3D fluorescence imaging through scattering medium using transport of intensity equation and iterative phase retrieval.

In this paper, we have proposed a method of three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence imaging through a scattering medium. The proposed method combines the numerical digital phase conjugation propagation after measurement of the complex amplitude distribution of scattered light waves by the transport of intensity equation (TIE) with followed iterative phase retrieval to achieve 3D fluorescence imaging through a scattering medium. In the experiment, we present the quantitative evaluation of the depth position of fluorescent beads. In addition, for time-lapse measurement, cell division of tobacco-cultured cells was observed. Numerical results presented the effective range of the phase amount in the scattering medium. From these results, the proposed method is capable of recovering images degraded by a thin scattering phase object beyond a small phase change approximation.

Polarity protein SCRIB interacts with SLC3A2 to regulate proliferation and tamoxifen resistance in ER+ breast cancer.

Estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer represents 75% of all breast cancers in women. Although patients with ER+ cancers receive endocrine therapies, more than 30% develop resistance and succumb to the disease, highlighting the need to understand endocrine resistance. Here we show an unexpected role for the cell polarity protein SCRIB as a tumor-promoter and a regulator of endocrine resistance in ER-positive breast cancer cells. SCRIB expression is induced by estrogen signaling in a MYC-dependent manner. SCRIB interacts with SLC3A2, a heteromeric component of leucine amino acid transporter SLC7A5. SLC3A2 binds to the N-terminus of SCRIB to facilitate the formation of SCRIB/SLC3A2/LLGL2/SLC7A5 quaternary complex required for membrane localization of the amino acid transporter complex. Both SCRIB and SLC3A2 are required for cell proliferation and tamoxifen resistance in ER+ cells identifying a new role for the SCRIB/SLC3A2 complex in ER+ breast cancer.

Luminance, color gamut, and energy-harvesting characteristics of luminescent layers placed above a solar cell.

One can display images and harvest energy by utilizing ambient light with a stack of an optical shutter array, a luminescent layer and a solar cell. In our experiment, a luminescent layer and a corresponding color filter were attached to a polycrystalline Si solar cell with 13% power conversion efficiency. For each configuration using BBOT, Coumarin 6 and Lumogen F Red 305, the power conversion efficiency was measured to be 6.7%, 8.0% and 8.9%, respectively. The luminance of these configurations was proportional to the illuminance in all cases. Its color gamut was comparable to the National Television System Committee standard.

Spectral study on utilizing ambient light with luminescent materials for display applications.

A luminous reflective display can be constructed by placing an electro-optic shutter on the stack of a luminescent layer, a color filter, and a reflector in this order. The luminescent materials convert a part of the incident light to photoluminescence photons. The reflector redirects the downward photon flux toward an observer. The color filters prevent the photons with unwanted wavelengths from being reflected. The upward spectral flux from this multi-layer structure is formulated. Experiments with off-the-shelf components revealed more than three-fold increase in spectral flux and up to 55% color gamut extension, compared with a control device without luminescent materials.

The relationship between existing nutritional indicators and Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria: A one-institution cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: In 2018, the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) presented the criteria for malnutrition diagnosis; reports about the proportion of malnutrition patients meeting these GLIM criteria in acute care hospitals, however, remain very limited. The relationship between GLIM criteria and existing nutritional indicators, patterns for hospitalization, and malnutrition severity is also unclear. This study aims to investigate this relationship. METHODS: Our study included 490 patients (aged 69.5 ± 16.0 years, 45% women) who had been hospitalized during a specific month in an acute care hospital, and for whom we could assess nutritional status according to GLIM criteria. We analyzed the cut-off value on the MNA-SF score and grip strength (GS) for GLIM criteria-defined malnutrition severity grading with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. We extracted factors relating to malnutrition by multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In all, 33% of patients met the GLIM criteria for malnutrition. Malnutrition severity was correlated with age, GS and emergency hospitalization (p < 0.001, respectively). For the MNA-SF score, we determined a cut-off value of point 9 for severe malnutrition [area under curve (AUC) 0.92, p < 0.001], and of point 11 for moderate malnutrition [range 0-14 (AUC 0.90, p < 0.001)]. We were able to identify 98% of patients defined on GLIM criteria as malnourished, with the MNA-SF score. Using the HG, we could also evaluate the malnutrition grading in men younger than 70 years and women older than 70 years (men younger than 70 years: cut off for severe malnutrition, 20 kg, AUC 0.82; for moderate malnutrition, 29 kg, AUC 0.83; women older than 70 years: for severe malnutrition, 11 kg, AUC 0.78; for moderate malnutrition, 14.5 kg, AUC 0.72; p < 0.001, respectively). We extracted emergency hospitalization as an independent factor relating to malnutrition, adjusted for age and sex (odds ratio: 2.99; 95% CI: 2.00-4.47; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Using the MNA-SF for GLIM criteria screening, we identified malnourished patients with high accuracy, and GS was also a reliable nutritional assessment. Emergency hospitalization patients were at a high risk for malnutrition.

[Preventive Effects of Aphanothece sacrum on Diabetic Cataracts].

Approximately 20% of diabetic patients develop diabetic cataracts. As lens proteins are known to be only slightly metabolized during the lifetime, cataracts are difficult to recover from once they have progressed. Therefore, the daily intake of natural compounds would be an important strategy for the prevention of diabetic cataracts. Aphanothece sacrum Okada (Asa) is a freshwater blue-green algae endemic to Japan. It has been eaten since the Edo period in Kyushu. In this study, the inhibitory effects of Asa on the pathogenesis of diabetic cataracts were evaluated. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of Asa on the formation of Nε-(carboxymethyl) lysine (CML), an oxidation-dependent advanced glycation end-product, were also measured. After 3-month administration, the CML contents in the lens were measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry using an internal standard of CML or lysine. Asa significantly inhibited the progression of cataractogenesis and accumulation of CML in diabetic lens compared with the normal diet group. These results suggested that daily intake of Asa reduces oxidative stress and prevents the pathogenesis of cataracts.

Metabolic Characterization of Antifolate Responsiveness and Non-responsiveness in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Cells.

Antifolates are a class of drugs effective for treating malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The majority of antifolates inhibit enzymes involved in purine and pyrimidine synthesis such as dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), thymidylate synthase (TYMS), and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GART). In order to select the most suitable patients for effective therapy with drugs targeting specific metabolic pathways, there is a need for better predictive metabolic biomarkers. Antifolates can alter global metabolic pathways in MPM cells, yet the metabolic profile of treated cells has not yet been clearly elucidated. Here we found that MPM cell lines could be categorized into two groups according to their sensitivity or resistance to pemetrexed treatment. We show that pemetrexed susceptibility could be reversed and DNA synthesis rescued in drug-treated cells by the exogenous addition of the nucleotide precursors hypoxanthine and thymidine (HT). We observed that the expression of pemetrexed-targeted enzymes in resistant MPM cells was quantitatively lower than that seen in pemetrexed-sensitive cells. Metabolomic analysis revealed that glycine and choline, which are involved in one-carbon metabolism, were altered after drug treatment in pemetrexed-sensitive but not resistant MPM cells. The addition of HT upregulated the concentration of inosine monophosphate (IMP) in pemetrexed-sensitive MPM cells, indicating that the nucleic acid biosynthesis pathway is important for predicting the efficacy of pemetrexed in MPM cells. Our data provide evidence that may link therapeutic response to the regulation of metabolism, and points to potential biomarkers for informing clinical decisions regarding the most effective therapies for patients with MPM.

Aphanothece sacrum (Sur.) Okada Prevents Cataractogenesis in Type 1 Diabetic Mice.

Aphanothece sacrum (Sur.) Okada is a species of cyanobacteria found in Japan. Although it has been used in local cuisine in Kyushu, Japan, for 250 y, little is known about its beneficial effect as food. The daily intake of health beneficial phytochemicals is believed to be useful for preventing lifestyle-related diseases, such as diabetic cataracts. In this study, the inhibitory effect of freeze-dried A. sacrum (Asa) on the formation of diabetic cataracts (DCs) was evaluated. Type 1 diabetes was induced in mice using streptozotocin (STZ). The mice were divided into two groups: one was fed a normal diet (DM-control group) and the other was fed a diet containing 1% Asa (DM-Asa group). During the study, changes in blood glucose levels and the amount of food and water consumed were measured. After 3 mo, the amount of Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), an oxidative stress marker, in the lens was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Although the blood glucose levels (p=0.91) and food consumption did not significantly change in any group, the oral administration of Asa tended to suppress CML accumulation (p=0.15) and significantly inhibited the progression of cataractogenesis in the diabetic lens compared with that reported for the normal diet (p=0.009). These results suggested that the daily intake of A. sacrum prevents the pathogenesis of cataracts, and indicated that may reduce the number of DC patients.