Baseline serum interleukin-34 levels independently predict radiographic progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The aim of our observational study was to investigate the clinical significance of interleukin (IL)-34, a novel osteoclastogenic cytokine, for predicting structural damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Serum IL-34 levels were measured in 100 RA patients, 36 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and 59 gender- and age-matched healthy individuals using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We also measured IL-34 concentrations in synovial fluid (SF) samples from 18 RA patients and 19 osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Progression of structural damage was assessed in 81 patients with RA by plain radiographs using the modified Sharp/van der Heijde score (SHS) at baseline and after an average 1.6-year follow-up period. Serum IL-34 levels were significantly higher in patients with RA (p < 0.001) or AS (p < 0.001) than in healthy controls. SF IL-34 levels were also significantly higher in RA patients than in OA patients (p < 0.001). In RA, serum IL-34 levels were associated with rheumatoid factor positivity (p = 0.01), current smoking (p < 0.01), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.01), and C-reactive protein levels (p < 0.01), but not with disease activity score 28. ΔSHS/year was positively correlated with serum IL-34 levels (r = 0.443, p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, serum IL-34 level was an independent risk factor for radiographic progression. These results suggest that IL-34, a novel osteoclastogenic cytokine, plays a role in RA-associated joint damage and is a potential biomarker for predicting subsequent radiographic progression in patients with RA.

Multi-valued logic circuits using hybrid circuit consisting of three gates single-electron transistors (TG-SETs) and MOSFETs.

New multi-valued logic (MVL) families using the hybrid circuits consisting of three gates single-electron transistors (TG-SETs) and a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) are proposed. The use of SETs offers periodic literal characteristics due to Coulomb oscillation of SET, which allows a realization of binary logic (BL) circuits as well as multi-valued logic (MVL) circuits. The basic operations of the proposed MVL families are successfully confirmed through SPICE circuit simulation based on the physical device model of a TG-SET. The proposed MVL circuits are found to be much faster, but much larger power consumption than a previously reported MVL, and they have a trade-off between speed and power consumption. As an example to apply the newly developed MVL families, a half-adder is introduced.

New adders using hybrid circuit consisting of three-gate single-electron transistors (TG-SETs) and MOSFETs.

A half-adder (HA) and a full-adder (FA) using hybrid circuits combining three-gate single-electron transistors (TG-SETs) with metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors (MOSFETs) are proposed. The proposed HA consists of three TG-SETs, two enhanced-mode NMOSFETs, and two depletion-mode NMOSFETs, and the proposed FA consists of eight TG-SETs, two enhanced-mode NMOSFETs, and two depletion-mode NMOSFETs. The complexities in the HA and the FA are 7 and 12, respectively, and the worst-case delays in the HA and the FA are 1.48 ns and 2.25 ns, respectively. Compared with the conventional CMOS FA with 0.35 microm technology, the proposed FA can be constructed with 0.43 of devices, and can operate with 3.5 of worst-case delay, 1/534 of average power consumption, and 1/152 of power-delay-product (PDP). The proposed HA and FA can be operated as a half-subtractor (HS) and a full-subtractor (FS) in the case when the levels of the control gates in the HA and the FA are fitly determined. The basic operations of the proposed HA and the proposed FA have been successfully confirmed through SPICE circuit simulation based on the physical device model of TG-SETs.

Clinical follow-up of conjunctival malignant melanoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical features and course of conjunctival malignant melanoma in Korea. METHODS: The medical records of 15 patients, 5 males and 10 females, diagnosed with conjunctival malignant melanoma who had been treated at Severance Hospital from May 1991 to March 2004 were reviewed retrospectively. The clinical parameters of the patients, tumors, and treatment were analyzed for their relation to outcome measures. RESULTS: The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 53.4 years (+/- 11.7 years). In all cases, the disease was unilateral and all patients had experienced at least one recurrence. Local lymph node metastasis was found in 3 patients (20%) and the mean time to metastasis was 3.5 years. Systemic metastasis was found in 6 patients (40%) and the mean time to metastasis was 9.3 years. There were 5 cases of tumor-related death (33.3%), 4 of which were attributed to systemic metastasis. The Kaplan-Meier estimates of cumulative survival rate were 90% at 30 months and 56.6% at 70 months. CONCLUSIONS: Although conjunctival malignant melanoma is a rare disease, it is life-threatening and complete tumor excision at an early stage is mandatory, as is additional therapy to prevent local recurrence and systemic metastasis.