Receptive fields in the body-surface map in adult cortex defined by temporally correlated inputs

Receptive fields (RFs) obtained at specific cortical sites can be used to define a topographic map of the body surface in adult mammalian somatosensory cortex. This map is not static, and RFs at particular cortical sites can change in size and location throughout adult life. Conversely, the cortical loci at which a given skin surface is represented can shift hundreds of micrometres across the cortex in the koniocortical field, area 3b (refs 1-12). This plasticity suggests that RFs derive not from rigid anatomical connections, but by the selection of a subset of a large number of inputs. We have proposed that inputs are selected on the basis of temporal correlation 11-15. Here we test this idea by altering the correlation of inputs from two adjacent digits on the adult owl monkey hand by surgically connecting the skin surfaces of the two fingers (the formation of syndactyly). This manipulation increases the correlation of inputs from skin surfaces of adjacent fingers. The striking discontinuity between the zones of representation of adjacent digits on the somatosensory cortex disappeared. These results support the hypothesis that the topography of the body-surface map in the adult cortex is influenced by the temporal correlations of afferent inputs.     

Hyperthermic effect of disodium edetate injected into the lateral cerebral ventricle of the unanesthetized cat

Résumé La chélation des ions de calcium par l'EDTA Na₂ injecté dans le ventricule cérébral des chats non anesthésiés a produit une réaction hyperthermique caractérisée par une installation rapide et une durée brève. Cette réaction peut être bloquée par l'anesthésie au pentobarbital, mais non pas par les antipyrétiques, le N-acétyl-paraaminophénol ou le salicylate de sodium. Les résultats indiquent une action plus tardive dans la chaîne des événements que celle des pyrogènes.     

Inhibition of RNA-polymerase by arginine-rich histone fractions

Zusammenfassung Die Hemmung der RNS-Polymerase durch Histone ist eine direkte Folge der Präzipitierung der DNS aus der Lösung.     

Mechanistic Details of Surface Reactions in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Processes

1 Results The reaction mechanisms of the atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes used for thin-film growth have been characterized by a combination of surface sensitive techniques. Our early studies focused on the deposition of TiN films from TiCl4 and ammonia,starting with the independent characterization of each of the two half steps comprising the ALD process. It was found that exposure of the substrate to TiCl4 leads to the initial deposition of titanium in the 3 oxidation state; only at a later st...     

Soft-mode hardening in SrTiO3 thin films

Understanding the behaviour of the dielectric constant in ferroelectric thin films remains a challenging problem. These ferroelectric materials have high static dielectric constants, and so are important for their applications in high-storage-density capacitor structures such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM). But the dielectric constant tends to be significantly reduced in thin films, thereby limiting the potential benefit of ferroelectrics for memory devices. Extensive studies have shown that this phenomenon could be caused by a 'dead layer' of very low dielectric constant between the ferroeletric film and the electrode. And, although very few direct measurements are in fact available, it has been recognized that the lattice dynamical properties in the thin films should also play a key role in the reduction of the dielectric constant. Here we report far-infrared ellipsometry and low-frequency dielectric measurements in SrTiO3 thin films, which demonstrate that the Lyddane-Sachs-Teller relation between the optical-phonon eigenfrequencies and the dielectric constant is fully maintained, as is the case in the bulk material. This indicates that the dramatic reduction of the dielectric constant is a consequence of a profound change of the lattice dynamical properties, in particular of the reduced softening of its lowest optical-phonon mode. Our results therefore provide a better understanding of the fundamental limitations of the dielectric constant values in ferroelectric thin films.