Testing Monotonicity

at arguments of its choice, the test always accepts a monotone f, and rejects f with high probability if it is ε-far from being monotone (i.e., every monotone function differs from f on more than an ε fraction of the domain). The complexity of the test is O(n/ε). The analysis of our algorithm relates two natural combinatorial quantities that can be measured with respect to a Boolean function; one being global to the function and the other being local to it. A key ingredient is the use of a switching (or sorting) operator on functions. Received March 29, 1999     

Transgenic Artemisia dubia WALL showed altered phytochemistry and pharmacology

The rol genes have been shown to enhance the production of secondary metabolites in plants. This report examines the effect of trans-genes (rol ABC) on possible high production of biologically important phytochemicals and enhanced pharmacological activities. Three transgenic lines (1, 2 and 3) of Artemisia dubia WALL (transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring rol ABC genes) were subjected to phytochemical analysis and pharmacological studies. A great variation in phytochemistry and the pharmacological activities was observed not only between the transgenic and non-transgenic control plants but also among the transgenic lines itself. Comparative chemical profile obtained via HPLC, TLC and spectrophotometry showed high degree of variations in the quantity of phytochemicals. An increased production of total flavonoids (71.1% in transgenic line 2) and total phenolics (110.8% in transgenic line 1), increase in caffeic acid and catechin and a decrease in gallic acid content in the extracts of transformed plants compared to the untransformed control plants was decreased. In case of pharmacological activities, moderate to high level increase in antimicrobial (antibacterial and antifungal) activities, cytotoxicity (14.1%), antitumor (29%) and antioxidant activities (23.9%) was observed (in transgenic line 2). In general all the three transgenic lines under study showed improvement in their pharmacological activities in the order of transgenic line 2 > 1 > 3 > control. The implication of these findings will help to meet the increasing demand of pharmacologically important compounds.     

Control of light in a quantized four level graphene atomic system via self and cross-Kerr nonlinearity

We investigate self and cross-Kerr nonlinearity in a four level quantized graphene atomic medium. The absorption, dispersion, transmission and subluminal/superluminal behaviors of a probe light field are studied. An amplification of the probe light field is observed in the absorption spectrum. The normal and anomalous slope of dispersion is also investigated at the positive/negative absorption region. It is shown that Kerr nonlinearity invert and enhance the subluminal/superluminal behaviors of the pulse and self-Kerr effect is found to be more subluminal/superluminal as compared to cross-Kerr effect. The results show significant applications in information storage, self and cross phase modulation and lasing without inversion.     

Scarlet Flax Linum grandiflorum (L.) In Vitro Cultures as a New Source of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Lignans

In vitro cultures of scarlet flax (Linum grandiflorum L.), an important ornamental flax, have been established as a new possible valuable resource of lignans and neolignans for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory applications. The callogenic potential at different concentrations of α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and thidiazuron (TDZ), alone or in combinations, was evaluated using both L. grandiflorum hypocotyl and cotyledon explants. A higher callus induction frequency was observed on NAA than TDZ, especially for hypocotyl explants, with a maximum frequency (i.e., 95.2%) on 1.0 mg/L of NAA. The presence of NAA (1.0 mg/L) in conjunction with TDZ tended to increase the frequency of callogenesis relative to TDZ alone, but never reached the values observed with NAA alone, thereby indicating the lack of synergy between these two plant growth regulators (PGRs). Similarly, in terms of biomass, NAA was more effective than TDZ, with a maximum accumulation of biomass registered for medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L of NAA using hypocotyls as initial explants (DW: 13.1 g). However, for biomass, a synergy between the two PGRs was observed, particularly for cotyledon-derived explants and for the lowest concentrations of TDZ. The influence of these two PGRs on callogenesis and biomass is discussed. The HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of lignans (secoisolariciresinol (SECO) and lariciresinol (LARI) and neolignan (dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol [DCA]) naturally accumulated in their glycoside forms. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities performed for both hypocotyl- and cotyledon-derived cultures were also found maximal (DPPH: 89.5%, FRAP 866: µM TEAC, ABTS: 456 µM TEAC) in hypocotyl-derived callus cultures as compared with callus obtained from cotyledon explants. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory activities revealed high inhibition (COX-1: 47.4% and COX-2: 51.1%) for extract of hypocotyl-derived callus cultures at 2.5 mg/L TDZ. The anti-inflammatory action against COX-1 and COX-2 was supported by the IC₅₀ values. This report provides a viable approach for enhanced biomass accumulation and efficient production of (neo)lignans in L. grandiflorum callus cultures.     

双金属镍-锰／γ-Al2O3催化剂对甲烷二氧化碳重整反应的影响

用浸渍法制备γ-Al2O3负载的Ni-Mn双金属催化剂．在500-700。C按照17：17：2的C02／CHa／N2比例,以36mL／min的载气流速进行甲烷二氧化碳重整反应,利用甲烷二氧化碳的转化率、生成的合成气H2／CO比例以及长期稳定性等指标评价了催化剂的催化性能．实验表明,添加Mn提高催化性能并使双金属催化剂的稳定性更高,比单金属催化剂更好地抑制焦炭生成,Mn最合适的添加量为0．5wt％．通过BET、C02-TPD、TGA、XRD、SEM、EDX和FTIR各种技术对催化剂进行了表征．     

The effect of replacing pnictogen elements on the physical properties of SrMg_2X_2(X=N,P,As,Sb,Bi) Zintl compounds

The effect of replacing the anion from N to Bi down the group in the periodic table is investigated on SrMg_2X_2(X = N,P,As,Sb,Bi).A full potential linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbitals method is used along with different exchange–correlation potentials to obtain the lattice constants,phonons,electronic,and optical properties of the Sr Mg_2X_2(X = N,P,As,Sb,Bi) Zintl compounds.A good agreement is achieved and our calculations are validated by previous experimental and theoretical data.All compounds have shown stable dynamical behavior with gamma centered longitudinal response having no imaginary frequencies.Electronic band structures reveal the semiconducting nature of the compounds.The Pnictogen(X)-p state contributed mainly in the valence band and the Sr-d state forms the conduction of the compounds.Relative charge transfer and low overlapping of the atomic densities indicates the preferable ionic bonding character of these materials.In the optical properties,real and imaginary parts of dielectric function,complex refractive index,birefringence,reflectivity,and optical conductivity are calculated.These compounds can be utilized in the optical and optoelectronic devices.     

Three-dimensional flow of Powell–Eyring nanofluid with heat and mass flux boundary conditions

This article investigates the three-dimensional flow of Powell–Eyring nanofluid with thermophoresis and Brownian motion effects. The energy equation is considered in the presence of thermal radiation. The heat and mass flux conditions are taken into account. Mathematical formulation is carried out through the boundary layer approach. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into the nonlinear ordinary differential equations through suitable variables. The resulting nonlinear ordinary differential equations have been solved for the series solutions. Effects of emerging physical parameters on the temperature and nanoparticles concentration are plotted and discussed. Numerical values of local Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are computed and examined.     

Origin of Electric Field Dependence of the Charge Mobility and Spatial Energy Correlations in C60-Based Field Effect Transistors

We report on the influence of the lateral electric field on the charge mobility in organic field-effect transistors (OFET) based on C₆₀ films with multigrain morphology. The experimental data were quantitatively described using a recent analytical model by accounting for the strong local electric fields in a multigrain transistor channel and for the energy correlation effects. To rationalize the presence of a correlated disorder in a non-polar C₆₀ material, we show that randomly oriented permanent dipoles in organic gate dielectric layers can generate a significant dipolar disorder in an adjacent nonpolar semiconductor layer.     

Optoelectronic Properties,Elastic Moduli and Thermoelectricity of SrAlGa： An Ab Initio Study

Half-Heusler compounds are an impressive class of materials with a huge potential for different applications such as in future energy, especially in the fields of thermoelectrics and solar cells. We present ab fnitio total energy calculations within the modified Becke-Johnson generalized gradient approximation （mBJ-GGA） to obtain the physical properties of SrAlGa compounds. The structural, elastic, acoustic, electronic, chemical bonding, optical, and thermoelectric properties are calculated and compared with the available calculation data. The SrAlGa is found to be a small-band-gap （0.125-0.175 eV） material, suitable for thermoelectric applications with a relatively high Seebeck coefficient. Also, SrAIGa has the potential in the optoelectronic applications due to high optical conductivity and reflectivity in the infrared and visible region of electromagnetic spectra.