Lifetime Measurements on a High-Reliability RF-MEMS Contact Switch

Radio frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF MEMS) cantilever contact switches have been tested for lifetime. The mean cycles-to-failure measured on an ensemble of switches was 430 billion switch cycles. The longest lifetime exhibited without degradation of the switch was 914 billion switch cycles. The devices were switched at 20 kHz with an incident RF frequency of 10 GHz and an incident RF power of 20 dBm. Testing was performed continuously over a period of approximately 18 months. The switches were operated in a cold-switched mode.     

Evidence for the involvement of quinone rings in reactions of some coals with tetralin

Model compounds representing a variety of hydrocarbon groups and most of the oxygen-containing functional groups have been tested for reactivity with tetralin at 400° C. Only the quinones were capable of oxidizing tetralin to naphthalene. Anthraquinone is completely deoxygenated to anthracene. Evidence for homolysis of carbon-carbon bonds was found only in the case of dibenzyl, and this was not accompanied by oxidation of tetralin. The extractability of subbituminous coals with the non-reducing solvent, diphenyl-diphenyl ether eutectic, is correlated with oxygen content and depth of burial. It is suggested that oxidized coals near the surface contain quinone rings, and that dissolution by tetralin is primarily then due to lowering of the solvent parameter as a consequence of deoxygenation.     

分手真的会痛苦

在众多以爱情为题材的文学与影视作品中,分手而带来的痛苦往往是作者重点渲染的对象。无论紫式部、勃朗特姐妹、还是李清照、张爱玲、琼瑶,都靠对爱情中的痛苦经历进行复杂的心理描写而成就自己的地位。     

Measures for investigating the contextual modulation of information transmission

The aim of this paper is to show how information theoretic measures can be used to analyse and interpret the results of psychophysical experiments designed to search for conditions under which information from one source modulates the transmission of information from another source. We therefore use measures of mutual and conditional information to analyse systems with two inputs. The information transmitted by such a system can be split into three components depending on whether it is shared between the two inputs or is specific to each. We are concerned here with distinguishing systems that use one input to modulate transmission of information about the other from systems that simply add both inputs, and show how the three components provide evidence for distinguishing between additive and modulatory effects. We also report numerical simulations of the sampling biasses and variances of these measures as a function of the sample size and propose minimum sample sizes that should be used to overcome the bias.     

设计与制造之间的界面优化

分辨率增强技术（RET）设计流程中聚集了各式各样的点工具和方法。当前对深亚波长可制造性（DFM）设计的要求迫使设计与制造行业必须建立十分密切的合作关系。同时也促使EDA行业提供一种平台，以促进这些行业间的密切交流。合理利用这一平台将会对产能和品质产生直接的影响。     

Exploratory play as an index of mastery motivation: Relationships to persistence, cognitive functioning, and environmental measures.

To measure exploratory play at 1 yr of age, 41 middle-class infants were observed in a free-play setting. In a separate session, 11 structured tasks assessed the infants' persistence in mastering tasks. In a 3rd session, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development were given. As part of another study, home observations were available for 40 of the infants at 1 yr of age and for 23 of the infants at 6 mo of age. Measures of quantitative aspects of exploratory play showed no relationship to persistence or cognitive development; however, measures indexing the quality of exploratory play did. In addition, environmental measures at both 6 and 12 mo were related to exploratory play at 1 yr, particularly to the production of perceptual effects; but some of these findings were opposite to those expected. Results suggest that the quality of exploratory play, rather than the quantity, is a better index of underlying mastery motivation. In addition, the widely accepted assumption of a link between the amount of general exploration and cognitive ability needs to be reexamined. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Systematic Review: Targeted Molecular Imaging of Angiogenesis and Its Mediators in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Extensive angiogenesis is a characteristic feature in the synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from a very early stage of the disease onward and constitutes a crucial event for the development of the proliferative synovium. This process is markedly intensified in patients with prolonged disease duration, high disease activity, disease severity, and significant inflammatory cell infiltration. Angiogenesis is therefore an interesting target for the development of new therapeutic approaches as well as disease monitoring strategies in RA. To this end, nuclear imaging modalities represent valuable non-invasive tools that can selectively target molecular markers of angiogenesis and accurately and quantitatively track molecular changes in multiple joints simultaneously. This systematic review summarizes the imaging markers used for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and/or positron emission tomography (PET) approaches, targeting pathways and mediators involved in synovial neo-angiogenesis in RA.     

Flt3 Signaling in B Lymphocyte Development and Humoral Immunity

The Class III receptor tyrosine kinase Flt3 and its ligand, the Flt3-ligand (FL), play an integral role in regulating the proliferation, differentiation, and survival of multipotent hematopoietic and lymphoid progenitors from which B cell precursors derive in bone marrow (BM). More recently, essential roles for Flt3 signaling in the regulation of peripheral B cell development and affinity maturation have come to light. Experimental findings derived from a multitude of mouse models have reinforced the importance of molecular and cellular regulation of Flt3 and FL in lymphohematopoiesis and adaptive immunity. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the current state of the knowledge regarding molecular and cellular regulation of Flt3/FL and the roles of Flt3 signaling in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) activation, lymphoid development, BM B lymphopoiesis, and peripheral B cell development. Cumulatively, the literature has reinforced the importance of Flt3 signaling in B cell development and function. However, it has also identified gaps in the knowledge regarding Flt3-dependent developmental-stage specific gene regulatory circuits essential for steady-state B lymphopoiesis that will be the focus of future studies.     

Identification of Structural and Molecular Signatures Mediating Adaptive Changes in the Mouse Kidney in Response to Pregnancy

Pregnancy is characterized by adaptations in the function of several maternal body systems that ensure the development of the fetus whilst maintaining health of the mother. The renal system is responsible for water and electrolyte balance, as well as waste removal. Thus, it is imperative that structural and functional changes occur in the kidney during pregnancy. However, our knowledge of the precise morphological and molecular mechanisms occurring in the kidney during pregnancy is still very limited. Here, we investigated the changes occurring in the mouse kidney during pregnancy by performing an integrated analysis involving histology, gene and protein expression assays, mass spectrometry profiling and bioinformatics. Data from non-pregnant and pregnant mice were used to identify critical signalling pathways mediating changes in the maternal kidneys. We observed an expansion of renal medulla due to proliferation and infiltration of interstitial cellular constituents, as well as alterations in the activity of key cellular signalling pathways (e.g., AKT, AMPK and MAPKs) and genes involved in cell growth/metabolism (e.g., Cdc6, Foxm1 and Rb1) in the kidneys during pregnancy. We also generated plasma and urine proteomic profiles, identifying unique proteins in pregnancy. These proteins could be used to monitor and study potential mechanisms of renal adaptations during pregnancy and disease.