No abstract

In this paper, electromechnical study is conducted on the performance of aluminum-doped zinc oxide film deposited on poly(ether sulfone) (PES) substrates using RF magnetron sputtering method. The change in electrical and optical properities due to face-out (FO) bending and face-in (FI) bending is investigated and a simple model method is proposed to understand the failure mechanisms. Static bending test and repeated bending test results show that the AZO films deposited on PES substrates can tolerate greater mechanical bending in the FO direction than that in the FI direction. When the value of strain is over 0.01, the resistivity increases significantly and cracks form. Accordingly, a 0.01 strain limit can be safely considered as a design parameter for projecting devices deposited on flexible substrates.

Activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor can facilitate the extinction of various maladaptive memories. Sodium benzoate (NaB) has been known to enhance a naturally occurring full agonist on the glycine binding site of the NMDA receptor. This study aimed to test whether systemic NaB treatment can affect the extinction of a cocaine-supported memory, the cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). Following the establishment of the cocaine (10 mg/kg/conditioning × 3)-induced CPP, an extinction protocol, consisting of two consecutive extinction training bouts at an 8-h interval, was used. NaB (500 mg/kg) or an equivalent volume of saline was given immediately following each extinction training bout to test the modulating effect of NaB on the maintenance of cocaine-induced CPP. Moreover, NaB was bilaterally micro-infused into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to validate the involvement of this brain region in mediating systemic NaB treatment-produced effect on cocaine-induced CPP. Systemic (500 mg/kg) and intra-mPFC (10 μg/side) NaB treatment significantly decreased subsequent cocaine-induced CPP magnitude, although the NaB treatment or the extinction training alone did not affect such CPP magnitude. It was of importance to note that systemic or intra-mPFC NaB delivery did not affect mouse locomotor activity in the retests. These results, taken together, suggest that NaB treatment in combination with the extinction training may facilitate the extinction of the cocaine-supported memory. Moreover, systemic NaB treatment exerts such effects, at least in part, via its effect in the mPFC.

A mouse conformity model was established by contrasting the differences in the time spent navigating a custom‐made maze when mice were alone versus when they were in a companion group. Experimental mice received one‐trial inhibitory avoidance training by experiencing a foot shock after they arrived at a designated goal box in the maze. In contrast, four mice of the respective companion group received food pellet trainings for rapidly approaching the same goal box. In the retest, mice receiving 0.3‐mA shock in the training trial and navigating alone displayed longer arrival latency to the goal box compared with the mice receiving same level of shock in the training trial and navigating along with the companion group. A conformity index was calculated for the arrival latency of the experimental mice receiving the retest alone and the latency of the experimental mice receiving the retest along with the companion group. In the retest, the conformity index progressively increased with the training foot shock level. No difference was noticed in the arrival latency to the goal box or the conformity index between group‐navigating experimental mice accompanied by familiar and unfamiliar groups. These results, taken together, indicate that behavioral conformity can be enhanced by an expected, intense risk. Moreover, familiarity with the companion group does not affect the behavioral conformity of an individual. We conclude that species members‐shared risk‐detecting and risk‐coping systems could be critical in motivating behavioral conformity for each member of this species.

In this study, a resistive random-access memory (RRAM) with a metal-insulator-metal structure was fabricated on polyimide substrates with different thicknesses, and the insulating layer was deposited with zinc oxide material by the sol-gel method. The electrical properties of the RRAM devices were evaluated using bending tests. In the bending tests, the operating electric field increased and the retention time decreased; nevertheless, the electrical properties of the device with a thicker polyimide substrate were less affected. The results of this study will help improve the characteristics of RRAMs on soft boards.