A study on the time-matching in three dimensional cinematography

本研究の目的は,同期しているデータと同期上の誤差を含んだデータの解析結果を比較し,民生用ビデオの定量的動作解析への利用の可能性を検討することであった。フレームカウンターを接続した2台のビデオカメラにより,バレーボールのスパイク動作を撮影した。2台のカメラの2次元座標が同期している場合,No.1カメラとNo.2カメラの2次元座標の時刻が1/120秒ずれている場合,No.1カメラとNo.2カメラの2次元座標の時刻が1/60秒ずれている場合の3通りの同期誤差をもつ2次元座標を準備し,DLT法により身体各部位及びボールの3次元座標を算出した。スティックピクチャーによる視覚的比較,各種測定項目による数値的比較を通して,同期,同期誤差1/2field,同期誤差1fieldのデータ間に大差が見られなかったこと,そして大部分の測定項目の値は先行研究の値の範囲にあったことから,民生用ビデオによる3次元動作解析は可能であると考えられた。The purpose of this study was to compare the analysis results of Time-Matching with Time-Error data and to find the possible utilization for quantitative motion analysis by home videos.It took spiking motions of volleyball by two video cameras with frame counter. After prepared three cases of two-dimensional coordinates that the time of two cameras are matching, different of 1/120 and 1/60 seconds, three-dimensional coordinates of the segment endpoints and a ball were calculated by Direct Linear Transformation Method.There were no great difference in Time-Matching, 1/2 and 1field data through the visual comparison by stick-pictures and the numerically comparison by various kinds of items of measurement. Consequently, the results suggest that it is possible to do three dimensional motion analysis by home videos

Crucial role of nitric oxide synthases system in endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization in mice

The endothelium plays an important role in maintaining vascular homeostasis by synthesizing and releasing several relaxing factors, such as prostacyclin, nitric oxide (NO), and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). We have previously demonstrated in animals and humans that endothelium-derived hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an EDHF that is produced in part by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS). In this study, we show that genetic disruption of all three NOS isoforms (neuronal [nNOS], inducible [iNOS], and endothelial [eNOS]) abolishes EDHF responses in mice. The contribution of the NOS system to EDHF-mediated responses was examined in eNOS−/−, n/eNOS−/−, and n/i/eNOS−/− mice. EDHF-mediated relaxation and hyperpolarization in response to acetylcholine of mesenteric arteries were progressively reduced as the number of disrupted NOS genes increased, whereas vascular smooth muscle function was preserved. Loss of eNOS expression alone was compensated for by other NOS genes, and endothelial cell production of H2O2 and EDHF-mediated responses were completely absent in n/i/eNOS−/− mice, even after antihypertensive treatment with hydralazine. NOS uncoupling was not involved, as modulation of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) synthesis had no effect on EDHF-mediated relaxation, and the BH4/dihydrobiopterin (BH2) ratio was comparable in mesenteric arteries and the aorta. These results provide the first evidence that EDHF-mediated responses are dependent on the NOSs system in mouse mesenteric arteries

Abnormal Cystatin C Levels in Two Patients with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by central obesity, mental impairment, rod-cone dystrophy, polydactyly, hypogonadism in males, and renal abnormalities. The causative genes have been identified as BBS1-14. In the Western countries, the prevalence of this disease ranges from 1/13,500 to 1/160,000, while only a few Japanese patients have been reported in the English-language literature. The incidence of renal dysfunction or anomalies in previous reports varies considerably ranging from ∼20% to universal occurrence. We here report that two Japanese patients who had BBS with normal BUN and creatinine levels had elevated levels of cystatin C, a sensitive marker of glomerular filtration rate. A urine albumin level increased only in the elder patient. Thus, cystatin C may be useful for detecting renal abnormalities in patients with an apparent normal renal function. Because this disease is diagnosed by accumulation of symptoms, such a sensitive marker might help early diagnosis of BBS

Divergent ancestral lineages of newfound hantaviruses harbored by phylogenetically related crocidurine shrew species in Korea

AbstractSpurred by the recent isolation of a novel hantavirus, named Imjin virus (MJNV), from the Ussuri white-toothed shrew (Crocidura lasiura), targeted trapping was conducted for the phylogenetically related Asian lesser white-toothed shrew (Crocidura shantungensis). Pair-wise alignment and comparison of the S, M and L segments of a newfound hantavirus, designated Jeju virus (JJUV), indicated remarkably low nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarity with MJNV. Phylogenetic analyses, using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, showed divergent ancestral lineages for JJUV and MJNV, despite the close phylogenetic relationship of their reservoir soricid hosts. Also, no evidence of host switching was apparent in tanglegrams, generated by TreeMap 2.0β

Weak Association Between Retinopathy of Prematurity and Neurological Disorders in Childhood

Abstract: An attempt was made to elucidate the association between retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and neurological disorders in infants of very low birth weight. In this retrospective study, 1081 Japanese children weighing less than 1500 g at birth were classified into four subgroups according to birth weight. In each subgroup, the association among cerebral palsy (CP) or mental retardation (MR) and ROP, treated ROP, and cicatricial ROP was analyzed statistically. In the population as a whole, CP and MR were positively associated with ROP. However, in the birth-weight subgroup analysis, no significant association was found. We can conclude that there is a weak association between ROP and CP or MR

Use of Liquid Biopsy to Detect PIK3CA Mutation in Metastatic Breast Cancer

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Genetic Diversity of Artybash Virus in the Laxmann's Shrew (Sorex caecutiens)

Although based on very limited M and L segment sequences, Artybash virus (ARTV) was proposed previously as a unique hantavirus harbored by the Laxmann’s shrew (Sorex caecutiens). To verify this conjecture, lung tissues from 68 Laxmann’s shrews, captured during 2006 to 2014 in eastern Siberia, Russia, and Hokkaido, Japan, were analyzed for ARTV RNA using RT-PCR. ARTV RNA was detected in six Laxmann’s shrews. Pairwise alignment and comparison of partial- and full-length S, M, and L segment sequences from these Laxmann’s shrews, as well as phylogenetic analyses, using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods indicated that ARTV was distinct from other soricine shrew-borne hantaviruses and representative hantaviruses harbored by rodents, moles, and bats. Taxonomic identity of the ARTV-infected Laxmann’s shrews was confirmed by full-length cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis. Our data indicate that the hantavirus previously known as Amga virus (MGAV) represents genetic variants of ARTV. Thus, the previously proposed designation of ARTV/MGAV should be replaced by ART