Showing papers by "Kyushu University published in 1998"
14 Apr 1998
TL;DR: The results show that it is possible to construct a facial expression classifier with Gabor coding of the facial images as the input stage and the Gabor representation shows a significant degree of psychological plausibility, a design feature which may be important for human-computer interfaces.
Abstract: A method for extracting information about facial expressions from images is presented. Facial expression images are coded using a multi-orientation multi-resolution set of Gabor filters which are topographically ordered and aligned approximately with the face. The similarity space derived from this representation is compared with one derived from semantic ratings of the images by human observers. The results show that it is possible to construct a facial expression classifier with Gabor coding of the facial images as the input stage. The Gabor representation shows a significant degree of psychological plausibility, a design feature which may be important for human-computer interfaces.
2,100 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that LIM-kinase 1 (LIMK-1), a serine/threonine kinase containing LIM and PDZ domains, phosphorylates cofilin at Ser’3, both in vitro and in vivo, which indicates that LIMK- 1 participates in Rac-mediated actin cytoskeletal reorganization, probably by phosphoryLating co Filin.
Abstract: Rac is a small GTPase of the Rho family that mediates stimulus-induced actin cytoskeletal reorganization to generate lamellipodia Little is known about the signalling pathways that link Rac activation to changes in actin filament dynamics Cofilin is known to be a potent regulator of actin filament dynamics, and its ability to bind and depolymerize actin is abolished by phosphorylation of serine residue at 3; however, the kinases responsible for this phosphorylation have not been identified Here we show that LIM-kinase 1 (LIMK-1), a serine/threonine kinase containing LIM and PDZ domains, phosphorylates cofilin at Ser 3, both in vitro and in vivo When expressed in cultured cells, LIMK-1 induces actin reorganization and reverses cofilin-induced actin depolymerization Expression of an inactive form of LIMK-1 suppresses lamellipodium formation induced by Rac or insulin Furthermore, insulin and an active form of Rac increase the activity of LIMK-1 Taken together, our results indicate that LIMK-1 participates in Rac-mediated actin cytoskeletal reorganization, probably by phosphorylating cofilin
1,240 citations
TL;DR: In this article, experiments were conducted on high purity aluminum to investigate the process of grain refinement during equal-channel angular (ECA) pressing, where samples were subjected to 1 to 4 pressings and then sectioned for microstructural examination in three mutually perpendicular directions.
1,135 citations
15 Dec 1998-Materials Science and Engineering A-structural Materials Properties Microstructure and Processing
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the shearing characteristics associated with ECA pressing for six different processing routes and reached conclusions concerning the optimum processing procedure and the development of texture in equal channel angular (ECA) pressing.
Abstract: Equal-channel angular (ECA) pressing is a processing method for introducing an ultra-fine grain size into a material. In practice, it is a procedure that may be used to achieve high total strains by subjecting a sample to repetitive pressings. There is experimental evidence showing that the nature of the microstructural evolution in ECA pressing depends upon whether the sample is rotated between each passage through the die. This paper examines the shearing characteristics associated with ECA pressing for six different processing routes and reaches conclusions concerning the optimum processing procedure and the development of texture.
854 citations
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory1, University of Michigan2, Royal Institution3, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory4, Massachusetts Institute of Technology5, Kyushu University6, Institute for Transuranium Elements7, Pennsylvania State University8, Los Alamos National Laboratory9, University of Cambridge10, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation11, Oak Ridge National Laboratory12
TL;DR: A comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art of radiation effects in crystalline ceramics that may be used for the immobilization of high-level nuclear waste and plutonium is provided in this article.
Abstract: This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the state-of-knowledge of radiation effects in crystalline ceramics that may be used for the immobilization of high-level nuclear waste and plutonium. The current understanding of radiation damage processes, defect generation, microstructure development, theoretical methods, and experimental methods are reviewed. Fundamental scientific and technological issues that offer opportunities for research are identified. The most important issue is the need for an understanding of the radiation-induced structural changes at the atomic, microscopic, and macroscopic levels, and the effect of these changes on the release rates of radionuclides during corrosion.
834 citations
10 Aug 1998
TL;DR: A model of dynamically variable voltage processors and basic theorems for power-delay optimization and a static voltage scheduling problem is proposed and formulated as an integer linear programming (ILP) problem.
Abstract: This paper presents a model of dynamically variable voltage processors and basic theorems for power-delay optimization. A static voltage scheduling problem is also proposed and formulated as an integer linear programming (ILP) problem. In the problem, we assume that a core processor can vary its supply voltage dynamically, but can use only a single voltage level at a time. For a given application program and a dynamically variable voltage processor, a voltage scheduling which minimizes energy consumption under an execution time constraint can be found.
826 citations
TL;DR: These findings demonstrate that differentiating lymphocytes and neurons strictly require the XRCC4 and DNA ligase IV end-joining proteins and point to the general stage of neuronal development in which these proteins are necessary.
659 citations
TL;DR: It appeared that when the free hydroxyl group was methoxylated or glycosylated, the inhibitory activity was obviously decreased or even abolished, and that tannins have more potential than flavonoids for free-radical scavenging.
585 citations
TL;DR: S-1 improves the tumour-selective toxicity of 5-FU by the actions of two modulators, CDHP and Oxo, and was effective and well tolerated in patients with advanced gastric cancer.
580 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that MDC9 and PKCδ are involved in the stimulus‐coupled shedding of the proHB‐EGF ectodomain.
Abstract: The ectodomains of many proteins located at the cell surface are shed upon cell stimulation. One such protein is the heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) that exists in a membrane-anchored form which is converted to a soluble form upon cell stimulation with TPA, an activator of protein kinase C (PKC). We show that PKCdelta binds in vivo and in vitro to the cytoplasmic domain of MDC9/meltrin-gamma/ADAM9, a member of the metalloprotease-disintegrin family. Furthermore, the presence of constitutively active PKCdelta or MDC9 results in the shedding of the ectodomain of proHB-EGF, whereas MDC9 mutants lacking the metalloprotease domain, as well as kinase-negative PKCdelta, suppress the TPA-induced shedding of the ectodomain. These results suggest that MDC9 and PKCdelta are involved in the stimulus-coupled shedding of the proHB-EGF ectodomain.
524 citations
TL;DR: Genomic typing of class I HLA alleles adds substantially to the success of transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells from unrelated donors, even if the donors are serologically identical to their recipients with respect to HLA-A, B, and DR antigens.
Abstract: Background The requirements with respect to HLA compatibility and the relative importance of matching for individual class I and class II HLA alleles in the transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells from unrelated donors have not yet been established. Methods We performed retrospective DNA typing of alleles at 11 polymorphic loci of HLA genes in 440 recipients of hematopoietic stem cells from unrelated donors who were serologically identical with their respective recipients for HLA-A, B, and DR antigens. Of these recipients, 80 percent had leukemia; the rest had lymphoma, marrow failure, or a congenital disorder. Results Multivariate analysis showed that incompatibility for HLA-A alleles and incompatibility for HLA-C alleles were independent risk factors for severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (HLA-A, P=0.006; HLA-C, P=0.001). Mismatching of HLA-A, but not of HLA-C, alleles was an independent risk factor for death (P<0.001). Mismatching of HLA-C alleles was a significant risk factor for relaps...
TL;DR: In this paper, a method for rendering ordinary beam-spring networks elastically uniform is also given for predicting brittle fracture in homogeneous, isotropic materials, based on Voronoi diagrams with random geometry.
TL;DR: This paper determines the tradeoff between the total amount of rate and squared distortion, deriving an explicit formula of the rate-distortion function, and concludes that the conjecture of Viswanathan and Berger on the asymptotic behavior of minimum squared distortion for large rates is true.
Abstract: A new multiterminal source coding problem called the CEO problem was presented and investigated by Berger, Zhang, and Viswanathan. Recently, Viswanathan and Berger have investigated an extension of the CEO problem to Gaussian sources and call it the quadratic Gaussian CEO problem. They considered this problem from a statistical viewpoint, deriving some interesting results. In this paper, we consider the quadratic Gaussian CEO problem from a standpoint of multiterminal rate-distortion theory. We regard the CEO problem as a certain multiterminal remote source coding problem with infinitely many separate encoders whose observations are conditionally independent if the remote source is given. This viewpoint leads us to a complete solution to the problem. We determine the tradeoff between the total amount of rate and squared distortion, deriving an explicit formula of the rate-distortion function. The derived function has the form of a sum of two nonnegative functions. One is a classical rate-distortion function for single Gaussian source and the other is a new rate-distortion function which dominates the performance of the system for a relatively small distortion. It follows immediately from our result that the conjecture of Viswanathan and Berger on the asymptotic behavior of minimum squared distortion for large rates is true.
TL;DR: In this paper, Li et al. suggested that lithium dendrites may be called whiskers because their shape satisfies the definition of whiskers as ''fibrous crystals'' and their tip morphology remains unchanged during their growth, which means they grow from the base in the same way as whiskers of tin from thin films under stress.
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of the channel angle Φ, defined as the angle of intersection of the two channels within the die, on the subsequent microstructure attained by pressing was investigated.
TL;DR: In this article, a new class of thermally irreversible and fatigue resistant photochromic molecules named diarylethenes has been developed Theoretical consideration based on the state correlation diagrams of electrocyclic reactions revealed that the thermal irreversibility is attained by introducing aryl groups that have low aromatic stabilization energy.
Abstract: A new class of thermally irreversible and fatigue resistant photochromic molecules named diarylethenes has been developed Theoretical consideration based on the state correlation diagrams of electrocyclic reactions revealed that the thermal irreversibility is attained by introducing aryl groups that have low aromatic stabilization energy According to the molecular design principle thermally irreversible photochromic diarylethenes having heterocyclic five-membered rings, such as furan, thiophene (or benzothiophene), or thiazole rings, have been newly synthesized Among them, diarylethenes having benzothiophene aryl groups showed an excellent fatigue resistant property They underwent photochromic cycles more than 10 × 104 times The absorption maxima of the closed-ring forms varied from 425 to 828 nm depending on the aryl groups, substituents of the aryl groups, and the substitution position of the aryl groups to the ethane moiety The response times of both cyclization and ring-opening reactions were l
TL;DR: Ile50 associated with atopic asthma but not with non-atopic asthma; Ile50 specifically and significantly associated with raised total serum IgE levels and mite-specific IgE; the association with atopy was especially strong in children.
Abstract: Atopy is an immune disorder characterized by heightened immunoglobulin E (IgE) production and leads to the clinical disorders of asthma, eczema and rhinitis1. Interleukin 4 (IL4) is a pleiotropic cytokine which plays a crucial role in IgEdependent atopic disorders2; it is central to B cells switching to IgE antibody production and to the maturation of T-helper cells to the Th2 phenotype (type-2 Thelper lymphocyte). Human IL4 operates through the IL4 receptor (IL4R) and thereby Stat6 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 6) activation3. Mice deficient in Stat6 (refs 4,5) or the IL4Rα chain6 lack IgE production and Th2 inflammatory reactions. IL4Rα is therefore a crucial component required for IL4 binding and signal transduction. A cytoplasmic variant of IL4Rα, an Arg576Gln substitution (numbering from the first ATG), has been recently identified and is found in excess in a study of a group of individuals with hyper-IgE syndrome and severe eczema7; functional assays showed impaired binding of the negative regulatory molecule, protein tyrosine phosphatase, SHP-1, and increased expression of CD23 was found on peripheral blood mononuclear cells after being challenged with IL4. Stat6 activation, however, was not upregulated and no information was provided on cellular IgE synthesis. An extracellular variant, Thr49Ile, in IL4Rα of BALB/c mice alters the ligandbinding affinity of IL4Rα (ref. 8). An Ile50Val (numbering for mature peptide) variant of human IL4Rα has also been identified9,10 and it is, to date, the only known extracellular variant of human IL4Rα (ref. 11). To test whether the Ile50Val variant promotes dysregulation of IgE synthesis, we first conducted a genetic association study for serum IgE levels in a Japanese population. There was a significant difference in Ile/Val 50 genotype frequencies between control and atopic subjects (Table 1); Ile50 associated with atopic asthma but not with non-atopic asthma; Ile50 specifically and significantly associated with raised total serum IgE levels and mite-specific IgE. The association with atopy was especially strong in children. The high frequency of Ile50 homozygotes (approximately 60%) in the childhood atopic asthma group described here, and the significant skewing from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P<0.0001), suggest a largely recessive genetic effect for Ile50 on atopy; the previously reported
TL;DR: A capsulelike rim, which is thought to correspond to an inflammatory process involving peripancreatic tissues, appears to be a characteristic finding of autoimmune pancreatitis on CT and MR imaging.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to elucidate the CT and MR imaging characteristics in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis, which is a reversible chronic pancreatitis with an autoimmune cause. CONCLUSION: On CT and MR imaging, a capsulelike rim, which is thought to correspond to an inflammatory process involving peripancreatic tissues, appears to be a characteristic finding of autoimmune pancreatitis. Also, diffuse pancreatic enlargement along with hypointensity on T1-weighted MR images and delayed enhancement on dynamic CT and MR studies are other features of this disorder.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors characterized protein-containing polyelectrolyte multilayer films of poly(styrenesulfonate) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride), fabricated by the sequential adsorption of poly-lyte and anti-immunoglobulin G (anti-IgG) on solid substrates, using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared reflection−absorption spectroscopy (FTIR-RAS).
Abstract: Protein-containing polyelectrolyte multilayer films of poly(styrenesulfonate) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride), fabricated by the sequential adsorption of polyelectrolyte and anti-immunoglobulin G (anti-IgG) on solid substrates, have been characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared reflection−absorption spectroscopy (FTIR-RAS). Visualization of the film structure on the nanometer scale, by AFM and SEM, showed that either layered or disordered films were formed depending on the number of polyelectrolyte layers separating each protein layer. For films where each anti-IgG layer was separated by one polyelectrolyte layer, an open, disordered film structure was observed and significant protein aggregation occurred. In contrast, for films in which the anti-IgG layers were separated by five polyelectrolyte layers, a layered structure with uniform protein layers was formed. Film thicknesses determined by SEM measurements were consistent w...
TL;DR: DnaA inactivation in the presence of IdaB and DNA polymerase III is further stimulated by DNA synthesis, indicating close linkage between initiator inactivation and replication, a mechanism that may be key to effective control of the replication cycle.
TL;DR: Coronary microv vascular spasm and resultant myocardial ischaemia may be the cause of chest pain in a subgroup of patients with microvascular angina.
TL;DR: The co-localization of these proteins in the granules and their release into the hemolymph suggest that they serve synergistically to construct an effective host defense system against invaders.
Abstract: Invertebrate animals, which lack adaptive immune systems, have developed defense systems, so-called innate immunity, that respond to common antigens on the surface of potential pathogens. One such defense system is involved in the cellular responses of horseshoe crab hemocytes to invaders. Hemocytes contain two types, large (L) and small (S), of secretory granules, and the contents of these granules are released in response to invading microbes via exocytosis. Recent biochemical and immunological studies on the granular components of L- and S-granules demonstrated that the two types of granules selectively store granule-specific proteins participating in the host defense systems. L-Granules contain all the clotting factors essential for hemolymph coagulation, protease inhibitors including serpins and cystatin, and anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) factor and several tachylectins with LPS binding and bacterial agglutinating activities. On the other hand, S-granules contain various new cysteine-rich basic proteins with antimicrobial or bacterial agglutinating activities, such as tachyplesins, big defensin, tachycitin, and tachystatins. The co-localization of these proteins in the granules and their release into the hemolymph suggest that they serve synergistically to construct an effective host defense system against invaders. Here, the structures and functions of these new types of defense molecules found in the Japanese horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus) are reviewed.
TL;DR: It is proposed that Vesl-1S may be involved in the structural changes that occur at metabotropic glutamatergic synapses during the maintenance phase of LTP by modulating the redistribution of synaptic components.
TL;DR: In this paper, a static and a dynamic impact test using a single steel ball against a flat steel plate were carried out to clarify the mechanism of the creation of compressive residual stress by shot peening.
TL;DR: In this article, the VEGF121 antisense expression vector was used to suppress vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (VEGF/VPF) in colorectal carcinoma cells.
Abstract: Targeted disruption of the single mutant K-ras allele in two human colorectal carcinoma cell lines (DLD-1 and HCT-116) leads to loss of tumorigenic competence in nude mice with retention of ability to grow indefinitely in monolayer culture. Because expression of the mutant K-ras oncogene in these cell lines is associated with marked up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (VEGF/VPF), we sought to determine whether this potent angiogenesis inducer plays a role in K-ras-dependent tumorigenic competence. Transfection of a VEGF121 antisense expression vector into DLD-1 and HCT-116 cells resulted in suppression of VEGF/VPF production by a factor of 3- to 4-fold. The VEGF/VPF-deficient sublines, unlike the parental population or vector controls, were profoundly suppressed in their ability to form tumors in nude mice for as long as 6 months after cell injection. In contrast, in vitro growth of these sublines was unaffected, thus demonstrating the critical importance of VEGF/VPF as an angiogenic factor for HCT-116 and DLD-1 cells. Transfection of a full-length VEGF121 cDNA into two nontumorigenic mutant K-ras knockout sublines resulted in a weak but detectable restoration of tumorigenic ability in vivo in a subset of the transfectants, with no consistent change in growth properties in vitro. The findings indicate that mutant ras-oncogene-dependent VEGF/VPF expression is necessary, but not sufficient, for progressive tumor growth in vivo and highlight the relative contribution of oncogenes, such as mutant K-ras, to the process of tumor angiogenesis.
TL;DR: The data indicated that an exopolysaccharide material on the surface of the rugose strain promoted biofilm formation and resistance to the effects of two stressing agents, as well as acquiring resistance to osmotic and oxidative stress.
Abstract: Vibrio cholerae O1 strain TSI-4 (El Tor, Ogawa) can shift to a rugose colony morphology from its normal translucent colony morphology in response to nutrient starvation. We have investigated differences between the rugose and translucent forms of V. cholerae O1 strain TSI-4. Electron microscopic examination of the rugose form of TSI-4 (TSI-4/R) revealed thick, electron-dense exopolysaccharide materials surrounding polycationic ferritin-stained cells, while the ferritin-stained material was absent around the translucent form of TSI-4 (TSI-4/T). The exopolysaccharide produced by V. cholerae TSI-4/R was found to have a composition of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, d-mannose, 6-deoxy-d-galactose, and d-galactose (7.4:10.2:2.4:3.0). The expression of an amorphous exopolysaccharide promotes biofilm development under static culture conditions. Biofilm formation by the rugose strain was determined by scanning electron microscopy, and most of the surface of the film was colonized by actively dividing rod cells. The corresponding rugose and translucent strains were compared for stress resistance. By having exopolysaccharide materials, the rugose strains acquired resistance to osmotic and oxidative stress. Our data indicated that an exopolysaccharide material on the surface of the rugose strain promoted biofilm formation and resistance to the effects of two stressing agents.
TL;DR: Upon expression in Escherichia coli, some of these evolved genes exhibited enhanced degradation capacity, not only for PCB and related biphenyl compounds, but for single aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene and toluene, which are poor substrates for the original BP Dox.
Abstract: Biphenyl dioxygenases (BP Dox) from different organisms, which are involved in the initial oxygenation and subsequent degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), are similar in structure but have different functions. The large subunit of BP Dox, encoded by the bphA1 gene, is crucial for substrate selectivity. Using the process of DNA shuffling, we randomly recombined the bphA1 genes of Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707 and Burkholderia cepacia LB400 and selected for genes that expressed proteins with altered function. Upon expression in Escherichia coli, some of these evolved genes exhibited enhanced degradation capacity, not only for PCB and related biphenyl compounds, but for single aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene and toluene, which are poor substrates for the original BP Dox.
TL;DR: In this article, the design of unsymmetrical macrocycles whose two metal-binding sites, sharing two phenolic oxygens, are dissimilar with respect to the cavity size, coordination number, or the nature of donor atom is discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the shearing associated with equal-channel angular (ECA) pressing was examined using optical microscopy and it was demonstrated that there is good agreement between the experimental results and the predictions of the models.
Abstract: The shearing associated with equal-channel angular (ECA) pressing was examined using optical microscopy. Samples of pure Al with a large grain size were subjected to ECA pressing to different strains and then examined on three orthogonal planes. Samples were pressed without any rotation or with rotations of either 90 or 180 deg between each consecutive pressing. The experimental observations are compared with models which predict the shearing characteristics associated with ECA pressing under different conditions. It is demonstrated that there is good agreement, in terms of both the grain elongation and the shearing within individual grains, between the experimental results and the predictions of the models.