Rotated Japanese Character Recognition

We proposed a rotated character recognition method using eigen-subspace for alpha-numeric characters so far. We first construct an eigen-subspace for each category using the covariance matrix calculated from a sufficient number of rotated character patterns. Next, we can obtain a locus by projecting their rotated characters onto the eigen sub-space and interpolating between their projected points. An unknown character is also projected onto the eigen subspace of each category. A single projection and multiple projections of the input character image were proposed. Then, the verification is carried out by calculating the distance between the projected points of the unknown character and the locus. Then the multiple projections showed a higher accuracy at low dimensions than a single projection for alphanumeric 62 categories. This time, we applied it for the first class of Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) Kanji set which includes 2,965 categories. As the result, very high recognition accuracy over 99.8% was achieved by especially multiple projections of the input rotated images

Probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment based on the Gutenberg–Richter law in eastern Shikoku, Nankai subduction zone, Japan

Earthquake and tsunami predictions comprise huge uncertainties, thus necessitating probabilistic assessments for the design of defense facilities and urban planning. In recent years, computer development has advanced probabilistic tsunami hazard assessments (PTHAs), where hazard curves show the exceedance probability of the maximum tsunami height. However, owing to the lack of historical and geological tsunami records, this method is generally insufficient for validating the estimated hazard curves. The eastern coast of Shikoku in the Nankai subduction zone, Japan, is suitable for validation because tsunami records from historical Nankai Trough earthquakes are available. This study evaluated PTHAs by comparing the tsunami hazard curves and exceedance frequencies of historical Nankai Trough tsunamis. We considered 3480 earthquake scenarios representing the rupture patterns of past Nankai earthquakes and calculated all tsunamis. The probability of earthquake occurrence was based on the Gutenberg–Richter law. We considered uncertainty in tsunami calculations with astronomical tide variations. The estimated tsunami hazard curves are consistent with the exceedance frequencies obtained from historical tsunamis. In addition, sensitivity tests indicate the significance of the earthquake slip heterogeneity and tsunami defense facilities in PTHAs. We also extended the PTHAs to tsunami inundation maps in high resolution and proposed an effective new method for reducing the tsunami computation load

Novel and recurrent COMP gene variants in five Japanese patients with pseudoachondroplasia: skeletal changes from the neonatal to infantile periods

Pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH) is an autosomal dominant skeletal dysplasia caused by pathogenic variants of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP). Clinical symptoms of PSACH are characterized by growth disturbances after the first year of life. These disturbances lead to severe short stature with short limbs, brachydactyly, scoliosis, joint laxity, joint pain since childhood, and a normal face. Epimetaphyseal dysplasia, shortened long bones, and short metacarpals and phalanges are common findings on radiological examination. Additionally, anterior tonguing of the vertebral bodies in the lateral view is an important finding in childhood because it is specific to PSACH and normalizes with age. Here, we report five Japanese patients with PSACH, with one recurrent (p.Cys351Tyr) and four novel heterozygous pathogenic COMP variants (p.Asp437Tyr, p.Asp446Gly, p.Asp507Tyr, and p.Asp518Val). These five pathogenic variants were located in the calcium-binding type 3 (T3) repeats. In four of the novel variants, the affected amino acid was aspartic acid, which is abundant in each of the eight T3 repeats. We describe the radiological findings of these five patients. We also retrospectively analyzed the sequential changes in the vertebral body and epimetaphysis of the long bones from the neonatal to infantile periods in a patient with PSACH and congenital heart disease

Surgical Treatment of dialysis-associated spondylosis

【Objective】The purposes of this study were to classify the lesions of dialysis-associated spondylosis and evaluate the results of surgical treatment. 【Subjects and methods】The subjects were 87 patients (43 men and 44 women) who underwent surgery. These patients were studied in terms of lesion classification, surgical method, duration of dialysis, duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative complications. 【Results】Among patients with cervical spine involvement, 13 had destructive spondyloarthropathy (DSA), 29 had amyloid deposition, and 8 had a dens axis lesion. Among patients with lumbar spine involvement, 20 had DSA, and 17 had amyloid deposition. With regard to 6 patients with a dens axis lesion involving atlantoaxial subluxation, each had posterior fusion (PF) of the occiput to the upper cervical spine. With regard to the patients with lumbar DSA, 10 patients had posterolateral fusion (PLF), 8 patients had posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and 2 patients had laminectomy. The duration of dialysis in cases of a dens axis lesion varied between 25 and 35 years, with the mean duration being 28.9 years. 【Conclusions】All patients who underwent surgery for dens axis lesions were long-term dialysis patients who had been on dialysis for 25 years. Lumbar spine DSA was treated with PLIF in patients with lateral slipping and marked instability, with laminectomy in patients with a narrowed intervertebral disk space and no instability

Variation analysis of multiple tsunami inundation models

Researchers have developed tsunami inundation models based on nonlinear shallow water equations to estimate tsunami propagation and inundation. However, their empirical results are not in perfect agreement with those of other research institutes, even though the same governing equations are used. Therefore, we quantitatively evaluated the variability of tsunami simulations in this study. Several research institutes have conducted tsunami simulations under the same input conditions using tsunami inundation models adopted for tsunami hazard assessment, resulting in a certain degree of variability among them. By examining the spatial and temporal differences in various physical quantities, we identified the characteristic topography where the variability between tsunami simulations increases. A novel method for calculating statistics from the area integrals of physical quantities was proposed to demonstrate the variability in the overall simulation results. In addition, the effects of different setting parameters and computational environments on the simulation results of a single model were evaluated. The findings of this study are expected to not only serve as a basis to verify the reliability of source codes employed by users of the tsunami inundation model, but also contribute useful technical information to advance probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment in the future

Inverse electron demand asymmetric cycloadditions of cyclic carbonyl ylides catalyzed by chiral Lewis acids-Scope and limitations of diazo and olefinic substrates

High enantioselectivities (94–96% ee) were obtained for the inverse electron-demand 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions between cyclohexyl vinyl ether and 2-benzopyrylium-4-olate generated via Rh₂(OAc)₄-catalyzed decomposition of o-methoxycarbonyl-α-diazoacetophenone. The reactions were effectively catalyzed by Eu(OTf)₃, Ho(OTf)₃, or Gd(OTf)₃ complexes (10 mol %) of chiral 2,6-bis[(4S,5S)-4,5-diphenyl-2-oxazolinyl]pyridine. The reactions with the other electron-rich dipolarophiles such as allyl alcohol, 2,3-dihydrofuran, and butyl-tert-butyldimethylsilylketene acetal showed moderate enanantioselectivities (60–73% ee). Good to high enantioselectivities (73–97% ee) were also obtained for the cycloadditions between 3-acyl-2-benzopyrylium-4-olates, generated from methyl 2-(2-diazo-1,3-dioxoalkyl)benzoates and butyl or cyclohexyl vinyl ethers, in the presence of binaphthyldiimine (BINIM)–Ni(II) complexes (10 mol %). Under similar conditions, the reaction between methyl 2-(2-diazo-1,3-dioxohexyl)benzoate and 2,3-dihydrofuran was highly endo-selective, and moderately enantioselective (70% ee). For the BINIM–Ni(II)-catalyzed reactions of cyclohexyl vinyl ether, the use of an epoxyindanone as the 3-acyl-2-benzopyrylium-4-olate precursor revealed that the chiral Lewis acid can function as a catalyst for asymmetric induction. The scope of the cyclic carbonyl ylides was extended to those generated from 1-diazo-2,5-pentanedione derivatives, which were reacted with butyl or TBS vinyl ether and catalyzed using the (4S,5S)-Pybox-4,5-Ph₂–Lu(OTf)₃ complex to give good levels of asymmetric inductions (75–84% ee).ArticleTetrahedron. 66(16):3070-3089 (2010)journal articl

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase interacts with phosphorylated Akt resulting from increased blood glucose in rat cardiac muscle

AbstractHere we describe the interaction of phosphorylated ∼40kDa protein with phosphorylated Akt which is a serine/threonine kinase resulting from increased blood glucose in rat cardiac muscle. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that this protein was glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Furthermore, increase in Akt and GAPDH phosporylation and induction of their association were both observed after insulin stimulation in the H9c2 cell line derived from embryonic rat ventricle. Moreover, the activation of GAPDH was upregulated when the GAPDH phosphorylation was increased. Our data suggest that GAPDH phosphorylation and association with Akt by insulin treatment have some bearing on the enhancement of GAPDH activity.Structured summaryMINT-7891324, MINT-7891304, MINT-7891314: GAPDH (uniprotkb:P04797) physically interacts (MI:0915) with Akt (uniprotkb:P47196) by anti bait coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0006