Minimal attractors in digraph system models of neuronal networks

We study a class of discrete dynamical systems models of neuronal networks. In these models, each neuron is represented by a finite number of states and there are rules for how a neuron transitions from one state to another. In particular, the rules determine when a neuron fires and how this affects the state of other neurons. In an earlier paper [D. Terman, S. Ahn, X. Wang, W. Just, Reducing neuronal networks to discrete dynamics, Physica D 237 (2008) 324-338], we demonstrate that a general class of excitatory-inhibitory networks can, in fact, be rigorously reduced to the discrete model. In the present paper, we analyze how the connectivity of the network influences the dynamics of the discrete model. For randomly connected networks, we find two major phase transitions. If the connection probability is above the second but below the first phase transition, then starting in a generic initial state, most but not all cells will fire at all times along the trajectory as soon as they reach the end of their refractory period. Above the first phase transition, this will be true for all cells in a typical initial state; thus most states will belong to a minimal attractor of oscillatory behavior (in a sense that is defined precisely in the paper). The exact positions of the phase transitions depend on intrinsic properties of the cells including the lengths of the cells’ refractory periods and the thresholds for firing. Existence of these phase transitions is both rigorously proved for sufficiently large networks and corroborated by numerical experiments on networks of moderate size.     

Search for the Decay K L0-->pi0nu nu[over

We performed a search for the K L0-->pi0nu nu[over] decay at the KEK 12-GeV proton synchrotron. No candidate events were observed. An upper limit on the branching ratio for the decay was set to be 6.7 x 10(-8) at the 90% confidence level.     

Magnetism in nanometer-thick TiOx/Co/TiOx/TiN/Si multilayered structures

Most studies on Co-doped TiO₂ system were focused on thin films grown by MBE-based methods. In this work we report the ferromagnetism of nanometer-thick-layered TiO₂/Co/TiO₂/TiN film grown on Si substrate by conventional magnetron sputtering. For the growth of TiO₂ on silicon, a non-oxide thermally stable material, TiN, was introduced to prevent Ti penetration into the Si substrate. Structural, magnetic, and transport measurements respectively by Raman, SQUID and Hall effect show that our samples are n-type semiconductors and exchange bias effect due to exchange coupling between Co and interfacial CoO. For the rapid vacuum annealed specimen, we found an enhanced loss and a Perminvar-type constricted hysteresis loop, which attributed to pinning of domain walls due to an induced anisotropy by the pair ordering in the metallic alloy of Co-Ti-Si.     

Adsorption of thiophene on Al(1 1 1) and deposition of aluminum on condensed thiophene

The adsorption of thiophene on clean Al(1 1 1) at 90 and 130 K has been studied with X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and UPS) and work function measurements. Relatively weak chemisorption compared to adsorption on transition metals is indicated by minor changes in the valence spectrum in progressing from monolayer to multilayer thiophene, a modest work function change of −0.50 eV due to saturation dosing, and return of the work function and valence spectrum to that of clean Al(1 1 1) upon annealing at 210 K. The complementary experiment in which aluminum is thermally deposited on multilayer thiophene condensed on gold at 130 K has also been performed. XPS peak area analysis shows that metal doses less than 14×10¹⁵ atoms/cm² result in penetration through the physisorbed thiophene, but higher doses lead to the gradual build up of metal throughout the organic layer. Persistence of the thiophene UPS valence features for metal doses of 50×10¹⁵ atoms/cm² is consistent with penetration and aluminum island formation. For aluminum deposition on thiophene, charge transfer from aluminum is evidenced by metal-induced low binding energy components in the C 1s and S 2p spectra at 282.6 and 162.5 eV, respectively, and a shift in the Al 2p spectrum of 0.5 eV to higher binding energy compared to metallic aluminum. UPS also indicates progression of the frontier orbital toward the Fermi level as aluminum is deposited.     

Quantum mechanical scaled particle theory of hard spheres at high temperature

The leading term of the high-temperature quantum corrections to the scaled particle theory of the hard sphere fluid have been obtained. This provides approximate corrections to the pressure, surface tension, and reversible work to create a spherical cavityW(r) of the quantum mechanical hard sphere fluid. A number of exact identities valid for the classical hard sphere fluid are shown to apply also to the quantum mechanical hard sphere fluid, including the fluctuation relation betweenW(r) and the probability of finding a cavity of radius at leastr.     

Measurement of the B(0)-B(0) mixing parameter Deltam(d) using semileptonic B0 decays

We present a measurement of the B0-Bmacr;(0) mixing parameter Deltam(d) using neutral B meson pairs in a 29.1 fb(-1) data sample collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider. We exclusively reconstruct one neutral B meson in the semileptonic B0-->D(*-)l(+)nu decay mode and identify the flavor of the accompanying B meson from its decay products. From the distribution of the time intervals between the two flavor-tagged B meson decay points, we obtain Deltam(d)=(0.494+/-0.012+/-0.015) ps(-1), where the first error is statistical and the second error is systematic.     

Observation of the color-suppressed decay B( 0)-->D(0)pi(0)

We report the first observation of color-suppressed B( 0)-->D(0)pi(0), D(*0)pi(0), D0eta, and D0omega decays, and evidence for B( 0)-->D(*0)eta and D(*0)omega. The branching fractions are B(B( 0)-->D0pi(0)) = (3.1 +/- 0.4 +/- 0.5)x10(-4), B(B( 0) -->D(*0)pi(0)) = (2.7(+0.8+0.5)(-0.7-0.6))x10(-4), B(B( 0) --> D0eta) = (1.4(+0.5)(-0.4) +/- 0.3)x10(-4), B(B( 0) --> D0omega) = (1.8 +/- 0.5(+0.4)(-0.3))x10(-4), and we set 90% confidence level upper limits of B(B( 0) --> D(*0)eta)<4.6 x 10(-4) and B(B( 0)-->D(*0)omega)<7.9 x 10(-4). The analysis is based on a data sample of 21.3 fb(-1) collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance by the Belle detector at the KEKB e(+)e(-) collider.     

Quantum interference of virtual and real amplitudes in a semiconductor exciton system

By two-color pulse shaping, we simultaneously create virtual and real amplitudes for excitons in GaAs quantum wells, and monitor population and amplitude by pump-probe and four-wave mixing spectroscopies. Excited-state probability amplitude can be induced by the off-resonant, virtual excitations as well as by the resonant, real excitations. Population modulation in time-domain results from the interference between the virtual and real amplitudes, and the modulation depth reveals the relative contributions of these two amplitudes. The fact that virtual and real amplitudes have a phase difference of 90 degrees is demonstrated directly in time-domain.     

Structure determination of the Si3N4/Si(111)- (8 x 8) surface: a combined study of Kikuchi electron holography, scanning tunneling microscopy, and ab initio calculations

A comprehensive atomic model for the reconstructed surface of Si3N4 thin layer grown on Si(111) is presented. Kikuchi electron holography images clearly show the existence of adatoms on the Si3N4(0001)/Si(111)-(8x8) surface. Compared with the ab initio calculations, more than 30 symmetry-inequivalent atomic pairs in the outmost layers are successfully identified. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images show diamond-shaped unit cells and nine adatoms in each cell. High-resolution STM images reveal extra features and are in good agreement with the partial charge density distribution obtained from total-energy calculations.     

Human hepatocellular carcinoma cells resist to TRAIL-induced apoptosis,and the resistance is abolished by cisplatin

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a member of the TNF family, selectively induce apoptosis in various transformed cell lines but not in almost-normal tissues. It is regulated by 2 death receptors, TRAIL receptor 1 (TRAIL-R1) and TRAIL-R2 and 2 decoy receptors, TRAIL-R3 and TRAIL-R4. However, the determining factors of the sensitivity to TRAIL-induced apoptosis are not clearly understood. Herein, we investigated the expression of TRAIL-R, c-FLIP, FADD-like interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme inhibitory protein, and TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. Seven of ten HCC cell lines showed resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis and five of seven TRAIL-resistant cell lines became sensitive to TRAIL by co-treatment with cycloheximide. In HCC cell lines, their TRAIL resistance did not correlate with the basal expression level of TRAIL receptors or c-FLIP, however, in human tissues, TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 expressions were notably decreased compared to normal counterpart. Cisplatin showed synergistic effect on TRAIL-induced apoptosis in most HCC cell lines regardless of their p53 status and TRAIL-R1 was induced by cisplatin treatment in certain cell lines. Inhibition of nuclear factor K B (NF-kappaB) by SN50, a peptide inhibitor of NF-KB activity, had no effect on TRAIL-induced apoptosis in HCC cells. These results suggest that (a) the majority of human HCC cell lines are resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis and cycloheximide-sensitive short-lived antiapoptotic molecule(s) is responsible for this resistance, (b) the expression of TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 is reduced in HCC tissues, and the increased expression of TRAIL-R1 may be a mechanism of cisplatininduced sensitization to TRAIL-induced apoptosis in some HCC cells, and (c) the activation of NF-kappaB may not be involved in the TRAIL resistance of HCC cells