Anti-BlUFf: towards counterfeit mitigation in IC supply chains using blockchain and PUF

International Journal of Information Security - The complexity of today’s integrated circuit (IC) supply chain, organised in several tiers and including many companies located in different...     

Calcium Ions Regulate K+ Uptake into Brain Mitochondria: The Evidence for a Novel Potassium Channel

The mitochondrial response to changes of cytosolic calcium concentration has a strong impact on neuronal cell metabolism and viability. We observed that Ca²⁺ additions to isolated rat brain mitochondria induced in potassium ion containing media a mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization and an accompanying increase of mitochondrial respiration. These Ca²⁺ effects can be blocked by iberiotoxin and charybdotoxin, well known inhibitors of large conductance potassium channel (BK_Ca channel). Furthermore, NS1619 – a BK_Ca channel opener – induced potassium ion–specific effects on brain mitochondria similar to those induced by Ca²⁺. These findings suggest the presence of a calcium-activated, large conductance potassium channel (sensitive to charybdotoxin and NS1619), which was confirmed by reconstitution of the mitochondrial inner membrane into planar lipid bilayers. The conductance of the reconstituted channel was 265 pS under gradient (50/450 mM KCl) conditions. Its reversal potential was equal to 50 mV, which proved that the examined channel was cation-selective. We also observed immunoreactivity of anti-β₄ subunit (of the BK_Ca channel) antibodies with ~26 kDa proteins of rat brain mitochondria. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the predominant occurrence of β₄ subunit in neuronal mitochondria. We hypothesize that the mitochondrial BK_Ca channel represents a calcium sensor, which can contribute to neuronal signal transduction and survival.     

Bounds for the elastic constants of a unidirectional fibre composite: a new approach

Series-parallel and parallel-series models are used to calculate upper and lower bounds for a unidirectional fibre composite. It is shown that this simple approach produces comparatively close bounds which agree well with those calculated from more sophisticated analytical methods. This approach may be used for initial estimates of composite properties, e.g. when characterizing a new material. In some cases this may be sufficient for the design of simple composite structures.Visiting Professor from the Warsaw University of Technology, Poland     

Use of tensorial polynomial strength function for strength prediction in laminated polymeric composites

It has been shown recently that a strength function, expressed by a tensorial polynomial for an anisotropic material, can be only of the form

F₄(σ) + F₂(σ) + F₁(σ) ≤ 1

where F_i(σ) are the respective polynomials of order i of the σ tensor components. Some further work in this field is now presented. It will be seen that a notable simplification has been achieved, bringing down the initial number of components of an 8th rank tensor from 3⁸ = 6561 to a more managable number of 42 for orthotropic materials and 11 for the planar case. It is also shown that the three F_i(σ) polynomials cannot exist simulataneously, leading either to the known Tsai and Wu proposal or a new tensorial form. Some considerations to strength theory for isotropic materials are given as well. Finally, applicability of strength theories for composite laminates is discussed, with some suggestions for practical use.     

Photolithography illumination needs

Industrial photolithographic exposures are now performed almost entirely with the high pressure mercury arc, using one or more of the spectral lines at 365, 408 and 436 nm. It would be difficult for the free electron laser to replace the entrenched and reliable arc unless it could offer a significant improvement, for instance, in brightness. Lithography is currently being extended to shorter wavelengths, as far as the X-ray regime. At present, the excimer laser is the principal source in the UV. Since the excimer is comparatively new, the FEL might find a niche more easily in this domain. To compete with current sources in the near and far UV, the FEL should provide at least 4 W of useable power. Since lithographic illumination must be uniform, the coherence of the FEL output must be sufficiently low to avoid “noise” due to interference. In addition, a light source for industrial use must be reliable and maintainable by plant personnel.     

Functional coupling between substantia nigra and basal ganglia homologues in amphibians.

Neuroanatomical and pharmacological experiments support the existence of a homologue of the mammalian substantia nigra-basal ganglia circuit in the amphibian brain. Demarcation of borders between the striatum and pallidum in frogs, however, has been contentious, and direct evidence of functional coupling between the putative nigral and striatal homologues is lacking. To clarify basal ganglia function in anurans, the authors used expression of immediate-early gene egr-1 as a marker of neural activation in the basal ganglia of túngara frogs (Physalaemus pustulosus). Regional variation in egr-1 mRNA levels distinguished striatal and pallidal portions of the basal ganglia and supported the grouping of the striatopallidal transition zone with the dorsal pallidum. As further evidence for a functional coupling between the dopaminergic cells in the posterior tuberculum (the putative substantia nigra homologue) and the basal ganglia, a positive relationship was demonstrated between the size of the dopaminergic cell population and the neural activation levels within the dorsal pallidum. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neutron polarisation from the reactions 13C(p,n013N and 15N(d,n0)16O

The neutron polarisation has been measured of the reaction ¹³C(p,n₀)¹³N for E_p = 6.9 MeV (E_n = 3.7 MeV) at θ_lab = 40° and of the reaction ¹⁵N(d,n₀)¹⁶O for E_d = 5.5 MeV (E_n = 15.3 MeV) at θ_lab = 20°.