Reduced texaphyrin: A ratiometric optical sensor for heavy metals in aqueous solution

We report here a water-soluble metal cation sensor system based on the as-prepared or reduced form of an expanded porphyrin, texaphyrin. Upon metal complexation, a change in the redox state of the ligand occurs that is accompanied by a color change from red to green. Although long employed for synthesis in organic media, we have now found that this complexation-driven redox behavior may be used to achieve the naked eye detectable colorimetric sensing of several number of less-common metal ions in aqueous media. Exposure to In(III), Hg(II), Cd(II), Mn(II), Bi(III), Co(II), and Pb(II) cations leads to a colorimetric response within 10 min. This process is selective for Hg(II) under conditions of competitive analysis. Furthermore, among the subset of response-producing cations, In(III) proved unique in giving rise to a ratiometric change in the ligand-based fluorescence features, including an overall increase in intensity. The cation selectivity observed in aqueous media stands in contrast to what is seen in organic solvents, where a wide range of texaphyrin metal complexes may be prepared. The formation of metal cation complexes under the present aqueous conditions was confirmed by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography, ultra-violet-visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies, and high-resolution mass spectrometry.     

大幅降低功耗的高性能64位处理器

P．A．Semi（Santa Clara，美国加州）公司准备发布一款高性能的64位处理器，据称可以在同样性能的水平下，将功耗降低到目前产品的1／10。PA6T-1682M通过采用新的架构设计、工艺的改进和先进的时钟管理技术来实现低功耗，芯片上的门控时钟多达15000个。     

Glial development in the Drosophila CNS requires concomitant activation of glial and repression of neuronal differentiation genes

Two classes of glial cells are found in the embryonic Drosophila CNS, midline glial cells and lateral glial cells. Midline glial development is triggered by EGF-receptor signalling, whereas lateral glial development is controlled by the gcm gene. Subsequent glial cell differentiation depends partly on the pointed gene. Here we describe a novel component required for all CNS glia development. The tramtrack gene encodes two zinc-finger proteins, one of which, ttkp69, is expressed in all non-neuronal CNS cells. We show that ttkp69 is downstream of gcm and can repress neuronal differentiation. Double mutant analysis and coexpression experiments indicate that glial cell differentiation may depend on a dual process, requiring the activation of glial differentiation by pointed and the concomitant repression of neuronal development by tramtrack.     

Effects ofSolanum glycoalkaloids on chemosensilla in the Colorado potato beetle

Steroidal glycoalkaloids, found in species of the Solanaceae, elicit bursting activity in galeal and tarsal chemosensilla of adult Colorado potato beetles. The effect has an average latency of 6–12 sec, depending on the sensillum/alkaloid combination. A 20-sec alkaloid treatment is often suffficient to render galeal sensilla unresponsive to gamma-aminobutyric acid, normally an effective stimulant. The alkaloids have similar effects on galeal sensilla of larval Colorado potato beetles and on labellar chemosensilla of the blowfly. It is concluded that these compounds act independently of any specialized chemoreceptor in the Colorado potato beetle, and that association of the Colorado potato beetle with solanaceous plants has not led to evolution of a specific receptor forSolanum glycoalkaloids.     

Analytic models for multistage interconnection networks

Central to all parallel architectures is a switching network which facilitates the communication between a machine's components necessary to support their cooperation. Multistage interconnection networks (MINs) are classified and analytic models are described for both packet-switched and circuit-switched MINs with asynchronous transmission mode. Under strong enough assumptions, packet switching can be modeled by standard queuing methods, hence providing a standard against which to assess approximate models. We describe one such approximate model with much weaker assumptions which is more widely applicable and can be implemented more efficiently. To model circuit switching requires a different approach because of the presence of passive resources, namely multiple links through the MIN which must be held before a message can be transmitted and throughout its transmission. An approximate analysis based upon the recursive structure of a particular MIN topology which yields accurate predictions when compared with simulation is described.     

Variable-domain-size theory of spin ferromagnetism

A physically based hysteresis theory incorporating a domain size that depends on the Weiss effective field explains the observed ranges of reversible and irreversible magnetization in the initial-magnetization curve and exterior loop of ferromagnetic materials. The theory applies to materials exhibiting both normal and wasp-waisted exterior loops and agrees well with measured data. It also provides close linkages between magnetization at the quantum scale, domain properties at the mesoscopic scale, and measurements at the macroscopic scale.