Customized Integrating-Sphere System for Absolute Color Measurement of Silk Cocoon with Corrugated Microstructure.

Silk fiber, recognized as a versatile bioresource, holds wide-ranging significance in agriculture and the textile industry. During the breeding of silkworms to yield new varieties, optical sensing techniques have been employed to distinguish the colors of silk cocoons, aiming to assess their improved suitability across diverse industries. Despite visual comparison retaining its primary role in differentiating colors among a range of silk fibers, the presence of uneven surface texture leads to color distortion and inconsistent color perception at varying viewing angles. As a result, these distorted and inconsistent visual assessments contribute to unnecessary fiber wastage within the textile industry. To solve these issues, we have devised an optical system employing an integrating sphere to deliver consistent and uniform illumination from all orientations. Utilizing a ColorChecker, we calibrated the RGB values of silk cocoon images taken within the integrating sphere setup. This process accurately extracts the authentic RGB values of the silk cocoons. Our study not only helps in unraveling the intricate color of silk cocoons but also presents a unique approach applicable to various specimens with uneven surface textures.

Pulse Oximetry Imaging System Using Spatially Uniform Dual Wavelength Illumination.

Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive method for measuring blood oxygen saturation. However, its detection scheme heavily relies on single-point measurements. If the oxygen saturation is measured at a single location, the measurements are influenced by the profile of illumination, spatial variations in blood flow, and skin pigment. To overcome these issues, imaging systems that measure the distribution of oxygen saturation have been demonstrated. However, previous imaging systems have relied on red and near-infrared illuminations with different profiles, resulting in inconsistent ratios between transmitted red and near-infrared light over space. Such inconsistent ratios can introduce fundamental errors when calculating the spatial distribution of oxygen saturation. In this study, we developed a novel illumination system specifically designed for a pulse oximetry imaging system. For the illumination system, we customized the integrating sphere by coating a mixture of barium sulfate and white paint inside it and by coupling eight red and eight near-infrared LEDs. The illumination system created identical patterns of red and near-infrared illuminations that were spatially uniform. This allowed the ratio between transmitted red and near-infrared light to be consistent over space, enabling the calculation of the spatial distribution of oxygen saturation. We believe our developed pulse oximetry imaging system can be used to obtain spatial information on blood oxygen saturation that provides insight into the oxygenation of the blood contained within the peripheral region of the tissue.

Cytarabine-based induction immunochemotherapy in the front-line treatment of older patients with mantle cell lymphoma.

The role of cytarabine-based induction and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in front-line treatment of younger patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is well established, however the utility of intensive approaches in older patients remains unclear. This retrospective study compared first line treatment outcomes in patients aged 60 years or more, treated at six tertiary centres between 2000-2015. 70 patients included had a median age of 69 (60-91) and most (94%) demonstrated advanced stage disease. Treatment regimens included: R-CHOP-like (n = 39), alternating R-CHOP/R-DHAC (n = 10), R-HyperCVAD/R-MA (n = 7), R-CHOP/Cytarabine (Nordic Protocol) (n = 10) and other (n = 4). 16 patients underwent an ASCT. The median follow-up for surviving patients was 37 months. Compared to R-CHOP-like therapies, cytarabine-based regimens were associated with an improved overall response rate (ORR) of 70% vs 33% (p < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (HR 0.541, [0.292-1.001], p = 0.05). No difference in efficacy between different cytarabine-based regimens was detected, but R-HyperCVAD/R-MA was associated with increased hospitalisation and transfusion requirements. Patients undergoing ASCT demonstrated an improved median OS (HR 0.108 [0.015-0.796], p = 0.029) but were significantly younger. These results reaffirm the use of cytarabine in MCL for selected patients aged over 60. Such regimens should be strongly considered for this population in frontline therapy.