Effect of viewing environments on perceived display neutral point.

In this study, the influences of ambient chromaticity, ambient luminance, and display luminance on the perceived neutral point of a display were systematically investigated using 25 experimental settings. The results show that the surround ratio, i.e., the ratio of the ambient luminance to the display luminance, had a greater effect on the display neutral point perception than the absolute intensity of each factor. As the surround ratio decreased, indicating that the display luminance was higher than the ambient luminance, the perceived display neutral point changed from the adapted white to the neutral point in the darkroom condition (corresponding to a surround ratio of zero) at approximately 7,200 K. When the surround ratio exceeded 1.0, the neutral point of the display gradually shifted toward specific levels. The correlated color temperatures of the perceived display neutral points converged to 5,000 and 5,900 K under ambient lighting conditions of 3,000 and 5,000 K, respectively.

Ascitic autotaxin as a potential prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic target for epithelial ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Malignant ascites contributes to the metastatic process by facilitating the multifocal dissemination of ovarian tumour cells onto the peritoneal surface. However, the prognostic and diagnostic relevance of ascitic fluid remains largely unknown. Herein, we investigated the potential clinical value and therapeutic utility of ascitic autotaxin (ATX) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). METHODS: ATX expression was assessed in clinical samples. Spheroid-forming assay, real-time PCR, western blot analysis, invadopodia assay, and adhesion assays were performed. RESULTS: Ascitic ATX expression was highly elevated in patients with ovarian cancer compared to those with benign ascites and was associated with advanced stage, high grade, and a short disease-free period in patients with EOC. Combining the diagnostic ability of ascitic ATX and serum CA-125 levels significantly improved the area under the curve (AUC) value for EOC compared to serum CA125 level alone. This marker combination showed a large odds ratio for short disease-free period in high-risk EOC groups. Functional studies revealed that ascitic ATX was required for maintaining cancer stem cell-like characteristics and invadopodia formation. CONCLUSION: Ascitic ATX levels may serve as a useful prognostic indicator for predicting aggressive behaviour in EOC. ATX-linked invadopodia are a potential target to prevent peritoneal dissemination in ovarian cancer.

VGLL3 expression is associated with macrophage infiltration and predicts poor prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Background/objective: High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most common histologic type of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Due to its poor survival outcomes, it is essential to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The hippo pathway is crucial in various cancers, including gynaecological cancers. Herein, we examined the expression of the key genes of the hippo pathway and their relationship with clinicopathological significance, immune cells infiltration and the prognosis of HGSOC. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data were curated to analyse the mRNA expression as well as the clinicopathological association and correlation with immune cell infiltration in HGSOC. The protein levels of significant genes in the HGSOC tissue were analysed using Tissue Microarray (TMA)-based immunohistochemistry. Finally, DEGs pathway analysis was performed to find the signalling pathways associated with VGLL3. Results: VGLL3 mRNA expression was significantly correlated with both advanced tumor stage and poor overall survival (OS) (p=0.046 and p=0.003, respectively). The result of IHC analysis also supported the association of VGLL3 protein with poor OS. Further, VGLL3 expression was significantly associated with tumor infiltrating macrophages. VGLL3 expression and macrophages infiltration were both found to be independent prognostic factors (p=0.003 and p=0.024, respectively) for HGSOC. VGLL3 was associated with four known and three novel cancer-related signalling pathways, thus implying that VGLL3 is involved in the deregulation of many genes and pathways. Conclusion: Our study revealed that VGLL3 may play a distinct role in clinical outcomes and immune cell infiltration in patients with HGSOC and that it could potentially be a prognostic marker of EOC.

TRPV1 inhibition overcomes cisplatin resistance by blocking autophagy-mediated hyperactivation of EGFR signaling pathway.

Cisplatin resistance along with chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain is an important cause of treatment failure for many cancer types and represents an unmet clinical need. Therefore, future studies should provide evidence regarding the mechanisms of potential targets that can overcome the resistance as well as alleviate pain. Here, we show that the emergence of cisplatin resistance is highly associated with EGFR hyperactivation, and that EGFR hyperactivation is arisen by a transcriptional increase in the pain-generating channel, TRPV1, via NANOG. Furthermore, TRPV1 promotes autophagy-mediated EGF secretion via Ca2+ influx, which activates the EGFR-AKT signaling and, consequentially, the acquisition of cisplatin resistance. Importantly, TRPV1 inhibition renders tumors susceptible to cisplatin. Thus, our findings indicate a link among cisplatin resistance, EGFR hyperactivation, and TRPV1-mediated autophagic secretion, and implicate that TRPV1 could be a crucial drug target that could not only overcome cisplatin resistance but also alleviate pain in NANOG+ cisplatin-resistant cancer.

Prognostic value of ß-Arrestins in combination with glucocorticoid receptor in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Hormones may be key factors driving cancer development, and epidemiological findings suggest that steroid hormones play a crucial role in ovarian tumorigenesis. We demonstrated that high glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression is associated with a poor prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer. Recent studies have shown that the GR affects ß-arrestin expression, and vice versa. Hence, we assessed the clinical significance of ß-arrestin expression in ovarian cancer and determined whether ß-arrestin and the GR synergistically have clinical significance and value as prognostic factors. We evaluated the expression of ß-arrestins 1 and 2 and the GR in 169 patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer using immunohistochemistry. The staining intensity was graded on a scale of 0-4 and multiplied by the percentage of positive cells. We divided the samples into two categories based on the expression levels. ß-arrestin 1 and GR expression showed a moderate correlation, whereas ß-arrestin 2 and GR expression did not demonstrate any correlation. Patients with high ß-arrestin 1 and 2 expression exhibited improved survival rates, whereas patients with low GR expression showed a better survival rate. Patients with high ß-arrestin 1 and low GR levels had the best prognosis among all groups. ß-arrestin is highly expressed in ovarian cancer, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker. The combination of ß-arrestin and GR demonstrated greater predictive prognostic power than GR expression alone, implicating another possible role in prognostication.

A visuomotor circuit for evasive flight turns in Drosophila.

Visual systems extract multiple features from a scene using parallel neural circuits. Ultimately, the separate neural signals must come together to coherently influence action. Here, we characterize a circuit in Drosophila that integrates multiple visual features related to imminent threats to drive evasive locomotor turns. We identified, using genetic perturbation methods, a pair of visual projection neurons (LPLC2) and descending neurons (DNp06) that underlie evasive flight turns in response to laterally moving or approaching visual objects. Using two-photon calcium imaging or whole-cell patch clamping, we show that these cells indeed respond to both translating and approaching visual patterns. Furthermore, by measuring visual responses of LPLC2 neurons after genetically silencing presynaptic motion-sensing neurons, we show that their visual properties emerge by integrating multiple visual features across two early visual structures: the lobula and the lobula plate. This study highlights a clear example of how distinct visual signals converge on a single class of visual neurons and then activate premotor neurons to drive action, revealing a concise visuomotor pathway for evasive flight maneuvers in Drosophila.

A "Ballpark" Assessment of Social Distancing Efficiency in the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This paper presents an efficiency assessment of social distancing as an internationally adopted measure to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The simple framework adopted for the assessment accounts for two kinds of costs that a society may bear in a pandemic. The first is welfare loss due to infection and its consequences, and the second is welfare loss resulting from a slowdown in economic transactions. We call the first infection costs, and the second economic costs, for convenience in the paper. Efficient social distancing should minimize the sum of these costs. Infection costs are likely to decrease with social distancing at a decreasing rate as intensified social distancing eases pressure on scarce resources for intensive care. Economic costs on the other hand are likely to increase at an increasing rate as extreme slowdown in economic life may entail job losses and business failures. The resulting U-shaped total costs curve implies parity between infection costs and economic costs as a necessary condition for efficiency. In a simplified implementation of the framework, we approximate infection costs by the value of (statistical) lives lost, and economic costs by the gap between the actual gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020 and the potential GDP as predicted by the within-country growth trend during the preceding decade. The results for 158 countries suggest that the global community perhaps reacted with overly strict social distancing measures. The results for the subgroup of high-income countries, however, suggest that these countries were more successful in maintaining the parity between infection and economic costs.

Visual fatigue induced by watching virtual reality device and the effect of anisometropia.

The effect of small anisometropia on visual fatigue when using virtual reality (VR) devices was investigated. Participants (n = 34) visited three times. In the first visit, VR exposure (10 min) was conducted with the full correction of the refractive error of both eyes. Experimental anisometropia was induced by adding a + 1.0 dioptre spherical lens either on the dominant eyes in the second visit or on the non-dominant eyes in the third visit. At each visit, the participants played a predetermined video game using a head-mounted display VR for 10 min. Visual fatigue was assessed before and after playing VR game using the Virtual Reality Symptom Questionnaire (VRSQ) and high-frequency component of accommodative microfluctuation. Results showed that watching VR induced significant increase of VRSQ score, significant decrease in the maximum accommodation power and objective increase in visual fatigue. Experimental anisometropia induction either on the dominant or non-dominant eyes did not aggravate visual fatigue. Practitioner summary: Mild differences in refractive error (up to 1.0 dioptre) between both eyes do not significantly increase ocular fatigue by viewing virtual reality device (10 min). The impact of small anisometropia may be limited in developing a virtual reality device. Abbreviations: VR: virtual reality; VRSQ: virtual reality symptom questionnaire; HMD: head-mounted display; HFC: high-frequency component.

Suppressed photocatalytic activity of ZnO based Core@Shell and RCore@Shell nanostructure incorporated in the cellulose nanofiber.

The protection of skin cells against intense ultra-violet (UV) rays is of greater concern and needs immediate attention. Sustainable efforts and strategies are in progress to minimize the factors that adversely affect skin cells. Herein, we synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) in the form of core-shell (Core@Shell) or reverse core-shell (RCore@Shell) structure where silica was synthesized as a shell or core, respectively on the surface of cellulose nanofiber (CNF). Both cases exhibited much higher UV-blocking performance as well as alleviate the whitening effect because these particles retain their nanoscale dimensions as favored by the cosmetic industry. Significantly, these nanostructures shows the less photocatalysis activity than that of pristine ZnO nanoparticles. And we found that the photocatalytic activity of ZnO in RCore@Shell/CNF was more suppressed that Core@Shell/CNF, showing that it is a proper structure to neutralize or scavenge free radicals prior to their exit from the particles. Our results suggest that, reduction in photocatalysis induced by Core@Shell/CNF and RCore@Shell/CNF nanostructures is a promising strategy for skincare products in cosmetic industry.

Highly dispersive Co3O4 nanoparticles incorporated into a cellulose nanofiber for a high-performance flexible supercapacitor.

Transition metal oxides used as electrode materials for flexible supercapacitors have attracted huge attention due to their high specific capacitance and surface-to-volume ratio, specifically for cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanoparticles. However, the low intrinsic electronic conductivity and aggregation of Co3O4 nanoparticles restrict their electrochemical performance and prevent these electrode materials from being commercialized. Herein, a facile, advantageous, and cost effective sol-gel synthetic route for growing Co3O4 nanoparticles uniformly over a low cost and eco-friendly one-dimensional (1D) hydrophilic cellulose nanofiber (CNF) surface has been reported. This exhibits high conductivity, which enables the symmetric electrode to deliver a high specific capacitance of ∼214 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 with remarkable cycling behavior (∼94% even after 5000 cycles) compared to that of pristine CNF and Co3O4 electrodes in an aqueous electrolyte. Furthermore, the binder-free nature of 1D Co3O4@CNF (which was carbonized at 200 °C for about 20 min under a H2/Ar atmosphere) shows great potential as a hybrid flexible paper-like electrode and provides a high specific capacitance of 80 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 with a superior energy density of 10 W h kg-1 in the gel electrolyte. This study provides a novel pathway, using a hydrophilic 1D CNF, for realizing the full potential of Co3O4 nanoparticles as advanced electrode materials for next generation flexible electronic devices.

Instantaneous integration of magnetite nanoparticles on graphene oxide assisted by ultrasound for efficient heavy metal ion retrieval.

We fabricated a magnetite nanoparticle-graphene oxide (GO) hybrid via a non-chemical and one-step process assisted by ultrasound in an aqueous solution where the nanoparticle attached to the hydrophobic region on graphite oxide (multi-layered GO) which, at the same time, was exfoliated. Unlike chemical methods such as precipitation, oxygen-containing functional groups on GO have not been consumed or reduced during the hybridization, leading that this hybrid exhibited good water solubility and high adsorption capacity for heavy metal ions such as Pb(II) and Au(III). After the adsorption, the hybrid was instantly collected using a magnet. This method can be useful for hybridizing various nanoparticles with GO.

Heme Oxygenase 1 in Schwann Cells Regulates Peripheral Nerve Degeneration Against Oxidative Stress.

During Wallerian degeneration, Schwann cells lose their characteristic of myelinating axons and shift into the state of developmental promyelinating cells. This recharacterized Schwann cell guides newly regrowing axons to their destination and remyelinates reinnervated axons. This Schwann cell dynamics during Wallerian degeneration is associated with oxidative events. Heme oxygenases (HOs) are involved in the oxidative degradation of heme into biliverdin/bilirubin, ferrous iron, and carbon monoxide. Overproduction of ferrous iron by HOs increases reactive oxygen species, which have deleterious effects on living cells. Thus, the key molecule for understanding the exact mechanism of Wallerian degeneration in the peripheral nervous system is likely related to oxidative stress-mediated HOs in Schwann cells. In this study, we demonstrate that demyelinating Schwann cells during Wallerian degeneration highly express HO1, not HO2, and remyelinating Schwann cells during nerve regeneration decrease HO1 activation to levels similar to those in normal myelinating Schwann cells. In addition, HO1 activation during Wallerian degeneration regulates several critical phenotypes of recharacterized repair Schwann cells, such as demyelination, transdedifferentiation, and proliferation. Thus, these results suggest that oxidative stress in Schwann cells after peripheral nerve injury may be regulated by HO1 activation during Wallerian degeneration and oxidative-stress-related HO1 activation in Schwann cells may be helpful to study deeply molecular mechanism of Wallerian degeneration.

Fluorescence-Based Analysis of Noncanonical Functions of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase-Interacting Multifunctional Proteins (AIMPs) in Peripheral Nerves.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-interacting multifunctional proteins (AIMPs) are auxiliary factors involved in protein synthesis related to aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs). AIMPs, which are well known as nonenzymatic factors, include AIMP1/p43, AIMP2/p38, and AIMP3/p18. The canonical functions of AIMPs include not only protein synthesis via multisynthetase complexes but also maintenance of the structural stability of these complexes. Several recent studies have demonstrated nontypical (noncanonical) functions of AIMPs, such as roles in apoptosis, inflammatory processes, DNA repair, and so on. However, these noncanonical functions of AIMPs have not been studied in peripheral nerves related to motor and sensory functions. Peripheral nerves include two types of structures: peripheral axons and Schwann cells. The myelin sheath formed by Schwann cells produces saltatory conduction, and these rapid electrical signals control motor and sensory functioning in the service of survival in mammals. Schwann cells play roles not only in myelin sheath formation but also as modulators of nerve degeneration and regeneration. Therefore, it is important to identify the main functions of Schwann cells in peripheral nerves. Here, using immunofluorescence technique, we demonstrated that AIMPs are essential morphological indicators of peripheral nerve degeneration, and their actions are limited to peripheral nerves and not the dorsal root ganglion and the ventral horn of the spinal cord.

Preferred display white prediction model based on mixed chromatic adaptation between "prototypical display white" and surround lighting color.

The correlated color temperature (CCT) of the monitor white needs to be controlled for the preferred image reproduction according to the surround lighting changes. The preferred display white prediction model according to the surround lighting color is proposed both for the emissive transparent display and opaque displays. To develop the model, the preferred CCT of the monitor white of a simulated emissive transparent display and an opaque display were investigated under four different surround lighting CCTs by conducting psychophysical experiments with twenty subjects.

Transparent effect on the gray scale perception of a transparent OLED display.

Gray scale perception of transparent OLED displays was explored. The difference in luminance between transparent and non-transparent stimuli in the overall gray range was compared. The transparent effect appeared in gray scale perception. The range of the transparent effect was determined experimentally. To explore the practical application of this effect, we proposed a new tone-curve based on the transparent effect. In the preference experiment, participants indicated a higher preference score for the new tone-curve. This implied that the transparent effect is valid and applicable to real situations.

Diagnostic performance of initial serum albumin level for predicting in-hospital mortality among aspiration pneumonia patients.

PURPOSE: The predictive value of serum albumin in adult aspiration pneumonia patients remains unknown. METHODS: Using data collected during a 3-year retrospective cohort of hospitalized adult patients with aspiration pneumonia, we evaluated the predictive value of serum albumin level at ED presentation for in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: 248 Patients were enrolled; of these, 51 cases died (20.6%). The mean serum albumin level was 3.4±0.7g/dL and serum albumin levels were significantly lower in the non-survivor group than in the survivor group (3.0±0.6g/dL vs. 3.5±0.6g/dL). In the multivariable logistic regression model, albumin was associated with in-hospital mortality significantly (adjusted odds ratio 0.30, 95% confidential interval (CI) 0.16-0.57). The area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) for in-hospital survival was 0.72 (95% CI 0.64-0.80). The Youden index was 3.2g/dL and corresponding sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive and negative likelihood ratio were 68.6%, 66.5%, 34.7%, 89.1%, 2.05 and 0.47, respectively. High sensitivity (98.0%) was shown at albumin level of 4.0g/dL and high specificity (94.9%) was shown at level of 2.5g/dL. CONCLUSION: Initial serum albumin levels were independently associated with in-hospital mortality among adult patients hospitalized with aspiration pneumonia and demonstrated fair discriminative performance in the prediction of in-hospital mortality.

Black perception in a transparent OLED display.

Black perception (perceived blackness of gray 0) of transparent OLED displays was studied in this paper. In pre-test, maximum luminances of acceptable black level under various surround conditions were found in a non-transparent display. In the first experiment, the luminance of a transparent patch was compared with that of an opaque one in order to find the effect of transparency on black perception. As a result, participants perceived the transparent patch darker than the opaque one even when the two were in similar luminance levels, which we termed as the "Transparency Effect." In the second experiment, the perceived brightness of gray 0 with various background brightness conditions was investigated to observe the effect of induced black perception. Most participants perceived the luminance of gray 0 darker with brighter background luminance, but some did not. It might result from transparency of gray 0 which had a role as a window presenting the area overlapped with a transparent OLED display.

Biologic subtype is a more important prognostic factor than nodal involvement in patients with stages I and II breast carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Nodal infiltration has been one of the most important prognostic factors in breast cancer. In recent decades, risk stratification has greatly changed, and is applied in accordance with hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. We compared the prognostic power of tumor subtype to nodal involvement in early breast cancer. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 505 patients who had curative surgery for stage I or II breast cancer. We analyzed clinicopathologic factors according to tumor subtype and nodal involvement. Tumors were classified into 4 subtypes according to immunohistochemical status of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, HER2, and Ki67 labeling index. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 363 node-negative patients (71.9%) and 142 node-positive patients (28.1%). Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2, and triple-negative breast cancer subtypes were composed of 207 (41.0%), 147 (29.1%), 42 (8.3%), and 109 patients (21.6%), respectively. The median follow-up period was 89.5 months. Node negative-luminal A subtype showed the best prognosis with regard to 5-year DFS, and the pN1-triple negative subtype was associated with the shortest DFS (95.1% vs. 67.8%; hazard ratio, 9.554; P < 0.001). However, the node negative-triple negative subtype was associated with a worse 5-year DFS than the pN1-luminal A subtype ([86.4%; hazard ratio, 2.647; P = 0.048] vs. [93.2%; hazard ratio, 2.061; P = 0.194]). CONCLUSION: Node negative-triple negative breast cancer was associated with a poorer prognosis than pN1-luminal A subtype. Tumor subtype has greater prognostic power compared to nodal status in early breast cancer.

Trouble Spots in Online Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Promotion: A Content Analysis of FDA Warning Letters.

BACKGROUND: For the purpose of understanding the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) concerns regarding online promotion of prescription drugs advertised directly to consumers, this study examines notices of violations (NOVs) and warning letters issued by the FDA to pharmaceutical manufacturers. METHODS: The FDA's warning letters and NOVs, which were issued to pharmaceutical companies over a 10-year period (2005 to 2014) regarding online promotional activities, were content-analyzed. RESULTS: Six violation categories were identified: risk information, efficacy information, indication information, product labeling, material information issues, and approval issues. The results reveal that approximately 95% of the alleged violations were found on branded drug websites, in online paid advertisements, and in online videos. Of the total 179 violations, the majority of the alleged violations were concerned with the lack of risk information and/or misrepresentation of efficacy information, suggesting that achieving a fair balance of benefit versus risk information is a major problem with regard to the direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs. In addition, the character space limitations of online platforms, eg, sponsored links on search engines, pose challenges for pharmaceutical marketers with regard to adequately communicating important drug information, such as indication information, risk information, and product labeling. CONCLUSION: Presenting drug information in a fair and balanced manner remains a major problem. Industry guidance should consider addressing visibility and accessibility of information in the web environment to help pharmaceutical marketers meet the requirements for direct-to-consumer promotion and to protect consumers from misleading drug information. Promotion via social media warrants further attention, as pharmaceutical manufacturers have already begun actively establishing a social media presence, and the FDA has thus begun to keep tabs on social media promotions of prescription drugs.