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We investigate quantum advantages in loss sensing when the two-mode squeezed vacuum state is used as a probe. Following an experimental demonstration in PRX 4, 011049, we consider a quantum scheme in which the signal mode is passed through the target and a thermal noise is introduced to the idler mode before they are measured. We consider two detection strategies of practical relevance: coincidence-counting and intensity-difference measurement, which are widely used in quantum sensing and imaging experiments. By computing the signal-to-noise ratio, we verify that quantum advantages persist even under strong thermal background noise, in comparison with the classical scheme which uses a single-mode coherent state that directly suffers from the thermal noise. Such robustness comes from the fact that the signal mode suffers from the thermal noise in the classical scheme, while in the quantum scheme, the idler mode does. For a fairer comparison, we further investigate a different setup in which the thermal noise is introduced to the signal mode in the quantum schemes. In this new setup, we show that the quantum advantages are significantly reduced. Remarkably, however, under an optimum measurement scheme associated with the quantum Fisher information, we show that the two-mode squeezed vacuum state does exhibit a quantum advantage over the entire range of the environmental noise and loss. We expect this work to serve as a guide for experimental demonstrations of quantum advantages in loss parameter sensing, which is subject to lossy and noisy environment.

The seeds of Cassia tora (C. tora) species mainly contain anthraquinone, anthraquinone glycoside, and naphthalene derivatives. We investigated the anti-apoptotic effects of C.tora seed extract and its isolated compounds on blue-light-induced lipofuscin (A2E)-loaded human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. For analysis of the C. tora extract, high-performance liquid chromatography method was used. A2E-loaded human retinal pigment epithelial cells and blue light were used to create excessive photo-oxidation to induce cell death. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay was used to measure cell cytotoxicity, and the mRNA expression of genes involved in apoptosis was examined to evaluate the mechanism of cell death. C.tora extract, n-hexane fraction, and chrysophanol were found to inhibit apoptotic cell death. Additionally, C.tora extract, n-hexane fraction, and chrysophanol reduced the mRNA expression of genes involved in the apoptosis pathway. C.tora and chrysophanol were considered to inhibit apoptosis and oxidative stress response. The major component of C. tora has a protective effect against apoptosis. The ingredients of C. tora can be used as therapeutic substances or to prevent diseases caused by the excessive oxidation of A2E substances in the retina, such as in age-related macular degeneration.

We experienced an extremely rare case of proximal epithelioid sarcoma (PES) of the vulva in a 77-year-old woman. After history taking and physical examination, the patient was tentatively diagnosed as having Bartholin’s cyst in the right labium. Based on histopathological and immunohistochemical (IHC) findings, however, a final diagnosis of PES of the vulva was made. After receiving CyberKnife treatment, the patient survived but with recurrent episodes and poor prognosis. In conclusion, our case indicates that patients with PES of the vulva should be appropriately managed with radiotherapy after a differential diagnosis based on histopathological and IHC findings.

Background and Objectives: acute kidney injury (AKI), formerly called acute renal failure (ARF), is commonly defined as an abrupt decline in renal function, clinically manifesting as a reversible acute increase in nitrogen waste products—measured by blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine levels—over the course of hours to weeks. AKI occurs in about 20% of all hospitalized patients and is more common in the elderly. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the occurrence of AKI, and to detect and treat early, since it is known that a prolonged period of kidney injury increases cardiovascular complications and the risk of death. Despite advances in modern medicine, there are no consistent treatment strategies for preventing the progression to chronic kidney disease. Through many studies, the safety and efficacy of natural products have been proven, and based on this, the time and cost required for new drug development can be reduced. In addition, research results on natural products are highly anticipated in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. In relation to AKI, many papers have reported that many natural products can prevent and treat AKI. Conclusions: in this paper, the results of studies on natural products related to AKI were found and summarized, and the mechanism by which the efficacy of AKI was demonstrated was reviewed. Many natural products show that AKI can be prevented and treated, suggesting that these natural products can help to develop new drugs. In addition, we may be helpful to elucidate additional mechanisms and meta-analysis in future natural product studies.

Chalcone isomerase (CHI) is a key enzyme in flavonoid biosynthesis. In plants, CHIs occur in multigene families, and they are divided into four types, types I–IV. Type I and II CHIs are bona fide CHIs with CHI activity, and type III and IV CHIs are non-catalytic members with different functions. Rice contains seven CHI family genes (OsCHIs). Molecular analysis suggested that OsCHI3 is a type I CHI, and the other OsCHIs were classified into types III and IV. To elucidate their biochemical functions, OsCHI1, OsCHI3, OsCHI6, and OsCHI7 were expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant OsCHI proteins were purified. An activity assay of recombinant OsCHIs showed that OsCHI3 catalyzed the isomerization of naringenin chalcone and isoliquiritigenin, whereas the other recombinant OsCHIs had no CHI activity. OsCHI3 also exhibited a strong preference to naringenin chalcone compared to isoliquiritigenin, which agrees well with the catalytic properties of type I CHIs. These results ascertain OsCHI3 to be a bona fide CHI in rice. OsCHI3 and the other OsCHIs were expressed constitutively throughout the rice growth period and different tissues. OsCHI3 expression was induced immediately in response to ultra-violet (UV) stress, suggesting its involvement in the biosynthesis of sakuranetin, a flavonoid phytoalexin in rice.

Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is a widely used surfactant that aids the aqueous synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles. However, the presence of residual CTAB on nanoparticle surfaces can significantly impact nanoparticle applications, such as catalysis and sensing, under hydrated conditions. As such, consideration of the presence and quantity of CTAB on nanoparticle surfaces under hydrated conditions is of significance. Herein, as part of an integrated material characterization framework, we demonstrate the feasibility of in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) to detect CTAB on the surface of Au nanocubes (Au NCs) under hydrated conditions, which enabled superior characterization compared to conventional spectroscopic methods. In situ force-distance (FD) spectroscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurements support additional characterization of adsorbed CTAB, while correlative in situ AFM and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements were used to evaluate sequential steps of CTAB removal from Au NCs across hydrated and dehydrated environments, respectively. Notably, a substantial quantity of CTAB remained on the Au NC surface after methanol washing, which was detected in AFM measurements but was not detected in infrared spectroscopy measurements. Subsequent electrochemical cleaning was found to be critically important to remove CTAB from the Au NC surface. Correlative measurements were also performed on individual nanoparticles, which further validate the method described here as a powerful tool to determine the extent and degree of CTAB removal from nanoparticle surfaces. This AFM-based method is broadly applicable to characterize the presence and removal of ligands from nanomaterial surfaces under hydrated conditions.

Objective Renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is characterized by the acute deterioration of renal function during ischemia and renal inflammation. Cassia tora has various effects, including antioxidant, antidiabetic, and hypolipidemic properties. In the present study, we investigated whether C tora has a renoprotective effect on I/R-induced acute kidney injury in rats. Methods We fed Sprague-Dawley rats either C tora (100 mg/kg/d) or saline. One week later, ischemia was induced by bilateral renal pedicle occlusion for 30 minutes, followed by reperfusion. Rats were randomized into 3 major groups, which were treated as follows: 1. the sham operation group; 2. the I/R group; and 3. the I/R-C tora group. Results Compared to the sham group, the I/R group had higher levels of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine in serum and lower expression of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, antioxidant, and nitric oxide. Compared to the I/R group, the I/R-C tora group had higher expression of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, antioxidant, and nitric oxide, as well as lower levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine in serum. Conclusions These results suggest that C tora has significant therapeutic effects in ischemic renal injury.

Background We previously reported that percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) can be safely performed 2 cm below the cricothyroid membrane without the aid of a bronchoscope. Although our simplified method is convenient and does not require sophisticated equipment, the precise location for tracheostomy cannot be confirmed. Because it is recommended that tracheostomy be performed at the second tracheal ring, we assessed whether patient characteristics could predict the distance between the cricothyroid membrane and the second tracheal ring. Methods Data from 490 patients who underwent three-dimensional neck computed tomography from January 2012 to December 2015 were analyzed, and the linear distance from the upper part of the cricoid cartilage (CC) to the lower part of the second tracheal ring (2TR) was measured in the sagittal plane. Results The mean CC-to-2TR distance was 25.26 mm (95% CI 25.02–25.48 mm). Linear regression analysis showed that the predicted CC-to-2TR distance could be calculated as −5.73 + 0.2 × height (cm) + 1.22 × sex (male: 1, female: 0) + 0.01 × age (yr) −0.03 × weight (kg) (adj. R2 = 0.55). Conclusions These results suggest that height and sex should be considered when performing PDT without bronchoscope guidance.

Background Sex plays an important yet often underexplored role in neurodevelopment and neurotoxicity. While several studies report the importance of sex regarding anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity in neonatal mice, only few have focused on the late postnatal period. Here, to further understand the importance of sex regarding the neurobiological changes after early anesthesia during the critical synaptogenic period, we exposed postnatal day 16, 17 (PND 16, 17) mice to sevoflurane in pediatric patients and performed detailed evaluations in the hippocampus. Methods PND 16, 17 mice received a single exposure of oxygen with or without sevoflurane (2.5%) for 2 h. Changes of the hippocampus were analyzed in male and female mice 6 h after exposure: excitatory/inhibitory synaptic transmission, protein/mRNA expression levels of excitatory/inhibitory synaptic molecules (GluR1, GluR2, PSD95, gephyrin, GAD65), and number of excitatory synapses. Results Sevoflurane exposure increased the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents specifically in male mice (control: 0.07 ± 0.04 [Hz]; sevoflurane: 14.72 ± 0.08 [Hz]), while miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents were affected specifically in female mice. The protein/mRNA expression levels of excitatory synaptic molecules were also increased specifically in male mice. Unexpectedly, protein/mRNA expression levels of inhibitory synaptic molecules were increased in both sexes, and there was no male-specific increase of excitatory synapse number. Conclusions Exposure of mice to sevoflurane during the critical, late postnatal period induces sex-dependent changes in the hippocampus. Although often disregarded, our results confirm the importance of sex as a biological variable when studying the changes triggered by early anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE To investigate if a self-obtained vaginal sample (SOVAS) contains sufficient DNA for a human papillomavirus (HPV) test and if the results are comparable to those obtained via cervical samples (CS) collected by a physician. METHODS One hundred and fifty-one women who had abnormal cervical smears or who were HPV-positive were enrolled. Self-sampling was done after reading instructions and watching a 2-min-long video, whereas CS was obtained with a cervical cytobrush during a gynecologic examination. RESULTS A multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction-based assay detected the prevalence of any type of HPV to be 67.5% in the SOVAS and 57.4% in the CS, and that of high-risk (HR-) HPV to be 58.7% in the SOVAS and 48.6% in the CS. The sensitivity of detection of HR-HPV in the SOVAS was 100% (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.09 to 0.32) for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 78% (95% CI -0.09 to 0.13) for atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance or worse, and 95% (95% CI -0.01 to 0.25) for low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion or worse, which was statistically within the non-inferiority margin compared with that of CS. CONCLUSION Our study shows that the collection of a SOVAS is feasible and it is comparable to a CS for HPV DNA testing. Future studies are required to investigate the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of a mail-delivered SOVAS for cervical cancer screening.

While recent studies strongly suggest that a single, short anesthetic exposure does not affect neurodevelopment, the effects of multiple exposures remain unclear. Unfortunately, studying "multiple exposures" is challenging as it is an extremely heterogeneous descriptor comprising diverse factors. One potentially important, but unrecognized factor is the interval between anesthetic exposures. In order to evaluate the significance of interval, we exposed post-natal day 16, 17 mice to three sevoflurane exposures (2.5%, 1 hr) with short (2 hr) or long (24 hr) intervals. Changes in synaptic transmission, plasticity, protein expression, and behavior were assessed in male and female mice. We discovered that short-interval exposures induced a female-dependent decrease in miniature inhibitory post-synaptic current (mIPSC) frequency 5 days after the last exposure (control: 18.44 ± 2.86 Hz, sevoflurane:14.65 ± 4.54 Hz). Short-interval sevoflurane exposed mice also displayed long-term behavioral deficits at adult age (hypoactivity, anxiety). These behavioral changes were consistent with the sex-dependent changes in inhibitory transmission, as they were more robust in female mice. Although there was no change in learning and memory, short-interval sevoflurane exposures also impaired LTP in a non-sex-dependent manner (control: 171.10 ± 26.90%, sevoflurane: 149.80 ± 26.48 %). Most importantly, we were unable to find long-lasting consequences in mice that received long-interval sevoflurane exposures. Our study provides novel insights regarding the significance of the interval between multiple exposures, and also suggests that the neurotoxic effects of multiple anesthetic exposures may be reduced by simply increasing the interval between each exposure.

This paper investigates the effects of a creating shared value (CSV) orientation as well as market and entrepreneurial orientation on small business performance. Small and medium-sized enterprises ...

Aim To evaluate the effectiveness of adjuvant treatment for morcellated, uterus-confined leiomyosarcoma in a multicenter setting. Methods We identified patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma primarily treated with surgery between 2003 and 2016. Among them, patients who underwent one of the following morcellation methods were included: (i) power morcellation; (ii) intracorporeal morcellation using scalpels or electrocautery; and (iii) vaginal morcellation. Patients' survival outcomes were compared according to the implementation of adjuvant treatment. Results From 13 institutions, 55 patients were included; 31 for adjuvant treatment group and 24 for surgery only group. The clinicopathological characteristics including the mass size, morcellation methods, extent of surgery, and mitotic count were similar between the groups. In the adjuvant treatment group, 67.7%, 19.4% and 12.9% of patients received chemotherapy, chemoradiation and radiation, respectively. After a median follow-up of 50.5 months, the adjuvant treatment and surgery only groups showed similar overall survival (5-year rate, 92.0% vs 90.4%; P = 0.959). No significant difference in progression-free survival was observed between the two groups (3-year rate, 46.1% vs 78.2%; P = 0.069). On multivariate analyses, adjuvant treatment did not affect progression-free survival (adjusted HR, 2.138; 95% CI, 0.550-8.305; P = 0.273). The adjuvant treatment group showed a trend towards more common distant metastasis, compared to the surgery only group (25.8% vs 4.2%; P = 0.062). The incidences of pelvic, retroperitoneal, and abdominal recurrences were not different between the groups. Conclusion Despite its frequent use in clinical practice, adjuvant treatment did not improve the survival outcomes of patients with morcellated, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Fleet telematics aims to comprehensively control equipment groups through location tracking, maintenance control, and productivity monitoring of individual equipment based on real-time location and status transmitted to fleet control center from the equipment. Logistics industry, automobile industry, as well as transportation (land, sea, and air) industry are actively applying fleet telematics in order to efficiently and safely operate multiple groups of equipment. Earthwork, a basic operation for any type of construction, depends heavily on equipment. The productivity and safety of earthwork equipment are decided by effective management of the equipment. Therefore, fleet telematics can also improve the earthwork operation as well. The goal of this research is to develop a GPS only-based fleet telematics system for heavy earthwork equipment which can analyze time log information of each equipment using GPS location data without utilizing any other on-board sensors and CAN bus data. The earthwork site (loading and dumping area) and moving route, hazardous areas of the project are all visualized on a map via geo-fencing technology considering the characteristics of earthwork operation. Lastly, algorithms to analyze the utilization time of earthwork equipment using GPS location information are designed and their reliability are verified through field tests.

Jung Seok Kim,1,* Min Woo Kim,1,* Seong Jae Kang,1,* Hwa Yeon Jeong,1 Sang Il Park,1 Yeon Kyung Lee,1 Hong Sung Kim,2 Keun Sik Kim,3 Yong Serk Park1 1Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea; 2Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Korea Nazarene University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea; 3Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Konyang University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Efficient target-specific siRNA delivery has always been a primary concern in the field of siRNA clinical application. Purpose: In this study, four different types of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody-conjugated immunonanoparticles were prepared and tested for cancer cell-targeted therapeutic siRNA delivery. Materials and methods: The prepared nanoparticles encapsulating siRNAs were characterized by gel retardation and particle analysis using a Zetasizer. In vitro transfection and reduction of target genes, vimentin and JAK3, were determined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In vivo tumor targeting and antitumoral efficacies of the nanoparticles were evaluated in mice carrying tumors. Results: Among these immunonanoparticles, anti-EGFR immunolipoplexes and immunoviroplexes exhibited remarkable cell binding and siRNA delivery to EGFR-expressing tumor cells compared to immunoliposomes and immunovirosomes. Especially, the anti-EGFR immunoviroplexes exhibited the most efficient siRNA transfection to target tumor cells. Therefore, antitumoral vimentin and Janus kinase-3 siRNAs were loaded in the anti-EGFR immunolipoplexes and immunoviroplexes, which were tested in mice carrying SK-OV-3 tumor xenografts. In fact, the therapeutic siRNAs were efficiently delivered to the tumor tissues by both delivery vehicles, resulting in significant inhibition of tumor growth. Moreover, administration of doxorubicin in combination with anti-EGFR immunoviroplexes resulted in remarkable and synergistic tumor growth inhibition. Conclusion: This study provides experimental proof that cancer cell-targeted immunoviroplexes are an efficient siRNA delivery system for cancer therapy. Moreover, this study also suggests that a combination of conventional chemotherapy and tumor-directed anticancer siRNA therapy would be a better modality for cancer treatment. Keywords: EGFR, siRNA delivery, anti-EGFR immunonanoparticles, anti-EGFR immunoviroplexes, combinatorial therapy

In this paper, we address the problem of synthesizing continuous variations with the appearance of makeup by taking a linear combination of the examples. Makeup usually shows a vague boundary and does not form a clear shape, which makes this problem unique from the existing image interpolation problems. We approach this problem as an interpolation between semi-transparent image layers and tackle this by presenting new parametrization schemes for the color and for the shape separately in order to achieve an effective interpolation. For the color parametrization, our main idea is based on the observation of the symmetric relation between the color and transparency of the makeup, we provide an optimization framework for extracting a representative palette of colors associated with the transparent values, which enables us to easily set up the color correspondence among the multiple makeup samples. For the shape parametrization, we exploit a polar coordinate system, that creates the in-between shapes effectively, without ghosting artifacts.

A fully automatic method for descreening halftone images is presented based on convolutional neural networks with end-to-end learning. Incorporating context level information, the proposed method not only removes halftone artifacts but also synthesizes the fine details lost during halftone. The method consists of two main stages. In the first stage, intrinsic features of the scene are extracted, the low-frequency reconstruction of the image is estimated, and halftone patterns are removed. For the intrinsic features, the edges and object-categories are estimated and fed to the next stage as strong visual and contextual cues. In the second stage, fine details are synthesized on top of the low-frequency output based on an adversarial generative model. In addition, the novel problem of rescreening is addressed, where a natural input image is halftoned so as to be similar to a separately given reference halftone image. To this end, a two-stage convolutional neural network is also presented. Both networks are trained with millions of before-and-after example image pairs of various halftone styles. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations are provided, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

본 연구에서는 대학교육의 특성상 지도자의 수업진행방법 및 역할에 영향을 많이 받는 교양체육 참여자의 역할기대가 스포츠몰입 및 운동지속의사의 관계를 규명함으로서 대학에서의 교양체육 수업이 평생스포츠로서 지속적으로 유지할 수 있는 방안을 규명하고자 한다. 교양체육 수강생에게 설문의 목적과 기입방법에 대해 간단히 설명한 후 비확률 표본 추출법 중 편의표본추출법(convenience sampling)을 사용하여 총 400부의 설문지를 배부하였다. 이중 372부가 회수되었고, 무응답하거나 불성실하게 응답했다고 판단되는 6부의 설문지를 제외한 366부의 설문자료가 실제 조사에 사용되었다. 본 연구에서는 SPSS Wndow 19.0프로그램을 사용하여 빈도분석, 신뢰도 분석, 탐색적 요인분석, 상관관계분석, 다중회귀분석을 실시하였다. 연구결과 첫째, 역할기대의 하위요인인 수업진행실습, 지도중점자세, 지도중점실전, 피드백교정은 인지몰입 및 행위몰입에 유의한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 역할기대의 하위요인인 지도방법설명, 지도방법시범, 수업진행실습, 지도중점자세, 지도중점실전은 운동지속의사에 유의한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 스포츠몰입의 하위요인인 인지몰입, 행위몰입은 운동지속의사에 유의한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다.

SummaryBackground The second trimester is a period of neurogenesis and neuronal migration, which can be affected by exposure to anesthetics. Studies also suggest that multiple exposures may have a greater impact on neurodevelopment. Aim We investigated whether in utero single or multiple exposures to anesthetics caused long-term behavior changes. Methods Pregnant mice were randomly divided into four groups on gestational day 14 (GD 14). Mice in the Control × 1 group were exposed to 100% oxygen for 150 min. Mice in the Sevo × 1 group were also exposed to 100% oxygen for 150 min, except that 2.5% sevoflurane was added during the first 120 min. Mice in the Control × 3 and Sevo × 3 group were identically treated as Control × 1 and Sevo × 1 group for three consecutive days, respectively (GD 14–16). Behavioral tests were performed only with the male offspring at the age of 2–4 months. Synaptic plasticity was also compared by inducing long-term potentiation in acute hippocampal slices. Results Single or multiple sevoflurane exposures in pregnant mice during the second trimester did not cause long-lasting behavioral consequences or changes in long-term synaptic plasticity of their offspring. Conclusion Our study suggests that neither single nor multiple exposures of mice to sevoflurane during the fetal developmental period induces long-term behavioral dysfunctions or affects long-term synaptic plasticity. Additional studies focusing on early stages of neurodevelopment are necessary to confirm the effects of sevoflurane exposure during pregnancy.

Objectives The purpose of the study was to investigate the protective effect of the Curcuma longa L. extract (CLE) and its curcuminoids against blue light-induced cytotoxicity in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells laded with A2E. A2E has been concerned in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods To perform this study, A2E-accumulated ARPE-19 cells were exposed to blue light to induce cytotoxicity. The cytotoxicity and apoptotic gene expression levels were evaluated using a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay and real-time PCR analysis, respectively. Key findings Curcuma longa L. extract was found to exert a protective effect in a dose-dependent manner. At a concentration of 15 μm, curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin exerted significant protective effects against blue light-induced cytotoxicity. Treatment with CLE and curcuminoids meaningfully reduced the mRNA levels of c-Abl and p53, which was known to be augmented in apoptotic RPE cells. Demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin were found to inhibit p38 expression, which is increased in blue light-irradiated A2E-accumulated RPE cells. Conclusions Curcuma longa L. extract and its curcuminoids provided significant protection against photooxidative damage and apoptosis in the RPE cells. Our results suggest that curcuminoids may show potential in the treatment of AMD.

Blue light has high photochemical energy and induces cell apoptosis in retinal pigment epithelial cells. Due to its phototoxicity, retinal hazard by blue light stimulation has been well demonstrated using high intensity light sources. However, it has not been studied whether blue light in the displays, emitting low intensity light, such as those used in today's smartphones, monitors, and TVs, also causes apoptosis in retinal pigment epithelial cells. We attempted to examine the blue light effect on human adult retinal epithelial cells using display devices with different blue light wavelength ranges, the peaks of which specifically appear at 449 nm, 458 nm, and 470 nm. When blue light was illuminated on A2E-loaded ARPE-19 cells using these displays, the display with a blue light peak at a shorter wavelength resulted in an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, the reduction of cell viability and induction of caspase-3/7 activity were more evident in A2E-loaded ARPE-19 cells after illumination by the display with a blue light peak at a shorter wavelength, especially at 449 nm. Additionally, white light was tested to examine the effect of blue light in a mixed color illumination with red and green lights. Consistent with the results obtained using only blue light, white light illuminated by display devices with a blue light peak at a shorter wavelength also triggered increased cell death and apoptosis compared to that illuminated by display devices with a blue light peak at longer wavelength. These results show that even at the low intensity utilized in the display devices, blue light can induce ROS production and apoptosis in retinal cells. Our results also suggest that the blue light hazard of display devices might be highly reduced if the display devices contain less short wavelength blue light.

A2E-laden ARPE-19 cells were exposed to a blue light to induce cytotoxicity, in order to investigate the protective effects of various tinted ophthalmic lenses against photo-induced cytotoxicity in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells laden with A2E, known to be among the etiologies of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Different-colored tinted lenses with varying levels of tint and different filtering characteristics, such as polarized, blue-cut, and photochromatic lenses, were placed over the cells, and the protective efficacies thereof were evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase assay. When tinted lenses were placed over ARPE-19 cells, there were different reductions in cytotoxicity according to the colors and tint levels. The level of protection afforded by brown-tinted lenses was 6.9, 36.1, and 49% with a tint level of 15, 50, and 80%, respectively. For gray-tinted lenses, the protective effect was 16.3, 35, and 43.4% for the corresponding degree of tint, respectively. In the case of blue-tinted lenses, a protective effect of 20% was observed with 80% tinted lenses, but 15 and 50% tinted lenses provided no significant protection. In addition, photochromic lenses showed a protective effect but blue-cut lenses and polarized lenses provided no significant protection. Tinted lenses significantly reduced cytotoxicity in RPE cells irradiated with blue light. The protection was more efficient in lenses with a brown or gray tint than in blue-tinted lenses. Tinted glasses may provide significant protection against potential blue-light-induced photochemical and photo-oxidative damage in RPE cells.

Poland syndrome, which is characterized by an absence of pectoralis muscles and their innervated nerves, is marked by variable chest wall defects due to deficits of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th ribs and costal cartilage. Additionally, there are other reported combined anomalies of the heart, lung, kidney, ipsilateral hand and foot associated with the syndrome. The lung on the side with the thoracic deformity is more hypoplastic or smaller than the lung on the unaffected side, which can cause herniation of the lung or paradoxical ventilatory movement in severe cases, thereby increasing the risk of respiratory depression and hypoxemia. Patients may have profound lung complications due to depressed respiratory muscle function and exacerbation of the underlying chronic pulmonary disease during the perioperative period. These patients also show increased risk of malignant hyperthermia and therefore require careful attention during general anesthesia. We report here an anesthetic experience during reconstruction surgery of a chest wall defect in a male patient with Poland syndrome.

A non-destructive metrology technique for critical dimension of Fin structure is important for better device characterization and development for improving yield. Due to extremely small dimension with high complexity in FinFET a new metrology solution needs to be evaluated. In-line atomic resolution profiler was performed to provide a suitable metrology for oxide recess metrology in Fin process. The technique could measure accurately the height and CD of Fin structures, which has the space with of 25 nm and the height of 60 nm. The uniformity of recess height could be measured, which could be interpreted by loading effect of etch process. High long term repeatability of the technique was achieved for process monitoring purpose.

BACKGROUND The effective delivery of therapeutic genes to target cells has been a fundamental goal in cancer gene therapy because of its advantages with respect to both safety and transfection efficiency. In the present, study we describe a tumor-directed gene delivery system that demonstrates remarkable efficacy in gene delivery and minimizes the off-target effects of gene transfection. METHODS The system consists of a well-verified cationic O,O'-dimyristyl-N-lysyl glutamate (DMKE), Sendai virus fusion (F) protein and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein, referred to as cationic Sendai F/HN virosomes. To achieve tumor-specific recognition, anti-epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor antibody was coupled to the surface of the virosomes containing interleukin-12 (IL-12) and/or salmosin genes that have potent anti-angiogenetic functions. RESULTS Among the virosomal formulations, the anti-EGF receptor (EGFR) viroplexes, prepared via complexation of plasmid DNA (pDNA) with cationic DMKE lipid, exhibited more efficient gene transfection to tumor cells over-expressing EGF receptors compared to the neutrally-charged anti-EGFR virosomes encapsulating pDNA. In addition, the anti-EGFR viroplexes with IL-12 and salmosin genes exhibited the most effective therapeutic efficacy in a mouse tumor model. Especially when combined with doxorubicin, transfection of the two genes via the anti-EGFR viroplexes exhibited an enhanced inhibitory effect on tumor growth and metastasis in lungs. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study suggest that anti-EGFR viroplexes can be utilized as an effective strategy for tumor-directed gene delivery. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.