The Analysis of Antecedents for the Video Telephony Service Adoption: From the Value-Based Perspective

Korean Telecommunications Industry has a large scale market and boasts on high service quality and high technologies enough to provide the Video Telephony Service (VTS) satisfactorily. For many years, Korean telephone companies have been investing enormous sums to advertise their services widely and to allow their customers to change their cell phones for the third-generation (3G) devices indispensable for the service. However, despite their efforts, the VTS adoption rate in Korea is very low and it seems that customers seldom feel the necessity to use. From this viewpoint, it becomes necessary to find the antecedents influencing the intention to use for the VTS empirically. For this purpose, we proposed several hypotheses from the perspective of the Value-based Adoption Model (VAM). VAM is a conceptual model suggested to overcome some limitations of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in explaining the adoption of new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) such as Mobile Internet where customers play the role of service consumer rather than simply technology users. We conducted a survey on 125 samples and found that customers perceive the value of VTS when they can recognize the service is functionally useful (Perceived Usefulness) and when they feel they can put themselves forward by using it (Self-Expression). On the other hand, the other factors including Technical Complexity, Privacy Concern and Perceived Price (Fee) don’t have statistically significant influences on the Perceived Value of VTS

A system dynamics computer model to assess the effects of developing an alternate water source on the water supply systems management

AbstractThe purpose of developing alternate water sources is to secure water sources of sufficient quantity and high quality due to water quality and/or quantity problems of an existing water source and, thereby, raise the level of consumer satisfaction. Considering the enormous costs and the effects to the consumers and operation of water supply enterprises, a technique to support long term management of water supply systems is needed. In this paper a System Dynamics computer simulation model was developed to evaluate the effects of alternate water source development. The System Dynamics model was used for the simulation of the effects of the alternate water source development project in Busan, South Korea

Unleashing the full potential of Hsp90 inhibitors as cancer therapeutics through simultaneous inactivation of Hsp90, Grp94, and TRAP1

Cancer therapeutics: Extending a drug's reach A new drug that blocks heat shock proteins (HSPs), helper proteins that are co-opted by cancer cells to promote tumor growth, shows promise for cancer treatment. Several drugs have targeted HSPs, since cancer cells are known to hijack these helper proteins to shield themselves from destruction by the body. However, the drugs have had limited success. Hye-Kyung Park and Byoung Heon Kang at Ulsan National Institutes of Science and Technology in South Korea and coworkers noticed that the drugs were not absorbed into mitochondria, a key cellular compartment, and HSPs in this compartment were therefore not being blocked. They identified a new HSP inhibitor that can reach every cellular compartment and inhibit all HSPs. Testing in mice showed that this inhibitor effectively triggered death of tumor cells, and therefore shows promise for anti-cancer therapy. The Hsp90 family proteins Hsp90, Grp94, and TRAP1 are present in the cell cytoplasm, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria, respectively; all play important roles in tumorigenesis by regulating protein homeostasis in response to stress. Thus, simultaneous inhibition of all Hsp90 paralogs is a reasonable strategy for cancer therapy. However, since the existing pan-Hsp90 inhibitor does not accumulate in mitochondria, the potential anticancer activity of pan-Hsp90 inhibition has not yet been fully examined in vivo. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas database revealed that all Hsp90 paralogs were upregulated in prostate cancer. Inactivation of all Hsp90 paralogs induced mitochondrial dysfunction, increased cytosolic calcium, and activated calcineurin. Active calcineurin blocked prosurvival heat shock responses upon Hsp90 inhibition by preventing nuclear translocation of HSF1. The purine scaffold derivative DN401 inhibited all Hsp90 paralogs simultaneously and showed stronger anticancer activity than other Hsp90 inhibitors. Pan-Hsp90 inhibition increased cytotoxicity and suppressed mechanisms that protect cancer cells, suggesting that it is a feasible strategy for the development of potent anticancer drugs. The mitochondria-permeable drug DN401 is a newly identified in vivo pan-Hsp90 inhibitor with potent anticancer activity

Transrectal or transvaginal ultrasoundguided biopsy for pelvic masses: external validation and usefulness in oncologic patients

Purpose The purpose of this study was to externally validate the diagnostic usefulness of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) or transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS)-guided biopsy for pelvic masses, and to analyze the diagnostic performance of these methods in oncologic patients. Methods A consecutive series of 30 patients who underwent TRUS- or TVUS-guided biopsy for pelvic masses was included. Tissue samples were obtained using an 18-gauge core biopsy needle under local anesthesia for lesions detected on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. We analyzed the rates of diagnostic biopsies upon pathologic examination and biopsy-related major complications requiring treatment. In diagnostic biopsy cases, the performance was also investigated for all patients and patients with underlying malignancy. Results The diagnostic biopsy rate was 93.3% (28 of 30) for all patients and 95.0% (19 of 20) for oncologic patients. No patients had major complications. In diagnostic biopsies, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and accuracy for identifying malignancy were 100% (17 of 17), 72.7% (8 of 11), 85.0% (17 of 20), 100% (8 of 8), and 89.3% (25 of 28) for all patients and 100% (14 of 14), 60.0% (3 of 5), 87.5% (14 of 16), 100% (3 of 3), and 89.5% (17 of 19) for oncologic patients, respectively. Conclusion This study externally validated the feasibility and safety of TRUS- or TVUS-guided biopsy. In addition, these techniques appear to enable accurate pathologic diagnoses of pelvic masses in oncologic patients to be made safely and relatively noninvasively

Visfatin exerts angiogenic effects on human umbilical vein endothelial cells through the mTOR signaling pathway

AbstractThe biologically active factors known as adipocytokines are secreted primarily by adipose tissues and can act as modulators of angiogenesis. Visfatin, an adipocytokine that has recently been reported to have angiogenic properties, is upregulated in diabetes, cancer, and inflammatory diseases. Because maintenance of an angiogenic balance is critically important in the management of these diseases, understanding the molecular mechanism by which visfatin promotes angiogenesis is very important. In this report, we describe our findings demonstrating that visfatin stimulates the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, which plays important roles in angiogenesis. Visfatin induced the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human endothelial cells. Inhibition of the mTOR pathway by rapamycin eliminated the angiogenic and proliferative effects of visfatin. The visfatin-induced increase in VEGF expression was also eliminated by RNA interference-mediated knockdown of the 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K), a downstream target of mTOR. Visfatin inactivated glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) by phosphorylating it at Ser-9, leading to the nuclear translocation of β-catenin. Both rapamycin co-treatment and p70S6K knockdown inhibited visfatin-induced GSK3β phosphorylation at Ser-9 and nuclear translocation of β-catenin. Taken together, these results indicate that mTOR signaling is involved in visfatin-induced angiogenesis, and that this signaling leads to visfatin-induced VEGF expression and nuclear translocation of β-catenin

Functional outcome of adulthood selective dorsal rhizotomy for spastic diplegia

Objective The medical evidence supporting the efficacy of selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) on children with spastic diplegia is strong. However, the outcome of SDR on adults with spastic diplegia remains undetermined. The aim is to study the effectiveness and morbidities of SDR performed on adults for the treatment of spastic diplegia. Methods Patients who received SDR in adulthood for the treatment of spastic diplegia were surveyed. The survey questionnaire addressed the living situation, education level, employment, health outcomes, postoperative changes of symptoms, changes in ambulatory function, adverse effects of SDR and orthopedic surgery after SDR. Results The study included 64 adults, who received SDR for spastic diplegia. The age at the time of surgery was between 18 and 50 years. The age at the time of the survey was between 20 and 52 years. The follow-up period ranged from one to 28 years. The study participants reported post-SDR improvements of the quality of walking in 91%, standing in 81%, sitting in 57%, balance while walking 75%, ability to exercise in 88%, endurance in 77%, and recreational sports in 43%. Muscle and joint pain present before surgery improved in 64% after surgery. Concerning the level of ambulatory function, all patients who walked independently in all environments maintained the same level of ambulatory function. Eighteen percent of the patients who walked independently in some environments improved to the independent walking in all environments. All patients who walked with an assistive device before SDR maintained the assistive walking after SDR. Concerning adverse effects of SDR, 50% (32 of 64 patients) developed numbness in the various parts of the legs. Two patients reported a complete loss of sensation in parts of the legs, and one patient reported numbness and constant pain in the bilateral lower extremities. Ten patients (16%) reported recurrent spasticity after SDR, and three patients (5%) reported ankle clonus, which is an objective sign of spasticity. Tendon lengthening surgery after SDR was needed in 27% and hip and knee surgery in 2% and 6%, respectively. Conclusions The great majority of our 64 patients, who received adulthood SDR for spastic diplegia, improved the quality of ambulation and abated signs of early aging. Numbness and diminished sensation in the lower extremity was the most common adverse effect of the adulthood SDR

In Vivo Analysis of Three-Dimensional Dynamic Scapular Dyskinesis in Scapular or Clavicular Fractures

The three-dimensional (3D) kinematics of the scapula were analyzed in vivo in 10 patients with scapular and 10 patients with clavicular fracture. Both the injured shoulder and normal contralateral shoulder were evaluated by computed tomography in the neutral and fully elevated positions. 3D rotational and translational movements of the scapula relative to the thorax during arm elevation were analyzed. A computer simulation program was used to compare rotational elevation/depression in the coronal plane, anterior/posterior tilting in the sagittal plane and protraction/retraction in the axial plane between the normal and affected sides. Anterior/posterior translational movement along the X-axis, upward/downward movement along the Y-axis, and lateral/medial movement along the Z-axis in the Euler space during forward elevation were also compared. In scapular fracture, rotational elevation of the scapula decreased in the coronal plane and posterior tilting of the scapula increased in the sagittal plane. Anterior and superior translation were higher in scapular fracture than in the corresponding normal sides. However, no significant abnormal rotational and translational kinematic changes were observed during elevation in clavicular fracture. In vivo 3D computerized motion analysis was useful for evaluating scapular dyskinesis. Scapular fracture can cause scapular dyskinesis, but not all clavicular fractures alter scapular motion biomechanics