When resampling an image to a new set of coordinates (for example, when rotating an image), there is often a noticeable loss in image quality. To preserve image quality, the interpolating function used for the resampling should be an ideal low-pass filter. To determine which limited extent convolving functions would provide the best interpolation, five functions were compared: A) nearest neighbor, B) linear, C) cubic B-spline, D) high-resolution cubic spline with edge enhancement (a = -1), and E) high-resolution cubic spline (a = -0.5). The functions which extend over four picture elements (C, D, E) were shown to have a better frequency response than those which extend over one (A) or two (B) pixels. The nearest neighbor function shifted the image up to one-half a pixel. Linear and cubic B-spline interpolation tended to smooth the image. The best response was obtained with the high-resolution cubic spline functions. The location of the resampled points with respect to the initial coordinate system has a dramatic effect on the response of the sampled interpolating function the data are exactly reproduced when the points are aligned, and the response has the most smoothing when the resampled points are equidistant from the original coordinate points. Thus, at the expense of some increase in computing time, image quality can be improved by resampled using the high-resolution cubic spline function as compared to the nearest neighbor, linear, or cubic B-spline functions.

Disturbances of prostaglandin I2 (PGI2, prostacyclin) production by adipose tissue contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic ketoacidosis and may contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension and vascular disease. We studied the cellular basis of PGI2 production in adipose tissue, measured as release of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in response to epinephrine. Adipocytes did not produce PGI2 when nonfat cells were removed by repeated washing. The nonadipocyte cellular constituents of adipose tissue (nonfat cells) did not produce PGI2 in the absence of adipocytes. Both adipocytes and nonfat cells were required for PGI2 production in response to epinephrine. Adipocytes pretreated with 0.2 mM aspirin to inhibit PGH synthase nevertheless promoted PGI2 production when mixed with nonfat cells. Nonfat cells preincubated with aspirin did not produce PGI2 when mixed with adipocytes. The nonfat cells converted arachidonic acid to PGI2 but adipocytes did not. Epinephrine stimulated lipolysis and PGI2 production in a dose-dependent parallel manner, but the responses were distinct above 10(-6) M. Characterization of the nonfat cells by fractionation on a Percoll density gradient followed by measurement of angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha production indicated that the nonfat cells were predominantly vascular endothelial cells. We conclude that catecholamine-stimulated PGI2 production in adipose tissue results from the cooperation of adipocytes and vascular endothelial cells. The adipocytes provide arachidonic acid, which is converted to PGI2 by the vascular endothelial cells. Because adipose tissue is located near blood vessels throughout the body, adipocytes may be an important source of arachidonic acid for vascular endothelial cells in various circumstances in health and disease. Our findings raise the possibility that adipocytes may, under some circumstances, release arachidonic acid into the systemic circulation where it is used by vascular endothelial cells throughout the body to produce PGI2 and other eicosanoids.

Abstract-Two methods of measuring ocular torsion from digital images of the eyes were developed and tested. One method measures torsion from the translation of two landmarks using a rectilinear coordinate system. The second method measures torsion from the translation of two landmarks using a polar coordinate system. The center for the polar sampling is the center of the pupil. After thresholding and filtering the images, landmark translation is measured from the interpolated peak in the normalized cross correlation of the reference landmark with the image.The standard deviation of the measurement error for the first method using artificially rotated well-framed 256 X 256 X 8 single-eye images was 0.0420 in the absence of noise and 0.0610 for a noise-to-signal ratio of 0.1. The corresponding measurement accuracies for the radial sampling method were 0.0190 and 0.0310. The precision of the torsion measurement for high-quality experimental images was 0.1320. The landmark tracking method on the rectilinear grid can be used when the rotation is within a ±50 range. The measurement technique using the polar sampling can be used when there is a single point which is moderately well known.Thus, digital signal processing techniques can be used to measure ocular torsion from images of the eye with a precision similar to the precision obtained by human photographic interpretation. The precision of the measurement does not appear to be limited by the precision of the digital processing technique.