Increasing optical metamaterials functionality

Gold Split Ring Resonators (SRRs) were fabricated on silicon substrates by electron beam lithography and lift-off, with overall dimensions of approximately 200 nm. Reflectance spectra from the SRRs are similar to those published elsewhere. New devices are proposed based on the additional functionality afforded by the use of a silicon substrate

Measuring neuromuscular junction functionality

Neuromuscular junction (NMJ) functionality plays a pivotal role when studying diseases in which the communication between motor neuron and muscle is impaired, such as aging and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here we describe an experimental protocol that can be used to measure NMJ functionality by combining two types of electrical stimulation: direct muscle membrane stimulation and the stimulation through the nerve. The comparison of the muscle response to these two different stimulations can help to define, at the functional level, potential alterations in the NMJ that lead to functional decline in muscle. Ex vivo preparations are suited to well-controlled studies. Here we describe an intensive protocol to measure several parameters of muscle and NMJ functionality for the soleus-sciatic nerve preparation and for the diaphragm-phrenic nerve preparation. The protocol lasts approximately 60 min and is conducted uninterruptedly by means of a custom-made software that measures the twitch kinetics properties, the force-frequency relationship for both muscle and nerve stimulations, and two parameters specific to NMJ functionality, i.e. neurotransmission failure and intratetanic fatigue. This methodology was used to detect damages in soleus and diaphragm muscle-nerve preparations by using SOD1G93A transgenic mouse, an experimental model of ALS that ubiquitously overexpresses the mutant antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1)

Multiple Functionality in Nanotube Transistors

Calculations of quantum transport in a carbon nanotube transistor show that such a device offers unique functionality. It can operate as a ballistic field-effect transistor, with excellent characteristics even when scaled to 10 nm dimensions. At larger gate voltages, channel inversion leads to resonant tunneling through an electrostatically defined nanoscale quantum dot. Thus the transistor becomes a gated resonant tunelling device, with negative differential resistance at a tunable threshold. For the dimensions considered here, the device operates in the Coulomb blockade regime, even at room temperature.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. Let

The functional and the dysfunctional in the comparative method of law: some critical remarks

This contribution explores the leading principle in the comparative method of law: functionality of comparisons. The principle is defined, conditioned and analysed. In particular, the author wishes to maintain with this article the orthodox approach when it comes to understanding the principle of functionality for the comparative method. The article’s analysis proceeds with an examination of whether functionality is concerned with similarities and/or differences. The author suggests that it is possible that functionality can operate for the identification of differences and the identification of similarities, the stress being on the latter. The article then argues that functionality serves as a common, unifying and mutually intelligible denominator amongst comparative lawyers around the world, even though not necessarily in a dogmatic fashion. Furthermore, the author of this contribution notes the evolution of the principle in question, its strengths as well as its main criticisms, which are also presented herein. The article concludes that functionality remains the epicentre of the comparative method of law and that its drawbacks remind us that the principle is susceptible to further refinement in the future

Compact Binary Relation Representations with Rich Functionality

Binary relations are an important abstraction arising in many data representation problems. The data structures proposed so far to represent them support just a few basic operations required to fit one particular application. We identify many of those operations arising in applications and generalize them into a wide set of desirable queries for a binary relation representation. We also identify reductions among those operations. We then introduce several novel binary relation representations, some simple and some quite sophisticated, that not only are space-efficient but also efficiently support a large subset of the desired queries.Comment: 32 page