Effects of brefeldin-A on Golgi morphology in human cultured fibroblasts observed in three-dimensional stereo scanning electron microscopy

Brefeldin A (BFA) has been reported to cause disassembly of the Golgi. We have used three-dimensional (3-D) high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) to investigate these effects in human skin fibroblast cells. The spontaneous reassembly during prolonged exposure to BFA and some effects of forskolin were observed. A BFA concentration of 5μg/ml caused Golgi complexes to become vesicular, resulting in a progressive decrease in the size of the Golgi. Morphologic changes were visible within 2 min of BFA incubation, and by 30 min no identifiable Golgi could be found. Spontaneous reassembly of the Golgi apparatus upon the removal of the BFA or with continued long-term exposure with BFA could not be confirmed. Preliminary experiments with forskolin were not effective in reversing or inhibiting the effects of BFA in human fibroblast cells grown in culture. This inability for spontaneous reassembly and nonreversal by forskolin may reflect a differential effect of BFA in various cell types. HRSEM has proven to be useful for observing 3-D morphologic effects of BFA in Golgi.     

Effects of hot carrier induced interface state generation insubmicron LDD MOSFET's

A two-dimensional numerical simulation including a new interface state generation model has been developed to study the performance variation of a LDD MOSFET after a dc voltage stress. The spatial distribution of hot carrier induced interface states is calculated with a breaking silicon-hydrogen bond model. Mobility degradation and reduction of conduction charge due to interface traps are considered. A 0.6 μm LDD MOSFET was fabricated. The drain current degradation and the substrate current variation after a stress were characterized to compare the simulation. A reduction of the substrate current at V_g ≃0.5 V_d in a stressed device was observed from both the measurement and the simulation. Our study reveals that the reduction is attributed to a distance between a maximum channel electric field and generated interface states     

基于媒体用户访问行为偏好模型的代理缓存算法

目前,代理缓存技术广泛应用于改善流媒体传输的服务质量.文章从实际用户日志文件的分析出发,利用发现的用户浏览流媒体对象时的行为分布模型,提出了一种新的视频流媒体缓存算法.仿真结果证明,该算法可以通过记录很少的用户访问信息获取较高的性能表现.     

Analysis of adaptive bandwidth allocation in wireless networks with multilevel degradable quality of service

A wireless/mobile network supporting multilevel quality of service (QoS) is considered. In such a network, users or applications can tolerate a certain degree of QoS degradation. Bandwidth allocation to users can, therefore, be adjusted dynamically according to the underlying network condition so as to increase bandwidth utilization and service provider's revenue. However, arbitrary QoS degradation may be unsatisfactory or unacceptable to the users, hence resulting in their subsequent defection. Instead of only focusing on bandwidth utilization or blocking/dropping probability, two new user-perceived QoS metrics, degradation ratio and upgrade/degrade frequency, are proposed. A Markov model is then provided to derive these QoS metrics. Using this model, we evaluate the effects of adaptive bandwidth allocation on user-perceived QoS and show the existence of trade offs between system performance and user-perceived QoS. We also show how to exploit adaptive bandwidth allocation to increase system utilization (for the system administrator) with controlled QoS degradation (for the users). By considering various mobility patterns, the simulation results are shown to match our analytical results, demonstrating the applicability of our analytical model to more general cases.     

An introduction to Wu's method for mechanical theorem proving in geometry

Wu's algebraic method for mechanically proving geometry theorems is presented at a level as elementary as possible with sufficient examples for further understanding the complete method.The work reported here was supported by NSF Grant DCR-8503498.     

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of Silicon Carbide Polytypes

The ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectra of the 2H, 4H, 6H, and 3C polytypes of silicon carbide are presented. An attempt is made to correlate differences in the chemical shifts with local atomic environment. The results of the analysis of the spectra of pure polytypes are used as a basic for the interpretation of the spectra of mixed polytypes and a discussion of the crystallinity and impurity levels of different samples. Carbon-13 chemical shifts obtained from spectra of the same polytypes are also tabulated.     

Mechanistic investigation into the electrolytic formation of iron from iron(III) oxide in molten sodium hydroxide

Iron(III) oxide tablets were electrolytically reduced to iron in molten sodium hydroxide at 530 °C and recovered to produce iron with 2 wt.% oxygen suitable for re-melting. The cell was operated at 1.7 V and an inert nickel anode was used. The thermodynamics and mechanism of the process was also investigated. By controlling the activity of sodium oxide in the melt, the cell could be operated below the decomposition voltage of the electrolyte with the net sequence of events being the ionization of oxygen, its subsequent transport to the anode and discharge leaving behind iron at the cathode. A reduction time of 1 h was achieved for a 1 g oxide tablet (close to the theoretical reduction time predicted by Faraday’s laws) at a current density of 520 mA cm⁻² with iron phase yields of ∼90 wt.%. The energy consumption was 2.8 kWh kg⁻¹.