Cytochrome P450rm of Rhodotorula functions in the beta-ketoadipate pathway for dissimilation of L-phenylalanine

The physiological function of a microsomal cytochrome P450, P450rm, from Rhodotorula minuta was determined. We obtained a mutant, 5-286, which has a point mutation in the P450rm gene, resulting in loss of the activities of the isobutene-forming enzyme and benzoate 4-hydroxylase and the ability to grow on medium containing L-phenylalanine as the sole carbon source. Mutant 5-286 spontaneously reverted to the wild-type at a frequency of approximately 10(-9)-10(-10). These results indicate that P450rm functions in the dissimilation pathway starting from L-phenylalanine.     

Perception of complex line drawings.

In figure segregation that may accompany figural completion, only 1 interpretation is dominant for some figures, whereas several different interpretations can be selected almost equally for other figures. This article addresses 2 problems in explaining this fact: (1) how to define quantitative measures for features (including gestalt principles of grouping) and (2) how to estimate the probability of each interpretation on the basis of these definitions. Quantitative definitions are given to 7 features involved in figure segregation and completion: the relative number of corners, good continuation, symmetry, curvature constancy, convexity, coincidence, and similarity. Each feature's value can be calculated from the total curvature function of the contour. The probability of each interpretation drawn by the participants is calculated by applying linear multiple regression analysis. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method can estimate human performance on a figure segregation and figural completion task fairly well. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

High-pressure synthesis, electrical and magnetic properties of new filled skutterudites LnOs4P12 (Ln = Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Y)

New filled skutteudites LnOs₄P₁₂ (Ln: Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho and Y) have been prepared at high temperatures and at high pressures. X-ray diffraction of these compounds is studied at room temperature. The relationship between lattice constants and atomic numbers of lanthanide (including Y) is obtained for LnOs₄P₁₂ (Ln: lanthanide). Electrical and magnetic properties of the new filled skutterudites with heavier lanthanide have been investigated at low temperatures. EuOs₄P₁₂ and GdOs₄P₁₂ show ferromagnetic transitions at around 15 and 22 K, respectively. The valence states of both compounds are +2 for the Eu compound and +3 for the Gd compound. DyOs₄P₁₂ does not show the magnetic transition down to 2 K. However, a small electrical anomaly is found at around 10 K. YOs₄P₁₂ exhibits a superconducting transition at around 3 K. This compound is a new superconductor. Electrical and magnetic anomalies of new filled skutterudites with heavier lanthanide LnOs₄P₁₂ (Ln: Eu, Gd, Dy and Y) are discussed. We have also found the electrical anomaly based on the magnetic transition at around 22 K for GdFe₄P₁₂.     

Robotic question support system to reduce hesitation for face-to-face questions in lectures

Encouraging students to actively ask questions during lectures is a formidable challenge that can be addressed through innovative use of information technology. We developed a robotic system that allows students in a lecture to collaboratively decide questions to be asked by a humanoid robot. To verify whether the system reduces hesitation to ask questions during lectures, 62 university students were divided into two groups, and each attended two different mock lectures on the Nobel Prize in Physics. Two lectures were conducted with and without the proposed system in counterbalanced order. Results suggested that students who were usually hesitant to ask questions during lectures became less hesitant to ask questions face-to-face when they could use the proposed system. Moreover, the perceived activeness in the lectures increased when using the system. Multiple regression analyses revealed that certain student actions, particularly tweeting and showing agreement with the questions posted by others, were correlated with an increase in perceived activeness.     

The influence of stud bumping stress on device degradation in scaled MOSFETs

This paper presents the effect of area bumping on device degradation in scaled metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). We have investigated the gate channel length dependence of g_m degradation after stud bumping above the MOSFETs and changes in the charge pumping currents for those devices. The von Mises’s equivalent stress is used to simulate the distribution of mechanical stress at the gate edges. From the relationship between the distribution of the von Mises’s equivalent stress and the change in the charge pumping currents after stud bumping, we show that stress concentrates within 0.1 μm of the gate edges. Furthermore, by estimating the amount of increased interface-state density we predicted that stud bumping stress greatly influences the device degradation of scaled MOS devices.     

CMOS/SIMOX devices having a radiation hardness of 2 Mrad(Si)

Radiation-hardened CMOS/SIMOX devices have been produced by combining SIMOX with a newly developed lateral isolation structure. Even after exposure of these devices up to 2 Mrad(Si) of gamma-ray irradiation, they exhibit sufficient operational characteristics.