A study of Active Vision Mechanisms : Development of Experimental system using a VR Technique

To investigate properties of surface reconstruction modules in the human visual system, an experimental system using a virtual reality technique was developed. The system produces visual cues for surface reconstruction, such as binocular disparity, motion parallax, shading, textures etc. and presents them on a stereo graphics display. Also, observer\u27s head motion is fed back to evaluate the mechanisms of active vision. In this report, moving random dot patterns are used to investigate the human visual system\u27s sensitivity to sinusoidal depth modulations specified by motion parallax. Modulation transfer functions (MTF) are affected both by dot average velocity and dot density. Three dots per period are necessary to perceive the sinusoidal surfaces. The value of (threshold of perception) / (average dot interval) is constant in every dot density and frequency condition. This implies that the surface reconstruction from motion parallax utilizes the gradient of the velocity field. These experimental results are similar to those in surface reconstruction from binocular disparity.本研究は文部省科研費（課題番号07551003および09044189）の助成を受けたことを付記する

Improvement of Diabetes Mellitus Symptoms by Intake of Ninjin'yoeito

Diabetes mellitus is a well-known common disease and one of the most serious social problems in the worldwide. Although various types of drugs are developed, the number of patients suffering from diabetes mellitus is still increasing. Ninjin'yoeito (NYT) is one of formulas used in Japanese traditional herbal medicines for improving various types of metabolic disorders. However, the effect of NYT on diabetes mellitus has not yet been investigated. In the present study, we tried to clarify the action of NYT on the serum glucose level in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. We found that intake of NYT decreased the serum glucose level and increased insulin sensitivity in STZ-induced diabetic mice. NYT treatment also improved acidification of the interstitial fluid around skeletal muscles found in STZ-induced diabetic mice, while the interstitial fluid acidification has been reported to cause insulin resistance. Furthermore, in the proximal colon of STZ-induced diabetic mice, NYT treatment showed a tendency to increase the expression of sodium-coupled monocarboxylate transporter 1 (SMCT1), which has ability to absorb weak organic acids (pH buffer molecules) resulting in improvement of the interstitial fluid acidification. Based on these observations, the present study suggests that NYT is a useful formula to improve hyperglycemia and insulin resistance via elevation of interstitial fluid pH in diabetes mellitus, which might be caused by increased absorption of pH buffer molecules (SMCT1 substrates, weak organic acids) mediated through possibly elevated SMCT1 expression in the proximal colon

Epidemiology of Infectious Hepatitis 2nd Report. Epidemic Observation on the Infectious Hepatitis in Akaiwa District (No. 2)

Comparing the epidemic of infectious hepatitis that took place in Toyoda, Onoda, as well as Kumayama in Akaiwa County, during the period ranging from march 1951 to sept. do., with the previous report on the epidemic of malignant hepatitis submitted by february 1951, following results were obtained: 1. Number of patients, 120; total ever since the first. occurence, 213 cases; For the total populace, rate of occurence, Toyoda-39%, Onoda-3.1%, Kama-mura, 2.4%. 2. As for the type of disease. contrary to the previous occasion in which typical form was predominant, this time saw the predominaney of abortive form, of which the mortality rate proved only 0.83%, in comparison to 13.9% estimated in the former time. 3. As for state of starting estimated by month, as previous occasion, maximum occurrence took place in July and August. 4. As for age, showing similar trend as before, 21-30 occupying most cases, evenly has diffused from 10 to 60. There were actually 7 cases that were above 61, which verifies that contamination in old age is not so seldom. 5. As has been in the previous occasion, as to state of contamination, what may be called village infection occupied the majority of cases; where, a special increase of familiary infection has drawn our attention, amounting to the rate of 38.3%, in comparison to former 20.4%, Which, as the infection spread itself, increases in number. 6. Familiary infection may be explained by propagated epidemic form. Its three cases had been delivered. 7. On taking a bird's'-eye-view over the whole area that was infected, the special phase for this season will come under two heads; area in which new patients have emerged around those affected formerly., and the other, which has been contaminated with a fixed current toward areas not yet. infected. The latter is considered to take shift into the former form after a while. 8. Though rare, sporadic infection could be found in this epidemic too, each of which was a case infections being pressed onward into uncontaminated area, and 6 out of 9 cases have become the source for later infection. If theses poradic infections were considered in detail, these would be clear to have a connection with that of epidemic places and also able to come under propagated epidemic form

Prominent IgM Deposition in Glomerulus Is Associated with Severe Proteinuria and Reduced after Combined Treatment of Tonsillectomy with Steroid Pulse Therapy in Patients with IgA Nephropathy

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is characterized by mesangial deposition of IgA, C3, and often IgM. We examined the relationship among IgM deposition, clinical features, and renal outcome in IgAN patients who underwent combined treatment of tonsillectomy with steroid pulse therapy (Tx-SP). We retrospectively reviewed 73 IgAN patients treated with Tx-SP from March 2006 to March 2014. The patients were divided into those with moderate (2+) to severe (3+) mesangial IgM deposition (Prominent IgM-positive patients, P-Group) and those with negative (−) to faint (1+) deposition (the “Other” patients, O-Group). Using propensity scores to minimize confounding factors, 11 propensity score-matched patients with O-Group (mO-Group) were compared to 11 P-Group patients. The study outcome was defined as urinary protein grade by urine test strip before Tx-SP and one year after Tx-SP. P-Group patients exhibited an increased severity of proteinuria compared to O-Group (p=0.018) and mO-Group patients (p=0.009) before Tx-SP. After Tx-SP, proteinuria was significantly ameliorated in the P-Group, reaching the same severity recorded in the O-Group (p=0.007) and mO-Group (p=0.021). No significant differences were noted between P-Group and mO-Group in microhematuria, serum creatinine level, and histological severity. Prominent IgM deposition is associated with severe proteinuria in IgAN. However, Tx-SP induces a sufficient reduction in the severity of proteinuria in IgM-positive IgAN