A gene cluster that regulates both heterocyst differentiation and pattern formation in Anabaena sp strain PCC 7120

Wild-type Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, a filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium, produces single heterocysts at semi-regular intervals. asr0100 (patU5) and alr0101 (patU3) are homologous to the 5' and 3' portions of patU of Nostoc punctiforme. alr0099 (hetZ) overlaps the 5' end of patU5. hetZ, patU5 and patU3 were all upregulated, or expressed specifically, in proheterocysts and heterocysts. Mutants of hetZ showed delayed or no heterocyst differentiation. In contrast, a patU3 mutation produced a multiple contiguous heterocyst (Mch) phenotype and restored the formation of otherwise lost intercalary heterocysts in a patA background. Decreasing the expression of patU3 greatly increased the frequency of heterocysts in a mini-patS strain. Two promoter regions and two principal, corresponding transcripts were detected in the hetZ-patU5-patU3 region. Transcription of hetZ was upregulated in a hetZ mutant and downregulated in a patU3 mutant. When mutants hetZ::C.K2 and hetZ::Tn5-1087b were nitrogen-deprived, P-hetC-gfp was very weakly expressed, and in hetZ::Tn5-1087b, P-hetR-gfp was relatively strongly expressed in cells that had neither a regular pattern nor altered morphology. We conclude that the hetZ-patU5-patU3 cluster plays an important role in co-ordination of heterocyst differentiation and pattern formation. The presence of homologous clusters in filamentous genera without heterocysts is suggestive of a more general role.

Anomalous Pressure Behavior of N-Cluster Emissions in GaAs0.973Sb0.022N0.005

Photoluminescence of GaAs0.973Sb0.022N0.005 is investigated at different temperatures and pressures. Both the alloy band edge and the N-related emissions, which show different temperature and pressure dependences, are observed. The pressure coefficients obtained in the pressure range 0-1.4GPa for the band edge and N-related emissions are 67 and 45 meV/GPa, respectively. The N-related emissions shift to a higher energy in the lower pressure range and then begin to redshift at about 8.5 GPa. This redshift is possibly caused by the increase of the X-valley component in the N-related states with increasing pressure.

Defect Cluster-Induced X-Ray Diffuse Scattering in GaN Films Grown by MOCVD

High-resolution X-ray diffraction has been employed to investigate the diffuse scattering in a (0001) oriented GaN epitaxial film grown on sapphire substrate. The analysis reveals that defect clusters are present in GaN films and their concentration increases as the density of threading dislocations increases. Meanwhile, the mean radius of these defect clusters shows a reverse tendency. This result is explained by the effect of clusters preferentially forming around dislocations, which act as effective sinks for the segregation of point defects. The electric mobility is found to decrease as the cluster concentration increases.

Preformation of clusters in heavy nuclei and cluster radioactivity

Within the preformed cluster model approach, the values of the preformation factors have been deduced from the experimental cluster decay half-lives assuming that the decay constant of the heavy-ion emission is the product of the assault frequency, the preformation factor and the penetrability. The law according to which the preformation factors follow a simple dependence on the mass of the cluster was confirmed. Then predictions for some of the most possible cluster decays are provided.