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Efficacy of Using Sequential Primary Circulating Prostate Cell Detection for Initial Prostate Biopsy in Men Suspected of Prostate Cancer

  • Murray, Nigel P;Reyes, Eduardo;Fuentealba, Cynthia;Jacob, Omar
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.17 no.7
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    • pp.3385-3390
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    • 2016
  • Background: Sequential use of circulating prostate cell (CPC) detection has been reported to potentially decrease the number of unnecessary prostate biopsies in men suspected of prostate cancer. In order to determine the real world effectiveness of the test, we present a prospective study of men referred to two hospitals from primary care physicians, one using CPC detection to determine the necessity of prostate biopsy the other not doing so. Materials and Methods: Men with a suspicion of prostate cancer because of elevated PSA >4.0ng/ml or abnormal DRE were referred to Hospitals A or B. In Hospital A all underwent 12 core TRUS biopsy, in Hospital B only men CPC (+), with mononuclear cells obtained by differential gel centrifugation identified using double immunomarking with anti-PSA and anti-P504S, were recommended to undergo TRUS biopsy. Biopsies were classifed as cancer or no-cancer. Diagnostic yields were calculated, including the number of posible biopsies that could be avoided and the number of clinically significant cancers that would be missed. Results: Totals of 649 men attended Hospital A, and 552 men attended Hospital B; there were no significant differences in age or serum PSA levels. In Hospital A, 228 (35.1%) men had prostate cancer detected, CPC detection had a sensitivity of 80.7%, a specificity of 88.6%, and a negative predictive value of 89.5%. Some 39/44 men CPC negative with a positive biopsy had low grade small volume tumors. In Hospital B, 316 (57.2%) underwent biopsy. There were no significant differences between populations in terms of CPC and biopsy results. The reduction in the number of biopsies was 40%. Conclusions: The use of sequential CPC testing in the real world gives a clear decision structure for patient management and can reduce the number of biopsies considerably.

Evaluation of the role of ischemia modified albumin in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

  • Talat, Mohamed A.;Saleh, Rabab M.;Shehab, Mohammed M.;Khalifa, Naglaa A.;Sakr, Maha Mahmoud Hamed;Elmesalamy, Walaa M.
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.63 no.8
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    • pp.329-334
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    • 2020
  • Background: Birth asphyxia is a leading cause of neonatal mortality. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels may have a predictive role in the identification and prevention of hypoxic disorders, as they increase in cases of ischemia of the liver, heart, brain, bowel, and kidney. Purpose: This study aimed to assess the value of IMA levels as a diagnostic marker for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Methods: Sixty newborns who fulfilled 3 or more of the clinical and biochemical criteria and developed HIE as defined by Levene staging were included in our study as the asphyxia group. Neonates with congenital malformation, systemic infection, intrauterine growth retardation, low-birth weight, cardiac or hemolytic disease, family history of neurological diseases, congenital or perinatal infections, preeclampsia, diabetes, and renal diseases were excluded from the study. Sixty healthy neonates matched for gestational age and with no maternal history of illness, established respiration at birth, and an Apgar score ≥7 at 1 and 5 minutes were included as the control group. IMA was determined by double-antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of a cord blood sample collected within 30 minutes after birth. Results: Cord blood IMA levels were higher in asphyxiated newborns than in controls (250.83±36.07 pmol/mL vs. 120.24±38.9 pmol/mL). Comparison of IMA levels by HIE stage revealed a highly significant difference among them (207.3±26.65, 259.28±11.68, 294.99±4.41 pmol/mL for mild, moderate, and severe, respectively). At a cutoff of 197.6 pmol/mL, the sensitivity was 84.5%, specificity was 86%, positive predictive value was 82.8%, negative predictive value was 88.3%, and area under the curve was 0.963 (P<0.001). Conclusion: IMA levels can be a reliable marker for the early diagnosis of neonatal HIE and can be a predictor of injury severity.

Analysis of Data Transfer Overhead Among Memory Regions in Java Program (자바 프로그램에서 메모리 영역 간 자료 이동에 따른 부담 분석)

  • Yang, Hee-Jae
    • Journal of KIISE:Software and Applications
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    • v.35 no.5
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    • pp.281-287
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    • 2008
  • Data transfers occur during the execution time of a Java program, from constant to variable, from variable to other variable and so on. Data are located in memory and hence data transfer requires access to memory. As memory access generates both time delay and energy consumption it is absolutely necessary to know the data transfer overheads incurred among different paths not only to write an efficient program but also to build a high-performance Java virtual machine. In this paper we classify Java memory into three different regions, constant, local variable, and field, and then investigate data transfer overheads among these regions. The result says that the transfer between local variables incur the least overhead usually, while the transfer between fields incur the most. The difference of overheads reaches up to a double. Optimization techniques like JIT reduces the data transfer overhead dramatically. It is observed that the overhead is reduced from 14 to 27 times for the case of Hotspot JVM.

Effects of Neutral Detergent Fiber from Rice Straw on Blood Metabolites and Productivity of Dairy Cows in the Tropics

  • Kanjanapruthipong, Jeerachai;Thaboot, B.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.19 no.3
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    • pp.356-362
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    • 2006
  • This study aimed to assess the effects of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) from rice straw on blood metabolites and productivity of dairy cows in the tropics. Eight Holstein ${\times}$ indigenous (75-87.5% Holstein) were randomly allocated to dietary treatments according to a double $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. Contents of roughage NDF from rice straw were 12.8, 14.8, 16.8 and 18.8% dry matter (DM) and concentrate NDF content was 10.2% DM, so that levels of dietary NDF were 23, 25, 27 and 29% DM. Dietary treatments were isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets. The average maximum and minimum temperature humidity index during the experimental period were 85.6 and 76.9, respectively. Plasma glucose (p<0.05), dry matter intake and 4% fat corrected milk (p<0.01) decreased with increasing contents of roughage NDF from rice straw, while rectal temperature, serum urea, cortisol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (p<0.05), serum total protein and ${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate (p<0.01) increased. Serum triglyceride, total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol were not affected (p>0.05). Decreased rectal temperature and concentrations of serum cortisol were associated with decreasing levels of ${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate and serum urea, but with increased concentrations of plasma glucose, DMI and 4% fat corrected milk indicating that lactating cows fed lower fiber diets were in lower oxidative stress. Therefore higher intake and metabolic efficiency in dairy cows fed diets lower in roughage NDF from rice straw would be of an advantage in productive systems under tropical conditions.

Mode of Action on EcoRI Restriction Endonuclease: EcoRI and EcoRI Variant N199H have Active Monomeric Forms

  • Kim, Jae-Jong;Koh, Suk-Hoon;Kim, Joong-Su;Lee, Dae-Sil
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.31 no.2
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    • pp.149-155
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    • 1998
  • The N199H variant of the EcoRI endonuclease has about twice the catalytic activity of the wild-type. A comparison of their biochemical characteristics, using synthetic oligonucleotides 5'-dAAAACTTAAGAAAAAAAAAAA-3' (KA) and 5'-dTTTTTGAATTCTTTTTTTTTT-3' (KT), helps to define the cleavage reaction pathway of these enzymes. Both EcoRI and EcoRI variant N199H were found to cleave singlestranded KA or KT about three times faster than the double-stranded forms, although the KT oligonucleotide was more susceptible. Using the ssDNA substrate in kinetic analyses, lower $K_m$ values were obtained for the N199H variant than for the wild-type at low (50 mM), as well as high (200 mM), sodium chloride concentrations. This difference between the endonucleases is attributed to a grealter accessibility for tbe substrate by the variant, and also a higher affinity for the DNA backbone. It also appears that the relative activities of the two enzymes, particularly at high ionic strength, are proportional to their populations in the monomeric enzyme form. That is, according to gel filtration data, half of the N199H molecules exist as monomers in 200 mM NaCl, whereas those of the wild-type are mainly dimeric. Consequently, the Asp199 residue of the EcoRI endonuclease may be implicated in the protein-protein interaction leading to dimerization, as well as in coupling to DNA substrates. In summary, it is proposed that active monomeric endonuclease molecules, derived from the dimeric enzyme, recognize and form a complex with a single stranded form of the DNA substrate, which then undergoes nucleophilic substitution and cleavage.

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A Study on 5-Axis Machining of Roller Gear Cam for Rotary Table (로터리테이블용 롤러기어캠의 5-축 가공에 관한 연구)

  • Cho, Hyun-Deog;Park, Jong-Bae;Shin, Yong-Bum;Lee, Kang-Su
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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    • v.16 no.4
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    • pp.127-134
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    • 2017
  • A rotary table is a positioning device used in metalworking for the multiple axes of machine tools, and the utilization trend is increasing with machining efficiency. In the construction of a rotary table, the core technology is a power transfer unit that drives the table, typically a gear type and a roller gear cam type. As the rollers installed on the turret column have rolling movement on the contact surface of the roller gear cam, the roller gear cam type has the advantage of low wear, high load, and fast driving. Therefore, it is currently being replaced by a roller gear cam type. In this study, we researched a 5-axis machining method for the roller gear cam on a rotary table and a new method of applying double roller gear cam curve to reduce the noise and shock between the roller and the cam surface. We implemented the 5-axis machining process in this study using software to generate NC-code and machined the roller gear cams using a Mazak Integrex-200IV. We found that the roller gear cam and turret were able to identify mutual touch status and the noise from the operation of the roller gear cam was substantially reduced.

Nkjet System 적용을 위한 유연 필름의 대기압 플라즈마 표면 처리 연구

  • Mun, Mu Kyeom;Yeom, Geun Young
    • Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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    • 2014.02a
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    • pp.162-162
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    • 2014
  • 최근 들어 wearable computing에 대한 수요가 증가하면서 flexible device에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 하지만, flexible device를 구현하기 위해서는 기판의 damage를 줄이기 위한 저온공정, device life-time 향상을 위한 passivation, 와이어 본딩 등 다양한 문제들이 해결 되어야 한다. 이러한 문제들 중, polymer 기판과 금속간의 접착력을 향상시키기 위해서 많은 연구자들은 기판의 표면에 adhesive layer를 도포하거나 금속잉크의 solvent를 변화시키는 등의 연구를 진행해왔다. 종래의 연구는 기존 device를 대체 할 수 있을 정도의 생산성과 polymer 기판에 대한 열 적인 손상 이 문제가 되었다. 종래의 문제를 해결하기 위하여 저온공정, in-line system이 가능한 준 준 대기압 플라즈마를 사용하였다. 본 연구에서는 금속잉크를 Ink-jet으로 jetting하여 와이어 본딩 하는 과정에서 전도성 ink의 선폭을 유지시키고 접착력을 향상하기 위하여 준 대기압 플라즈마 공정을 이용하여 이러한 문제점을 해결하고자 하였다. Polymer 기판 표면에 roughness를 만들기 위해 대략 수백 nm 크기를 갖는 graphene flake를 spray coating하여 마스크로 사용하고 준 대기압 플라즈마를 이용하여 표면을 식각 함으로써 roughness를 형성시켰다. 준 대기압 플라즈마를 발생시키기 위해 double discharge system에서 6 slm/1.5 slm (He/O2) gas composition을 하부 전극에 흘려보내고 60 kHz, 5 kV 파워를 인가하였다. 동시에 상부 전극에는 30 kHz, 5 kV 파워를 인가하여 110초 동안 표면 식각 공정을 진행하였다. Graphene flake mask가 coating되어 있는 유연기판을 산소 플라즈마 처리 한 후 물에 3초 동안 세척하여 표면에 남아있는 graphene flake를 제거하고 6 slm/0.3 slm (He/SF6)의 유량으로 주파수와 파워 모두 동일 조건으로 110초 동안 표면 처리를 하였다. Figure 1은 표면 개질 과정과 graphene flake를 mask로 사용하여 얻은 roughness 결과를 SEM을 이용하여 관찰한 결과이다. 이와 같이 실험한 결과 ink와 기판간의 접촉면적을 늘려주고 접촉 각을 조절하여 Wenzel model 을 형성 할 수 있는 표면 roughness를 생성하였고 표면의 화학적 결합을 C-F group으로 치환하여 표면의 물과 접촉각 이 $47^{\circ}$에서 $130^{\circ}$로 증가하는 것을 확인하였다.

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The Effect of Various Process Conditions on the Physical Properties of Dense Silver Films, Prepared by Using Sputter Deposition on Polyester Substrate (Polyester 상에서 Sputter 증착되는 고 밀도 은경 박막의 물리적 특성에 미치는 공정조건 변화의 효과)

  • Ri, Ui-Jae;Hwang, Tae-Su
    • Korean Journal of Materials Research
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    • v.9 no.7
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    • pp.707-714
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    • 1999
  • To save electrical energy as much as 40 % for fluorescent lighting, the reflectors coated with silver reflective thin films recently became popular with higher reflectivities and long life. The thin films fabricated by using sputtering techniques are produced mainly in U.S.A. On the other hand, some silver films deposited by using evaporation methods show low adhesion in general, although the reflectivity is no problem. We have studied various PVD methods to obtain thin films with high reflectivity and adhesion on a substrate of polyester, for a couple of years. Silver films manufactured byusing evaporation showed the reflectivity of 96.4 % and the adhesion of $12 kg/\textrm{cm}^2$. while samples manufactured by using sputtering depicted the adhesion as much as $20 Kg/\textrm{cm}^2$ that is almost double, although their reflectivity was not much different. X-ray diffraction spectra for the sputtered films demonstrated a preferential growth on (111) plane and the cross-sections of the specimens revealed a dense columnar structure to result in the enhanced adhesion.

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Characteristics variation of CoCrTa/Si double layer thin film on variation of underlayer substrate temperature (하지층기판온도에 따른 CoCrTa/Si 이층박막의 특성변화)

  • Park, W.H.;Kim, Y.J.;Keum, M.J.;Ka, C.H.;Son, I.H.;Choi, H.W.;Kim, K.H.
    • Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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    • 2001.11b
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    • pp.77-80
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    • 2001
  • Crystallographic and magnetic characteristics of CoCr-based magnetic thin film for perpendicular magnetic recording media were influenced on preparing conditions. In these, there is that substrate temperature was parameter that increases perpendicular coercivity of CoCrTa magnetic layer using recording layer. While preparation of CoCr-based doublelayer, by optimizing substrate temperature, we expect to increase perpendicular anisotropy of CoCr magnetic layer and prepare ferromagnetic recording layer with a good quality by epitaxial growth. CoCrTa/Si doublelayer showed a good dispersion angle of c-axis orientation $\Delta\theta_{50}$ caused by inserting amorphous Si underlayer which prepared at underlayer substrate temperature 250C. Perpendicular coercivity was constant, in-plane coercivity was controlled a low value about 200Oe. This result implied that Si underlayer could restrain growth of initial layer of CoCrTa thin film, which showed bad magnetic properties effectively without participating magnetization patterns of magnetic layer. In case of CoCrTa/Si that prepared with ultra thin underlayer, crystalline orientation of CoCrTa was improved rather underlayer thickness 1nm, it was expected that amorphous Si layer played a important role in not only underlayer but also seed layer.

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Seismic Performance Evaluation of Nonseismic Neighborhood Living Facilities Considering Deterioration (비내진 근린생활시설의 노후도를 고려한 내진성능평가)

  • Lee, Young Cheon;Jeoung, Chae Myeoung;Lee, Eun Jin;Kim, Myung Hoon;Choi, Ki Bong
    • Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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    • v.17 no.1
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    • pp.55-63
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    • 2013
  • In this study, seismic performance was evaluated considering the deterioration level for the low-rise and moderate buildings with non-seismic details which are most common in Korea. Evaluation results showed that the deterioration condition is relatively good even after 24 years of construction but the seismic performance did not satisfy the protection index in the first and second evaluation. In case of the third evaluation, the goal performance was satisfied based on the interstory drift ratio but reinforcement is found to be necessary. Seismic performance was evaluated after the target buildings were reinforced in the walls, bracing, and damper. Results showed the interstory drift ratio drastically reduced regardless of reinforcement methods and satisfied the level of immediate occupancy. In case of wall reinforcement, however, base shear increased more than double which requires review on the existing foundation.