Showing papers by "Mitsubishi published in 2005"

Constructing free-energy approximations and generalized belief propagation algorithms

Abstract: Important inference problems in statistical physics, computer vision, error-correcting coding theory, and artificial intelligence can all be reformulated as the computation of marginal probabilities on factor graphs. The belief propagation (BP) algorithm is an efficient way to solve these problems that is exact when the factor graph is a tree, but only approximate when the factor graph has cycles. We show that BP fixed points correspond to the stationary points of the Bethe approximation of the free energy for a factor graph. We explain how to obtain region-based free energy approximations that improve the Bethe approximation, and corresponding generalized belief propagation (GBP) algorithms. We emphasize the conditions a free energy approximation must satisfy in order to be a "valid" or "maxent-normal" approximation. We describe the relationship between four different methods that can be used to generate valid approximations: the "Bethe method", the "junction graph method", the "cluster variation method", and the "region graph method". Finally, we explain how to tell whether a region-based approximation, and its corresponding GBP algorithm, is likely to be accurate, and describe empirical results showing that GBP can significantly outperform BP.

Ensemble tracking

Abstract: We consider tracking as a binary classification problem, where an ensemble of weak classifiers is trained online to distinguish between the object and the background. The ensemble of weak classifiers is combined into a strong classifier using AdaBoost. The strong classifier is then used to label pixels in the next frame as either belonging to the object or the background, giving a confidence map. The peak of the map, and hence the new position of the object, is found using mean shift. Temporal coherence is maintained by updating the ensemble with new weak classifiers that are trained online during tracking. We show a realization of this method and demonstrate it on several video sequences.

Integral histogram: a fast way to extract histograms in Cartesian spaces

Abstract: We present a novel method, which we refer as an integral histogram, to compute the histograms of all possible target regions in a Cartesian data space. Our method has three distinct advantages: 1) It is computationally superior to the conventional approach. The integral histogram method makes it possible to employ even an exhaustive search process in real-time, which was impractical before. 2) It can be extended to higher data dimensions, uniform and nonuniform bin formations, and multiple target scales without sacrificing its computational advantages. 3) It enables the description of higher level histogram features. We exploit the spatial arrangement of data points, and recursively propagate an aggregated histogram by starting from the origin and traversing through the remaining points along either a scan-line or a wave-front. At each step, we update a single bin using the values of integral histogram at the previously visited neighboring data points. After the integral histogram is propagated, histogram of any target region can be computed easily by using simple arithmetic operations.

Ultrawideband propagation channels-theory, measurement, and modeling

Abstract: This paper presents an overview of ultrawideband (UWB) propagation channels. It first demonstrates how the frequency selectivity of propagation processes causes fundamental differences between UWB channels and "conventional" (narrowband) channels. The concept of pathloss has to be modified, and the well-known WSSUS model is not applicable anymore. The paper also describes deterministic and stochastic models for UWB channels, identifies the key parameters for the description of delay dispersion, attenuation, and directional characterization, and surveys the typical parameter values that have been measured. Measurement techniques and methods for extracting model parameters are also different in UWB channels; for example, the concepts of narrowband channel parameter estimation (e.g., maximum-likelihood estimation) have to be modified. Finally, channel models also have an important impact on the performance evaluation of various UWB systems.

Organic Dye for Highly Efficient Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract: Dye sensitized solar cells are an interesting low cost alter native to conventional solar cells. Efficiencies over 10 % have been achieved. [1,2] Advantageous is the replacement of the liquid electrolyte in these devices with a solid charge carrier material to avoid any sealing and long term stability prob lems. In 1998 Bach et al. [3] demonstrated that the electrolyte can be replaced by a hole conductor. Here we report a very efficient solid state solar cell with the amorphous organic hole transport material 2,2¢,7,7¢ tetrakis (N,N di p methoxyphenyl amine)9,9¢ spirobifluorene (spiro OMeTAD) as hole conduc tor and for the first time an organic metal free indoline dye as sensitizer. Record efficiencies for this type of cell of over 4 % over the solar spectrum were reached. Until now, sensitization using organic dyes has not been as efficient as using ruthenium dyes, which have been success fully applied previously. Metal free dyes such as perylene de rivatives, [4] coumarin dyes, [5] porphyrin dyes, [6] and cyanine and merocyanine dyes [7] have been used as sensitizers, but did not achieve the same solar conversion efficiency as ruthenium dyes. The efficiencies achieved in this work with the indoline dye (D102) are even higher than the highest currently report ed values for ruthenium dye sensitized solid state cells. In ad dition, this dye has the advantage that it can be produced at low cost, because it does not contain the expensive rare metal ruthenium and it is easy to synthesize. Up to now the best results reported with spiro OMeTAD as a hole conductor are efficiencies of 3.2 %. [8] In that work the dye uptake and open circuit voltage were optimized by a sil ver complexation. In the case of the indoline dye we were able to reach an efficiency of just over 4 % without further optimi zation. This shows the extremely high potential of the indoline dye as a sensitizer in solid state dye sensitized solar cells. In doline dyes have previously been used in dye sensitized solar cells with a liquid electrolyte. [9,10] There also they showed a good performance of up to g = 6.1 % conversion efficiency compared to 6.3 % for a N3 dye sensitized cell. [9] Solid state devices usually have a lower performance, which is not the case here with an extraordinary efficiency of 4 %, which ap proaches that of their liquid …

Digital Video Transcoding

Abstract: Video transcoding, due to its high practical values for a wide range of networked video applications, has become an active research topic. We outline the technical issues and research results related to video transcoding. We also discuss techniques for reducing the complexity, and techniques for improving the video quality, by exploiting the information extracted from the input video bit stream.

Threshold-based TOA estimation for impulse radio UWB systems

Abstract: Highly dispersive nature of ultra-wideband (UWB) channels makes time of arrival (TOA) estimation extremely challenging, where the leading-edge path is not necessarily the strongest path Since the bandwidth of a received UWB signal is very large, the Nyquist rate sampling becomes impractical, hence motivating lower complexity and yet accurate ranging techniques at feasible sampling rates In this paper, we consider TOA estimation based on symbol rate samples that are obtained after a square-law device A normalized threshold selection approach based on the minimum and maximum values of the energy samples is introduced, and optimal values of the thresholds for different signal to noise ratios (SNRs) are investigated via simulations Also, the effect of window size when searching the leading edge prior to maximum energy block is analyzed Theoretical closed form expressions are derived for mean absolute TOA estimation error for a fixed threshold case Performances of different algorithms are then compared via simulations using IEEE 802154a channel models and by choosing appropriate normalized threshold and search-back window parameters

FTY720, sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator, ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by inhibition of T cell infiltration.

Abstract: FTY720, a sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator, induces a marked decrease in the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes and exerts immunomodulating activity in various experimental allograft and autoimmune disease models. In this study, we evaluated the effect of FTY720 and its active metabolite, (S)-enantiomer of FTY720-phosphate [(S)-FTY720-P] on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in rats and mice. Prophylactic administration of FTY720 at 0.1 to 1 mg/kg almost completely prevented the development of EAE, and therapeutic treatment with FTY720 significantly inhibited the progression of EAE and EAE-associated histological change in the spinal cords of LEW rats induced by immunization with myelin basic protein. Consistent with rat EAE, the development of proteolipid protein-induced EAE in SJL/J mice was almost completely prevented and infiltration of CD4(+) T cells into spinal cord was decreased by prophylactic treatment with FTY720 and (S)-FTY720-P. When FTY720 or (S)-FTY720-P was given after establishment of EAE in SJL/J mice, the relapse of EAE was markedly inhibited as compared with interferon-beta, and the area of demyelination and the infiltration of CD4(+) T cells were decreased in spinal cords of EAE mice. Similar therapeutic effect by FTY720 was obtained in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced EAE in C57BL/6 mice. These results indicate that FTY720 exhibits not only a prophylactic but also a therapeutic effect on EAE in rats and mice, and that the effect of FTY720 on EAE appears to be due to a reduction of the infiltration of myelin antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells into the inflammation site.

Audio analysis for surveillance applications

Abstract: We proposed a time series analysis based approach for systematic choice of audio classes for detection of crimes in elevators in R Radhakrishnan et al (2005) Since all the different sounds in a surveillance environment cannot be anticipated, a surveillance system for event detection cannot completely rely on a supervised audio classification framework In this paper, we propose a hybrid solution that consists two parts; one that performs unsupervised audio analysis and another that performs analysis using an audio classification framework obtained from off-line analysis and training The proposed system is capable of detecting new kinds of suspicious audio events that occur as outliers against a background of usual activity It adaptively learns a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) to model the background sounds and updates the model incrementally as new audio data arrives New types of suspicious events can be detected as deviants from this usual background model The results on elevator audio data are promising

Heat treatment jig for silicon semiconductor substrate

Abstract: A heat treatment jig for supporting silicon semiconductor substrates by contacting, being loaded onto a heat treatment boat in a vertical heat treatment furnace, comprises; the configuration of a ring or a disc structure with the wall thickness between 1.5 and 6.0 mm; the deflection displacement of 100 μm or less at contact region in loaded condition; the outer diameter which is 65% or more of the diameter of said substrate; and the surface roughness (Ra) of between 1.0 and 100 μm at the contact region. The use of said jig enables to effectively retard the slip generation and to avoid the growth hindrance of thermally oxidized film at the back surface of said substrate, diminishing the surface steps causing the defocus in photolithography step in device fabrication process, thereby enabling to maintain high quality of silicon semiconductor substrates and to substantially enhance the device yield.

Combining two genomes in one cell: stable cloning of the Synechocystis PCC6803 genome in the Bacillus subtilis 168 genome.

Abstract: Cloning the whole 3.5-megabase (Mb) genome of the photosynthetic bacterium Synechocystis PCC6803 into the 4.2-Mb genome of the mesophilic bacterium Bacillus subtilis 168 resulted in a 7.7-Mb composite genome. We succeeded in such unprecedented large-size cloning by progressively assembling and editing contiguous DNA regions that cover the entire Synechocystis genome. The strain containing the two sets of genome grew only in the B. subtilis culture medium where all of the cloning procedures were carried out. The high structural stability of the cloned Synechocystis genome was closely associated with the symmetry of the bacterial genome structure of the DNA replication origin (oriC) and its termination (terC) and the exclusivity of Synechocystis ribosomal RNA operon genes (rrnA and rrnB). Given the significant diversity in genome structure observed upon horizontal DNA transfer in nature, our stable laboratory-generated composite genome raised fundamental questions concerning two complete genomes in one cell. Our megasize DNA cloning method, designated megacloning, may be generally applicable to other genomes or genome loci of free-living organisms.

Pax6 is required for production and maintenance of progenitor cells in postnatal hippocampal neurogenesis.

Abstract: Neurogenesis is crucial for brain formation and continues to take place in certain regions of the postnatal brain including the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). Pax6 transcription factor is a key player for patterning the brain and promoting embryonic neurogenesis, and is also expressed in the SGZ. In the DG of wild-type rats, more than 90% of total BrdU-incorporated cells expressed Pax6 at 30 min time point after BrdU injection. Moreover, approximately 60% of Pax6+ cells in the SGZ exhibited as GFAP+ cells with a radial glial phenotype and about 30% of Pax6+ cells exhibited as PSA-NCAM+ cells in clusters. From BrdU labeling for 3 days, we found that cell proliferation was 30% decreased at postnatal stages in Pax6-deficient rSey2/+ rat. BrdU pulse/chase experiments combined with marker staining revealed that PSA-NCAM+ late progenitor cells increased at the expense of GFAP+ early progenitors in rSey2/+ rat. Furthermore, expression of Wnt ligands in the SGZ was markedly reduced in rSey2/+ rat. Taken all together, an appropriate dosage of Pax6 is essential for production and maintenance of the GFAP+ early progenitor cells in the postnatal hippocampal neurogenesis.

Guidelines for the use of biochemical markers of bone turnover in osteoporosis (2004).

Abstract: A definition of osteoporosis was agreed upon at the 1993 consensus conference held in Hong Kong. It states that osteoporosis is “characterized by low bone mass and the microarchitectural deterioration of bony tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture.” This definition had been internationally used without revision until recently, when the definition was significantly changed at a National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus conference in 2000 [1]. According to the consensus statement, osteoporosis is defined as “a skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength predisposing a person to an increased risk of fracture.” Bone strength is determined by integrating bone mineral density (BMD) and bone quality. BMD is expressed as grams of mineral per area or volume, and, currently, BMD is defined by the individual peak bone density and the resorption rate from the peak. Bone quality is determined by characteristics of the bone matrix, such as microarchitecture, bone turnover, microdamage accumulation, the degree of calcification, and collagen [2,3]. Currently, it is thought that bone quality may not be clinically assessed by measures other than the determination of bone metabolism with biochemical markers of bone turnover. The change in definition may be the result of more recent findings [4], one that demonstrates bone fractures routinely occur despite patients having modest BMD levels, and another that has shown no significant reduction in the risk of a fracture occurring in patients taking one of the two standard medications, one that significantly increases BMD and the other that moderately increases it.

A direct method for 3D factorization of nonrigid motion observed in 2D

Abstract: The nonrigid structure-from-motion (NSFM) problem seeks to recover a sequence of 3D shapes, shape articulation parameters, and camera view matrices from 2D correspondence data. Factorization approaches relate the principal subspaces of the data matrix to the desired parameters through a linear corrective transform. Current methods for finding this transform are heuristic or depend on strong assumptions about the data. We show how to solve for this transform by directly minimizing deviation from the required orthogonal structure of the projection/articulation matrix. The solution is exact for noiseless data and an order of magnitude more accurate than state-of-the-art methods for noisy data.

Mutation at Cleavage Site of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Receptor in a Short-Stature Child Born with Intrauterine Growth Retardation

Abstract: Context: Mouse knockout models have clearly demonstrated the critical importance of IGF-I and IGF receptor type 1 (IGF-IR) for embryonic growth as well as postnatal growth. Objective: We hypothesized that mutations of IGF-IR gene might predispose to short stature in children born with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Patients: Twenty-four children with unexplained IUGR (birth weight < −1.5 sd) and short stature (<−2.0 sd) were screened for abnormalities of the IGF-IR gene. Methods: Direct DNA sequencing was used to identify IGF-IR gene mutations. Unprocessed IGF-IR proreceptor in fibroblasts was detected by immunoblot analysis. Functions of mutated IGF-IR in fibroblasts were evaluated by IGF-I binding, and IGF-I-stimulated DNA synthesis and β-subunit autophosphorylation. Results: We found the following results: 1) a heterozygous mutation (R709Q) changing the cleavage site from Arg-Lys-Arg-Arg to Arg-Lys-Gln-Arg was identified in a 6-yr-old Japanese girl (case 1) and her mother who also had IUGR wit...

Arx homeobox gene is essential for development of mouse olfactory system.

Abstract: The olfactory system provides an excellent model in which to study cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, axon guidance, dendritic morphogenesis, and synapse formation. We report here crucial roles of the Arx homeobox gene in the developing olfactory system by analyzing its mutant phenotypes. Arx protein was expressed strongly in the interneurons and weakly in the radial glia of the olfactory bulb, but in neither the olfactory sensory neurons nor bulbar projection neurons. Arx-deficient mice showed severe anatomical abnormalities in the developing olfactory system: (1) size reduction of the olfactory bulb, (2) reduced proliferation and impaired entry into the olfactory bulb of interneuron progenitors, (3) loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive periglomerular cells, (4) disorganization of the layer structure of the olfactory bulb, and (5) abnormal axonal termination of olfactory sensory neurons in an unusual axon-tangled structure, the fibrocellular mass. Thus, Arx is required for not only the proper developmental processes of Arx-expressing interneurons, but also the establishment of functional olfactory neural circuitry by affecting Arx-non-expressing sensory neurons and projection neurons. These findings suggest a likely role of Arx in regulating the expression of putative instructive signals produced in the olfactory bulb for the proper innervation of olfactory sensory axons.

Surface light source device

Abstract: A primary object of the present invention is to provide a surface light source device attaining a homogenous luminance distribution on a light emitting surface of a light guiding plate in which a dot light source having a high directivity of emitted light is employed The device includes: a light guiding plate 5 including a plurality of primary holes in such a manner as to locate each dot light source 3 inside; and dot printing 7 a being employed as an auxiliary light source means which diffuses light from the dot light source 3 to the position between dot light sources 3 being adjacent to each other, wherein the dot printing 7 is provided at a base of the light guiding plate 5 and a middle point of the connected dot light sources 3 being adjacent to each other

Exhaust emission control device of internal combustion engine

Abstract: An exhaust emission control device of an internal combustion engine, wherein an exhaust emission control valve (24) disposed in an exhaust pipe (22) of the internal combustion engine is approximately fully closed at the time of start and during the warming-up of the engine, the injection amount of a main fuel is increased over an optimum injection amount for fully opened exhaust emission control valve, and an auxiliary fuel is additionally injected during an expansion stroke, whereby unburned HC exhausted into the atmosphere at the start and during the warming-up of the engine is reduced remarkably.

Charged-particle beam accelerator, particle beam radiation therapy system using the charged-particle beam accelerator, and method of operating the particle beam radiation therapy system

Abstract: A charged-particle beam accelerator includes an RF-KO unit for increasing the amplitude of betatron oscillation of a charged-particle beam within a stable region of resonance and an extraction quadrupole electromagnet unit for varying the stable region of resonance. The RF-KO unit is operated within a frequency range in which the circulating beam does not go beyond a boundary of the stable region of resonance, and the extraction quadrupole electromagnet unit is operated with appropriate timing as required for beam extraction so that the charged-particle beam is extracted with desired timing.

Particle beam therapeutic apparatus

Abstract: A particle beam therapeutic apparatus can ensure the uniformity of dose distribution by overlapping the desired loci of the irradiation of a particle beam a reduced number of times. A flow of a particle beam transported so as to be irradiated to a diseased part is caused to deflect in two mutually orthogonal directions perpendicular to the direction of travel of the particle beam. The irradiation position of the particle beam is scanned, upon each period, in a manner to return to a position of irradiation located at the start of the period, whereby a plurality of loci drawn within one period are overlapped with one another thereby to irradiate a desired planned dose to the diseased part. The particle beam can be interrupted only at the end of the period.

Distinct functional units of the Golgi complex in Drosophila cells

Abstract: A striking variety of glycosylation occur in the Golgi complex in a protein-specific manner, but how this diversity and specificity are achieved remains unclear. Here we show that stacked fragments (units) of the Golgi complex dispersed in Drosophila imaginal disk cells are functionally diverse. The UDP-sugar transporter FRINGE-CONNECTION (FRC) is localized to a subset of the Golgi units distinct from those harboring SULFATELESS (SFL), which modifies glucosaminoglycans (GAGs), and from those harboring the protease RHOMBOID (RHO), which processes the glycoprotein SPITZ (SPI). Whereas the glycosylation and function of NOTCH are affected in imaginal disks of frc mutants, those of SPI and of GAG core proteins are not, even though FRC transports a broad range of glycosylation substrates, suggesting that Golgi units containing FRC and those containing SFL or RHO are functionally separable. Distinct Golgi units containing FRC and RHO in embryos could also be separated biochemically by immunoisolation techniques. We also show that Tn-antigen glycan is localized only in a subset of the Golgi units distributed basally in a polarized cell. We propose that the different localizations among distinct Golgi units of molecules involved in glycosylation underlie the diversity of glycan modification.

p97/p47-Mediated biogenesis of Golgi and ER.

Abstract: In mammalian cells, the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum have typical structures during interphase: stacked cisternae located adjacent to the nucleus and a network of interconnected tubules throughout the cytoplasm, respectively At mitosis their architectures disappear and are reassembled in daughter cells p97, an AAA-ATPase, mediates membrane fusion and is required for reassembly of these organelles In the p97-mediated membrane fusion, p47 was identified as an essential cofactor, through which p97 binds to a SNARE, syntaxin5 A second essential cofactor, VCIP135, was identified as a p97/p47/syntaxin5-interacting protein Several lines of recent evidence suggest that ubiquitination may be implicated in the p97/p47 pathway; p47 binds to monoubiquitinated proteins and VCIP135 shows a deubiquitinating activity in vitro For the cell-cycle regulation of the p97/p47 pathway, it has been reported that the localization and phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of p47 are crucial In this review, we describe the components involved in the p97-mediated membrane fusion and discuss the regulation of the fusion pathway

Cause of sudden, unexpected death of Prader-Willi syndrome patients with or without growth hormone treatment.

Abstract: Patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are recognized to have a tendency of sudden, unexpected death (SED), but its exact cause is unknown because of paucity of such case reports. Since growth hormone (GH) treatment was applied to PWS patients worldwide, several cases of death have been reported. However, whether the therapy is directly related to their SED remains unknown, too. We collected 13 deceased PWS patients (Group A, aged 9 months to 34 years) who had never received GH therapy, and seven deceased patients (Group B, all boys aged 0.7-15 years) having received the therapy from the registration in PWS-patient-support associations and from the literature, respectively. We then compared the cause of SED between the two groups. Irrespective of GH therapy, SED of infants under age 1 year was associated with milk aspiration or hypothalamic dysregulation of respiration, while SED of patients in early childhood or adolescence occurred at sleeping in association with preceding viral infections. In contrast, SED of four adult (>20 years of age) patients who never received GH therapy was associated with complications, such as leg cellulites and pulmonary embolism, secondary to massive obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM). Two Group-B patients (aged 14 and 20 years) without any obesity-related or diabetes-related complications died of drowning in a bath tub, and their drowning death could be related to poor respiratory control. These findings indicated that the cause of SED is not essentially different between PWS patients with and without GH treatment. Deceased PWS patients may have had underlying respiratory dysregulation and hypothalamic dysfunction, and GH therapy might have led to certain obstructive respiratory disturbances that exacerbated the respiratory conditions. This will call clinicians' attention when using GH in PWS patients, for example, careful determination of the dose of GH and careful monitoring of patient's respiratory conditions, especially in male obese patients with respiratory problems.

Membrane Fixation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 1 Ligand-Binding Domain Is Important for Vasculogenesis and Angiogenesis in Mice

Abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) regulates vasculogenesis and angiogenesis by using two tyrosine kinase receptors, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 VEGFR1 null mutant mice die on embryonic day 85 (E85) to E90 due to an overgrowth of endothelial cells and vascular disorganization, suggesting that VEGFR1 plays a negative role in angiogenesis We previously showed that the tyrosine kinase (TK) domain of VEGFR1 is dispensable for embryogenesis, since VEGFR1 TK-deficient mice survived and were basically healthy However, the molecular basis for this is not yet clearly understood To test the hypothesis that the specific role of VEGFR1 during early embryogenesis is to recruit its ligand to the cell membrane, we deleted the transmembrane (TM) domain in TK-deficient VEGFR1 mice Surprisingly, about half of the VEGFR1(TM-TK)-deficient mice succumbed to embryonic lethality due to a poor development of blood vessels, whereas other mice were healthy In VEGFR1(TM-TK)(-/-) mice with growth arrest, membrane-targeted VEGF was reduced, resulting in the suppression of VEGFR2 phosphorylation Furthermore, the embryonic lethality in VEGFR1(TM-TK)(-/-) mice was significantly increased to 80 to 90% when the genotype of VEGFR2 was changed from homozygous (+/+) to heterozygous (+/-) in 129/C57BL6 mice These results strongly suggest that the membrane-fixed ligand-binding region of VEGFR1 traps VEGF for the appropriate regulation of VEGF signaling in vascular endothelial cells during early embryogenesis

Combustor and combustion method for combustor

Abstract: A combustor and a combustion method for the combustor, which can suppress backfire and ensure stable combustion. The combustor comprises a mixing-chamber forming member for forming therein a mixing chamber in which air for combustion and fuel are mixed with each other, and a combustion chamber for burning a gas mixture mixed in the mixing chamber and producing combustion gases. A channel for supplying the air for combustion to the mixing chamber from the outer peripheral side of the mixing-chamber forming member is provided inside the mixing-chamber forming member. The fuel and the air are premixed in the channel, and a resulting premixed gas mixture is supplied to the mixing chamber.

Hepatocyte Growth Factor Activator Inhibitor Type 1 (HAI-1) Is Required for Branching Morphogenesis in the Chorioallantoic Placenta

Abstract: Hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 1 (HAI-1) is a membrane-associated Kunitz-type serine proteinase inhibitor that was initially identified as a potent inhibitor of hepatocyte growth factor activator. HAI-1 is also a cognate inhibitor of matriptase, a membrane-associated serine proteinase. HAI-1 is expressed predominantly in epithelial cells in the human body. Its mRNA is also abundant in human placenta, with HAI-1 specifically expressed by villous cytotrophoblasts. In order to address the precise roles of HAI-1 in vivo, we generated HAI-1 mutant mice by homozygous recombination. Heterozygous HAI-1+/− mice underwent normal organ development. However, homozygous HAI-1−/− mice experienced embryonic lethality which became evident at embryonic day 10.5 postcoitum (E10.5). As early as E9.5, HAI-1−/− embryos showed growth retardation that did not reflect impaired cell proliferation but resulted instead from failed placental development and function. Histological analysis revealed severely impaired formation of the labyrinth layer, in contrast all other placental layers, such as the spongiotrophoblast layer and giant cell layer, which were formed. Our results indicate that mouse HAI-1 is essential for branching morphogenesis in the chorioallantoic placenta and lack of HAI-1 function may result in placental failure.