Temporal channels and disparity representations in stereoscopic depth perception.

Stereoscopic depth perception is supported by a combination of correlation-based and match-based representations of binocular disparity. It also relies on both transient and sustained temporal channels of the visual system. Previous studies suggest that the relative contribution of the correlation-based representation (over the match-based representation) and the transient channel (over the sustained channel) to depth perception increases with the disparity magnitude.

Two new β-glucosidases from ethanol-fermenting fungus Mucor circinelloides NBRC 4572: enzyme purification, functional characterization, and molecular cloning of the gene.

Two β-glucosidases (BGLs 1 and 2) were purified to homogeneity from the extracellular enzyme preparations of the ethanol-fermenting Mucor circinelloides NBRC 4572 statically grown on rice straw. BGLs 1 and 2 are monomeric glycoproteins whose apparent molecular masses (Ms) are around 78 kDa, which decreased by approximately 10 kDa upon enzymatic deglycosylation. Both BGLs showed similar enzyme characteristics in optimal temperature and pH, stability, and inhibitors.

A quantitative near-infrared spectroscopy study: a decrease in cerebral hemoglobin oxygenation in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.

A newly developed quantitative near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system was used to measure changes in cortical hemoglobin oxygenation during the Verbal Fluency Task in 32 healthy controls, 15 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 15 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The amplitude of changes in the waveform, which was quantitatively calculated by a signal processing method, was significantly lower in the frontal, and the bilateral parietal areas in the AD group, whereas that in the MCI group was significantly lower only in the right parietal area. The NIRS system may be a potential tool for the primary screening of AD.