A simple method for rendering penumbrae caused by sunlight

A simple rendering method for penumbrae caused by sunlight is proposed to create more realistic outdoor scenery. Only four points are used to define the penumbra area cast by a contour edge so that little storage is needed for penumbra areas. Complex penumbrae caused by such objects as curtains can be rendered. Calculation of illumination in the shadows cast by natural objects, such as trees, mapped on a transparent virtual plane is available. In order to show the usefulness of the proposed method, some computer-generated images with penumbrae are compared with those without penumbrae.     

A volume-preserving approach for modeling and animating water flows generated by metaballs

This paper presents a volume-preserving approach for animating liquid flows modeled by metaballs. A volume of liquid can be adjusted to a previous volume by using the influence radius and the maximum density of metaballs as volume-controlling parameters. Recursive subdivision is used to efficiently calculate the volume of implicit surfaces. The criterion for subdivision is obtained by using the concept of interval analysis and the common property of metaball density functions. Providing a sequence of parameters, the volume-compensation region can be controlled according to the substance making up the object, resulting in local preservation of the volume. Set partition is used for determining isolated surfaces in order to apply local-volume preservation. Published online: 23 July 2002 Correspondence to: K. Kaneda     

Importance of Translation–Replication Balance for Efficient Replication by the Self‐Encoded Replicase

In all living systems, the genetic information is replicated by the self‐encoded replicase (Rep); this can be said to be a self‐encoding system. Recently, we constructed a self‐encoding system in liposomes as an artificial cell model, consisting of a reconstituted translation system and an RNA encoding the catalytic subunit of Qβ Rep and the RNA was replicated by the self‐encoded Rep produced by the translation reaction. In this system, both the ribosome (Rib) and Rep bind to the same RNA for translation and replication, respectively. Thus, there could be a dilemma: effective RNA replication requires high levels of Rep translation, but excessive translation in turn inhibits replication. Herein, we actually observed the competition between the Rib and Rep, and evaluated the effect for RNA replication by constructing a kinetic model that quantitatively explained the behavior of the self‐encoding system. Both the experimental and theoretical results consistently indicated that the balance between translation and replication is critical for an efficient self‐encoded system, and we determined the optimum balance.     

A heat-stable trypsin inhibitor in adzuki bean (Vigna angularis): effect of extraction media, purification and biochemical characteristics

Trypsin inhibitor from adzuki bean ( Vigna angularis ) seed was isolated and characterised. Extraction of seed with NaCl at the concentration of 0.15  m showed a higher recovery of trypsin inhibitor than other solvents tested ( P  <   0.05). Optimal extraction time for the recovery trypsin inhibitor from adzuki bean seed was 30 min ( P  <   0.05). Purification of inhibitor was achieved by heat-treatment at 90 °C for 10 min, followed by ammonium sulphate precipitation with 30–65% saturation and size exclusion chromatography on Sephacryl S-200, presenting a yield and purification of 53.9% and 10.91-fold, respectively. The apparent molecular weight of trypsin inhibitor was estimated to be 14 kDa based on SDS-PAGE and inhibitor activity of zones separated by electrophoresis. The purified inhibitor was stable over a broad pH range and retained high inhibitory activity toward trypsin after incubation at 90 °C for 60 min. NaCl, at 0–3% concentration, did not affect the inhibitory activity of purified trypsin inhibitor, however, the activity was lost when sample was treated with β-mercaptoethanol prior to electrophoresis.     

Fabrication of micro-capacitive inclination sensor by resin molding

Capacitive inclination sensors have the advantage that they can easily provide a linear analog output with respect to inclination. Although inclination sensors featuring this advantages are already commercially available, they are generally too large. We fabricated a micro-capacitive inclination sensor by a combination of a resin forming method and a mold. Electrodes of the sensor are 40 μm in a gap and 12 mm² in area. The sensor detects difference of capacitance, which varies with movement of silicone oil accompanying with inclination of the sensor. Since the dimensions of the sensing region are 5 × 5 × 3 mm³ this inclination sensor is expected to be widely used in fields where efficient and reliable position control is a primary factor to be considered. The use of resins is also expected to contribute to a reduction in the costs of materials. We successfully fabricated a micro inclination sensor as a molded product. In future, we will wire up the device to complete this inclination sensor, and will then conduct performance evaluations. If techniques using resin-molded parts are introduced to the low-cost mass-production of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems devices, the range of applications will further expand to new areas of technology and industry.     

Circuit level prediction of device performance degradation due to negative bias temperature stress

A circuit level methodology for predicting performance degradations due to negative bias temperature stress is developed in this paper. Degradation mechanism is discussed based on experimental observations. Then, models that consist of a threshold voltage shift and a drain current reduction are developed based on the degradation mechanism. The developed models are implemented into a compact MOSFET model so that we can directly link the local degradation of pMOSFETs’ electrical characteristics to the total circuit performances. The validity of the developed models is confirmed by the good agreement in simulated and measured results of I–V characteristics of pMOSFET in all the transistor working region before and after negative bias temperature stress. Then, circuit performance prediction is carried out for the stressed 199-stage ring oscillator on its waveform and oscillation frequency. Excellent agreements between the experimental results and predicted results are obtained.     

Estimation of sensitivity coefficient based on lasso-type penalized linear regression

We proposed the penalized regression ‘adaptive smooth-lasso’ for the estimation of sensitivity coefficients of the neutronics parameters. The proposed method utilizes the variation of the microscopic cross-sections and the neutronics parameters obtained by random sampling. The weighted penalty term of the proposed method is more appropriate for the estimation of the sensitivity of neutronics parameters to the microscopic cross-section than that of the conventional methods. In a numerical verification calculation, sensitivity coefficients of k_eff of an accelerator-driven system are estimated using the proposed method, the conventional penalized regression, and the direct method. Comparison of these results indicates that the proposed method is superior to the conventional penalized linear regression from the viewpoint of reproduction of the reference sensitivity coefficients obtained by the direct method. Through the verification calculations, the proposed method can be a candidate for a practical method to estimate the sensitivity coefficients with low calculation cost.     

Effects of koji fermented phenolic compounds on the oxidative stability of fish miso

In the present study, Aspergillus oryzae-inoculated koji inhibited lipid oxidation in fermented fish paste rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids following a long fermentation period. The fermentation of koji by A. oryzae liberated several bioactive phenolic compounds, including kojic acid and ferulic acid, which were the most abundant. A linear correlation between several phenolic compounds and their bioactive properties, including their radical-scavenging activity, reducing power, metal-chelating activity, and ability to inhibit linoleic acid oxidation was observed. This suggested an important role of koji phenolics in the oxidative stability of fermented fish paste. The activities of different carbohydrate-cleaving enzymes, including α-amylase, cellulase, and β-glucosidase, were positively correlated with the liberation of several phenolic compounds through koji fermentation. Thus, the application of koji offers a novel strategy to enhance the oxidative stability of newly developed fermented fish miso. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Application of traditional Japanese koji fermentation technique to develop an aroma enriched fish meat bases seasoning has been established. Aspergillus oryzae-inoculated koji releases several carbohydrate-cleaving enzymes, including α-amylase, cellulose, and β-glucosidase, which led to the liberation of several phenolic compounds during fermentation. Improvement of oxidative stability of the fermented fish meat paste by koji phenolics suggests a useful strategy to uplift the value of different trash fish meat-based seasoning through proper utilization of the present technique.     

Effect of starvation on lipid metabolism and stability of DHA content of lipids in horse mackerel (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trachurus japonicus</Emphasis>) tissues

For the purpose of characterizing the effect of starvation on 22∶6n−3 (DHA) content in marine fish tissues, horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) were reared in a tank containing filtered, sterilized seawater under nonfeeding conditions for 107 d (survival rate of the fish was 96.5%). The crude total lipids (TL) of ordinary dorsal muscle, dorsal skin, and viscera of the starved individuals were separated into classes on silicic acid columns, and the constituents of the TL were quantified by gravimetric recovery from column chromatography. The TL, initially>85% TAG in dorsal muscle, and even more in skin lipids, decreased dramatically within the first 44 d of starvation, and then decreased more gradually during the remainder of the test period, whereas the visceral TL decreased more slowly. The percentages of both saturated and monoenoic FA in the muscle TL also decreased somewhat, but those of DHA increased significantly in muscle during the test periods. Decreases in PE and PC initially were much smaller than TAG, but DHA levels remained high in both PE and PC. These findings indicate that all of the FA in the depot lipids of horse mackerel tissues are easily metabolized for energy production during starvation, but DHA in muscle lipids of the starved fish was maintained at a consistently high level, indicating that starvation did not affect DHA stability in phospholipids. The findings suggest that preservation of DHA in cell membrane lipid PE and PC is necessary for self-protection functions in starving fish.