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We present reflectance transformation imaging (RTI) as a documentation tool for visualizing and recording the treatment of coins. RTI—a computational photograph technique that calculates light positions—allows interactive relighting for vision. Virtual light enhances surface details for examining morphological difference. By applying Dome RTI method, stages of conservation treatment were recorded to enhance the overall characteristic features of the relief upon the coin surface, and then detect and identify weathered characters. Patina removal and consolidation were documented along with the original state; a significant difference in the coin’s surface was observed using different filters of the RTI viewer. Specular enhancement and normal visualization results were most effective for detecting the change in morphology and reflectivity. Microscopic RTI was applied to visualized minimal changes of characters between treatment stages. Character “常” of coin 1 showed changes in the cleaning of dirt and removal of alumina powder. The character “元” of coin 3, originally covered by a thick patina, revealed clear strokes using virtual relighting through RTI. These documentation images indicate that RTI is a promising tool to support manual recording of conservation stages and, furthermore, allow detection of areas difficult to visualize through the human eye.

Fashion color trends are an essential marketing element that directly affect brand sales. Organizations such as Pantone have global authority over professional color standards by annually forecasting color palettes. However, the question remains whether fashion designers apply these colors in fashion shows that guide seasonal fashion trends. This study analyzed image data from fashion collections through machine learning to obtain measurable results by web-scraping catwalk images, separating body and clothing elements via machine learning, defining a selection of color chips using k-means algorithms, and analyzing the similarity between the Pantone color palette (16 colors) and the analysis color chips. The gap between the Pantone trends and the colors used in fashion collections were quantitatively analyzed and found to be significant. This study indicates the potential of machine learning within the fashion industry to guide production and suggests further research expand on other design variables.

This work presents digital imaging technology as a tool for studying artists’ brushstroke patterns and painting techniques. Digital imaging analysis performed using reflectance transformation imaging (RTI) and three-dimensional (3D) scanning was used to observe the morphological textures of brushstrokes formed on the painted surface; this provided a “digital fingerprint” to indicate an individual artist’s specific characteristics. A model specimen was produced to examine the relationship between paint and painting tools. For painting tools, twelve types of brushes were chosen from the artist’s studio. The results revealed distinctive features among the different types of brushes. The model specimen was then further compared with the artist’s works and a replicated painting was also produced for comparison with one of the original works. The overall result provided information about similar patterns corresponding to the types of brushes the artist used for the model specimen and paintings. Distinctive painting pattern features were detected in the replica, although it was painted using the same material and type of brush.

Fashion designers in the digital era will be expected to have a profound knowledge of programming and physical computing. Therefore, finding effective methods to adopt E-textiles in fashion education is developing imperative furtherance. E-textiles are clothes embedded with microcomputers, digital components (sensor, LED), and other electronic devices. Existing E-textile platforms, such as LilyPad Arduino tutorials, have a high entry barrier because they are complicated for students who are not familiar with programming and engineering. Additionally, the stitching step using conductive thread that makes it difficult to reuse components. This can make it prohibitively expensive for beginners, given the trial-and-error process involved in the learning. In this context, this study aims to identify effective methods to adopt E-textiles in fashion schools. To design a user-friendly application that allows students to learn more easily, we conducted a user study and acquired the feedback from students in fashion schools. Based on the result of the analysis, we developed two versions of a web-based tool called Virtual Prototyping for E-textiles learning. One version included a task-oriented method while the other adopted a more explorative-oriented method. Users can connect virtually with electronic parts, practice programming, and learn circuit diagrams while using the application. We compared our prototype with an existing program through a user test on “perceived usability,” “applicability,” and “learning effect.” Results show that our prototype can be applied to fashion schools in the near future. It will also be beneficial to studies in related design fields.

This multicenter retrospective cohort study compared the effectiveness and safety of long-term tafluprost, travoprost, or latanoprost in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) or normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). Data were extracted from electronic medical records of 300 patients treated with tafluprost, travoprost, or latanoprost for &gt, 6 months. Propensity matching for age and sex was used for effectiveness and safety comparisons. The primary endpoint was visual field (VF) progression via mean deviation (MD) slope. Secondary endpoints were change of MD, intraocular pressure, pattern standard deviation, VF index, and advanced glaucoma intervention study score. Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were also compared between groups. Overall, 216 POAG or NTG patients were matched into Match Set 1 (72 patients/group), and 177 NTG-only patients in Match Set 2 (59 patients/group) according to: age (mean: 61, 62 years) and sex (male: 53, 56%). There were no statistically significant between-group differences regarding MD slope (p = 0.413, p = 0.374 in Match Sets 1 and 2, respectively). There were no significant between-group differences/tendencies regarding secondary endpoints. No AEs were serious, and there were no significant between-group differences regarding reported AEs. In patients with POAG or NTG, long-term tafluprost, travoprost, or latanoprost showed similar effects. All three prostaglandin analogs had good long-term safety profiles.

PRéCIS:: This observed patient-specific features and treatment-driven conditions that were significantly associated with the impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among glaucoma patients. The results suggest that more systematic strategies should be implemented to improve an HRQOL.To determine factors contributing to an HRQOL and assess total, direct and indirect, effects that may exist between the determinants using path analysis.Data were derived from previous Korea glaucoma outcomes research. A total of 847 glaucoma outpatients with ≤2 years of eye-drop use were included in the present study. Including factors and their hypothetical pathways to an HRQOL were based on the literature review and consultation with specialists. Age, sex, comorbidities, and education levels were included as underlying conditions and treatment patterns were defined by the number of daily instillations of prescribed eye-drops. Treatment satisfaction and adherence were estimated using a Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication, which assessed side-effects, effectiveness, convenience, global satisfaction, and pill count. An HRQOL was assessed by EQ-5D and EQ-visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS).In EQ-5D analysis, male individuals showed total effects (β=0.102, P=0.0026), including both direct (β=0.076, P=0.0095) and indirect effects (β=0.0253, P=0.0020), which were mediated by treatment satisfaction in the side effects and global satisfaction categories. Higher education (β=0.197, P=0.0020) and satisfaction in the side effect (β=0.095, P=0.0076) and global satisfaction (β=0.075, P=0.0414) categories were found to have direct effects on EQ-5D. For EQ-VAS, higher education levels had significant total effects (β=0.153, P=0.0020) accounting for direct effects (β=0.131, P=0.0030) and indirect effects (β=0.0223, P=0.0531) through global satisfaction. In addition, male individuals had indirect effects (β=0.274, P=0.0165), which was indirectly mediated by satisfaction in the global satisfaction category. Comorbidity (β=-0.096, P=0.0090) and satisfaction in the effectiveness (β=0.094, P=0.0302), convenience (β=0.076, P=0.0390), and global satisfaction (β =0.144, P=0.0020) categories showed indirect effect on EQ-VAS.Higher education and better treatment satisfaction had positive effects on HRQOL both in direct and indirect ways whereas comorbidities indirectly showed negative associations with HRQOL.

This research proposes a data structure for context-aware risk management for architectural heritage using Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM) and Virtual Reality (VR). In cultural heritage domain, risk management plays a key role in the preservation and intervention of the heritage. For effective risk management, it is important to share enriched data between people who monitor and diagnose heritages and people who recognize the context of information. The 5W1H (what, when, where, who, why, and how) model-based metadata structure for context-awareness and the framework for linking the HBIM with VR environment which enables sharing and retrieving of risk management information are proposed in this research. Two prototypes were created; an on-site VR application for the heritage managers and a remote VR application for the conservators. The effectiveness of the applications was verified through an experiment including a user survey to compare the paper-based and the VR-based methods regarding on-site VR application, and a focus-group interview regarding the remote VR application. This study enabled to integrate risk management information scattered across a variety of sources and formats, provide contextualized information. Thereby it shortens the time and effort spent to find and share information by heritage managers and conservators.

PURPOSE To assess the clinical efficacy for early detection of glaucoma using custom-built image software visualizing translucent retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) that is graphed based on a normative database. METHODS This prospective study was conducted using a normative database constructed with RNFLT data of 151 healthy Korean eyes. The reference lines of the mean, the lower 5%, and the lower 1% limit were visualized as a translucent RNFLT graph produced by our software after inputting each subject's major retinal artery position and overlaying the results onto the RNFLT measurements. Fifty-eight additional healthy control and 79 early-glaucoma eyes were collected for the validation group. If a subject's RNFLT graph was outside the reference line of the lower 1% limit, the graph was defined as abnormal. The lower 1% limit, which was generated by three criteria (criterion 1, built-in software; criterion 2, axial-length data; criterion 3, major retinal artery data), was used to address the difference of agreement with a standard answer. RESULTS For criteria 1, 2, and 3, the accuracy of our custom-built software was significantly higher than that of the manufacturer's database (kappa of 0.475 vs. 0.852 vs. 0.940; sensitivity of 62.0% vs. 91.1% vs. 97.5%, respectively) maintaining high specificity (87.9% vs. 94.8% vs. 96.6%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The custom-built imaging software with the constructed RNFLT normative database showed high clinical efficiency for early detection of glaucoma with negligible user-related variability.

In this paper we present RTI as a documentation tool for visualizing and recording the treatment of coins. RTI, a computational photograph technique based on raking light images, allows interactive re-lighting for vision. Virtual light enhances surface details to examine morphological difference. Stages of conservation treatment were recorded to enhance characteristic features of the relief upon the coin surface and detect and identify weathered characters. Patina removal and consolidation were documented along with the original state. A significant difference in normal and surface texture was observed using RTI viewer and filters. Specular enhancement and normal visualization results were effective for detecting the change of morphology and reflectivity. Characters submersed by thick patina were revealed in Coin 3. Two hidden characters were detected as ‘元’ and ‘訓’. Another illegible character which was previously not regarded as an inscription was discovered. Also, verification of each treatment stage was done to examine whether any foreign material was sufficiently removed. These documentation images indicate that RTI is a promising tool to support manual recording and furthermore allow detection of areas difficult to visualize through the human eye.

We compared 1-year outcomes of trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC) and Ahmed valve implantation with MMC as a first surgical procedure in patients with uveitic glaucoma. A total 38 eyes of 38 patients undergoing trabeculectomy (n =16) or Ahmed valve implantation (n = 22) were included. Surgical success was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤21 mmHg, IOP reduction ≥20% from baseline, no secondary glaucoma surgery, and no loss of light perception. The main outcome measurements including success rate, IOP, and the number of antiglaucoma medications and complications were compared. The overall success rates were comparable between the Ahmed and trabeculectomy groups (81.3 vs. 81.8%, p = 0.987). The mean IOPs were similar as well (p = 0.084), though the number of antiglaucoma medications was significantly lower in the trabeculectomy group than in the Ahmed group (1.0 ± 1.2 vs. 2.2 ± 1.1; p = 0.005). A statistically significant reduction in corneal endothelial cell density was noted in the Ahmed group (p = 0.004). Both treatments offered reasonable IOP control and safety for eyes with uveitic glaucoma. However, significantly fewer antiglaucoma medications were used in the trabeculectomy group. Furthermore, our results suggest that cautious postoperative monitoring with regard to corneal endothelial cell density should be additionally performed after Ahmed valve implantation.

E-commerce has become a crucial part of our life allowing us to buy products, request services, and transfer money easily with a press of a button. As such, establishing immutable trust and reputation of entities that are resilient to manipulation by the malicious are critical in today&rsquo, s online systems. In this work, we propose a model for calculating trust and reputation using the values stored on blockchain ledger. The model is applied to blockchain-based online payment systems which have a characteristic of immutability by preventing data manipulation. The model normalizes user evaluations based on each user&rsquo, s personal evaluation criteria that changes over time. In addition, the model derives reputation of, and trust between, users by applying psychological factors. We evaluate our model using not only simulated transaction data but also on real Bitcoin transaction-based dataset to show that our model is able to derive stable values from immutable transactions on blockchain-based online payment systems. Our model has been built into a live commercial blockchain service platform, and new application developments are underway.

When vitrectomy is performed in eyes that have undergone glaucoma surgery, the site of sclerotomy often overlaps with the previous glaucoma operation site. It can lead to serious complications such as postoperative hypotony, leakage, and/or infection. Our technique involves modification of surgeon's position and two sclerotomy sites 45° away from the original position, with an infusion cannula inserted infranasally to avoid damage to the glaucoma drainage implant or filtering bleb. The modified approach was applied to seven eyes with various indications. Vitrectomy was successfully completed, and there were no sclerotomy site complications, leakage, or hypotony in any case. Good intraocular pressure control was maintained throughout the postoperative course in all cases.

With increasing interest in blockchain for its immutability and decentralization, numerous blockchain-based systems and applications have been proposed, and many more attempts are underway to utilize the technology. However, several challenges such as low processing speed, scalability, and vulnerability to certain attacks have been identified, making it difficult to apply the technology on general industrial applications. In this paper, we propose a new application service platform architecture on top of blockchain that resolves those challenges. The proposed architecture takes advantage of private blockchain to secure processing speed and security while allowing public open use of the system by dividing the system into multiple layers. Assuming arbitrary nodes can participate in service, we propose periodic node verification process and ‘query-chain’ to effectively authenticate and validate arbitrary nodes.

PurposeTo evaluate a progression-detecting algorithm for a new automated matched alternation flicker (AMAF) in glaucoma patients.MethodsOpen-angle glaucoma patients with a baseline mean deviation of visual field (VF) test-6 dB were included in this longitudinal and retrospective study. Functional progression was detected by two VF progression criteria and structural progression by both AMAF and conventional comparison methods using optic disc and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) photography. Progression-detecting performances of AMAF and the conventional method were evaluated by an agreement between functional and structural progression criteria. RNFL thickness changes measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) were compared between progressing and stable eyes determined by each method.ResultsAmong 103 eyes, 47 (45.6%), 21 (20.4%), and 32 (31.1%) eyes were evaluated as glaucoma progression using AMAF, the conventional method, and guided progression analysis (GPA) of the VF test, respectively. The AMAF showed better agreement than the conventional method, using GPA of the VF test (κ=0.337; P0.001 and κ=0.124; P=0.191, respectively). The rates of RNFL thickness decay using OCT were significantly different between the progressing and stable eyes when progression was determined by AMAF (-3.49±2.86 μm per year vs -1.83±3.22 μm per year; P=0.007) but not by the conventional method (-3.24±2.42 μm per year vs -2.42±3.33 μm per year; P=0.290).ConclusionsThe AMAF was better than the conventional comparison method in discriminating structural changes during glaucoma progression, and showed a moderate agreement with functional progression criteria.

To determine the agreement among glaucoma experts and general ophthalmologists regarding detection of glaucomatous structural changes using a new automated matched alternation flicker (AMAF) method with fundus photographs (FPs) of undilated eyes.Sixty-six pairs of FPs of normal tension glaucoma patients were collected. FPs were taken at intervals of more than 12 months. Alternating flicker images were created using a new AMAF application. In a blinded manner, two glaucoma experts and two general ophthalmologists compared the presence of glaucomatous structural changes using either the AMAF method or the side-by-side comparison method. The interobserver and intraobserver agreements were compared using the Bland and Altman plot analysis.The glaucoma experts detected more glaucoma progression using the AMAF method (average, 50.7%) compared with the side-by-side method (average, 32.5%). General ophthalmologists detected more glaucomatous progression with the AMAF method (average, 40.9%) than with the side-by-side method (average, 25.0%). The AMAF method showed fair to substantial interreader agreement (k = 0.511-0.724) and fair to perfect intrareader agreement (k = 0.631-0.943). Interreader and intrareader agreements using the AMAF method were better for the glaucoma experts compared with the general ophthalmologists.The AMAF method showed more changes in FPs than the classical side-by-side comparison method. Regarding inter- and intrareader agreements, agreement for the glaucoma experts was best using the AMAF method, but for the general ophthalmologists agreement was best using the side-by-side comparison method.

Decentralization and immutability characteristics of blockchain technology has attracted numerous blockchain-based systems and applications to be proposed. However, technical shortcomings such as low transaction speed, complexity, scalability, and vulnerability to certain attacks have been identified, making it challenging to use the technology on general consumer applications and services. To address the problem, we propose a new application service platform architecture called DDNB (Doubly Decentralized Network Blockchain). DDNB divides the system into multiple layers in order to take advantage of permissioned blockchain for its processing speed and security, while allowing permissionless open use of the system to application developers. To allow any node to freely participate in application services, DDNB adopts a novel periodic node self-verification process and query chaining mechanism to authenticate newly joining nodes and validate transactions effectively and efficiently. The proposed architecture is evaluated in terms of its processing speed and security on a real proof-of-concept prototype system.

The development of specific guidelines for the three-dimensional (3D) scanning of cultural heritage is important for the reliable documentation of cultural heritage. Continuous efforts to digitally document the cultural heritage of Korea have gained greater attention as a result of the unfortunate and irremediable loss of important cultural heritage in two recent fires. Attention among the heritage sectors has been also drawn to the apparent potential of new technologies in cultural heritage documentation. In this context, taking into account the nature of these rapidly advancing technologies, it has led to outline a necessary set of the requirements for the 3D scanning of cultural heritage has been outlined. In collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) of Korea in creating such guidelines, a draft guideline was introduced in 2012, and a final version was released to the public in 2015. These endeavors have been in line with the national movement toward systematic data management under the principles of openness and accessibility. Considering international principles and charters as benchmarks, this project has been operating since May 2018 with the aims of further elaborating and updating established guidelines for 3D scanning. A framework of extensive consultation in conjunction with a public debate-driven decision-making process will be established to include the participation of all concerned parties and to further strengthen processual legitimacy and credibility in the application of the guidance. A large number of case studies of 3D documentation in Korea has also been undertaken in recent years, so practical knowledge from 3D scanning can enable an in-depth understanding of many issues related to the current guidelines, including standardization, accuracy, quality control and integrity matters as well as technical aspects, which are closely related. The aim of the present paper is to briefly present the main progress in Korea in the documentation of cultural heritage using 3D scanning technologies in Korea, which are relatively unknown to the international community. The efforts of the abovementioned on-going project to revise current guidelines are also outlined within the context of Korean cultural heritage. It is hoped that the project will provide a framework and practical guidance for the appropriate application of required specifications of 3D scanning and for preserving time-sensitive records, thereby serving as a basis for overall heritage management.

This study proposed a mobile virtual reality-based application for on-site risk management using Historical Building Information Modeling (HBIM) to alleviate the inefficiency of paper-based risk management of architectural heritage. In this research, we focused on the design of the metadata and the database structure that is based on the point of interest (PoI), anchor, and content metadata for advanced context-aware information retrieval from HBIM system in the mobile environment. To verify our method, we created a mobile VR-based application of the Gwandeokjeong building in Korea. After, we conducted a comparative experiment on performance time, task load and usability and proved the efficiency of our method for on-site risk management. In conclusion, our metadata and database structure in this study contribute to suggest a method to interoperate between HBIM system and mobile VR system and conduct advanced context-aware information retrieval.

Terrestrial laser scanning has received attention as an efficient technology in the cultural heritage domain for recording the geometry of historic monuments quickly and precisely. It is important to find appropriate scanner configurations to make the scanning process efficient and to build reliable records. These configurations should satisfy required constraints such as full coverage, sufficient overlap, scan range limit, and laser incidence angle. This is called the view planning problem. We sought to develop a scan planning scheme for recording large monuments in the cultural heritage domain. Typical approaches to deal with the view planning problem, however, do not consider the specific requirements in this domain. In this paper, we propose an interactive scan planning approach that supports analytic computation as well as heuristic decision. It includes three supporting guides. A next scan grid supports semi-automated optimization in interactive planning, and scan geometry helps the user to intuitively decide the next best position in a feasible region. A knowledge guide, which is reasoned out by similar properties, provides the user with experts' heuristic solutions to aid practical planning. These guides support efficient scan planning in a complementary manner. We introduce the use of region of interest to obtain more accurate data for focused features. ScanPlanner is implemented on this basis. The result of tests showed that the proposed approach allows users to make efficient and reliable scan plans for heritage recording.

Copyright c The Korean Society of Marine Engineering †Corresponding Author (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7735-3582): Division of Marine System Engineering, Korea Maritime & Ocean University, Dongsam-dong, Yeongdo-gu, Busan, 606-791, Korea, E-mail: Ksh@kmou.ac.kr, Tel: 051-410-4265 1 Division of Marine System Engineering, Korea Maritime & Ocean University, E-mail: jongskim@kmou.ac.kr, Tel: 051-410-4481 2 Korean Register of Shipping, E-mail: ahnnavy72@naver.com, Tel: 070-2799-8841 전력변환장치의 직류 파형 개선을 통한 고조파 저감 김종수 . 안재홍 . 김성환 (Received September 2, 2014; Revised September 19, 2014;Accepted September 24, 2014)

To investigate the relationship between central visual field (VF) defects and ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) in early normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).This retrospective study included 100 eyes of 100 subjects: 54 NTG patients whose mean deviations were better than -7.00 dB and 46 normal subjects. OPA was measured by dynamic contour tonometry. NTG patients were divided into 2 subgroups according to VF tests: the central VF-invading and the central VF-sparing groups. Ocular parameters including OPA, intraocular pressure (IOP), and indices of VF tests were analyzed in glaucoma patients and normal subjects.There was no difference in the OPA between the NTG and normal groups. However, IOP and OPA of the central VF-invading group (14.4 ± 2.87 and 2.9 ± 0.78 mm Hg) were higher than those of the central VF-sparing group (12.7 ± 2.52 and 2.0 ± 0.80 mm Hg; P = 0.025 and P0.001, respectively). OPA, but not IOP, showed a positive correlation with the VF test indices that represented central field defects (r = 0.494, P0.001).Increased OPA was related to more centrally located VF defects in NTG patients with mild VF defects.

Background/aims This study aimed to investigate treatment patterns and medication adherence of glaucoma. It also identified key factors associated with non-adherence. Methods It was a cross-sectional, observational study. Patients who use eye-drops for ≤2 years were recruited at 15 eye clinics from March to November 2013. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires and medical chart review. Medication adherence was evaluated using patients’ self-report on pill count and defined as patients’ administering drug for ≥80% of prescribed days. Medication adherence rate was calculated by dividing actual number of administration from total prescribed number of administration for 7 days. Patients whose self-reported prescription was different from total daily doses of physicians9 prescription were considered as non-adherent. Results A total of 1050 patients included, and medication adherence rate was evaluated in 1046 patients whose verification of adherence was available. Of the total, 27.4% were non-adherent, and the medication adherence rates of the total, the adherent, and the non-adherent were 90.6±17.8%, 96.8±5.5% and 56.6±24.7%, respectively. The most commonly used medication was prostaglandin (PGA) alone and the second was combination of two-class (β-blocker and carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (CAI)) and three-class combination of PGA, β-blocker and CAI followed. In multivariate analysis, the risk of non-adherence was 1.466 times greater in males than in females (95% CI 1.106 to 1.943) and 1.328-fold greater as the daily number of administration was increased (95% CI 1.186 to 1.487). Conclusion Approximately, one-third of the patients were non-adherent, and males and increased daily number of administration were associated with non-adherence. It highlights that more systematic treatment strategies should be considered for better medication adherence, leading to effective glaucoma management.

Background/Aims: To compare event-based methods for estimating the incidence of glaucoma progression using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and automated perimetry and to assess agreement between structural and functional tests for detecting glaucoma progression. Methods: Functional progression of glaucoma was estimated by guided progression analysis (GPA) using a Humphrey field analyzer (HFA), and structural progression was assessed by OCT and defined as the decrease in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness based on test-retest variability data of previous reports on clock-hour and quadrant maps. The level of agreement between structural and functional progression was evaluated using kappa statistics. Results: Fifty eyes of 50 patients with open-angle glaucoma were enrolled in this retrospective study. The incidence of visual field progression estimated by GPA was 18%. The occurrence of structural progression assessed by OCT ranged from 18 to 68%. The more stringent OCT progression criterion using a quadrant map showed the best agreement with HFA GPA (ĸ = 0.423) and detected perimetric progression with high specificity, while the less stringent OCT criterion considering any clock hour showed the lowest agreement with functional progression (ĸ = 0.098). Conclusion: OCT progression criteria based on test-retest variability showed moderate agreement with perimetric progression, and more stringent criteria showed better agreement with functional progression than less stringent ones.

Grape seed extract (GSE) is a potent antioxidant. We examined the effect of GSE on oxidative stress-induced cell death in a transformed retinal ganglion cell line, RGC-5.Staurosporine-differentiated RGC-5 (ssdRGC-5) cells obtained by treating RGC-5 cells with 1 µM staurosporine were incubated with GSE for 2 h and then exposed to buthionine sulfoximine plus glutamate (B/G) for 24 h. Cell death was detected using the LIVE/DEAD viability assay and the type of cell death was evaluated using fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated Annexin-V/propidium iodide staining. To investigate the mechanism underlying cell death, we determined the caspase-3 activity and level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation.Treatment of ssdRGC-5 cells with B/G increased intracellular ROS and induced apoptosis (not necrosis) with increasing caspase-3 activity. GSE rescued the ssdRGC-5 cells from oxidative stress-induced cell death by inhibiting both intracellular ROS production and caspase-3 activation.GSE had a neuroprotective effect against oxidative stress-induced apoptotic death in ssdRGC-5 cells.

The VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) file format is a popular file format for describing a graphical scene: object shapes, appearance properties, animation, and interactions. However, the format does not provide any mechanism for describing the order of objects' appearances or their changes over time. Instead, an interface to Java is offered for controlling the temporal relationships between objects in the scene. The use of Java makes it difficult for a person with his programming skill to author a dynamic virtual environment. In this paper we attach a span and an age to each object and their hierarchical and temporal relations are expressed in a new data structure, called a span graph (SpanGraph). An object in the span graph, when alive, grows its age and performs associated actions according to its age during the extent of the time span. Furthermore, the object may have child objects whose spans are sub-extents of the parent span. In this paper, we demonstrate uses of the SpanGraph in virtual studio and virtual engineering design applications.