting (HTS) tape with high aspect ratio, the magnetic field applied to the HTS tape can be different considerably within the HTS tape. The current distribution in the HTS tape is generally non-uniform becauthe current distribution is strongly se dependent on the applied magnetic field. Non-uniform current distribution in a HTS tape has not been properly considered when the critical current has been estimated. This paper shows the calculation of critical current of a HTS magnet consisting of pancake windings. Non-uniform distribution of current in the HTS tape is considered during the calculation of the critical current. Results of calculation show the current concentrated in the middle part of the HTS tape which is used for one pancake winding. self 1. INTRODUCTION A number of superconducting machines are being developed, such as, SMES (Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage), NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) and magnetic separator [1-3]. Superconducting magnets are used for most of the superconducting machines. To guarantee the cryogenic stability of the superconducting magnets, it is important to estimate precisely the critical current of the superconducting magnets. In a HTS tape which is used for the HTS magnet with high aspect ratio, the magnetic field applied to the HTS tape can be different considerably within the HTS tape. The current distribution in the HTS tape is generally non-uniform because current distribution is strongly dependent on the applied magnetic field. In order to estimate the critical current of the HTS magnet, it is needed to consider the non-uniform distribution of the current in the HTS tape. Non-uniform current distribution in HTS a tape has not been considered when the critical current has been estimated . Current distribution in a HTS tape has been studied in some papers [4, 5].

Magnetic field and Electric field of High Temperature Superconducting magnet are very important to analysis of superconducting magnet. The maximum perpendicular magnetic field was applied to the outermost pancake windings. The critical current of all the magnet windings is limited by the critical current of the outermost pancake windings. The E-J relation was used to determine the critical current, and an evolution s trategy was adopted for the optimization of gap length between each pancake windins. The results of calculations show that the critical current and the central magnetic field and uniformity increased by 82.6% and 31.6% and 50.8%, respectively, for a magnet consisting of ten pancake windings. This paper did an analysis the cause of increase the critical current and central magnetic field and uniformity in no gap and optimal gap model.

This study designed and realized a new type of RFID middle-ware based on .NET Compact Framework platform using PXA255 embedded board and Windows CE as operating system. The proposed embedded RFID middle-ware system controls via LAN a number of RFID sensors using RS-232 as interface and was designed on the basis of components of each function necessary RFID middle-ware. Application module operating in the SOA environment analyzes the data received from the RFID sensors with the embedded RFID middle-ware and in turn performs appropriate business logic. Client module to be used by end users can use RFID information in database, by web method call of application.

Every autonomous system like a robot needs a power source known as a battery. And proper management of the battery is very important for proper operation. To know State of Charge(SOC) of a battery is the very core of proper battery management. In this paper, the SOC estimation problem is tackled based on the well known Extended Kalman Filter(EKF). Combined the existing battery model is used and then EKF is employed to estimate the SOC. SOC table is constructed by extensive experiment under various conditions and used as a true SOC. To verify the estimation result, extensive experiment is performed with various loads. The comparison result shows the battery estimation problem can be well solved with the technique proposed in this paper. The result of this paper can be used to develop related autonomous system.

Polymer-linked PT (podophyllotoxin) conjugates have been designed to improve the therapeutic efficacy of PT. A new PT-conjugate, 3,6-endo-methylene-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalimido-acetamidoglycinylglycine podophyllotoxin ester (ETPA-gly-gly-PT), was synthesized by covalently coupling its hydroxyl group onto the phthalimido monomer through a glycine-glycine-glycine spacer. Its homo- and copolymer with acrylic acid (AA) were prepared by photopolymerization using 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (DMP) as a photoinitiator. ETPA-gly-gly-PT and its polymers were characterized by IR and proton NMR spectra. The ETPA-gly-gly-PT content in the copolymer obtained by elemental analysis was 44 wt%. The number-average molecular weights of the polymers determined by gel permeation chromatography were as follows: Mn = 13,500 for poly(ETPA-gly-gly-PT), Mn = 17,000 for poly(ETPA-gly-gly-PT-co-AA). The in vitro antitumor activity of these conjugates and polymers were determined and used to evaluate the potential applications in antitumor drugs. The IC50 values indicated that the synthesized ETPA-gly-gly-PT and its polymers against cancer cells were much better inhibitors than PT.

Total least squares (TLS) parameter estimation is an alternative to least squares (LS) estimation when there are errors in both data matrix and observation vector. Especially, when some of the columns, not all, of the data matrix A are free of error, we call it a mixed LS-TLS problem. Accordingly, a sequential algorithm for solving a mixed LS-TLS problem is proposed here. The proposed algorithm employs an efficient algorithm to locate the minimum eigenpair, instead of singular value decomposition (SVD) which is computationally exacting. The proposed algorithm is applied to an accelerometer model to identify error parameters which are very important in inertial navigation systems (INS).

A method for locating the mlntmum eigenvalue and its corresponding eigenvector is considered. The convergence rate of the Rayleigh quotient iteration (RQI) is cubic. However, unfortunately, the RQI may not always locate the minimum eigenvalue. In this paper, a modified Rayleigh quotient iteration (MRQI) that can always locate the minimum eigenpair is proposed and Mathematical properties of the MRQI are investigated. Based on the MRQI, a fast algorithm to locate minimum eigenpair will be proposed. It can locate multiple minimum eigenvalues, while others which employ an inclusion interval cannot.

This study was designed to evaluate the impact of lack of either estrogen receptor (ER) or progesterone receptor (PR) on characteristics and outcomes among luminal A breast cancer subtype treated with endocrine with or without chemotherapeutic agents.The luminal A subtype was categorized into three subgroups: ER+/PR+, ER+/PR-, and ER-/PR+. All tumors were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative. Clinicopathological features and survival were analyzed using the Severance Hospital dataset (n = 1,180) and were validated by the nationwide Korean Breast Cancer Society (KBCS) registry (n = 9,916).Despite the different distribution of ER/PR status, tumor stage, grade, and local therapies between the two datasets, similarly ER+/PR+ showed smaller size and good differentiation, ER+/PR- patients had the oldest age at diagnosis, and ER-/PR+ was associated with the youngest age at onset and grade III tumor. Single hormone receptor-positive subgroups demonstrated worse disease-related outcomes than the ER+/PR+ subgroup. These associations were confirmed by the KBCS dataset. This trend was also demonstrated in the subpopulation of 1,944 patients with Ki-6714 %. Inferior survival of single receptor-positive tumors was more definite among node-positive patients even when receiving both chemo-endocrine therapies.Current results suggest that the luminal A subtype is also heterogeneous and each subgroup has unique clinicopathologic characteristics. Lack of either ER or PR expression is associated with worse survival, especially among node-positive luminal A subtype.

This paper presents a system of automatic filter quality test for the filter activeness during the process of the filter production was embodied with LabVIEW server and conveyer system. The LabVIEW server is LabVIEWs function as web server which can be remote controlled during filter quality test through on web. The conveyer system is constructed with Conveyer, Network Analyzer and PC Camera. The LabVIEW server controls conveyer motor and sensor using DAQ card and controls Network Analyzer using GPIB card for measuring S parameter of filters. Moreover, PC camera is for monitoring the process of remote controlling during the filter test. And the data base construction from results of Network Analyzers measurement made possible to manage special information of filters.

This study implemented a remote control system using PDA based on WINDOWS CE.NET. In existing remote control systems, the user generally controls remote objects and obtain data using a computer, which is a local system connected to the Internet, and the remote objects are connected to server computers. In order to control remote objects, the user has to have a computer, a space to use the Internet, and wired Internet. The system proposed in this study uses an embedded board as a server and PDA as a client. Thus, the user can control remote objects at any place as long as wireless Internet is available. In addition, because an embedded board is used as a server, the system has the characteristics of high performance and low power consumption. The proposed system provides not only remote control environment using PDA but also conventional control environment using a computer as a client. In case PDA is not available, remote objects still can be controlled from any place as long as there are wired Internet and a computer.

A microcontroller can be considered a self-contained system with a processor, memory and peripherals. It is used in automatically controlled products and devices by programming. Therefore it is adopting with the essential subject in our department. We implemented a remote laboratory for 80196KC microcontroller. The remote laboratory provides functions with which learners can perform experiments by remote-controlling circuits and equipment related to experiments and practices on the Web and gets data and image information, so through it learners can make realistic experiments at any time and in any place. Although student can not physically touch any equipment, they can confirm the operation process of the 80196KC microcontroller by observing the result of experiment transferred through the web camera. The remote laboratory module based on Internet open sources such as JAVA Web start technology, FTP technology and Telnet technology in server-client environment can be implemented at low cost. It has the object of introducing remote experimentation, offering to students the opportunity to run a C code for 80196 KC microcontroller. Our remote Lab, therefore, is a useful tool that allows students to make real experiments with 80196 KC microcontroller. It will be used an auxiliary lab for teaching and learning microcontroller.

To achieve an integrated environment for measurement and instrumentation, we designed and implemented a client/server distributed environment and developed a web-based virtual laboratory system for electronic and digital circuit experiments. Since our virtual laboratory system is implemented to describe the on-campus laboratory, virtual experimental data similar to real experimental data can be obtained through the system. In addition, our web-based virtual laboratory is designed to enhance the efficiency of both the learners and the educators. The learners will be able to achieve high learning standard and the educators save time and labor. The proposed virtual laboratory system is composed of three important sessions: Principle Study Session to explain the concepts and to simulate digital circuit operations, Virtual Experiment Session to provide interactive multimedia contents about the syllabus of off-line laboratory class, Assessment Session and Management System. With the aid of the Management System every session is organically tied up together to achieve maximum learning efficiency. Through our virtual laboratory, the learners will be capable of learning the theories related to electronic circuit experiments and the operation method of the experimental equipments such as multimeters, function generators, digital oscilloscopes and DC power supplies. Also, every activity occurred in our virtual laboratory will be recorded on the database and will be printed out on the preliminary report form. Finally, we have obtained several affirmative effects such as reducing the total experimental hours and the damage rate for experimental equipments.

This paper describes a web-based combined laboratory for a 8051 microcontroller-related experiment which is composed of a virtual lab and a real time remote laboratory. Authorized users are allowed to have access to both labs using a web browser. The virtual laboratory cooperates with the remote laboratory to help learners easily understand the principal concepts and the process of complex experimental operations about the 8051 microcontroller. The former is implemented by Java applets and Flash animations, and the latter network technologies such as web-based compilation and socket communication, which enables remote experimental devices to be controlled by local learners, compensating for the lack of reality in the virtual experiment. The proposed laboratory provides learners with almost all the same advantages as a real lab environment.

Web-based interactive learning is an important educational trend. In this paper, we implemented web-based virtual education courseware for the C programming language. It consists of two major components: a creative lecture component for students and an evaluation component for lecturers. The lecture component contains HTML-based lecture notes with creative multimedia content, such as flash movies and video clips, and an effective web-based compiler which compiles C programs at the server. These are submitted by students through the Web and the program returns their execution results to the students' PCs. There is also a submission component of a student's reports and an online examination. The administration and management system for attendance checking, report assignment, online examination and scoring, etc is implemented using web technologies such as HTML, Java, Java script, PHP and MySQL database. This system enables students to easily understand the content and programming techniques of the C programming language. It enables lecturers to achieve higher productivity, saving them time and labor.

The web affords unique opportunities to assist students in learning. Due to the rapid proliferation of the web in recent years, many educators seek to improve the effectiveness of their instruction by providing innovative web-based course material to their students. In particular, many web-based educational contents are being developed. It helps to teach and train students. It is spreading widely due to repeated learning any time, any where. In this paper we implemented C functions and quizzes for checking comprehension of statements in a C programming lecture, developing scenario related concepts and algorithm comprehension. We used visual representation. The web-based contents were implemented as FLASH animations or Java applets.

To enhance the excellence, effectiveness, and economical efficiency in the learning process, we implement a creative hybrid educational system for engineering experiments where web-based virtual laboratory systems and distance education systems are properly integrated. In the first stage, we designed client/server distributed environment and developed web-based virtual laboratory system for electrical/electronic circuit experiments. The proposed virtual laboratory system is composed of three important sessions and their management system: concept-learning session, virtual experiment session, assessment session. With the aid of the management system every session is organically tied up together to achieve maximum learning efficiency. In addition, every activity done during the virtual laboratory session are recorded on database and will be provided to the learners as the printout report included their own experimental information and results. With this new system structure, the learners can compare theoretical and experimental data; develop their capability in designing and analyzing the circuits; and make use of auxiliary educational tools for understanding complicated concepts. In the second stage, we have implemented efficient and cost-effective distance laboratory systems for practicing electrical/ electronic circuits, which can be used to eliminate the lack of reality occurred during virtual laboratory session. The use of simple and user-friendly design allows a large number of people to access our distance laboratory systems easily. Thus, self-guided advanced training is available even if many expensive types of equipment will not be provided in the on-campus laboratories. During distance laboratory session, the learners change the settings of the input signal and the values of circuit elements, observe the output waveform from the web camera, and obtain image information regarding their experimental results. The proposed virtual/distance laboratory systems can be used in stand-alone fashion, but to enhance learning efficiency we integrated them and developed a creative hybrid education system for engineering experiments. Our hybrid education system provides interactive learning environment and a new approach for the delivery of engineering experiments.

The characteristic information about an ultrasonic transducer is generally described by the ultrasonic R/F signal back from a reflector and its frequency characteristics in the data sheet. The information can, however, hardly assure that the focused ultrasonic transducer would produce well-focused sound fields which the performance of the transducer absolutely depend on. Therefore, we propose the measured size of focal spot and the reconstructed shape of effective focal zone in the focused sound field as novel measures for the performance evaluation of the focused ultrasonic transducers. The process of getting the both of the transducers is conducted by the implemented software including sound field scanning and virtual 3D reconstruction functions which requires the echo of a point reflector. The proposed method could effectively distinguish superior ones among many transducers made in the same specification and be also used to detect the performance degradation due to the aging of the transducers.

Rapid development of IT area leads to increasing use of the personal digital assistant (PDA). In these days, many PDA products equipped with GPS receiver for PNS (personal navigation system) are on the market. Furthermore many robots would be equipped GPS receiver to navigate by itself in recent future. A common feature of PNS and robot navigation is slow moving, which often results in incorrect navigation. Also, there is much probability of blocking and reflecting by surrounding environment, which may also result in incorrect navigation. Therefore it is needed to pre-process the signals to adapt it to various applications. In this paper, an algorithm called GPS Buffering Algorithm (GBA) to pre-process the signals is proposed. For this, GPS data obtaining from uNAV GPS receiver are analyzed and classified based on dynamic characteristic. Then, the proposed algorithm is applied to the data and some test results are shown to verify the usefulness of the algorithm

An efficient XML query method is suggested for a distributed web environment. We develop an algorithm that promptly matches host's ontology and remote site's DTD. Then, a mobile agent system is constructed such that each agent maintains the recently matched ontology. For XML query, each agent generates remote-specific queries based on its matched ontology and returns the search results back to the host. The prompt match, remote-specific query, and autonomous mobile process can greatly reduce the search time and transmission overhead.

In this paper, a new technique for updating the SVD is described. It starts from the fact that the SVD can be reduced to a corresponding symmetric eigenvalue problem and utilizes an efficient eigensystem solver, called the GMRQI-JKL, to update the SVD. Based on the updating technique, a parallel and recursive total least squares algorithm (PRTLS) for solving a time variant TLS problem is proposed. Some numerical examples are given to confirm the performance of the algorithms.

iology and the treatment of breast cancer. We also introduce and summarize new preclinical agents, developed or on developing, with preliminary results from clinical trials. Given the progress currently being made, targeted therapy could become a main strategy for the treatment of breast cancer in the near future.

Tailgut cysts are rare congenital lesions. They are believed to develop from remnants of the embryonic hindgut. Malignancy in tailgut cyst is extremely unusual. We experienced a case of a carcinoid tumor arising within a tailgut cyst at the presacral space. A 40-year-old woman was admitted for acute anal pain. Digital rectal examination revealed a 2-cm-sized submucosal tumor in the posterior midline rectum 4 cm above the anal verge. On sigmoidoscopic examination, the overlying rectal mucosa seemed to be intact. We performed a transanal incisional biopsy. The pathological diagnosis of the tumor biopsy revealed a malignant neuroendocrine tumor. The patient underwent an abdominoperineal resection. The tumor proved to be mutilocular cysts with a solid component. The cysts were diagnosed as tailgut cysts that were lined by a variety of epithelial types, including inner columnar cells, outer cuboidal cells, and transitional cells. The solid component in the cysts was confirmed as a carcinoid tumor on microscopic examination. Six months after the operation, she was found to have liver and brain metastases.