A reduction method of dynamic false contour utilizing the frame‐rate‐control method with suppression of the side effect on PDPs

Abstract— The plasma‐display panel (PDP) is a type of flat‐panel display that can display a high‐quality image. However, when moving images are displayed, annoying disturbances such as false contour noise occurs. This noise is called dynamic false contour (DFC). To achieve a higher‐quality image, DFC has to be reduced. Therefore, a new method to reduce DFC is proposed. To find a way to reduce DFC, a new evaluation value for it has been defined: the evaluation value of dynamic false contour (EVDFC). This value is defined on the basis of a person's subjective evaluation. By applying this value, the cause that generates DFC can be identified. On the basis of these studies, a new method for reducing DFC by applying frame‐rate control (FRC) with suppression of the side effect is proposed. This improved method can be used to provide high‐quality images.     

Multiwavelength all-optical TDM switching using a semiconductoroptical amplifier in a loop mirror

We report simultaneous all-optical switching of multiple wavelengths using an optical loop mirror with an asymmetrically placed semiconductor optical amplifier. Switching is shown for 14-wavelength channels (across 14-nm bandwidth) with switching contrast of 10-23 dB     

Temperature dependence of Rresistivities of SnO2-based gas sensors exposed to Co,H2, and C3H8 gases

The temperature dependence of resistivities of gas sensors made of SnO₂, Pd-doped SnO₂, and ThO₂-doped SnO₂ with Pd has been investigated in air containing reducing gases such as CO, H₂, and C₃H₈. The curves for ThO₂-doped sensors were significantly influenced by the reducing gases as compared to the sensors without ThO₂. From these results, it is found that in Pd-doped SnO₂ sensors the dopant plays an important role in oxidizing the surface of SnO₂ above 170°C, and that the addition of ThO₂ to Pd-doped SnO₂ enhances the effects of Pd by removing the adsorbed hydroxyl on SnO₂. It is also apparent that the interactions between reducing gases in air and SnO₂-based sensors depend upon the oxidizing rates of the surface of SnO₂, as well as the amounts of the adsorbed hydroxyl on SnO₂.     

Co gas detection by ThO2-Doped SnO2

The selective detection of CO gas by stannic oxide incorporated with ThO2(l − 10 wt%), in the presence of H2 and petroleum gases such as C₃H₈ and iso-C₄H₂ has been studied. Materials mixed with 5 wt% ThO₂ showed high selectivity to CO gas at a sample temperature of 200−250‡C. The effects of hydrophobic or hydrophilic silica present in the samples on the detection sensitivity to CO gas have been investigated. From the results it is apparent that the removal of the hy-droxyl radical from the surface of SnO₂ enhances the sensitivity to CO gas.     

Pulmonary arterial impedance analysis by the use of the oscillated assist flow

Pulmonary arterial impedance is an important and interesting characteristic that can be used to evaluate the physiological properties of the pulmonary vessel. However, power spectrum analysis of the pulmonary artery pressure and flow pattern have suggested that peak power in the relatively high frequency range (> 10 Hz) is significantly low; thus, we cannot analyze the vessel properties in the high frequency range. In this study, we used the newly developed vibrating flow pump (VFP), which can generate oscillated blood flow with a relatively high frequency (10-50 Hz) for right heart bypass, to evaluate the pulmonary arterial impedance pattern in the high frequency range. Acute animal experiments of the right heart bypass from the right atrium to the pulmonary artery using 6 healthy adult goats were performed. The flow pattern and pressure of the pulmonary artery, electrocardiograms (ECGs), and arterial and right atrial pressures were continuously monitored during the experiments. Spectral analysis of the hemodynamic parameters using the fast Fourier transform (FFT) method was performed to evaluate the spectral properties. The coherence function, transfer function, and phase patterns were calculated to analyze the impedance pattern in the relatively high frequency area. Previously, various investigators had tried to analyze the impedance patterns of the pulmonary artery; however, they could not analyze the impedance patterns over 10 Hz because the spectral patterns of the pulmonary flow do not have high power at high frequencies. These physiological analyses may be useful in designing the optimal pulmonary circulation.     

Experimental study of physiological advantages of assist circulation using oscillated blood flow

Duplication of the stomach is a rare congenital disease of the childhood. We report the exceptional manifestation in two adults. The clinical presentation and developmental theory is discussed by reviewing the literature. Today the therapy of choice is resection of the duplication with removal of the adjacent wall of the stomach.     

Assessing cardiovascular dynamics during ventricular assistance.Use of fuzzy clustering techniques

The authors' group has recently developed an expert system realized by means of fuzzy logic algorithms for monitoring and malfunction diagnosis of the left ventricular assist device (LVAD), one of the many types of artificial hearts developed today. The system is named TOTOMES (Tohoku University and Toyohashi University of Technology, monitoring and estimation system). TOTOMES is suitable for clinical application because it operates in an online and realtime fashion on a widely used personal computer in Japan. This article introduces the structure and function of the TOTOMES and explains its techniques, such as multi-interrupt tasks and dynamic system identification; as well as fuzzy reasoning used for realizing state estimation, detection, and diagnosis of malfunctions; and monitoring for cardiovascular dynamics under ventricular assistance and the LVAD drive system     

Dispersion in active transport by kinesin-powered molecular shuttles

Active transport driven by molecular motors is a key technology for the continued miniaturization of lab-on-a-chip devices, because it is expected to enable nanofluidic devices with channel diameters of less than 1 microm and total channel lengths on the order of 1 mm. An important metric for a transport mechanism employed in an analytic device is dispersion, because it critically affects the sensitivity and resolution. Here, we investigate the mechanisms responsible for the dispersion of a swarm of "molecular shuttles", consisting of functionalized microtubules propelled by surface-adhered kinesin motor proteins. Using a simple model and measurements of the path persistence length, motional diffusion coefficient, and the distribution of average velocities, we found that, at the time scale relevant in the envisioned nanobiodevices, variations in the time-averaged velocities between shuttles will make a stronger contribution to the dispersion of the swarm than both the fluctuations around the time-averaged velocity of an individual shuttle and the fluctuations in path length due to wiggling within the channel. Overall, the dispersion of such molecular shuttles is comparable to the dispersion of a sample plug transported by electroosmotic flow.     

Possible action of vasohibin-1 as an inhibitor in the regulation of vascularization of the bovine corpus luteum

The development of the corpus luteum (CL), which secretes large amounts of progesterone to establish pregnancy, is accompanied by active angiogenesis, vascularization, and lymphangiogenesis. Negative feedback regulation is a critical physiological mechanism. Vasohibin-1 (VASH1) was recently discovered as a novel endothelium-derived negative feedback regulator of vascularization. We therefore investigated the expression of VASH1 in the bovine CL. Expression of VASH1 mRNA and protein was predominantly localized to luteal endothelial cells (LECs). VASH1 expression in the CL was constant through the early to late luteal phases and decreased during CL regression relating with the action of luteolytic prostaglandin F(2)(α) in vivo. To investigate the role of VASH1, we determined whether VASH1 treatment affects angiogenesis and/or lymphangiogenesis using LECs and lymphatic endothelial cells (LyECs) in vitro. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) stimulated the expression of VASH1 in LECs but not in LyECs, and VASH1 completely blocked VEGFA-induced formation of capillary-like tube structures of LECs and LyECs in vitro. In summary, VASH1 is predominantly located on LECs in the bovine CL and inhibits the angiogenic and lymphangiogenic actions of VEGFA. Bovine CL therefore has a VEGFA-VASH1 system that may be involved in regulation of luteal function, especially in the development of the CL. The results indicate that VASH1 has the potential to act as a negative feedback regulator of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in the CL in cows.     

Study on explosion characteristics of natural gas and methane in semi-open space for the HTTR hydrogen production system

It is important to grasp the explosion characteristics of object gases: natural gas and methane, in order to evaluate the influence of a gas explosion accident in the HTTR hydrogen production system on the reactor. Thus, we carried out explosion experiments of the object gases in semi-open space, and verified a numerical analysis code for the simulation of the explosion accident. It was confirmed that NG–air mixture or methane-air mixture in semi-open space did not result in DDT although 10 g of C-4 explosive was used as an ignition source, and the numerical results agreed relatively with the experimental results. As a result, we could have the prospects for predicting the influence of the explosion accident on the reactor.