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We propose a novel technique for 3D tracking that integrates a single camera and ultrasound. We use ultrasound with the Extended Phase Accordance Method to measure the distance accurately to a moving target and the camera for identifying the 2D position of the target on the image plane. A prototype system consists of a target unit mounting one ultrasound transmitter and three infrared LEDs surrounding it, and a receiver unit with one inexpensive camera and one ultrasound receiver. We implemented these units in a lightweight and compact way (receiver unit size: 55 mm × 44 mm) to make the system robust to non-line-of-sight problems that frequently occur in trilateration or multicamera-based systems. To improve the ranging performance, we applied phase characteristic compensation of the ultrasound transducers by interpolating with a B-spline function and creating a compensated curved surface. Experimental results show that root-mean-square errors of the proposed system are 1.20 mm and 1.66 mm for static and mobile (target velocity: 1.0 m/s) settings, respectively. Thus, the performance of the system is comparable with that of high-end systems. Limitations of the proposed system and its possible applications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A curve skeleton is used to represent a 3D object in many different applications. It is a 1D curve that captures topology of the 3D object. The proposed method extracts a curve skeleton from the vector field inside the 3D object. A vector at each voxel of the 3D object is calculated using a pseudonormal vector. By using such a calculation, the computation time is significantly reduced compared with using a typical potential field. A curve skeleton is then extracted from the pseudonormal vector field by using a skeleton-growing algorithm. The proposed algorithm uses high-curvature boundary voxels to search for a set of critical points and skeleton branches near high-curvature areas. The set of detected critical points is then used to grow a curve skeleton in the next step. All parameters of our algorithms are calculated from the 3D object itself, without user intervention. The effectiveness of our method is demonstrated in our experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Eldecalcitol (ELD), a 2β-hydroxypropyloxy derivative of 1α,25 (OH) 2D3, inhibits bone resorption more potently than alfacalcidol (ALF) while maintaining osteoblastic function in an ovariectomized (OVX) osteoporosis rat model. Alendronate (ALN), which is the most common bisphosphonate used for the treatment of osteoporosis, increases the bone mineral density (BMD) by suppressing bone resorption. In this study, we investigated the effects of combination treatments with ELD and ALN or with ALF and ALN on bone mass and strength in OVX rats. Seventy female rats, 32weeks old, were assigned to seven groups: (1) a sham-operated control group; (2) an OVX-control group; (3) an ELD group; (4) an ALF group; (5) an ALN group; (6) an ELD+ALN group; and (7) an ALF+ALN group. OVX rats were orally treated with ELD (0.015μg/kg), ALF (0.0375μg/kg), or ALN (0.2mg/kg) daily for 12weeks. In both the lumbar spine and the femur, ELD and ALF monotherapy significantly increased the BMD, and ELD+ALN and ALF+ALN significantly increased the BMD, compared with ALN monotherapy, as an additive effect. In particular, ELD+ALN resulted in a significantly higher BMD than ALF+ALN in the femur. On mechanical testing of the lumbar spine, ELD and ALF monotherapy significantly increased the ultimate load, and ELD+ALN and ALF+ALN significantly increased the ultimate load compared with ALN monotherapy. In the femur, ELD, ELD+ALN, and ALF+ALN treatment significantly increased the ultimate load, compared with the OVX-control group, and ELD+ALN resulted in a significantly higher ultimate load than ALN monotherapy. A histomorphometric analysis showed that ELD monotherapy and ELD+ALN combination therapy had a potent inhibitory effect on bone resorption parameters (osteoclast surface and eroded surface), while maintaining bone formation parameters (osteoblast surface and osteoid surface). By contrast, ALF and ALF+ALN significantly lowered the histological parameters of both bone resorption and formation. These results suggested that ELD or ALF used in combination with ALN has therapeutic advantages over ALN monotherapy, with ELD+ALN combination treatment producing an especially beneficial anti-osteoporotic effect by inhibiting osteoclastic bone resorption and maintaining osteoblastic function, compared with ALF+ALN combination treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT Rigging is a process for creating skeletons used to animate articulated characters. In conventional computer-animation software, this process must be performed manually. Although several automatic rigging algorithms have been proposed, these methods still require user intervention. This paper proposes an automatic algorithm that generates an inverse kinematic skeleton for a character by locating an appropriate template skeleton on the extracted curve skeleton of the input 3D character model. After the curve skeleton is extracted, it is analyzed and classified into an appropriate category. The classification conditions are developed from the characteristics of each kind of real animal. We also develop an algorithm to extract the anatomical meaning of each skeleton segment. On the basis of the classification result, a suitable template skeleton is retrieved from the database. Each bone of the template skeleton can then be located on the appropriate skeleton segment of the input skeleton graph by using the extracted anatomical meanings. In contrast to previous methods, the algorithm does not require the input 3D character models to have certain poses or orientations. Moreover, all processes can be completed without user intervention. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design, development, and testing of a tabletop interface called RoboTable, which is an infrastructure supporting intuitive interaction with both mobile robots and virtual components in a mixed-reality environment. With a flexible software toolkit and specifically developed robots, the platform enables various modes of interaction with mobile robots. Using this platform, prototype applications are developed for two different application domains: RoboPong investigates the efficiency of the RoboTable system in game applications, and ExploreRobot explores the possibility of using robots and intuitive interaction to enhance learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe an intelligent location-aware city guide system, which adapts to each user’s preferences, and uses an intuitive “metal detector” interface for navigation. Our system analyzes each user’s past location data history to estimate individual preferences, and allows users to find shops that match their tastes in the same way a metal detector would be used to detect metal objects. The procedure with which the system picks out shops that match each user’s preferences includes a newly developed place learning algorithm, which can efficiently find frequented places, complete with their proper names (e.g. “The Ueno Royal Museum”). We have conducted a series of evaluation tests at a popular shopping district inside Tokyo, and the results validate the effectiveness of our overall approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: TS-022 is a prostanoid DP1 receptor agonist, originally developed as a novel anti-pruritic drug for atopic dermatitis. The drug has been shown to suppress scratching and improve the skin inflammation in the NC/Nga (NC) mouse, a model of atopic dermatitis. Corticosteroids are commonly used as effective agents for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. We examined the anti-pruritic efficacy of TS-022 in NC mice cohabited with skin-lesioned NC mice, which showed spontaneous scratching without skin lesions in the early phase and chronic itching with severe dermatitis in the late phase, in comparison with that of dexamethasone. We have previously reported that prostaglandin D2 might have a physiological role in the inhibition of pruritus. While after 2 weeks of cohabitation with skin-lesioned NC mice (early phase of dermatitis, characterized by the appearance of spontaneous scratching), topically applied TS-022 exhibited a weak anti-pruritic effect in the NC mice, after 6 weeks of cohabitation (late phase, characterized by both chronic scratching and dermatitis), the drug exerted potent anti-pruritic activity. In contrast, dexamethasone exerted potent anti-pruritic effect in both the early and late phases. Indomethacin aggravated the scratching in the early phase, but had no effect in the late phase. The skin prostaglandin D2 level was significantly increased in the early phase, to subsequently declined and return to the basal level in the late phase. The cutaneous ability for prostaglandin D2 production following topical application of arachidonic acid or mechanical scratching was decreased in the late phase. Moreover, the expression level of the prostanoid DP1 receptor in the skin was increased in the late phase. These findings suggest that the potent anti-pruritic activity of TS-022 in the late phase might be attributable to the decrease of endogenous prostaglandin D2 production and increase of prostanoid DP1 receptor expression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

NC/Nga mice are known to develop scratching dermatitis akin to atopic dermatitis, under conventional (Conv), but not under the specific-pathogen-free (SPF) condition. In this study, we examined the effects of mechanical-scratching on the spontaneous scratching counts (sign of itching), in relation to the cutaneous prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) levels in NC/Nga or BALB/c mice. Mechanical-scratching increased the cutaneous barrier damage and PGD2 levels in both strain mice under the SPF condition. By 4 weeks of cohabitation with the skin-lesioned NC/Nga mice, both the increase in the spontaneous scratching and development of dermatitis score were higher in the Conv-NC/Nga than in the Conv-BALB/c mice. At this time-point, the cutaneous PGD2 level induced by mechanical-scratching was significantly lower in the Conv-NC/Nga when compared with that in the SPF-NC/Nga mice, and that in the Conv-BALB/c was almost equal to that in the SPF-BALB/c mice. With mechanical scratches, the cohabitation-induced scratching was suppressed in the Conv-BALB/c, but not in the Conv-NC/Nga mice. These results suggest that the scratch-induced cutaneous PGD2 inhibits scratching and the subsequent development of dermatitis in BALB/c, while the impaired scratch-induced cutaneous PGD2 production in the NC/Nga mice resulted in no suppression of scratching, and aggravated the dermatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In atopic dermatitis, scratching of the skin as a reaction to itching causes injury to the skin, which, in turn, further increases the itching resulting in the establishment of the so-called itch–scratch circle. We have shown that prostaglandin (PG) D2 plays an inhibitory role against pruritus in mice with atopic-like dermatitis; therefore, we examined the relationship between scratching and the cutaneous PGD2 level using an artificial scratching model with a wire brush. Mechanical scratching induced a temporary increase of the skin PGs levels (PGE2, PGD2, 6-ketoPGF1 α , PGF2 α ). The skin PGD2 level and the ability of PGD2 production decreased at 48h after repeated scratch, compared to that of normal skin, not so after single scratch. Immunohistochemical analysis and Western blotting revealed a decrease in the levels of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and hematopoietic PGD synthase in mechanically scratched skin. The reduced ability of the skin for PGD2 production following mechanical scratching could be caused by this decrease in the expression levels of COX-1 and PGD2 synthase. The results suggest that repeated scratching in mice decreases the ability of the skin to produce PGD2, which is an endogenous mediator that inhibits pruritus, resulting in the establishment of the itch–scratch circle. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A letter to the editor is presented featuring "A System for Supporting Group Activities With a Sensor-Embedded Board," by Manasori Sugimoto, Fusako Kusunoki, and Hiromichi Hashizume received on October 1, 2003.

The article discusses the ultrasound application through the Internet and wireless communication with personal computer based on the survey conducted by the University of Tokyo in Japan. It states that ultrasonic communications as a form of sound and quite voice between rooms and sound level of short range of reachability and inherent slowness of radio waves and responses. Moreover, the ultrasonic communications or ultrasonic distance measure sender to transfer the timing of the node to make sonic measurement with high resolution and the global positioning system in automobile.

This paper describes a system called GENTORO that uses a robot and a handheld projector for supporting children's storytelling activities. GENTORO differs from many existing systems in that children can make a robot play their own story in a physical space augmented by mixed-reality technologies. Pilot studies have been conducted to clarify the design requirements of GENTORO from both technological and practical viewpoints. A user study indicates that GENTORO's ability to enable manipulation of a robot using a handheld projector in a physical space can enhance children's embodied participation in, and their level of engagement with, their storytelling activities, and can support children in designing and expressing creative and original stories. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Bisphosphonates are widely used in the treatment of osteoporosis and contribute to the reduction of bone fractures. Ibandronate (IBN) is a highly potent, nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate, which is administered orally or intravenously at extended dosing intervals. Vitamin D or active vitamin D 3 derivatives are also used in the treatment of osteoporosis, and are often used in combination with other drugs. In this study, we investigated the effect of treatment with the combination of once-monthly s.c. dosing of IBN plus once-daily oral eldecalcitol (ELD), an active vitamin D 3 derivative, using aged ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Treatment was started the day after OVX, and analyses were performed 4, 8, and 12 weeks thereafter by determination of bone markers, bone mineral density, biomechanical properties, and histomorphometry. The combination treatment showed a synergistic effect in increasing both lumbar and femoral BMD, and resulted in a significant increase in bone ultimate load. The combination of IBN plus ELD acted synergistically to reduce bone resorption, whereas bone formation did not decrease any more than with monotherapy with either IBN or ELD. Bone formation independent of bone resorption (a process known as ‘minimodeling’) was not changed in vehicle treated OVX rats despite the increase in bone turnover. ELD upregulated minimodeling, which was however not diminished in the combination treatment. In conclusion, treatment with the combination of IBN plus ELD was beneficial in the treatment of osteoporosis in aged OVX rats. It exhibited a synergistic inhibitory effect on bone resorption and keeps bone formation at the level of sham controls. This uncoupling of bone resorption/bone formation was affected, to some extent, by minimodeling-based bone formation which is independent of bone resorption. This combination regimen which showed synergistic effect on BMD and bone ultimate load without inhibition of bone formation may be beneficial in long-term osteoporosis treatment to prevent bone fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the SketchMap system, which integrates outdoor and classroom activities to support children's collaborative learning. Individual children create maps near their school in an outdoor environment using a SketchMap client. The maps are uploaded to the SketchMap web server for sharing among the children, who have created maps of different areas. Children can edit or add new information to the maps in their classroom or in their home. The goal of the SketchMap project is to investigate whether integrating outdoor and classroom activities, and sharing children's experiences through the maps can actually promote their collaborative learning and nurture learning communities including teachers and parents. The SketchMap system has been used in "Safety Map" and "Nature Exploration" classes in a Japanese elementary school. Evaluation of the SketchMap system is in progress, and issues found through the educational practices are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We can perceive pitch in whispered speech, although fundamental frequency ( F 0 ) does not exist physically or phonetically due to the lack of vocal-fold vibration. This study was carried out to determine how people generate such an unvoiced pitch. We conducted experiments in which speakers uttered five whispered Japanese vowels in accordance with the pitch of a guide pure tone. From the results, we derived a multiple regression function to convert the outputs of a mel-scaled filter bank of whispered speech into the perceived pitch value. Next, using this estimated pitch value as F 0 , we constructed a system for conversion of whispered speech to normal speech. Since the pitch varies with time according to the spectral shape, it was expected that the pitch accent would be kept by this conversion. Indeed, auditory experiments demonstrated that the correctly perceived rate of Japanese word accent was increased from 55.5% to 72.0% compared with that when a constant F 0 was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: TS-022, {4-[(1R, 2S, 3R, 5R)-5-Chloro-2-((S)-3-cyclohexyl-3-hydroxyprop-1-ynyl)-3-hydroxycyclopentyl] butylthio} acetic acid monohydrate, inhibits ADP-induced platelet aggregation, an effect significantly antagonized, as in the case of prostaglandin D2 by the prostanoid DP1 receptor antagonist (BW A868C). TS-022 is a prostanoid DP1 receptor agonist, originally developed as a novel anti-pruritic drug for patients with atopic dermatitis. We examined the effects of TS-022 on experimental pruritus, cutaneous barrier disruption, and atopic dermatitis and in in vitro immune function tests. Topically applied TS-022 significantly suppressed scratching in skin-lesioned NC/Nga mice from a concentration of 2.5 nM, and this scratch-suppressive activity was significantly antagonized by BW A868C. Tacrolimus (FK-506) and dexamethasone, used as reference drugs for atopic dermatitis, also exhibited suppressive effects against scratching, but only at concentrations of 125 and 25,000 μM. TS-022 applied topically, once a day for 2 days, significantly accelerated repair of the cutaneous barrier disruption caused by mechanical scratching, from concentrations of 2.5 nM. This acceleration of repair of the disrupted cutaneous barrier by this drug was also significantly antagonized by BW A868C. FK-506 and dexamethasone showed no beneficial effects on the repair of the disrupted cutaneous barrier. Repeated topical application of 2.5 μM of TS-022 and 12.5 μM of FK-506 once a day for 6 weeks significantly improved the skin inflammation scores in the NC/Nga mice. In regard to the effects of TS-022 in vitro, the inhibitory activity of TS-022 against concanavalin A-induced cytokine production by splenocytes was marginal as compared with that of FK-506 or dexamethasone. These results suggest that the beneficial therapeutic effects of TS-022 in NC/Nga mice with atopic dermatitis are mediated by its suppressive effect on scratching and its effect of accelerating repair of the disrupted cutaneous barrier, both effects being attributable to its prostanoid DP1 receptor agonistic activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The role of prostaglandins in mechanical scratching-induced cutaneous barrier disruption in mice was investigated. Skin prostaglandins contents were measured after cutaneous barrier function was disrupted by scratching using a stainless-steal wire brush (mechanical scratching), then effects of prostanoids on recovery of cutaneous barrier functions were examined. This mechanical scratching increased transepidermal water loss and skin prostaglandins (prostaglandin D2, prostaglandin E2, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α and prostaglandin F2α) contents, count-dependently. Topical application of indomethacin immediately after cutaneous barrier disruption delayed the recovery period of cutaneous barrier disruption. We examined effects of several prostanoids (prostaglandin D2, prostaglandin E2, prostaglandin F2α, prostaglandin I2 and U46619) on delay of the recovery process of mechanical scratching-induced cutaneous barrier disruption with treatment of indomethacin. Topically applied prostaglandin D2 and prostaglandin E2 accelerated the recovery of cutaneous barrier disruption and topical application of prostaglandin J2, limaprost, sulprostone and ONO-4819, but not 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin D2, 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2, 17-phenyl-trinor-prostaglandin E2 or butaprost had effects on recovery of the cutaneous barrier. These results suggest that prostaglandin D2 and prostaglandin E2 accelerate the recovery process of cutaneous barrier disruption caused by mechanical scratching, via specific prostanoid DP1, EP3 and EP4 receptors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: NC/Nga mice have similar pathological and behavioral features of human atopic dermatitis and are used as a model of the disease. Under conventional circumstances, spontaneous and persistent scratching is frequent and can lead to the onset of skin inflammation. We examined the effects of several prostanoids and their related compounds on the scratching behavior of NC/Nga mice. Among them, topically applied prostaglandin D2, prostaglandin E1, prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin I2 significantly suppressed the scratching, the order of inhibitory activities being prostaglandin D2≫prostaglandin I2>prostaglandin E1=prostaglandin E2. Prostaglandin D2 metabolite, prostaglandin J2 also significantly suppressed the scratching but not so 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin D2, and 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2. The order of the inhibitory activities of these prostaglandin D2 metabolites depended on affinity of the prostanoid DP1 receptor but not on the DP2 receptor (chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on T helper2 cells, CRTH2) and PPAR-γ receptors. Likewise, topically applied arachidonic acid significantly suppressed the scratching while indomethacin enhanced it. Pretreatment of arachidonic acid increased the skin prostaglandins (prostaglandin D2, prostaglandin E2, prostaglandin F2α and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α) contents, but indomethacin decreased the prostaglandin D2 and prostaglandin E2 contents. On the other hand, prostaglandin D2 and indomethacin had no apparent effects on histamine-induced scratching of ICR mice. These results suggested that prostaglandin D2 plays a physiological role in inhibiting pruritis of NC/Nga mice via their specific prostanoid DP1 receptors, and that prostaglandin D2 and/or a prostanoid DP1 receptor agonist may have therapeutic effects for cases of consecutive skin inflammation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Craniofrontonasal syndrome (CFNS) is a very rare genetic disorder, the common physical malformations of which include coronal synostosis, widely spaced eyes, clefting of the nasal tip, and various skeletal anomalies. Mutations of EFNB1, which encodes a member of the ephrin family of transmembrane ligands for Eph receptor tyrosine kinases, is the cause of CFNS. Although familial CFNS cases have been reported, no studies in the literature describe familial cases of CFNS expressing bilateral cleft lip and palate. Here, we describe a Japanese family with three cases of CFNS expressing bilateral cleft lip and palate.

Preclinical Research The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of multiple applications of S(+)-flurbiprofen plaster (SFPP), a novel Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) patch, for the alleviation of inflammatory pain and edema in rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) model as compared to other NSAID patches. The AIA model was induced by the injection of Mycobacterium butyricum and rats were treated with a patch (1.0 cm × 0.88 cm) containing each NSAID (SFP, ketoprofen, loxoprofen, diclofenac, felbinac, flurbiprofen, or indomethacin) applied to the paw for 6 h per day for 5 days. The pain threshold was evaluated using a flexion test of the ankle joint, and the inflamed paw edema was evaluated using a plethysmometer. cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 inhibition was evaluated using human recombinant proteins. Multiple applications of SFPP exerted a significant analgesic effect from the first day of application as compared to the other NSAID patches. In terms of paw edema, SFPP decreased edema from the second day after application, Multiple applications of SFPP were superior to those of other NSAID patches, in terms of the analgesic effect with multiple applications. These results suggest that SFPP may be a beneficial patch for providing analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects clinically. Drug Dev Res 77 : 206-211, 2016. © 2016 The Authors Drug Development Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 The Authors Drug Development Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)