Quantitative Screening of Cervical Cancers for Low-Resource Settings: Pilot Study of Smartphone-Based Endoscopic Visual Inspection After Acetic Acid Using Machine Learning Techniques

Background: Approximately 90% of global cervical cancer (CC) is mostly found in low- and middle-income countries. In most cases, CC can be detected early through routine screening programs, including a cytology-based test. However, it is logistically difficult to offer this program in low-resource settings due to limited resources and infrastructure, and few trained experts. A visual inspection following the application of acetic acid (VIA) has been widely promoted and is routinely recommended as a viable form of CC screening in resource-constrained countries. Digital images of the cervix have been acquired during VIA procedure with better quality assurance and visualization, leading to higher diagnostic accuracy and reduction of the variability of detection rate. However, a colposcope is bulky, expensive, electricity-dependent, and needs routine maintenance, and to confirm the grade of abnormality through its images, a specialist must be present. Recently, smartphone-based imaging systems have made a significant impact on the practice of medicine by offering a cost-effective, rapid, and noninvasive method of evaluation. Furthermore, computer-aided analyses, including image processing-based methods and machine learning techniques, have also shown great potential for a high impact on medicinal evaluations

New Trade Restrictive Measures and Exports: Evidence from South Korea

The world economy recently witnessed a surge in trade remedies and non-tariff measures (NTMs) as new trade-restrictive measures. This study attempts to provide empirical evidence on the effects of new trade-restrictive measures, such as antidumping, countervailing measures, technical barriers to trade, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures on trade. By using the Korean product-level export data and the new NTM data, we find that new trade-restrictive measures in trade can depend on the affected sectors and imposing countries. Exports can be adversely affected by new trade-restrictive measures in their concentrated sectors taken by importing developed countries. We also find the threatening effects of trade remedy before this investigation. However, new trade-restrictive measures imposed by importing developing countries can have positive impact on trade, particularly an increase in consumers trust in product quality and decrease in asymmetric information. Results imply that the government of an exporting party should enhance trade policies by considering the heterogeneous effects of new trade-restrictive measures across industries and trading partners.We thank the Bank of Korea for providing financial support

Enhancing photoluminescence quantum efficiency of metal halide perovskites by examining luminescence-limiting factors

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) show superior optoelectronic properties, which give them the great potential for use in next generation light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In particular, their narrow emission linewidths can achieve ultrahigh color purity. However, the reported luminescence efficiency (LE) values are not high enough to be commercialized in displays and solid-state lightings. Moreover, the operational stability of LEDs associated with the overshooting of luminance and the high relative standard deviation of reported external quantum efficiencies are still problematic. In this perspective, we review photophysical factors that limit the photoluminescence quantum efficiency of perovskite-based LEDs. These factors are categorized into (i) weak exciton binding, (ii) nonradiative recombinations, (iii) slow cooling of long-lived hot carriers, (iv) deep-level defects, and (v) interband transition rates. We then present various physicochemical methods to effectively overcome these luminescence-limiting factors. We finally suggest some useful research directions to further improve the LE of MHP emitters as core components in displays and solid-state lightings.

Flightless-I Controls Fat Storage in Drosophila

Triglyceride homeostasis is a key process of normal development and is essential for the maintenance of energy metabolism. Dysregulation of this process leads to metabolic disorders such as obesity and hyperlipidemia. Here, we report a novel function of the Drosophila flightless-I (fliI) gene in lipid metabolism. Drosophila fliI mutants were resistant to starvation and showed increased levels of triglycerides in the fat body and intestine, whereas fliI overexpression decreased triglyceride levels. These flies suffered from metabolic stress indicated by increased levels of trehalose in hemolymph and enhanced phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2??). Moreover, upregulation of triglycerides via a knockdown of fliI was reversed by a knockdown of desat1 in the fat body of flies. These results indicate that fliI suppresses the expression of desat1, thereby inhibiting the development of obesity; fliI may, thus, serve as a novel therapeutic target in obesity and metabolic diseases

Abducens Nerve Palsy Complicated by Inferior Petrosal Sinus Septic Thrombosis Due to Mastoiditis

We present a very rare case of a 29-month-old boy with acute onset right abducens nerve palsy complicated by inferior petrosal sinus septic thrombosis due to mastoiditis without petrous apicitis. Four months after mastoidectomy, the patient fully recovered from an esotropia of 30 prism diopters and an abduction limitation (-4) in his right eye