Watching out for the system. Interview by Steve Levine

Then-Governor-elect George W. Bush hadn't even taken office on January 4, 1995, when he reached across the aisle to tap a conservative Democratic state legislator from rural East Texas to serve as his first commissioner of insurance. A former banker, realtor,and salesman, Elton Bomer, of Montalba, had earned the reputation of a hard-nosed, no-nonsense member of the House of Representatives.     

Polyphase Barker sequences

Polyphase sequences are time-discrete complex sequences with constant magnitude and variable phase. In this letter polyphase sequences with aperiodic autocorrelation function (ACF) sidelobes of values less than or equal to 1 are presented. Such sequences are called Barker sequences. Binary Barker sequences with elements 1 or -1 are only known up to 13 elements. Now, with an iteration scheme, polyphase Barker sequences are found up to 25 elements, except for 20 elements.<>     

Two-dimensional perfect binary arrays with 64 elements

Perfect binary arrays can exist for numbers of elements that are even square numbers. Two-dimensional (2-D) perfect binary arrays are 4, 16, 36, and 144 elements are known. Perfect binary arrays with 64 elements can be constructed for three or more dimensions. Here, two-dimensional binary arrays with 64 elements are examined. The results of computer search for symmetric binary arrays with 64 elements are presented in the form of two 2-D perfect binary arrays with sizes 8*8 and 4*16. Applications of these perfect binary arrays are in 2-D synchronization, time-frequency coding, and coding loudspeaker fields     

Microfluidic DNA fragmentation for on-chip genomic analysis

We report a high-throughput clog-free microfluidic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation chip that is based on hydrodynamic shearing. Salmon sperm DNA has been reproducibly fragmented down to ～ 5k?bp fragment lengths by applying low hydraulic pressures (≤1?bar) across micromachined constrictions positioned in larger microfluidic channels that create point-sink flow with large velocity gradients near the constriction entrance. Long constrictions (100?μm) produce shorter fragment lengths compared to shorter constrictions (10?μm), while increasing the hydrodynamic pressure requirement. Sample recirculation (10 ×) in short constrictions reduces the mean fragment length and fragment length variation, and improves yield compared to single-pass experiments without increasing the hydrodynamic pressure.     

Continuous flow microfluidic demixing of electrolytes by induced charge electrokinetics in structured electrode arrays

A continuous flow microfluidic demixing process is realized. It utilizes high external electrical fields that are applied over electrically floating noble metal electrodes in an otherwise straight microchannel. The process converts axial electrical potential gradients into lateral molecular selective transport via a structure oriented ensemble of numerous electrodes. While the individual electrodes locally modify the electrolyte distribution by nonlinear electrokinetic effects and concentration polarization, the directed orientation of the electrode array combines the individual polarization zones to a dedicated molecular enrichment against the generated concentration gradient. A homogeneously concentrated electrolyte can be separated into arbitrarily shaped laminae of increased and depleted concentration by the presented microfluidic demixer.     

Al2O3/silicon nanoISFET with near ideal nernstian response

Nanoscale ISFET (ion sensitive field-effect transistor) pH sensors are presented that produce the well-known sub-nernstian pH-response for silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) surfaces and near ideal nernstian sensitivity for alumina (Al(2)O(3)) surfaces. Titration experiments of SiO(2) surfaces resulted in a varying pH sensitivity ～20 mV/pH for pH near 2 and >45 mV/pH for pH > 5. Measured pH responses from titrations of thin (15 nm) atomic layer deposited (ALD) alumina (Al(2)O(3)) surfaces on the nanoISFETs resulted in near ideal nernstian pH sensitivity of 57.8 ± 1.2 mV/pH (pH range: 2-10; T = 22 °C) and temperature sensitivity of 0.19 mV/pH °C (22 °C ≤ T ≤ 40 °C). A comprehensive analytical model of the nanoISFET sensor, which is based on the combined Gouy-Chapman-Stern and Site-Binding (GCS-SB) model, accompanies the experimental results and an extracted ΔpK ≈ 1.5 from the measured responses further supports the near ideal nernstian pH sensitivity.     

Perfect N-phase sequences and arrays [spread spectrumcommunication]

Perfect sequences and arrays have periodic autocorrelation functions whose out-of-phase values are zero. Time-discrete N-phase sequences and arrays have complex elements of magnitude one, and one of (2π/N)n, 0⩽n<N , different phase values. Existence conditions and construction methods for perfect N-phase sequences and arrays with a small alphabet of possible phase values are introduced. Combining the existence conditions with, methods of advanced computer search, new perfect N-phase arrays have been found. The resulting lowest number N of perfect N-phase sequences and arrays up to 40 elements are given in a table, after having applied the construction methods     

Perfect ternary arrays

Signals of two or more dimensions with ideal impulse-like periodic autocorrelation functions are used in higher-dimensional signal processing or in radar systems. Four synthesizing methods for perfect ternary arrays are presented. Based on known perfect binary and ternary sequences and arrays, many new perfect ternary arrays with increasing number of elements are constructed. New strong conditions for the existence of perfect arrays are developed. By combining these conditions with an advanced computer search, new ternary arrays are found. These new ternary arrays can be used as starting arrays to construct additional perfect ternary sequences and arrays     

ATPase Inhibitory Factor-1 Disrupts Mitochondrial Ca2+ Handling and Promotes Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy through CaMKIIδ

ATPase inhibitory factor-1 (IF1) preserves cellular ATP under conditions of respiratory collapse, yet the function of IF1 under normal respiring conditions is unresolved. We tested the hypothesis that IF1 promotes mitochondrial dysfunction and pathological cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in the context of heart failure (HF). Methods and results: Cardiac expression of IF1 was increased in mice and in humans with HF, downstream of neurohumoral signaling pathways and in patterns that resembled the fetal-like gene program. Adenoviral expression of wild-type IF1 in primary cardiomyocytes resulted in pathological hypertrophy and metabolic remodeling as evidenced by enhanced mitochondrial oxidative stress, reduced mitochondrial respiratory capacity, and the augmentation of extramitochondrial glycolysis. Similar perturbations were observed with an IF1 mutant incapable of binding to ATP synthase (E55A mutation), an indication that these effects occurred independent of binding to ATP synthase. Instead, IF1 promoted mitochondrial fragmentation and compromised mitochondrial Ca²⁺ handling, which resulted in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ overloading. The effects of IF1 on Ca²⁺ handling were associated with the cytosolic activation of calcium–calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) and inhibition of CaMKII or co-expression of catalytically dead CaMKIIδC was sufficient to prevent IF1 induced pathological hypertrophy. Conclusions: IF1 represents a novel member of the fetal-like gene program that contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction and pathological cardiac remodeling in HF. Furthermore, we present evidence for a novel, ATP-synthase-independent, role for IF1 in mitochondrial Ca²⁺ handling and mitochondrial-to-nuclear crosstalk involving CaMKII.