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We show that electrical stimulation on the human tongue amplifies the taste sensation of carbonated beverages. We have developed a novel electric taste system with two components: a cup-shaped device and its circuit for stimulation. The cup-shaped device has a double-layer structure. The circuit has a constant current control circuit and a signal generator, which allow adjustment of the electrical parameters. The device is hygiene when we demonstrate electric taste because the device has two-layered. Thus we can change the inner layer that touches the user’s mouth. The device is also inexpensive and easy to manufacture so that many people can experience them.

X-ray phase imaging based on X-ray Talbot-Lau interferometry is an emerging nondestructive testing (NDT) method applicable to materials consisting of light elements such as organic and plastic materials. Aiming at future application to the examination of objects carried on conveyor systems, a scanner-type X-ray phase imaging apparatus is developed. Following the verification of the algorithm for phase-scanner image formation (S. Bachche et al., Sci. Rep., 2017), we report on a development with a desk-sized compact configuration and a 200-mm-wide field of view. Gratings used to construct an X-ray Talbot-Lau interferometer are bent and tiled. A scan speed of 9.2 mm/s with a spatial resolution of 0.29 mm is achieved in resultant images of absorption and scattering. Three scattering images are obtained for a carbon fiber reinforced plastic sample by changing its orientation against the gratings to visualize anisotropic fibrous structures.

In this paper, the effects of changing the current, frequency, and duty ratio of the electric stimulus on the amplification and taste change of a carbonated water by using electric taste are evaluated. As a result, some trends were found for the current and frequency, but no trend was found for the duty ratio.

A treatment for hyperphosphatemia would be expected to reduce mortality rates for CKD and dialysis patients. Although rodent studies have suggested sodium-dependent phosphate transporter type IIb (NaPi-IIb) as a potential target for hyperphosphatemia, NaPi-IIb selective inhibitors failed to achieve efficacy in human clinical trials. In this study, we analyzed phosphate metabolism in rats, dogs, and monkeys to confirm the species differences. Factors related to phosphate metabolism were measured and intestinal phosphate absorption rate was calculated from fecal excretion in each species. Phosphate uptake by intestinal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) and the mRNA expression of NaPi-IIb, PiT-1, and PiT-2 were analyzed. In addition, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was evaluated. The intestinal phosphate absorption rate, including phosphate uptake by BBMV and NaPi-IIb expression, was the highest in dogs. Notably, urinary phosphate excretion was the lowest in monkeys, and their intestinal phosphate absorption rate was by far the lowest. Dogs and rats showed positive correlations between Vmax/Km of phosphate uptake in BBMV and NaPi-IIb expression. Although phosphate uptake was observed in the BBMV of monkeys, NaPi-IIb expression was not detected and ALP activity was low. This study revealed significant species differences in intestinal phosphate absorption. NaPi-IIb contributes to intestinal phosphate uptake in rats and dogs. However, in monkeys, phosphate is poorly absorbed due to the slight degradation of organic phosphate in the intestine.

We present a method to create animations expressing the movement of volumetric smoke by combine still images of Computer Graphics (CG) with a dynamic luminance information. Volume rendering is one of the rendering methods considering absorption and scattering of light by a medium involved in the air such as smoke. It can express smoke more realistic more than normal rendering, and it takes time to create CG video with smoke. In this research, we express smoke motion of the video created using volume rendering by combining a still image by normal rendering with a brightness kinetic information. We experimented to compare perceptual quality of videos created by proposal method and using volume rendering. We used image quality evaluation index and questionnaire for evaluation of perceptual quality. Experiment results show the proposal method can shorten the creation time and create videos keeping perceptual quality of videos using volume rendering.

We have developed a new optical device and aerial imaging display with the device. The technology features that the pop-out distance of the aerial image is long and there is no need for a space having We have developed an aerial imaging display with long focal distance by a novel optical device. Since the focal length of the optical device is two meters, we can watch an aerial image on the place of two meters on the front of the display. In addition, we needs no extra space behind the device because the device is reflection-type optics. The optical device is a retro-reflective mirror array by arranging corner reflectors in strip shape. We have designed a layout of corner reflectors to image a real image at the designed depth by changing angles of the corner reflectors depending on the location. Thus, it has retroreflective characteristics in the horizontal direction of the optical device and specular reflection characteristics in the vertical direction. The real image of the object placed in front of the lower part of the optical device is imaged in the upper front with a background video.

We present an improved method for rendering heterogeneous translucent materials with existing BSSRDF models. In the general BSSRDF models, the optical properties of the target object are constant. Sone et al. have proposed a method to combine with existing BSSRDF models for rendering heterogeneous materials. However, the method generates more bright and blurred images compared with correctly simulated images. We have experimented with various BSSRDF models by the method and rendered heterogeneous materials. As a result, the rendered image with the better dipole model is the closest to the result of Monte carlo simulation. If incorporating the better dipole model into the method proposed by Sone et al., we can render more realistic images of heterogeneous materials.

An X-ray Talbot-Lau interferometer scanning setup consisting of three transmission gratings, a laboratory-based X-ray source that emits X-rays vertically, and an image detector on the top has been developed for the application of X-ray phase imaging to moving objects that cannot be tested clearly with conventional absorption contrast. The grating-based X-ray phase imaging method usually employs a phase-stepping (or fringe-scanning) technique by displacing one of the gratings step-by-step while the object stays still. Since this approach is not compatible with a scanner-type application for moving objects, we have developed a new algorithm for achieving the function of phase-stepping without grating displacement. By analyzing the movie of the moiré pattern as the object moves across the field of view, we obtain the absorption, differential phase, and visibility images. The feasibility of the X-ray phase imaging scanner has been successfully demonstrated for a long sample moving at 5 mm/s. This achievement is a breakthrough for the practical industrial application of X-ray phase imaging for screening objects carried on belt-conveyers such as those in factories.

We discuss a method which sequentially estimates 3D shape and reflectance properties of an object. To estimate these values, we use a light field camera to capture multi view light fields. First, we acquire a 3D point cloud by structure from motion, and then we generate a mesh from the point cloud. Second, we simultaneously estimate normal vectors and a light source from the mesh. Finally, we estimate reflectance parameters of a reflection model with the mesh, normal vectors, and the light source. We also compare the original photo with a CG image rendered using the parameters estimated by our method.

In the Internet of Things (IoT) era, message queue systems are highly required to control the large amount of message traffic between field devices, heterogeneous back-end applications, and services with high interoperability. In today's trend of rapid development cycle, the role and number of each back-end application system (BES) are frequently modified. In this case, the message queue systems receiving dequeue requests from BESs cannot maintain their preliminarily estimated maximum throughput, because the proportional increase of missed dequeues (i.e. no message is available) results in a waste of computational resources. Therefore, we propose the retry dequeue-request scheduling (RDS) method, which decreases the number of dequeue requests from BESs by delaying the replies to BESs when missed dequeues occur. Evaluation results show that the RDS method gives a 70% throughput improvement compared with the conventional method.

X-ray grating interferometry has a great potential for X-ray phase imaging over conventional X-ray absorption imaging which does not provide significant contrast for weakly absorbing objects and soft biological tissues. X-ray Talbot and Talbot-Lau interferometers which are composed of transmission gratings and measure the differential X-ray phase shifts have gained popularity because they operate with polychromatic beams. In X-ray radiography, especially for nondestructive testing in industrial applications, the feasibility of continuous sample scanning is not yet completely revealed. A scanning setup is frequently advantageous when compared to a direct 2D static image acquisition in terms of field of view, exposure time, illuminating radiation, etc. This paper demonstrates an efficient scanning setup for grating-based Xray phase imaging using laboratory-based X-ray source. An apparatus consisting of an X-ray source that emits X-rays vertically, optical gratings and a photon-counting detector was used with which continuously moving objects across the field of view as that of conveyor belt system can be imaged. The imaging performance of phase scanner was tested by scanning a long continuous moving sample at a speed of 5 mm/s and absorption, differential-phase and visibility images were generated by processing non-uniform moire movie with our specially designed phase measurement algorithm. A brief discussion on the feasibility of phase scanner with scanning setup approach including X-ray phase imaging performance is reported. The successful results suggest a breakthrough for scanning objects those are moving continuously on conveyor belt system non-destructively using the scheme of X-ray phase imaging.

We propose a walk through imaging method for head-mounted display (HMD) named 'PlenoGap'. The method always displays a refocused image on a HMD. The refocused image is generated from a trimmed panorama light field image which is 360° cylindrical and always focused on center of HMD. In addition, we realized walkthrough experience by making some intermediate images between three panorama light field images. User can roam around small area using controller.

Seam carving (SC) is an image processing operator for content-aware image resizing, which enables users to shrink or enlarge pictures, while still retaining details of salient objects in the image. However, there is a problem that SC often generates obvious distortions on straight lines in the image. In this paper, we propose “proportional-lines” that are line objects for decreasing the distortion. They are arranged on straight lines in an original image to reduce distortion in a result image by two ways: (1) Proportional lines monitor distribution of seams by counting the number of seams passing through them and they dynamically arrange additional energy in a selection of a new seam to avoid over-concentration of seams. (2) They also apply image warping around them in order to reduce the number of small distortions.

We propose using moire reduction methods for integral videography displays.Integral videography is based on the principles of integral photography and extended real-time video processing.There are two moire reduction methods that can be used for integral videography displays that have a lens array and a liquid crystal display.The first is color moire,and the second is intensity moire.To reduce color moire,we used an optimized color filter layout in the liquid crystal display.To reduce intensity moire,we used a defocus method.We also present a design of a viewing area for the integral videography display.To control the viewing area,we changed the lens pitch and shape of the integral videography elemental image.We implemented a 5-inch integral videography display using the proposed methods,and evaluated the integral videography display.

We change and amplify the taste of soup by stimulating the tongue electrically. Humans can feel electric taste at the moment of electrical tongue stimulation. Electric taste includes metal taste, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness. Giving electric taste while eating will enable the amplification of taste without increasing intake of sugar and salt. Our system recreates sourness and saltiness, and changes the taste of soup by giving electric taste while eating. The subject eats soup with a spoon which has an electrode attached to it. When the spoon touches his or her tongue, a circuit is formed and stimulates the tongue electrically. To evaluate this system, we performed an experiment where the subject evaluates the taste of soup when the system stimulates the tongue electrically. The experimental results show that anode stimulation amplifies acidity, saltiness and taste strength.

Cerebral haemodynamic changes in 17 patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), who showed hypoperfusion on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) before endovascular treatment, were studied after embolization. Nine of them had non-haemorrhagic clinical manifestations and the other eight had a history of intracranial haemorrhage. Obliteration of AVMs was nearly total in six patients and partial in eleven. New low density lesions on X-ray computed tomography (CT) developed in 3 of 6 patients after nearly total obliteration and one of 11 patients after partial obliteration. The first SPECT after embolization showed diminished hypoperfusion in 11 of 13 patients without new low density lesions and one of 4 patients with new low density lesions. Diminution of hypoperfusion was seen even in two patients who underwent SPECT study immediately after the embolization. Cerebral circulation was improved in five of eight patients with low density lesions before embolization and in nine of eleven patients after partial obliteration. Hypoperfused state in the haemorrhagic group tended to remain unchanged compared with that in the non-haemorrhagic group. The hypoperfused area was expanded after embolization in three patients with new cerebral infarction. It is important for improvement of cerebral circulation to reduce the shunt flow without causing new infarction due to the embolization itself. In one of two patients who had a hyperperfused area surrounding the AVM after embolization, an unexpected and abnormal degree of brain swelling and haemorrhage occurred at the end of the surgery 20 days after the embolization. In the other patient, total extirpation was successfully performed after confirming disappearance of hyperperfusion in the follow-up SPECT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)