Opportunities of Optical Spectrum for Future Wireless Communications

The requirements in terms of service quality such as data rate, latency, power consumption, number of connectivity of future fifth-generation (5G) communication is very high. Moreover, in Internet of Things (IoT) requires massive connectivity. Optical wireless communication (OWC) technologies such as visible light communication, light fidelity, optical camera communication, and free space optical communication can effectively serve for the successful deployment of 5G and IoT. This paper clearly presents the contributions of OWC networks for 5G and IoT solutions.Comment: 2019 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Information and Communication (ICAIIC

Redirecting an Anticancer to an Antibacterial Hit Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

YM155 is a clinically evaluated anticancer with a fused naphthoquinone-imidazolium scaffold. In this study, we demonstrated that based on weak or cryptic antibacterial activity of YM155 against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (MIC of 50 μg/ml), some congeneric compounds with short alkyl chains (e.g., c5 with a hexyl chain) at the N3 position of the scaffold, displayed more potent antibacterial activity against MRSA (MIC of 3.13 μg/ml), which is in a clinically achievable range. Their antibacterial activity was evident against Gram-negative bacteria, only in the presence of the outer membrane-permeabilizing agent, polymyxin B. The antibacterial efficacy of c5 was confirmed using the Drosophila systemic infection model. We also characterized five spontaneous c5-resistant MRSA mutants that carry mutations in the ubiE gene, for quinone metabolism and respiratory electron transfer, and subsequently exhibited reduced respiration activity. The antibacterial activity of c5 was compromised either by an antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine, or in an anaerobic condition. These suggest that the antibacterial mechanism of c5 involves the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), presumably during respiratory electron transport. This study provides an insight into “drug redirecting,” through a chemical modification, based on an ROS-generating pharmacophore

SEALONE (Safety and Efficacy of Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography with Low Dose in Patients Visiting Emergency Room) trial: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Objective Chest pain is one of the most common complaints in the emergency department (ED). Cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a frequently used tool for the early triage of patients with low- to intermediate-risk acute chest pain. We present a study protocol for a multicenter prospective randomized controlled clinical trial testing the hypothesis that a low-dose CCTA protocol using prospective electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggering and limited-scan range can provide sufficient diagnostic safety for early triage of patients with acute chest pain. Methods The trial will include 681 younger adult (aged 20 to 55) patients visiting EDs of three academic hospitals for acute chest pain or equivalent symptoms who require further evaluation to rule out acute coronary syndrome. Participants will be randomly allocated to either low-dose or conventional CCTA protocol at a 2:1 ratio. The low-dose group will undergo CCTA with prospective ECG-triggering and restricted scan range from sub-carina to heart base. The conventional protocol group will undergo CCTA with retrospective ECG-gating covering the entire chest. Patient disposition is determined based on computed tomography findings and clinical progression and all patients are followed for a month. The primary objective is to prove that the chance of experiencing any hard event within 30 days after a negative low-dose CCTA is less than 1%. The secondary objectives are comparisons of the amount of radiation exposure, ED length of stay and overall cost. Results and Conclusion Our low-dose protocol is readily applicable to current multi-detector computed tomography devices. If this study proves its safety and efficacy, dose-reduction without purchasing of expensive newer devices would be possible

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Studies on Recovery of Injured Optic Radiation: A Minireview

The optic radiation (OR) is a visual neural fiber pathway for the transfer of visual information from the lateral geniculate body of the thalamus to the primary visual cortex. To demonstrate the recovery of an OR injury, quantification and visualization of changes to the injured OR are necessary. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) allows determination of the state of an OR by assessing the obtained DTI parameters. In particular, diffusion tensor tractography (DTT), which is derived from DTI data, allows three-dimensional visualization of the OR. Thus, recovery of an injured OR can be demonstrated by examining changes in DTI parameters and/or configuration on follow-up DTI scans or via DTT of the injured OR. Herein, we review nine DTI-based studies that demonstrated recovery of OR injuries. The results reported in these studies suggest that an OR injury has a potential for recovery. Moreover, the results of these studies can form a basis for elucidating the recovery mechanisms of injured OR. These studies have suggested two recovery mechanisms for OR injury: recovery via the original OR pathway or via the transcallosal fibers of the corpus callosum. However, only nine studies on this topic have been conducted to date and six of those nine studies were case reports. Therefore, further studies involving larger numbers of subjects and reporting precise evaluations of changes in OR injury during recovery are warranted

Diagnosis of the Trigeminal Nerve Injury in a Patient with Pontine Hemorrhage

Herein, we present a patient who was diagnosed with trigeminal nerve injury following a pontine hemorrhage. A 38-year-old male was diagnosed with a left pontine hemorrhage and underwent conservative management at the neurosurgery department of a university hospital. After hemorrhage onset, he felt facial pain on the right side. After seven years, he visited the rehabilitation department of another hospital for evaluation of his right facial pain. He complained of somatosensory impairment and facial pain (tingling and cold sensation) on the right side as well as difficulty chewing and gait disturbance. On neurological examination, decreased touch sensation (approximately 30%) was observed on the right side of the face, in the oral cavity, and on the tongue (anterior two-thirds) as well as weakness of the right-sided masseter muscles. He also exhibitedallodynia without dysesthesia on the right side of the face. Diffusion tensor tractography showed the right trigeminal nerve to be discontinued at the anterior margin of the pons (arrow) compared to the state of the left trigeminal nerve

Diffusion Tensor Tractography Studies on Recovery Mechanisms of Aphasia in Stroke Patients: A Narrative Mini-Review

Aphasia is a common and serious clinical feature of stroke. Various neural tracts are known to be involved in language processing. Diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) appears to be an appropriate imaging technique for the elucidation of the recovery mechanisms of aphasia in the language-related neural tracts in stroke patients. In this article, twelve previous DTT-based studies on the recovery mechanisms of aphasia in stroke were reviewed. We classified the twelve studies into the following three categories according to the recovery mechanisms: recovery via the neural tracts in the dominant hemisphere (eight studies), via transcallosal fibers (two studies), and via the neural tracts in the non-dominant hemisphere (two studies). Although there are various neural tracts for language processing, eight of the ten studies focused only on the role of the arcuate fasciculus (AF) in the recovery process. Consequently, it appears from the studies that only one recovery mechanism of aphasia via the restoration of the integrity of the injured AF in the dominant hemisphere was clearly demonstrated. However, because various neural tracts are involved in language processing, there could be other mechanisms that have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, further original studies involving a larger number of patients with aphasia in stroke should be encouraged forthwith. Further studies involving various lesion locations and severity levels of injuries to the language-related neural tracts are also necessary because the recovery mechanisms of aphasia in stroke could be dependent on these factors

Effect of α1D-adrenoceptor blocker for the reduction of ureteral contractions

Purpose: Urolithiasis is a common urinary tract disease with growing prevalence. Alpha1-adrenoceptors (α1-ARs) are abundant in ureteral smooth muscle, distributed with different α1-AR subtypes. α1D-AR is the most widely distributed in the ureter. However, the effect of α1D-AR blockade on ureteric contraction remains unknown. Materials and Methods: We dissected smooth muscle tissues (3 mm×3 mm) from the rat bladder and human ureter, tied silk strips on both tissue ends, and measured contraction in an organ bath chamber. Contraction activity in ureteral smooth muscle cells (USMCs) was immunocytochemically examined using primary rat and human USMC cultures. Results: Using the organ bath system, we determined the inhibitory effects of silodosin, tamsulosin, and naftopidil. Naftopidil significantly decreased contractility of rat bladder tissue; similar results were observed in human ureteral tissue. To confirm ex vivo experimental results in vitro , we examined the phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC), a marker of contractility, in a primary human USMC culture. The examined drugs decreased phospho-MLC levels in human USMCs; however, naftopidil profoundly increased MLC dephosphorylation. Conclusions: We studied the effects of naftopidil, an α1D-AR inhibitor, on the ureter. Compared with alpha-blockers, naftopidil significantly relaxed ureteral smooth muscle. Therefore, naftopidil could be an effective therapy for patients with ureteral stones

Association between anti-smoking campaign types and smoking cessation attempts

Objective: This study explored the association between anti-smoking campaign types and smoking cessation attempts. Methods: This study included 4,594 individuals (3,292 male and 1,302 female) from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS) in 2018 and 2020. The methods of anti-smoking promotion were divided into online, offline, online and offline, and none. Attempts to quit smoking were classified as yes or no. Multiple logistic regression was performed to examine the association between antismoking campaign type and smoking cessation attempts. Results: Those who saw anti-smoking advertisements both online and offline were found to have tried to quit smoking more than those who did not. (Online & offline: male, odds ratio [OR] 1.36; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.08–1.71; female, OR, 1.75; 95% CI 1.21–2.54) In a subgroup analysis of the independent variables into which smoking cessation advertisements were subdivided, males were found to have the highest OR for smoking cessation attempts when they encountered advertisements in newspapers. (Newspaper: male, OR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.00–5.02) Females had the highest OR for smoking cessation attempts when accessed via the Internet. (Internet: female, OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.07–3.50). Conclusion: This study showed that there is a correlation between smoking cessation advertisements and adolescents' smoking cessation attempts. The possibility of smoking cessation attempts is high when encountering smoking cessation advertisements both online and offline. Although offline smoking cessation advertisements have a great effect on adolescents’ smoking cessation attempts, it can be confirmed that the frequency of exposure for offline advertisements is less than that for online advertisements

In Vitro Propagation of Garcinia livingstonei T. Anderson (African Mangosteen) a Woody Tree Species through the Culture of Matured Seed Segments

The in vitro propagation and ex situ conservation strategy provides new means for the conservation and mass propagation of economically and medicinally important plants. The present work aimed to observe the main characteristics of the in vitro propagation of Garcinia livingstonei from matured seed segments. Successful multiple shoots were induced on a woody plant (WP) medium supplemented with cytokinins. An average of 13.0 shoots per explant were grown from matured seed segments on a WP medium containing 15.0 µM BAP after 12 weeks of culture. The shoot elongation and multiplication were achieved using a repeated and periodic subculturing of shoot clumps in the same medium. The optimum in vitro rooting of shoots was obtained on the half-strength WP medium supplemented with IBA (5.0 µM). The regenerated plantlets were successfully transplanted to pots containing soil, sand, and farmyard manure (1:1:1) and were maintained in a greenhouse with a survival frequency was 80%

A Simple Method for Fabricating an External Light Extraction Composite Layer with RNS to Improve the Optical Properties of OLEDs

In this study, we fabricated a random nanostructure (RNS) external light extraction composite layer containing high-refractive-index nanoparticles through a simple and inexpensive solution process and a low-temperature mask-free process. We focused on varying the shape and density of the RNSs and adjusted the concentration of the high-refractive-index nanoparticles to control the optical properties. The RNSs fabricated using a low-temperature mask-free process can use the distance between the nanostructures and various forms to control the diffraction and scattering effects in the visible light wavelength range. Consequently, our film exhibited a direct transmittance of ~85% at a wavelength of 550 nm. Furthermore, when the RNSs’ composite film, manufactured using the low-temperature mask-free process, was applied to organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), it exhibited an external quantum efficiency improvement of 32.2% compared with the OLEDs without the RNSs. Therefore, the randomly distributed high-refractive-index nanoparticles on the polymer film can reduce the waveguide mode and total reflection at the substrate/air interface. These films can be used as a scattering layer to reduce the loss of the OLED substrate mode