Comparison of Sb2O3 and Sb2O3/SiO2 Double Stacked pH Sensing Membrane Applied in Electrolyte-Insulator-Semiconductor Structure.

In this study, electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) capacitors with Sb2O3/SiO2 double stacked sensing membranes were fabricated with pH sensing capability. The results indicate that Sb2O3/SiO2 double stacked membranes with appropriate annealing had better material quality and sensing performance than Sb2O3 membranes did. To investigate the influence of double stack and annealing, multiple material characterizations and sensing measurements on membranes including of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were conducted. These analyses indicate that double stack could enhance crystallization and grainization, which reinforced the surface sites on the membrane. Therefore, the sensing capability could be enhanced, Sb2O3/SiO2-based with appropriate annealing show promises for future industrial ion sensing devices.

Neural circuits for long-term water-reward memory processing in thirsty Drosophila.

The intake of water is important for the survival of all animals and drinking water can be used as a reward in thirsty animals. Here we found that thirsty Drosophila melanogaster can associate drinking water with an odour to form a protein-synthesis-dependent water-reward long-term memory (LTM). Furthermore, we found that the reinforcement of LTM requires water-responsive dopaminergic neurons projecting to the restricted region of mushroom body (MB) ß' lobe, which are different from the neurons required for the reinforcement of learning and short-term memory (STM). Synaptic output from α'ß' neurons is required for consolidation, whereas the output from γ and αß neurons is required for the retrieval of LTM. Finally, two types of MB efferent neurons retrieve LTM from γ and αß neurons by releasing glutamate and acetylcholine, respectively. Our results therefore cast light on the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for processing water-reward LTM in Drosophila.

Residues of Tim44 involved in both association with the translocon of the inner mitochondrial membrane and regulation of mitochondrial Hsp70 tethering.

Translocation of proteins from the cytosol across the mitochondrial inner membrane is driven by the action of the import motor, which is associated with the translocon on the matrix side of the membrane. It is well established that an essential peripheral membrane protein, Tim44, tethers mitochondrial Hsp70 (mtHsp70), the core of the import motor, to the translocon. This Tim44-mtHsp70 interaction, which can be recapitulated in vitro, is destabilized by binding of mtHsp70 to a substrate polypeptide. Here we report that the N-terminal 167-amino-acid segment of mature Tim44 is sufficient for both interaction with mtHsp70 and destabilization of a Tim44-mtHsp70 complex caused by client protein binding. Amino acid alterations within a 30-amino-acid segment affected both the release of mtHsp70 upon peptide binding and the interaction of Tim44 with the translocon. Our results support the idea that Tim44 plays multiple roles in mitochondrial protein import by recruiting Ssc1 and its J protein cochaperone to the translocon and coordinating their interactions to promote efficient protein translocation in vivo.

The distinctiveness of a curve in a parameterized neighborhood: extraction and applications.

A new feature of curves pertaining to the acceptance/rejection decision in curve detection is proposed. The feature measures a curve's distinctiveness in its neighborhood, which is modeled by a one-parameter family of curves. A computational framework based on the Hough transform for extracting the distinctiveness feature is elaborated and examples of feature extractors for the circle and the ellipse are given. It is shown that the proposed feature can be extracted efficiently and is effective in separating signals from false positives. Experimental results with circle and ellipse testing that strongly support the efficiency and effectiveness claims are obtained. The results further demonstrate that the proposed feature exhibits good noise resiliency.

Biomarkers of exposure, effect, and susceptibility of arsenic-induced health hazards in Taiwan.

Long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic from drinking water has been documented to induce cancers and vascular diseases in a dose-response relationship. A series of molecular environmental epidemiological studies have been carried out to elucidate biomarkers of exposure, effect, and susceptibility for arsenic-related health hazards in Taiwan. Arsenic levels in urine, hair, and nail are biomarkers for short-term (<1 year) internal dose, skin hyperpigmentation and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis are for long-term (many years) internal dose, and percentage of monomethylarsonic acid in total metabolites of inorganic arsenic in urine may be considered as an exposure marker for biologically effective dose. The biomarkers of early biological effects of ingested inorganic arsenic included blood levels of reactive oxidants and anti-oxidant capacity, genetic expression of inflammatory molecules, as well as cytogenetic changes including sister chromatid exchange, micronuclei, and chromosome aberrations of peripheral lymphocytes. Both mutation type and hot spots of p53 gene were significantly different in arsenic-induced and non-arsenic-induced TCCs. The frequency of chromosomal imbalances analyzed by comparative genomic hybridization and the frequency of loss of heterozygosity were significantly higher in arsenic-induced TCC than non-arsenic-induced TCC at specific sites. Biomarkers of susceptibility to arsenic-induced health hazards included genetic polymorphisms of enzymes involved in xenobiotic metabolism, DNA repair, and oxidative stress, as well as serum level of carotenoids. Gene-gene and gene-environment interactions are involved in arsenic-induced health hazards through toxicological mechanisms including genomic instability and oxidative stress.