A flat energy density antenna system for mobile telephone

The notch array designed as a crossed slot antenna for receiving the magnetic field components is replaced by the disk of a ring patch antenna. Since the electric field components are received by the ring patch antenna, this combination provides an energy density reception antenna. A prototype of the flat energy density antenna has been built and tested: and the measured results of the input impedance characteristics and the radiation patterns are presented. Indoor field measurements with this antenna also verified the energy density reception     

Integral three-dimensional television using a 2000-scanning-line video system

We have developed an integral three-dimensional (3-D) television that uses a 2000-scanning-line video system that can shoot and display 3-D color moving images in real time. We had previously developed an integral 3-D television that used a high-definition television system. The new system uses -6 times as many elemental images [160 (horizontal) x 118 (vertical) elemental images] arranged at -1.5 times the density to improve further the picture quality of the reconstructed image. Through comparison an image near the lens array can be reconstructed at -1.9 times the spatial frequency, and the viewing angle is -1.5 times as wide.     

A homogeneous and noncompetitive immunoassay based on the enhanced fluorescence resonance energy transfer by leucine zipper interaction

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between two GFP variants is a powerful technique to describe protein-protein interaction in a biological system. However, it has a limitation that the two variants tethered to the respective proteins have to be in sufficient proximity upon binding, which is often difficult to attain by simple N- or C-terminal fusions. Here we describe a novel method to significantly enhance FRET between GFP variant-tagged proteins with the use of leucine zippers. For the homogeneous sandwich immunoassay of a high molecular weight antigen human serum albumin (HSA), two separate single-chain Fvs recognizing distant epitopes of HSA were respectively fused with fluorescence donor ECFP or acceptor EYFP, and FRET between the two was analyzed by fluorescence spectrometry. Because these two proteins did not give any detectable FRET uponantigen addition, we tethered each protein with a leucine zipper motif (c-Jun or FosB) at the C-terminus to help the neighborhood of the GFP variants. Upon antigen addition, the new pairs showed significant antigen-dependent FRET. By exchanging the binding domains, the method will find a range of applications for the assay of other proteins and their interactions in vitro or in vivo.     

Real-time pickup method for a three-dimensional image based on integral photography

We studied integral photography (IP), which creates three-dimensional autostereoscopic images. In particular we studied the possibility of a new method that uses a television camera to shoot directly numerous real images produced by a lens array. Unlike the conventional IP method in which the film is placed immediately behind a lens array, this method employs a television camera, which enables us to shoot moving pictures. Of a number of factors affecting the process of image pickup, we examined some optical factors and compared them with those obtained by the conventional IP method. The results show that with this new direct pickup method that uses a television camera, we can obtain an IP image like those obtained by using the conventional IP method. Further, we conducted an experiment with an high-definition TV camera, confirming the production of an autostereoscopic image by using a display device that combines a liquid-crystal panel and pinholes.     

Continuous production of phosphor YAG:Tb nanoparticles by hydrothermal synthesis in supercritical water

Phosphor YAG:Tb ((Y_2.7Tb_0.3)Al₅O₁₂) nano particles were synthesized by a hydrothermal method at supercritical conditions (400 °C and 30 MPa) using a flow reactor. Hydroxide sol solutions formed by stoichiometric aluminum nitrate, yttrium nitrate, terbium nitrate and potassium hydroxide solutions. The relationship between particle size and experimental variables including pH, concentration of coexistent ions and hydroxide sol were investigated. Particles were characterized by XRD, TEM and photo-luminescence measurements. Particle size of YAG:Tb became finer as pH was increased or potassium nitrate concentration of the starting metal salt solution was increased. By removing the coexisting ions (NO₃⁻, K⁺) from the metal salt solution, single phase YAG:Tb particles with 20 nm particle size were obtained. The emission spectra of YAG:Tb particles of 14 nm shows a blue shift.     

Localization of tumor suppressor activity important in nonsmall cell lung carcinoma on chromosome 11q

Loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 11q23 is observed at high frequency in human nonsmall cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), suggesting the presence of a tumor suppressor gene. Previous analysis of DNA from 79 patients identified a commonly deleted segment of 5 centimorgans. Complementation analysis was used to further localize a putative tumor suppressor gene. Three yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clones spanning the minimal loss of heterozygosity region were modified, and spheroplast fusion was used to transfer them into human A549 NSCLC or murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cell lines. The resulting yeast x human hybrid cell lines containing an intact copy of a 1.6-Mb YAC, 939b12, showed reduced growth in vitro. Injection of parental A549 cells into athymic (nu/nu) mice resulted in tumor formation at 27 of 28 injection sites. In contrast, two independent 939b12-containing cell lines formed tumors at only 3 of 20 injection sites. 939b12 also suppressed tumor formation by LLC NSCLC cells in nude mice, but YACs 785e12 and 911f2, which flank 939b12, had no suppressor activity. Further localization of tumor suppression activity on 939b12 was accomplished by introduction of defined fragmentation derivatives into A549 cells and by analysis of YACs that were broken on transfer into LLC cells. This complementation approach localized tumor suppression activity to the central 700 kb of 939b12 and provides a functional assay for positional cloning of this tumor suppressor gene.     

Quality of life after radical prostatectomy

In the past, radical prostatectomy commonly led to urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. In the last decade, new operative techniques have greatly reduced the complication rate and the operation has gained increasing popularity as treatment of choice for localized prostate cancer. Success or failure of radical prostatectomy has been reported not only in terms of disease-free survival, but in terms of patient attitudes to treatment and side effects. As physicians, we must remember that in presenting treatment options to patients it is important to emphasize both the quality and quantity of life that may result. With richer information on QOL in addition to duration of survival, patients will be able to make more informed decisions. Therefore, the QOL study will contribute patient self-report data to current treatment decision models that rely solely on physician estimates of patients' QOL and side effects following radical prostatectomy. We herein report the results of our recent QOL survey in men treated with radical prostatectomy, and briefly discuss QOL methodology.     

Relationship between serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor activity in patients with recent myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: An elevated level of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) has been demonstrated to increase the risk of myocardial infarction. Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) is the most important physiological inhibitor of tissue plasminogen activator in plasma. An elevated level of PAI has been reported to be associated with decreased fibrinolytic capacity and to constitute a marker of the risk for recurrent coronary thrombosis. METHODS: We measured the serum ACE activity and plasma PAI activity in 34 patients with recent myocardial infarction, and evaluated the correlation between these two values by linear regression analysis. We also administered captopril (37.5 mg/day) to 17 of these patients and placebo to the other 17 patients at random, and compared the changes in PAI activity and ACE activity in these two groups over a 1-month period. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between the serum ACE activity and the plasma PAI activity at baseline in the patients (r = 0.498, P < 0.01). The captopril-treated patients showed significantly reduced PAI activity (P < 0.01), and a concomitant decrease in ACE activity. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that elevated ACE activity is associated with impaired fibrinolysis and that treatment with an ACE inhibitor improves the fibrinolytic function in patients with recent myocardial infarction. The results also suggest that the renin-angiotensin system plays a role in the increased risk of ischemic cardiovascular events when it is activated, and in the reduction of risk of recurrent myocardial infarction by ACE inhibition.     

Ocular arterial flow hemodynamics in patients with diabetes mellitus

The purpose of this study was to investigate ocular blood flow hemodynamics in patients with diabetes mellitus. We used color Doppler sonography, in 22 normal subjects and 52 patients with (n = 25) or without (n = 27) diabetic retinopathy, to determine blood flow velocities and the resistive index of the central retinal artery. The resistive index of the central retinal artery in patients with diabetic retinopathy (0.85 +/- 0.09) was significantly greater (P < 0.01) than that in normal subjects (0.72 +/- 0.08) and in patients without diabetic retinopathy (0.81 +/- 0.09). The resistive index of the central retinal artery in the patients without diabetic retinopathy was also significantly greater than that of normal subjects (P < 0.01). The resistive index of ocular arterial flow was increased in the patients with diabetes mellitus and further increased in the presence of retinopathy. Increased resistance in the peripheral ocular vascular bed contributes to diabetic retinopathy, and this change is present before the appearance of overt diabetic retinopathy.     

The role of the nirQOP genes in energy conservation during anaerobic growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The nirQOP operon, which is located between the genes for nitrite reductase and nitric oxide reductase in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, encodes a putative ATP-binding protein and two putative transmembrane proteins. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NirO belongs to the family of subunit III of cytochrome oxidases but is distantly related to the other bacterial or mitochondrial proteins. P. aeruginosa strains that lacked the nirOP genes had all enzyme activities for denitrification and could grow under anaerobic conditions with nitrate or nitrite as an electron acceptor. However, the energy conservation efficiency of anaerobic respiration was lower in these strains than in strains harboring the nirOP gene.