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The paper describes the novel aspects of deblocking filter in VVC. We demonstrate the insufficiency of HEVC deblocking filter when employing larger transform block sizes and describe the design changes made to enable reduction of the resulting blocking artifacts for both luma and chroma, while also allowing for parallel friendly processing. Additionally, VVC deblocking includes filtering based on local luma level to address blocking artifacts observed in high dynamic range content. The paper also describes modifications made in VVC deblocking to address blocking artifacts introduced by additional coding tools present in VVC (but not in HEVC). The additional coding tools result in prediction and transform block boundaries at disparate locations in a coded picture. Similar to previous generation of video coding standards, the deblocking in VVC, adaptively filters samples located at the block boundaries based on coding modes and local spatial activity.

This paper describes the in-loop deblocking filter used in the upcoming High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard to reduce visible artifacts at block boundaries. The deblocking filter performs detection of the artifacts at the coded block boundaries and attenuates them by applying a selected filter. Compared to the H.264/AVC deblocking filter, the HEVC deblocking filter has lower computational complexity and better parallel processing capabilities while still achieving significant reduction of the visual artifacts.

Because moderate or severe proteinuria is a representative factor indicative of longterm poor prognosis in IgA nephrology, an anti-proteinuric treatment which can be administered longterm with few side effects is necessary. We report here a comparison of antiproteinuric effects in two patient groups treated with different combination therapies.Group A comprised 12 patients with IgA nephropathy, who had 24-h proteinuria of 0.5 gm(2) or more, moderately severe renal histology, and normal renal function, and were treated with a combination of drugs, i.e., prednisolone, an immunosuppressant (mizoribine), an anti-platelet drug (dipyridamole), and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. Group B consisted of 18 patients who had baseline characteristics similar to those of the patients in group A and were treated with our previous protocol (a combination of prednisolone, cyclophosphamide, and dipyridamole). Twenty-four-hour proteinuria and creatinine clearance were measured every 6 months. The primary endpoint was reduction of 24-h proteinuria by less than 25% compared with the baseline value.The proportion of patients that exhibited the primary endpoint, as assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method, was found to be significantly higher in group A than in group B (logrank test; P = 0.024). None of the patients in the two groups experienced serious adverse effects.The results suggested that the use of drugs in combination with cyclophosphamide was beneficial for patients with moderately severe IgA nephropathy. Because moderate or severe proteinuria is a representative factor indicative of longterm poor prognosis in IgA nephropathy, an anti-proteinuric treatment which can be administered longterm with few side effects is necessary. We report here a comparison of antiproteinuric effects in two patient groups treated with different combination therapies.

Two Japanese patients, belonging to unrelated families, with idiopathic low-molecular-weight proteinuria (LMWP; Japanese Dent's disease) showed novel mutations of the gene encoding renal-specific chloride channel 5 (CLC-5). Proteinuria was first noticed at the ages of 2 and 3 years in patients 1 and 2, respectively. During follow-up, marked increases in urinary ss(2)-microglobulin levels, hypercalciuria, and high levels of urinary excretion of growth hormone were observed in both patients. Nephrocalcinosis was detected in patient 2. Renal biopsy specimens from both patients showed minimal alterations in glomeruli and tubulointerstitium, except for mild mesangial proliferation in patient 2. DNA sequence analysis of the entire 2,238-bp coding region and exon-intron boundaries of the CLCN5 gene showed the presence of two novel mutations in exon 10, consisting of one missense mutation (I524K) in patient 1 and one nonsense mutation (R637X) in patient 2. DNA analysis and measurement of urinary ss(2)-microglobulin levels in family members indicated an X-linked mode of inheritance in patient 1 and sporadic occurrence in patient 2. These results have expanded our understanding of the association between idiopathic LMWP (Japanese Dent's disease) and mutations of the CLCN5 gene.

The purpose of this study was to prepare tablets that could evaluate the destructive force in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Many factors are known to affect in vivo drug release from oral dosage forms. There is still relatively little information on the mechanical destructive force in the GI tract. Press-coated tablets with an extremely brittle outer layer were developed using a unique, highly hydrophobic Teflon powder that could be shaped with weak compression force. A marker drug contained in the tablets was released only when the tablets received a force larger than its predetermined crushing strength. We referred to this type of tablet as a ‘destructive force dependent release system’ (DDRS). A total of nine healthy, male subjects were orally administered the tablets under fed and/or fasting conditions. Tablets with a predetermined crushing strength of 1.50 N were crushed by all of the four subjects who took them under fed conditions and two of the five subjects under fasting conditions. Tablets with a crushing strength of 1.89 N were crushed by two of the six subjects who took them under fed conditions and none of the five subjects under fasting conditions. The range of mechanical destructive force in the human stomach was obtained.

In plane-aligned, c-axis-oriented YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films were deposited on polycrystalline Ni tapes buffered with self-oxidized NiO. The in-plane alignment of the NiO layer was achieved by the oxidation of textured pure (00l)Ni tapes in 1 atm O2 in the furnace. Significant improvement in (00l)NiO texturing was obtained in the temperature range above 1000°C. Pulsed laser deposited YBCO films on the NiO layer were not only c-axis oriented with respect to the film surface, but also strongly in-plane textured. The full width at half maximum of the x-ray diffraction peaks from the (103)YBCO ϕ scan is approximately 11 degrees. This is similar to the values reported with other texturing techniques.

This is a correction to the “HEVC deblocking filter” article published in IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, vol. 22, no. 12, Dec. 2012.

Compacted strand cables of NbTi with large keystone angle have been developed for applications to superconducting dipole magnets of big hadron collider accelerators. The trial-fabricated cables have the keystone angle of 1.6 to 3.0 degrees and the packing factor of 90 to 95 %. Strands of 0.808 mm in diameter with the filament diameters of 4.8 and 6 μm were used. The fabrication of those cables has not met with serious problems. The degradation measurements of the critical current have been performed and the degradation less than 3 % is observed up to the angle of 3.0 degrees for the cables with the packing factor of 90 %.

The KIHANSEN-a wooden sailing vessel with an auxilary propulsive engine which developed uniquely in Japan during the last half century-operates mainly on the Inland Sea and its neighboring area ; and suffered many shipping causualities in every wintertime.While little attention has turned to the causes of their disasters beacuse of the following reason : 1) poor informations about their loading conditions. 2) almost lacks of accurate lines of ship. 3) particular nature of the sea under the influences of the surrounding lands and islands.With a view to studying their safety, as a first step, the authors examined the reports of the damaged ships presented to the Regional Maritime Bureau, and obtained the charts which show some relations between cargo weight and freeboard ; and it was found that both the excessive cargo weight in case of carrying heavy cargo and the excessive wind force in case of carrying light cargo, such as timber, paper and miscellanious goods are the causes of the disasters.

Furukawa Electric has been developing Rutherford cable to be used for the Superconducting Super Coilider (SSC) Project in the United States. The fabricated cable of approximately 15 km in length could meet all of the SSC specifications, and wound into SSC model dipole coils, which were successfully tested. In connection with development of the SSC cable, critical current degradations due to twisting, annealing and cabling were studied. It has been found that the cable annealed at an adequate condition has a higher RRR value and the cable having a large keystone angle of up to three degrees can be fabricated, without significant degradation.