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Space-sharing is regarded as the proper resource management scheme for many-core OSes. For today’s many-core chips and parallel programming models providing no explicit resource requirements, an important research problem is to provide a proper resource allocation to the running applications while considering not only the architectural features but also the characteristics of the parallel applications.

Background Comprehensive knowledge of the anatomical features of trigeminal schwannomas (TSs) is essential in planning surgery to achieve complete tumor resection. In the current report, we propose a modified classification of TSs according to their location of origin, shape, and extension into the adjacent compartment, and discuss appropriate surgical strategies with this classification. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 49 patients with TS who were treated surgically by a single neurosurgeon at the Asan Medical Center between 1993 and 2013. Results There were 22 males and 27 females, with the median age of 40 years (range, 21-75 years). Median tumor size was 4.0 cm in diameter (2.0-7.0 cm). Tumors were classified as follows: Type M (confined to the middle fossa; 8 cases, 19.0%), P (confined to the posterior fossa; 2 cases, 4.8%), MP (involving equally both middle and posterior fossae; 5 cases, 11.9%), Mp (predominantly middle fossa with posterior fossa extension; 6 cases, 14.3%), Pm (predominantly posterior fossa with middle fossa extension; 16 cases, 38.1%), Me (predominantly middle fossa with extracranial extension; 4 cases, 9.5%). Surgical approach was chosen depending on the tumor classification. More specifically, a frontotemporal craniotomy and extradural approach with or without zygomatic or orbitozygomatic osteotomy was applied to M- or Mp-type tumors; a lateral suboccipital craniotomy with or without suprameatal approach was applied to the majority of P- or Pm-type tumors; and a posterior transpetrosal approach was used in four tumors (three Pm and one MP). Gross total resection was achieved in 95.9% of patients, and the overall recurrence rate was 4.1% (2 patients). Postoperatively, trigeminal symptoms were improved or unchanged in 51.0% of cases (25 patients). Surgical complications included meningitis (5 patients) and cerebrospinal fluid leakage (3 patients). There was no mortality. Conclusion TSs are well to be classified with our modified classification and able to be removed effectively and safely by selecting appropriate surgical approaches.

The ideal material for primary reconstruction of skull defect would be the autogenous bone. However, the long-term evaluation regarding the change in bone graft thickness has not been reported. In this article, we analyzed the thickness changes of the graft according to the time period. Between March 2005 and February 2011, a total of 29 patients underwent skull reconstruction with autogenous split calvarial bone grafts. After applying exclusion criteria, computed tomographic (CT) images of 15 patients were analyzed. The donor bone was harvested in full thickness as 1 piece and then as split. One half of the bone plate was transferred to the defect site; the other half, to the donor site. Both halves were fixed with titanium plates. To compare graft thickness changes, immediate postoperative and follow-up CT scans were analyzed by a single researcher. An anatomic reference was appointed for each patient, and the thickness of the graft on the same level was measured on time-series CT images. Collected data were analyzed with a polynomial random coefficient model. The main causes of the skull defects were trauma and tumor excision. In all cases, the graft thickness was not decreased but even increased in both the donor and recipient sites. The mean graft thicknesses between 6 months and 1 year after the surgery as well as those between 2 and 3 years after the surgery were 1.24-times and 1.56-times thicker than the immediate postoperative thickness, respectively. Graft thickness turned out to be either maintained or increased over time.

Integration of internal and external cues into developmental programs is indispensable for growth and development of plants, which involve complex interplays among signaling pathways activated by the internal and external factors (IEFs). However, decoding these complex interplays is still challenging. Here, we present a web-based platform that i dentifies key regulators and N etwork models delineating I nterplays among D evelopmental signaling (iNID) in Arabidopsis . iNID provides a comprehensive resource of (1) transcriptomes previously collected under the conditions treated with a broad spectrum of IEFs and (2) protein and genetic interactome data in Arabidopsis . In addition, iNID provides an array of tools for identifying key regulators and network models related to interplays among IEFs using transcriptome and interactome data. To demonstrate the utility of iNID, we investigated the interplays of (1) phytohormones and light and (2) phytohormones and biotic stresses. The results revealed 34 potential regulators of the interplays, some of which have not been reported in association with the interplays, and also network models that delineate the involvement of the 34 regulators in the interplays, providing novel insights into the interplays collectively defined by phytohormones, light, and biotic stresses. We then experimentally verified that BME3 and TEM1, among the selected regulators, are involved in the auxin–brassinosteroid (BR)–blue light interplay. Therefore, iNID serves as a useful tool to provide a basis for understanding interplays among IEFs.

Objects Meningioma is the most common intracranial neoplasm, comprising approximately 30% of all primary intracranial tumors (Claus et al., 2005) [1] . Treatment options include observation, microsurgical resection, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT). Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is a very effective treatment for intracranial meningiomas; previous studies showed the tumor control rate at 5–10 years of follow-up as 84.3%–100% in all cases (Feigl et al., 2005; Linskey et al., 2005; Malik et al., 2005; Aichholzer et al., 2000; Hakim et al., 1998; Chang and Adler 1997; Lunsford, 1994; Ganz et al., 1993) [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] . Many studies have discussed issues like optimal dose, conformal configurations, and adverse effects to improve the treatment result with GKRS (Malik et al., 2005; Kenai et al., 2005; Rowe et al., 2004; Shrieve et al., 2004) [4] , [10] , [11] , [12] . There are some cases in which the radiosurgery result is unfavorable and perhaps further treatment is needed. In these cases, re-radiosurgery can be an option. However, there have not been comprehensive studies discussing the issues of re-radiosurgery. Therefore, we analyzed the result of re-radiosurgery for recurrent meningiomas and their impact on clinical outcomes. Methods From 1995 to 2015, we retrospectively reviewed 1163 patients who underwent GKRS for intracranial meningioma at the Asan Medical Center. Patients with multiple meningiomas or a follow-up with a period of less than a year were excluded from this study. Finally, 865 patients were enrolled in this study. Clinical symptoms and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were assessed by neurosurgeons. When tumor size increased together with newly developed neurologic symptoms, further management, such as microsurgical resection or SRS, was considered. Histologic analysis of the resected tumors was performed by neuropathologists. Clinical data, including patient’s sex, age, and tumor locations were recorded. Treatment data included tumor volume, tumor grade, radiation dose, and presence of edema. Final outcome data including follow-up period, time to progression, interval between first and second radiosurgery courses and interval between microsurgery and radiosurgery were obtained. Results Among 865 patients, tumor recurrence was found in 63 patients (7.28%). Seven patients showed transient tumor growth after GKRS. These patients have been under close observation without any further treatments. Fifty-six patients (6.47%) showed permanent tumor growth on follow-up MRI. Thirty-three patients from this group underwent repeated radiosurgery owing to tumor growth, resulting in a re-irradiation rate of 3.82% at our radiosurgery center. The other 23 patients were treated using methods other than re-radiosurgery. Among the 33 patients, 25 underwent microsurgical resection prior to their initial course of GKRS, and the other 8 were treated with re-radiosurgery only. An analysis was performed to determine factors that may have a role in treatment results. Of the many variables, tumor grade (p = 0.004, Fisher’s exact test) was the only significant factor for progression-free survival (PFS). Thirteen patients with unbiopsied or benign meningioma showed stable tumor size, while there was tumor growth in 8 patients. Among high-grade meningioma patients, 3 and 9 showed stable disease and tumor growth, respectively. As a result of re-radiosurgery, 11 out of 17 patients showed tumor growth and needed further treatments; this involved a third GKRS for 4 patients, microsurgical resection for 6 patients, and cyber knife radiosurgery (CKRS) for 1 patient. Four patients from this group were also treated with WBRT. Conclusion We analyzed the results of re-radiosurgery for recurrent meningiomas and observed that World Health Organization (WHO) grade II and III was significantly associated with a lower PFS rate compared with low-grade meningiomas (p = 0.004). Conversely, patients with benign meningioma or unbiopsied tumors had much better results. Hence, re-radiosurgery is recommended for patients with unknown or benign meningiomas if their first GKRS result is unsatisfactory. However, re-radiosurgery should be considered carefully for recurrent high-grade tumors. Owing to the small number of recurrent meningioma patients treated with re-radiosurgery, further studies are required to delineate the role of this treatment.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was comparing and analyzing the exercise effect for the public who was not suffering back pain exercise in improving the waist flexibility, the waist muscular strength and the waist sense of equilibrium after grafted in William & McKenzie exercise with swiss ball. METHODS: 16 people who were not in progress of the chronic low-back pain were recruited. They were grouped into 8 for each experiment(GSBE

Aims and background We assessed the therapeutic efficacy of combined hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy with temozolomide in patients with primary glioblastoma. Methods and study design Thirty-nine patients with histologically confirmed glioblastoma were accrued. Using the simultaneous integrated boost technique, a dose of 50 Gy in 5-Gy fractions was applied to the gross tumor volume, together with 40 Gy in 4-Gy fractions and 30 Gy in 3-Gy fractions to the 1- and 2-cm margins from the gross tumor volume, respectively. Patients were also treated with concurrent temozolomide during intensity-modulated radiotherapy, followed by six cycles of adjuvant temozolomide. Results Median follow-up was 16.8 months (range, 4.3–54.3). Tumor progression was observed in 28 patients (71.8%), and the median time to progression was 6.8 months. Median survival was 16.8 months, and it was affected significantly by the extent of surgery. During adjuvant temozolomide treatment, 3 patients (9.7%) developed grade 3–4 hematologic or hepatic toxicity. Radiation necrosis developed in 7 patients (17.9%) and massive necrosis, requiring emergency surgery, in 1 patient (2.6%). Conclusions The regimen of hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy with temozolomide showed a relatively good outcome in patients with glioblastoma. Further studies are required to define the optimal fraction size for glioblastoma using this highly sophisticated radiation technique.

Summary Brassinosteroids (BRs) are essential for various aspects of plant development. Cellular BR homeostasis is critical for proper growth and development of plants; however, its regulatory mechanism remains largely unknown. BAT1 (BR-related acyltransferase 1), a gene encoding a putative acyltransferase, was found to be involved in vascular bundle development in a full-length cDNA over-expressor (FOX) screen. Over-expression of BAT1 resulted in typical BR-deficient phenotypes, which were rescued by exogenously applied castasterone and brassinolide. Analyses of BR profiles demonstrated that BAT1 alters levels of several brassinolide biosynthetic intermediates, including 6-deoxotyphasterol, typhasterol and 6-deoxocastasterone. BAT1 is mainly localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. BAT1 is highly expressed in young tissues and vascular bundles, and its expression is induced by auxin. These data suggest that BAT1 is involved in BR homeostasis, probably by conversion of brassinolide intermediates into acylated BR conjugates.

Objectives Surgical resection is a primary indication for intracranial meningioma. Radiosurgery is also an excellent treatment modality for postoperative residual tumors, or tumors in high-risk locations, such as the skull base. Despite multimodality treatments, there are some cases in which radiosurgery fails and surgical resection or re-radiosurgery is required. However, there has not been a comprehensive study focusing on the causes of secondary treatment for local recurrence or a new mass that develops outside the target area after radiosurgery. Hence, we analyzed the causes of radiosurgical failure in patients with meningioma. Methods From 2000 to 2015, we retrospectively reviewed 1086 patients who underwent gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for intracranial meningioma at the Asan Medical Center. Multiple meningiomas or tumors with a volume greater than 7000mm 3 were excluded. All patients had a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Finally, 771 patients were enrolled in this study. Clinical symptoms and brain MRI findings were assessed by neurosurgeons. When the tumor size increased and was accompanied by newly developed neurological symptoms, further management was considered (e.g. microsurgical resection and stereotactic radiosurgery). Histological analyses of the resected tumors were performed by neuropathologists. Results Among the 771 patients, tumor growth was observed in 60 patients (7.78%). Seven patients showed transient tumor growth after GKRS. These patients have been under close observation without any further treatment. Thirty patients (3.89%) underwent re-radiosurgery for tumor control. Another 23 patients underwent procedures other than re-radiosurgery; 8 underwent microsurgical resection, 3 underwent cyber knife radiosurgery (CKRS), 1 underwent radiation therapy, and 8 were closely followed-up. Three patients visited other clinics or were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 30 patients, 22 (group 1) underwent microsurgical resection prior to their initial course of GKRS and the other 8 (group 2) were treated only with re-radiosurgery. In group 1, recurrence rates after radiosurgery were 2.47% (n=19) and 0.39% (n=3) for local and distant recurrence, respectively. In group 2, recurrence rates after radiosurgery were 0.52% (n=4) and 0.52% (n=4) for local and distant recurrence, respectively. An analysis was performed to determine the factors that may result in differences between the two groups. Of the many variables, local recurrence ( p =0.0331, Fisher's exact test) was the only significant factor. Conclusion We analyzed the causes of radiosurgical failure in meningioma patients and observed that microsurgery before radiosurgery was significantly associated with a high local recurrence rate compared with primary radiosurgery. Furthermore, the percentage of local recurrence cases that required secondary radiosurgery was as low as 2.98%. This result is comparable with that of microsurgical resection, which is the mainstay of treatment for meningioma.

We present an accurate online scalability prediction model for data-parallel programs on NUMA many-core systems. Memory contention is considered to be the major limiting factor of program scalability as data parallelism limits the amount of synchronization or data dependencies between parallel work units. Reflecting the architecture of NUMA systems, contention is modeled at the last-level caches of the compute nodes and the memory nodes using a two-level queuing model to estimate the mean service time of the individual memory nodes. Scalability predictions for individual or co-located parallel applications are based solely on data obtained during a short sampling period at runtime; this allows the presented model to be employed in a variety of scenarios. The proposed model has been implemented into an open-source OpenCL and the GNU OpenMP runtime and evaluated on a 64-core AMD system. For a wide variety of parallel workloads and configurations, the evaluations show that the model is able to predict the scalability of data-parallel kernels with high accuracy.

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The authors construct the global Macaulay inverse system L Z for a zero-dimensional subscheme Z of projective n -space P n over an algebraically closed field k , from the local inverse systems of the irreducible components of Z . They show that when Z is locally Gorenstein a generic element F of degree d apolar to Z determines Z if d is larger than an invariant β ( Z ) . As a consequence of this globalization, they show that a natural upper bound for the Hilbert function of Gorenstein Artin quotients of the coordinate ring of Z is achieved for large socle degree. They also show the uniqueness of generalized additive decompositions of a homogeneous form into powers of linear forms, under suitable hypotheses. The main tools are elementary, but delicate. They involve a careful study of how to homogenize a local inverse system and of the behavior of the homogenization under a change of coordinates.

Inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPase) catalyzes the hydrolysis of pyrophosphate to form orthophosphate. Pyrophosphate can substitute for ATP under certain circumstances. We previously conducted a proteomic analysis to investigate tumor-specific protein expression in gastric cancer, and PPase was identified as a potential gastric tumor-specific marker; it was therefore selected for further study. Clinicopathological analysis, using proteomic analysis and immunohistochemistry, was used to validate PPase as a prognostic marker in gastric cancers. Proteomic analysis showed that PPase was overexpressed in patients with lymph node (LN) metastases and high tumor node metastasis (TNM) stages (p < 0.05). Based on immunohistochemistry, patients whose tumors overexpressed PPase had higher T stages, LN metastasis, a higher TNM stage, a higher cancer recurrence rate, and shorter survival times than patients whose tumors exhibited PPase underexpression (p < 0.05). Gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches were employed to examine the malignant phenotypes of PPase-overexpressing or PPase-depleted cells. A decrease in PPase expression caused a significant decrease in gastric cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro, whereas forced overexpression of PPase enhanced migration but not invasion. Our findings indicate that PPase is involved in gastric tumor progression and that PPase may be a useful marker for poor prognosis of human gastric cancers.

OBJECTIVE Brain metastases in gynecologic cancer (ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer) patients are rare, and the efficacy of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (GKRS) to treat these had not been evaluated. We assessed the efficacy of GKRS and prognostic factors for tumor control and survival in brain metastasis from gynecologic cancers. METHODS This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board. From May 1995 to October 2012, 26 women (mean age 51.3 years, range 27-70 years) with metastatic brain tumors from gynecologic cancer were treated with GKRS. We reviewed their outcomes, radiological responses, and clinical status. RESULTS In total 24 patients (59 lesions) were available for follow-up imaging. The median follow-up time was 9 months. The mean treated tumor volume at the time of GKRS was 8185 mm(3) (range 10-19500 mm(3)), and the median dose delivered to the tumor margin was 25 Gy (range, 10-30 Gy). A local tumor control rate was 89.8% (53 of 59 tumors). The median overall survival was 9.5 months after GKRS (range, 1-102 months). Age-associated multivariate analysis indicated that the Karnofsky performance status (KPS), the recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) classification, and the number of treated lesions were significant prognostic factors for overall survival (HR=0.162, p=0.008, HR=0.107, p=0.038, and HR=2.897, p=0.045, respectively). CONCLUSION GKRS is safe and effective for the management of brain metastasis from gynecologic cancers. The clinical status of the patient is important in determining the overall survival time.

Although most common loci of intracranial primary germinoma (IPG) are pineal and suprasellar regions, there are some reports of unusually located IPG which makes confusion of differential diagnosis of the tumor. Especially within posterior fossa area, IPG is hardly considered because of its extreme rareness and unmatched clinical characteristics comparing with supratentorial IPGs. Most usual areas within posterior fossa are known as fourth ventricle and medullar oblongata. With the best of our knowledge, there are only less than twenty reported cases of fourth ventricle IPG, yet. Herein, we presents a case of 24 years old female patient who had a large fourth ventricle tumor which turned out to be germinoma. The tumor had been suspected as an ependymoma with consideration of age of patient and features of imaging findings. But, intraoperative and pathologic findings were differ from ependymoma, and finally defined as a germinoma. After chemotherapy with consecutive radiation therapy, complete remission of the tumor without neurological complications was acquired.

Cytokinins propagate signals via multiple phosphorelays in a mechanism similar to bacterial two-component systems. In Arabidopsis, signal outputs are determined by the activation state of transcription factors termed type-B Arabidopsis response regulators (ARRs); however, their regulatory mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that the proteolysis of ARR2, a type-B ARR, modulates cytokinin signaling outputs. ARR2-hemagglutinin (HA) is rapidly degraded by cytokinin treatment, but other type-B ARRs, such as ARR1-HA, ARR10-HA, ARR12-HA and ARR18-HA, are not. ARR2 degradation is mediated by the 26S proteasome pathway, and requires cytokinin-induced phosphorylation of Asp80 residue in the receiver domain. Through mutational analysis of amino acid residues in the receiver domain, we found that substitution of Lys90 with Gly inhibits ARR2 degradation. ARR2(K90G) -HA in transgenic Arabidopsis conferred enhanced cytokinin sensitivity in various developmental processes, including primary root elongation, callus induction, leaf senescence and hypocotyl growth. ARR2(K90G) -HA increased the expression of type-A ARRs, primary cytokinin-responsive genes and indicators of signaling output in two-component circuits. Expression of ARR2(K90G) -HA from the native ARR2 promoter in the arr2-4 knock-out mutant also increased cytokinin sensitivity. In conclusion, ARR2 proteolysis is involved in the maintenance of the primary signaling output for normal developmental processes mediated by cytokinin in Arabidopsis.

Triallyl cyanurate (TAC) and triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC) are new electrolytic additives for the Li-ion battery. Both additives are structural isomers, and are found to be flame retardant. So TAC has a triallyl structure, and TAIC a triamine structure. Both molecules include unsaturated C–C bonds, which can be good building blocks for a protective film on cathode. Flame retardants that have double bonds are able to improve both the flame retardancy of the electrolyte and the thermal protection for the cathode. The unsaturated carbon materials form a good protective film, by which the exothermic oxygen evolution reaction at the cathode is suppressed very effectively. TAC is the better thermal protector. Addition of 3 wt.% TAC delays the exothermic reaction by 52 °C, i.e., from 275 to 327 °C. A 5 wt.% TAC solution suppresses 75.1% of exothermic energy from the oxygen evolution reaction.

In this work, several organic acids are evaluated as reductants in the synthesis of LiFePO 4 , where FePO 4 is one of the starting materials. The investigated acids include formic, glycolic, oxalic, maleic, and malonic acids, which have minimal carbon content. Mono-carboxylic acids have favorable decomposition mechanisms as reductants compared to bi-carboxylic acids. On the other hand, bi-carboxylic acids follow a more complicated path to produce H 2 and H 2 O. Only one of the two carbonyl groups in bi-carboxylic acids is involved in producing CO, although there are slight variations among bi-carboxylic acids. When a reductant is not sufficiently strong to reduce all of the Fe(III)PO 4 , Fe 2 O 3 and Li 3 PO 4 are formed through ion exchange reactions between un-reacted Fe(III)PO 4 and LiOH. It is believed that the volatility of organic acids and the ion exchange reactivity of LiOH produce impurities. The replacement of organic acids and LiOH with less volatile mono-carboxylic acids and LiR (R = alkyl) may improve the purity of the LiFePO 4 obtained.

Luminescent polynorbornene (PNB)/quantum dot (CdSe@ZnS; QD) composite nanorods and nanotubes were successfully prepared using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes of various pore sizes as templates. To protect QDs with high quantum yield from quenching during the phosphoric acid treatment used to remove the AAO templates, chemically stable and optically clear norbornene-maleic anhydride copolymers (P(NB-r-MA)) were employed as a capping agent for QDs. The amine-terminated QDs reacted with maleic anhydride moieties in P(NB-r-MA) to form PNB-grafted QDs. The chemical- and photo-stability of QDs encapsulated with PNB copolymers were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. By varying the pore size of the AAO templates from 40 to 380 nm, PNB/QD composite nanorods or nanotubes were obtained with a good dispersion of QDs in the PNB matrix.

210Po in the daily diet in Korea was analyzed and the ingestion dose from an intake of 210Po was estimated by considering the dietary habit of a Korean person. The 210Po concentrations of a leafy vegetable (0.36 Bq·kg−1 for lettuce) in the terrestrial food were higher than those of grain, whereas Chinese cabbage had a lesser 210Po concentration (0.019 Bq·kg−1). The 210Po concentration of the animal product was similar to those detected in the grain and vegetable. The 210Po concentrations in the shell and crustaceous were high from 19.1 to 33.0 Bq·kg−1, however, its value fell in the overall range of the reported values. The effective dose from 210Po for an adult from the Korean population was about 269.4 μSv·y−1. Nearly 80% of the ingestion dose from the intake of 210Po was attributed to the consumption of seafood. It suggests that the marine food ingestion is a critical pathway for natural 210Po to the Korean population.

Tandem PV cells – with their increased efficiency due to a multi-band gap approach – usually involve expensive materials and fabrication. Thin film approaches, with an engineered variation in band gap through the use of quantum confinement in Si quantum dots, offer a cheaper alternative. Presented are characterisation and modelling data on fabrication of such Si and Sn QD nanostructures in various dielectric matrices by self-organised thin film deposition, with demonstrated confined energy levels of 1.7 eV for 2 nm diameter QDs. This being the optimum energy for an upper tandem cell element.

The radiation dose was assessed for the inhabitants living in the Kumsan, Geosan and Miwon regions which belong to an Okchun metamorphic belt with plenty of uranium resources. The grain, vegetable, milk, and water, which the inhabitants generally ate or drunk, were sampled to reflect the dose effects. And TLD (Thermoluminescence dosimeter) was used for measuring the external dose in the sampled area. An external exposure includes the accumulated gamma dose measured by TLD and an internal exposure includes an ingestion ofthe food, and an inhalation of the air and radon gas. The radionuclides such as 137Cs, 7Be, 40K as well as 238U were included for measuring the radioactivity concentrations of the samples. Radioactivity concentrations for the samples were calculated as averaged annual values. The effective dose by TLD analysis was similar to the domestic average when considering that it was between 0.63 mSv/y and 0.71 mSv/y. The 222Rn concentration of indoor air significantly contributed to the total effec...

The goal of this study is to present that an in-situ radiation dose distribution on an area measured by using a gamma radiation measuring instrument is grasped without a delay. Fundamentally, the test includes an area map as well as real numerical data from the measured area. The map is a computer file with a format of ‘bmp’ which is used in the gamma radiation measuring instrument, and the data is a text file which has numerical values of the latitude, longitude and radiation dose rates of the measured points. The radiation dose rates of the unmeasured points in the area are displayed through an interpolation with those of the measured ones. A 2D plot shows the contour lines with an overlapped map image and a 3D one gives contour lines on the z-axis for an immediate understanding of the radiation level. It is available to optionally display the numerical values of the radiation dose rates and to zoom up and down the image of a certain part for a detailed view. This contour mapping method programmed by us...

Radiological dose assessments and surveys of a radioactive contamination have been performed for domestic and imported foodstuffs since 2003. The following samples among the imported foodstuffs were selected from open markets; one group is imported foodstuffs and the other group is domestic foodstuffs produced from around nuclear facilities. These included imported samples from a country associated with the Chernobyl nuclear accident, samples produced around nuclear power plants or nuclear tests, and foodstuffs reported as radioactively contaminated materials in a foreign country. After pretreatments such as a drying and homogenization, the samples were analyzed. Only the 137Cs radionuclide was measured from among the regulation radionuclides(137Cs, 134Cs, 131I) of the Korea food code. All foodstuffs except Inonotus Obliquus (Chaga mushooms) were less than 25.24 Bq/kg or below the minimum detectable activity (MDA). The average activity concentrations of 203 mushroom samples was 38.60 Bq/kg but the effecti...

Si1−xCx films with varying ratio of carbon to silicon (C/Si) were fabricated by magnetron co-sputtering from a combined C and Si target. The composition in films was changed by adjusting the ratio of sputtered target's area between C and Si. Analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for as-deposited films shows that C/Si atomic ratios of our films have ranges of 0.33–1.02. Thermal annealing of as-deposited films was carried out at various temperatures from 800 to 1100 °C in a conventional furnace. Fourier transform infrared spectra show a shift of Si–C stretching peak towards higher wavenumbers from ∼ 737 cm− 1 to ∼ 800 cm− 1 with increasing annealing temperature. From the results of Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, it was found that the dominant type of nanocrystals changes from Si to SiC in the films annealed at 1100 °C when the C/Si atomic ratio increases from 0.33 to 1.02.

The seasonal variation of the 7Be activities in air and the size distribution of the 7Be aerosols were studied by using a continuous air sampler and a five stage cascade impactor. The mean monthly activity level of 7Be at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) site varied from 0.5 to 4.8 Bq·m−3 and revealed a seasonal variation, in which the 7Be activity levels were high in winter and low in summer. The mass size distribution showed a bi-modal distribution with a higher peak around 0.49 μm and a smaller peak between 3 μm and 7.2 μm. The activity median aerodynamic diameter (AMAD) decreased with increasing ambient 7Be concentrations. The mean residence times by using a mean growth rate of 0.004 μm·h−1 were estimated to be 2.5–6.4 days. The AMAD has an increasing tendency with higher relative humidity. It seemed that the high humidity condition facilitated the growth of the aerosol, resulting in increased deposition rates of the aerosols and the low 7Be content in the surface air. The AMAD of the 7Be aerosols increased with an increasing temperature, but the temperature dependency of AMAD should be explained with geological and meteorological conditions.

A smart measurement system for an on-line gamma monitoring has been developed to overcome the problems of a conventional system which cannot automatically restore the previous-lost data of several posts by a radio telemetry. It is similar to the conventional system except for a new electronic circuit board and an integrated operation program. The new electronic circuit board is able to store the radiation data with a time tag of 6 or more months if the recording interval time is 10 s. The operation program automatically sends the time correction command to the six monitoring posts for a daily synchronization between the monitoring posts and the central control computer as a Korean mean time. The previous-lost radiation data for 6 or more months could be restored by using two components with the functions of a time tag and a daily synchronization without any additional equipment. It was tested for more than 1 year, from which the test results, the data collection rate was dramatically improved without any tedious manual work, which was almost about 100% for 1 year. The smart measurement system has been applied for an effective gamma monitoring around the nuclear facilities at KAERI since it was developed and tested in 2003.

For an arithmetically Cohen–Macaulay closed subscheme X in ℙ n with the saturated defining ideal I X ⊂ k[x 0,…, x n ], let gin(I X ) be the generic initial ideal under the reverse lexicographic order. In this article, we find the minimal system of generators of gin (I X ) in terms of characters f i ′s, which will be defined in (3.1). Then we obtain the formula for deg(X) in terms of characters. For a curve C in ℙ n , we get the formula for the arithmetic genus in terms of characters of a general hyperplane section and the number of sporadic zeros. As an application, we give a new proof of the following upper bound on the regularity given in Ahn and Migliore (2007) and Nagel (1989): if X ⊂ ℙ n is an arithmetically Cohen–Macaulay closed subscheme, then where s = {l | (I X ) l ≠ 0}. Furthermore we give an equivalent condition for an arithmetically Cohen–Macaulay closed subscheme X ⊂ ℙ n to satisfy the equality from the view point of the generic initial ideal of I X , this shows that the upper bound is sharp.

In this study, we compared the dosimetric properties between Gamma Knife (GK) and Cyberknife (CK), and investigated the clinical implications in treating brain metastases (BMs). Between 2011 and 2013, 77 patients treated with either single-fraction GK for small BMs (n = 40) or fractionated CK for large BMs >3 cm (n = 37) were analyzed. Among a total of 160 lesions, 81 were treated with GK (median, 22 Gy) and 38 (large lesions) with three- or five-fraction CK (median, 35 Gy). The median tumor volume was 1.0 cc (IQR, 0.12–4.4 cc) for GK and 17.6 cc (IQR, 12.8–23.7 cc) for fractionated CK. A lesion-to-lesion dosimetric comparison was performed using the identical contour set in both systems. The mean dose to tumor was significantly higher in GK by 1.25-fold (P

Brain metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are rare, and the evidence of the effectiveness of Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) in this disease is lacking. The authors report their institutional experience with GKS in patients with brain metastases from HCCs.The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 73 consecutive patients who had a combined total of 141 brain metastases arising from HCCs and were treated with GKS. Sixty-four (87.7%) patients were male, and the mean age of the patients was 52.5 years (range 30-79 years). The mean tumor volume was 7.35 cm(3) (range 0.19-33.7 cm(3)). The median margin dose prescribed was 23 Gy (range 15-32 Gy). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed to identify possible prognostic factors of outcomes.The estimated rate of local tumor control was 79.6% at 3 months after GKS. The median overall survival time after GKS was 16 weeks. The actuarial survival rates were 76.7%, 58.9%, and 26.0% at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after GKS, respectively. In the univariate analysis, an age of ≤ 65 years, Child-Pugh Class A (pertaining to liver function), high Karnofsky Performance Scale score (≥ 70), and low Radiation Therapy Oncology Group recursive partitioning analysis class (I or II) were positively associated with the survival times of patients. No statistically significant variable was identified in the multivariate analysis.Although survival was extremely poor in patients with brain metastases from HCCs, GKS showed acceptable local tumor control at 3 months after the treatment. The authors suggest that GKS represents a noninvasive approach that may provide a valuable option for treating patients with brain metastases from HCCs.

The complexation of europium ion (Eu(III)) with a soil fulvic acid (FA) has been studied at pH 5 in 0.01M NaClO(4) by different experimental methods, i.e. synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SyFS) and time resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). A series of SyFS quenching spectra was obtained by increasing the Eu(III) concentration and keeping the FA concentration constant. The emission spectra and fluorescence lifetimes of the Eu(III) bound to the FA were also measured by a TRLFS system using the same solution used in the SyFS spectral measurement. From the analysis of the fluorescence data obtained by the SyFS and the TRLFS using a non-linear least-squares method, the concentration of the binding sites (C(L)) of the FA accessible for the Eu(III) and the corresponding conditional stability constants (logK) were estimated. The two different methods gave rise to constants being comparable with one another. The logK and C(L) values (mean +/- standard deviation of three determinations) determined by the SyFS were 6.4 +/- 0.2 (6.7 +/- 0.1mumolL(-1): by the TRLFS) and 10 +/- 1mumolL(-1) (7 +/- 1mumolL(-1): by the TRLFS), respectively. The applicability of the FA fluorescence quenching techniques for estimating the europium binding parameters was proved by the direct monitoring of the Eu(III) bound to the FA using the TRLFS system.

Our work starts from the persistence index G(R/I) of the k-algebra R/I introduced by Presser (2002). It is the degree where the maximal growth of the Hilbert function begins to persist in the sense of Gotzmann. The main results of this paper consist of two parts. First, by introducing an invariant T(R/I), we show that G(R/I) is equal to the Gotzmann number of the Hilbert polynomial for a saturated ideal I. For a closed subscheme X in ℙ r and its defining ideal I X , we set G(X) as G(R/I X). Then, we present the Hilbert polynomial P(X) in terms of G(X) and inductively defined new invariants G i (X)(0 ≤ i ≤ dim X). From this, we find a formula for C(X) = G(X) − G(X ∪ ℋ), where ℋ is a general hyperplane. In defining G, i (X), our theorem on maximal growth and the hyperplane restriction theorem are used (Theorem 3.3). In the second result, given a homogeneous saturated ideal I, we find some conditions under which the Betti numbers of I lex do not vanish. We focus our attention on the inequality in Gr...

s of tutorials, description of discussion panels, technical/application/session papers titles and authors as well as contact information for obtaining the symposium proceedings for technical sessions and application sessions. At the closing ceremony, the best student paper award was given to the paper “Discovering IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnels in the Internet” presented by Lorenzo Colitti. Travel grants were also presented to several students during the closing ceremony. In memory of our friend and colleague Salah Aidarous who passed away last year while acting as a general co-chair for NOMS 2004, the IM/NOMS steering committee instituted a “Salah Aidarous Award” to be presented at every NOMS to those who (1) have provided unremitting service and dedication to the IT and Telecommunications Network Operations and Management community, (2) have a passion for dissemination of their scientific expertise and skills to the next generation, and (3) are held in high esteem by a wide international circle of their peers. During the conference banquet the first “Salah Aidarous Award” was given to Roberto Saracco. Overall, NOMS 2004 through its technical and social program provided a great experience to the 425 attendees. NOMS 2004 will be remembered as one of the best in the history of IM/NOMS. We thank the authors of all submitted manuscripts for their effort and creativity. We owe much to the reviewers from within and from outside the TPC, and to the session chairs who ensured that the accepted papers addressed the concerns raised during the reviews. We express our sincere thanks to all members of the NOMS 2004 organizing committee, participating IEEE ComSoc staff and IFIP staff, panel organizers, keynote speakers, panelists and authors who presented their high quality work in NOMS 2004. Finally, we invite you to attend IM 2005, May 15–19, 2005 in Nice, France (http://www.ieee-im.org). Raouf Boutaba is an Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science of the University of Waterloo in Canada. He conducts research in the area of network and distributed systems management. He is the Chair of the IFIP WG6.6 on Network and Distributed Systems Management, and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of JNSM, the editorial boards of the Journal of Communications and Networks and the Journal of Computer

Stereotactic spinal radiotherapy is a promising technology for use in the multidisciplinary management of benign and malignant spinal tumors. We present two patients with residual metastatic spinal tumors and their treatment with CyberKnife (Accuray, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) after decompression and instrumentation, one of which was successful and the other not. A 73-year-old male patient was admitted with bilateral extremity weakness (Grade IV) and voiding difficulty that had developed 2 days previously. CyberKnife treatment for the residual tumor after surgery with decompression and instrumentation was attempted, but could not be performed due to imaging interference caused by the instrumentation. A second patient, a 49-year-old male, was admitted with right extremity weakness and voiding difficulty that had developed 5 months previously. In this patient, we were able to perform CyberKnife treatment on the residual tumor after decompression and instrumentation. Based on these two patients, we believe that fiducial-free CyberKnife treatment is not suitable for treatment of residual metastatic spinal tumors at the upper thoracic levels, after decompression with instrumentation. This is due to the difficulties in matching digitally reconstructed radiographs with live radiographic images, as a result of the larger inclination and smaller vertebral body surface at the upper thoracic level.

We have achieved a record high cell efficiency of 20.29% for an industrial 6-in. p-type monocrystalline silicon solar cell with a full-area aluminum back surface field (Al-BSF) by simply modifying the cell structure and optimizing the process with the existing cell production line. The cell efficiency was independently confirmed by the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS). To increase the cell efficiency, for example, in four busbars, double printing, a lightly doped emitter with a sheet resistance of 90 to 100 Ω/, and front surface passivation by using silicon oxynitride (SiON) on top of a silicon nitride (SiN x ) antireflection layer were adopted. To optimize front side processing, PC1D simulation was carried out prior to cell fabrication. The resulting efficiency gain is 0.64% compared with that in the reference cells with three busbars, a single antireflection coating layer, and a low-sheet-resistance emitter.

OBJECTIVE This study was aimed at optimizing the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who are candidates for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brain metastases and harbor activating epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the medical records from 2005 to 2010 of NSCLC patients with brain metastases harboring an activating EGFR mutation. Patients who received a combination therapy of SRS and EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) for brain metastases and those who received SRS without EGFR-TKI were compared. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) of the brain metastases. RESULTS Thirty-one patients were eligible for enrolment in this study (SRS with TKI, 18; SRS without TKI, 13). Twenty-two patients (71.0%) were women and the median overall age was 56.0 years. PFS of brain lesions was not significantly prolonged in SRS with TKI treatment group than in SRS without TKI group (17.0 months vs. 9.0 months, p=0.45). Local tumor control rate was 83.3% in the combination therapy group, and 61.5% in the SRS monotherapy group (p=0.23). There were no severe adverse events related with treatment in both groups. CONCLUSIONS Therapeutic outcome of concurrent SRS and TKI treatment was not superior to SRS monotherapy, however, there was no additive adverse events related with combined treatment.

The authors consider certain quotients A = R/I of the polynomial ring R = K[x1,…,xr] over an arbitrary field K. They first determine upper and lower bounds on the Hilbert functions of any algebra having the form A = R/V, where V is the largest ideal of R agreeing in degrees at least j with the ideal (V) generated by a vector subspace V ⊂ Rj of degree j forms: these bounds extend the Macaulay bounds (Theorem 1.4). A level Artinian quotient of A = R/I has socle Soc(A) = (0 : M), M = (x1,…,xr) in a single degree j. The authors next determine the extremal Hilbert functions Hmax(t, j, r) and Hmin(t, j, r) that occur for level graded Artin algebra quotients of R having socle degree j and “type” t = dimK Soc(A), and they describe the extremal strata (Theorem 1.8). They next give a natural upper bound for the Hilbert function of level algebra quotients of the coordinate ring O Z of a punctual subscheme Z ⊂ P n, n = r − 1, in terms of the Hilbert function H Z and j, t. This bound was known and known to be sharp in the case Z is locally Gorenstein and t = 1. Finally, they show that there are no level algebras of Hilbert function T = (1, 3, 4, 5, 6,…,2) (Proposition 2.7). Given that there are smooth punctual subschemes Z of P 2 with Hilbert function H Z = (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6,…), this result shows that the sharpness of the natural upper bound in the case where Z is Gorenstein and t = 1 does not extend to level algebra quotients of type 2, even when Z is smooth. The extremality results for the Hilbert functions of level algebras, and some counterexamples, use the extremality theorem of F. H. S. Macaulay [1927, Proc. London Math. Soc.26, 531–555] and G. Gotzmann's [1978, Math. Z.158, 61–70] results on the Hilbert scheme.

Introduction High dose chemotherapy (HDC) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been adopted as an effective treatment in patients with relapsed or refractory primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and also has been proposed as a consolidative treatment option for newly diagnosed PCNSL. HDC-ASCT may overcome chemoresistance mediated by blood-brain barrier by affording higher drug concentrations in the central nervous system. We investigated the feasibility of thiotepa, busulfan, and cyclophosphamide (TBC) conditioning followed by ASCT in patients with PCNSL. Method Between December 2012 and July 2015, a total of 27 patients with PCNSL underwent TBC conditioning followed by ASCT. Those with a complete or partial response after induction chemotherapy or salvage chemotherapy proceeded with TBC conditioning followed by ASCT. TBC conditioning consists of thiotepa 250 mg/m2 on days -9 to day -7, busulfan 3.2 mg/kg on days -6 to day -4 and cyclophosphamide 60 mg/kg on days -3 to day -2. The event free survival (EFS) was defined from the date of transplant to the date of relapse, progression or any cause of death, while overall survival (OS) was calculated from the date of transplant to death. Result Baseline characteristics were summarized in table 1. Twenty patients received TBC conditioning followed by ASCT as a consolidative therapy after high-dose methotrexate-based induction chemotherapy and the other 7 patients received TBC conditioning followed by ASCT after salvage chemotherapy due to relapsed or refractory disease. The median time to neutrophil recovery (absolute neutrophil count >500/uL) and platelet recovery (>20000 x103/uL) were 8 (range, 7-9) and 8 (range, 4-15) days, respectively. All 27 patients experienced febrile neutropenia and 33.3% of patients (9/27) and 7.4% of patients (2/27) had documented bacterial and viral infection, respectively. Commonly observed nonhematologic grade 3 or 4 toxicities were mucositis (63%), diarrhea (59.3%) and nausea (25.9%). The 100-day transplant-related mortality rate was 0%. With median follow-up duration of 27.8 months (range 6.7-42.6), median EFS and OS were not reached. The 2-year EFS and OS estimates were 76.8% (95% CI: 68.4-85.2) and 88.9% (95% CI: 82.9-94.9), respectively (Figure 1). Conclusion ASCT with TBC conditioning appears to be feasible in patients with PCNSL. Although survival outcomes are encouraging, longer follow-up is required. Further studies are warranted to investigate the role of ASCT with TBC conditioning in both clinical settings of consolidative treatment of newly diagnosed PCNSL and salvage treatment of relapsed or refractory PCNSL. Table 1 Baseline characteristics (n=27) *Conventional cytology; flow cytometry not performed $The cutoff for normal CSF protein concentration was 45 mg/dL in patients ¡Â 60 years old and 60 mg/dL in patients more than 60 years old. *MSK RPA, Memorial Sloan-Kettering prognostic score determined by recursive partitioning $Periventricular, basal ganglia, brainstem and cerebellar lesion Table 1. Baseline characteristics (n=27). / *Conventional cytology; flow cytometry not performed. / $The cutoff for normal CSF protein concentration was 45 mg/dL in patients ¡Â 60 years old. / and 60 mg/dL in patients more than 60 years old. / *MSK RPA, Memorial Sloan-Kettering prognostic score determined by recursive partitioning. / $Periventricular, basal ganglia, brainstem and cerebellar lesion Figure 1 Event-free survival and overall survival. Figure 1. Event-free survival and overall survival. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

One of the most important issues in the research related to Zn–air batteries is the hydrolysis of the aqueous solution. We have investigated the effectiveness of Zn ions and the anions of various acids as gas suppressants in the battery. Zn ions can function as a gas suppressant on a Pt surface, but they can stimulate additional gas production when they are deposited as Zn metal. On the other hand, the counter anions of weak acids behave as adsorbates to cover Zn metal effectively.

Let T be a Gorenstein sequence of a graded artinian Gorenstein ring k[x 0,x 1,x 2]/I We develop a dimension formula for PGor(T) in terms of the alignment character. Based on our formula, we find a very large component of Vs (t,t,2) when s=rt-1+1 and t is large enough. This answers Diesel’s conjecture negatively. Further we show that Vs (t,t,2) is irreducible of dimension 3s-1 for s ≤t+1,t ≥ 2 and dim Vs (t,t,2)= 3s-1 for small s. Finally an algorithm to calculate dim Vs (t,t,2) is constructed, and we find the values of dim Vs (t,t,2) for t ≤ 16.

Monodispersed TiO 2 ultrafine particles were obtained from aqueous TiOCl 2 solution with a 0.67 M Ti 4+ concentration prepared by diluting TiCl 4 with the homogeneous precipitation process in the range 17–230°C. With the spontaneous hydrolysis of TiOCl 2 , which means the natural decrease of the pH value in the aqueous solution, all monodispersed precipitates were crystallized with the anatase or rutile TiO 2 phase during the reactions. The TiO 2 precipitate with the pure rutile phase was fully formed at temperatures below 65°C, which did not involve the evaporation of H 2 O, and above 155°C, which were available by suppressing it. The TiO 2 precipitate with the rutile phase, including a small amount of the anatase phase, started to be formed at intermediate temperatures above 70°C, showing the full formation of the anatase phase above 95°C under the free evaporation of H 2 O. However, in the case of completely suppressing H 2 O evaporation at temperatures above 70°C, the TiO 2 precipitate with the anatase phase that had already been formed by rapid reaction was fully transformed with the reaction time into the precipitate with the rutile phase by the vapor pressure of H 2 O. Therefore, the formation of TiO 2 precipitates with the rutile phase around room temperature would be caused by the existence of capillary pressure between the agglomerated needle-shaped particles or the ultrafine clusters, together with the slow reaction rate.

The practical experience on the implementation of ISO/IEC 17025 compliant quality system in a nuclear analytical laboratory of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) is described. This paper summarizes the need for a quality system and accreditation, the process of a quality system implementation, the quality system structures, and the formal accreditation of our laboratory by the Korean Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS). Also, the improvements in the management, technical and service quality which resulted from implementation of this system are briefly reported.

Objectives/Hypothesis Hearing loss can be associated with a decrease in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure because changes in CSF pressure induce changes in perilymph pressure. Hearing loss after neurosurgical procedures have been reported, but clinical information on hearing loss after the placement of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts, the most commonly used CSF shunt for hydrocephalus patients, is limited. This study is aimed to show the relationship between VP shunt and hearing loss. Study Design Prospective study. Methods Pure tone threshold and electrocochleography were preoperatively performed in nine patients (18 ears) undergoing elective VP shunt placement. Five-day and 1-month post-shunt placement hearing thresholds were compared with baseline data. A correlation analysis was conducted between the threshold and summating potential/action potential (SP/AP) ratio changes at 5 days and 1 month after shunt placement. Cochlear aqueduct dimensions measured by high-resolution CT were compared between ears with and without hearing loss. Results About 40% of subject ears showed hearing loss with a threshold elevation of at least 15 dB in one or more frequencies. After VP shunt placement, the mean threshold of all ears showed a significant increase in most frequencies and the pure tone average. The change in the SP/AP ratios was significantly correlated with the change in the pure tone average at both 5 days and 1 month after shunt placement. Cochlear aqueduct dimensions were not correlated with hearing loss occurrence. Conclusions Hearing thresholds may increase following VP shunt placement, possibly due to secondary endolymphatic hydrops. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 124:1923–1927, 2014

Brain abscesses can be highly lethal if appropriate treatment is not administered, and reports of such an abscess caused by Enterococcus avium are very rare. Here,we report a case of a 48-year-old man presenting with chronic otitis media. He initially presented with a headache and right otalgia. An otoscopic evaluation performed on the day of admission showed exudation of fresh pus from the right ear. Brain magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a hypodense area in the right temporoparietal lobe, suggestive of a brain abscess. A culturing of the ear discharge and brain abscess aspirate proved of E. avium infection. Following stereotactic aspiration of the brain abscess and proper antimicrobial treatment, the patient recovered completely. In this report, we also review and discuss the available medical literature on previous cases of E. avium infection associated with brain abscess.

Summary The signal transduction pathway governed by the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates not only abiotic stress responses but also early developmental programs such as seed dormancy, germination and seedling growth in response to environmental signals. Optimal plant growth and development depend on the integration of environmental stimuli and intrinsic developmental programs. Here, we show that the homeodomain transcription factors BLH1 and KNAT3, previously implicated in embryo sac development, have additional functions in ABA-mediated seed dormancy and early seedling development. The ABA-dependent induction of BLH1 and KNAT3 expression required the presence of functional PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors. The blh1 and knat3 mutants were less sensitive than the wild-type to ABA or salinity exposure during seed germination and early seedling development. In contrast, BLH1 over-expressing lines were hypersensitive to ABA and salinity, and exhibited increased expression of ABA-responsive genes, such as ABI3 and ABI5. BLH1 interacted with KNAT3 and enhanced the retention of KNAT3 in the nucleus. BLH1 and KNAT3 synergistically increased the ABA responses by binding to and subsequently activating the ABI3 promoter. Taken together, we propose that BLH1 and KNAT3 together modulate seed germination and early seedling development by directly regulating ABI3 expression.