Restructuring TCAD System: Teaching Traditional TCAD New Tricks

Traditional TCAD simulation has succeeded in predicting and optimizing the device performance; however, it still faces a massive challenge - a high computational cost. There have been many attempts to replace TCAD with deep learning, but it has not yet been completely replaced. This paper presents a novel algorithm restructuring the traditional TCAD system. The proposed algorithm predicts three-dimensional (3-D) TCAD simulation in real-time while capturing a variance, enables deep learning and TCAD to complement each other, and fully resolves convergence errors.Comment: In Proceedings of 2021 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM

Partial Ureteral Obstruction: A New Experimental Model In Rats

Partial ureteral obstruction in rats has been usually created by implanting the mid ureter into the psoas muscle. However, this method does not allow us to choose the obstruction site or the degree of obstruction. On the other hand, the extrinsic stent insertion method needs highly sophisticated operation skill. Hence, we tried to make a new experimental model using a bisected segment of 8 F feeding tube. We made various sizes of central holes with needles in that piece and then placed the left ureter into the hole through a J-shaped incised route. The occurrence of partial ureteral obstruction was checked by excretory urogram, direct injection of indigocarmine into the upper dilated ureter and histopathological examination. Actually, partial ureteral obstruction occurred in 67% of rats in the 236 group (n=6) and in 57% in the 216 group (n=7) in a week. Complete obstruction occurred in 33% in the 236 group and in 29% in the 216 group. The control group (n=6) in which an 186 needle (greater than ureter diameter) was used showed 33% of partial obstruction but there was no case of complete obstruction.These data show that our new experimental model inducing partial ureter obstruction in rats has reliability, variability and simplicity

Molecular cloning and expression of a novel human cDNA related to the diazepam binding inhibitor

AbstractIn order to isolate the unidentified autoantigens in autoimmune diabetes, a human pancreatic islet cDNA library was constructed and screened with the sera from the diabetic patients. From the library screening, one clone (DRS-1) that strongly reacted with the sera was isolated. Subsequent sequence analysis revealed that the clone was a novel cDNA related to the diazepam binding inhibitor. DRS-1 was expressed in most tissues including liver, lung, tonsil, and thymus, in addition to pancreatic islets. DRS-1 was in vitro translated and the recombinant DRS-1 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The size of the in vitro translated or bacterially expressed DRS-1 protein was in agreement with the conceptually translated polypeptide of DRS-1 cDNA. Further studies are required to test whether or not DRS-1 is a new autoantigen in autoimmune diabetes

Comparison of long-term clinical outcomes among zotarolimus-, everolimus-, and biolimus-eluting stents in acute myocardial infarction patients with renal impairment

Background: It is important to determine the best drug-eluting stent (DES) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with renal impairment. In this studythe outcomes of everolimus-eluting stents (EESs), zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZESs) and biolimus-eluting stents (BESs) were evaluated. Methods: From the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction-National Institutes of Health registry, a total of 1,470 AMI patients with renal impairment undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were enrolled (816 with EES, 345 with ZES, and 309 with BES). Renal impairment was defined as creatinine clearance < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 estimated by the Cockcroft-Gault method. Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were determined as the composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), cerebrovascular accident, any revascularization, rehospitalization and stent thrombosis. All clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results: The baseline characteristics of the patients revealed no significant difference between the three groups, except for Killip classification > 2, beta-blockers, lesion type, vascular approach, staged PCI, left main coronary artery (LMCA) complex lesions, LMCA PCI, and the number and length of implanted stents. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, similar clinical outcomes were derived from the unadjusted data between the three DES groups. However, after the inverse probability of treatment weighting, a statistically significant difference was found in non-fatal MI, which implied a higher incidence of non-fatal MI in the ZES group than in the other two DES groups. Conclusions: In AMI patients with renal impairment, there was no significant difference between the three stent groups in terms of long-term clinical outcomes, except for non-fatal MI

A randomized, phase II study of gefitinib alone versus nimotuzumab plus gefitinib after platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (KCSG LU12-01)

We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dual inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with nimotuzumab (EGFR monoclonal antibody) plus gefitinib (EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after platinum-based chemotherapy. An open label, randomized, phase II trial was conducted at 6 centers; 160 patients were randomized (1:1) to either gefitinib alone or nimotuzumab (200 mg, i. v. weekly) plus gefitinib (250 mg p. o. daily) until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) at 3 months. Of the total 160 enrolled patients, 155 (77: gefitinib, 78: nimotuzumab plus gefitinib) received at least one dose and could be evaluated for efficacy and toxicity. The majority had adenocarcinoma (65.2%) and ECOG performance status of 0 to 1 (83.5%). The median follow-up was 22.1 months, and the PFS rate at 3 months was 48.1% in gefitinib and 37.2% in nimotuzumab plus gefitinib (P = not significant, NS). The median PFS and OS were 2.8 and 13.2 months in gefitinib and 2.0 and 14.0 months in nimotuzumab plus gefitinib. Combined treatment was not associated with superior PFS to gefitinib alone in patients with EGFR mutation (13.5 vs. 10.2 months in gefitinib alone, P=NS) or those with wild-type EGFR (0.9 vs. 2.0 months in gefitinib alone, P=NS). Combined treatment did not increase EGFR inhibition-related adverse events with manageable toxicities. The dual inhibition of EGFR with nimotuzumab plus gefitinib was not associated with better outcomes than gefitinib alone as a second-line treatment of advanced NSCLC (NCT01498562).

Assessment of the conventional radial artery with optical coherent tomography after the snuffbox approach

Background: This study aimed to evaluate acute injuries of the radial artery (RA) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients who underwent coronary intervention via the snuffbox approach. Methods: Forty-six patients, who underwent coronary intervention and assessment of the conventional RA using OCT via the snuffbox approach, were enrolled from two university hospitals between August 2018 and August 2019. Results: The mean age of the patients was 65.1 years. In this study population, 6-French (Fr) sheaths were used. The mean diameter of the conventional RA was 2.89 ± 0.33 mm, and the mean lumen area of the conventional RA was 6.68 ± 1.56 mm2. Acute injuries of the conventional RA, after the snuffbox approach, were observed in 5 (10.9%) patients. Intimal tear was observed in the RA in 1 (2.2%) case. Intraluminal thrombi, without vessel injuries, were detected in the RA in 4 (8.7%) cases. However, medial dissection was not observed in the OCT analysis. Conclusions: This retrospective OCT-based study showed that the diameter of the conventional RA was 2.89 mm and acute vessel injury of the conventional RA was rare in patients who underwent coronary intervention via the snuffbox approach