An organic thyristor

Thyristors are a class of nonlinear electronic device that exhibit bistable resistance--that is, they can be switched between two different conductance states. Thyristors are widely used as inverters (direct to alternating current converters) and for the smooth control of power in a variety of applications such as motors and refrigerators. Materials and structures that exhibit nonlinear resistance of this sort are not only useful for practical applications: they also provide systems for exploring fundamental aspects of solid-state and statistical physics. Here we report the discovery of a giant nonlinear resistance effect in the conducting organic salt theta-(BEDT-TTF)2CsCo(SCN)4, the voltage-current characteristics of which are essentially the same as those of a conventional thyristor. This intrinsic organic thyristor works as an inverter, generating an alternating current when a static direct-current voltage is applied. Whereas conventional thyristors consist of a series of diodes (their nonlinearity comes from interface effects at the p-n junctions), the present salt exhibits giant nonlinear resistance as a bulk phenomenon. We attribute the origin of this effect to the current-induced melting of insulating charge-order domains, an intrinsically non-equilibrium phenomenon in the sense that ordered domains are melted by a steady flow.     

A color based face detection system using multiple templates

A color based system using multiple templates was developed and implemented for detecting human faces in color images. The algorithm consists of three image processing steps. The first step is human skin color statistics. Then it separates skin regions from non-skin regions. After that, it locates the frontal human face(s) within the skin regions. In the first step, 250 skin samples from persons of different ethnicities are used to determine the color distribution of human skin in chromatic color space in order to get a chroma chart showing likelihoods of skin colors. This chroma chart is used to generate, from the original color image, a gray scale image whose gray value at a pixel shows its likelihood of representing the skin. The algorithm uses an adaptive thresholding process to achieve the optimal threshold value for dividing the gray scale image into separate skin regions from non skin regions. Finally, multiple face templates matching is used to determine if a given skin region represents a frontal human face or not. Test of the system with more than 400 color images showed that the resulting detection rate was 83%, which is better than most color-based face detection systems. The average speed for face detection is 0.8 second/image (400 x 300 pixels) on a Pentium 3 (800MHz) PC.     

Effect of Electromagnetic Fields and Explosions on Seismicity and Geodynamic Consequences

The change in seismicity of the Garm region in Tajikistan after an irradiation of its crust with high energy electromagnetic pulses (EP) and after the Semipalatinsk nuclear explosions (NE) is considered. It’s shown that the influence of EP, as well as NE, causes a statistically significant increase in the seismic activity and speed up the seismic energy release. Two areas of anomalous increase in seismic energy after irradiation and explosions adjoined to active faults were identified within the region. Both have a complex configuration in the form of two “petals” located in different sides of those faults. In both cases, one of the “petals” appears after EP, and the second after NE. It is shown that each of these “butterflies” constitutes as a whole anomalous area in which there are high tectonic stresses. The impact of NE has also been studied before beginning and after completion of these experiments. In both cases, those anomalous areas were not observed. Moreover after those experiments were completed, on distances of 50~70 km from the EP source no high stresses areas were observed at all. Consequently, the irradiation of the crust caused their relaxation on the area of about 3 500 km2. However,judging by the appreciable rise in seismicity caused by NE on the southwestern and southeastern margins, stresses had been increasing on periphery of the irradiated area.     

形变双奇核1944Au中的强耦合带

利用重离子融合蒸发反应159Tb（29Si,4nγ）194Au布居了形变双奇核184Au的高自旋态,用GASP探测器阵列进行了在束γ实验测量．通过对实验数据的深入分析,新发现了一条可归属于184Au核的强耦合转动带．基于对转动带有效K值的分析以及从实验数据中提取出的带内B（M1）／B（E2）值与理论计算值的比较,建议了转动带的准粒子组态和能级的自旋宇称值．     

SLAC1 is required for plant guard cell S-type anion channel function in stomatal signalling

Stomatal pores, formed by two surrounding guard cells in the epidermis of plant leaves, allow influx of atmospheric carbon dioxide in exchange for transpirational water loss. Stomata also restrict the entry of ozone--an important air pollutant that has an increasingly negative impact on crop yields, and thus global carbon fixation and climate change. The aperture of stomatal pores is regulated by the transport of osmotically active ions and metabolites across guard cell membranes. Despite the vital role of guard cells in controlling plant water loss, ozone sensitivity and CO2 supply, the genes encoding some of the main regulators of stomatal movements remain unknown. It has been proposed that guard cell anion channels function as important regulators of stomatal closure and are essential in mediating stomatal responses to physiological and stress stimuli. However, the genes encoding membrane proteins that mediate guard cell anion efflux have not yet been identified. Here we report the mapping and characterization of an ozone-sensitive Arabidopsis thaliana mutant, slac1. We show that SLAC1 (SLOW ANION CHANNEL-ASSOCIATED 1) is preferentially expressed in guard cells and encodes a distant homologue of fungal and bacterial dicarboxylate/malic acid transport proteins. The plasma membrane protein SLAC1 is essential for stomatal closure in response to CO2, abscisic acid, ozone, light/dark transitions, humidity change, calcium ions, hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide. Mutations in SLAC1 impair slow (S-type) anion channel currents that are activated by cytosolic Ca2+ and abscisic acid, but do not affect rapid (R-type) anion channel currents or Ca2+ channel function. A low homology of SLAC1 to bacterial and fungal organic acid transport proteins, and the permeability of S-type anion channels to malate suggest a vital role for SLAC1 in the function of S-type anion channels.     

Role of the prolyl isomerase Pin1 in protecting against age-dependent neurodegeneration

The neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies include senile plaques and/or neurofibrillary tangles. Although mouse models have been created by overexpressing specific proteins including beta-amyloid precursor protein, presenilin and tau, no model has been generated by gene knockout. Phosphorylation of tau and other proteins on serine or threonine residues preceding proline seems to precede tangle formation and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Notably, these phospho(Ser/Thr)-Pro motifs exist in two distinct conformations, whose conversion in some proteins is catalysed by the Pin1 prolyl isomerase. Pin1 activity can directly restore the conformation and function of phosphorylated tau or it can do so indirectly by promoting its dephosphorylation, which suggests that Pin1 is involved in neurodegeneration; however, genetic evidence is lacking. Here we show that Pin1 expression is inversely correlated with predicted neuronal vulnerability and actual neurofibrillary degeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Pin1 knockout in mice causes progressive age-dependent neuropathy characterized by motor and behavioural deficits, tau hyperphosphorylation, tau filament formation and neuronal degeneration. Thus, Pin1 is pivotal in protecting against age-dependent neurodegeneration, providing insight into the pathogenesis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies.     

A ribonucleotide reductase gene involved in a p53-dependent cell-cycle checkpoint for DNA damage

The p53 gene is frequently inactivated in human cancers. Here we have isolated a p53-inducible gene, p53R2, by using differential display to examine messenger RNAs in a cancer-derived human cell line carrying a highly regulated wild-type p53 expression system. p53R2 contains a p53-binding sequence in intron 1 and encodes a 351-amino-acid peptide with striking similarity to the ribonucleotide reductase small subunit (R2), which is important in DNA synthesis during cell division. Expression of p53R2, but not R2, was induced by ultraviolet and gamma-irradiation and adriamycin treatment in a wild-type p53-dependent manner. Induction of p53R2 in p53-deficient cells caused G2/M arrest and prevented cells from death in response to adriamycin. Inhibition of endogenous p53R2 expression in cells that have an intact p53-dependent DNA damage checkpoint reduced ribonucleotide reductase activity, DNA repair and cell survival after exposure to various genotoxins. Our results indicate that p53R2 encodes a ribonucleotide reductase that is directly involved in the p53 checkpoint for repair of damaged DNA. The discovery of p53R2 clarifies a relationship between a ribonucleotide reductase activity involved in repair of damaged DNA and tumour suppression by p53.     

ASYMPTOTIC NORMALITY OF SOME ESTIMATORS IN A FIXED-DESIGN SEMIPARAMETRIC REGRESSION MODEL WITH LINEAR TIME SERIES ERRORS

Consider a semiparametric regression model with linear time series errors Yk = x'kβ g(tk) εk, 1 < k < n, where Yk's are responses, xk = (xk1,xk2,..... ,xkp)' and tk ∈T ∪R are fixed design points, β= (β1, β2, ....., βp)' is an unknown parameter vector, g(.) is an unknown bounded real-valued function defined on a compact subset T of the real line R, and εk is a linear process given by εk = ∑j=0∞j(?)ek-j,(?)= 1, where , are i.i.d. random variables. In this paper we establish the asymptotic normality of the least squares estimator of β, a smooth estimator of g(.), and estimators of the autocovariance and autocorrelation functions of the linear process εk.     

Nogo-66 receptor antagonist peptide promotes axonal regeneration

Myelin-derived axon outgrowth inhibitors, such as Nogo, may account for the lack of axonal regeneration in the central nervous system (CNS) after trauma in adult mammals. A 66-residue domain of Nogo (Nogo-66) is expressed on the surface of oligodendrocytes and can inhibit axonal outgrowth through an axonal Nogo-66 receptor (NgR). The IN-1 monoclonal antibody recognizes Nogo-A and promotes corticospinal tract regeneration and locomotor recovery; however, the undefined nature of the IN-1 epitope in Nogo, the limited specificity of IN-1 for Nogo, and nonspecific anti-myelin effects have prevented a firm conclusion about the role of Nogo-66 or NgR. Here, we identify competitive antagonists of NgR derived from amino-terminal peptide fragments of Nogo-66. The Nogo-66(1 40) antagonist peptide (NEP1 40) blocks Nogo-66 or CNS myelin inhibition of axonal outgrowth in vitro, demonstrating that NgR mediates a significant portion of axonal outgrowth inhibition by myelin. Intrathecal administration of NEP1 40 to rats with mid-thoracic spinal cord hemisection results in significant axon growth of the corticospinal tract, and improves functional recovery. Thus, Nogo-66 and NgR have central roles in limiting axonal regeneration after CNS injury, and NEP1-40 provides a potential therapeutic agent.