[Enzyme immunoassay for cytokines].

Cytokines produced by different types of cells function by cell to cell interaction both in vitro and in vivo. Over thirty different molecules react in almost all physiological phenomena, such as in the fields of immunology, hematology, endocrinology, neurology, cardiology and nephrology. Previous observations indicate that the abnormal production of cytokines plays a part of pathogenesis of diseases.

An improved method for MRI artifact correction due to translational motion in the imaging plane.

A computer postprocessing technique is developed to remove MRI artifact arising from unknown translational motion in the imaging plane. Based on previous artifact correction methods, the improved technique uses two successive steps to reduce read out and phase-encoding direction artifacts: First, the spectrum shift method is applied to remove read-out axis translational motion. Then, the phase retrieval method is employed to eliminate the remaining subpixel motion of the read-out axis and the entire motion of the phase-encoding axis.

Heterogeneous response in hepatic sinusoidal blood flow to acute ethanol ingestion in rats.

The effect of ethanol ingestion on the hepatic sinusoidal blood flow velocity was investigated in rats, using in vivo microscopy system with dual-slit photometric method. In steady state, before ethanol ingestion, the hepatic sinusoidal blood flow velocity determined at 18 points ranged widely from 54 to 245 micron/sec and the mean value was 144 +/- 13 micron/sec. After acute ethanol ingestion (1g/kg), the averaged sinusoidal blood flow velocity increased significantly to 197 +/- 17 micron/sec, while the width of sinusoids showed no apparent change.