Immunolocalization of corneous proteins including a serine‐tyrosine‐rich beta‐protein in the adhesive pads in the tokay gecko

Adhesive pads of geckos contain many thousands of nanoscale spatulae for the adhesion and movement along vertical or inverted surfaces. Setae are composed of interlaced corneous bundles made of small cysteine‐glycine‐rich corneous beta proteins (CBPs, formerly indicated as beta‐keratins), embedded in a matrix material composed of cytoskeletal proteins and lipids. Negatively charged intermediate filament keratins (IFKs) and positively charged CBPs likely interact within setae, aside disulphide bonds, giving rise to a flexible and resistant corneous material. Using differernt antibodies against CBPs and IFKs an updated model of the composition of setae and spatulae is presented. Immunofluorescence and ultrastructural immunogold labeling reveal that one type of neutral serine‐tyrosine‐rich CBP is weakly localized in the setae while it is absent from the spatula. This uncharged protein is mainly present in the thin Oberhautchen layer sustaining the setae, although with a much lower intensity with respect to the cysteine‐rich CBPs. These proteins in the spatula likely originate a positively charged or neutral contact surface with the substrate but the influence of lipids and cytoskeletal proteins present in setae on the mechanism of adhesion is not known. In the spatula, protein‐lipid complexes may impart the pliability for the attachment and adapt to irregular surfaces. The presence of cysteine‐glycine medium rich CBPs and softer IFKs in alpha‐layers sustaining the setae forms a flexible base for compliance of the setae to substrate and improved adhesion.     

Multi-heterojunction large area HgCdTe long wavelength infrared photovoltaic detector for operation at near room temperatures

This paper describes a new multi-heterojunction n ⁺pp photovoltaic infrared photodetector. The device has been developed specifically for operation at temperatures of 200–300K in the long wavelength (8–14 μm) range of the infrared spectrum. The new structure solves the perennial problems of poor quantum efficiency and low dynamic resistance found in conventional long wavelength infrared photovoltaic detectors when operated near room temperature. Computer simulations show that devices with properly optimized multiple heterojunctions are capable of achieving the performance limits imposed by the statistical nature of thermal generation-recombination processes. In order to demonstrate the technology, multiple heterojunction devices have been fabricated on epilayers grown by isothermal vapor phase epitaxy of HgCdTe and in situ As p-type doping. The detector structures were formed using a combination of conventional dry etching, angled ion milling, and angled thermal evaporation for contact metal deposition. These multi-junction n ⁺pp HgCdTe heterostructure devices exhibit performances which make them useful for many applications. D* of optically immersed multiple heterostructure photovoltaic detectors exceeding 10⁸cmHz^1/2/W were measured at λ=10.6 μm and T=300K.     

High Performance, Low-Dose Radiography Systems for Space and Remote Site Applications

Medical imaging applications using X- and gamma-rays have reached outstanding levels of complexity and performance, thanks to technology achievements in the fields of radiography, tomography and high resolution synchrotron devices. The operability of the related instrumentation resides in the availability of highly qualified specialists, as well as of medical doctors for diagnoses and treatment. This is a problem for personnel working in difficult ambient conditions as can be found in remote sites like Arctica, Antarctica and under-populated, desolated or mountainous regions on Earth. Astronauts, during long permanence at the Space Station or on future mission to Mars are potentially subject to risks such as traumas, fractures or diseases which would require semi-automated, easy-to-handle application of X-ray radiographic devices. For this purpose, the possible use of imaging instrumentation based on solid state detectors is discussed with special regard to CdZnTe pixel devices, now available with sub-mm resolution. The use of these semiconductor detectors will also allow to perform image diagnostics at much lower doses compared to the current plate-based radiographic techniques.     

Landscape dynamics of Mediterranean montane grasslands over 60 years and implications for habitats conservation. A case study in the northern Apennines (Italy)

Widespread trends of abandonment have strongly affected Mediterranean mountains after the Second World War, triggering spontaneous recolonisation of forests. A diachronic analysis of the landscape in a Natura 2000 site (Tuscany, Italy) was carried out using digital aerial photographs (1954, 2013) and a GIS-based methodology, focusing on territories above 1300 m a.s.l. The detected variations of total areas, patch shape, patch dimensions and selected metrics showed a notable shift of the vegetation towards woody types and a drastic reduction of open grasslands, some with high conservation value, accompanied by a strong increase in patch number, surface and edge. A decrease of SDI and SEI diversity indices was also observed. Considering that fragmentation is one of the main causes threatening habitats and species, our results point out a clear necessity for a monitoring programme and suitable actions aimed at improving the status of biodiversity-rich montane grasslands.     

Corrosion behavior of thermoelectric clathrates α- and β-Eu8Ga16−xGe30+x in air

The corrosion of thermoelectric clathrates α- and β-Eu₈Ga_16−xGe_30+x is studied under static air (DSC/TG) up to 650 °C. Oxidation product layers with thicknesses of 10.5 μm (α-Eu₈Ga_16−xGe_30+x) and 4.5 μm (β-Eu₈Ga_16−xGe_30+x) are formed. The oxidation begins at 360 and 380 °C, respectively. XRD pattern of the β-Eu₈Ga_16−xGe_30+x oxidized layer shows Ge and four Eu₂O₃ reflections; while α-Eu₈Ga_16−xGe_30+x data (sample crushed and grinded) shows α-Eu₈Ga_16−xGe_30+x reflections (majority phase), two EuGa_2±xGe_4?x strongest reflections and Ge (minority phases). These results indicate the amount of oxides is very small or they are amorphous. High temperature powder XRD measurements on α-Eu₈Ga_16−xGe_30+x under air confirm the oxidation onset temperature determined in DSC studies.     

Multi-agent quality of experience control

International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems - In the framework of the Future Internet, the aim of the Quality of Experience (QoE) Control functionalities is to track the personalized...     

Software corrections of vocal disorders

We discuss how vocal disorders can be post-corrected via a simple nonlinear noise reduction scheme. This work is motivated by the need of a better understanding of voice dysfunctions. This would entail a 2-fold advantage for affected patients: Physicians can perform better surgical interventions and on the other hand researchers can try to build up devices that can help to improve voice quality, i.e. in a phone conversation, avoiding any surgical treatment. As a first step, a proper signal classification is performed, through the idea of geometric signal separation in a feature space. Then through the analysis of the different regions populated by the samples coming from healthy people and from patients affected by T1A glottis cancer, one is able to understand which kind of interventions are necessary in order to correct the illness, i.e. to move the corresponding feature vector from the sick region to the healthy one. We discuss such a filter and show its performance.     

Double dispatch in C++

Double dispatch is the ability to dynamically select a method not only according to the run‐time type of the receiver (single dispatch), but also according to the run‐time type of the argument. This mechanism unleashes the power of dynamic binding in object‐oriented languages, so enhancing re‐usability and separation of responsibilities. However, many mainstream languages, such as, e.g., C++ and Java, do not provide it, resorting only to single dispatch. In this paper we propose an extension of C++ (also applicable to other object‐oriented languages) that enables double dispatch as a language feature. This yields dynamic overloading and covariant specialization of methods. We define a translation from the new constructs to standard C++ and we present the preprocessor implementing this translation, called doublecpp . The translated code enjoys static type safety and implements the semantics of double dispatch by using only standard mechanisms of static overloading and dynamic binding, with minimal impact on the performance of the program. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.