Summer sea-ice cover in the Arctic varies largely from year to year owing to several factors. This study examines one such factor, the relationship between interannual difference in winter ice motion and ice area in the following summer. A daily-ice velocity product on a 37.5-km resolution grid is prepared using the satellite passive microwave sensor Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer—Earth Observing System data for the nine years of 2003–2011. Derived daily-ice motion reveals the dynamic modification of the winter ice cover. The winter ice divergence/convergence is strongly related to the summer ice cover in some regions; the correlation coefficient between the winter ice convergence and summer ice area ranges between 0.5 and 0.9 in areas with high interannual variability. This relation implies that the winter ice redistribution controls the spring ice thickness and the summer ice cover

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The advantages of this NIMNRF treatment for skin tightening are its long-lasting high efficacy as shown through 3-D volumetric assessments. Moreover, NIMNRF produced minimal complications and downtime as well as few side effects. This non-invasive novel fractional NIMNRF approach provides safe and effective treatment of skin tightening in Asian patients.

Over half of solar energy consists of near-infrared and a wide range of preventative mechanisms have been evolutionarily maintained in organisms to protect against effects of near-infrared. However, the biological effects of near-infrared have not been investigated in detail. Despite the essential requirement of a water-filter to imitate solar near-infrared filtered by atmospheric water, previous studies used near-infrared resources without a water-filter or a cooling system. With these methods, near-infrared energy is primarily absorbed in the superficial tissues, thus these approaches are unable to sufficiently evaluate the biological effects of solar near-infrared that reaches human tissue. We have elucidated that near-infrared (1100 - 1800 nm together with a water-filter that excludes wavelengths 1400 - 1500 nm) non-thermally affects the skin into the deeper tissues. The biological effects of near-infrared have both beneficial applications and deleterious effects. Near-infrared induces collagen and elastin stimulation, which achieves skin rejuvenation and skin tightening, and induces long-lasting vasodilation that may prevent vasospasm and be beneficial for ischemic disorders. Near-infrared also relaxes and weakens dystonic and hypertrophic muscles to reduce wrinkles and myalgia. Nearinfrared is an essential tool in cancer detection and imaging, and induces drastic non-thermal DNA damage of mitotic cells, which may be beneficial for treating cancer. Activation of stem cells by near-infrared may be useful in regenerative medicine. However, continuous near-infrared exposure induces photoaging and potentially photocarcinogenesis. Humans have

This multicenter study showed significant wrinkle reduction, skin tightening, and lifting of the mid and lower face with the noninsulated fractional RF microneedling system. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:727-733, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Infrared irradiation provides safe, consistent, long-term stimulation of type I collagen but only short-term stimulation in the more rigid type III collagen. This is preferential for cosmetic patients looking for improvement in laxity and wrinkles while seeking smoother, more youthful skin.

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As infrared penetrates the skin, thermal effects of infrared irradiation on cancer cells have been investigated in the field of hyperthermia. We evaluated non-thermal effects of infrared irradiation using a specialized device (1100-1800 nm with filtering of wavelengths between 1400 and 1500 nm and contact cooling) on cancer cells. In in vitro study, five kinds of cultured cancer cell lines (MCF7 breast cancer, HeLa uterine cervical cancer, NUGC-4 gastric cancer, B16F0 melanoma, and MDA-MB435 melanoma) were irradiated using the infrared device, and then the cell proliferation activity was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay. Proliferation of all the cancer cell lines was significantly suppressed by infrared irradiation. Total infrared output appeared to be correlated with cell survival. Increased temperature during infrared irradiation appeared not to play a role in cell survival. The maximum temperature elevation in the wells after each shot in the 20 and 40 J ⁄ cm 2 culture was 3.8°C and 6.9°C, respectively. In addition, we have shown that infrared irradiation significantly inhibited the tumor growth of MCF7 breast cancer transplanted in severe combined immunodeficiency mice and MDA-MB435 melanoma transplanted in nude mice in vivo. Significant differences between control and irradiated groups were observed in tumor volume and frequencies of TUNEL-positive and Ki-67-positive cells. These results indicate that infrared, independent of thermal energy, can induce cell killing of cancer cells. As this infrared irradiation schedule reduces discomfort and side effects, reaches the deep subcutaneous tissues, and facilitates repeated irradiations, it may have potential as an application for treating various forms of cancer.