Negative differential resistance of carbon nanotube electrodes with asymmetric coupling phenomena

An intricate problem in molecular electronics is to control the molecule-electrodes contacts. Asymmetric couplings between both contacts are important in driving novel nonlinear transport characteristics like negative differential resistance (NDR). We find that in the presence of an applied field, metallic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can form asymmetric couplings even if symmetric structures are employed. This origin is due to the CNT itself, while the NDR phenomenon can be obtained by tuning the threshold voltage for the asymmetric couplings by a proper choice of a molecule.open1162sciescopu

Récupération d'images GIF dans un environnement de cloud computing

International audienceGIF images have been used in the last years, especially on social media. Here it is explored a content-based image retrieval system to work specifically with GIF file format. Its implementation is extended to a cloud computing environment. Given the Tumblr GIF dataset, it is created a "search by example" image retrieval system. To describe the images, low-level features are used: (1) color, (2) texture and (3) shape. The system performs the search using just GIF images as query images. To obtain faster results on the retrieval process, a hashing indexing approach is used. The system showed a complexity of O(n 2) for indexing and O(log(n)) for retrieval. Additionally, better results were obtained (in relation to precision and recall) for simple images, instead of images with a lot of movements.Les images GIF ont été utilisées au cours des dernières années, en particulier sur les médias sociaux. Ici, nous explorons un système de récupération d’images basé sur le contenu pour travailler spécifiquement avec le format de fichier GIF. Son implémentation est étendue à un environnement informatique en nuage. Étant donné le jeu de données Tumblr GIF, il est créé un système de récupération d'image "recherche par exemple". Pour décrire les images, les caractéristiques de bas niveau sont utilisées: (1) couleur, (2) texture et (3) forme. Le système effectue la recherche en utilisant uniquement des images GIF en tant qu'images de requête. Pour obtenir des résultats plus rapides sur le processus de récupération, une approche d'indexation de hachage est utilisée. Le système a montré une complexité de O (n 2) pour l'indexation et de O (log (n)) pour la récupération. De plus, de meilleurs résultats ont été obtenus (en ce qui concerne la précision et le rappel) pour des images simples, au lieu d’images avec beaucoup de mouvements

Fabrications and structural characterization of ultra-fine carbon fibres by electrospinning of polymer blends

ArticleSOLID STATE COMMUNICATIONS. 142(1-2): 20-23 (2007)journal articl

The Warwick Hip Trauma Evaluation One - an abridged protocol for the WHiTE One Study AN EMBEDDED RANDOMISED TRIAL COMPARING THE X-BOLT WITH SLIDING HIP SCREW FIXATION IN EXTRACAPSULAR HIP FRACTURES

Fractures of the proximal femur are one of the greatest challenges facing the medical community, constituting a heavy socioeconomic burden worldwide. Controversy exists regarding the optimal treatment for patients with unstable trochanteric proximal femoral fractures. The recognised treatment alternatives are extramedullary fixation usually with a sliding hip screw and intramedullary fixation with a cephalomedullary nail. Current evidence suggests that best results and lowest complication rates occur using a sliding hip screw. Complications in these difficult fractures are relatively common regardless of type of treatment. We believe that a novel device, the X-Bolt dynamic plating system, may offer superior fixation over a sliding hip screw with lower reoperation risk and better function. We therefore propose to investigate the clinical effectiveness of the X-bolt dynamic plating system compared with standard sliding hip screw fixation within the framework of a the larger WHiTE (Warwick Hip Trauma Evaluation) Comprehensive Cohort Study. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2013;2:206–9

Association analysis of polymorphism in KIAA1717, HUMMLC2B, DECR1 and FTO genes with meat quality traits of the Berkshire breed

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in KIAA1717, HUMMLC2B, DECR1, and FTO genes have been found to be associated with some pork meat quality traits. In this study, we discovered that, in addition to meat quality traits reported previously, SNPs in these genes also are significantly associated with other meat quality traits in the Berkshire breed. A total of 323 Berkshire pigs bred under the same conditions were used for meat quality evaluation and polymerase chain reaction-amplified genes with restriction endonucleases (PCR-RFLP) genotyping analyses. The association analysis of RFLP genotyping with meat quality traits revealed that the SNPs in these 4 genes have novel associations with multiple meat quality traits (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05); a SNP in KIAA1717 was associated with meat color (CIE L), backfat thickness, drip loss, water-holding capacity, and pH24hr; a SNP in HUMMLC2B was associated with chemical composition (collagen), drip loss, shear force, and pH24hr; a SNP in DECR1 was associated with meat color (CIE a and b) and backfat thickness; and a SNP in FTO was associated with meat color (CIE L, a and b), protein content, drip loss, and water-holding capacity. Taken collectively, our results suggest that these 4 SNPs may be used for marker-assisted selection as a genetic marker for meat quality traits in Berkshire pigs.Key words: Berkshire, genetic markers, meat quality, SN

A breath-hold R2 mapping pulse sequence detects a decrease in myocardial ferritin iron after one-week of iron chelation

Oral Abstract Session XI – New CMR Methods Applied to Human Imaging: O69Intracellular ferritin iron is evidently in equilibrium with the cytosolic iron pool that can change rapidly with iron chelation. This study demonstrates the feasibility of quantitatively detecting short-term changes in myocardial iron produced by iron-chelating therapy using RR2 measurement.postprintThe 13th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR), Phoenix, AZ., 21-24 January 2010. In Final Program of the 13th Annual Scientific Sessions of SCMR, 2010, p. 29, abstract no. O6

Towards a career in bioinformatics

The 2009 annual conference of the Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNet), Asia's oldest bioinformatics organisation from 1998, was organized as the 8th International Conference on Bioinformatics (InCoB), Sept. 9-11, 2009 at Biopolis, Singapore. InCoB has actively engaged researchers from the area of life sciences, systems biology and clinicians, to facilitate greater synergy between these groups. To encourage bioinformatics students and new researchers, tutorials and student symposium, the Singapore Symposium on Computational Biology (SYMBIO) were organized, along with the Workshop on Education in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (WEBCB) and the Clinical Bioinformatics (CBAS) Symposium. However, to many students and young researchers, pursuing a career in a multi-disciplinary area such as bioinformatics poses a Himalayan challenge. A collection to tips is presented here to provide signposts on the road to a career in bioinformatics. An overview of the application of bioinformatics to traditional and emerging areas, published in this supplement, is also presented to provide possible future avenues of bioinformatics investigation. A case study on the application of e-learning tools in undergraduate bioinformatics curriculum provides information on how to go impart targeted education, to sustain bioinformatics in the Asia-Pacific region. The next InCoB is scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 26-28, 2010

Monitoring iron chelation effect in hearts of thalassaemia patients with improved sensitivity using reduced transverse relaxation rate (RR2)

Posters - Myocardial Viability: Human Models: No. 3660Accurate MRI characterization of myocardial iron is needed to improve the diagnosis and management of thalassaemia patients with transfusional iron overload. This study aimed to demonstrate that a new transverse relaxation index, the reduced R2 (RR2) that is estimated from non-monoexponential multi-echo CPMG signal decay and sensitive to ferritin iron, could detect the myocardial iron changes immediately following 1-week iron chelation suspension in thalassaemia patients at 3T.postprin