Low-Power Complementary Inverter Based on Graphene/Carbon-Nanotube and Graphene/MoS₂ Barristors

The recent report of a p-type graphene(Gr)/carbon-nanotube(CNT) barristor facilitates the application of graphene barristors in the fabrication of complementary logic devices. Here, a complementary inverter is presented that combines a p-type Gr/CNT barristor with a n-type Gr/MoS2 barristor, and its characteristics are reported. A sub-nW (~0.2 nW) low-power inverter is demonstrated with a moderate gain of 2.5 at an equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of ~15 nm. Compared to inverters based on field-effect transistors, the sub-nW power consumption was achieved at a much larger EOT, which was attributed to the excellent switching characteristics of Gr barristors

Field emission characteristics of an oxidized porous polysilicon field emitter using the electrochemical oxidation process

The field emission characteristics of an oxidized porous polysilicon (OPPS) were investigated with Pt/Ti multilayer electrode using the electrochemical oxidation (ECO) process. A Pt/Ti multilayer electrode, using ECO, showed highly efficient and stable electron emission characteristics; moreover, it can be applied to large area of a glass substrate with a low temperature process. Electron emission characteristics were improved with O2 annealing at 600 °C after the ECO process. It was found that forming a high quality oxide layer from the ECO-formed SiO2 was crucial in improving electron emission characteristics. The Pt/Ti OPPS field emitter, which was annealed at 600 °C for 5 h, showed an efficiency of 3.81% at Vps = 14 V . © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.1

Platelet-activating Factor–mediated NF-κB Dependency of a Late Anaphylactic Reaction

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening systemic allergic reaction with the potential for a recurrent or biphasic pattern. Despite an incidence of biphasic reaction between 5 and 20%, the molecular mechanism for the reaction is unknown. Using a murine model of penicillin V–induced systemic anaphylaxis, we show an autoregulatory cascade of biphasic anaphylactic reactions. Induction of anaphylaxis caused a rapid increase in circulating platelet-activating factor (PAF) levels. In turn, the elevated PAF contributes to the early phase of anaphylaxis as well as the subsequent activation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB, a crucial transcription factor regulating the expression of many proinflammatory cytokines and immunoregulatory molecules. The induction of NF-κB activity is accompanied by TNF-α production, which, in turn, promotes late phase PAF synthesis. This secondary wave of PAF production leads eventually to the late phase of anaphylactic reactions. Mast cells do not appear to be required for development of the late phase anaphylaxis. Together, this work reveals the first mechanistic basis for biphasic anaphylactic reactions and provides possible therapeutic strategies for human anaphylaxis

Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of mortality in liver cirrhosis patients on continuous renal replacement therapy in two tertiary hospitals in Korea

Background Data on liver cirrhosis (LC) patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) are lacking despite of the dismal prognosis. We therefore evaluated clinical characteristics and predictive factors related to mortality in LC patients undergoing CRRT. Methods We performed a retrospective observational study at two tertiary hospitals in Korea. A total of 229 LC patients who underwent CRRT were analyzed. Patients were classified into survivor and non-survivor groups. We used multivariable Cox regression analyses to identify predictive factors of in-hospital mortality. Results During a median follow-up of 5 days (interquartile range, 1–19 days), in-hospital mortality rate was 66.4%. In multivariable analysis, the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score (hazard ratio [HR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.06; p = 0.02), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.04–1.11; p 35 mL/kg/hr (HR, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.62–6.05; p = 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed that a CRRT delivered dose < 25 mL/kg/hr was a significant risk factor for in-hospital mortality among LC patients with a MELD score ≥ 30. Conclusion High APACHE II score, high MELD score, and low delivered CRRT dose were significant risk factors for in-hospital mortality. CRRT delivered dose impacted mortality significantly, especially in patients with a MELD score ≥ 30

Warfarin-Induced Eosinophilic Pleural Effusion

A 29-year-old man suffering from dyspnea and eosinophilic pleural effusion after being on warfarin for pulmonary thromboembolism for a period of one month, was readmitted to our hospital. Etiology of pleural effusion other than warfarin was excluded. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of warfarin-induced pleural effusion reported in Korea

Successful Treatment of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Combined with Transarterial Chemolipiodolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Biliary Obstruction

Conventional radiation therapy (RT) is a widely recognized treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, conventional RT plays only a limited role in HCC treatment because of its low efficacy and the low tolerance of the liver for this modality. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) was recently developed and represents the most advanced radiation therapy technique currently available. It can deliver a high dose in a short time to well-defined hepatic tumors, with rapid dose fall-off gradients. We believe that SBRT with transarterial chemolipiodolization (TACL) may prove promising as a combined treatment modality for HCC due to its precision and relative safety. Here we present a case of successful treatment of advanced HCC with obstructive jaundice using this combined modality

Changes of Functional MRI Findings in a Patient Whose Pathological Gambling Improved with Fluvoxamine

Legalized gambling is a growing industry, and is probably a factor in the presently increasing prevalence of pathological gambling. We present a case of a 36-year-old pathological gambler who was treated with fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and who was assessed by functional MRI before and after drug administration. During activation periods, the pathological gambler was shown cards as stimuli, and fMRI results in several brain regions showed differential effects before and after medication and a maintenance period. This case demonstrates that the treatment response to fluvoxamine in a pathological gambler was observed not only by subjective self-report, but also by objective fMRI results. Therefore, fMRI may be a useful tool in the diagnosis and prediction of treatment response in patients afflicted with pathological gambling

Hypereosinophilia Presenting as Eosinophilic Vasculitis and Multiple Peripheral Artery Occlusions without Organ Involvement

We report here a case with hypereosinophilia and peripheral artery occlusion. A 32-yr-old Korean woman presented to us with lower extremity swelling and pain. Angiography revealed that multiple lower extremity arteries were occlusive. The biopsy specimen showed perivascular and periadnexal dense eosinophilic infiltration in dermis and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Laboratory investigations revealed a persistent hypereosinophilia. She was prescribed prednisolone 60 mg daily. Her skin lesion and pain were improved and the eosinophil count was dramatically decreased. After discharge, eosinophil count gradually increased again. Cyanosis and pain of her fingers recurred. She had been treated with cyclophosphamide pulse therapy. Her eosinophilia was decreased, but the cyanosis and tingling sense were progressive. The extremity arterial stenoses were slightly progressed. Skin biopsy showed perivascular eosinophilic infiltration in the dermis and CD40 ligand (CD40L) positive eosinophilic infiltration. The serum TNF-α was markedly increased. These results suggest that CD40L (a member of TNF-α superfamily) could play a role in the inflammatory processes when eosinophil infiltration and activation are observed. We prescribed prednisolone, cyclophosphamide, clopidogrel, cilostazol, beraprost and nifedipine, and she was discharged

Easy Diagnosis of Asthma: Computer-Assisted, Symptom-Based Diagnosis

Diagnosis of asthma is often challenging in primary-care physicians due to lack of tools measuring airway obstruction and variability. Symptom-based diagnosis of asthma utilizing objective diagnostic parameters and appropriate software would be useful in clinical practice. A total of 302 adult patients with respiratory symptoms responded to a questionnaire regarding asthma symptoms and provoking factors. Questions were asked and recorded by physicians into a computer program. A definite diagnosis of asthma was made based on a positive response to methacholine bronchial provocation or bronchodilator response (BDR) testing. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the significance of questionnaire responses in terms of discriminating asthmatics. Asthmatic patients showed higher total symptom scores than non-asthmatics (mean 5.93 vs. 4.93; p<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that response to questions concerning the following significantly discriminated asthmatics; wheezing with dyspnea, which is aggravated at night, and by exercise, cold air, and upper respiratory infection. Moreover, the presence of these symptoms was found to agree significantly with definite diagnosis of asthma (by kappa statistics). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the diagnostic accuracy of symptom-based diagnosis was high with an area under the curve of 0.647±0.033. Using a computer-assisted symptom-based diagnosis program, it is possible to increase the accuracy of diagnosing asthma in general practice, when the facilities required to evaluate airway hyperresponsiveness or BDR are unavailable