Gifu University of Medical Science

About: Gifu University of Medical Science is a education organization based out in Gifu City, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Imaging phantom & Motion sickness. The organization has 89 authors who have published 202 publications receiving 1350 citations.

Introducing a novel image quality measure for digital phase-contrast-image evaluation

Abstract: Recently, detective quantum efficiency (DQE) arising from the concept of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) has been used for assessing digital x-ray imaging systems Using a phase-shift of x-rays that occurs when passing through an object, digital phase contrast imaging (herein referred to as “phase imaging”), which involves magnification, can produce images different from those of standard contact imaging (herein referred to as “regular imaging”) For this reason, assessment of the image quality based on DQE which does not include the object information may not be appropriate to compare image quality between the phase images and the regular images As an alternative method, we proposed a new image quality assessment method based on radial direction distribution function (RDDF) and signal intensity distribution function (SIDF) in two-dimensional power spectra of images that contain information of an object To evaluate the usefulness of our method based on RDDF and SIDF, we assessed images of different contrast, noise characteristic and sharpness using simple phantoms Our results showed that the accurate evaluation of these factors was successfully performed Comparing the image quality of projected plant seeds by phase imaging and regular imaging, we found the phase imaging method provided higher image quality in terms of edge sharpness than that of the regular imaging.

Changes in Eye Movements and Body Sway While Viewing Stereoscopic Movies Under Controlled Consciousness

Abstract: In our previous study, we found that it is possible to have an effect of change in the condition of consciousness (allocation of consciousness) on visually evoked postural responses (VEPRs) and subjective symptoms of visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) Thus, in this study, we verified the effect of controlling consciousness on body sway and eye movements while participants viewed stereoscopic movies Participants watched a three-dimensional movie consisting of several colored balls that moved sideways sinusoidally at 025 Hz for 180 s after pre-instruction Pre-instructions included “uncontrolled consciousness,” “keep a static, upright posture,” and “sway body in the same/opposite direction” This study recorded both center of pressure, as body sway, and electrooculography (EOG) data, as eye movements Recorded EOG data were converted to eye movement velocity The results clearly showed that (1) the influence of the pre-instruction appeared to be much stronger than that of the VEPRs, (2) the pre-instruction changed the frequency of the saccade, or interquartile range of eye movement, velocity histogram according to each task as measured by changes in retinal slip velocity, and (3) the condition of consciousness that controlled body motion changed the participants’ postural instability and eye movement results Thus, after considering many theories for the origin of VIMS, we concluded that the condition of consciousness controlled VIMS

3-Hydroxykynurenine Regulates Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated IL-6 Production and Protects against Endotoxic Shock in Mice.

Abstract: Despite advances in our understanding of endotoxic shock, novel therapeutic interventions that can reduce the burden of sepsis remain elusive. Current treatment options are limited, and it is only through refinements in the ways that we deliver supportive care that mortality has fallen over the years. In this study, the role of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) in immune regulation was examined in LPS-induced endotoxemia using KMO-/- and KMO+/+ mice treated with the KMO inhibitor Ro61-8048. We showed that LPS-induced or cecal ligation and puncture-induced mortality and hepatic IL-6 production increased in the absence of KMO, possibly involving increased activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) signaling in hepatic macrophages. Moreover, treatment of septic mice with 3-hydroxykynurenine reduced mortality rates and inflammatory responses regardless of the presence or absence of KMO. According to our results, the administration of 3-hydroxykynurenine as part of the treatment approach for sepsis or as an adjuvant therapy might reduce the overproduction of IL-6, which is responsible for severe endotoxemia, and ultimately improve the survival rates of patients with sepsis.

A Study for Statistical Machine Learning to Classify Radial Motions of the Elderly

Abstract: Human visual information in peripheral and foveal vision fields is processed along dorsal and ventral streams in the brain, respectively. It has been also reported that the motion sickness is induced by visual approaches especially in the peripheral vision. In general, difference in the radial motion has been found between the peripheral and the foveal vision. In this study, we measured eye movements during the peripheral or foveal vision of 3D video clips and conducted statistical machine learning to classify sample data into two types of radial motion processes. We measured the eye movements of six healthy elderly people while viewing 3D video clips. We extracted about 2,300 time series data of these eye movements for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, and 20 seconds, respectively. These time series were used as a data set, and statistical machine learning was performed for the classification. As a result, the accuracy of the classification increased with the sample size. In addition, a comparison of the correct rate of the classification between peripheral and foveal vision showed that the rate was higher for the foveal vision.