CMOS imaging for automotive applications

This contribution is devoted to CMOS imaging for automotive applications. It is shown that unlike CCD-based imaging, imaging based on CMOS-sensing meets adequately requirements posed by automotive vision applications. In addition, besides classical vision, CMOS imaging enables new applications like, e.g., occupancy sensing, rangefinding, and 3-D vision.     

Detection of bcr/abl fusion transcripts by semiquantitative multiplex RT-PCR combined with a colormetric assay in Ph positive leukemia

OBJECTIVES: The EORTC Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group (IFICG) conducted a prospective survey by questionnaire of all cases of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in cancer patients to ascertain current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. METHODS: All members of the IFICG were asked prospectively to complete a detailed questionnaire for each IA case identified in their institution over a 12-month period. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty questionnaires were returned. All cases were independently evaluated (DWD & JC) and 123 were eligible. Cases came from 20 hospitals in eight countries and the number of cases per institution varied from 1-21. Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) (60, 49%), acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) (21, 17%) and lymphoma (11, 9%) were the most frequent underlying diseases, and 16 (12%) patients had received an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Pulmonary involvement was present in 87%, infection of sinuses/nose in 16% and brain in 8%. The chest radiograph was initially normal in 9% of those with primary pulmonary disease. The diagnosis was confirmed in 50%, probable in 31% and possible in 19%. The evidence for IA was on the basis of clinical and radiological features alone in 28%, with culture or histology in another 31% and 9%, respectively, and with both culture and histology in 29%. In three (2%) patients with diagnosis was based on culture or histology alone. Treatment was given to 120 patients (98%)-amphotericin B 75%, lipid-associated amphotericin B 36%, itraconazole 40%, flucytosine 12%, growth factors 33%, lobectomy 5%. At 3 months after diagnosis or first suspicion of IA, 44 (36%) patients were alive and 79 (64%) dead. Outcome was best in those with AML (30% death and 46% with a complete antifungal response or cure). Growth factors (mostly granulocyte colony stimulating factor) appeared not to influence outcome (P = 0.99). CONCLUSION: IA remains a considerable diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. No single diagnostic procedure was universally successful and a multifaceted approach including surgery is necessary. There was no discernable difference in outcome between initial therapy with amphotericin B, itraconazole or lipid-associated amphotericin B, although numbers are limited and the study was retrospective.     

Simultaneous expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3 in Cajal-Retzius, subplate and ventricular progenitor cells during early development stages of the rat cerebral cortex

To identify production sites and action targets of neurotrophins during neurogenesis, we investigated immunoreactivities of neurotrophins and their tyrosine kinase receptors in the cerebral cortex of rat embryos. Two sets of ligand-receptor systems, brain-derived neurotrophic factor/TrkB and neurotrophin-3/TrkC, were expressed simultaneously in Cajal-Retzius, subplate neurons and ventricular multipotent stem cells at embryonic days 13 and 15. Intraventricular administration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor or neurotrophin-3 at embryonic day 16 markedly modulated microtubule-associated protein II and/or Hu protein expression in different ways in the cortical plate cells by embryonic day 20. These observations indicate the involvement of autocrine and/or local paracrine action of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and/or neurotrophin-3 during formation of the cerebral cortex.     

Molecular orientation behavior of mesomorphic isotactic polypropylene under uniaxial and biaxial deformation

The molecular orientation behavior of mesomorphic isotactic polypropylene films under biaxial extension was investigated at room temperature. The birefringence was measured not only for drawn films but also simultaneously with biaxial stresses. It was found that there exists a yield point at which the neck is initiated on the biaxial deformed films and necking occurred and propagated in only one stretching direction, resulting in mosaic structures consisting of necked blocks. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Collision Dynamics of Non-Abelian Vortices in Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates

Bose-Einstein condensates with spin degrees of freedom admit various topological phases and excitations. Non-Abelian vortices offer a remarkable example which is expected to be realized in the cyclic phase of the spin-2 spinor Bose-Einstein condensates. We demonstrate that the non-Abelian property of non-Abelian vortices shows the unique effect in their collision dynamics, i.e., unlike Abelian vortices, they do neither reconnect themselves nor pass through each other but create a rung vortex between them.     

Crystalline structure at surfaces of uniaxially drawn polypropene films

A series of uniaxially drawn films of isotactic polypropene and ethene-propene random copolymer was prepared. The differences in the crystal orientation between the bulk and the surface layer were examined using wide-angle X-ray diffraction and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction techniques. It was found that the c-axis orientation of the surface layer is almost identical with that of the bulk. The magnitude in the b-axis of the polypropene films decreased with increasing draw ratio. The changes in the b-axis at the bulk were found to be greater than those at the surface layer.     

Characterization and properties of polypropylene‐block‐poly(ethylene‐co‐propylene) synthesized by short‐period polymerization

The morphology and mechanical properties of novel block copolymers consisting of isotactic polypropylene (PP) and ethylene–propylene rubber (EPR) synthesized by a short‐period polymerization method were examined using differential scanning calorimetry, atomic force microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and a rheooptical technique. It was found that the novel block copolymers show a single glass transition and EPR segments are trapped into the amorphous region of PP. Furthermore, the rheooptical analysis demonstrates that a drawing process of the EPR‐rich block copolymer induces orientation of the PP lamellae in the EPR matrix. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 958–964, 1999     

Preparation and properties of poly(Nε,Nε-dicarboxymethyl-l-lysine)

A new ampholytic homopolypeptide, $\text{poly}\text{(N}{}^{\mathrm{\epsilon }}\text{,N}{}^{\mathrm{\epsilon }}\text{-}\text{dicarboxy-methyl-}\text{l}\text{-lysine}\text{)}$, which has one tertiary amino and two carboxyl groups in the side chain has been derived from a hydrochloride salt of poly(L-lysine). The polymer in aqueous solution seems to be in the coil form with locally extended structure (LES) at neutral pH. In both the acidic and alkaline regions, the molar ellipticity of the polymer changes as a result of change in net charge on the side chain. The conformational changes may be from the coil with LES to other coiled forms. 5–7 M NaClO₄ and 80% aqueous methanol induce the α-helix in the polymer at neutral pH. Divalent cations, Cu²⁺ and Ca²⁺, do not induce any remarkably ordered structures such as α-helix or β-structure in the polymer in aqueous solution at any pH. Ultraviolet absorption studies show an absorption peak of the polymer-Cu²⁺ complex near 240 nm. Dependence of the peak intensity on pH at various q values ($\text{q =}\text{[}\text{Cu}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}\text{]}\text{[}\text{residue}\text{]}$) indicates the two steps of the complex formation. At q less than 0.64, the formation is described only with the first step. An average coordination number for Cu²⁺ at the first step was calculated to be about 2 by the method of Mandel and Leyte. The association constant of Cu²⁺ with the residue at the step was determined from the absorption data to be far smaller than that for the Cu²⁺-EDTA complex. The second step of the formation occurs in the case of large q but the absorption data for the second step cannot be obtained exactly due to precipitation.     

Rheological properties for binary blends of i-PP and ethylene-1-hexene copolymer

The dynamic viscoelastic properties for binary blends consisting of an isotactic polypropylene (i-PP) and an ethylene-1-hexene copolymer (EHR) were investigated in both solid and molten states to reveal the relation between miscibility in the molten state and the morphology in the solid state. In this study, two types of EHRs were employed: “ethylene-rich” EHR and “1-hexene-rich” EHR. The blend of i-PP and EHR of 30 mol % 1-hexene content shows a very long time relaxation due to the phase separation in the molten state. The blend film shows two separate glass-relaxation processes associated with those of the pure components. These indicate that the blend shows phase-separated morphology in the solid state as well as in the molten state. On the other hand, dynamic moduli in the molten state of the blends of i-PP and EHR of 57 mol % 1-hexene were found to be intermediate between those of individual pure components. Furthermore, the apparent activation energy of the blends is constant and is identical with those of i-PP and the EHR. The blend films show a single glass-relaxation process at the temperatures between those of the pure components, indicating that the EHR molecules are incorporated in the amorphous region of i-PP in the solid state. Accordingly, it was found that the polymer miscibility in the molten state for the i-PP/EHR blends directly affects the morphology in the solid state. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 63: 467–474, 1997