Deposition of nanocomposite TiN-Si3N4 thin films by hybrid cathodic arc and chemical vapor process

A hybrid technique is described for the synthesis of nanocomposite TiNSi₃N₄ thin films based on the reactive deposition of Ti produced from a cathodic arc source and Si from a liquid tetramethylsilane (TMS), precursor. The technique combines both the physical vapour of Ti and chemical vapour of silicon in a nitrogen background pressure in a single system. The influence of the TMS flow rate on the structure and mechanical properties has been investigated. The film structure was found to comprise of TiN crystallites and amorphous Si₃N₄. The X-ray diffraction data showed that with increasing TMS flow, there is a decrease in the TiN crystalline size from 33 nm to 4 nm. The hardness of the films was found to be strongly dependent on the Si content and reached a maximum value of 41 GPa at 5% Si content at a total pressure of nitrogen and TMS of 0.8 Pa. Hardness enhancement was found to arise from the nanostructural change induced due to the addition of an amorphous Si₃N₄ phase into the film. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis confirmed the structure of the ncTiN/aSi₃N₄ composites. Films with 4 at.% or more silicon were found to maintain the hardness after annealing at 500 °C in vacuum. PACS 68.55.Jk; 81.15.-z; 81.15.Ef     

Data mining the NCI cancer cell line compound GI(50) values: identifying quinone subtypes effective against melanoma and leukemia cell classes

Using data mining techniques, we have studied a subset (1400) of compounds from the large public National Cancer Institute (NCI) compounds data repository. We first carried out a functional class identity assignment for the 60 NCI cancer testing cell lines via hierarchical clustering of gene expression data. Comprised of nine clinical tissue types, the 60 cell lines were placed into six classes-melanoma, leukemia, renal, lung, and colorectal, and the sixth class was comprised of mixed tissue cell lines not found in any of the other five classes. We then carried out supervised machine learning, using the GI(50) values tested on a panel of 60 NCI cancer cell lines. For separate 3-class and 2-class problem clustering, we successfully carried out clear cell line class separation at high stringency, p < 0.01 (Bonferroni corrected t-statistic), using feature reduction clustering algorithms embedded in RadViz, an integrated high dimensional analytic and visualization tool. We started with the 1400 compound GI(50) values as input and selected only those compounds, or features, significant in carrying out the classification. With this approach, we identified two small sets of compounds that were most effective in carrying out complete class separation of the melanoma, non-melanoma classes and leukemia, non-leukemia classes. To validate these results, we showed that these two compound sets' GI(50) values were highly accurate classifiers using five standard analytical algorithms. One compound set was most effective against the melanoma class cell lines (14 compounds), and the other set was most effective against the leukemia class cell lines (30 compounds). The two compound classes were both significantly enriched in two different types of substituted p-quinones. The melanoma cell line class of 14 compounds was comprised of 11 compounds that were internal substituted p-quinones, and the leukemia cell line class of 30 compounds was comprised of 6 compounds that were external substituted p-quinones. Attempts to subclassify melanoma or leukemia cell lines based upon their clinical cancer subtype met with limited success. For example, using GI(50) values for the 30 compounds we identified as effective against all leukemia cell lines, we could subclassify acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) origin cell lines from non-ALL leukemia origin cell lines without significant overlap from non-leukemia cell lines. Based upon clustering using GI(50) values for the 60 cancer cell lines laid out by the RadViz algorithm, these two compound subsets did not overlap with clusters containing any of the NCI's 92 compounds of known mechanism of action, a few of which are quinones. Given their structural patterns, the two p-quinone subtypes we identified would clearly be expected to possess different redox potentials/substrate specificities for enzymatic reduction in vivo. These two p-quinone subtypes represent valuable information that may be used in the elucidation of pharmacophores for the design of compounds to treat these two cancer tissue types in the clinic.     

On the decay properties of 269Hs and indications for the new nuclide 270Hs

In bombardments of ²⁴⁸Cm with 143.7-146.8 MeV ²⁶Mg ions the nuclides ²⁶⁹Hs and presumably ²⁷⁰Hs were produced. After chemical isolation, Hs atoms were identified by observing genetically linked nuclear-decay chains. Three chains originating from ²⁶⁹Hs confirmed the decay properties observed previously in the decay of ²⁷⁷112. Two chains exhibited the characteristics expected for the new nuclide ²⁷⁰Hs, which was predicted to be a deformed doubly magic nucleus. From the measured MeV an -decay half-life of 3.6^+0.8_-1.4 s was estimated.Received: 18 July 2002, Revised: 3 April 2003, Published online: 22 July 2003PACS: 23.60.+e Alpha decay - 25.70.Gh Compound nucleus - 25.85.Ca Spontaneous fission - 27.90.+b      

Pseudozeros of multivariate polynomials

The pseudozero set of a system of polynomials in complex variables is the subset of which is the union of the zero-sets of all polynomial systems that are near to in a suitable sense. This concept is made precise, and general properties of pseudozero sets are established. In particular it is shown that in many cases of natural interest, the pseudozero set is a semialgebraic set. Also, estimates are given for the size of the projections of pseudozero sets in coordinate directions. Several examples are presented illustrating some of the general theory developed here. Finally, algorithmic ideas are proposed for solving multivariate polynomials.

     

The strong halfspace theorem for minimal surfaces

The research in this paper was supported by research grants DE-FG02-86ER250125 of the Applied Mathematical Sciences subprogram of the Office of Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, Division of Mathematical Sciences research grants DMS-8503350 and DMS-8611574     

CLL = (L,L; 0, 0) measurements and a structure due to a P partial wave in the pp system

Measurements of C_LL of pp elastic scattering near θ_c.m. = 90° at thirteen energies between 300 and 800 MeV are reported. These, together with previous values of C_NN, are used to extract values of two quantities, $\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>s</mtext>}}$ and $\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$, which contain only spin-singlet and only coupled spin-triplet partial waves, respectively. The $\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>s</mtext>}}$ curve, which is not dependent on C_LL, exhibits the behavior expected for the previously conjectured ¹D₂ resonance. The $\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$ curve also exhibits a resonance-like behavior, which could be due either to the ³P₀ or the ³P₂ partial wave.     

On the decays π0→νν′

Phenomenological aspects of π⁰→νν′ are considered. From the existing experimental information, we deduce an upper limit $\text{Γ(π}{}^0\text{→νν′)}\text{Γ(π}{}^0\text{→}\text{all}\text{)}\text{< 2.4 × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?5}}\text{(90\%}\text{c.l.}\text{)}$. Possible mechanisms which can give rise to this process are discussed. Branching ratios of the order of 10^?6 for decays into the known neutrinos (ν_e, ν_μ) are found possible. Rates comparable to the experimental limit for decays into final states involving additional neutrinos (massive or massless) cannot be ruled out.