Performance of 16 kbit/s GMSK Transmission with Postdetection Selection Diversity in Land Mobile Radio

Through laboratory simulation tests and field experiments in the Tokyo metropolitan area, 16 kbit/s Gaussian filtered minimum shift keying (GMSK) transmission performance has been experimentally clarified in the 920 MHz land mobile radio environment. The experimental results agree closely with theory, and they show that fast multipath fading severely degrades average bit error rate (BER) performance in GMSK transmission. However, a space diversity reception technique using a postdetection selection combining scheme is able to efficiently mitigate the fast multipath fading.     

Localization and functional role of synaptotagmin III in insulin secretory vesicles in pancreatic beta-cells

Pancreatic beta-cells secrete insulin by Ca2+-triggered exocytosis of insulin-containing large dense-core vesicles. Synaptotagmin is a Ca2+/phospholipid-binding protein and is a good candidate for the Ca2+ sensor for exocytosis of synaptic vesicles in neurons. In the present study, we generated a polyclonal antibody against synaptotagmin III, and found that synaptotagmin III immunoreactivity was present at high levels in insulin-containing pancreatic islet cells and insulin-secreting clonal MIN6 cells. In subcellular fractionations of MIN6 cells, synaptotagmin III was recovered in the vesicular fractions containing both insulin and vesicle-associated membrane protein-2 (VAMP-2), but not in synaptophysin-positive fractions. The secretory vesicles immunoprecipitated by anti-VAMP-2 antibody contained synaptotagmin III and insulin. In addition, treatment of streptolysin-O-permeabilized MIN6 cells with anti-synaptotagmin III antibody significantly inhibited Ca2+-triggered insulin secretion. These results indicate that synaptotagmin III is localized in insulin-containing dense-core vesicles in pancreatic beta-cells, and further strongly suggest that synaptotagmin III is the Ca2+ sensor in the exocytosis of insulin secretory vesicles.     

Alkali-silica reaction and pore solution composition in mortars in sea water

The promotion of expansion of mortars containing a reactive aggregate in 1N NaCl solution at 38 °C was attributed to a rise of OH⁻ ion concentration in the pore solution in the mortars. However, it is ambiguous whether the promotion of expansion of mortars in sea water at a room temperature can be explained in the same way as in NaCl solution at an elevated temperature. This study aims at pursuing the expansion behavior of mortars containing a reactive aggregate relating it to their pore solution composition and the extent of alkalisilica reaction occurring within reactive grains. The alkali-silica reaction in mortars in sea water and 0.51N NaCl solution at 20 °C appears to progress differently from that in mortars in 1N NaCl solution at an elevated temperature of 38 °C. The promotion of expansion of mortars in sea water at 20 °C was found to be responsible for an effect of Cl⁻ ions on the alkali-silica reaction at early stages of immersion. Only when OH⁻ ion concentration in the pore solution was relatively high, NaCl and sea water could accelerate the alkali-silica reaction in mortars at 20 °C.     

A 1.8-V operation RF CMOS transceiver for 2.4-GHz-band GFSK applications

This paper describes a single-chip RF transceiver LSI for 2.4-GHz-band Gaussian frequency shift-keying applications, such as Bluetooth. This chip uses a 0.18-/spl mu/m bulk CMOS process for lower current consumption. The LSI consists of almost all the required RF and IF building blocks: a transmit/receive antenna switch, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier, an image rejection mixer, channel-selection filters, a limiter, a received signal strength indicator, a frequency discriminator, a voltage controlled oscillator, and a phase-locked loop synthesizer. The bandpass filter for channel selection was difficult to achieve since it operates at a low supply voltage. However, because large interference is roughly rejected at the output of the image rejection mixer and a wide-input-range bandpass filter with an optimized input bias is realized, the transceiver can operate at a supply voltage of 1.8 V. In the IF section, we adopted a circuit design using the minimum number of passive elements, resistors and capacitors, for a lower chip area of 10.2 mm/sup 2/.     

A novel ligand for an SH3 domain of the adaptor protein Nck bears an SH2 domain and nuclear signaling motifs

Nck is a small protein composed of Src homology regions (SH) 2 and 3, paralleling the adaptors c-Crk and Grb2/Ash, but its function remains enigmatic. To clarify Nck signaling, a human brain cDNA library was searched for targets of the SH3 moiety of Nck. A novel molecule detected therefrom (referred to as Nck-, Ash- and phospholipase Cgamma-binding protein 4) contained proline-rich sequences and, through the function of one of them, interacted with the middle SH3 domain of Nck. A NAP4 fusion peptide exhibited an affinity for Nck, Ash and phospholipase Cgamma in whole cell lysates. NAP4 also had an SH2 domain, which could bind to activated EGF receptor. These intermolecular interactions imply the intricacy of Nck-mediated signaling around the receptor protein-tyrosine kinases. In addition, NAP4 bore a putative nuclear localization signal and a Q-run/P-run composite, both characteristic of nuclear proteins, and might therefore relate to the presence of Nck in the cellular nucleus.     

Relationship between prostaglandin E2 concentrations in periapical exudates from root canals and clinical findings of periapical periodontitis

In this study the relationship of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentrations in periapical exudates with clinical findings of teeth with periapical periodontitis is discussed. Periapical exudate samples were obtained from root canals of 77 endodontically involved teeth during routine root canal treatment by the quantitative sampling method using paper points. PGE2 concentrations in periapical exudates (PE-PGE2) were determined by radioimmunoassay. Significantly higher levels of PGE2 were found in periapical exudates from teeth with radiolucent areas than from teeth without radiolucent areas (236.8 +/- 521.3 pg/microliter vs. 14.9 +/- 23.1 pg/microliter, respectively). The elevated PE-PGE2 levels were associated with the presence of clinical symptoms that reflected an acute inflammation in the periapical lesion. In contrast, a significantly negative association of decreased PE-PGE2 levels with increasing size of radiolucent areas was demonstrated. These results suggested that PGE2 was produced locally in periapical lesions and that the PGE2 concentration in periapical exudate could reflect the state of the disease activity in periapical periodontitis.     

MICROSTRUCTURE CHANGE OF LASER SURFACE REMELTING WC-Co COATING

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Computer analysis of breast cancer thermograms

3 groups of female children, comprising a total of 169 patients, were followed through successive episodes of urinary tract infection with respect to recurrence of infection. Group A consisted of 66 patients with no evidence of vesico-ureteral reflux. Group B comprised 42 patients with demonstrated vesico-ureteral reflux. The infections in these patients were treated with medical therapy alone and the reflux was not corrected. Group C consisted of 61 children who had surgical correction of vesico-ureteral reflux. While Groups B and C were not strictly comparable, the data indicate that there was no demonstrable difference in the rate of urinary tract infection among the 3 groups. Following short-term specific antibacterial therapy of a new infection, about 20% of children in each group were "cured", i.e., had no further infections during the 12 months or more that they were subsequently followed by the authors. Patients with less severe grades of reflux treated by medication alone (Group B) experienced no greater rate of reinfection than those children presenting with infections in the absence of vesico-ureteral reflux. In those children whose infections could not be adequately controlled by antimicrobial therapy, and those patients with severe (Grade III) reflux, surgery was performed to eliminate the vesico-ureteral reflux. The data also reinforced the concept that correction of reflux does not eliminate the need for constant vigilance and proper treatment of recurrent infections even after successful surgery has been carried out.