Varifocal occlusion in optical see-through near-eye display with single phase-only liquid crystal on silicon

We propose a novel near-eye display optics that supports three-dimensional mutual occlusion. By exploiting the polarization-control properties of the phase-only liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), we achieve real see-through scene masking as well as virtual digital scene imaging using a single LCoS. Dynamic depth control of the real scene mask and virtual digital image is also achieved by using a focus tunable lens (FTL) pair of opposite curvatures. The proposed configuration using a single LCoS and opposite curvature FTL pair enables the self-alignment of the mask and image at arbitrary depth without distorting the see-through view of the real scene. We verified the feasibility of the proposed optics using two optical benchtop setups: one with two off-the-shelf FTLs for continuous depth control, and the other with a single Pancharatnam-Berry phase type FTL for the improved form factor

Presentation_1_Polyacetylene From Dendropanax morbifera Alleviates Diet-Induced Obesity and Hepatic Steatosis by Activating AMPK Signaling Pathway.PDF

<p>The extract tea of Dendropanax morbifera is popular beverages in Korea, and their preventive and therapeutic roles in metabolic disorders have been reported. However, the molecular mechanism has not been studied despite the known efficacy of D. morbifera. Eleven fractions (fr.1–fr.11) were divided by MPLC to find the active compound. Among them, Fr.5 was superior to others in that the inhibitory efficacy of de novo triglyceride (TG) biosynthesis. NMR analysis revealed that Fr.5 is composed 98% or more (9Z,16S)-16-hydroxy-9,17-octadecadiene-12,14-diynoic acid (HOD). Treatment of HOD diminished oleic acid (OA)-induced TG accumulation in HepG2 hepatocytes and differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by activating LKB1/AMPK. In addition, we determined the effect of the oral administration of the extract of D. morbifera on obesity and hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. This study proved that D. morbifera containing HOD, the active substance, can show preventive or therapeutic efficacy on obesity and hepatic steatosis through the targeting LKB1/AMPK axis.</p

Immunological dynamics associated with rapid virological response during the early phase of type I interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C

<div><p>Type I interferons (IFNs) play an important role in antiviral immunity as well as immunopathogenesis of diverse chronic viral infections. However, the precise mechanisms regulating the multifaceted effects of type I IFNs on the immune system and pathological inflammation still remain unclear. In order to assess the immunological dynamics associated with rapid viral clearance in chronic hepatitis C patients during the acute phase of type I IFN therapy, we analyzed multiple parameters of virological and immunological responses in a cohort of 59 Korean hepatitis C patients who received pegylated IFN-α and ribavirin (IFN/RBV). Most of the Korean patients had favorable alleles in the IFN-λ loci for responsiveness to IFN/RBV (i.e., C/C in <i>rs12979860</i>, T/T in <i>rs8099917</i>, and TT/TT in <i>rs368234815</i>). Rapid virological response (RVR) was determined mainly by the hepatitis C virus genotype. Among the cytokines analyzed, higher plasma levels of IL-17A and FGF were observed in non-RVR patients infected with viral genotype 1 and IP-10 was consistently elevated in RVR group infected with genotype 2 during the early phase of antiviral therapy. In addition, these three cytokines were correlated each other, suggesting a functional linkage of the cytokines in antiviral responses during IFN/RBV therapy. A low baseline frequencies of regulatory T cells and γδ T cells, but high level of group 2 innate lymphoid cells, in peripheral bloods were also significantly associated with the RVR group, implicating a potential role of the cellular immunity during the early phase of IFN/RBV therapy. Therefore, the immunological programs established by chronic hepatitis C and rapid disruption of the delicate balance by exogenous type I IFN might be associated with the subsequent virological outcomes in chronic hepatitis C patients.</p></div

Picroside II Attenuates Airway Inflammation by Downregulating the Transcription Factor GATA3 and Th2-Related Cytokines in a Mouse Model of HDM-Induced Allergic Asthma

<div><p>Picroside II isolated from <i>Pseudolysimachion rotundum</i> var. <i>subintegrum</i> has been used as traditional medicine to treat inflammatory diseases. In this study, we assessed whether picroside II has inhibitory effects on airway inflammation in a mouse model of house dust mite (HDM)-induced asthma. In the HDM-induced asthmatic model, picroside II significantly reduced inflammatory cell counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), the levels of total immunoglobulin (Ig) E and HDM-specific IgE and IgG1 in serum, airway inflammation, and mucus hypersecretion in the lung tissues. ELISA analysis showed that picroside II down-regulated the levels of Th2-related cytokines (including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) and asthma-related mediators, but it up-regulated Th1-related cytokine, IFNγ in BALF. Picroside II also inhibited the expression of Th2 type cytokine genes and the transcription factor GATA3 in the lung tissues of HDM-induced mice. Finally, we demonstrated that picroside II significantly decreased the expression of GATA3 and Th2 cytokines in developing Th2 cells, consistent with <i>in vivo</i> results. Taken together, these results indicate that picroside II has protective effects on allergic asthma by reducing GATA3 expression and Th2 cytokine bias.</p></div

Relative frequencies of Th17 and T_Reg cells in peripheral blood of chronic hepatitis C patients.

<p>The proportions (%) of CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ T cells (T_Reg) among peripheral CD4 T cells in patients with RVR (R) and non-RVR (NR) before (W0) and one week (W1) after type I IFN therapy are presented (upper panel). T_Reg: Th17 ratio was also presented in the lower panel. Horizontal bars represent the mean values. *, <i>p</i> < 0.05; **, <i>p</i> < 0.01; ***, <i>p</i> < 0.001. ns, not significant.</p

Effects of picroside II on cytokine levels in BALF.

<p>BALF samples were collected from mice 48h after the last HDM challenge. The levels of (A) Th2-related cytokines, (B) Th1-related cytokine, and (C) asthma-related cytokine were measured using ELISA. NC; normal control mice treated with saline only, model; HDM-sensitized/challenged mice, PIC 15 and 30; picroside II (15 and 30 ㎎/㎏) + HDM-sensitized/challenged mice, DEX; dexamethasone + HDM-sensitized/challenged mice. All data are representative of three independent experiments and represented as the mean ± SEM (n = 6 mice/group). ^###p<0.001, compared with normal control (NC); *p<0.05, **p<0.01, and ***p<0.001, compared with model group.</p

Comparison of PBMC populations between the RVR and non-RVR groups.

<p>Comparison of PBMC populations between the RVR and non-RVR groups.</p

Effects of picroside II on airway inflammation and mucus secretion in HDM-induced asthma model.

<p>After the collection of BALF, lung tissue was fixed, sectioned at 4μm and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) (A) or periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) (B) solution (magnification 100x or 400x). NC; normal control mice treated with saline only, model; HDM-sensitized/challenged mice, PIC 15 and 30; picroside II (15 and 30 ㎎/㎏) + HDM-sensitized/challenged mice, DEX; dexamethasone + HDM-sensitized/challenged mice.</p

Effects of YPL-001(YPL) and picroside II (PIC II) on House dust mite (HDM)-induced BALF composition.

<p>(A) A timeline of allergen sensitization, exposure, and drug treatment in this study (DEX; dexamethasone, i.n; intranasal). The total cells (B) and differential cells (C) in BALF of mice were collected at 48h after the last HDM challenge, and quantified in DiffQuick-stained reagent. NC; normal control mice treated with saline only, model; HDM-sensitized/challenged mice, YPL 15 and 30; YPL-001 (15 and 30 ㎎/㎏) + HDM-sensitized/challenged mice, PIC 15 and 30; picroside II (15 and 30 ㎎/㎏)+HDM-sensitized/challenged mice, DEX; dexamethasone + HDM-sensitized/challenged mice. All data are representative of three independent experiments and represented as the mean ± SEM (n = 6 mice/group). ^#p<0.05, ^##p<0.01, and ^###p<0.001, compared with normal control (NC); *p<0.05, **p<0.01, and ***p<0.001, compared with model group.</p

Primer sequences for quantitative real-time PCR.

<p>Primer sequences for quantitative real-time PCR.</p