Pattern matching in the Hamming distance with thresholds

It has long been known that pattern matching in the Hamming distance metric can be done in time, where n is the length of the text, m is the length of the pattern, and Σ is the alphabet. The classic algorithm for this is due to Abrahamson and Kosaraju. This paper considers the following generalization, motivated by the situation where the entries in the text and pattern are analog, or distorted by additive noise, or imprecisely given for some other reason: in any alignment of the pattern with the text, two aligned symbols a and b contribute +1 to the similarity score if they differ by no more than a given threshold θ, otherwise they contribute zero. We give an time algorithm for this more general version of the problem; the classic Hamming distance matching problem is the special case of θ=0.     

Fluorescence lifetime imaging of coral fluorescent proteins

Corals, like many other coelenterates, contain fluorescent pigments that show considerable homology with the well known green fluorescent protein of the jellyfish Aequoria. In corals, unlike jellyfish, multiple proteins are present and the range of excitations and emissions suggest the possibility of energy transfer. The occurrence of F?rster resonant energy transfer (FRET) between fluorescent proteins in corals has already been reported and time-resolved spectra have shown the effect on fluorescent lifetime, but without any spatial resolution. Lifetime confocal microscopy offers lower time resolution but excellent spatial resolution. Lifetimes of the isolated A. millepora pigments amilFP490, amilFP504, and amilFP593 (names indicate emission peaks) were 2.8, 2.9, and 2.9 ns, respectively. In the coral sample, imaging the entire emission spectrum from 420 nm, the mean lifetime was reduced to 1.5 ns, implying that FRET was occurring. Looking just at the fluorescence from FRET donors the lifetime was even shorter, at 1.3 ns, supporting this interpretation. In contrast, no reduction in lifetime is seen in the coral Euphyllia ancora, where the pigment distribution also suggests that the pigments are unlikely to be involved in photoprotection. This study set out to determine the extent of FRET between pigments in two corals, Acropora millepora and Euphyllia, ancora which differ in the arrangement of their pigments and hence possibly in pigment function.     

Increase in the density of β-FeSi2 nanoclusters on a Si(111) surface by means of Si(111) √3 × √3R30°-B reconstruction

The formation of iron disilicide (β-FeSi₂) nanoclusters as a result of solid-state epitaxy at T = 500–700°C and an iron coverage of 0.05–0.5 monolayer on a boron-modified Si(111)√3 × √3 R30° surface has been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. It is established that the number density of β-FeSi₂ nanoclusters on the Si(111) √3 × √3 R30°-B surface significantly exceeds the density of silicide clusters formed on the atomically clean Si(111) surface with a 7 × 7 reconstruction for the analogous iron coverages and annealing temperatures. At the same time, the density of point defects and clusters possessing metallic conductivity on the Si(111) √3 × √3 R30°-B surface is several orders of magnitude lower than on the Si(111)7 × 7 surface treated under identical conditions.     

Label-free imaging of semiconducting and metallic carbon nanotubes in cells and mice using transient absorption microscopy

As interest in the potential biomedical applications of carbon nanotubes increases, there is a need for methods that can image nanotubes in live cells, tissues and animals. Although techniques such as Raman, photoacoustic and near-infrared photoluminescence imaging have been used to visualize nanotubes in biological environments, these techniques are limited because nanotubes provide only weak photoluminescence and low Raman scattering and it remains difficult to image both semiconducting and metallic nanotubes at the same time. Here, we show that transient absorption microscopy offers a label-free method to image both semiconducting and metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes in vitro and in vivo, in real time, with submicrometre resolution. By using appropriate near-infrared excitation wavelengths, we detect strong transient absorption signals with opposite phases from semiconducting and metallic nanotubes. Our method separates background signals generated by red blood cells and this allows us to follow the movement of both types of nanotubes inside cells and in the blood circulation and organs of mice without any significant damaging effects.     

Polymer-graphene nanocomposites as ultrafast-charge and -discharge cathodes for rechargeable lithium batteries

Electroactive polymers are a new generation of "green" cathode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries. We have developed nanocomposites combining graphene with two promising polymer cathode materials, poly(anthraquinonyl sulfide) and polyimide, to improve their high-rate performance. The polymer-graphene nanocomposites were synthesized through a simple in situ polymerization in the presence of graphene sheets. The highly dispersed graphene sheets in the nanocomposite drastically enhanced the electronic conductivity and allowed the electrochemical activity of the polymer cathode to be efficiently utilized. This allows for ultrafast charging and discharging; the composite can deliver more than 100 mAh/g within just a few seconds.     

Influence of Temperature on the Colloidal Stability of Polymer‐Coated Gold Nanoparticles in Cell Culture Media

The temperature‐dependence of the hydrodynamic diameter and colloidal stability of gold‐polymer core‐shell particles with temperature‐sensitive (poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)) and temperature‐insensitive shells (polyallylaminine hydrochloride/polystyrensulfonate, poly(isobutylene‐alt‐maleic anhydride)‐graft‐dodecyl) are investigated in various aqueous media. The data demonstrate that for all nanoparticle agglomeration, i.e., increase in effective nanoparticle size, the presence of salts or proteins in the dispersion media has to be taken into account. Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) coated nanoparticles show a reversible temperature‐dependent increase in size above the volume phase transition of the polymer shell when they are dispersed in phosphate buffered saline or in media containing protein. In contrast, the nanoparticles coated with temperature‐insensitive polymers show a time‐dependent increase in size in phosphate buffered saline or in medium containing protein. This is due to time‐dependent agglomeration, which is particularly strong in phosphate buffered saline, and induces a time‐dependent, irreversible increase in the hydrodynamic diameter of the nanoparticles. This demonstrates that one has to distinguish between temperature‐ and time‐induced agglomerations. Since the size of nanoparticles regulates their uptake by cells, temperature‐dependent uptake of thermosensitive and non‐thermosensitive nanoparticles by cells lines is compared. No temperature‐specific difference between both types of nanoparticles could be observed.     

Degradation-robust 850-nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers for 25Gb/s optical data transmission

Highly efficient fast vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) for the 850-nm spectral range, promising for the development of optical interconnections with a data transmission rate of 25 Gbit/s per channel, are fabricated and studied. Lasers with a selectively oxidized current aperture 6 μm in diameter demonstrate multimode lasing with a quantum efficiency of 35–45% and a threshold current of 0.5–0.7 mA in the temperature range 20–85°C. According to the results of small-signal frequency analysis, the maximum modulation frequency of the lasers exceeds 17 GHz, with the rate of its increase with current exceeding 9 GHz/mA^1/2, which provides VCSEL operation at a rate of 25 Gbit/s in the entire working temperature range. Endurance tests for 3000 h did not reveal any sudden degradation of the lasers. The optical power at working point and the threshold current changed relative to that at the beginning of the tests by no more than 5 and 10%, respectively.     

A 2D quadrangular pyramid photoelectric autocollimator with extended angle measurement range

A photoelectric autocollimator with high accuracy and extended measurement range based on the quadrangular pyramid is proposed, and the corresponding algorithms are also deduced. A new image processing algorithm has been proposed to improve the accuracy, and the corresponding errors are also estimated, the error does not exceed half a pixel when the distance between the marks more than two radii. The experimental results have verified that the measurement range of the proposed two-dimensional (2D) quadrangular pyramid photoelectric autocollimator can be increased times than that of the flat mirror photoelectric autocollimator from 10′ to 15′. The accuracy is better than 1″ when the deflection is less than 15′.     

Effect of yttrium doping on the resistivity and magnetoresistance of La<Subscript>0.80</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.20</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The temperature and magnetic field dependence of resistivity of crystals of nominal compositions of La_0.75Y_0.05Sr_0.20MnO₃ grown by floating zone method at different growth rates are studied. The yttrium doping is found to result in the decrease of Curie temperature, suppression of the Pnma-R $ \bar 3 $ \bar 3 c structural transition, increase of resistivity and magnetoresistance. It is shown that the physical properties of the manganites studied are determined by not only the nominal composition but also the growth rate.