Improving linearity by introducing Al in HfO2 as a memristor synapse device.

Artificial synapse having good linearity is crucial to achieve an efficient learning process in neuromorphic computing. It is found that the synaptic linearity can be enhanced by engineering the doping region across the switching layer. The nonlinearity of potentiation and depression of the pure device is 36% and 91%, respectively; meanwhile, the nonlinearity after doping can be suppressed to be 22% (potentiation) and 60% (depression). Henceforth, the learning accuracy of the doped device is 91% with only 13 iterations; meanwhile, the pure device is 78%. A detailed conduction mechanism to understand this phenomenon is proposed.

Clinico-toxinological characterization of the acute effects of the venom of the marine snail, Conus loroisii.

The venom of the marine snail, Conus loroisii, was studied to assess its risk and lethal factors in regard of human welfare. The lethality of the crude venom (LD50-5.0 mg/kg via i.p.) in mice was associated with reduced motor activity, asphyxiation, followed by respiratory failure. The effects on vital tissues revealed vascular congestion and inflammatory cell infiltration around the portal triad of the liver, spongiosis of the brain, hemorrhages/congested blood vessels in lung and endothelial cells of the renal tubule. Repeated measures of hematological profiles indicated that the venom significantly reduced erythrocytes (P<0.001, GLM repeated measures), followed associated with depletion of hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and platelet count. Serum enzymes such as, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline and acid phosphatases were altered significantly (P<0.05, Friedman test), which in turn confirmed the damage of vital organ tissues. Dual effect of the venom on the activity of mouse brain acetylcholinesterase stand for concentration specific, whereas maximal inhibition (60.41%, P<0.05, Wilcoxon signed rank test) in erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase did not show the dual activity observed in brain. The Ciphergen ProteinChip analysis of the envenomed serum further revealed that the venom causes changes in definite molecules involved in inflammatory process and ionic transport. In all, the venom of C. loroisii is potentially lethal to mammals, through its rapid action on the central and peripheral nervous systems by blocking neurotransmission with selective interference of ionic channels/receptors.

Blastocystis in animal handlers.

The present study investigated whether people working closely with animals were at higher risk of getting infected with Blastocystis hominis. The prevalence of the parasite was determined in two population groups, i.e., animal handlers and normal healthy individuals who did not work with animals. In all, 105 stool samples were collected from animal handlers from 2 local research institutions, a local zoo, and a local abattoir and 163 stool samples were collected from normal healthy individuals residing in high-rise flats in the city. The in vitro culture method used in the study detected that 41% of 105 animal handlers and 17% of 163 flat-dwellers in the city were positive for Blastocystis. This statistically significant finding (P = 0.0000313) shows that people who work closely with animals do stand at risk of acquiring Blastocystis infection.

Irregular shedding of Blastocystis hominis.

The shedding pattern of the protozoan parasite, Blastocystis hominis, is investigated in man and in experimental animal infections. The shedding pattern of the vacuolar and cystic forms of Blastocystis hominis in infected individuals have been shown in the present study to be irregular. The study shows that there is marked fluctuation in the shedding of the parasite from day to day, varying from as high as 17 to 0 per x40 microscopic field. The cystic stages when estimated in 8 Blastocystis-infected individuals ranged from as high as 7.4x10(5) cysts per gram of stool to 0. The shedding of cystic and vacuolar forms observed over a period of 20 days in experimentally-infected Wistar rats were not only shown to be irregular but the amount varied from host to host. The study has important diagnostic implications in that the stool samples must be collected more than once from patients showing clinical signs and symptoms to eliminate the cause of it to Blastocystis. The study also shows that there are asymptomatic individuals who pass a large amount of cysts as such individuals should be treated to prevent transmission to others.

The multidiscipline laboratories of the University of Malaya Faculty of Medicine.

The multidiscipline laboratories (MDLs) of University of Malaya are a significant feature in the Faculty of Medicine. They provide facilities for a number of activities within the teaching curriculum. This is in contrast to the departmental type of laboratories. Being the first in the eastern hemisphere, they are gaining popularity among new medical schools in this part of the world. Since a number of visitors testify to a continued interest in the multidiscipline laboratories, an attempt is made to discuss our experience with these facilities in relation to tthe design, uses, organisation, staff requirement, student usage and space problems.