We examine the relationship between two broadband community networking projects in New York State... more We examine the relationship between two broadband community networking projects in New York State and its host communities. We analyze thi s relationship from the viewpoint of social embeddedness - defined as a measure of how broadly a community network is connected to institutional nodes in the social structure. The more broadly embedded it is, the more likely it is
Surface-level PM10 distribution was estimated from the satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD) prod... more Surface-level PM10 distribution was estimated from the satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD) products, taking the account of vertical profiles and hygroscopicity of aerosols over Jeju, Korea during March 2008 and October 2009. In this study, MODIS AOD data from the Terra and Aqua satellites were corrected with aerosol extinction profiles and relative humidity data. PBLH (Planetary Boundary Layer Height) was determined from MPLNET lidar-derived aerosol extinction coefficient profiles. Through statistical analysis, better agreement in correlation (R = 0.82) between the hourly PM10 concentration and hourly average Sunphotometer AOD was the obtained when vertical fraction method (VFM) considering Haze Layer Height (HLH) and hygroscopic growth factor f(RH) was used. The validity of the derived relationship between satellite AOD and surface PM10 concentration clearly demonstrates that satellite AOD data can be utilized for remote sensing of spatial distribution of regional PM10 concentrat...
OBJECT The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between cervical spine sagittal a... more OBJECT The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between cervical spine sagittal alignment and clinical outcomes after cervical laminoplasty in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). METHODS Fifty consecutive patients who underwent a cervical laminoplasty for OPLL between January 2012 and January 2013 and who were followed up for at least 1 year were analyzed in this study. Standing plain radiographs of the cervical spine, CT (midsagittal view), and MRI (T2-weighted sagittal view) were obtained (anteroposterior, lateral, flexion, and extension) pre- and postoperatively. Cervical spine alignment was assessed with the following 3 parameters: the C2-7 Cobb angle, C2-7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), and T-1 slope minus C2-7 Cobb angle. The change in cervical sagittal alignment was defined as the difference between the post- and preoperative C2-7 Cobb angles, C2-7 SVAs, and T-1 slope minus C2-7 Cobb angles. Outcome assessments (visual anal...
The effect of Mn on the ferrite grain refinement has been investigated in plain 0.2%C-Mn steels a... more The effect of Mn on the ferrite grain refinement has been investigated in plain 0.2%C-Mn steels after heavy warm rolling processed by the plane strain compression test with a simulated coiling. The final microstructure consists of a spheroidized cementite within an ultrafine grained ferrite matrix. It was observed that the increase in the Mn content from 0.7 mass% to 1.5 mass% leads to a decrease in the average ferrite grain size and to a change in the grain shape from an elongated to a more equiaxed morphology. The fraction of high ...
Seed sterilization is essential for preventing seed borne fungal diseases. Sterilization tools ba... more Seed sterilization is essential for preventing seed borne fungal diseases. Sterilization tools based on physical technologies have recently received much attention. However, available information is very limited in terms of efficiency, safety, and mode of action. In this study, we have examined antifungal activity of ozone and arc discharge plasma, potential tools for seed sterilization. In our results, ozone and arc discharge plasma have shown differential antifungal effects, depending on the environment associated with fungal spores (freely submerged in water or infected seeds). Ozone inactivates Fusarium fujikuroi (fungus causing rice bakanae disease) spores submerged in water more efficiently than arc discharge plasma. However, fungal spores associated with or infecting rice seeds are more effectively deactivated by arc discharge plasma. ROS generated in water by ozone may function as a powerful fungicidal factor. On the other hand, shockwave generated from arc discharge plasma ...
The impact of suicide loss on family members' cardiometabolic health has little been evaluate... more The impact of suicide loss on family members' cardiometabolic health has little been evaluated in middle-aged and elderly people. We investigated the effect of suicide loss on risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) in suicide completers' family members using a national representative comparison group. The study subjects were 4253 family members of suicide completers and 9467 non-bereaved family members of individuals who were age and gender matched with the suicide completers in the Republic of Korea. National health insurance data were used to identify medical care utilization during the year before and after a suicide loss. A recurrent-events survival analysis was performed to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) of hospitalizations for CVD, DM, or psychiatric disorders, after adjusting for age, residence, and socioeconomic status. Among subjects without a past history of CVD, DM, or psychiatric disorders, the increased risks of recurrent hospitaliza...
Retrospective study. To evaluate which radiological parameters change significantly after surgery... more Retrospective study. To evaluate which radiological parameters change significantly after surgery with interspinous device (Coflex(TM)) and identify which parameter most affects the radiological outcome. Studies have yet to investigate long-term radiological changes in lumbar spinal stenosis patients treated with Coflex(TM). This study aimed to identify the long-term radiological impact of Coflex(TM). Of 101 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated by decompressive laminecteomy and Coflex(TM) insertion, 30 patients were measured radiological parameters before and 2 years after surgery. Comparison of radiological data was conducted. Based on the development of bony erosion around Coflex(TM), patients were divided into the erosion group (n = 14) or the non-erosion group (n = 16). The mean anterior disc height (ADH) and range of motion (ROM) were significantly decreased after surgery (15.161mm vs. 13.788mm, and 9.63° vs. 7.13°). Postoperative erosion developed significantly (p <...
Proper screening and diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is of critical importance fo... more Proper screening and diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is of critical importance for cardiovascular prevention. However, the clinical diagnosis of FH remains difficult partly because its phenotype can vary between different ethnicities. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical features and the best diagnostic approach in Korean FH patients. The predictors of putative pathogenic mutations and coronary artery disease (CAD) were also identified. Ninety-seven patients with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol >190 mg/dL and xanthoma or FH-compatible family history were included. Putative pathogenic mutations in LDLR, APOB, or PCSK9 genes were identified in 32% of the enrolled patients. The subjects were classified according to four sets of clinical criteria (Simon Broome, Dutch, MEDPED, Japanese). The mutation rates in definite type FH of Simon Broome or Dutch criteria were 35%-37% and lower in our patients than in those of other countries. The mutation detect...
Epidural injection of hyaluronic acid may prevent adhesion formation after spine surgery, but the... more Epidural injection of hyaluronic acid may prevent adhesion formation after spine surgery, but the compounds used to stabilize hyaluronidase could interfere with its anti-adhesion effects. The present study was conducted as a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an experimental medical gel in preventing adhesion formation. This study was designed as a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, and comparative controlled clinical trial with an observation period of 6 weeks. Subjects were randomly assigned into two groups: group A with sodium hyaluronate + 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) and group B with sodium hyaluronate + sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). Visual analogue scale (VAS) of back and leg pain and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and scar score ratings were assessed after surgery. Mean scar grade was 2.37±1.13 in group A and 2.75±0.97 in group B, a statistically significant difference (p=0.012). VAS of back and leg pain and ODI scores decreased si...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cervical midline-splitting F... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cervical midline-splitting French-door laminoplasty with a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) plate. The authors retrospectively analyzed the results of patients with cervical laminoplasty miniplate (MAXPACER®) without bone grafts in multilevel cervical stenosis. Fifteen patients (13 males and 2 females, mean age 50.0 years (range 35-72)) with multilevel cervical stenosis (ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and cervical spondylotic myelopathy) underwent a combined surgery of midline-splitting French-door laminoplasty with or without mini plate. All 15 patients were followed for at least 12 months (mean follow-up 13.3 months) after surgery, and a retrospective review of the clinical, radiological and surgical data was conducted. The radiographic results showed a significant increase over the postoperative period in anterior-posterior diameter (9.4±2.2 cm to 16.2±1.1 cm), open angles in cervical lamina (4...
Background and Objectives:The myocardial protective effect of ischemic preconditioning is well kn... more Background and Objectives:The myocardial protective effect of ischemic preconditioning is well known. However, the mechanism is remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of adenosine, protein kinase C, KATP channel and the change of monophasic action potential duration on cardioprotective effect of ischemic preconditioning in cat. Materials and Methods:In this experiment, 66 cats were allocated
Transient apical wall thickening (TAWT), mimicking apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during reco... more Transient apical wall thickening (TAWT), mimicking apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during recovery from stress cardiomyopathy (SCM), has recently been reported. However, the clinical significance of this phenomenon has not yet been assessed. We aimed to explore the prevalence, profiles, and impact on the clinical course of TAWT in patients with SCM. We retrospectively analyzed the SCM registry from January 2009 to December 2013. Of 429 patients with SCM, 124 patients who had typical features of transient apical ballooning were included. We identified patients who showed evidence of TAWT, which became normalized on serial echocardiograms. Clinical characteristics, incidence of cardiac complications (arrhythmia, pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock, or left ventricular thrombus), and in-hospital mortality were compared between patients with and without TAWT. Among 124 patients, 17 (14%) patients showed TAWT. During the follow-up period, TAWT was observed 14.6±10.3days after the initi...
Oraxol, a novel oral formulation of paclitaxel, displayed modest efficacy as second-line chemothe... more Oraxol, a novel oral formulation of paclitaxel, displayed modest efficacy as second-line chemotherapy for gastric cancer.Considering its favorable toxicity profiles, further studies are warranted in various solid tumors including gastric cancer. Oraxol consists of paclitaxel and HM30181A, a P-glycoprotein inhibitor, to increase the oral bioavailability of paclitaxel. This phase I/II study (HM-OXL-201) was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of Oraxol. In addition, we investigated the efficacy and safety of Oraxol as second-line chemotherapy for metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer (GC). In the phase I component, paclitaxel was orally administered at escalating doses (90, 120, or 150 mg/m(2) per day) with a fixed dose (15 mg/day) of HM30181A. Oraxol was administrated 6 times per cycle (days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16) every 4 weeks. In the phase II component, the efficacy and safety of Oraxol were evaluated. In the phase I compon...
Drawing on an ongoing longitudinal research study, we discuss problems in the development of Urba... more Drawing on an ongoing longitudinal research study, we discuss problems in the development of Urban-net, a next generation community network in a city in central New York. The project was funded under a state program to diffuse broadband technologies in ...
Paragonimiasis is an infectious disease caused by Paragonimus westermani and usually manifests as... more Paragonimiasis is an infectious disease caused by Paragonimus westermani and usually manifests as pulmonary disease. Cutaneous paragonimiasis is very rare, and the correct diagnosis is delayed in most cases. Here we report two cases of cutaneous paragonimiasis with pulmonary ...
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin blood ... more The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin blood levels in predicting the incidence of systemic infection among adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with induction chemotherapy. Adult patients with newly diagnosed AML who were initially treated with conventional 3 + 7 induction chemotherapy within 5 days of their diagnosis were included. Patients with previous cytotoxic chemotherapy &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;3 years, acute promyelocytic leukemia diagnosis, human immunodeficiency virus infection, or significant systemic infection at the time of diagnosis were excluded. Patients were treated with an institutional policy of substantial identity with negligible differences regarding supportive care. Among 110 patients (median age 54.5 years), 39 infectious events in 38 patients were reported, along with 21 episodes of infectious treatment-related mortality (TRM; 19.1 %). Elevated pre-treatment CRP (p = 0.032) and ferritin (p = 0.002) were related to the incidence of systemic infection. The degree of increase of blood CRP and ferritin level was correlated with the extent of leukocytosis. However, patients with elevated inflammatory markers above normal range had increased risk of infection irrespective of whether they had leukocytosis or not, suggesting that expansion of leukemic blast is another factor affecting the elevation of the markers independent to infection propensity and therefore the magnitude of the elevation does not quantitatively predict the risk of infection. Modest elevation of baseline blood inflammatory markers above the normal range could be an indicator for predicting the incidence of systemic infection in patients with AML.
Stem cells are a promising source of tissue engineering due to their differentiation potential. T... more Stem cells are a promising source of tissue engineering due to their differentiation potential. Today, direct transplantation of stem cells for cell therapy is commonly performed. However, in cases of nerve injury, direct transplantation of cells could lead to secondary nerve damage. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into four groups: the PBS epineural transplantation (PBS-ENT) group, the PBS intraneural transplantation (PBS-INT) group, the human adipose derived stem cells epineural transplantation (hASCs-ENT) group, and human adipose derived stem cells intraneural transplantation (hASCs-INT) group. Transplantation was conducted one week later after inflicting a crush injury with subsequent observation for five weeks. To evaluate pain, each group was examined with regard to paw withdrawal latency and evoked potentials. The sciatic function index (SFI) was calculated to estimate functional recovery. The sciatic nerve was also examined histologically. The hASCs-ENT group showed...
Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension, Jan 19, 2015
The effectiveness of remote patient monitoring and physician care for the treatment of hypertensi... more The effectiveness of remote patient monitoring and physician care for the treatment of hypertension has not been demonstrated in a randomized clinical trial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of remote patient monitoring with or without remote physician care in reducing office blood pressure in patients with hypertension. A total of 374 hypertensive patients over 20 years of age were randomized into the following three groups: group (1) control, the patients received usual clinical care with home BP monitoring; group (2) the patients were remotely monitored and received office follow-up; and group (3) the patients received remote monitoring without physician office care using the remote monitoring device. For each group, in-office follow-up care was scheduled every 8 weeks for 24 weeks. The primary end point was the difference in sitting SBP at the 24-week follow-up. No difference between the three groups was observed in the primary end point (adjusted me...
We examine the relationship between two broadband community networking projects in New York State... more We examine the relationship between two broadband community networking projects in New York State and its host communities. We analyze thi s relationship from the viewpoint of social embeddedness - defined as a measure of how broadly a community network is connected to institutional nodes in the social structure. The more broadly embedded it is, the more likely it is
Surface-level PM10 distribution was estimated from the satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD) prod... more Surface-level PM10 distribution was estimated from the satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD) products, taking the account of vertical profiles and hygroscopicity of aerosols over Jeju, Korea during March 2008 and October 2009. In this study, MODIS AOD data from the Terra and Aqua satellites were corrected with aerosol extinction profiles and relative humidity data. PBLH (Planetary Boundary Layer Height) was determined from MPLNET lidar-derived aerosol extinction coefficient profiles. Through statistical analysis, better agreement in correlation (R = 0.82) between the hourly PM10 concentration and hourly average Sunphotometer AOD was the obtained when vertical fraction method (VFM) considering Haze Layer Height (HLH) and hygroscopic growth factor f(RH) was used. The validity of the derived relationship between satellite AOD and surface PM10 concentration clearly demonstrates that satellite AOD data can be utilized for remote sensing of spatial distribution of regional PM10 concentrat...
OBJECT The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between cervical spine sagittal a... more OBJECT The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between cervical spine sagittal alignment and clinical outcomes after cervical laminoplasty in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). METHODS Fifty consecutive patients who underwent a cervical laminoplasty for OPLL between January 2012 and January 2013 and who were followed up for at least 1 year were analyzed in this study. Standing plain radiographs of the cervical spine, CT (midsagittal view), and MRI (T2-weighted sagittal view) were obtained (anteroposterior, lateral, flexion, and extension) pre- and postoperatively. Cervical spine alignment was assessed with the following 3 parameters: the C2-7 Cobb angle, C2-7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), and T-1 slope minus C2-7 Cobb angle. The change in cervical sagittal alignment was defined as the difference between the post- and preoperative C2-7 Cobb angles, C2-7 SVAs, and T-1 slope minus C2-7 Cobb angles. Outcome assessments (visual anal...
The effect of Mn on the ferrite grain refinement has been investigated in plain 0.2%C-Mn steels a... more The effect of Mn on the ferrite grain refinement has been investigated in plain 0.2%C-Mn steels after heavy warm rolling processed by the plane strain compression test with a simulated coiling. The final microstructure consists of a spheroidized cementite within an ultrafine grained ferrite matrix. It was observed that the increase in the Mn content from 0.7 mass% to 1.5 mass% leads to a decrease in the average ferrite grain size and to a change in the grain shape from an elongated to a more equiaxed morphology. The fraction of high ...
Seed sterilization is essential for preventing seed borne fungal diseases. Sterilization tools ba... more Seed sterilization is essential for preventing seed borne fungal diseases. Sterilization tools based on physical technologies have recently received much attention. However, available information is very limited in terms of efficiency, safety, and mode of action. In this study, we have examined antifungal activity of ozone and arc discharge plasma, potential tools for seed sterilization. In our results, ozone and arc discharge plasma have shown differential antifungal effects, depending on the environment associated with fungal spores (freely submerged in water or infected seeds). Ozone inactivates Fusarium fujikuroi (fungus causing rice bakanae disease) spores submerged in water more efficiently than arc discharge plasma. However, fungal spores associated with or infecting rice seeds are more effectively deactivated by arc discharge plasma. ROS generated in water by ozone may function as a powerful fungicidal factor. On the other hand, shockwave generated from arc discharge plasma ...
The impact of suicide loss on family members' cardiometabolic health has little been evaluate... more The impact of suicide loss on family members' cardiometabolic health has little been evaluated in middle-aged and elderly people. We investigated the effect of suicide loss on risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) in suicide completers' family members using a national representative comparison group. The study subjects were 4253 family members of suicide completers and 9467 non-bereaved family members of individuals who were age and gender matched with the suicide completers in the Republic of Korea. National health insurance data were used to identify medical care utilization during the year before and after a suicide loss. A recurrent-events survival analysis was performed to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) of hospitalizations for CVD, DM, or psychiatric disorders, after adjusting for age, residence, and socioeconomic status. Among subjects without a past history of CVD, DM, or psychiatric disorders, the increased risks of recurrent hospitaliza...
Retrospective study. To evaluate which radiological parameters change significantly after surgery... more Retrospective study. To evaluate which radiological parameters change significantly after surgery with interspinous device (Coflex(TM)) and identify which parameter most affects the radiological outcome. Studies have yet to investigate long-term radiological changes in lumbar spinal stenosis patients treated with Coflex(TM). This study aimed to identify the long-term radiological impact of Coflex(TM). Of 101 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated by decompressive laminecteomy and Coflex(TM) insertion, 30 patients were measured radiological parameters before and 2 years after surgery. Comparison of radiological data was conducted. Based on the development of bony erosion around Coflex(TM), patients were divided into the erosion group (n = 14) or the non-erosion group (n = 16). The mean anterior disc height (ADH) and range of motion (ROM) were significantly decreased after surgery (15.161mm vs. 13.788mm, and 9.63° vs. 7.13°). Postoperative erosion developed significantly (p <...
Proper screening and diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is of critical importance fo... more Proper screening and diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is of critical importance for cardiovascular prevention. However, the clinical diagnosis of FH remains difficult partly because its phenotype can vary between different ethnicities. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical features and the best diagnostic approach in Korean FH patients. The predictors of putative pathogenic mutations and coronary artery disease (CAD) were also identified. Ninety-seven patients with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol >190 mg/dL and xanthoma or FH-compatible family history were included. Putative pathogenic mutations in LDLR, APOB, or PCSK9 genes were identified in 32% of the enrolled patients. The subjects were classified according to four sets of clinical criteria (Simon Broome, Dutch, MEDPED, Japanese). The mutation rates in definite type FH of Simon Broome or Dutch criteria were 35%-37% and lower in our patients than in those of other countries. The mutation detect...
Epidural injection of hyaluronic acid may prevent adhesion formation after spine surgery, but the... more Epidural injection of hyaluronic acid may prevent adhesion formation after spine surgery, but the compounds used to stabilize hyaluronidase could interfere with its anti-adhesion effects. The present study was conducted as a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an experimental medical gel in preventing adhesion formation. This study was designed as a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, and comparative controlled clinical trial with an observation period of 6 weeks. Subjects were randomly assigned into two groups: group A with sodium hyaluronate + 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) and group B with sodium hyaluronate + sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). Visual analogue scale (VAS) of back and leg pain and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and scar score ratings were assessed after surgery. Mean scar grade was 2.37±1.13 in group A and 2.75±0.97 in group B, a statistically significant difference (p=0.012). VAS of back and leg pain and ODI scores decreased si...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cervical midline-splitting F... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cervical midline-splitting French-door laminoplasty with a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) plate. The authors retrospectively analyzed the results of patients with cervical laminoplasty miniplate (MAXPACER®) without bone grafts in multilevel cervical stenosis. Fifteen patients (13 males and 2 females, mean age 50.0 years (range 35-72)) with multilevel cervical stenosis (ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and cervical spondylotic myelopathy) underwent a combined surgery of midline-splitting French-door laminoplasty with or without mini plate. All 15 patients were followed for at least 12 months (mean follow-up 13.3 months) after surgery, and a retrospective review of the clinical, radiological and surgical data was conducted. The radiographic results showed a significant increase over the postoperative period in anterior-posterior diameter (9.4±2.2 cm to 16.2±1.1 cm), open angles in cervical lamina (4...
Background and Objectives:The myocardial protective effect of ischemic preconditioning is well kn... more Background and Objectives:The myocardial protective effect of ischemic preconditioning is well known. However, the mechanism is remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of adenosine, protein kinase C, KATP channel and the change of monophasic action potential duration on cardioprotective effect of ischemic preconditioning in cat. Materials and Methods:In this experiment, 66 cats were allocated
Transient apical wall thickening (TAWT), mimicking apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during reco... more Transient apical wall thickening (TAWT), mimicking apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during recovery from stress cardiomyopathy (SCM), has recently been reported. However, the clinical significance of this phenomenon has not yet been assessed. We aimed to explore the prevalence, profiles, and impact on the clinical course of TAWT in patients with SCM. We retrospectively analyzed the SCM registry from January 2009 to December 2013. Of 429 patients with SCM, 124 patients who had typical features of transient apical ballooning were included. We identified patients who showed evidence of TAWT, which became normalized on serial echocardiograms. Clinical characteristics, incidence of cardiac complications (arrhythmia, pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock, or left ventricular thrombus), and in-hospital mortality were compared between patients with and without TAWT. Among 124 patients, 17 (14%) patients showed TAWT. During the follow-up period, TAWT was observed 14.6±10.3days after the initi...
Oraxol, a novel oral formulation of paclitaxel, displayed modest efficacy as second-line chemothe... more Oraxol, a novel oral formulation of paclitaxel, displayed modest efficacy as second-line chemotherapy for gastric cancer.Considering its favorable toxicity profiles, further studies are warranted in various solid tumors including gastric cancer. Oraxol consists of paclitaxel and HM30181A, a P-glycoprotein inhibitor, to increase the oral bioavailability of paclitaxel. This phase I/II study (HM-OXL-201) was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of Oraxol. In addition, we investigated the efficacy and safety of Oraxol as second-line chemotherapy for metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer (GC). In the phase I component, paclitaxel was orally administered at escalating doses (90, 120, or 150 mg/m(2) per day) with a fixed dose (15 mg/day) of HM30181A. Oraxol was administrated 6 times per cycle (days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16) every 4 weeks. In the phase II component, the efficacy and safety of Oraxol were evaluated. In the phase I compon...
Drawing on an ongoing longitudinal research study, we discuss problems in the development of Urba... more Drawing on an ongoing longitudinal research study, we discuss problems in the development of Urban-net, a next generation community network in a city in central New York. The project was funded under a state program to diffuse broadband technologies in ...
Paragonimiasis is an infectious disease caused by Paragonimus westermani and usually manifests as... more Paragonimiasis is an infectious disease caused by Paragonimus westermani and usually manifests as pulmonary disease. Cutaneous paragonimiasis is very rare, and the correct diagnosis is delayed in most cases. Here we report two cases of cutaneous paragonimiasis with pulmonary ...
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin blood ... more The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin blood levels in predicting the incidence of systemic infection among adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with induction chemotherapy. Adult patients with newly diagnosed AML who were initially treated with conventional 3 + 7 induction chemotherapy within 5 days of their diagnosis were included. Patients with previous cytotoxic chemotherapy &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;3 years, acute promyelocytic leukemia diagnosis, human immunodeficiency virus infection, or significant systemic infection at the time of diagnosis were excluded. Patients were treated with an institutional policy of substantial identity with negligible differences regarding supportive care. Among 110 patients (median age 54.5 years), 39 infectious events in 38 patients were reported, along with 21 episodes of infectious treatment-related mortality (TRM; 19.1 %). Elevated pre-treatment CRP (p = 0.032) and ferritin (p = 0.002) were related to the incidence of systemic infection. The degree of increase of blood CRP and ferritin level was correlated with the extent of leukocytosis. However, patients with elevated inflammatory markers above normal range had increased risk of infection irrespective of whether they had leukocytosis or not, suggesting that expansion of leukemic blast is another factor affecting the elevation of the markers independent to infection propensity and therefore the magnitude of the elevation does not quantitatively predict the risk of infection. Modest elevation of baseline blood inflammatory markers above the normal range could be an indicator for predicting the incidence of systemic infection in patients with AML.
Stem cells are a promising source of tissue engineering due to their differentiation potential. T... more Stem cells are a promising source of tissue engineering due to their differentiation potential. Today, direct transplantation of stem cells for cell therapy is commonly performed. However, in cases of nerve injury, direct transplantation of cells could lead to secondary nerve damage. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into four groups: the PBS epineural transplantation (PBS-ENT) group, the PBS intraneural transplantation (PBS-INT) group, the human adipose derived stem cells epineural transplantation (hASCs-ENT) group, and human adipose derived stem cells intraneural transplantation (hASCs-INT) group. Transplantation was conducted one week later after inflicting a crush injury with subsequent observation for five weeks. To evaluate pain, each group was examined with regard to paw withdrawal latency and evoked potentials. The sciatic function index (SFI) was calculated to estimate functional recovery. The sciatic nerve was also examined histologically. The hASCs-ENT group showed...
Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension, Jan 19, 2015
The effectiveness of remote patient monitoring and physician care for the treatment of hypertensi... more The effectiveness of remote patient monitoring and physician care for the treatment of hypertension has not been demonstrated in a randomized clinical trial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of remote patient monitoring with or without remote physician care in reducing office blood pressure in patients with hypertension. A total of 374 hypertensive patients over 20 years of age were randomized into the following three groups: group (1) control, the patients received usual clinical care with home BP monitoring; group (2) the patients were remotely monitored and received office follow-up; and group (3) the patients received remote monitoring without physician office care using the remote monitoring device. For each group, in-office follow-up care was scheduled every 8 weeks for 24 weeks. The primary end point was the difference in sitting SBP at the 24-week follow-up. No difference between the three groups was observed in the primary end point (adjusted me...
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