Photoelectrical properties of In/n-CuIn5Se8 Schottky barriers

CuIn₅Se₈ homogeneous crystals of n-type conductivity have been grown. Donor centers activation energy has been estimated. In/n-CuIn₅Se₈ Schottky barriers have been created and the first spectral dependencies of quantum efficiency of photoconversion of these structures have been derived. The nature of interband optical transitions has been interpreted and the band gap values for direct and indirect transitions in CuIn₅Se₈ crystals have been determined on the results of analysis of the Schottky barriers photoactive edge absorption. A possibility of utilization of CuIn₅Se₈ crystals in wide-band photoconverters of the optical radiation has been established.     

Role of Macrophages and RhoA Pathway in Atherosclerosis

The development, progression, or stabilization of the atherosclerotic plaque depends on the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory macrophages. The influx of the macrophages and the regulation of macrophage phenotype, inflammatory or anti-inflammatory, are controlled by the small GTPase RhoA and its downstream effectors. Therefore, macrophages and the components of the RhoA pathway are attractive targets for anti-atherosclerotic therapies, which would inhibit macrophage influx and inflammatory phenotype, maintain an anti-inflammatory environment, and promote tissue remodeling and repair. Here, we discuss the recent findings on the role of macrophages and RhoA pathway in the atherosclerotic plaque formation and resolution and the novel therapeutic approaches.     

Reactant induced restructuring and corrosion of germanium-palladium catalysts during hydrogenation reactions

An anomalous rate enhancement with increasing conversion has been observed during the liquid phase hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and crotonaldehyde over Ge/Pd/C catalysts at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. Inductive coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and electrochemical measurement of the oxidation state of catalysts during reaction revealed that the bimetallic particles were partially oxidized by the reactants, which resulted in Ge-dissolution and increased exposure of Pd on the surface. It is proposed that the surface and bulk composition of Ge/Pd catalysts are a function of their oxidation state. This behaviour is due to the unusually high mobility of Ge in the Pd lattice and to the good solubility of GeO₂ in polar solvents. The influence of hydrogen transport on the corrosion process and the stability of other X/Pd type bimetallic catalysts during liquid phase hydrogenation are also discussed.     

Activated gas plasma surface treatment of polymers for adhesive bonding

Polyethylene, polypropylene, poly(vinyl fluoride) (Tedlar), polystyrene, nylon 6, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (Mylar), polycarbonate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and a poly(oxymethylene) copolymer were treated with activated helium and with activated oxygen. Mechanical strengths of adhesive-bonded specimens prepared from treated and from untreated coupons were compared. Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) showed the greatest increases in bond strength. Oxygen and helium were both effective with polyethylene, but polypropylene showed no improvement when treated with activated helium. The results with excited helium parallel the effects of ionizing radiation on these two polymers, as does the appearance of unsaturation bands in the infrared (965 cm^?1 in PE, and 887 and 910 cm^?1 in PP). Active nitrogen produced excellent bond strength with polyethylene but not with polypropylene. Of the remaining polymers examined, Tedlar, polystyrene, and nylon 6 showed the greatest improvement in bondability after treatment, and Mylar showed moderate improvement. Polycarbonate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and the poly(oxymethylene) copolymer gave approximately two-fold increases in lap-shear bond strength. In several cases, significant differences in response to time of treatment and type of excited gas were found.     

Calibrated,Registered Images of an Extended Urban Area

We describe a dataset of several thousand calibrated, time-stamped, geo-referenced, high dynamic range color images, acquired under uncontrolled, variable illumination conditions in an outdoor region spanning several hundred meters. The image data is grouped into several regions which have little mutual inter-visibility. For each group, the calibration data is globally consistent on average to roughly five centimeters and 0 1°, or about four pixels of epipolar registration. All image, feature and calibration data is available for interactive inspection and downloading at http://city.lcs.mit.edu/data.Calibrated imagery is of fundamental interest in a variety of applications. We have made this data available in the belief that researchers in computer graphics, computer vision, photogrammetry and digital cartography will find it of value as a test set for their own image registration algorithms, as a calibrated image set for applications such as image-based rendering, metric 3D reconstruction, and appearance recovery, and as input for existing GIS applications.     

Running from Stress: Neurobiological Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Stress Resilience

Chronic stress, even stress of a moderate intensity related to daily life, is widely acknowledged to be a predisposing or precipitating factor in neuropsychiatric diseases. There is a clear relationship between disturbances induced by stressful stimuli, especially long-lasting stimuli, and cognitive deficits in rodent models of affective disorders. Regular physical activity has a positive effect on the central nervous system (CNS) functions, contributes to an improvement in mood and of cognitive abilities (including memory and learning), and is correlated with an increase in the expression of the neurotrophic factors and markers of synaptic plasticity as well as a reduction in the inflammatory factors. Studies published so far show that the energy challenge caused by physical exercise can affect the CNS by improving cellular bioenergetics, stimulating the processes responsible for the removal of damaged organelles and molecules, and attenuating inflammation processes. Regular physical activity brings another important benefit: increased stress robustness. The evidence from animal studies is that a sedentary lifestyle is associated with stress vulnerability, whereas a physically active lifestyle is associated with stress resilience. Here, we have performed a comprehensive PubMed Search Strategy for accomplishing an exhaustive literature review. In this review, we discuss the findings from experimental studies on the molecular and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the impact of exercise on brain resilience. A thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective potential of preconditioning exercise and of the role of exercise in stress resilience, among other things, may open further options for prevention and therapy in the treatment of CNS diseases.     

Application of Sensitivity Analysis to Discover Potential Molecular Drug Targets

Mathematical modeling of signaling pathways and regulatory networks has been supporting experimental research for some time now. Sensitivity analysis, aimed at finding model parameters whose changes yield significantly altered cellular responses, is an important part of modeling work. However, sensitivity methods are often directly transplanted from analysis of technical systems, and thus, they may not serve the purposes of analysis of biological systems. This paper presents a novel sensitivity analysis method that is particularly suited to the task of searching for potential molecular drug targets in signaling pathways. Using two sample models of pathways, p53/Mdm2 regulatory module and IFN-β-induced JAK/STAT signaling pathway, we show that the method leads to biologically relevant conclusions, identifying processes suitable for targeted pharmacological inhibition, represented by the reduction of kinetic parameter values. That, in turn, facilitates subsequent search for active drug components.     

Team performance and information system implementation

Although the Earned Value Method (EVM), a multi-dimensional project control system, has been widely used since 1960, there has been little research focused specifically on its application in IS implementation. The management of IS projects—including the accurate forecasting of project duration—is complicated by the strong impact of the learning curve on the effectiveness of EVM. This study makes new contributions by advancing formulas for the accurate prediction of project duration, and by developing a decision support model in which the learning curve is fully integrated with EVM, and performance changes due to learning are isolated from other factors affecting project duration. The study makes three contributions to the understanding and use of EVM in IS implementation: (1) It provides an extended version of EVM, (2) it provides an illustration of the application of EVM to a real project situation based on empirical data from an ERP implementation project, and (3) it provides a theoretical basis for empirical studies of IS project control techniques. The decision support model can be used to determine both the learning curve coefficient and the project completion date during the early stages of a project, and it thus offers a significant practical contribution to the management of IS projects.

Failure of Adhesive Bonds at Constant Strain Rates

Shear strengths of adhesive bonds using AF126 and two thicknesses of aluminum were measured at constant rate of crosshead separation. It was found that the shear strength could be related to temperature and strain rate or failure time over the range of deformation rates used.