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The authors have proposed an architecture for a compact image-capturing system called TOMBO (thin observation module by bound optics), which uses compound-eye imaging for a compact hardware configuration [Appl. Opt. 40, 1806 (2001)]. The captured compound image is decomposed into a set of unit images, then the pixels in the unit images are processed with digital processing to retrieve the target image. A new method for high-resolution image reconstruction, called a pixel rearrange method, is proposed. The relation between the target object and the captured signals is estimated and utilized to rearrange the original pixel information. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method. In the experimental TOMBO system, the resolution obtained is four times higher than that of the unit image that did not undergo reconstruction processing. OCIS codes: 110.2970, 110.4190, 100.3020, 230.0250, 230.3120.

Byline: Chieko Mitaka (1), Kuninori Yokoyama (2), Takashi Morimoto (1), Toshihisa Nosaka (1), Makoto Sunamori (3), Takasuke Imai (1) Keywords: Cardiac output Cardiovascular surgery Nitric oxide Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) Systemic vascular resistance Vasoactive drugs Abstract: Abstract Objectives . To test the hypotheses (1) that nitric oxide (NO) production is stimulated after cardiovascular surgery and is related to the hyperdynamic state and (2) that NO production is more prominent in patients with cardiopulmonary bypass. Design: Prospective, clinical study. Setting: Intensive care unit in a university hospital. Patients: One hundred patients after cardiovascular surgery: coronary artery bypass graft with (n=53) and without (n=17) cardiopulmonary bypass, valve surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (n=23) and thoracic aortic replacement with cardiopulmonary bypass (n=7). Interventions: None. Measurements and results: Urinary nitrite/nitrate (NOx) excretion was measured by the high-performance liquid chromatography-Griess system as an index of endogenous NO production during the first 2 postoperative days. Hemodynamic variables, hematologic variables and serum C-reactive protein concentrations were measured after the operation. Urinary NOx concentrations were 146+/--70 and 190+/--93 Aumol/l, and the amounts of NOx excreted in the urine were 23+/--10 and 18+/--8 Aumol/h on the 1st and 2nd days, respectively. Urinary NOx excretions were positively correlated with the cardiac index (P Conclusion: These findings suggest, firstly, that NO production is stimulated by a surgical inflammatory response and, secondly, that the endogenous NO contributes to the increase in cardiac output that accompanies the reduced systemic vascular resistance after cardiovascular surgery. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Critical Care Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan (2) Department of Anesthesiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan (3) Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan Article History: Received Date: 13/07/2001 Accepted Date: 31/05/2002 Article note: Electronic Publication

A mechanism is reported for the heightened malignancy independent of host immunity. Cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant, induces phenotypic changes following organ transplantation. Cyclosporine treatment of adenocarcinoma cells leads to dramatic morphological alternations, such as membrane ruffling, pseudopodial protrusions and increased cell motility. Treatment with monoclonal antibodies directed at transforming growth factor-beta prevents these changes.

Using a cytosol and nucleotide dependent assay that we previously developed, we have investigated the requirement for coat proteins in the in vitro production of trans-Golgi network (TGN)-derived vesicles from a Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell Golgi fraction that contains the 35S-labeled, terminally glycosylated, envelope glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-G) accumulated in the TGN. We found that the TGN-derived vesicles, like those involved in intra-Golgi transport and in retrograde transport to the endoplasmic reticulum, contain a coatomer coat and that coatomer is required for their formation. Thus, after they are produced with GTP[Gamma]S, the coated vesicles could be captured on beads containing anticoatomer antibody. Moreover, a cytosolic protein fraction depleted of coatomer could not support vesicle formation but it did so after purified coatomer was added. We also determined that P200/myosin II does not play an essential role in the in vitro generation of TGN-derived vesicles. Thus, removal of this protein from the cytosol, by differential salt precipitation or binding to phalloidin-induced actin filaments, had no effect on vesicle generation. Nevertheless, immunodepletion of cytosol using the anti-P200/myosin II AD7 antibody abolished vesicle generation and that antibody was capable of effectively immunocapturing coated vesicles, even when these were generated in the absence of P200/myosin II. These effects, however, are explained by the unexpected finding that the AD7 antibody interacts with undenatured coatomer.

Protein-energy malnutrition causes hypoalbuminemia. Recent work has suggested that this may be partly due to decreased transcription of the albumin gene. This study examined the role of cis-acting and transacting elements of the albumin gene during protein deprivation. Male 7-wk-old Donryu rats were fed a protein-free diet (0% casein diet) for 10 d or given restricted (pair-fed control) or free access (freely fed control) to a 25% casein diet. Serum albumin concentrations were significantly lower in the protein-deprived rats (29 [+ or -] 1 g/L) than in the pair-fed controls (42 [+ or -] 3 g/L) or the freely fed controls (45 [+ or -] 3 g/L). The albumin mRNA level was also significantly lower in livers of protein-deprived rats (36% of pair-fed control). However, gel mobility shift analysis using liver nuclear extracts did not show any significant difference between the protein-deprived rats and the pair-fed controls in the binding activity to the B and D sites of the albumin promoter. Furthermore, gel mobility shift-Western blot analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups in the protein levels of nuclear transcription factors binding to the D sites. The amounts of mRNA of hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 binding to the B site were not significantly different between these two groups. These results suggest that the proximal promoter region may not play a major role in the down-regulation of the albumin gene during protein deprivation. KEY WORDS: albumin; nuclear transcription factors; protein deprivation; rats

The proposed design process of a novel dual poly-Si gate is needed for sub-1/4-micrometer complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) to adopt surface-channel operation for both nMOS and pMOS. The technology involves a boron-penetration-resistant MBN gate structure for pMOSFET's, and a dual poly-Si gate CMOS process involving separate deposition of in situ doped n+ and p+ poly-Si for the nMOS and pMOS gates.

Sucrose-density gradient analysis and cell fractionation techniques help isolate and quantify cultured cell- and solid tissue-derived membrane-bound ribosomes, which enables a determination of the amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) in these cells. Cells active in secretion possess more RER, as revealed by a measurement of the ratio between free and membrane-bound ribosomes in secretory and nonsecretory cell lines.

The Cerenkov-radiation-type second-harmonic generation (SHG) performance of organicnonlinear waveguide materials is evaluated. An analytical technique based on the coupled-mode theory is used to derive nonlinear expressions describing theSHG in channel waveguides. These expressions are then solved by simple integration. The results are then employed in formulating guidelines for the optimum design of SHG devices.

A novel isolated p-well configuration is presented for deep-submicrometer bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) applications. It contains a retrograde p-well, an epitaxial layer over an embedded layer and trench separation. This facilitates superior latchup immunity and adequate voltage tolerance in a device with a 1-micrometer epitaxial layer as compared to devices with a shallow p well. The operation of a CMOS frequency divider using the proposed well structure is also described.

A compact image-capturing system called TOMBO (an acronym for thin observation module by bound optics) is presented in which the compound-eye imaging system is utilized to achieve a thin optical configuration. The captured multiple images are processed to retrieve the image of the target object. For image retrieval, two kinds of processing method are considered: image sampling and backprojection. Computer simulations and preliminary experiments were executed on an evaluation system to verify the principles of the system and to clarify the issues related to its implementation. [C] 2001 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 110.2970, 110.4190, 100.3010, 130.0250, 230.3120.

The use of hydromaxate tethers in intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions is investigated.

We fabricated a microfluidic device for the optical detection of airborne benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX). The device consists of concentration and detection cells formed of 3 cm x 1 cm Pyrex plates. The concentration cell is composed of an adsorbent to concentrate the BTEX gases and a thin-film heater to desorb the concentrated gases from the adsorbent thermally. The collected gases are introduced into the detection cell, which is connected to optical fibers, to measure their absorption spectra. We optimized the device's operating conditions by studying the thermal characteristics of the concentration cell and the time profile of the gas concentration flowing in the detection cell. We used the device under optimized operating conditions to detect toluene gas as a typical example BTEX. The gas concentration amplification rate was ~2 orders of magnitude, and we successfully measured parts-per-million levels of toluene gas with this device.

A library of CAAX proteins tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) was used to study gene expression in Ras proteins and protein traffic within the endomembrane system. The GFP-tagged CAAX proteins were found to be localized within living cells using high resolution epifluorescence microscopy. Results have indicated that prenylated CAAX proteins do not associate directly with the plasma membrane. Instead, these proteins were found to associate with the endomembrane and transported to the plasma membrane through a secondary targeting motif.