Testability of Switching Lattices in the Cellular Fault Model

A switching lattice is a two-dimensional array of four-terminal switches implemented in its cells. Each switch is linked to the four neighbors and is connected with them when the switch is ON, or is disconnected when the switch is OFF. Recently, with the advent of a variety of emerging nanoscale technologies based on regular arrays of switches, lattices of multi-terminal switches, originally introduced by Akers in 1972, have found a renewed interest. In this paper, the testability under the Cellular Fault Model (CFM) of switching lattices is defined and analyzed. Moreover, some techniques for improving the testability of lattices are discussed and experimentally evaluated

NGF-response of EGF-dependent progenitor cells obtained from human sympathetic ganglia

SIGNALLING molecules are thought to play a significant role in determining the fate of neural crest progenitor cells. The human sympathetic chain was identified at 6.5, 7.5, 8.2, 10.2 and 11.4 postconception (PC) weeks demonstrating low affinity nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors, and was processed for tissue culture. In the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF), floating spheres of proliferating progenitor cells were developed in vitro. In the absence of EGF progenitor cells differentiated into tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive neuronal and TH-negative flat cells. NGF treatment significantly increased neurite outgrowth and survival of TH-immunoreactive cells. The multipotent cells we isolated differ from previously reported sympathoadrenal progenitors in that they give rise to TH immunoreactive neurones precociously sensitive to NGF

Asymptotically exact probability distribution for the Sinai model with finite drift

We obtain the exact asymptotic result for the disorder-averaged probability distribution function for a random walk in a biased Sinai model and show that it is characterized by a creeping behavior of the displacement moments with time, ~ t^{\mu n} where \mu is dimensionless mean drift. We employ a method originated in quantum diffusion which is based on the exact mapping of the problem to an imaginary-time Schr\"{odinger} equation. For nonzero drift such an equation has an isolated lowest eigenvalue separated by a gap from quasi-continuous excited states, and the eigenstate corresponding to the former governs the long-time asymptotic behavior.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Computing the full quotient in bi-decomposition by approximation

Bi-decomposition is a design technique widely used to realize logic functions by the composition of simpler components. It can be seen as a form of Boolean division, where a given function is split into a divisor and quotient (and a remainder, if needed). The key questions are how to find a good divisor and then how to compute the quotient. In this paper we choose as divisor an approximation of the given function, and characterize the incompletely specified function which describes the full flexibility for the quotient. We report at the end preliminary experiments for bi-decomposition based on two AND-like operators with a divisor approximation from 1 to 0, and discuss the impact of the approximation error rate on the final area of the components in the case of synthesis by three-level XOR-AND-OR forms

Phylogeny of the Genus Dichotrachelus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cyclominae)

A phylogenetic analysis of the genus Dichotrachelus (Curculionidae: Cyclominae) was carried out, based on a morphological matrix and, for some species, on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I sequences. Bayesian Inference, Maximum Likelihood and Maximum Parsimony were implemented and the results were compared. The genus is found to be isolated in the subfamily, not related to the only other Palaearctic tribe (Hipporhinini) and possibly nearer to the south-American genera of Cyclominae of the tribe Listroderini. Among these, Macrostyphlus is also equally associated to mosses as the host plant. In Dichotrachelus, two main clades were recognized, one distributed in the western part of the Mediterranean region (Iberian Peninsula, northern Africa and southern France) and the second distributed in the Alps and Apennines. Within each clade, some differentiated monophyletic subgroups could be identified. An evaluation of the most important characters that led to the phylogenetic reconstruction indicated the male genital sclerite as the most useful structure to characterize the different clades

A dual isotopic approach using radioactive phosphorus and the isotopic composition of oxygen associated to phosphorus to understand plant reaction to a change in P nutrition

Abstract Background Changing the phosphorus (P) nutrition leads to changes in plant metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate how these changes are reflected in the distribution of 33P and the isotopic composition of oxygen associated to P (δ18OP) in different plant parts of soybean (Glycine max cv. Toliman). Two P pools were extracted sequentially with 0.3 M trichloroacetic acid (TCA P) and 10 M nitric acid (HNO3; residual P). Results The δ18OP of TCA P in the old leaves of the − P plants (23.8‰) significantly decreased compared to the + P plants (27.4‰). The 33P data point to an enhanced mobilisation of P from residual P in the old leaves of the − P plants compared to the + P plants. Conclusions Omitting P for 10 days lead to a translocation of P from source to sink organs in soybeans. This was accompanied by a significant lowering of the δ18OP of TCA P in the source organs due to the enzymatic hydrolysis of organic P. Combining 33P and δ18OP can provide useful insights in plant responses to P omission at an early stage

Diversity within Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies in Switzerland by recA gene sequence

A total of 874 Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected in Switzerland to investigate the genetic diversity of the Borrelia population. We integrated to the RT-PCR method the DNA sequence analysis of a 162-bp fragment of the recA gene. Five genospecies were detected: Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia burgdorferi s.s., Borrelia garinii, Borrelia valaisiana, and Borrelia lusitaniae. A heterogeneous distribution was observed within the B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies. The most prevalent and diverse genospecies found in Switzerland was Borrelia afzelii, which might suggest a rapid evolution of this genospecie

Report on advances for pediatricians in 2018: allergy, cardiology, critical care, endocrinology, hereditary metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, neonatology, nutrition, respiratory tract disorders and surgery.

This review reported notable advances in pediatrics that have been published in 2018. We have highlighted progresses in allergy, cardiology, critical care, endocrinology, hereditary metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, neonatology, nutrition, respiratory tract disorders and surgery. Many studies have informed on epidemiologic observations. Promising outcomes in prevention, diagnosis and treatment have been reported. We think that advances realized in 2018 can now be utilized to ameliorate patient car

Critical Indices as Limits of Control Functions

A variant of self-similar approximation theory is suggested, permitting an easy and accurate summation of divergent series consisting of only a few terms. The method is based on a power-law algebraic transformation, whose powers play the role of control functions governing the fastest convergence of the renormalized series. A striking relation between the theory of critical phenomena and optimal control theory is discovered: The critical indices are found to be directly related to limits of control functions at critical points. The method is applied to calculating the critical indices for several difficult problems. The results are in very good agreement with accurate numerical data.Comment: 1 file, 5 pages, RevTe

Replica symmetry breaking in long-range glass models without quenched disorder

We discuss mean field theory of glasses without quenched disorder focusing on the justification of the replica approach to thermodynamics. We emphasize the assumptions implicit in this method and discuss how they can be verified. The formalism is applied to the long range Ising model with orthogonal coupling matrix. We find the one step replica-symmetry breaking solution and show that it is stable in the intermediate temperature range that includes the glass state but excludes very low temperatures. At very low temperatures this solution becomes unstable and this approach fails.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure