Association between social phobia and the risk of arrhythmia using the Korean National Sample Cohort: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Social phobia shares symptoms with arrhythmias, such as palpitations and chest discomfort. However, it is unclear how social phobia is associated with the actual risk of arrhythmia. This study aimed to investigate whether social phobia is associated with the risk of arrhythmia using a nationally representative sample cohort. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study assessed data from the 2002-2013 Korean National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort. Using 1:3 propensity score matching for sex, age, income, and insurance status, 1514 patients with social phobia and 4542 control group patients were included in the study. Social phobia and arrhythmia were defined per the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision. Using cox proportional hazard regression, hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated to estimate the risk of arrhythmia in patients with social phobia. RESULTS: There were statistically significant associations between social phobia history and elevated risks of arrhythmia. Patients with social phobia had a higher risk of arrhythmia after adjusting with covariates (HR = 1.78, 95%CI = 1.25-2.55). Among different types of arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation and flutter presented the highest risk (HR = 2.20, CI = 1.06-4.57) compared to paroxysmal tachycardia (HR = 1.07, CI = 0.39-2.91) and other cardiac arrhythmias (HR = 1.83, CI = 1.16-2.89). CONCLUSION: This study identified the association between social phobia and the risk of arrhythmia in a South Korean representative cohort. These results suggest that social phobia should be treated properly to reduce arrhythmia risks.

Anti-tumor effects of rivoceranib against canine melanoma and mammary gland tumour in vitro and in vivo mouse xenograft models.

BACKGROUND: Rivoceranib, a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor, exhibits anti-tumour effects by selectively blocking vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) in cancer cells. Recently, the therapeutic effects of rivoceranib on solid tumours have been elucidated in human patients. However, the anti-tumour effects of rivoceranib against canine cancer remain unclear. Here, we investigated the anti-tumour effects of rivoceranib using in vitro and in vivo mouse xenograft models. METHODS: We performed cell proliferation, cell cycle, and migration assays to determine the effects of rivoceranib on canine solid tumour cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, apoptosis and angiogenesis in tumour tissues were examined using a TUNEL assay and immunohistochemistry methods with an anti-cluster of differentiation-31 antibody, respectively. Additionally, the expression levels of cyclin-D1 and VEGFR2 activity were determined using western blot analysis. RESULTS: Rivoceranib treatment showed anti-proliferative effects and mediated cell cycle arrest in the canine melanoma cell line (LMeC) and the mammary gland tumour (MGT) cell line (CHMp). In animal experiments, rivoceranib decreased the average volume of LMeC cells compared to that following control treatment, and similar results were observed in CHMp cells. Histologically, rivoceranib induced apoptosis and exerted an anti-angiogenic effect in tumour tissues. It also downregulated the expression of cyclin-D1 and inhibited VEGFR2 activity. CONCLUSION: Our results show that rivoceranib inhibits proliferation and migration of tumour cells. These findings support the potential application of rivoceranib as a novel chemotherapeutic strategy for canine melanoma and MGTs.

Oral Administration of Chitosan Attenuates Bleomycin-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a fatal disorder of unknown aetiology with limited treatment options. Chitosan has antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antitumour, and anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chitosan administration on bleomycin (BLM)-induced PF in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A PF rat model was established by endotracheal instillation of 5 mg/kg BLM; then, chitosan was administered in drinking water for 3 weeks. Histology, cell counts, and cytokine responses in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and weight measurements (body and lung) were analyzed to assess its therapeutic effects. RESULTS: Chitosan administration tended to reduce transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 and interferon (IFN)-γ levels in BALF, and histopathological examination confirmed that chitosan attenuated the degree of inflammation and fibrosis in the lung. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that oral chitosan exhibits potential antifibrotic effects, as measured by decreased proinflammatory cytokine levels and histological evaluation, in a BLM-induced PF rat model.

Full-color optical scanning holography with common red, green, and blue channels [Invited].

We propose color optical scanning holography (OSH) that records red, green, and blue (RGB) holograms of real objects by single scanning. The proposed color OSH composes a RGB multiplexing unit, color time-dependent Fresnel zone plate generation unit, scanning unit, space-integrating photodetection unit, and demultiplexing unit. In the proposed color OSH, RGB beams follow a common path from the multiplexing unit to a photodetector, generating an electric current containing the object's complex RGB hologram information. In the demultiplexing unit, the complex RGB holograms are extracted and arranged as a complex color hologram. In experiments, we record the complex color hologram of a three-dimensional object composed of RGB transparencies using the color OSH. Numerical reconstruction shows that the recorded hologram contains information about the object's color as well as the diffracted field from the object.

Converting optical scanning holograms of real objects to binary Fourier holograms using an iterative direct binary search algorithm.

In this paper, we present a three-dimensional holographic imaging system. The proposed approach records a complex hologram of a real object using optical scanning holography, converts the complex form to binary data, and then reconstructs the recorded hologram using a spatial light modulator (SLM). The conversion from the recorded hologram to a binary hologram is achieved using a direct binary search algorithm. We present experimental results that verify the efficacy of our approach. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a hologram of a real object has been reconstructed using a binary SLM.

Speckle-free digital holographic recording of a diffusely reflecting object.

We demonstrate holographic recording without speckle noise using the digital holographic technique called optical scanning holography (OSH). First, we record a complex hologram of a diffusely reflecting (DR) object using OSH. The incoherent mode of OSH makes it possible to record the complex hologram without speckle noise. Second, we convert the complex hologram to an off-axis real hologram digitally and finally we reconstruct the real hologram using an amplitude-only spatial light modulator (SLM) without twin-image noise and speckle noise. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time demonstrating digital holographic recording of a DR object without speckle noise.

Solving inverse problems for optical scanning holography using an adaptively iterative shrinkage-thresholding algorithm.

Optical scanning holography (OSH) records a three-dimensional object into a two-dimensional hologram through two-dimensional optical scanning. The recovery of sectional images from the hologram, termed as an inverse problem, has been previously implemented by conventional methods as well as the use of l2 norm. However, conventional methods require time consuming processing of section by section without eliminating the defocus noise and the l2 norm method often suffers from the drawback of over-smoothing. Moreover, these methods require the whole hologram data (real and imaginary parts) to eliminate the twin image noise, whose computation complexity and the sophisticated post-processing are far from desirable. To handle these difficulties, an adaptively iterative shrinkage-thresholding (AIST) algorithm, characterized by fast computation and adaptive iteration, is proposed in this paper. Using only a half hologram data, the proposed method obtained satisfied on-axis reconstruction free of twin image noise. The experiments of multi-planar reconstruction and improvement of depth of focus further validate the feasibility and flexibility of our proposed AIST algorithm.

Multiple-image encryption by compressive holography.

We present multiple-image encryption (MIE) based on compressive holography. In the encryption, a holographic technique is employed to record multiple images simultaneously to form a hologram. The two-dimensional Fourier data of the hologram are then compressed by nonuniform sampling, which gives rise to compressive encryption. Decryption of individual images is cast into a minimization problem. The minimization retains the sparsity of recovered images in the wavelet basis. Meanwhile, total variation regularization is used to preserve edges in the reconstruction. Experiments have been conducted using holograms acquired by optical scanning holography as an example. Computer simulations of multiple images are subsequently demonstrated to illustrate the feasibility of the MIE scheme.

Fast reconstruction of sectional images in digital holography.

Past research has demonstrated that a three-dimensional object scene can be converted into a digital hologram. Subsequently, the object scene can be reconstructed from the hologram with an iterative blind sectional image reconstruction (BSIR) method. However, the computation is extremely intensive, and escalated with the size of holograms. To overcome this problem, we propose a fast BSIR method that reconstructs sectional images with less out-of-focus haze. While the technique proposed here is applicable in general to holography for sectioning, we use holograms acquired by optical scanning holography as examples to show the method's effectiveness.

Three-dimensional display of a horizontal-parallax-only hologram.

We propose a three-dimensional (3D) holographic display by converting an optically recorded complex full-parallax (FP) hologram to an off-axis horizontal-parallax-only (HPO) hologram. First, we record the complex FP hologram of an object using optical scanning holography. We then convert the complex FP hologram to an off-axis HPO hologram through fringe-matched Gaussian low-pass filtering and with the introduction of an off-axis reference. Finally, we reconstruct the off-axis HPO hologram optically using an amplitude-only spatial light modulator. Until now, only computer-generated HPO holograms have been displayed optically. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a 3D display of an optically recorded HPO hologram.

Blind sectional image reconstruction for optical scanning holography.

Optical scanning holography is a powerful holographic recording technique in which only a single two-dimensional scan is needed to record three-dimensional information. As in standard digital holography, for the reconstruction of a sectional image, the resulting data must then be postprocessed to obtain sectional content. We propose a blind sectional image reconstruction technique to automate the data processing. This reconstruction uses edge information to determine the appropriate Fresnel zone plates automatically and applies inverse imaging to recover the sectional images with significant suppression of the defocus noise. The experimental data used to verify the algorithm are measured from a physical implementation of the optical scanning holography system.

Algorithm for converting full-parallax holograms to horizontal-parallax-only holograms.

We propose an algorithm that converts a full-parallax hologram to a horizontal-parallax-only (HPO) hologram for 3D display. We first record a full-parallax hologram of an object. Subsequently, we filter the hologram with a Gaussian low-pass filter and a fringe-matched filter along the vertical direction. The final filtered output becomes an HPO hologram. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first algorithm proposed for converting full-parallax holographic information to HPO-holographic information.

Prevalence of Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae in cats and dogs in Korea.

Blood, saliva, and nail samples were collected from 54 dogs and 151 cats and analyzed for the presence of Bartonella henselae with a novel nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Bartonella (B.) henselae was detected in feral cat blood (41.8%), saliva (44.1%), and nail (42.7%) samples. B. henselae was also detected in pet cat blood (33.3%), saliva (43.5%), and nail (29.5%) samples and in pet dog blood (16.6%), saliva (18.5%), and nail (29.6%) samples. Nine samples were infected with B. clarridgeiae and 2 were co-infected with B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae of blood samples of dogs. This report is the first to investigate the prevalence of B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae in dogs and cats in Korea, and suggests that dogs and cats may serve as potential Bartonella reservoirs.