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The Bender-Gestalt Test (BGT) is a psychological assessment used to understand the characteristics of a person by evaluating the drawings of the examinees when asked to copy provided shapes. The evaluation results in numerical scores for each shape, which describe the level of psychological issues. This test has been conducted using a pencil and a paper by a human counsellor traditionally, but the results can be contaminated by unconscious bias or mistakes. This paper proposed a digitalized BGT system which utilizes a stylus pen and a tablet to assist a human counsellor. The proposed system records the responses of examinees, and the responses were evaluated by computer algorithms. The proposed system was evaluated by comparing the scores of the proposed system and human experts, with the BGT responses of 28 participants. Both scores were similar in general, but it was found that the scores of the proposed system were more accurate for the ambiguous drawings. The results indicate that the proposed system can be utilized to assist counsellors for the diagnosis of the abnormalities precisely by accurately detecting small differences in the drawings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human turbinate-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hTMSCs), which were DiI-labeled and transplanted into the subretinal space in degenerating mouse retina, were observed in retinal vertical sections processed for rhodopsin (a marker for rod photoreceptor) by confocal microscope with differential interference contrast (DIC) filters. The images clearly demonstrated that DiI-labeled hTMSCs have rhodopsin-immunoreactive appendages, indicating differentiation of transplanted hTMSC into rod photoreceptor. Conclusively, the finding suggests therapeutic potential of hTMSCs in retinal degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the mechanism by which C3G, a major dietary anthocyanin, regulates energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Oral administration of C3G reduced hepatic and plasma triglyceride levels, adiposity, and improved glucose tolerance in mice fed high-fat diet. Hepatic metabolomic analysis revealed that C3G shifted metabolite profiles towards fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis. C3G increased glucose uptake in HepG2 cells and C2C12 myotubes and induced the rate of hepatic fatty acid oxidation. C3G directly interacted with and activated PPARs, with the highest affinity for PPARα. The ability of C3G to reduce plasma and hepatic triglycerides, glucose tolerance, and adiposity and to induce oxygen consumption and energy expenditure was abrogated in PPARα-deficient mice, suggesting that PPARα is the major target for C3G. These findings demonstrate that the dietary anthocyanin C3G activates PPARs, a master regulators of energy metabolism. C3G is an agonistic ligand of PPARs and stimulates fuel preference to fat. Jia, Wu, Kim et al. show that cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), a major dietary anthocyanin, functions as a ligand for PPARalpha to regulate energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity in mouse models of obesity and diabetes. This study suggests that C3G slows down the metabolism of glucose, making it a promising therapeutic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]