Korea University

About: Korea University is a education organization based out in Seoul, South Korea. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Thin film. The organization has 39756 authors who have published 82424 publications receiving 1860927 citations. The organization is also known as: Bosung College & Bosung Professional College.

Safety and efficacy of sunitinib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: an open-label, multicentre, phase II study

Abstract: Summary Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumour spread is partly dependent on neoangiogenesis. In this open-label, multicentre, phase II trial done in Europe and Asia, sunitinib, a multitargeted tyrosine-kinase inhibitor with anti-angiogenic properties, was assessed in patients with advanced unresectable HCC. Methods Between February and July, 2006, eligible patients were enrolled and treated with repeated cycles of oral sunitinib (50 mg/day for 4 weeks, followed by 2 weeks off treatment). The primary endpoint of this Simon two-stage phase II trial was objective response rate according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) criteria, with an expected response rate of 15%. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00247676. Findings Of 37 patients enrolled, one (2·7%) patient experienced a confirmed partial response, giving an overall objective response rate of 2·7% (95% CI 0·1–14·2); on the basis of this, the trial did not proceed to the second stage. 13 (35%) of 37 patients achieved stable disease for over 3 months. Commonly observed grade 3 and 4 adverse events included thrombocytopenia (14 of 37; 37·8%), neutropenia (nine of 37; 24·3%), asthenia (five of 37; 13·5%), hand–foot syndrome (four of 37; 10·8%), and anaemia (four of 37; 10·8%). There were four deaths among the 37 patients (10·8%) that were possibly related to treatment. Interpretation Sunitinib showed pronounced toxicities at a dose of 50 mg/day in patients with unresectable HCC. The response rate was low, and the study did not meet the primary endpoint based on RECIST criteria. Funding Pfizer Oncology.

Spin–orbit-torque engineering via oxygen manipulation

Abstract: The controlled oxidation of magnetic layers in a multilayer structure enables the spin–orbit torques to be engineered.

Characteristic changes in the physiological components of cybersickness

Abstract: We investigated the characteristic changes in the physiology of cybersickness when subjects were exposed to virtual reality. Sixty-one participants experienced a virtual navigation for a total of 9.5 min, and were required to detect specific virtual objects. Three questionnaires for sickness susceptibility and immersive tendency were obtained before the navigation. Sixteen electrophysiological signals were recorded before, during, and after the navigation. The severity of cybersickness experienced by participants was reported from a simulator sickness questionnaire after the navigation. The total severity of cybersickness had a significant positive correlation with gastric tachyarrhythmia, eyeblink rate, heart period, and EEG delta wave and a negative correlation with EEG beta wave. These results suggest that cybersickness accompanies the pattern changes in the activities of the central and the autonomic nervous systems.

Plate tectonics on the Earth triggered by plume-induced subduction initiation

Abstract: High-resolution three-dimensional thermomechanical simulations of Earth's lithosphere indicate that mantle plumes could have initiated the first subduction zones, but only in the hotter early Earth for old oceanic plates. Taras Gerya and co-authors use high-resolution three-dimensional numerical thermomechanical models to show that mantle plumes could have initiated the first subduction zones. They find that several factors combine to trigger self-sustained subduction: a strong, negatively buoyant oceanic lithosphere, focused magmatic weakening and thinning of lithosphere above the plume, and lubrication of the slab interface by hydrated crust. They also conclude that plume-induced subduction was only feasible in the hotter early Earth for old oceanic plates, as younger plates would have favoured episodic lithospheric drips rather than self-sustained subduction and global plate tectonics. Scientific theories of how subduction and plate tectonics began on Earth—and what the tectonic structure of Earth was before this—remain enigmatic and contentious1. Understanding viable scenarios for the onset of subduction and plate tectonics2,3 is hampered by the fact that subduction initiation processes must have been markedly different before the onset of global plate tectonics because most present-day subduction initiation mechanisms require acting plate forces and existing zones of lithospheric weakness, which are both consequences of plate tectonics4. However, plume-induced subduction initiation5,6,7,8,9 could have started the first subduction zone without the help of plate tectonics. Here, we test this mechanism using high-resolution three-dimensional numerical thermomechanical modelling. We demonstrate that three key physical factors combine to trigger self-sustained subduction: (1) a strong, negatively buoyant oceanic lithosphere; (2) focused magmatic weakening and thinning of lithosphere above the plume; and (3) lubrication of the slab interface by hydrated crust. We also show that plume-induced subduction could only have been feasible in the hotter early Earth for old oceanic plates. In contrast, younger plates favoured episodic lithospheric drips rather than self-sustained subduction and global plate tectonics.