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Innovation is one of the key drivers of success that a firm must utilize to develop a competitive advantage. The ability to innovate is especially important for a firm's survival in dynamic, changing environments. Customer demands are constantly changing, and more purchases are made when a firm's product design incorporates what customers perceive as cutting-edge innovations. Satisfying customer demands is a distinct challenge for product designers because firms must develop a clear understanding of what aspects of design the customer wants. Although the importance of design has increased, very little research has been done to explain the relationship between product innovation and product design. Studies indicate that design innovation may create greater customer value through improvements in design value. Previous research has been limited and has not provided a clear concept of design innovation or defined the relationship between design innovation and marketing competencies. This paper seeks to offer a conceptual definition of design innovation, and to define the link between design innovation and marketing competencies. This paper utilizes cross-cultural research to discover how these concepts differ due to cultural differences between the United States and Korea. This research contributes substantially to our understanding of the relationship between design innovation and customer value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The principal objective of this study was to assess clinical outcomes by breast cancer subtype in patients with brain metastases., Methods: Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) status was evaluated via immunohistochemical staining. Four survival time intervals were compared according to the subtype (ER+/HER2-, HER2+, triple negative (TN))., Results: 20 (30.3%) of the 66 patients in this study were ER+/HER2-, 20 (30.3%) were HER2+, and 26 (39.4%) were TN. The disease-free survival rates of ER+/HER2-, HER2+, and TN patients were 30.0, 17.0, and 17.9 months, respectively (p = 0.040). The median time intervals from distant metastasis to brain metastasis were 20.6, 19.5, and 9.0 months, respectively (p = 0.012). The times from initial diagnosis to brain metastasis were 52.9, 33.6, and 25.5 months, respectively (p = 0.026). However, the overall survival rates did not differ significantly (p = 0.276)., Conclusions: Patients with TN breast cancer were more likely to develop distant metastasis earlier, and also evidenced poor overall survival. Triple receptor status may be employed as a prognostic marker for breast cancer patients with brain metastases., (Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Immunosuppressive therapy (IST) has provided an alternative treatment option for cure of aplastic anemia patients who cannot receive bone marrow transplantation. Although there have been many recent studies on the efficacy of antithymoglobulin (ATG) combined with cyclosporine A (CsA), there is no data on the correlation between the variability of CsA levels and the response to IST. Therefore, we retrospectively assessed the factors associated with IST efficacy in patients with acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA). Sixty-six patients were treated with ATG combined with CsA for 6 months. In the response group, the CsA levels were increased rapidly to more than 200 ng/mL within the first 2 wk after starting the IST. However, the non-response group had a pattern of slower increase of the CsA levels. The CsA levels, during the first and second week of treatment with IST, were significantly different in the responders and non-responders. The factors predictive of response to IST and survival were analyzed. The univariate analysis showed that a younger age at the initiation of IST, a high absolute neutrophil count prior to starting IST, a short interval between the diagnosis and initiation of IST, and high CsA levels during the first and second week of IST treatment were positively associated with the response rate and overall survival. The multivariate analysis showed that these four factors were independent factors associated with a longer patient survival. A high response rate was associated with a short interval between diagnosis and initiation of IST as well as high CsA levels during the first and second week of IST. Therefore, early intensification of CsA levels might improve patient outcome.

Objective: HydroCoil (MicroVention, Aliso Viejo, CA), a hydrogel-platinum coil hybrid device, is one of various efforts to overcome delayed recanalization of coiled intracranial aneurysms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome of intracranial aneurysms treated with HydroCoils., Methods: This multicenter prospective study included 80 aneurysms in 76 patients treated with HydroCoils. There were 32 (40%) ruptured and 48 (60%) unruptured aneurysms; 22 (28%) were large aneurysms (maximal diameter, > or = 10 mm) and 58 (72%) were small. Aneurysm volumes were 100 mm3 or more in 48 (60%) and less than 100 mm3 in 32 (40%); in 13 aneurysms (16%), volumes were 600 mm3 or more. Efficacy and safety were evaluated on the basis of degree of initial occlusion, procedure-related complications, and the follow-up result., Results: Initial aneurysmal occlusion was complete in 60 (75%) aneurysms and near-complete in 14 (17.5%). Procedure-related complications included aseptic meningitis-related problems, including delayed hydrocephalus in 13 patients (28% among cases of unruptured aneurysms) and thromboembolism in two patients. Radiological follow-up data obtained 6 months or more after coil embolization were available in 54 aneurysms (68%) and revealed stable occlusion in 48 (89%) aneurysms, minor recanalization in one (2%), and major recanalization in five (9%). All of the recanalized aneurysms were 600 mm3 or more in volume, and aneurysm volume was a single important variable related to delayed recanalization on multiple logistic regression analysis (P = 0.016)., Conclusion: HydroCoil embolization seems to be a feasible treatment option in intracranial aneurysms in terms of initial aneurysmal occlusion rate and durability at the time of the follow-up evaluation; however, caution is required regarding aseptic meningitis and delayed hydrocephalus. Calculated aneurysmal volume of 600 mm3 seems to be critical in determining the anatomic outcome in aneurysms embolized with HydroCoils.

To determine the activity and toxicities of a low dose leucovorin (ldLV) plus fluorouracil (5-FU) regimen, combined with oxaliplatin administered fortnightly (modified FOLFOX-4), as a first-line therapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer. Patients were treated with cycles of oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2 on day 1 plus LV 20 mg/m2, followed by 5-FU a 400 mg/m2 bolus and a 22 hour continuous infusion of 600 mg/m2 5-FU on days 1 - 2 every two week intervals. Forty-five patients were enrolled in this study. Forty-two patients were assessable for response. One of the 42 patients demonstrated complete response, and 20 partial responses, and overall response rate of 50%. The median time to progression and overall survival time were 7.7 months (95% CI: 3.6 - 11.9 months) and 11.2 months (95% CI: 9.1 - 13.3 months), respectively. Major hematologic toxicities included grade 1 - 2 anemia (39.7%), neutropenia (30.4%) and grade 3 - 4 neutropenia (10.9%). Twelve cycles were associated with neutropenic fever. The most common non-hematological toxicities were grade 2 nausea/vomiting (20%). There was no treatment related death. The modified FOLFOX-4 regimen was found to be a safe and effective first line therapy in advanced gastric cancer.

This study reports, for the first time, the investigation of the distribution of Korean saxicolous lichens in the coastal rocks of U-do islet, which is known as an unpolluted zone in Jeju. More than thirty lichens were obtained and investigated from the coastal rocks frequently contacted by seawater. A molecular analysis using PCR amplification of the rRNA ITS regions revealed the coastal rock lichens could be placed into 8 families and 14 genera, Ramalinaceae (Bacidia, Ramalina), Physciaceae (Buellia, Dirinaria, Phaeophyscia, Physcia, Pyxine), Lecanoraceae (Candelaria, Lecanora), Parmeliaceae (Xanthoparmelia), Graphidaceae (Graphis), Pertusariaceae (Pertusaria), Rhizocarpaceae (Rhizocarpon), and Teloschistaceae (Caloplaca), showing a diversity of lichens, with foliose (flat leaf-like), crustose (crust-like), and fruticose (miniature shrub-like) life forms might be distributed in the coastal rocks. These findings suggested the possibility that the lichens identified in the present work might be resistant to a salty environment.