A Modeling and Rendering Method for Snow by Using Metaballs

The display of natural scenes such as mountains, trees, the earth as viewed from space, the sea, and waves have been attempted. Here a method to realistically display snow is proposed. In order to achieve this, two important elements have to be considered, namely the shape and shading model of snow, based on the physical phenomenon. In this paper, a method for displaying snow fallen onto objects, including curved surfaces and snow scattered by objects, such as skis, is proposed. Snow should be treated as particles with a density distribution since it consists of water particles, ice particles, and air molecules. In order to express the material property of snow, the phase functions of the particles must be taken into account, and it is well-known that the color of snow is white because of the multiple scattering of light. This paper describes a calculation method for light scattering due to snow particles taking into account both multiple scattering and sky light, and the modeling of snow.     

100 Å-thick tunnel junction by double impurity doping liquid phase epitaxy for V-band TUNNETT oscillation

The tunnel injection transit time (TUNNETT) diodes with p⁺p⁺n⁺n⁻n⁺ structure were fabricated by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE). About 100 Å tunnel junction (p⁺n⁺) was successfully prepared by the double impurity diffusion of Ge and S during LPE growth. Continuous wave (CW) oscillation was realized at 51.520 GHz in the V-band cavity with the phase noise of −60 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz bandwidth.     

Incombustible electromagnetic wave absorber made of nonwovenceramic fibers

Incombustible electromagnetic wave absorbing material made of incombustible ceramic fibers are proposed in this paper. The hollow-type pyramids were experimentally fabricated by means of a nonwoven fabric production process and their flammability and electromagnetic wave absorption were investigated. By the tests using high-power microwaves and gas burner flames, it was confirmed that the material shows extremely good flame retardance. Also, it was confirmed that pyramids made of this material had good electromagnetic wave absorption characteristics. The pyramids made of this material are able to be used as absorbers for anechoic rooms instead of conventional plastic pyramids such as urethane foam or polystyrene pyramids, which are combustible     

Method for Calculation of Sky Light Luminance Aiming at an Interactive Architectural Design

Recently, computer graphics are frequently used for both architectural design and visual environmental assessment. Using computer graphics, designers can easily compare the effect of the natural light on their architectural designs under various conditions, such as different times of day, seasons, atmospheric conditions (clear or overcast sky) or building wall materials. In traditional methods of calculating the luminance due to sky light, however, all calculation must be performed from scratch if such conditions undergo change. Therefore, to compare the architectural designs under different conditions, a great deal of time has to be spent on generating the images. This paper proposes a new method of quickly generating images of an outdoor scene, taking into account glossy specular reflection, even if such conditions change. In this method, luminance due to sky light is expressed by a series of basis functions, and basis luminances corresponding to each basis function are precalculated and stored in a compressed form in the preprocess. Once the basis luminances are calculated, the luminance due to sky light can be quickly calculated by the weighted sum of the basis luminances. Several examples of an architectural design demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method.     

Vinyl polymerization by metal complexes. XVI. Photopolymerization of vinyl monomers by metal-amine systems

The photopolymerization of vinyl monomers was studied by the system of metal-amine complex and carbon tetrachloride. Addition of amines to the initiating system generally accelerates the polymerization. The acceleration by various sorts of amines in different solvents was examined. It was confirmed that the photopolymerization in question is of free radical character. The polymerization mechanism was discussed.     

Phase transfer agents. II. Stereospecific hydroxylation of oleyl and elaidyl alcohol and periodic acid cleavage of epoxides

Oleyl and elaidyl alcohol have been stereospecifically hydroxylated by cold, dilute alkaline potassium permanganate toerythro- andthreo-9,10-dihydroxyoctadecanol, respectively, in 40–80% yields in a water-methylene chloride heterogeneous system. Phase transfer agents (PTA) were used to transport permanganate ion from the aqueous to the organic phase. In the absence of PTA, hydroxylation did not take place. Periodic acid cleavage of epoxides in a water-methylene chloride system was studied in the absence and presence of PTA. At slow stirring rates PTA exert a rate accelerating effect in cleaving certain epoxides to aldehydes but with vigorous stirring use of PTA has only a marginal advantage.     

Phase transfer agents. I. Transfer of permanganate,periodate, and cyanate ions from aqueous to organic phases. Preparation of quaternary onium periodates

Several quaternary ammonium and phosphonium halides have been shown to be useful phase transfer agents (PTA) for the efficient transport of permanganate, periodate, and cyanate ions from aqueous to organic phases (benzene and/or methylene chloride). Chemical and spectral methods of analysis were used to measure ion transfer quantitatively and to assess the relative efficiency of PTA.     

Electrophysiological effects of ketamine on Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel in single rabbit portal vein cell

The effects of ketamine on Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel currents were studied in dispersed single smooth muscle cells from rabbit portal vein using inside-out patch clamp technique. In a near physiological K+ and Ca2+ gradient, three populations of outward rectangular single currents were recorded in isolated cell membrane of rabbit portal vein at +60 mV membrane potential. These currents were judged as Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel currents since application of EGTA or Apamin in the internal solution inhibited these currents. Application of 10(-5)M or 10(-4)M ketamine inhibited the number of occurrences of channel opening and decreased open times, but did not reduce the amplitudes. When the 10(-3)M ketamine was applied, the Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel currents were abolished. We suggest that the depression of Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel currents may explain the continuous contraction observed in rabbit portal vein at a clinical concentration of ketamine from a point of electrophysiological K+ current study.     

Human small Maf proteins form heterodimers with CNC family transcription factors and recognize the NF-E2 motif

To protect bone marrow cells from the toxicity of chemotherapy, a multidrug resistant gene or a dihydrofolate reductase gene has been introduced into stem cells. These genes, however, are not capable of conferring refractoriness to alkylating agents (AA), which are some of the most commonly used agents in chemotherapy regimens. In the present study, an attempt was made to endow human stem cell (CD34+ cells) with resistance to cyclophosphamide, a well-known AA, and adriamycin (ADM) by transducing the glutathione-S-transferase pi (GST-pi) gene whose product is thought to detoxify AA by conjugating them with glutathione and to remove a toxic peroxide formed by ADM. The gene transduction was carried out retrovirally with a virus titer of 1 x 10(5) FFU/ml, employing a recombinant fibronectin fragment; transduction efficiency was extremely low without the fragment. Incubation with interleukin-6 and stem cell factor enhanced the expression of fibronectin ligands VLA4 and VLA5 on CD34+ cells. This enhanced expression of VLA4 and VLA5 was considered to facilitate a close contact of the CD34+ cell to the retroviral vector via fibronectin fragments and the subsequent transduction process. The GST-pi gene-transduced CD34+ cells formed almost 3- and 2.5-fold more CFU-GM than neo gene-transduced CD34+ cells in the presence of 2.5 microg/ml of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC), an active form of cyclophosphamide, and 30 ng/ml ADM, respectively. The transfectants formed an appreciable number of colonies, even at higher concentrations of these drugs (5.0 microg/ml of 4-HC, 50 ng/ml of ADM) whereas neo gene-transduced or nontransduced CD34+ cells formed no colonies at all, indicating the possibility of selecting out the transfectants by exposing them to these anticancer drugs. Thus, we were able to demonstrate that transduction of the GST-pi gene confers resistance to cyclophosphamide as well as to ADM, and therefore this approach can be applied clinically for high-dose chemotherapy.