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KubeEdge is an open-source platform that orchestrates containerized Internet of Things (IoT) application services in IoT edge computing environments. Based on Kubernetes, it supports heterogeneous IoT device protocols on edge nodes and provides various functions necessary to build edge computing infrastructure, such as network management between cloud and edge nodes. However, the resulting cloud-based systems are subject to several limitations. In this study, we evaluated the performance of KubeEdge in terms of the computational resource distribution and delay between edge nodes. We found that forwarding traffic between edge nodes degrades the throughput of clusters and causes service delay in edge computing environments. Based on these results, we proposed a local scheduling scheme that handles user traffic locally at each edge node. The performance evaluation results revealed that local scheduling outperforms the existing load-balancing algorithm in the edge computing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective autophagy controls cellular homeostasis by degrading unnecessary or damaged cellular components. Melanosomes are specialized organelles that regulate the biogenesis, storage, and transport of melanin in melanocytes. However, the mechanisms underlying melanosomal autophagy, known as the melanophagy pathway, are poorly understood. To better understand the mechanism of melanophagy, we screened an endocrine-hormone chemical library and identified nalfurafine hydrochlorides, a κ-opioid receptor agonist, as a potent inducer of melanophagy. Treatment with nalfurafine hydrochloride increased autophagy and reduced melanin content in alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-treated cells. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy blocked melanosomal degradation and reversed the nalfurafine hydrochloride-induced decrease in melanin content in α-MSH-treated cells. Consistently, treatment with other κ-opioid receptor agonists, such as MCOPPB or mianserin, inhibited excessive melanin production but induced autophagy in B16F1 cells. Furthermore, nalfurafine hydrochloride inhibited protein kinase A (PKA) activation, which was notably restored by forskolin, a PKA activator. Additionally, forskolin treatment further suppressed melanosomal degradation as well as the anti-pigmentation activity of nalfurafine hydrochloride in α-MSH-treated cells. Collectively, our data suggest that stimulation of κ-opioid receptors induces melanophagy by inhibiting PKA activation in α-MSH-treated B16F1 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the performance of 3D human pose and shape estimation methods has improved considerably in recent years, existing approaches typically generate 3D poses defined in a camera or human-centered coordinate system. This makes it difficult to estimate a person's pure pose and motion in a world coordinate system for a video captured using a moving camera. To address this issue, this paper presents a camera motion agnostic approach for predicting 3D human pose and mesh defined in the world coordinate system. The core idea of the proposed approach is to estimate the difference between two adjacent global poses (i.e., global motion) that is invariant to selecting the coordinate system, instead of the global pose coupled to the camera motion. To this end, we propose a network based on bidirectional gated recurrent units (GRUs) that predicts the global motion sequence from the local pose sequence consisting of relative rotations of joints called global motion regressor (GMR). We use 3DPW and synthetic datasets, which are constructed in a moving-camera environment, for evaluation. We conduct extensive experiments and prove the effectiveness of the proposed method empirically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the mechanism of ring shakes in Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii), the ring shake surface on the tangential section was observed and compared with the shear surface of green and air-dry wood. Macroscopically, the ring shakes occurred in the heartwood between the 20th and 40th growth ring. The ring shake surface exhibited an even and clean structure without the fluff. The shear surface of the green wood showed a larger amount of fluff compared to that of air-dry wood. In microscopy, ring shake failure occurred at the end of the latewood and/or the beginning of earlywood or within the earlywood zone. The ring shake surface was covered with a resinous substance, and the wood cells were observed after removing the resinous substance with ethanol. The tracheid walls in the ring shake and shear surface of green wood primarily exhibited intercell failure and rarely intrawall and transwall failures. In air-dry wood, the tracheid walls in the shear surface mostly exhibited intrawall and transwall failures. In the ring shake surface, there was hardly any failure in the epithelial and ray cells, thereby showing a distinct difference compared to the shear surface of the green and air-dry woods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the postoperative prognostic value of the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) category on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET-CT in patients with primary liver carcinomas (PLCs).Methods: A total of 189 patients with chronic liver disease and surgically proven single PLC (42 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas and 21 combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinomas and 126 hepatocellular carcinomas [2:1 matching to non-HCC malignancies]) were retrospectively evaluated with gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI and PET-CT. Two independent reviewers assigned an LI-RADS category for each observation. The tumor-to-liver standardized uptake value ratio (TLR) was calculated. The overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and the associated factors were evaluated.Results: In multivariable analysis, LI-RADS category (LR-4 or LR-5 [LR-4/5] vs. LR-M; OS, hazard ratio [HR] 2.24, p = 0.006; RFS, HR 1.61, p = 0.028) and TLR (low, < 2.3 vs. high, ≥ 2.3; OS, HR 2.09, p = 0.014; RFS, HR 2.17, p < 0.001) were the independent factors for OS and RFS. For the LR-M group, the high TLR group showed lower OS and RFS rates than the low TLR group (OS, p = 0.008; RFS, p < 0.001). For the LR-4/5 group, the OS and RFS rates were not significantly different between the high TLR and low TLR groups (both p > 0.05).Conclusions: Both LI-RADS category on MRI and TLR on PET-CT are associated with the postoperative prognosis of PLCs. The prognosis of PLCs classified as LR-M can be further stratified according to the TLR group, but not for the PLCs classified as LR-4/5.Key Points: • The LI-RADS category (LR-4/5 vs. LR-M) and tumor-to-liver standardized uptake value ratio (TLR, low vs. high) were independent factors for postoperative prognosis of primary liver carcinomas (PLCs). • For PLCs classified as LR-M, the TLR group helps stratify the postoperative prognosis of PLCs, with the high TLR group having a poor prognosis and the low TLR group having a better prognosis (p = 0.008 for OS and p < 0.001 for RFS). • For PLCs classified as LR-4/5, the OS and RFS rates were not significantly different between the high TLR and low TLR groups (both p > 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radial variation of rays within the stems of Dahurian larch and Japanese larch growing in Korea was studied to obtain valuable information to identify the two species and determine wood quality. Uniseriate ray height, fusiform ray height, ray number, ray spacing, and epithelial cell number were investigated by optical microscopy. The heights of uniseriate and fusiform rays and epithelial cell numbers in Dahurian larch were lower than those in Japanese larch. Dahurian larch wood had greater ray number and ray spacing than Japanese larch wood. In both species, the heights of uniseriate and fusiform rays and epithelial cell number increased with increasing growth ring number but then stabilized from a certain growth ring number. However, ray number and ray spacing decreased with age but were stable toward the bark. There were significant differences in all ray properties between the two species. Furthermore, in both species, the number and spacing of rays showed a significant negative correlation with uniseriate ray height. The relationships between uniseriate and fusiform ray height, and between ray spacing and ray number were significantly positive. In conclusion, the results from this study provide basic information that can be used to identify these species, and the quality indices from ray properties will improve the effective utilization of the two woody species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which investigated the alternating current electrical properties of the heterostructured polymer light-emitting diode. Experimental details; Results and discussion; Conclusions.

Presents information on a study which analyzed the frequency dependent dielectric constant of amorphous ferroelectrics using the Langevin equation. Experimental details; Results and discussion; Conclusions.

Objectives: To assess a correlation between the preoperative diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and early recurrence (<2 years) and to determine the best DWI parameters as the risk factor of early recurrence after surgery in single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods: The study included 114 patients with surgically resected single HCC (≤5 cm) who underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with DWI. Radiologists evaluated the diffusion restriction of the tumours using qualitative assessment and the mean and minimum apparent diffusion coefficient values (ADCmean and ADCmin) of the tumours using quantitative measurement. Clinical and laboratory findings and DWI parameters as a risk factor for early recurrence were identified by using Cox proportional hazards model.Results: No significant difference was observed in early recurrence rates of HCCs between those with and those without diffusion restriction (p = 0.484). Early recurrence rates of HCCs with ADCmean and ADCmin values lower than the optimal cut-offs (1.023 and 0.773 × 10-3 mm2/s, respectively) were significantly higher compared with those with values higher than the optimal cut-offs (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). In the multivariable analysis, tumour size [hazard ratio (HR) per centimetre, 2.011; 95% CI, 1.304-3.102; p = 0.002] and ADCmin ≤0.773 × 10-3 mm2/s (HR, 13.339; 95% CI, 4.422-40.240; p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for early HCC recurrence.Conclusions: DWI is a promising imaging tool for early recurrence of HCC. Among qualitative and quantitative assessments of DWI, ADCmin is a significant risk factor for early recurrence after surgery in single HCC.Key Points: • The performance of minimum apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCmin) is significantly better than that of mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCmean) for identifying early recurrence. • ADCmin is a significantly independent risk factor of early HCC recurrence after surgery. • ADCmin correlates with early recurrence after curative resection of single HCC, reflecting histopathological features of the tumours including histological grade and microvascular invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A lightweight rehabilitation assisting system is required to help the aged and disabled with daily life activities, thereby improving the quality of their lives.Objective: This paper discusses the development of a metal-hydride (MH) actuator, with excellent heat transfer performance, for application in a rehabilitative system incorporating an MH module.Methods: The operating mechanism of MH actuators requires that the mechanical power of the pneumatic actuator only be generated via heat transfer through a Peltier element and the absorption/desorption of a hydrogen-contained MH module. To achieve this aim, a 3D model was first designed for two MH modules, and a thermal analysis was carried out according to the type of contact with the Peltier elements to fabricate an MH module with improved heat transfer performance. LabVIEW (National Instruments) was used for automatic temperature control of the Peltier element in the MH actuator driving experiment. Zr0.9TI0.1Cr0.6Fe1.4, which yields a pressure-composition-temperature (PCT) curve of appropriate pressure and temperature ranges for a rehabilitative system, was selected as the hydrogen-absorbing alloy.Results: In addition, the temperature conditions of the MH actuator driving experiment were restricted by two temperature control ranges (30-40∘C/30-50∘C) of the Peltier element. Within these Peltier element temperature ranges of 30-40∘C and 30-50∘C, results showed that the MH actuator was driven in the ranges of 2-3 atm and 2.5-3.5 atm, respectively.Conclusions: These findings indicate that the MH actuator proposed in this paper can be utilized to drive a rehabilitative system for elbow and knee joint exoskeletons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-precision products which contain a micro-hole array have recently shown remarkable demand growth in many fields, especially in the semiconductor and display industries. Photoresist etching and electrochemical machining are widely known as precision methods for machining micro-holes with no residual stress and lower surface roughness on the fabricated products. The Invar shadow masks used for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) contain numerous micro-holes and are currently machined by a photoresist etching method. However, this method has several problems, such as uncontrollable hole machining accuracy, non-etched areas, and overcutting. To solve these problems, a machining method that combines photoresist etching and electrochemical machining can be applied. In this study, negative photoresist with a quadrilateral hole array pattern was dry coated onto 30-μm-thick Invar thin film, and then exposure and development were carried out. After that, photoresist single-side wet etching and a fusion method of wet etching-electrochemical machining were used to machine micro-holes on the Invar. The hole machining geometry, surface quality, and overcutting characteristics of the methods were studied. Wet etching and electrochemical fusion machining can improve the accuracy and surface quality. The overcutting phenomenon can also be controlled by the fusion machining. Experimental results show that the proposed method is promising for the fabrication of Invar film shadow masks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invar alloy is important material used for the OLED (Organic light emitting diode) shadow-mask in the mobile display industry due to its characteristics of smallest thermal expansion coefficient. Consumers in modern society demand higher display resolution. Electrochemical machining is one of the methods for obtained these high-resolution requirements. Electrochemical machining is a non-contact method that has advantages regarding defects like thermal strain and micro burrs compared to other non-conventional machining methods. For precision electrochemical machining using different shape electrodes, the current density should be controlled precisely. The purpose of this study is to apply the FEM (Finite elements method) analysis in order to investigate the current density in the electrochemical machining. And the current density distribution between invar alloy and electrode are carried out with shape electrode type and micro array film type under the same conditions by simulation methods. FEM analysis results show that using shape electrode type, current density distribution is very concentrated. And also by micro array pattern film, desired current density which is needed for electrochemical machining could be obtained easily. More precise electrochemical machining can be available by controlling the current density between the suitable type and invar alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims This study aimed to identify preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging biomarkers for predicting microvascular invasion (MVI), to determine their diagnostic performance and to evaluate whether they are associated with early recurrence after surgery for single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods The study included 197 patients with surgically resected HCC (≤5 cm) who underwent preoperative gadoxetic acid–enhanced MR imaging. Significant MR imaging findings for predicting MVI were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. Early recurrence rates (<2 years) were analyzed with respect to significant imaging findings for predicting MVI. Results Three MR imaging features were independently associated with MVI: arterial peritumoral enhancement (odds ratio [OR] = 5.184; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.228, 12.063; p <0.001), non-smooth tumor margin (OR = 3.555; 95% CI: 1.627, 7.769; p = 0.001), and peritumoral hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase (HBP) (OR = 4.705; 95% CI: 1.671, 13.246; p = 0.003). When two of three findings were combined, the specificity was 92.5% (124/134). When all three findings were satisfied, the specificity was 99.3% (133/134). Early recurrence rates were significantly higher in patients with single HCC, with two or three significant MR imaging findings, compared to those with none (27.9% vs. 12.6%, respectively, p = 0.030). Conclusions A combination of two or more of the following; arterial peritumoral enhancement, non-smooth tumor margin, and peritumoral hypointensity on HBP, can be used as a preoperative imaging biomarker for predicting MVI, with specificity >90%, and is associated with early recurrence after surgery of single HCC. Lay summary: A combination of two or more of the following; arterial peritumoral enhancement, non-smooth tumor margin, and peritumoral hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase, can be used as a preoperative imaging biomarker for predicting microvascular invasion, with specificity >90%, and is associated with early recurrence after curative resection of single HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for products containing micro-features has shown a remarkably and steady growth in many fields of application in recent years. For the development of micro-feature devices, one of the most important technologies is ECMM (ElectroChemical Micro Machining). In numerous non-conventional micro machining, ECMM has merits such as leaving no residual stress and lower surface roughness on machined products and also it is the absence of heat-affected zone around the cutting area. ECMM is one of the most appropriate machining method for Invar alloy micro machining, and little research has focused on the micro groove machining on Invar film. In this paper, the machining characteristics of ECMM for Invar thin film with WC rod electrode is investigated. By controlling applied voltage, machining time and pulse condition, the machined area and depth of groove on Invar film can be controlled. These methods can machine micro groove on thin Invar film, which is very difficult to do by conventional machining method, because the Invar film thickness is only 30 µm. With the increase of applied voltage and machining time, the machined depth and range of machined area became larger. Experimental results show that 60 % duty factor value is suitable for satisfying both machining rate and accuracy. And the surface quality characteristics of the machined area are investigated. For fabrication precise surface Invar film or Invar devices, high frequency condition is essential. The purpose of this study was to confirm possibilities of making grooving pattern on thin Invar film in micro size and cutting invar thin film using ECMM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electropolishing (EP) is one of the most important processes for improving the corrosion resistance capability of a stainless steel (STS) 316L workpiece. This process removes nonmetallic inclusions and improves the mechanical and corrosion resistance of the stainless steel. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of current and machining time on the effectiveness of electropolishing for an L-shaped tube. The workpiece was made of STS 316L stainless steel, and the cathode and anode were made of copper. The electrolyte was composed of sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and deionized (DI) water. To analyze the effectiveness of the electropolishing under various currents and machining times, the surface roughness of the workpiece was measured. The results showed that the EP process greatly decreased the surface roughness of the STS 316L stainless steel under all conditions tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A development of smart materials has become a prominent issue on present industries. A smart material, included in functions, is needed for microfabrication. Complex design is able to become simply and reduce weight of parts as functionalized materials. In the traditional mechanical polishing method, even though surface roughness is good after polishing, there still remains very slight polish mark and deformed layer. Therefore, such method is not applicable to the product which requires ultra-clean surface quality. Thus, it has introduced electrochemical polishing method that electrochemical elution is applied, excluding the traditional processing method that contact between tool and workpiece always happens. In the study, Taguchi design method was introduced. By applying Taguchi design, one can significantly reduce the time required for experimental investigation, as it is effective in investigating the effects of multiple factors on performance as well as to study the influence of individual factors to determine which factor has more influence, which less. Experimental results, increases the processing time in the case of electrochemical polishing Stainless steel 316L plates were able to confirm that the improved surface quality. Start cutting after 120 s elapsed when rapidly improved surface quality showed that of the 120 s that exceeded in one area, the surface quality of the degree of improvement is slowing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare computed tomography (CT) findings in patients with pancreatic metastasis from renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) and patients with hypervascular pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (pNET) with a focus on the relative percentage washout (RPW).Methods: We evaluated 16 patients with 37 pRCCs and 28 patients with 31 hypervascular pNETs using a protocol consisting of arterial and portal phase CT. Imaging findings were analyzed for comparison between the two groups. The RPW of each tumour using biphasic CT was obtained by two observers for evaluation of diagnostic performance. Interobserver agreement of each value and optimal cut-off level of RPW for discrimination between groups were evaluated.Results: Tumour multiplicity showed significant difference in both groups. The mean RPW of the pRCC group (observer 1, 27.0%; observer 2, 29.4%) was significantly higher than that of the pNET group (observer 1, 0.5%; observer 2, 3.2%) (p<0.001 for each observer). Interobserver agreement for both attenuation values and RPWs was excellent. A RPW value of 19% was selected as the optimal cut-off for pRCC determination, and showed good performance (accuracy 83.8%, sensitivity 83.8%, and specificity 83.9%).Conclusion: With multiplicity, RPW of the tumour on CT could be helpful for differentiating pRCCs from hypervascular pNETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the early imaging findings and growth rate of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and to assess whether MR imaging detects early PDAC better than CT. Materials and methods The institutional review board approved this retrospective study and waived the requirement for informed consent. Twenty-two patients were included, and two radiologists, by consensus, assessed the presence of focal lesions, interruption of the main pancreatic duct (MPD), MPD dilatation, and pancreatitis, volume doubling time (VDT) of PDAC on prediagnostic MR imaging. Two other observers independently reviewed three image sets (CT images, unenhanced MR images, and unenhanced and contrast-enhanced MR images) for the detection of early PDAC. Paired Wilcoxon signed rank test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used for statistical analyses. Results In 20 (90.9%) patients, prediagnostic MR exams showed abnormality, and all of them showed focal lesions on the first abnormal prediagnostic MR exams. Thirteen lesions (65%) showed no MPD interruption and one lesion (5%) was accompanied by pancreatitis. The mean VDT of PDAC was 151.7 days (range, 18.3–417.8 days). Diagnostic performance of unenhanced MR images ( Az , 0.971–0.989) and combined unenhanced and contrast-enhanced MR images ( Az , 0.956–0.963) was significantly better than that of CT images ( Az , 0.565–0.583; p < 0.01) for both observers, Conclusion The most common early imaging finding of PDAC on prediagnostic MR exams was a focal lesion with no MPD interruption with a mean volume doubling time of five months. MR imaging was superior to CT for the detection of early PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the importance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in people with chronic liver disease. Topics discussed include the patients management, the liver cirrhosis diagnosis, and the treatment for liver cancer. Also mentioned are the health management, the hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, and the liver diseases management.

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of enhancement kinetics and ancillary imaging findings on gadoxetic acid-enhanced and diffusion-weighted (DW) MR imaging for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) without the typical enhancement pattern on contrast-enhanced multiphasic MDCT in patients with chronic liver disease. Materials and methods Eighty-two surgically confirmed HCCs without the typical enhancement pattern (hypervascular in the arterial phase, followed by washout on the portal or equilibrium phases) on triple-phase MDCT were enrolled in this study. The patients were classified into four categories based on the CT density pattern of arterial and equilibrium phases (isodense–isodense, hypodense–hypodense, isodense–hypodense, and hyperdense–isodense) compared to liver parenchyma. Signal intensity of HCCs on T2-weighted images (T2WI), arterial phase, 3 min late-phase, hepatobiliary phase (HBP) and DW images with a b value of 800 s/mm 2 were qualitatively evaluated, and ADC values were measured. Fisher's exact test and Chi-square test were used to compare the frequency and trend of hyperintensity on T2WI, hypointensity on HBP images, hyperintensity on DW images, and histopathologic grades between groups with different CT density patterns. Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare the ADC value between groups. Results Thirty and 52 HCCs were categorized as hypervascular (hyperdense–isodense) and non-hypervascular HCCs (3, isodense–isodense; 37, hypodense–hypodense; 12, isodense–hypodense), respectively. Most HCCs showed hyperintensity on T2WI (77/82, 93.9%) and DW images (81/82, 98.8%) and hypointensity on HBP images (80/82, 97.6%). Thirty-eight HCCs (38/82, 46.3%) showed typical HCC enhancement pattern on dynamic MR images. There were no significant differences in the frequency and trend of signal intensity on T2WI, HBP images, DW images, and histopathologic grades with regard to the four CT density patterns ( p < 0.05). No significant difference in mean ADC values between groups was identified ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Gadoxetic acid-enhanced and DW MR imaging can help diagnose HCCs with atypical enhancement patterns on multiphasic CT in patients with chronic liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of half-dose gadoxetic acid (0.0125 mmol/kg) for liver MRI at 3-T compared to standard-dose (0.025 mmol/kg) in patients at risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). Materials and methods Forty patients who underwent both half-dose and standard-dose gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRIs were included. Contrast enhancement index (CEI) was calculated for liver, aorta, pancreas and kidney. Two observers independently rated and performed a one-to-one direct comparison of enhancement quality for both groups. Results Liver CEIs were not significantly different on arterial phase between the two groups but CEIs of standard-dose MRIs were greater than half-dose MRIs on other phases ( P < 0.001). CEIs were not significantly different on arterial phase for the aorta or on any phases for the pancreas. Kidney CEIs of standard-dose MRIs were greater than half-dose MRIs on all phases ( P < 0.05). Enhancement quality of both groups was diagnostic and did not significantly differ for any organs. In one-to-one direct comparisons of enhancement quality, equal ratings were given in 87.5% (35/40) of cases by observer 1 and 85.0% (34/40) by observer 2. Conclusion Liver MRI using half-dose gadoxetic acid at 3-T can be a feasible alternative for standard-dose MRI in patients at risk for NSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apoptosis repressor with caspase-recruiting domain (ARC) is an apoptosis repressor that inhibits both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis signalling. Human ARC contains an N-terminal caspase-recruiting domain (CARD domain) and a C-terminal proline- and glutamic acid-rich (P/E-rich) domain. The CARD domain in ARC is the domain that is directly involved in inhibition of the extrinsic pathway. In this study, the N-terminal CARD domain of ARC was overexpressed, purified and crystallized. X-ray diffraction data were collected to a resolution of 2.1 Å and the crystals were found to belong to space group P61 or P65, with unit-cell parameters a = 98.28, b = 98.28, c = 51.86 Å, α = 90, β = 90, γ = 120°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the techniques in predicting benign pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). It is mentioned that the NETs have a wide variety of biological behavior, ranging from completely benign to highly aggressive tumors and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) that may be useful for differentiating benign pancreatic NETs from non-benign pancreatic NETs.

The article presents a study which evaluates the potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in differentiating ectopic pancreas from submucosal tumors in the upper gastrointestinal tract (UGI) tract. It is inferred that the gastric body was the most common location for submucosal tumors and the duodenum for ectopic pancreas. According to the study, MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a valuable tool for differentiating ectopic pancreas from submucosal tumors.

Abstract: Objective: The objective was to determine imaging features that distinguish small (≤3cm) solid pancreatic adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine tumor (NET) and solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) on gadoxetic-acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighed imaging (DWI). Materials and methods: Twenty-four adenocarcinomas, 10 NETs and 8 SPTs were retrospectively included. Two radiologists analyzed morphologic features, signal intensity of the tumors on MR images including DWI (b=800) and dynamic enhancement pattern with consensus. Tumor-to-parenchyma ratio and tumor apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were quantitatively assessed. Results: All adenocarcinomas had an ill-defined margin and irregular shape, and more frequently had pancreatic duct dilatation compared with other tumors (P<.05). All SPTs and all but one of the adenocarcinomas (95.8%) had no arterial enhancement with progressively increased enhancement, whereas seven NETs (70%) had arterial enhancement with progressively decreased enhancement (P<.01). The mean value of tumor-to-parenchyma ratio on arterial and portal phases was significantly higher for NETs, and the mean value of tumor ADCs was significantly lower for SPTs than for other tumors (P<.05). Conclusions: Gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MRI may aid in differentiation between small adenocarcinomas, NETs and SPTs based on morphologic features with dynamic enhancement pattern in adenocarcinomas, dynamic enhancement pattern with tumor-to-parenchyma ration on arterial and portal phases in NETs, and dynamic enhancement pattern with lower ADC value in SPTs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The human COL17A1 gene encodes type XVII collagen (also known as the 180-kDa bullous pemphigoid antigen), an integral component of hemidesmosomes, attachment complexes providing integrity to the dermal–epidermal junction. Zebrafish, a useful model system to study skin development, displays fully developed hemidesmosomes at approximately 5days post-fertilization (dpf). We have identified two COL17A1 orthologues in the zebrafish genome, col17a1a and col17a1b, which are expressed in the skin and the neural system, respectively. The proteins coded by these genes have structural module organizations homologous to the human type XVII collagen. “Knock-down” of the expression of col17a1a with a specific morpholino targeting the 5′ UTR of the gene resulted in a blistering phenotype and in perturbations in the basement membrane zone. “Knock-down” of col17a1b expression resulted in ablation or in marked reduction of neuromasts in the lateral line. Thus, zebrafish has two COL17A1 orthologues which may have evolved tissue-specific functions during vertebrate development. Collectively, zebrafish provides a model system to study the molecular aspects of skin development and offers insights into the corresponding human diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: To evaluate the triple-phase CT findings for the differentiation of fat-deficient angiomyolipoma from hepatocellular carcinoma in non-cirrhotic liver. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed contrast-enhanced triple-phase CT images of 10 patients with fat-deficient hepatic angiomyolipoma and 28 patients with 29 hepatocellular carcinomas in non-cirrhotic liver proved on histologic examination. The CT findings for the two types of tumors were compared using Fisher''s exact test. Results: Early draining vein depicted on arterial or portal phases was seen in eight (80%) angiomyolipomas and two hepatocellular carcinomas (7%) (p <0.001), in which the early draining vein was connected with tumoral vessels. The tumoral vessels in the angiomyolipoma were more prominent and ectatic, were distributed both centrally and peripherally, and were seen in smaller tumors than in the hepatocellular carcinoma. Tumor capsule enhancement was absent in all angiomyolipomas as compared with two (7%) hepatocellular carcinomas with no tumor capsule (p <0.001). The other CT findings were not significantly different for the two different types of tumors. Conclusions: The presence of early draining vein connecting with prominent tumoral vessels and absent tumor capsule were useful CT findings for the differentiation of fat-deficient angiomyolipoma from hepatocellular carcinoma in non-cirrhotic liver. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To assess useful CT features for differentiating benign from premalignant and malignant macrocystic pancreatic lesions. Methods: Seventy-four patients with pathologically proven macrocystic pancreatic lesions were enrolled: 17 benign cysts (macrocystic serous cystadenoma, n =12; congenital cyst; n =5) and 57 premalignant and malignant cysts (mucinous cystic neoplasm, n =28; intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of branch duct type, n =20; tumor with cystic change, n =9). Size, location, shape (lobulated, round or oval, or complex cystic with tubular cyst), wall thickness (thin, ≤1mm; thick, >1mm), internal surface (smooth or irregular), and other findings were analyzed with multiphasic CT with thin-section (2.5–3mm) images. CT features between two groups were compared using univariate and multivariate stepwise logistic regression analyses. Results: On univariate analysis, the differences for the shape (p =0.007), wall thickness (p =0.011), and internal surface (p =0.012) between benign and premalignant and malignant cysts were significant. A lobulated shape, a thin wall and a smooth internal surface were more frequent in benign cysts, whereas a round or oval shape or a complex cystic shape with tubular cyst, a thick wall and an irregular internal surface were more frequent in premalignant and malignant cysts. On multivariate analysis, the shape (p =0.002) and wall thickness (p =0.025) were significant CT features for differentiating benign from premalignant and malignant cysts. Conclusion: Shape and wall thickness are the main CT features for differentiating benign from premalignant and malignant macrocystic pancreatic lesions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To compare the CT and pathologic features and the long-term results of scirrhous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after a curative resection with those of usual HCC. Methods: Twenty-one patients with a scirrhous HCC and 296 patients with a usual HCC underwent contrast-enhanced triple-phase helical CT examinations before and after the curative resection. The CT and pathological features of scirrhous HCC, along with the cumulative survival and recurrence rates after the curative resection using a Kaplan–Meier method were compared with those of a usual HCC. Results: The common CT features of scirrhous HCC were an ill-defined tumor margin (76%), peripheral rim-like enhancement on arterial and portal phases (62%), presence of area of prolonged and delayed enhancement on equilibrium phase (95%), and hepatic surface retraction (59%) and the uncommon CT features were presence of washout area (19%) and tumor capsule enhancement (5%), which were significantly different from those of usual HCC (p <0.05). Pathologically, the tumor capsule formation (29%) and tumor necrosis or hemorrhage (10%) were significantly less than those (81% and 43%, respectively) in usual HCC (p <0.05), while portal or hepatic vein involvement (33%) was significantly more common than in usual HCC (9%) (p <0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the 5-year cumulative survival and recurrence rates between the two groups (p >0.05). Conclusion: Scirrhous HCC showed distinct CT and pathologic features from those of usual HCC. After the curative resection, the long-term results of scirrhous and usual HCCs were not significantly different. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Low-hysteresis properties for an organic thin-film transistor (OTFTs) and a high-gain inverter were fabricated using a self-synthesized UV-photo patternable gate dielectric. The hysteresis behavior was not observed in the transfer characteristics of OTFTs or in the voltage transfer characteristics of the organic inverter. For a given dielectric thickness and applied voltage, pentacene OTFTs with inverter circuits were characterized by the field effect mobility, the on/off current ratio, threshold voltage (Vth), and the gain. The field effect mobility, Vth and the on/off currents ratio were 0.03 cm2/Vs,−3.3 V and 106, respectively. The inverter has very large gain of 32 and matching input and output levels, despite having a positive switch-on voltage and slight hysteresis. From OTFT device and inverter circuit measurements, it was found that the hysteresis behavior was caused by the interface-state charge trapping between the gate dielectric and the pentacene semiconductor layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance of a variety of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences, in order to identify the most effective ferucarbotran-enhanced sequence for the detection of multiple small hepatic VX2 carcinomas in rabbits. Methods: Fifteen rabbits with experimentally induced 135 VX2 carcinomas in the liver underwent ferucarbotran-enhanced MRI using the following nine pulse sequences: a fat-suppressed fast spin-echo (FSE) sequence with two echo times (TE) (proton density- and T2-weighted images), four different T2*-weighted fast multiplanar GRASS (gradient-recalled acquisition in the steady state) (FMPGR) with the combination of three TEs (9, 12, 15ms, respectively) and two flip angles (20°, 80°, respectively), T2*-weighted fast multiplanar spoiled GRASS (FMPSPGR), T1-weighted FMPSPGR, and dynamic T1-weighted FMPSPGR. All images were reviewed by three radiologists with quantitative and qualitative analysis. Results: Tumor-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratio of the proton density-weighted FSE sequence was significantly higher than those of the others (p <0.05). The lesion conspicuities of proton density- and T2-weighted FSE and T2*-weighted FMPGR (TE/flip angle, 9/20° and 12/20°) images were better and the image artifacts of T2*-weighted FMPGR (TE/flip angle, 15/20° and 12/80°) and T2*-weighted FMPSPGR images were more prominent than those of the others (p <0.05). The lesion detection in T2- and proton density-weighted FSE and T2*-weighted FMPGR (TE/flip angle, 12/20°) images were superior to those of the others and for the detection of very small hepatic tumors of less than 5mm, the sensitivities of these sequences were less than 30%. Conclusion: Ferucarbotran-enhanced T2- and proton density-weighted FSE and T2*-weighed FMPGR (TE/flip angle, 12/20°) images were found to be the most effective pulse sequences for the detection of multiple small hepatic VX2 carcinomas but these sequences were limited in the detection of very small hepatic tumors of less than 5mm in size. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report on the influence of surface treatment using hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) on device performance of pentacene-based thin film transistor. The samples with surface treatment using HMDS show higher mobility, lower subthreshold slope, and lower off-current compared to the untreated samples. We have also investigated the effect of various coating methods of HMDS on device performance. In the case of post-baked samples after spin coating, the improvements of mobility and on-current are larger than those of spin-coated samples. Especially a dip-coated sample has threshold voltage of −4.11V and turn-on voltage of −0.03V, showing the enhancement mode characteristics, which is useful for the operation as a circuit and a switch device for active-matrix displays. However, the mobility of dip-coated sample is one order lower than that of spin-coated sample, and hysteresis is larger than that of spin-coated sample. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present a new method of driving an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) with an organic thin-film transistor (OTFT). The OTFT and the OLED were fabricated on separate substrates, namely on Si for the OTFT and on glass for the OLED and both devices were laminated with silver paste. After driving a 2mm×2mm OLED with an OTFT devices, we obtained 105cd/m2 from the green OLED with a drain current of 60μA, a drain voltage of −50V and a gate voltage of −40V. For the white OLED (WOLED), we obtained 260cd/m2 with a drain current of 108μA, a drain voltage of −60V and a gate voltage of −60V. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) were fabricated on polyethersulfone (PES) and silicon (Si) substrates with top-contact geometry. Several kinds of metals with different work functions were used for source and drain electrodes, and optimum fabrication conditions were found. Photo cross-linkable polymeric gate dielectrics and thermal silicone oxide (SiO2) were used for the plastic and Si OTFTs, respectively. From the electrical measurements, typical I–V characteristics of the thin-film transistor (TFT) were observed. The field-effect mobility, μ, was obtained to be 2.59cm2/(Vs) from the flexible OTFT with polymeric gate dielectrics. Moreover, a possible critical work function of 4.3eV for the electrode of pentacene OTFT with top-contact geometry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We have fabricated organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) using pentacene as an active layer with chemically modified SiO2 gate dielectrics. The effects of the surface treatment of SiO2 on the electric characteristics of OTFTs were investigated. The SiO2 gate dielectric surfaces were treated by normal wet-cleaning process, O2-plasma treatment, hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) treatment. After the surface treatments, the contact angle and surface free energy were measured in order to analyze the surface state changes. From the electrical measurements, typical I–V characteristics of TFTs were observed. The field effect mobility, μ, was calculated to be 0.29cm2 V−1 s−1 for OTS-treated sample, while those of the HMDS, O2-plasma treated, and wet-cleaned samples to be 0.16, 0.1, and 0.04cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, Organic thin film transistors (OTFT) was fabricated on polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrate employing Au as source, drain, and gate electrodes. Double-layer of organic dielectrics, thermal curable acrylate polymer (JSS-362) and inorganic dielectrics, aluminum oxide (Al2O3) was used as gate dielectrics. The polymeric layer on PEN substrate showed smoother surface than that of PEN substrate. Little surface damage of JSS-362 layer was achieved by using off-axis sputtering apparatus during the inorganic dielectrics fabrication. From the electrical measurements, typical I–V characteristics of the thin film transistor (TFT) device were observed. The field-effect mobility μ was calculated to be 1.4×10−2 cm2 V−1 s−1, while the threshold voltage VT was about −7 V. The on/off ratio was above 103 when VG was scanned from −50 to +30 V. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Organic thin-film field-effect transistors using organic semiconductor, perylene are fabricated, and electrical measurements are performed. The field-effect mobility of the device using perylene shows only p-type behavior while the electron and hole mobilities of its single crystal form are 5.5 and 0.5 cm2/V s, respectively. Stacked layers of perlyene (a layer fabricated with low deposition rate followed by another layer with high deposition rate) are formed for the active layer. Furthermore, hexadecafluorocopperphthalocyanine (F16CuPc) and pentacene buffer layers are also used to modify the interface. For all of these devices, perylene layers acts as p-type. Electron trapping at grain boundaries and interface is thought to be a crucial factor. Hole mobility of 3.9×10−4 cm2/V s is obtained for the perylene film field-effect transistor device. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The authors report the effects of hydroxyl groups (OH bonds) on the electrical reliabilities of pentacene organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) with poly-4-vinylphenol (PVP) gate dielectrics. PVP gate dielectric films mixed with different concentrations of methylated poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) (MMF) were fabricated, and experiments on the hysteresis behavior of the OTFT device were conducted. Pentacene TFTs with the PVP (MMF 0 wt. %) exhibited a large hysteresis, while in the PVP (MMF 125 wt. %), nearly no hysteresis was observed. Large hysteresis observed in OTFT devices was confirmed to be strongly related to the hydroxyl groups existing inside of the polymeric dielectrics and could reduced by the decrease of OH group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the performance of the 3D human shape reconstruction method has improved considerably in recent years, most methods focus on a single person, reconstruct a root-relative 3D shape, and rely on ground-truth information about the absolute depth to convert the reconstruction result to the camera coordinate system. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end learning-based model for single-shot, 3D, multi-person shape reconstruction in the camera coordinate system from a single RGB image. Our network produces output tensors divided into grid cells to reconstruct the 3D shapes of multiple persons in a single-shot manner, where each grid cell contains information about the subject. Moreover, our network predicts the absolute position of the root joint while reconstructing the root-relative 3D shape, which enables reconstructing the 3D shapes of multiple persons in the camera coordinate system. The proposed network can be learned in an end-to-end manner and process images at about 37 fps to perform the 3D multi-person shape reconstruction task in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic thin-film transistors using the pentacene as an active electronic material have shown the mobility of 0.8 cm²/V s and the grains larger than 1 µm. To study the characteristics of electronic charge concentrations and the interface traps of the pentacene thin films, the capacitance properties were measured in the metal/insulator/organic semiconductor structure device by employing the capacitance-voltage and deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements. Based on the DLTS measurements, the concentrations and the energy levels of hole and electron traps in the obtained pentacene films were formed to be approximately 4.2 x 10[sup 15] cm[sup -3] at E[sub v]+0.24 eV, 9.6 x 10[sup 14] cm[sup -3] at E[sub v] + 1.08 eV, 6.5 x 10[sup 15] cm[sup -3] at E[sub v]+0.31 eV and 2.6x 10[sup 14] cm[sup -3] at E[sub c] - 0.69 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We identified CT features for predicting gallbladder (GB) cancer in cases with localized GB wall thickening. • High-risk CT features included morphology, wall thickness > 6.5 mm, hyperenhancement on arterial phase, and absence of intramural cystic lesions. • CT features can assist in deciding further management for cases with localized GB wall thickening. To identify high-risk computed tomography (CT) features for predicting gallbladder (GB) cancer in patients presenting with localized GB wall thickening. This retrospective analysis included 120 patients (mean age: 63.9 ± 10.0 years; 51 men) exhibiting localized GB wall thickening on CT scans obtained between January 2008 and May 2017. Two radiologists independently evaluated CT imaging features for predicting GB cancer. The diagnostic performance of significant imaging features and their combinations was evaluated. High-risk CT features ranked by accuracy were delineated for predicting GB cancer. This study included 55 patients with GB cancer and 65 with benign GB conditions. The top-four most accurate CT imaging features for predicting GB cancer were identified: heterogeneously enhancing single layer or strongly enhancing thick inner layer; GB wall thickness > 6.5 mm; hyperenhancement on arterial phase; and absence of intramural small cystic lesions (accuracies of 90.0 %, 88.3 %, 85.0 %, and 85.0 %, respectively). The combination of any three high-risk features exhibited the highest accuracy (94.2 %). The presence of any high-risk feature yielded a sensitivity of 100 %, whereas that of all high-risk features indicated a specificity of 100 %. CT imaging features, whether alone or in combination, could effectively and accurately predict GB cancer among patients with localized GB wall thickening. This finding holds significance in guiding decisions regarding further diagnostic tests and treatment planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound (US) is recommended for HCC surveillance in high-risk patients but has limited performance in detecting early-stage HCC. We aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of biannual US and annual non-contrast abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (NC-AMRI) as HCC surveillance modalities in high-risk patients. This prospective, multicenter cohort study enrolled participants with an estimated annual risk of HCC greater than 5% between October 2015 and April 2017. Participants underwent six rounds of HCC surveillance at 6-month intervals, with both US and NC-AMRI at rounds 1, 3, and 5, and only US at rounds 2, 4, and 6. The sensitivity, diagnostic yield (DY), and false referral rate (FRR) for HCC detection by US and NC-AMRI were compared. In total, 208 participants underwent 980 US and 516 NC-AMRI examinations during 30 months of follow-up. Among them, 34 HCCs were diagnosed in 31 participants, with 20 (64.5%) classified as very early-stage and 11 (35.5%) as early-stage HCC. The sensitivity of annual NC-AMRI (71.0%, 22/31) was marginally higher than that of biannual US (45.2%, 14/31; p = 0.077). NC-AMRI showed a significantly higher DY than US (4.26% vs. 1.43%, p <0.001), with a similar FRR (2.91% vs. 3.06%, p = 0.885). A simulation of alternating US and NC-AMRI at 6-month intervals yielded a sensitivity of 83.9% (26/31), significantly exceeding that of biannual US (p = 0.006). Annual NC-AMRI showed a marginally higher sensitivity than biannual US for HCC detection in high-risk patients. The DY of annual NC-AMRI was significantly higher than that of biannual US, without increasing the FRR. Thus, alternating US and NC-AMRI at 6-month intervals could be an optimal surveillance strategy for high-risk patients. Current guidelines permit the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a surveillance tool for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients in whom ultrasonography (US) is inadequate. However, the specific indications, imaging sequences, and intervals for MRI surveillance remain unclear. In our study, we found that annual non-contrast abbreviated MRI exhibited marginally higher sensitivity and significantly better diagnostic yield than biannual US in patients at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Alternating US and non-contrast abbreviated MRI at 6-month intervals led to significantly improved sensitivity compared to biannual US, making it a potentially optimal surveillance strategy for high-risk patients. NCT02551250 [Display omitted] • Biannual US showed suboptimal performance for early-stage HCC detection. • Annual NC-AMRI had significantly higher diagnostic yield than biannual US, without increasing the false referral rate. • Alternating biannual US and NC-AMRI had significantly higher sensitivity than biannual US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical properties, resistive switching behavior, and long-term potentiation/depression (LTP/LTD) in a single indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) and bi-layer IGZO/ZnO (ZnO: zinc oxide) memristors were investigated for synapse application. The use of the oxide bi-layer memristors, in particular, improved electrical properties such as stability, memristor reliability, and an increase in synaptic weight states. The set voltage of bi-layer IGZO/ZnO memristors was 0.9 V, and the reset voltage was around − 0.7 V, resulting in a low-operating voltage for neuromorphic systems. The oxygen vacancies in the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis played a role in the modulation of the high-resistance state (HRS) (oxygen-deficient) and the low-resistance state (oxygen-rich) region. The VRESET of the bi-layer IGZO/ZnO memristors was lower than that of a single IGZO, which implied that oxygen-vacancy filaments could be easily ruptured due to the higher oxygen vacancy peak HRS layer. The nonlinearity of the LTP and LTD characteristics in a bi-layer IGZO/ZnO memristor was 6.77% and 11.49%, respectively, compared to those of 20.03% and 51.1% in a single IGZO memristor, respectively. Therefore, the extra ZnO layer in the bi-layer memristor with IGZO was potentially significant and essential to achieve a small set voltage and a reset voltage, and the switching behavior to form the conductive path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postnatal growth restriction (PGR) can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) potentially due to impairments in oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) within cardiomyocyte mitochondria. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if PGR impairs cardiac metabolism, specifically OxPhos. FVB (Friend Virus B‐type) mice were fed a normal‐protein (NP: 20% protein), or low‐protein (LP: 8% protein) isocaloric diet 2 weeks before mating. LP dams produce ∼20% less milk, and pups nursed by LP dams experience reduced growth into adulthood as compared to pups nursed by NP dams. At birth (PN1), pups born to dams fed the NP diet were transferred to LP dams (PGR group) or a different NP dam (control group: CON). At weaning (PN21), all mice were fed the NP diet. At PN22 and PN80, mitochondria were isolated for respirometry (oxygen consumption rate, JO2${J_{{{\mathrm{O}}_{\mathrm{2}}}}}$) and fluorimetry (reactive oxygen species emission, JH2O2${J_{{{\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{2}}}{{\mathrm{O}}_{\mathrm{2}}}}}$) analysis measured as baseline respiration (LEAK) and with saturating ADP (OxPhos). Western blotting at PN22 and PN80 determined protein abundance of uncoupling protein 3, peroxiredoxin‐6, voltage‐dependent anion channel and adenine nucleotide translocator 1 to provide further insight into mitochondrial function. ANOVAs with the main effects of diet, sex and age with α‐level of 0.05 was set a priori. Overall, PGR (7.8 ± 1.1) had significant (P = 0.01) reductions in respiratory control in complex I when compared to CON (8.9 ± 1.0). In general, our results show that PGR led to higher electron leakage in the form of free radical production and reactive oxygen species emission. No significant diet effects were found in protein abundance. The observed reduced respiratory control and increased ROS emission in PGR mice may increase risk for CVD in mice. What is the central question of this study?Postnatal growth restriction (PGR) in early life is associated with cardiovascular disease: what are the mechanisms with regard to oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos)?What is the main finding and its importance?PGR during development reduces cardiac metabolism through impairments in OxPhos. Our results show the PGR heart has higher electron leakage in the form of free radical production and reactive oxygen species emission. These findings are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Simply put, a brief period of growth restriction in early life has long‐lasting effects on cardiac metabolism in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of the change pattern of a user’s physiological signals collected over a long time and user health information prediction technology based on personal history data can provide the user with accurate health information. In this study, we analyzed the change pattern of health information that was altered by performing personal training (PT) at the beginning of the study and subsequently quitting exercise and only performing activities of daily living (ADL). The subject performed PT for 75 days, and then consistently performed relatively simple ADL, such as standing, sitting, and walking, for 325 days that followed. After 400 days, the health information was analyzed through the change patterns of various physiological signals. Personal exercise information and heart rate data were collected through a smart watch (Apple watch Nike+, Apple Inc.) and the obesity parameters (i.e. information on the weight, body fat fate, and body muscle rate) were measured using a smart scale (PICOOC S1 Pro, EasySolar). We found that the weight and body fat rate linearly decreased and the body muscle rate increased for the first 75 days when hard training was performed whereas they repeatedly increased or decreased when only ADL were performed. As the daily exercise distance increased, weight and body fat rate tended to decrease while body muscle rate tended to increase. There was no significant change in the weight, body fat rate, and body muscle rate while daily activities were performed, but continuous exercise is expected to improve cardiac function by increasing the cardiac output of the heart. We expected that the simple physiological data measured with smart watches and smart scales can be used for the health management of the elderly living in rural areas in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knee joints play an indispensable role in the activities of daily living. In particular, the knee joints of the elderly and the physically challenged require continuous care in order to ensure a healthy daily life. This study proposes a health monitoring system for knee joints, which is able to classify lower extremity movements using the angle and acceleration components of these joints. The proposed monitoring system consists of a wearable frame placed on the knee joint, consisting of a sensor part for monitoring the knee joint angle and acceleration and a wireless communication part for transferring bio signals to a smart device. Knee joint angles and accelerations are measured using potentiometers installed at the hinges of the upper and lower parts of the wearable frame and an inertial sensor (IMU) attached to the thigh. Data thus measured are transferred via Bluetooth to an application on a smart device. The proposed system incorporates a classification algorithm for lower extremity movements, which can distinguish users' actions such as sitting, lying, and standing by using real-time measurements of knee joint angles and accelerations. This study shows that the proposed monitoring system detects postures that negatively affect knee joints and informs a user when these postures are adopted, thereby helping to maintain healthy knee joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hepato-pancreato-biliary diseases require precise preoperative treatment planning. • Subspecialized radiologists' review improves the accuracy of surgical planning. • Major change to the treatment plan occurred in 10.1 % of conference cases. • Information on local tumor extent and distant metastasis influenced major changes. To identify the role of subspecialized radiologists in preoperative conferences of radiologists and surgeons in the management of hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) diseases. We retrospectively evaluated the prospective data of 247 patients (mean age, 63.8 years; 173 men) who were referred for preoperative conferences (n = 258; 11 were discussed twice) for HPB disease between September 2021 and April 2022. Before each preoperative conference, subspecialized radiologists reviewed all available imaging studies and treatment plan information. After each conference, any change to the treatment plan was documented (major, minor, or none). Additional information provided by the radiologists was collected (significant, supplementary, or none). Uni- and multivariable analyses were performed to determine factors that resulted in a major change to the treatment plan. Of the 258 reviewed cases, a major change was made to the treatment plan in 26 cases (10.1 %) and a minor change in 41 (15.9 %). Significant information was provided in 27 cases (10.5 %) and supplementary information in 72 (27.9 %). In the multivariable analysis, additional information about local tumor extent (odds ratio [OR], 6.3; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 2.1–19.5; p = 0.001) and distant metastasis detection (OR, 33.2; 95 % CI, 5.1–216.6; p < 0.001) was significantly associated with a major change. The involvement of subspecialized radiologists in preoperative conferences resulted in major treatment plan changes in 10.1 % of the cases, primarily associated with the added information about local tumor extent and distant metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Three-dimensional (3D) printing has been increasingly used to create accurate patient-specific 3D-printed models from medical imaging data. We aimed to evaluate the utility of 3D-printed models in the localization and understanding of pancreatic cancer for surgeons before pancreatic surgery. Methods: Between March and September 2021, we prospectively enrolled 10 patients with suspected pancreatic cancer who were scheduled for surgery. We created an individualized 3D-printed model from preoperative CT images. Six surgeons (three staff and three residents) evaluated the CT images before and after the presentation of the 3D-printed model using a 7-item questionnaire (understanding of anatomy and pancreatic cancer [Q1–4], preoperative planning [Q5], and education for trainees or patients [Q6–7]) on a 5-point scale. Survey scores on Q1–5 before and after the presentation of the 3D-printed model were compared. Q6–7 assessed the 3D-printed model's effects on education compared to CT. Subgroup analysis was performed between staff and residents. Results: After the 3D-printed model presentation, survey scores improved in all five questions (before 3.90 vs. after 4.56, p < 0.001), with a mean improvement of 0.57‒0.93. Staff and resident scores improved after a 3D-printed model presentation (p < 0.05), except for Q4 in the resident group. The mean difference was higher among the staff than among the residents (staff: 0.50‒0.97 vs. residents: 0.27‒0.90). The scores of the 3D-printed model for education were high (trainees: 4.47 vs. patients: 4.60) compared to CT. Conclusion: The 3D-printed model of pancreatic cancer improved surgeons' understanding of individual patients' pancreatic cancer and surgical planning. Clinical relevance statement: The 3D-printed model of pancreatic cancer can be created using a preoperative CT image, which not only assists surgeons in surgical planning but also serves as a valuable educational resource for patients and students. Key Points: • A personalized 3D-printed pancreatic cancer model provides more intuitive information than CT, allowing surgeons to better visualize the tumor's location and relationship to neighboring organs. • In particular, the survey score was higher among staff who performed the surgery than among residents. • Individual patient pancreatic cancer models have the potential to be used for personalized patient education as well as resident education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]