Perception-Oriented Single Image Super-Resolution using Optimal Objective Estimation

Single-image super-resolution (SISR) networks trained with perceptual and adversarial losses provide high-contrast outputs compared to those of networks trained with distortion-oriented losses, such as L1 or L2. However, it has been shown that using a single perceptual loss is insufficient for accurately restoring locally varying diverse shapes in images, often generating undesirable artifacts or unnatural details. For this reason, combinations of various losses, such as perceptual, adversarial, and distortion losses, have been attempted, yet it remains challenging to find optimal combinations. Hence, in this paper, we propose a new SISR framework that applies optimal objectives for each region to generate plausible results in overall areas of high-resolution outputs. Specifically, the framework comprises two models: a predictive model that infers an optimal objective map for a given low-resolution (LR) input and a generative model that applies a target objective map to produce the corresponding SR output. The generative model is trained over our proposed objective trajectory representing a set of essential objectives, which enables the single network to learn various SR results corresponding to combined losses on the trajectory. The predictive model is trained using pairs of LR images and corresponding optimal objective maps searched from the objective trajectory. Experimental results on five benchmarks show that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art perception-driven SR methods in LPIPS, DISTS, PSNR, and SSIM metrics. The visual results also demonstrate the superiority of our method in perception-oriented reconstruction. The code and models are available at https://github.com/seungho-snu/SROOE.Comment: Code and trained models will be available at https://github.com/seungho-snu/SROO

Intakes of Dairy Products and Calcium and Obesity in Korean Adults: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) 2007-2009

Background: The possible effects of dairy product intake against obesity have been suggested in animal studies; however, the association is still not well established in epidemiological studies. Few studies in Asian countries with relatively low intake of dairy products exist. Objective: We investigated the association between dairy products and calcium intake and obesity in Korean population with relatively low intake of dairy products. Subjects and Methods Our study population consisted of adults (n = 7173) aged 19–64 among participants of the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who had not made any attempt of intentional weight loss. Dietary intake data from food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and 24-hour recall were used. Dairy products included milk and yogurt in the FFQ. Obesity was defined as BMI≥25 kg/m2. Results: Higher frequency of dairy product intake was associated with a reduced prevalence of obesity (OR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.45–0.89 for ≥2 times/day vs. ≤1 time/month; p for trend = 0.003) using the intake data from FFQ. Similarly, high frequency of milk or yogurt intake had an inverse association with obesity. The association between milk and yogurt intake and obesity was similar when the intake from 24-hour recall was examined. Higher calcium intake from dairy products as well as total dietary calcium intake was associated with a decreased prevalence of obesity (OR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.71–0.98 for highest vs. lowest quintile of dairy calcium intake; p for trend = 0.02, OR = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.64–0.94 for highest vs. lowest quintile of total calcium intake; p for trend = 0.04). The associations appeared to be stronger in women than in men. Conclusion: These results suggest that high consumption of dairy products is associated with a lower prevalence of obesity and that calcium in dairy products may be one of the components contributing to the association. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to replicate our findings

MR Findings of Fulminent Leukoencephalopathy in EBV-Associated Hemophagocytic Syndrome

Various manifestations of brain involvement for patients with virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome have been reported. Here, we report on the sequential magnetic resonance (MR) findings of acute demyelination of the entire brain with subsequent brain atrophy in a follow-up study of a 25-month-old boy who was admitted with fever and then diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis and EBV-associated hemophagocytic syndrome. We also review other conditions that should be included in the differential diagnosis of this disease

Impact of left atrial appendage closure on cardiac functional and structural remodeling: A difference-in-difference analysis of propensity score matched samples

Background: Although the safety and efficacy of left atrial (LA) appendage (LAA) closure (LAAC) in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients have been well documented in randomized controlled trials and real-world experience, there are limited data in the literature about the impact of LAAC on cardiac remodeling. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of LAAC on cardiac functional and structural remodeling in NVAF patients. Methods: Between March 2014 and November 2016, 47 NVAF patients who underwent LAAC were included in this study (LAAC group). A control group (non-LAAC group) was formed from 141 NVAF patients without LAAC using propensity score matching. The difference-in-difference analysis was used to evaluate the difference in cardiac remodeling between the two groups at baseline and follow-up evaluations. Results: The LAAC group had a larger increase in LA dimension, volume and volume index than the non-LAAC group (+3.9 mm, p = 0.001; +9.7 mL, p = 0.006 and +5.9 mL/m2, p = 0.011, respectively). Besides, a significant increase in E and E/e’ ratio was also observed in the LAAC group (+14.6 cm/s, p = 0.002 and +2.3, p = 0.028, respectively). Compared with the non-LAAC group, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction and fractional shortening decreased in LAAC patients, but were statistically insignificant (–3.5%, p = 0.109 and –2.0%, p = 0.167, respectively). Conclusions: There were significant increases in LA size and LV filling pressure among NVAF patients after LAAC. These impacts of LAAC on cardiac functional and structural remodeling may have some clinical implications that need to be addressed in future studies

Role of Amphipathic Helix of a Herpesviral Protein in Membrane Deformation and T Cell Receptor Downregulation

Lipid rafts are membrane microdomains that function as platforms for signal transduction and membrane trafficking. Tyrosine kinase interacting protein (Tip) of T lymphotropic Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) is targeted to lipid rafts in T cells and downregulates TCR and CD4 surface expression. Here, we report that the membrane-proximal amphipathic helix preceding Tip's transmembrane (TM) domain mediates lipid raft localization and membrane deformation. In turn, this motif directs Tip's lysosomal trafficking and selective TCR downregulation. The amphipathic helix binds to the negatively charged lipids and induces liposome tubulation, the TM domain mediates oligomerization, and cooperation of the membrane-proximal helix with the TM domain is sufficient for localization to lipid rafts and lysosomal compartments, especially the mutivesicular bodies. These findings suggest that the membrane-proximal amphipathic helix and TM domain provide HVS Tip with the unique ability to deform the cellular membranes in lipid rafts and to downregulate TCRs potentially through MVB formation

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the liver: a case report

Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the liver is very rare, and few cases have been reported in Korea. Primary SCC of the liver is known to be associated with hepatic cysts and intrahepatic stones. A 71-year-old male was admitted to our hospital, and a abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a 10 × 6 cm mass in the liver. Analysis of a biopsy sample suggested SCC, and so our team performed a thorough workup to find the primary lesion, which was revealed hepatoma as a pure primary SCC of the liver with multiple distant metastases. The patient was treated with one cycle of radiotherapy, transferred to another hospital for hospice care, and then died 1 month after discharge

Common Variants in the Glycerol Kinase Gene Reduce Tuberculosis Drug Efficacy

Despite the administration of multiple drugs that are highly effective in vitro, tuberculosis (TB) treatment requires prolonged drug administration and is confounded by the emergence of drug-resistant strains. To understand the mechanisms that limit antibiotic efficacy, we performed a comprehensive genetic study to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes that alter the rate of bacterial clearance in drug-treated mice. Several functionally distinct bacterial genes were found to alter bacterial clearance, and prominent among these was the glpK gene that encodes the glycerol-3-kinase enzyme that is necessary for glycerol catabolism. Growth on glycerol generally increased the sensitivity of M. tuberculosis to antibiotics in vitro, and glpK-deficient bacteria persisted during antibiotic treatment in vivo, particularly during exposure to pyrazinamide-containing regimens. Frameshift mutations in a hypervariable homopolymeric region of the glpK gene were found to be a specific marker of multidrug resistance in clinical M. tuberculosis isolates, and these loss-of-function alleles were also enriched in extensively drug-resistant clones. These data indicate that frequently observed variation in the glpK coding sequence produces a drug-tolerant phenotype that can reduce antibiotic efficacy and may contribute to the evolution of resistance. IMPORTANCE: TB control is limited in part by the length of antibiotic treatment needed to prevent recurrent disease. To probe mechanisms underlying survival under antibiotic pressure, we performed a genetic screen for M. tuberculosis mutants with altered susceptibility to treatment using the mouse model of TB. We identified multiple genes involved in a range of functions which alter sensitivity to antibiotics. In particular, we found glycerol catabolism mutants were less susceptible to treatment and that common variation in a homopolymeric region in the glpK gene was associated with drug resistance in clinical isolates. These studies indicate that reversible high-frequency variation in carbon metabolic pathways can produce phenotypically drug-tolerant clones and have a role in the development of resistance