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This letter presents a 56-Gb/s PAM-4 transceiver which achieves a bit error rate of $2\times 10^{-9}$ through −33 dB of channel insertion loss while consuming 500-mW receiver and 90-mW transmitter power. Its compact 0.31-mm2 area is achieved by rigorously applying a digital design style to exploit the high logic density offered by the 7-nm technology node. This is realized by an all-digital PLL, source-series-terminated transmitter, and synthesized DSP section for the majority of the receiver signal processing. Receiver analog signal conditioning is limited to 8-dB of peaking provided by a low-distortion analog frontend that feeds a 28-GS/s 8-bit ADC implemented as an 8-way time-interleaved SAR-ADC array. Digital receiver signal equalization, as well as timing recovery, relies on adaptive filtering which eliminates the need for training sequences, a concept extended to ADC calibration. Here, signal distortion caused by sampling clock skew and SAR-ADC array mismatch is removed by fully adaptive feedback loops.

With ever-increasing demand of feature-rich portable electronics, single-inductor multiple-output (SIMO) converters are becoming a cost-effective option to provide different supply voltages while maintaining a long battery life. A single-discharge (SDC) control scheme is proposed to simplify the SIMO design, to achieve low cross-regulation, and to support wide range of loads with reasonable power efficiency. A SDC SIMO buck converter with four outputs composed of comparators, phased-locked loop, finite state machine (FSM) controller, and an output stage, is prototyped using TSMC's 0.18-μm BCD process. In addition to the basic switching functions, the FSM controller provides a state skipping feature to allow no-load regulation. Its functionality is verified experimentally and can convert an input voltage from 2.7 to 3.7 V to 1, 1.2, 1.5, and 1.8 V outputs. The simulated peak power conversion efficiency is 86% with a combined output power ranging from 150 to 300 mW. The packaged SDC SIMO converter ICs exhibit a lower measured peak efficiency of 73%, with a cross-regulation of 0.24 mV/mA due to the parasitic bond-wire resistance. The converter prototype can support a wide range of loading conditions, from open circuit to a total output power of 1 W.

Many deep excavations and shafts in the karstic limestone formation have been constructed to-date in Kuala Lumpur. A case history in the Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line is discussed in this paper, starting from the early phase of site investigation to the challenges encountered during construction. From the standpoint of a design-and-build/turnkey contractor, a wide breadth of geotechnical engineering considerations has to be appreciated, consisting of the method of construction, selection of retaining system, ground improvement, as well as management of settlements and sinkholes. The accommodating of an adjoining transit-oriented development is discussed.

This 56Gb/s PAM-4 transceiver leverages the high logic density provided by the 7nm FinFET technology through rigorous application of digital design styles: An All-Digital PLL and SST transmitter are combined with a 28GS/s 8b ADC and DSP receiver, with the analog signal processing limited to a two stage front-end. The receiver achieves a raw 1e-7 BER with a-33dB insertion loss channel while consuming 500mW, including the 20-tap FFE and 1-tap DFE equipped DSP section.

Background An association has been reported between CYP2C19 polymorphism and the altered antiplatelet activity of clopidogrel. We investigated this association using the newly introduced platelet function analyzer (PFA)-200 (INNOVANCE PFA-200 System; Siemens Healthcare, Germany) P2Y test. Methods Polymorphisms of CYP2C19*2, *3, *17 and the degree of inhibition of platelet function were determined in 83 patients. Three different platelet function tests were used to evaluate the degree of platelet inhibition and to check the association with genotype. Results The post-procedure PFA-200 values of extensive metabolizers (EM) patients (285.3±38.8) were higher than those of intermediate metabolizers (IM) and poor metabolizers (PM) patients (227.7±98.3 and 133.7±99.2, respectively; P=0.024). Light transmittance aggregometry (LTA) and the VerifyNow system showed that the post-procedure values for EM patients were lower than those of IM and PM patients (LTA: 24.4±15.7, 34.1±17.6, and 42.2±16.9, respectively, P

The results of Saemangeum seadike field inspection and material testing of armor stones in order to analyze causes of abrasion according to material characteristics of seaside armor stones in Saemangeum seadike are in the following: 1. The armor stones in Saemangeum seadike have been constructed by using internal stones (mainly, sinsi stones) and external stones, which had less strength (77.3 %) and more abrasion rate (133.3 %) compared with sinsi stones. 2. The compressive strength and abrasion rate were compared between ordinary wave section and high wave section for the purpose of analyzing the influence of waves. In compressive strength, sinsi stones were 4.0 % stronger and external stones were 0.6 % stronger in ordinary wave section than those of high wave section in average. In the case of abrasion rate, sinsi stones were 3.0 % higher and external stones were 8.2 % higher in the high wave section than those in the ordinary section. 3. The result of comparing compressive strength according to a zone is that the compressive strength in the Intertidal area was less strong in most of the zones. 4. Considering that deviated stones are moving around over the surface of armor stones in situ, it is important to compare material characteristics. So the comparison test about this factor showed that deviated sinsi stones were stronger than armor stones in situ in terms of compressive strength and resistance to abrasion. Based on these results, abraded armor stones may have resulted from their durability. Therefore it is assumed that armor stones are likely to be abraded when deviated stones which are more durable are moving around over armor stones which are less durable.

We investigated extrathyroidal extension (ETE) through frozen biopsy for intraoperative decision making in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).During the period of the study an operation was performed in 268 patients with PTC and ETE was evaluated using intraoperative frozen biopsies of thyroid tissue.Extrathyroidal extension was confirmed in 54 patients (20 %) on frozen biopsy. Fifty-three patients among 54 patients showing ETE on frozen biopsy were confirmed on permanent pathologic analysis. Accordingly, frozen biopsy had a sensitivity of 66 %, a specificity of 99 %, a positive predictive value of 98 %, and a negative predictive value of 87 %. Tumor size (OR 4.373; CI 2.257-8.475, p =0.001) was an independent factor for predicting ETE on frozen biopsy.Intraoperative frozen biopsy can be an useful tool in identifying the presence of ETE. It can also help the operator decide the extent of surgery and central neck dissection in patients with PTC.

This study is focused on analyzing the deformation types of seaside armor stones based of field survey in order to establish the cause of abrasion following the deformation of seaside armor stones. 1. The deformation of seaside armor stone in saemangeum sea dike was classified as three different types: floating, deviation, and abrasion. 2. It was discovered that the stones floated to the extent of maximum 50 m, as the result of inspecting floating stones which were situated on different ten places. 3. The average number of deviation in the high ocean wave section was four times more than that in the ordinary ocean wave section, as a result of comparing the deviation number of the ordinary ocean wave section and that of the high ocean wave section for the purpose of inspecting the relation between the deviation of armor stones and the effects of ocean wave. 4. The angular shape of armor stones seen in the initial construction period has been abraded smoothly, as result of comparing of the shape change of armor stones for the purpose of inspecting abrasion state of seaside armor stones. 5. It was discovered that the abrasion of armor stone was severe in the section of many floating stones, as a result of analyzing the levels of abrasion and the cumulative sections of floating stones for the purpose of investigating the cause of abrasion.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the performance and feasibility of the rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) profile by comparing prolonged prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) results with ROTEM parameters. Methods: We tested external TEM (EXTEM)– and internal TEM (INTEM)–activated determinations, mainly focusing on 5 basic parameters: Clotting time (CT), clot formation time (CFT), α angle, clot formation rate (CFR), and maximum clot firmness (MCF). We then compared PT and APTT results with ROTEM parameters. Results: We observed no significant correlations between any of the ROTEM EXTEM or INTEM parameters and PT results. Similarly, only 1 parameter, the INTEM CT value, was significantly correlated with APTT results ( r 2 = 0.165, P

Beyond hemostasis and thrombosis, an increasing number of studies indicate that platelets play an integral role in intercellular communication, mediating inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. Our knowledge about how platelets modulate inflammatory and immunity has greatly improved in recent years. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the pathways of platelet activation and potential application of platelet activation biomarkers to diagnosis and prediction of disease states.

This study was performed to investigate the stream water quality characteristics in Hengjeong Bridge Basin of Dongjin River during twelve months from October, 2010 to September, 2011. Also, pollutant loads were calculated on the basis of the water quality and runoff results. The results showed that ranges of water temperature, pH and EC were , 6.32~7.78, respectively. The Concentration of DO, BOD, COD, SS, Tot-N and Tot-P were observed as 6.80~9.20 mg/L, 0.40~1.60 mg/L, 1.96~4.41 mg/L, 59.60~142.20 mg/L, 1.28~3.52 mg/L, 0.001~0.07 mg/L respectively. Tot-N showed correlativity with BOD, and Tot-P showed correlativity with SS. The runoff pollutant loading of Tot-N and Tot-P were 117.94 kg/ha and 2.06 kg/ha respectively, in Hengjeong bridge of Dongjin river watershed. In the case of the correlativity between runoff pollutant loads and concentrations, Tot-N and Tot-P show low significant relationships.

This survey is focused on analyzing amenity resources for the purpose of offering basic sources for balanced development and the activation of sightseeing in Anmyen-island which has superior landscape resources and the result follows as this. 1. As a result of selecting "Amenities characterized in isles" and comparing their applications in order to choose amenity resource surveying method which is suitable for the isle districts where beaches, tidelands, fishing villages and so on are formed, it was considered that the surveying method of the rural amenity resource in the Korean Society of Rural Planning could be properly used. 2. In spite of a variety of amenity resources besides ten beaches, Anmyeon-island has been developed only focused on beaches. Therefore, it is highly recommended to develop new sightseeing courses which connect beaches with adjacent amenity resources such as theme programs. 3. It proved that compared with Anmyeoneup, Gonammyeon has superior landscape resources and higher special product rates, which is caused by the fact that it doesn`t have various kinds of amenities. As diverse fish inhabit the sea and tidelands in Gonammyeon, it is beneficial for activating sightseeing tours to develop fishing village experiencing programs including going fishing. 4. Anmyen-island can be divided into East district and West distict by the national road no,77 and two districts have different distributional features of sightseeing amenity resources. In the west district, amenity resources such as coastal sightseeing routes, large event halls, and resorts have been activated in addition to fourteen beaches which have already been developed while the amenity resources in the east like fishing villages, tidelands, and salt fields have not been activated. Accordingly, for activating balanced sightseeing development in Amyeon-island, it is required to make plans which can incorporate the east amenity resources of sea sightseeing and the west amenity resources of fishing village experiencing programs. As a way, constructing sightseeing routes connecting the west and the east district or making a detour lane connecting beaches in the west, Anmyeon pine trees in the center, and fishing villages in the east.

Background Chimerism analysis is an important tool for assessing the origin of hematopoietic cells after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) and can be used to detect impending graft rejection and the recurrence of underlying malignant or nonmalignant diseases. Methods This study included 24 patients who underwent myeloablative allo-SCT. DNA was extracted from nucleated cells (NCs), T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells, and the chimerism status of these cell fractions was determined by STR-PCR performed using an automated fluorescent DNA analyzer. Results Twenty-three out of the 24 patients achieved engraftment. Mixed chimerism (MC) in NCs, but not in T cells and NK cells, was significantly correlated with disease relapse. MC in all cell fractions was correlated with mortality. Ten patients (41.6%) developed extensive chronic GVHD. Six patients had MC in T cells, and 3 of them had chronic GVHD. Four patients with MC and relapse received donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI), and among them, 3 had secondary relapse. Further, the chimerism status differed among different cell lineages in 6 patients with myeloid malignancies. Conclusion The implications of MC in lymphocyte subsets are an important area for future research. Chimerism analysis in lineage-specific cells permits detection of relapse and facilitates the monitoring of therapeutic interventions. These results can provide the basic data for chimerism analysis after myeloablative SCT.

Chimerism testing permits early prediction and documentation of successful engraftment, and also facilitates detection of impending graft rejection. In this study, we serially monitored chimerism status by short tandem repeat-based PCR in nucleated cells (NC), T cells and natural killer (NK) cells after myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Four patients with myeloid malignancies showed discrepant chimerism results among those three fractions. Three patients had mixed chimerism (MC) of donor/host T cells at a time point around the onset of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In two patients with disease relapse, MC of NK cells preceded a morphological relapse or NK cells showed a higher percentage of patient cells compared to NC. Therefore, our study shows that chimerism analysis in lineage-specific cells might be useful in predicting clinical outcome after allogeneic SCT in certain patients.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent in nature and believed to facilitate the engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) when transplanted simultaneously in animal studies and even in human trials. In this study, we transfected culture-expanded MSC with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GMCSF) and stem cell factor (SCF) cytokine genes and then cotransplanted with mononuclear cells (MNC) to further promote HSC engraftment. MNC were harvested from cord blood and seeded in long-term culture for ex vivo MSC expansion. A total of 1 x 10(7) MNC plus MSC/microL were introduced to the tail vein of nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency mice. After 6-8 weeks later, homing and engraftment of human cells were determined by flow cytometry and fluorescence in situ hybridization studies. The total nucleated cell count and the engraftment of CD45+/CD34+ cells and XX or XY positive human cells were significantly increased in cotransplanted mice and even higher with the cytokine gene-transfected MSC (GM-CSF>SCF, p

The mechanism of platelet recovery after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and the factors that influence its time-course are not fully understood. Rapid hematopoietic recovery results in a reduction of transplantation-related complications. In the present study, we questioned and analyzed whether there were important factors predicting the speed of platelet engraftment.Thirty-seven patients with various hematologic diseases transplanted with allogeneic BM between January 2002 and December 2005 were included. We investigated the differences in mononuclear cell counts (MNC), numbers of infused CD34(+), CD34(+) CD41(+) and CD34(+) CD61(+) cells and phenotypic analysis of homing-associated cell adhesion molecules (CXCR4, CD49d and CD49e). The number of megakaryocytes formed in vitro (colony-forming unit-megakaryocytes; CFU-Mk) was also measured.Median days of ANC/=0.5x10(9)/L and platelet count/=20x10(9)/L were 14.8 and 17.3, respectively. The number of infused CD34(+) CD41(+) and CD34(+) CD61(+) cells correlated much better with the time to platelet engraftment than that of infused CD34(+)cells (P0.05 each). Rapid platelet recovery also occurred in patients receiving both higher homing-associated cell adhesion molecule doses and CFU-Mk (P0.05 each).Rapid platelet recovery has several advantages, including reducing the cost of supportive therapy and reducing the risk of fatal bleeding as a result of severe thrombocytopenia. Our findings suggest that phenotypic and clonogenic assessment of infused progenitor cells can identify patients in whom platelet engraftment is likely to be significantly delayed, and new strategies to overcome related problems might be employed in the very near future.

A new quaternary compound, AuNb4P2S20, was synthesized by direct solid-state reaction from Au, Nb, P, and S at 900 °C. Its structure was determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. AuNb4P2S20 was dark-gray crystals with structures similar to those of ANb2PS10 (A = Na, Ag). The needle-shape compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with cell dimensions of a = 24.5618(10) A, b = 7.5439(11) A, c = 12.983(3) A, β = 92.83(2)°, and Z = 4. This structure consists of one-dimensional infinite chains built by [Nb2S12] and [PS4] units. Au atoms are occupied within the van der Waals gap of sulfur atoms between infinite chains to make −S···Au+···S− contacts. There is only one Au atom site and four atoms at crystallographically equivalent sites in a unit cell. This is only the half of the numbers of Na or Ag atoms in NaNb2PS10 or AgNb2PS10. The higher oxidation state, therefore, in Au or Nb should exist to make the charge neutrality. The results of XPS measurements in AuNb4P2S20 indicate t...

A new quaternary compound NaNb 2 PS 10 was prepared by reacting the mixture of Nb, P 2 S 5 , S and Na 2 S at 750°C. AgNb 2 PS 10 was also synthesized by the direct solid-state reaction of Ag, Nb, P and S at 900°C. Their structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The needle-shape crystals of the two compounds crystallize in the common monoclinic space group C 2/ c . NaNb 2 PS 10 crystallizes into purple crystals with cell dimensions of a =24.7634(10) A, b =7.8407(11) A, c =12.947(3) A, β =90.83(2)° and Z =8. AgNb 2 PS 10 had dark-gray crystals with cell dimensions of a =23.9609(10) A, b =7.7692(11) A, c =12.910(3) A, β =94.49(2)° and Z =8. These structures consist of one-dimensional infinite chains built by [Nb 2 S 12 ] and [PS 4 ] units. The Nb atoms are centered in distorted bicapped trigonal prismatic polyhedra and the neighboring polyhedra share square faces and edges to make Nb–Nb pairs. [PS 4 ] units are tetrahedra composed of one S atom at the prism corner and two other capping S atoms and an additional S atom. Ag + and Na + cations in NaNb 2 PS 10 and AgNb 2 PS 10 reside in the van der Waals gap of sulfur atoms between infinite chains. Calculation of the electronic structure shows that the two compounds are semiconducting materials. Optically measured band gaps were 1.72 and 1.77 eV for NaNb 2 PS 10 and AgNb 2 PS 10 , respectively.

For quaternary metal thiophosphates, NaNb2PS10, AgNb2PS10, Au0.5Nb2PS10, and NaSmP2S6, the principal elements of the 31P NMR chemical shielding tensor (δ11, δ22, and δ33) are acquired from the nonlinear least-squares fitting the static powder patterns and MAS spectra. Isotropic chemical shift (δiso) and chemical shielding anisotropy (Δδ) have been employed to correlate with the X-ray crystallographic data, the average (P−S) bond length and the average (S−P−S) bond angle deviation from 109.5°, respectively, at the tetrahedrally coordinated phosphorus atoms. On the basis of these successful correlations, the charge transfer from Na, Ag, and Au metals to the (P−S) ligand is discussed and complemented by the band-structure calculation.

Three rare earth quaternary compounds, NaYbP2S6, NaSmP2S6, and KSmP2S7, are synthesized using alkali metal halide or polychalcogenides flux. NaYbP2S6 was prepared from the stoichiometric reaction of Yb/S/P/NaCl flux at 700°C, and NaSmP2S6 and KSmP2S7 were prepared from Sm/S/P/Na2S (K2Sx) flux at 750°C. The structures were determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction technique. The air-sensitive dark-red crystals of NaYbP2S6 crystallize in the triclinic space group P-1 with a=6.8241(10) A, b=7.0371(10) A, c=9.107(2) A, α=87.17(2)°, β=87.62(2)°, γ=88.30(2)°, and Z=2. The yellow plate crystals of NaSmP2S6 crystallize in the monoclinic space group P21/a with a=11.0717(10) A, b=7.2999(1) A, c=11.579(3) A, β=111.30(2)°, and Z=4. The pale yellow plate crystals of KSmP2S7 crystallize in the monoclinic space group P21/a with a=8.981(2) A, b=12.254(2) A, c=9.609(1) A, β=90.27(2)°, and Z=4. NaYbP2S6 and NaSmP2S6 are derivatives of the MIMIIIP2S6 family. NaYbP2S6 has a flat monolayered structure, and there are weak interactions between neighboring layers. In NaSmP2S6, two MPS3-type layers are condensed together. The ordering features of sodium and rare earth metal cations in two-dimensional layers are different: Na and Yb atoms are arranged in pairing fashion in NaYbP2S6, while Na and Sm atoms are arranged in a triangular pattern in NaSmP2S6. The structure of KSmP2S7 is similar to that of ABiP2S7 (A=K, Rb), where corrugated layers are formed from Sm3+ and [P2S7]4− units. The optically measured band gaps of NaYbP2S6 and NaSmP2S6 are 1.85 eV and 2.54 eV, respectively.

By employing Li2NiO2 exhibiting the distinctively low coulombic efficiency at the first cycle as a cathode additive, lithium-ion batteries can be tuned to exhibit cathode-limiting configuration tha...

Morphology of carbonate crystals grown on the surface of artificial cell membranes was controlled by changing the interfacial chemistry. For octadecyltriethoxysilane (OTE) films with terminal methyl groups interacting little with an aqueous calcium carbonate solution, calcite (104) crystals were formed. Polymerized pentacosadiynoic acid (PDA) films with terminal carboxylic acid groups induced deposition of calcite (012) crystals aligned along with each other within a polymer domain. On the other hand, stearyl alcohol (StOH) films with terminal hydroxyl groups induced deposition of aragonite crystals. When PDA was mixed with StOH, the 8∶1 PDA∶StOH (molar ratio) film produced dominating calcite (012) crystals without any crystal alignment, and the 4∶1 mixture film produced minor calcite (012) crystals and major aragonite crystals. For the 2∶1, 1∶1, 1∶2, and 1∶4 mixture films, aragonite crystals were dominating. Hence, it is found that the chemical composition at the interface plays a very important role in controlling the morphology of deposited carbonate crystals.

Background: Dual therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel has emerged as the gold standard thera- py for patients treated with drug-eluting stents (DES). However, there is variability in patients' respons- es to this antiplatelet therapy, and some patients continue to show ischemic recurrences after ther- apy. The purpose of the study was to compare the simultaneously obtained results of various platelet- function tests for assessing the prevalence of antiplatelet resistance in coronary artery disease patients undergoing DES therapy. Methods: A total of 66 patients were administered a loading dose of aspirin, clopidogrel, and cilostazol at least 12 hr before stenting. The results of VerifyNow (Accumetrics, USA), multiplate analyzer (Dynabyte Medical, Germany), and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein/P2Y12 (Biocy- tex, France) assays were compared with those of light transmission aggregometry (LTA) analysis. Results: The P2Y12 reaction units and P2Y12% inhibition values obtained using the VerifyNow assay showed strong correlation (r) with the results of the LTA analysis. All tests results showed low concordance in defining the antiplatelet resistance in patients, and the degrees of agreement were as follows: 0 for aspirin reaction units; 0.25, P2Y12% inhibition; 0, aspirin-sensitive patients' identifi- cation test; 0.21, ADPtest; and 0.14, platelet reactivity index, expressed as the k statistics. The preva- lence of aspirin and clopidogrel resistances in patients resulted in remarkable variations, from 0% to 22.7% and from 9.1% to 48.5%, respectively. Conclusions: The clinical usefulness of the different assays for the correct classification of patients in terms of antiplatelet resistance remains unclear. Further studies are required to determine the best method for correlating the occurrences of adverse ischemic events. (Korean J Lab Med 2010; 30:460-8)

Background Angiogenesis is a multistep process in which many growth factors and cytokines have an essential role. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic agent that acts as a specific mitogen for vascular endothelial cells through specific cell surface receptors. The interleukin-6 (IL-6) pathway is another mechanism linking angiogenesis to malignancy. C-reactive protein (CRP), a representative marker for inflammation, is known for its association with disease progression in many cancer types. The aim of this study was to determine preoperative serum levels of VEGF, IL-6, and CRP in colorectal carcinoma, and to correlate them with disease status and prognosis. Methods A 132 of 143 patients who underwent curative resection for colorectal cancer were enrolled in this study. 11 patients with resection margin positive were excluded. Factors considered in analysis of the relationship between VEGF, IL-6, and CRP and histological findings. Patient prognosis was investigated. Serum levels of VEGF and IL-6 were assessed using Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA), and CRP was measured using immunoturbidimetry. Results Median follow-up duration was 18.53 months (range 0.73-43.17 months) and median age of the patients was 62 years (range, 26-83 years). Mean and median levels of VEGF and CRP in colorectal cancer were significantly higher than in the normal control group; 608 vs. 334 pg/mL and 528 (range 122-3242) vs. 312 (range 16-1121) (p < 0.001); 1.05 mg/dL vs. 0.43 mg/dL and 0.22 (range 0.00-18.40) vs. 0.07 (range 0.02-6.94) (p = 0.002), respectively. However mean and median level of IL-6 in patients were not significantly higher than in control; 14.33 pg/mL vs. 5.65 pg/mL and 6.00 (range 1.02-139.17) vs. 5.30 (4.50-13.78) (p = 0.327). Although IL-6 and CRP levels were not correlated with other pathological findings, VEGF level was significantly correlated with tumor size (p = 0.012) and CEA (p = 0.038). When we established the cutoff value for VEGF (825 pg/mL), IL-6 (8.09 pg/mL), and CRP (0.51 mg/dL) by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, we noted that high VEGF levels tended to reduce overall survival (p = 0.053), but not significantly. However, IL-6 and CRP demonstrated no significance with regard to disease free survival (p = 0.531, p = 0.701, respectively) and overall survival (p = 0.563, p = 0.572, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that VEGF (p = 0.032), CEA (p = 0.012), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.002), and TNM stage (p = 0.025) were independently associated with overall survival. Conclusions Preoperative serum VEGF and CRP level increased in colorectal cancer patients. High VEGF level has been proposed as a poor prognostic factor for overall survival in patients with colorectal cancer.

Aspirin reduces the prevalence of nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and death by 25.0% in high risk group of patients with cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have estimated that about 5.5-56.8% of the population are aspirin resistant. The mechanisms of aspirin resistance (AR) have not been fully understood. We compared the detection methods for AR using traditional platelet aggregometry and VerifyNow system. One hundred and seventy-two coronary artery disease patients who had taken aspirin only or combinations with aspirin and clopidogrel for over 7 days were included. Of the 55 patients with aspirin only, aggregometer detected six AR (10.9%) and VerifyNow identified 10 AR (18.2%) cases. Among 117 patients with combined therapy, none (0.0%) and 10 (8.5%) of AR were detected by aggregometer and VerifyNow, respectively. There were six (3.4%) patients of AR defined by both methods and they all received aspirin monotherapy. Although the correlation between the aggregometry and VerifyNow was low, with defined criteria both methods gave 91.9% agreement to find AR. VerifyNow showed a higher sensitivity to detect AR. Further studies are required to biologically define AR and to alter therapy based on platelet function tests.

21세 여자 환자가 내원 1년 전부터 점차 심해지는 보행장애 와 조음장애를 주소로 본원 신경과를 내원하였다. 3년 전부 터 우측 청력도 서서히 저하되어 이에 대한 평가를 위해 이비 인후과로 의뢰되었다. 1년 전 이명이 일시적으로 있었으나 내 원 당시에는 없었으며 두통을 호소하고 어지럼증은 자세불 안정의 형태를 보였다. 이학적 검사상 양측 고막은 정상 소견 을 보였으며, 고실도 검사상 양쪽 모두 A형으로 정상이었다. 순음청력검사상 좌측은 정상 청력역치를 나타내었으나 우측 은 전농 소견을 보였다(Fig. 1A). 병변측의 일과성 유발이음 A Case of Marked Hearing Improvement after Surgical Removal of Vestibular Schwannoma with Profound Hearing Loss

We report a case of complicated temporal lobe abscess following mastoidectomy. The patient complained of a headache after surgery, however, he was discharged as his symptom was considered to be a common postoperative headache. He revisited our due to a generalized tonicclonic seizure, and the CT and MRI findings suggested the diagnosis of temporal lobe abscess. The patient was successfully treated with antibiotics instead of surgical treatment. Although the cerebral abscess following mastoidectomy is extremely rare, it is necessary to pay attention to it. Particularly when the patient complains of a headache, it is important to consider the aspects of headache carefully. Bone defect in tegmen tympani and exposure of dura will increase the risk of cerebral abscess, therefore careful caution is required in the presence of lower dura mater.

Background: Aspirin resistance (AR) in platelet function assays showed substantial variation depending on the methods used to evaluate it. Methods: In this study, we prospectively compared the results of Multiplate impedance platelet aggregometry (IPA) with those of light transmission aggregometry (LTA) and VerifyNow ® system in determination of the prevalence of aspi- rin resistance (AR) and investigated the correlation between its presence and poor outcome (modifi ed Rankin scale >2) in 105 patients with aspirin after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Results: After 5 days of using aspirin, 15 patients (14.3%) were clas- sifi ed as aspirin-resistance with the use of IPA, 24 patients (22.9%) by the LTA, and 14 patients (13.3%) by VerifyNow. Good agreement between the results of IPA and VerifyNow, was found (R=0.674, P