Predictors of 30-day Mortality and 90-day Functional Recovery after Primary Pontine Hemorrhage

The factors related to death and functional recovery after primary pontine hemorrhage (PPH) in Koreans has not been well defined. The authors sought to identify independent predictors of death and functional recovery after PPH using data obtained at a single institute. Data were collected retrospectively on 281 patients with PPH admitted to the Stroke Unit at our hospital between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2009. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations between selected variables and 30-day mortality and 90-day functional recovery after PPH. One-hundred and ten patients (39.1%) died within 30 days of PPH and 27 patients (9.6%) achieved functional recovery within 90 days. By multivariate analysis, unconsciousness, dilated pupils, abnormal respiration, systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg, hydrocephalus, and conservative treatment were found to be predictors of 30-day mortality, whereas consciousness, intact motor function, no history of hypertension or diabetes mellitus, intact eye movement, a hematoma volume of < 5 mL, no ventricular hemorrhage, and normally sized ventricle were found to be predictors of 90-day functional recovery. The present findings suggest that systolic hypotension of less than 100 mmHg may predict 30-day mortality and a history of underlying hypertension and diabetes mellitus may predict 90-day functional recovery

Adiponectin gene SNP 276G → T, nutrient intakes, and cardiovascular disease risk in Korean type 2 DM patients

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in adiponectin gene has been associated with insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study was performed to investigate the association of SNP 276G→T at adiponectin gene with CVD risk factors in Korean type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. The subjects were 351 type 2 DM patients visited a DM clinic in Seoul, and the patients with known CVD were excluded. The adiponectin SNP 276G→T was analyzed and dietary intakes were assessed by a Food Frequency Questionnaire. The prevalence of G/G, G/T, and T/T genotype was 47.6%, 43.3%, and 9.1%, respectively. Male subjects with T/T genotype showed significantly lower level of adiponectin and HDL-cholesterol and significantly higher C-reactive protein (CRP) level compared to G/G and G/T genotypes. In G/G genotype, protein intake was negatively correlated to body weight, BMI, and waist circumference, and there were positive correlation between carbohydrate intake and BMI, waist-hip ratio, and ApoB/apoA-1 ratio in G/T genotype. However, in T/T genotype, there was no significant association between macronutrient intakes and anthropometric and hematological values. In conclusion, CVD risk would be high in type 2 DM patients with T/T genotype, and the association of macronutrient intakes with anthropometric and hematologic factors was different among the three adiponectin genotypes. These results may imply the need for different dietary management regime according to adiponectin genotype to lower CVD complications in Korean type 2 DM patients

Genetic Characterization of Five Hatchery Populations of the Pacific Abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) Using Microsatellite Markers

The Pacific abalone, Haliotis discus hannai, is a popular food in Eastern Asia. Aquacultural production of this species has increased because of recent resource declines, the growing consumption, and ongoing government-operated stock release programs. Therefore, the genetic characterization of hatchery populations is necessary to maintain the genetic diversity of this species and to develop more effective aquaculture practices. We analyzed the genetic structures of five cultured populations in Korea using six microsatellite markers. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 15 to 64, with an average of 23.5. The mean observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.797 and 0.904, respectively. The inbreeding coefficient FIS ranged from 0.054 to 0.184 (mean FIS = 0.121 ± 0.056). The genetic differentiation across all populations was low but significant (overall FST = 0.009, P < 0.01). Pairwise multilocus FST tests, estimates of genetic distance, and phylogenetic and principal component analyses did not show a consistent relationship between geographic and genetic distances. These results could reflect extensive aquaculture, the exchange of breeds and eggs between hatcheries and/or genetic drift due to intensive breeding practices. Thus, for optimal resource management, the genetic variation of hatchery stocks should be monitored and inbreeding controlled within the abalone stocks that are being released every year. This genetic information will be useful for the management of both H. discus hannai fisheries and the aquaculture industry

Synthesis and Characterization of Organic Dyes Containing Various Donors and Acceptors

New organic dyes comprising carbazole, iminodibenzyl, or phenothiazine moieties, respectively, as the electron donors, and cyanoacetic acid or acrylic acid moieties as the electron acceptors/anchoring groups were synthesized and characterized. The influence of heteroatoms on carbazole, iminodibenzyl and phenothiazine donors, and cyano-substitution on the acid acceptor is evidenced by spectral, electrochemical, photovoltaic experiments, and density functional theory calculations. The phenothiazine dyes show solar-energy-to-electricity conversion efficiency (η) of 3.46–5.53%, whereas carbazole and iminodibenzyl dyes show η of 2.43% and 3.49%, respectively

Indications of Neutrino Oscillation in a 250 km Long-baseline Experiment

The K2K experiment observes indications of neutrino oscillation: a reduction of $\nu_\mu$ flux together with a distortion of the energy spectrum. Fifty-six beam neutrino events are observed in Super-Kamiokande (SK), 250 km from the neutrino production point, with an expectation of $80.1^{+6.2}_{-5.4}$. Twenty-nine one ring $\mu$-like events are used to reconstruct the neutrino energy spectrum, which is better matched to the expected spectrum with neutrino oscillation than without. The probability that the observed flux at SK is explained by statistical fluctuation without neutrino oscillation is less than 1%.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures embedded, LaTeX with RevTeX style, accepted for publication in PRL on December 13, 200

Long-term effect of stereotactic body radiation therapy for primary hepatocellular carcinoma ineligible for local ablation therapy or surgical resection. Stereotactic radiotherapy for liver cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We evaluated the long-term effect of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for primary small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ineligible for local therapy or surgery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Forty-two HCC patients with tumors ≤ 100 cc and ineligible for local ablation therapy or surgical resection were treated with SBRT: 30-39 Gy with a prescription isodose range of 70-85% (median 80%) was delivered daily in three fractions. Median tumor volume was 15.4 cc (3.0-81.8) and median follow-up duration 28.7 months (8.4-49.1).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Complete response (CR) for the in-field lesion was initially achieved in 59.6% and partial response (PR) in 26.2% of patients. Hepatic out-of-field progression occurred in 18 patients (42.9%) and distant metastasis developed in 12 (28.6%) patients. Overall in-field CR and overall CR were achieved in 59.6% and 33.3%, respectively. Overall 1-year and 3-year survival rates were 92.9% and 58.6%, respectively. In-field progression-free survival at 1 and 3 years was 72.0% and 67.5%, respectively. Patients with smaller tumor had better in-field progression-free survival and overall survival rates (<32 cc vs. ≥32 cc, <it>P </it>< 0.05). No major toxicity was encountered but one patient died with extrahepatic metastasis and radiation-induced hepatic failure.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>SBRT is a promising noninvasive-treatment for small HCC that is ineligible for local treatment or surgical resection.</p

Measurement of single pi0 production in neutral current neutrino interactions with water by a 1.3 GeV wide band muon neutrino beam

Neutral current single pi0 production induced by neutrinos with a mean energy of 1.3 GeV is measured at a 1000 ton water Cherenkov detector as a near detector of the K2K long baseline neutrino experiment. The cross section for this process relative to the total charged current cross section is measured to be 0.064 +- 0.001 (stat.) +- 0.007 (sys.). The momentum distribution of produced pi0s is measured and is found to be in good agreement with an expectation from the present knowledge of the neutrino cross sections.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to Phys. Lett.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Photovoltaic Properties of Soluble TiOPc Derivatives

We have synthesized soluble TiOPc derivatives containing alkoxy groups for use as additives in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The DSSC devices containing these TiOPc derivatives exhibited short-circuit current densities of 8.49~10.04 mA/cm2 and power conversion efficiencies of 2.73~3.62 % under AM 1.5 illumination and 100 mW/cm2 irradiation

Search for Electron Neutrino Appearance in a 250 km Long-baseline Experiment

We present a search for electron neutrino appearance from accelerator produced muon neutrinos in the K2K long baseline neutrino experiment. One candidate event is found in the data corresponding to an exposure of 4.8*10^19 protons on target. The expected background in the absence of neutrino oscillations is estimated to be 2.4+-0.6 events and is dominated by mis-identification of events from neutral current pi^0 production. We exclude the \nu_\mu to \nu_e oscillations at 90% C.L. for the effective mixing angle in 2-flavor approximation of sin^2(2theta_\mu_e) (~= 1/2 sin^2 2 th_13) > 0.15 at Delta m^2_\mu_e = 2.8*10^{-3} eV^2, the best fit value of the \nu_\mu disappearance analysis in K2K. The most stringent limit of sin^2(2theta_\mu_e) < 0.09 is obtained at Delta m^2_\mu_e = 6*10^{-3} eV^2.Comment: 5 pages with 2 figures embeded in two column revtex4 style. Accepted to be published in Phys. Rev. Let