Visual Systems & Control on Polynomial Space and Its Application to Sloshing Problems

This paper proposes a novel approach for camera-based modeling and control for a large class of continuous systems and the validity is confirmed by liquid sloshing experiments. It is an unsolved problem to design a model-based control in nonplanar sloshing cases. This is because the whole shape of the liquid surface is a complex curve (a set of an infinite number of points) in coordinate spaces. This paper solves this problem. First, the whole shape of the liquid surface corresponding to the output measured by a camera is a single point in a polynomial space as well as the input and the state. Second, without any physical parameter identification, input-output modeling on polynomial space, unlike existing types of modeling, captures the whole dynamics even in nonplanar sloshing cases and is linked to design of implementable controllers. Finally, in the presence of occlusion, the nonplanar sloshing is controlled well by state estimation on polynomial space without adding any image processing technology.ArticleIEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY. 22(6):2176-2187 (2014)journal articl

Visual Systems & Control on Polynomial Space and Its Application to Sloshing Problems

This paper proposes a novel approach for camera-based modeling and control for a large class of continuous systems and the validity is confirmed by liquid sloshing experiments. It is an unsolved problem to design a model-based control in nonplanar sloshing cases. This is because the whole shape of the liquid surface is a complex curve (a set of an infinite number of points) in coordinate spaces. This paper solves this problem. First, the whole shape of the liquid surface corresponding to the output measured by a camera is a single point in a polynomial space as well as the input and the state. Second, without any physical parameter identification, input-output modeling on polynomial space, unlike existing types of modeling, captures the whole dynamics even in nonplanar sloshing cases and is linked to design of implementable controllers. Finally, in the presence of occlusion, the nonplanar sloshing is controlled well by state estimation on polynomial space without adding any image processing technology.ArticleIEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY. 22(6):2176-2187 (2014)journal articl

Downregulation of CD4 is required for maintenance of viral infectivity of HIV-1

AbstractDownregulation of virus receptors on the cell surface is considered to be important in preventing superinfection. HIV-1 encodes multiple gene products, Env, Vpu, and Nef, involved in downregulation of CD4, a major HIV-1 receptor. We found that simultaneous mutations in both vpu and nef severely impaired virus replication. We examined the involvement of CD4 downregulation mediated by Vpu and Nef in the modification of virus infectivity. The mutation in vpu increased CD4 incorporation into virions without affecting the Env content in it, inhibiting the attachment step of virions to the CD4-positive cell surface. Although a single mutation in nef suppresses virus infectivity via a CD4-independent mechanism, it could augment CD4 incorporation in virions in combination with a vpu mutation. These results indicated that CD4 downregulation was necessary for maintenance of Env function in the virion

Serotonin enhances the production of type IV collagen by human mesangial cells

Serotonin enhances the production of type IV collagen by human mesangial cells.BackgroundThe plasma concentration of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in diabetic patients is higher than that in normal subjects. Since recent reports have demonstrated the presence of 5-HT2A receptor in glomerular mesangial cells, it is possible that 5-HT may be involved in the development of diabetic nephropathy through the 5-HT2A receptor in mesangial cells. Because expansion of the glomerular mesangial lesion is a characteristic feature of diabetic nephropathy, we examined the effect of 5-HT on the production of type IV collagen by human mesangial cells.MethodsHuman mesangial cells were incubated with 5-HT with or without 5-HT receptor antagonists, protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor or transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) antibody. Type IV collagen mRNA and protein concentration in medium were measured by Northern blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. TGF-β mRNA and bioactivity in the medium were measured by Northern blot analysis and bioassay using mink lung epithelial cells, respectively.Results5-HT stimulated the production of type IV collagen by human mesangial cells, which was inhibited by ketanserin and sarpogrelate hydrochloride, 5-HT2A receptor antagonists, but not by ondansetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist. 5-HT increased the bioactivities of both active and total TGF-β. However, the 5-HT-enhanced production of type IV collagen was completely inhibited by an anti-TGF-β antibody. Furthermore, a PKC inhibitor, calphostin C, inhibited the 5-HT-induced increase in type IV collagen secretion, and the activity of membrane PKC was increased by 5-HT. Phorbol ester activated type IV collagen production as well as active and total TGF-β. Calphostin C completely inhibited the 5-HT-enhanced activity of active TGF-β, but did not inhibit exogenous TGF-β-induced increase in type IV collagen secretion.ConclusionsOur results suggest that 5-HT-enhanced production of type IV collagen by human mesangial cells is mediated by activation of PKC and subsequent increase in active TGF-β activity

Efficacy and safety of luseogliflozin added to various oral antidiabetic drugs in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Introduction: Two studies were carried out to investigate the efficacy and safety of luseogliflozin added to existing oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients inadequately controlled with OAD monotherapy. Materials and Methods: In the trial involving add‐on to sulfonylureas (study 03‐1), patients were randomly assigned to receive luseogliflozin 2.5 mg or a placebo for a 24‐week double‐blind period, followed by a 28‐week open‐label period. In the open‐label trial involving add‐on to other OADs; that is, biguanides, dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, glinides and α‐glucosidase inhibitors (study 03‐2), patients received luseogliflozin for 52 weeks. Results: In study 03‐1, luseogliflozin significantly decreased glycated hemoglobin at the end of the 24‐week double‐blind period compared with the placebo (–0.88%, P < 0.001), and glycated hemoglobin reduction from baseline at week 52 was –0.63%. In study 03‐2, luseogliflozin added to other OADs significantly decreased glycated hemoglobin from baseline at week 52 (–0.52 to –0.68%, P < 0.001 for all OADs). Bodyweight reduction was observed in all add‐on therapies, even with agents associated with weight gain, such as sulfonylureas and thiazolidinediones. Most adverse events were mild in severity. When added to a sulfonylurea, incidences of hypoglycemia during the double‐blind period were 8.7% and 4.2% for luseogliflozin and placebo, respectively, but no major hypoglycemic episodes occurred. The frequency and incidences of adverse events of special interest for sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and adverse events associated with combined OADs were acceptable. Conclusions: Add‐on therapies of luseogliflozin to existing OADs improved glycemic control, reduced bodyweight and were well tolerated in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients. These trials were registered with the Japan Pharmaceutical Information Center (add on to sulfonylurea: JapicCTI‐111507; add on to other OADs: JapicCTI‐111508)

Impact of Ambulation Status in Patients with End-stage Renal Disease on Hemodialysis due to Diabetic Nephropathy : The PREDICT Study

Article信州医学雑誌 68(3): 131-138(2020)journal articl

Stromal area differences with epithelial-mesenchymal transition gene changes in conjunctival and orbital mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

PurposeTo examine the molecular biological differences between conjunctival mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma and orbital MALT lymphoma in ocular adnexa lymphoma.MethodsObservational case series. A total of 129 consecutive, randomized cases of ocular adnexa MALT lymphoma diagnosed histopathologically between 2008 and 2020.Total RNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue from ocular adnexa MALT lymphoma, and RNA-sequencing was performed. Orbital MALT lymphoma gene expression was compared with that of conjunctival MALT lymphoma. Gene set (GS) analysis detecting for gene set cluster was performed in RNA-sequence. Related proteins were further examined by immunohistochemical staining. In addition, artificial segmentation image used to count stromal area in HE images.ResultsGS analysis showed differences in expression in 29 GS types in primary orbital MALT lymphoma (N=5,5, FDR q-value &lt;0.25). The GS with the greatest difference in expression was the GS of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Based on this GS change, immunohistochemical staining was added using E-cadherin as an epithelial marker and vimentin as a mesenchymal marker for EMT. There was significant staining of vimentin in orbital lymphoma (P&lt;0.01, N=129) and of E-cadherin in conjunctival lesions (P=0.023, N=129). Vimentin staining correlated with Ann Arbor staging (1 versus &gt;1) independent of age and sex on multivariate analysis (P=0.004). Stroma area in tumor were significant difference(P&lt;0.01).ConclusionGS changes including EMT and stromal area in tumor were used to demonstrate the molecular biological differences between conjunctival MALT lymphoma and orbital MALT lymphoma in ocular adnexa lymphomas

Conceptual Design of Rapid Circular Particle Accelerator Using High-Gradient Resonant Cavities with Fixed Frequency

A new high-energy particle accelerator with static combined type of magnetic field and high-gradient resonant cavities is introduced for muon acceleration up to 300 MeV and proton acceleration up to 400 MeV. The accelerator concept is expected to realize Mpps-class rapid cycling high-energy particle acceleration in circular particle accelerators. Conceptual designs of the circular accelerator are discussed with an emphasis on short lifetime particles. The fundamental concept of particle acceleration and the related practical issues, which should be discussed when designing the accelerators, are described as well