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Background It has been proposed that 0.5-mm-slice multislice computed tomography (MSCT) is a noninvasive tool for the detection of atherosclerotic plaque, but the validity of such an assessinent has not been demonstrated by an invasive investigation. The present study was performed to compare the 0.5-mm-slice NISCT density of plaques with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) findings. Methods and Results Atherosclerotic plaques were characterized in 37 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous interventions. Based on the IVUS echogenecity, the plaques were classified as soft (n= 18), fibrous (n= 40) or calcified (n=40). In these 98 plaques, 0.5-mm-slice MSCT plaque density was calculated in 443 regions-of-interest, including 331 lesional foci and 112 luminal cross-sections, and represented as Hounsfield units (HU). MSCT density of the 3 types of plaque was 11 +/- 12 HU, 78 +/- 21 HU, and 516 +/- 198 HU respectively. Computed tomography density of the (contrast-filled) lumen was 258 +/- 43HU. There were statistically highly significant differences in the densitometric characteristics among the 4 groups (soft, fibrous, calcified plaque and lumen) by nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test (p < 0.0001). Conclusions The IVUS-based coronary plaque configuration can be accurately identified by 0.5-mm slice MSCT. Noninvasive assessment of plaque characterization will ensure emphasis on the vessel wall beyond the vascular lumen.

A combination of receiver function (RF) analysis and shear wave splitting can reveal the anisotropic properties of the Earth's velocity structure. The RF profile exhibits harmonic patterns partially generated from the discontinuities of anisotropic media near the receiver. The anisotropic properties are determined using splitting parameters, which include the fast polarization direction (FPD) and split time. We utilized the seismograms recorded by stations on Shikoku Island, Japan. Also, we applied the Bayesian information criterion to control the spike count of each RF, which consists of a series of spikes generated by time‐domain iterative deconvolution. Anisotropic differences arose between northern and southern regions along the 30‐km iso‐depth line of the top surface of the Philippine Sea Plate. In the southern part of Shikoku Island, the FPDs are sub‐perpendicular to the plunge of the subducting slab, while in the northern part, they are sub‐parallel to the plunge of the slab. Our results indicate that anisotropic strengths are weaker in the tectonic‐tremor band in northwestern Shikoku and stronger in the northern part of central and eastern Shikoku around the no tectonic‐tremor area. These anisotropic variations may characterize Shikoku Island's geological structure. Plain Language Summary: Receiver function (RF) analysis is sensitive to subsurface discontinuities in seismic velocity using shear waves on seismograms. This study estimated a seismic velocity anisotropy by combining RF and shear wave splitting analysis to determine the polarization direction and delay time, characterizing the anisotropic medium. The observed fast direction of anisotropy aligns with the strike of the subducting Philippine Sea Plate in southern Shikoku, while in the northern region, it becomes sub‐parallel to the subducting plate's plunge (N‒S). Additionally, the delay time between the split fast and slow shear waves indicates the strength of anisotropy. In the tectonic‐tremor‐clustered area in northwestern Shikoku, the strengths of anisotropy are regionally weaker than in other areas. Moreover, stronger anisotropy was measured in the deeper northern part of central and eastern Shikoku, where there is a lack of tectonic‐tremor activity. Although several factors contribute to the anisotropy, we concluded that the anisotropy mainly reflects the structure, including the subducting slab, continental crust, and even the mantle wedge. Key Points: Fine‐resolution anisotropic properties have been calculated above slab Moho in Shikoku Island, southwest Japan, using receiver function analysisWeaker anisotropic strength was observed in tectonic‐tremor‐clustered areas with serpentinized mantle wedge, especially in northwestern ShikokuSerpentinization of the mantle and metasomatic reactions lead to hydrofracturing and relatively low anisotropic strength [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblasts geometrically confined by photo-immobilized gelatin micropatterns were subjected to cyclic stretch on the silicone elastomer. By using covalently micropatterned surfaces, the cell morphologies such as cell area and length were quantitatively investigated under a cyclic stretch for 20 hours. The mechanical forces did not affect the cell growth but significantly altered the cellular morphology on both non-patterned and micropatterned surfaces. It was found that cells on non-patterns showed increasing cell length and decreasing cell area under the stretch. The width of the strip micropatterns provided a different extent of contact guidance for fibroblasts. The highly extended cells on the 10 μm pattern under static conditions would perform a contraction behavior once treated by cyclic stretch. In contrast, cells with a low extension on the 2 μm pattern kept elongating according to the micropattern under the cyclic stretch. The vertical stretch induced an increase in cell area and length more than the parallel stretch in both the 10 μm and 2 μm patterns. These results provided new insights into cell behaviors under geometrical confinement in a dynamic biomechanical environment and may guide biomaterial design for tissue engineering in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A disulfide-tethered peptide–lipid conjugate self-assembled into a homogeneously distributed peptide–lipid hybrid vesicle. Upon dithiothreitol treatment, the homogeneous peptide–lipid membrane spontaneously divided into lipid-rich and peptide-rich domains, while the vesicle retained its size and shape. Membrane phase separation enhanced temperature-dependent cargo release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies QoE improvement of Online games by applying the UDP/TCP multi-pathization method by SDN. The method can distribute packets for one stream to multiple paths by controlling the network with software with-out any new transport layer protocol. The author evaluates QoE for two actual online games using the multi-pathization method by experiments with subjects. The experimental results show the following. The authors show that multi-pathization by SDN is effective for online games. However, to further improve QoE, it is necessary to investigate and examine the packet length threshold that is appropriate for online games when distributing packets to each path.