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Background: SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination, recognized for high immunogenicity, frequently induces adverse reactions, especially fever. We previously reported a correlation between post-vaccination fever and specific antibody responses to the primary series and first booster. We herein report changes in adverse reactions and the correlation between post-vaccination fever and antibody responses across successive vaccinations, from monovalent to bivalent mRNA vaccines. Methods: This cohort study was conducted at a Japanese hospital to investigate adverse reactions to the monovalent primary, first booster, and BA.4/5 bivalent BNT162b2 vaccinations. Local and systemic reactions were reported through a self-reporting diary after each dose. The spike-specific IgG titers were measured following each vaccination. Results: Across 727 vaccinations in the vaccine series, the bivalent booster induced fewer adverse reactions than earlier doses. Fever ≥ 38.0 °C was significantly less frequent in the bivalent booster (12.3 %) compared to the primary series and monovalent booster (22.0 %, 26.2 %, p

In recent years, improvements in display image quality have made it easier to perceive rich object information, such as gloss and transparency, from images, known as shitsukan. Do the different display specifications in the world affect their appearance? Clarifying the effects of differences in pixel structure on shitsukan perception is necessary to realize shitsukan management for displays with different hardware structures, which has not been fully clarified before. In this study, we experimentally investigated the effects of display pixel arrays on the perception of glossiness and transparency. In a visual evaluation experiment, we investigated the effects of three types of sub-pixel arrays (RGB, RGBW, and PenTile) on the perception of glossiness and transparency using natural images. The results confirmed that sub-pixel arrays affect the appearance of glossiness and transparency. A general relationship of RGB > PenTile > RGBW for glossiness and RGB > RGBW > PenTile for transparency was found; however, detailed analysis, such as cluster analysis, confirmed that the relative superiority of these sub-pixel arrays may vary depending on the observer and image content.

Here, we present a 69-year-old female with advanced neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of colon with multiple liver, bone, and kidney metastases who developed Trousseau’s syndrome. The patient received etoposide plus cisplatin (EP) as the first-line therapy; however, after single administration of EP, she developed the severe lower-limb edema and EP was considered to be intolerable. Etoposide plus carboplatin was administered as the second-line therapy and after 3 cycles of administration, the progressive disease (PD) was confirmed and 5-fluorouracil + leucovorin + irinotecan (FOLFIRI) plus ramucirumab was administered as the third-line therapy. However, PD was confirmed after 3 cycles of the therapy, and she was to receive the best supportive care and was hospitalized in our hospital. Four weeks after hospitalization, mild impaired consciousness and dysarthria were observed. Blood tests showed coagulation abnormalities including elevation of plasma fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDPs) and D-dimer levels, and the diffusion-weighted image of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head showed multiple cerebral infarcts. She was diagnosed with Trousseau’s syndrome due to the progression of NEC and intravenous unfractionated heparin was administered as anticoagulant therapy. After the administration of heparin, plasma FDP and D-dimer levels decreased; however, due to the progression of NEC, the patient died 6 weeks after hospitalization. This is the first report of NEC of the colon that developed Trousseau’s syndrome.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disorder characterized by cutaneous and submucosal swelling caused mostly by excessive local bradykinin production. Bradykinin is a vasoactive peptide generated by the limited proteolysis of high molecular weight kininogen (HMWK) by plasma kallikrein via the contact activation system. The contact activation system occurs not only in solution but also on the cell surface. Factor XII (FXII), prekallikrein, and HMWK are assembled on the endothelial cell surface via several proteins, including a trimer of a receptor for globular C1q domain in a Zn2+-dependent manner, and the reciprocal activation on the cell surface is believed to be physiologically important in vivo. Thus, the contact activation system leads to the activation of coagulation, complement, inflammation, and fibrinolysis. C1-inhibitor (C1–INH) is a plasma protease inhibitor that is a member of the serpin family. It mainly inhibits activated FXII (FXIIa), plasma kallikrein, and C1s. C1–INH hereditary deficiency induces HAE (HAE-C1-INH) due to excessive bradykinin production via the incomplete inhibition of plasma kallikrein and FXIIa through the low C1–INH level. HAE is also observed in patients with normal C1–INH (HAEnCI) who carry pathogenic variants in genes of factor XII, plasminogen, angiopoietin 1, kininogen, myoferlin, and heparan sulfate 3-O-sulfotransferase 6, which are associated with bradykinin production and/or vascular permeability. HAE-causing pathways triggered by pathogenic variants in patients with HAE-C1-INH and HAEnCI are reviewed and discussed.

Objectives Understanding interpatient variation in CD4+T-cell responses is the bases for understanding the pathogenesis and management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We examined immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in a cohort of patients with RA and determined factors associated with the responses.Methods Four hundred and thirty-one patients with RA having received two doses of BNT162b2, a messenger RNA-based vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, were included. Vaccine antigen-specific IgG was detected by ELISA, and antigen-specific CD4+T cells were detected by CD154 expression in response to antigenic stimulation. Expression of cytokines was concomitantly detected by intracellular staining. Associations among background variables, antigen-specific antibody production and the CD4+T-cell responses were analysed. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering was performed based on the profiles of antigen-specific cytokine production by CD4+T cells to stratify patients with RA.Results Multivariate analysis indicated that ageing negatively affects CD4+T-cell response as well as antibody production. No association was detected between the presence or the levels of rheumatoid factor/anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody and anti-vaccine immune responses. Methotrexate and prednisolone reduced B cell but not T-cell responses. Conventional immunophenotyping by the expression of chemokine receptors was not associated with the actual CD4+T-cell response, except for T helper cells (Th1). Functional immunophenotyping based on the profiles of antigen-specific cytokine production of CD4+T cells stratified patients with RA into three clusters, among which Th1-dominant type less frequently underwent joint surgery.Conclusions Clinical and immunological variables that are associated with antigen-specific CD4 T-cell responses in patients with RA were determined by analysing immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

This study considers a method for reconstructing a high dynamic range (HDR) original image from a single saturated low dynamic range (LDR) image of metallic objects. A deep neural network approach was adopted for the direct mapping of an 8-bit LDR image to HDR. An HDR image database was first constructed using a large number of various metallic objects with different shapes. Each captured HDR image was clipped to create a set of 8-bit LDR images. All pairs of HDR and LDR images were used to train and test the network. Subsequently, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was designed in the form of a deep U-Net-like architecture. The network consisted of an encoder, a decoder, and a skip connection to maintain high image resolution. The CNN algorithm was constructed using the learning functions in MATLAB. The entire network consisted of 32 layers and 85,900 learnable parameters. The performance of the proposed method was examined in experiments using a test image set. The proposed method was also compared with other methods and confirmed to be significantly superior in terms of reconstruction accuracy, histogram fitting, and psychological evaluation.

Although daprodustat, a hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, and dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, have been approved for the treatment of renal anemia in Japan, their efficacy and safety for patients aged 80 years or older with low-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)-related anemia have not been demonstrated. Our case series comprised two men and one woman aged >80 years with low-risk MDS-related anemia and diabetic mellitus (DM)-related chronic kidney disease who were dependent on red blood cell transfusions and in whom erythropoiesis-stimulating agents had been insufficient. All three patients received daprodustat and additional dapagliflozin achieved red blood cell transfusion independence and were followed up for >6 months. Daily oral daprodustat was well tolerated. There were no fatalities or progression to acute myeloid leukemia during the >6-month follow-up after daprodustat initiation. On the basis of these outcomes, we consider 24 mg of daprodustat combined with 10 mg of dapagliflozin daily an effective form of treatment for low-risk MDS-related anemia. Further studies are required to clarify the synergistic effects of daprodustat and dapagliflozin, which correct chronic kidney disease-related anemia by promoting endogenous erythropoietin production and normalizing iron metabolism to manage low-risk MDS in the long term.

Abstract Hot spring bathing is practiced to help manage various diseases, including hypertension. We investigated the preventive effects on hypertension of hot spring bathing among older adults in a data analysis using responses to a previous questionnaire with the aim to identify a novel approach in the prevention and management of hypertension. Among 10,428 adults aged ≥ 65 years, we assessed the hot spring bathing habits of 4001 individuals with a history of hypertension. We calculated odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals using a multivariable logistic regression model for history of hypertension. In multivariable logistic regression, age (≥ 85 years: OR, 1.410); history of arrythmia (OR, 1.580), stroke (OR, 1.590), gout (OR, 1.880), diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.470), hyperlipidemia (OR, 1.680), renal disease (OR, 1.520), chronic hepatitis (OR, 0.648); and hot spring bathing at 19:00 or later (OR, 0.850) were independently and significantly associated with hypertension during the lifetime. We found an inverse relationship between habitual nighttime hot spring bathing and a history of depression. Prospective randomized controlled trials on nighttime hot spring bathing as a treatment for hypertension are warranted to investigate whether nighttime hot spring bathing can help in preventing hypertension among adults aged ≥ 65 years.

Depending on various design conditions, including optics and circuit design, the image-forming characteristics of the modulated transfer function (MTF), which affect the spatial resolution of a digital image, may vary among image channels within or between imaging devices. In this study, we propose a method for automatically converting the MTF to the target MTF, focusing on adjusting the MTF characteristics that affect the signals of different image channels within and between different image devices. The experimental results of MTF conversion using the proposed method for multiple image channels with different MTF characteristics indicated that the proposed method could produce sharper images by moving the source MTF of each channel closer to a target MTF with a higher MTF value. This study is expected to contribute to technological advancements in various imaging devices as follows: (1) Even if the imaging characteristics of the hardware are unknown, the MTF can be converted to the target MTF using the image after it is captured. (2) As any MTF can be converted into a target, image simulation for conversion to a different MTF is possible. (3) It is possible to generate high-definition images, thereby meeting the requirements of various industrial and research fields in which high-definition images are required.

Prednisolone, used as a standard initial treatment for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), is an important risk factor for osteoporosis. To investigate the prevention of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) in elderly ITP patients receiving prolonged steroid therapy, associations between GIO prevention and the real-world data of score changes of a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan, FRAX® and the Garvan tool during the initial loading of prednisolone were examined. In our institute, 22 ITP patients aged ≥ 70 years received 0.5–1.0 mg/kg prednisolone for 2–3 weeks as the initial ITP treatment between 2014 and 2021. The femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) measured by DXA scan was entered into FRAX® to define the risk-adapted approach to bisphosphonate during the initial loading of prednisolone. Bisphosphonate was administered according to ® and the Garvan tool were associated with bisphosphonate use for short-term fracture prevention in primary GIO; however, there were no incidents of fracture or significant differences in probabilities determined by FRAX® and the Garvan tool. During the initial loading of prednisolone, prescribing bisphosphonate might prevent the reduction in BMD in elderly patients with ITP receiving prolonged steroid therapy.

Abstract Background To analyse the subsequent clinical course of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who either continued or discontinued biologic agents after hospitalization for infections. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 230 RA patients with 307 hospitalizations for infections under biologic therapy between September 2008 and May 2014 in 15 institutions for up to 18 months after discharge. The risks of RA flares and subsequent hospitalizations for infections from 61 days to 18 months after discharge were evaluated. Results Survival analyses indicated that patients who continued biologic therapy had a significantly lower risk of RA flares (31.4% vs. 60.6%, P

Hot spring bathing is practiced to help manage hypertension. We retrospectively investigated the effects of hot spring bathing on hypertension with the aim of identifying a novel approach to prevent and manage hypertension. The study cohort comprised 99 patients aged ≥65 years admitted to Kyushu University Beppu Hospital between 1 December 2021 and 30 November 2022 who could walk by themselves and who used hot springs for ≥3 days during their hospital stay. The changes in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly decreased in the night-time bathing group (n = 21) compared with the noontime (n = 26) and afternoon (n = 52) groups. Night-time hot spring bathing was significantly associated with reduced systolic blood pressure the next morning in older adults. Although prospective randomized controlled trials on night-time hot spring bathing as a hypertension treatment are warranted to investigate whether the practice can prevent hypertension among adults aged ≥65 years, we have initiated a single-center, phase II study on the relationship between sleep quality and quality of life in hypertensive patients after night-time hot spring bathing.

BackgroundSystemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multiple-organ disease characterized by vascular damage, autoimmunity, and tissue fibrosis. Organ injuries such as interstitial lung diseases (ILD), resulting from inflammatory and fibrosis processes, lead to poor prognosis. Although autoantibodies are detected in the serum of patients with SSc, the mechanisms by which immune cells are involved in tissue inflammation and fibrosis is not fully understood. Recent studies have revealed carcinoembryonic antigen related cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM)-positive monocytes are involved in murine bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. We investigated CEACAM-positive monocytes in patients with SSc to clarify the role of monocytes in the pathogenesis of SSc.MethodsThe proportion of of CEACAM-positive classical monocytes in healthy controls (HCs) and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and SSc was evaluated using flow cytometry. The correlation between the proportion of CEACAM-positive monocytes and clinical parameters was analyzed in patients with SSc. Gene expression microarrays were performed in CEACAM-positive and negative monocytes in patients with SSc. Infiltration of CEACAM-positive monocytes into scleroderma skin was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining.ResultsThe proportion of CEACAM-positive classical monocytes was increased in patients with early SSc within 2 years after diagnosis, which positively correlated with ESR, serum IgG, and serum KL-6 and negatively correlated with %forced vital capacity. The percentage of CEACAM-positive monocytes decreased after immunosuppressive therapy. CEACAM6-positive cells among classical monocytes were significantly increased in patients with SSc compared with HCs and patients with rheumatoid arthritis. SSc serum induced CEACAM6 expression on monocytes from HCs. Functionally, CEACAM-positive monocytes produced higher levels of TNF-α and IL-1β compared to CEACAM-negative cells and showed activation of the NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, CEACAM6-positive monocytes infiltrated the dermis of SSc.ConclusionsCEACAM-positive monocytes showed inflammatory phenotypes and may be involved in the tissue inflammation and fibrosis in early SSc. CEACAM-positive monocytes may be one of biomarkers to detect patients with progressive ILD, requiring therapeutic intervention.

Abstract Background This study aimed to identify new characteristics of elderly onset large-vessel vasculitis (EOLVV) by focusing on human leucocyte antigen (HLA) genotype, polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), and affected vascular lesions observed on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging. Methods We retrospectively studied 65 consecutive Japanese patients with large-vessel vasculitis (LVV) who had extracranial vasculitis lesions and underwent PET/CT imaging. PET/CT images were assessed using the semi-quantitative PET visual score of each affected vessel, and the PET vascular activity score (PETVAS) and number of affected vessels were calculated. Subjects were subsequently grouped based on age at onset, superficial temporal artery (STA) involvement, and presence of PMR and compared each group according to HLA genotype. Unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify the patients with similar characteristics in terms of affected vascular lesions detected through PET/CT imaging. The clinical characteristics and PET/CT findings of the population newly identified in this study were examined. Results Twenty-seven patients with EOLVV did not meet the American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu arteritis and were considered as unclassified EOLVV (UEOLVV). The unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that UEOLVV with PMR and large-vessel GCA (LV-GCA) formed a cluster of LVV with GCA features (i.e., PMR and/or STA involvement) when restricted to patients who were HLA-B52-positive. Patients who were HLA-B52-positive with LVV and GCA features had similar clinical characteristics and patterns of affected vessels and presented with diffuse LVV lesions. HLA-B52-positive patients who had LVV with GCA features also presented with higher PETVAS, more affected vessels, and lower rates of biologics usage and relapse compared to HLA-B52-positive patients with TAK. Conclusions Patients who had UEOLVV with PMR had similar characteristics to patients with LV-GCA. Patients who were HLA-B52-positive and had LVV with GCA features presented with diffuse vascular lesions and may comprise a core population of Japanese patients with EOLVV. The findings of HLA-B52 positivity and diffusely affected vessels in patients with EOLVV can be considered as suspicious findings of LV-GCA.

Abstract CD226 is an activating receptor expressed on the cell surface of natural killer cells and T cells. Although CD226 polymorphism is known to be involved in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the involvement of soluble CD226 (sCD226) in SLE is still unknown. In the present study, we measured serum sCD226 levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 58 SLE patients and 33 healthy controls (HCs) and evaluated their associations with SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), clinical manifestations, laboratory data, and the cumulative probability of flare. Serum sCD226 levels showed no significant differences between SLE patients and HCs. However, sCD226 levels were significantly elevated in active SLE patients with a SLEDAI-2K score of ≥ 20 compared with HCs. In SLE patients, sCD226 levels were significantly correlated with SLEDAI-2K scores and anti-dsDNA antibody titers. Moreover, the cumulative probability of flare was markedly higher in patients with high sCD226 than in those with low sCD226. In patients with neuropsychiatric involvement, sCD226 levels were elevated and reflected neuropsychiatric disease activity. These findings indicate that serum sCD226 levels are associated with disease activity and flares of SLE. Thus, it may be a useful biomarker for SLE, and its monitoring allows for more precise SLE management.

LBAL was developed as an adalimumab (Humira®) biosimilar using Chinese hamster ovary cell lines. Comparable quality, safety, and efficacy between a biosimilar and its reference product should be ensured for regulatory approval. Here, we present the results of a comprehensive physicochemical and biological characterization between LBAL and Humira®. As physicochemical attributes, primary and higher-order structure, N-glycan profile, and disulfide linkage were investigated. Biological attributes were evaluated by target/receptor binding analysis and in vitro/ex vivo cell-based assays, which are linked to mechanisms of action. As a result, LBAL had the identical amino acid sequence, similar post-translational modifications and N-/C-terminal variants, and comparable primary, secondary, and tertiary structures and disulfide linkage profile. However, some differences in N-glycan profiles were observed. Biological activities, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) binding, TNF-neutralization, apoptosis, Fc receptor binding, and complement-dependent cytotoxicity, were largely consistent. Despite a slightly lower antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity in LBAL, this difference was not significant under physiological conditions. As indicated, this extensive analytical characterization and functional comparison assessment showed that LBAL was similar to Humira®, with minor differences of no clinical relevance. Taken together, our comparative assessment of physicochemical and biological attributes demonstrated that LBAL is structurally and functionally very similar to Humira®, supporting the biosimilarity of clinical efficacy and safety.

Background: The rate at which patients are accurately diagnosed with hereditary angioedema (HAE), as well as diagnosed patients access to modern treatments differs greatly among countries. Moreover, the severity and burden of HAE on patients have been reported mostly on the basis of physician-reported surveys. To gain insight into the real-world conditions of patients with HAE through a patient-reported survey in Japan and identify any unmet needs. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 121 patients with HAE via a Japanese HAE patient organization during 2016–2017. Responses were collected from 70 patients (57.9%) and subjected to analysis. Results: The average periods from the initial appearance of symptoms (e.g. edema) to a HAE diagnosis was 15.6 years (min–max, 0–53). Patients visited an average of 4.6 different departments until receiving a definitive diagnosis. The average age at the first visit was 25.6 years (3–73) and at diagnosis 32.8 years (0–73). Patients reported an average of 15.7 (0–100) attacks per year, but only 53.1% of attacks were treated. The days of hospitalization due to severe attacks was 14.3 (0–200) before diagnosis, but these declined to 4.3 (0–50) after diagnosis. In the treatment for attacks, 82% of the patients were treated with the plasma-derived C1 inhibitor concentrate, and 69% of the patients reported experiencing a therapeutic effect. Conclusions: There is a long gap between first attack and diagnosis of HAE, and the number of non-treated attacks is high in Japan. Steps are needed to improve the diagnostic and treatment environments to address these issues.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is characterized by unpredictable, recurring and painful swelling episodes that can be disabling or even life-threatening. Awareness of HAE has progressively grown worldwide, and options for treatment of acute attacks and prevention of future attacks continue to expand; however, unmet needs in diagnosis and treatment remain. In Japan, recognition of HAE within the medical community remains low, and numerous obstacles complicate diagnosis and access to treatment. Importance of timely treatment of HAE attacks with on-demand therapies is continually demonstrated; recommended agents per the WAO/EAACI treatment guidelines published in 2018 include C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) concentrate, ecallantide, and icatibant. In Japan, multiple factors contribute to delayed HAE treatment (potentially leading to life-threatening consequences), including difficulties in finding facilities at which C1-INH agents are readily available. Recognition of challenges faced in Japan can help promote efforts to address current needs and expand access to effective therapies. Icatibant, a potent, selective bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist, has demonstrated inhibition of various bradykinin-induced biological effects in preclinical studies and has shown efficacy in treating attacks in various clinical settings (e.g. clinical trials, real-world studies), and HAE patient populations (e.g. with C1-INH deficiency, normal C1-INH). Icatibant was approved in Japan for the treatment of HAE attacks in September 2018; its addition to the HAE treatment armamentarium contributes to improved patient care. In Japan, disease awareness and education campaigns are warranted to further advance the management of HAE patients in light of the unmet needs and the emerging availability of modern diagnostic approaches and therapies.

ANCA (anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is the condition in which ANCA, as an autoantibody, is associated with the pathogenesis of vasculitis in small blood vessels, mainly in the ear, nose, throat, kidney, lung, and nerves. These diseases are important because they can be fatal due to renal failure and pulmonary hemorrhage if not promptly and appropriately treated. Recently accumulated evidence has shown that C5a produced by the complement alternative pathway primes neutrophils, which in turn activate the complement alternative pathway, leading to the pathogenesis of AAV. Avacopan (CCX168), a C5aR antagonist was shown to be effective against AAV, and it has been a novel therapeutic option, becoming a novel anti-complement drug to modulate inflammatory diseases.

This study focuses on the analysis of the cross-modal effects between sight (color) and smell (fragrance). While most previous researches have studied the harmony of color and fragrance using small-field colors such as patches and display stimuli, this study analyzes harmony in lighting environments. In our experiments, we focused on the finding that emotional states manifest themselves in responses in the orbitofrontal cortex and used near-infrared spectroscopy to evaluate orbitofrontal responses. Five different aromas were prepared for fragmentation. Initially, the observers were asked to select the most pleasant and least unpleasant aromas. The two selected aromas were soaked in non-fat cotton cloth and placed in a light-shielding brown bottle, which was used as a scent stimulus. For the lighting environment, 36 different lighting colors were designed using a luminaire consisting of 14 LEDs. The results of the experiment showed that the lighting color that the observers judged to be harmonious by actually smelling the fragrance (sensory color) activated the orbitofrontal cortex more than the lighting color that they judged to be harmonious by recalling the name of the fragrance (imagery color).

Background: Mizoribine (MZR) is an immunosuppressive agent that selectively inhibits inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase; its actions are considerably similar to those of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). This study aimed to clarify whether MZR can be a good treatment option for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to compare the efficacy and safety of MZR and MMF in patients with active SLE. Methods: We retrospectively compared the efficacy, continuation rate, and safety of MZR (52 patients) and MMF (31 patients) after adjusting for stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting based on propensity scores. The efficacy endpoints were as follows: cumulative incidence of lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) or remission attainment and flares and change in prednisolone dose over 2 years. Drug continuation rates were defined as the time from drug initiation to discontinuation for any cause, owing to the lack of efficacy, or owing to adverse events. The safety endpoint was the frequency of adverse events. Results: Overall, 25 (48.1%) and 13 (25.0%) patients in the MZR group and 18 (58.1%) and 15 (48.3%) in the MMF group achieved LLDAS and remission during the follow-up period, respectively; thus, the cumulative incidence of LLDAS and remission attainment of the two groups was similar after adjustment. Prednisolone dose was steadily reduced in both the groups, and the change in prednisolone dose was nearly identical between the two groups. Drug discontinuation rate due to adverse events and the frequency of all adverse events and infections were higher in the MMF group than in the MZR group, albeit without significance after adjustment. Conclusion: MZR is as effective as MMF in controlling SLE activity. The adverse events of MZR, whose profile differs from MMF, are comparable to or less than those of MMF. MZR may be a valuable option as an immunosuppressive agent for SLE, as well as MMF.

Abstract Background Follicular helper CD4+ T (Tfh) cells have a critical role in IgG4 production by B cells in IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). Recent studies including ours showed that SLAMF7+CD4+ T cells are an important pathological driver of IgG4-RD. In this study, we have sought to elucidate a relationship between helper CD4+ T (Th), particularly Tfh, cells and SLAMF7+ CD4+ T cells in IgG4-RD. Results The patients with IgG4-RD enrolled in this study were aged 66 ± 12 years and their titers of serum IgG4 were 372 ± 336 mg/dl. Th1 cells, activated circulating Tfh1 (cTfh1), and activated cTfh2 cells increased in IgG4-RD. SLAMF7 was mainly expressed on Th1 and cTfh1, but not cTfh2, cells in the patients. SLAMF7+ cTfh1 cells were PD-1/CD28 double-positive, whereas SLAMF7+ Th1 cells were CD28 negative. Positive correlations were noted between serum IgG4 levels and the number of activated cTfh2 cells and SLAMF7+ cTfh1 cells, but not SLAMF7+ Th1 cells. Intriguingly, among cTfh1 cells, activated SLAMF7+ cTfh1 cells were high producers of IL-10 along with IL-21. Blimp-1, but not Bcl-6, mRNA was expressed at high levels in activated SLAMF7+ cTfh1 cells. In addition to CD4+ T cells, the frequency of SLAMF7+ fraction was higher in memory B cells than naïve B cells in patients with IgG4RD. Finally, upon stimulation via B-cell receptor and CD40, Tfh1-associated cytokines, IL-21 and IFN-γ, most significantly induced SLAMF7 expression in memory B cells. Conclusions Together, these results suggest that circulating SLAMF7+ Tfh1 cells, along with Tfh2 cells, play a pathologic role in IgG4 production in IgG4-RD.

Summary: Pathogens including autoantigens all failed to induce systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We, instead, studied the integrity of host's immune response that recognized pathogen. By stimulating TCR with an antigen repeatedly to levels that surpass host's steady-state response, self-organized criticality, SLE was induced in mice normally not prone to autoimmunity, wherein T follicular helper (Tfh) cells expressing the guanine nucleotide exchange factor DOCK8 on the cell surface were newly generated. DOCK8+Tfh cells passed through TCR re-revision and induced varieties of autoantibody and lupus lesions. They existed in splenic red pulp and peripheral blood of active lupus patients, which subsequently declined after therapy. Autoantibodies and disease were healed by anti-DOCK8 antibody in the mice including SLE-model (NZBxNZW) F1 mice. Thus, DOCK8+Tfh cells generated after repeated TCR stimulation by immunogenic form of pathogen, either exogenous or endogenous, in combination with HLA to levels that surpass system's self-organized criticality, cause SLE.

We report a case of rapidly progressing hepatocellular carcinoma after administration of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors to treat rheumatoid arthritis. A 76-year-old man was referred to our Department for pain in multiple joints and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Blood tests revealed elevated hepatobiliary enzymes, but various tests revealed no signs suggestive of malignancy. He took baricitinib for 2 months followed by tofacitinib for 4 months. After that, he was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma based on imaging findings and elevated tumor markers. This case showed the possibility of a causal relationship between JAK inhibitors and malignancy.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease of immune complex deposition; therefore, complement plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of SLE. In general, complement levels in blood and complement deposition in histological tests are used for the management of SLE. Thus, the evaluation of complement status can be useful in the diagnosis of SLE, assessment of disease activity, and prediction of treatment response and prognosis. In addition, novel complement biomarkers, such as split products and cell-bound complement activation products, are considered to be more sensitive than traditional complement markers, such as serum C3 and C4 levels and total complement activity (CH50), which become more widely used. In this review, we report the complement testing in the management of SLE over the last decade and summarize their utility.

Background and aim: Machine learning methods are examined by many researchers to identify weeds in crop images captured by drones. However, metaheuristic optimization is rarely used in optimizing the machine learning models used in weed classification. Therefore, this research targets developing a new optimization algorithm that can be used to optimize machine learning models and ensemble models to boost the classification accuracy of weed images. Methodology: This work proposes a new approach for classifying weed and wheat images captured by a sprayer drone. The proposed approach is based on a voting classifier that consists of three base models, namely, neural networks (NNs), support vector machines (SVMs), and K-nearest neighbors (KNN). This voting classifier is optimized using a new optimization algorithm composed of a hybrid of sine cosine and grey wolf optimizers. The features used in training the voting classifier are extracted based on AlexNet through transfer learning. The significant features are selected from the extracted features using a new feature selection algorithm. Results: The accuracy, precision, recall, false positive rate, and kappa coefficient were employed to assess the performance of the proposed voting classifier. In addition, a statistical analysis is performed using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to measure the stability and significance of the proposed approach. On the other hand, a sensitivity analysis is performed to study the behavior of the parameters of the proposed approach in achieving the recorded results. Experimental results confirmed the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed approach when compared to the other competing optimization methods. The achieved detection accuracy using the proposed optimized voting classifier is 97.70%, F-score is 98.60%, specificity is 95.20%, and sensitivity is 98.40%. Conclusion: The proposed approach is confirmed to achieve better classification accuracy and outperforms other competing approaches.

BackgroundCD226, an activating receptor expressed on the surface of natural killer (NK) cells and T cells, is also seen on B cells and CD226 polymorphism is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Because the specific roles of CD226+ B cells in SLE are still unknown, we investigated the association of CD226+ B cells with SLE.MethodsWe measured CD226 expression on B cells and its subsets using flow cytometry in 48 SLE patients and 24 healthy controls (HCs). We assessed the relationships between CD226+ B cells and SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), clinical manifestations, laboratory data, and prognosis after 12 months.ResultsThe proportions of CD226+ cells in whole B cells and all its subsets were significantly higher in SLE patients than HCs. In SLE patients, the proportions of CD226+ B cells and CD226+ switched-memory (SM) B cells were significantly correlated with SLEDAI-2K scores and anti-dsDNA antibody titers, and negatively correlated with serum complement levels. Moreover, basal percentages of CD226+ B cells and CD226+ SM B cells were low in patients who were in Lupus Low Disease Activity State after 12 months. In patients with renal involvement, the proportion of CD226+ B cells increased. Additionally, the proportion of CD226+ B cells was higher in patients who were not in complete renal remission after 12 months.ConclusionsIncreased proportion of CD226+ B cells was associated with disease activity and prognosis of SLE. CD226+ B cells may be a useful biomarker for the management of SLE.

Abstract Background Recent studies show that innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) contribute to the development of chronic inflammation and autoimmune disease. In this study, we assessed the ILC function in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods In a mouse model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), we identified and purified the ILC subsets in peripheral blood (PB), local lymph nodes (LNs), and joints by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and used quantitative PCR to assess the expression levels of representative cytokines. We also correlated the frequencies of each ILC subset in synovial fluid (SF) with clinical parameters in RA patients. Results In the CIA model, the proportion of CCR6+ ILC3s to total ILCs in joints with active inflammation significantly increased relative to non-arthritic joints (median 29.6% vs 16.7%, p = 0.035). CCR6+ ILC3s from mice with arthritis expressed significantly higher levels of IL-17A and IL-22 mRNA than did comparable cells from control mice (p

Cross-spectral iris recognition represents the ability of the system to identify the iris images acquired in different electromagnetic spectrums. An iris captured in the near-infrared spectrum (NIR) is matched with an iris obtained in the visual light spectrum (VIS) to boost the recognition performance. In cross-spectral iris recognition, the illumination factor between NIR and VIS images significantly degrades the recognition performance. Therefore, the existing method only achieved recognition performance with an equal error rate (EER) larger than 5%, and it is a challenging issue for cross-spectral performance to have EER below 5%. In this paper, we improve iris recognition performance by concatenating the Gradientfaces-based normalization technique (GRF) to a standard (conventional) iris recognition method to alleviate the illumination effect. In addition, we integrate the GRF with a Gabor filter, a difference of Gaussian (DoG) filter, and texture descriptors, namely a binary statistical image feature (BSIF) and a local binary pattern (LBP). The experimental results show that the GRF can boost the cross-spectral iris recognition performance with an EER equals to 1.69%. In addition, the best cross-spectral iris recognition performance is achieved when the GRF is integrated with the Gabor filter and the BSIF.

Abstract Background The effectiveness of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) in treating severe systemic sclerosis (SSc) is established; however, the necessity of purified CD34+ cell grafts and the appropriate conditioning regimen remain unclear. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of CD34-selected auto-HSCT with unmanipulated auto-HSCT to treat severe SSc. Methods This study was a post hoc analysis of a phase I/II clinical trial conducted in Japan. Nineteen patients with severe SSc were enrolled. Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) were mobilised with cyclophosphamide (4 g/m2) and filgrastim (10 μg/kg/day). Following PBSC collection by apheresis, CD34+ cells were immunologically selected in 11 patients. All patients were treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg) monotherapy as a conditioning regimen and received CD34-selected (n = 11) or unmanipulated auto-HSCT (n = 8). Changes in skin sclerosis and pulmonary function were assessed over an 8-year follow-up period. Differences in the changes, toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were compared between patients who had received CD34-selected auto-HSCT and those who had received unmanipulated auto-HSCT. Results Skin sclerosis progressively improved after transplantation over an 8-year follow-up period in both groups, and the improvement was significantly greater in the CD34-selected group than in the unmanipulated group. Forced vital capacity in the CD34-selected group continuously increased over 8 years, whereas in the unmanipulated group it returned to baseline 3 years after transplantation. Toxicity and viral infections, such as cytomegalovirus infection and herpes zoster, were more frequently found in the CD34-selected group than in the unmanipulated group. The frequency of severe adverse events, such as bacterial infections or organ toxicity, was similar between the two groups. No treatment-related deaths occurred in either treatment group. PFS of the CD34-selected group was greater than that of the unmanipulated group, and the 5-year PFS rates of the CD34-selected and unmanipulated group were 81.8% and 50% respectively. Conclusions CD34-selected auto-HSCT may produce favourable effects on improvement of skin sclerosis and pulmonary function compared with unmanipulated auto-HSCT. Use of CD34-selected auto-HSCT with high-dose cyclophosphamide monotherapy as a conditioning regimen may offer an excellent benefit-to-risk balance.

Retroreflective materials have the property of directional reflection, reflecting light strongly in the direction of the light source, and have been used for road traffic signs. In recent years, retroreflective materials have been used in entertainment and industrial technologies, in combination with projection mapping technology. In general, color calibration is important when projectors are used to control reflected colors. In this study, we investigated a simple color calibration method for retroreflective materials with a 3D shape under the condition that they are observed in the same direction as the light source. Three types of retroreflective materials with different reflective properties were used. First, to measure the reflective properties of each reflective material, the reflective material was fixed to a flat plate and rotated, while the reflected light was measured in the same direction as the light source. It was then confirmed that the reflected light intensity varied smoothly with angular change, and appropriate measurement angles were investigated based on the AIC criterion, aiming to interpolate the reflectance characteristics from a small number of measurement angles. Color calibration was performed based on the reflectance characteristics obtained from the derived measurement angles, and the experiments showed that good color calibration was possible with fewer measurements.

BackgroundRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a prototypical autoantibody-driven autoimmune disease in which T-B interactions play a critical role. Recent comprehensive analysis suggests that PD-1+CD8+ T cells as well as two distinct IL-21-producing PD-1+CD4+ T cell subsets, follicular helper T (Tfh) and peripheral helper T (Tph) cells, are involved in the pathogenesis of RA. Herein, we aimed to clarify a generation mechanism of IL-21-producing CD8+ T cells in humans, and to characterize this novel subset in patients with RA.MethodsCD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) of healthy control (HC) and patients with RA were subject to the analysis of IL-21 mRNA and protein. We evaluated the surface marker, cytokine and transcription profiles of IL-21-producing CD8+ T cells in HCPB, RAPB and RASF.ResultsIL-21-producing CD8+ T cells were enriched in the CD45RA-(memory) PD-1+, especially PD-1hi subpopulation, and IL-12 and IL-21 synergistically induced IL-21 production by naïve CD8+ T cells. Memory PD-1hiCD8+ T cells in HCPB facilitated plasmablast differentiation and IgG production in an IL-21-dependent manner. In addition, PD-1hiCD8+ T cells in RASF and RAPB produced large amounts of IL-21 and were characterized by high levels of CD28, ICOS, CD69, HLA-DR, and CCR2 but not CXCR5. Furthermore, PD-1hiCD8+ T cells expressed high levels of transcripts of MAF and PRDM1, a feature observed in Tph cells.ConclusionsIdentification of IL-21-producing PD-1hiCD8+ T cells expands our knowledge of T cell subsets with B helper functions in RA. Selective targeting of these subsets could pave an avenue for the development of novel treatment strategies for this disease.

To investigate the influence of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) on color discrimination, it is necessary to create two metameric light stimuli (metameric ipRGC stimuli) with the same amount of cone and rod stimulation, but different amounts of ipRGC stimulation. However, since the spectral sensitivity functions of cones and rods overlap with those of ipRGCs in a wavelength band, it has been difficult to independently control the amount of stimulation of ipRGCs only. In this study, we first propose a method for calculating metameric ipRGC stimulation based on the orthogonal basis functions of human photoreceptor cells. Then, we clarify the controllable range of metameric ipRGC stimulation within a color gamut. Finally, to investigate the color discrimination by metameric ipRGC stimuli, we conduct subjective evaluation experiments on 24 chromaticity coordinates using a multispectral projector. The results reveal a correlation between differences in the amount of ipRGC stimulation and differences in color appearance, indicating that ipRGCs may influence color discrimination.

BackgroundConcomitant use of methotrexate (MTX) improves the clinical efficacy of anti-TNF agents in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We aimed to clarify the cytotoxic effect of MTX on transmembrane TNF (tmTNF)-expressing cells treated with anti-TNF agents.MethodsJurkat T cells stably expressing tmTNF were used for the following experiments. Cytotoxicity induced by an anti-TNF agent (infliximab, adalimumab, or certolizumab pegol) with concomitant MTX were compared with that by MTX alone or by an anti-TNF agent alone using flow cytometry. Apoptosis-induction mediated by reverse signal through tmTNF, complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) were evaluated. Folic acid and Y-27632, a Rho kinase inhibitor, were used as inhibitors to study intracellular signaling pathway in apoptosis induced by MTX and anti-TNF agents.ResultsApoptosis of tmTNF-expressing cells was significantly increased by the concomitant administration of MTX and an anti-TNF agent, compared with MTX alone or an anti-TNF agent alone. The apoptosis induction by concomitant MTX was most pronounced in infliximab-treatment. Reverse signal transduction, but not CDC or ADCC/ADCP, was responsible for the coordinate effect of MTX and an anti-TNF agent on tmTNF-expressing cells. Folic acid inhibited MTX-mediated apoptosis, while Y-27632 suppressed JNK activation and infliximab-induced apoptosis via revere signal through tmTNF.ConclusionThe apoptotic effect was enhanced by combination of MTX and an anti-TNF agent in tmTNF-expressing cells. The intracellular pathways induced by MTX and anti-TNF agents seem to be independent. These findings might explain at least in part improved the clinical response upon co-therapy of MTX and an anti-TNF agent in RA.

In cross-spectral iris recognition, different spectral bands are used to obtain rich information of the human iris. Previous studies on cross-spectral iris recognition are based primarily on feature-based approaches, which are prone to the changes in parameters in the feature extraction process, such as spatial position and iris image acquisition conditions. These parameters can degrade iris recognition performance. In this paper, we present a phase-based approach for cross-spectral iris recognition using phase-only correlation (POC) and band-limited phase-only correlation (BLPOC). A phase-based iris recognition system recognizes an iris using the phase information contained in the iris image; therefore, its performance is not affected by feature extraction parameters. However, the performance of a phase-based cross-spectral iris recognition is strongly influenced by specular reflection. Different illumination conditions may produce different iris images from the same subject. To overcome this challenge, we integrate a photometric normalization technique –homomorphic filtering– with phase-based cross-spectral iris recognition. The experimental results reveal that the proposed technique achieved an excellent matching performance with an equal error rate of 0.59% and a genuine acceptance rate of 95%.

This paper proposes an objective glossiness index for objects in halftone color images. In the proposed index, we consider the characteristics of the human visual system (HVS) and associate the image’s structure distortion and statistical information. According to the difference in the number of strategies adopted by the HVS in judging the difference between images, it is divided into single and multi-strategy modeling. In this study, we advocate multiple strategies to determine glossy or non-glossy quality. We assumed that HVS used different visual mechanisms to evaluate glossy and non-glossy objects. For non-glossy images, the image structure dominated, so the HVS tried to use structural information to judge distortion (a strategy based on structural distortion detection). For glossy images, the glossy appearance dominated; thus, the HVS tried to search for the glossiness difference (an appearance-based strategy). Herein, we present an index for glossiness assessment that attempts to explicitly model the structural dissimilarity and appearance distortion. We used the contrast sensitivity function to account for the mechanism of halftone images when viewed by the human eye. We estimated the structure distortion for the first strategy by using local luminance and contrast masking; meanwhile, local statistics changing in the spatial frequency components for skewness and standard deviation were used to estimate the appearance distortion for the second strategy. Experimental results showed that these two mixed-distortion measurement strategies performed well in consistency with the subjective ratings of glossiness in halftone color images.

Abstract Background Currently, although several categories of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are available, there are few data informing selection of initial treatment for individual patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNF-i) and tocilizumab (TCZ) are treated as equivalent treatments in the recent disease management recommendations. We focused on two anticytokine therapies, TCZ and TNF-i, and aimed to develop a scoring system that predicts a better treatment for each RA patient before starting an IL-6 or a TNF-i. Methods The expression of IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA in peripheral blood from 45 newly diagnosed RA patients was measured by DNA microarrays to evaluate cytokine activation. Next, laboratory indices immediately before commencing treatment and disease activity score improvement ratio after 6 months in 98 patients treated with TCZ or TNF-i were retrospectively analyzed. Some indices correlated with TCZ efficacy were selected and their cutoff values were defined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to develop a scoring system to discriminate between individuals more likely to respond to TCZ or TNF-i. The validity of the scoring system was verified in these 98 patients and an additional 228 patients. Results There was significant inverse correlation between the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA in newly diagnosed RA patients. The analysis of 98 patients revealed significant correlation between TCZ efficacy and platelet counts, hemoglobin, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase; in contrast, there was no similar correlation in the TNF-i group. The cutoff values were defined by ROC analysis to develop a scoring system (1 point/item, maximum of 4 points). A good TCZ response was predicted if the score was ≥2; in contrast, TNF-i seemed to be preferable if the score was ≤1. Similar results were obtained in a validation study of an additional 228 patients. If the case scored ≥3, the good responder rates of TCZ/TNF-i were 75.0%/37.9% (p

In this study, we investigated the physical factors required to accurately reproduce the Milky Way in star fields in a planetarium using three evaluation indices: faithfulness, preference, and depth feeling. Psychometric experiments were conducted by manipulating three different physical factors (transmittance, representation size and star density) of the stars projected on a dome screen as experimental stimuli. The three evaluation indices were rated by observers for 12 different reproductions of the Milky Way. By analyzing the experimental results, we developed a common model to estimate the scores for each evaluation index by changing the coefficients of the three physical factors. Our proposed model has good accuracy, and each evaluation index can be represented by transmittance, representation size and star density. The weighting values indicate that density reproduction was the pivotal factor for the majority of observers. In contrast, the observers were not affected by the size of the stars in the projected Milky Way.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are associated with inflammation. We tried to investigate the influence of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and tocilizumab (TCZ) on the glucose metabolism of RA patients. RA patients in whom treatment with TNFi or TCZ was initiated from 2008 to 2015 were studied based on their medical records. We analyzed patients whose glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were measured both before and 3 months after the initiation of these biologic agents. The association between HbA1c reduction and the treatment was evaluated. From 971 cases treated with these biologic agents, 221 cases whose medical records of HbA1c were available, were included (TNFi, n = 154; TCZ, n = 67). Both the TNFi and TCZ groups had significantly lower HbA1c values at 1 month and 3 months after the initiation of treatment (TNFi, p

This guideline was provided by the Japanese Association for Complement Research targeting clinicians for making an accurate diagnosis of hereditary angioedema (HAE), and for prompt treatment of the HAE patient in Japan. This is a 2010 year version and will be updated according to any pertinent medical advancements.

We propose an integrated model of Block-Permutation-Based Encryption (BPBE) and Reversible Data Hiding (RDH). The BPBE scheme involves four processes for encryption, namely block scrambling, block-rotation/inversion, negative-positive transformation and the color component shuffling. A Histogram Shifting (HS) method is adopted for RDH in our model. The proposed scheme can be well suitable for the hierarchical access control system, where the data can be accessed with the different access rights. This scheme encrypts R, G and B components independently. Therefore, we can generate similar output images from different input images. Additionally, the key derivation scheme also provides the security according to the different access rights. Our scheme is also resilient against brute-force attacks and Jigsaw Puzzle Solvers (JPSs). Furthermore, the compression performance is also not severely degraded using a standard lossless compression method.

Viral infection is known to induce transient autoimmunity in humans. Acute cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is implicated in occasional thrombosis formation. We here, for the first time, report a 19-year-old female who had an acute CMV infection, leading to a deep venous thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism along with transient appearance of lupus anticoagulant. The pathological role of antiphospholipid antibodies in CMV-mediated thrombosis is discussed.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that causes multiple organ damage. Although recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have contributed to discovery of SLE susceptibility genes, few studies has been performed in Asian populations. Here, we report a GWAS for SLE examining 891 SLE cases and 3,384 controls and multi-stage replication studies examining 1,387 SLE cases and 28,564 controls in Japanese subjects. Considering that expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) have been implicated in genetic risks for autoimmune diseases, we integrated an eQTL study into the results of the GWAS. We observed enrichments of cis-eQTL positive loci among the known SLE susceptibility loci (30.8%) compared to the genome-wide SNPs (6.9%). In addition, we identified a novel association of a variant in the AF4/FMR2 family, member 1 (AFF1) gene at 4q21 with SLE susceptibility (rs340630; P = 8.3×10(-9), odds ratio = 1.21). The risk A allele of rs340630 demonstrated a cis-eQTL effect on the AFF1 transcript with enhanced expression levels (P

This paper proposes a new color image coding scheme called “colorization image coding.†The scheme is based on the colorization technique which can colorize a monochrome image by giving a small number of color pixels. We develop algorithms useful for color image coding. First, the luminance component is separated from an input color image. Then, a small number of color seeds are selected as chrominance information. The luminance image component is coded by a lossy coding technique and the chrominance image component is stored as color seeds. The decoding is performed by the colorization algorithm. It is shown that this colorization technique is effective to image coding, especially for high compression rate, through the experiments using different types of images.