Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 thin films deposited by electron beam evaporation: Structural, morphological characterization and laser induced damage threshold

Four kinds of Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) thin films with different Y2O3 content have been prepared on BK7 substrates by electron-beam evaporation method. Structural properties and surface morphology of thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra and scanning probe microscope. Laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) was determined. It was found that crystalline phase and microstructure of YSZ thin films was dependent on Y2O3 molar content. YSZ thin films changed from monoclinic phase to high temperature phase (tetragonal and cubic) with the increase of Y2O3 content. The LIDT of stabilized thin film is more than that of unstabilized thin films. The reason is that ZrO2 material undergoes phase transition during the course of e-beam evaporation resulting in more numbers of defects compared to that of YSZ thin films. These defects act as absorptive center and the original breakdown points. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Introduction to Molecular Analysis of Ectomycorrhizal Communities

A number of methods are available for those researchers considering the addition of molecular analyses of ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi to their research projects and weighing the various approaches they might take. Analyzing natural EcM fungal communities has traditionally been a highly skilled, time-consuming process relying heavily on exacting morphological characterization of EcM root tips. Increasingly powerful molecular methods for analyzing EcM communities make this area of research available to a much wider range of researchers. Ecologists can gain from the body of work characterizing EcM while avoiding the requirement for exceptional expertise by carefully combining elements of traditional methods with the more recent molecular approaches. A cursory morphological analysis can yield a traditional quantification of EcM fungi based on tip numbers, a unit with functional and historical significance. Ectomycorrhizal root DNA extracts may then be analyzed with molecular methods widely used for characterizing microbiota. These range from methods applicable only to the simple mixes resulting from careful morphotyping, to community-oriented methods that identify many types in mixed samples as well as provide an estimate of their relative abundances. Extramatrical hyphae in bulk soil can also be more effectively studied, extending characterization of EcM fungal communities beyond the rhizoplane. The trend toward techniques permitting larger sample sets without prohibitive labor and time requirements will also permit us to more frequently address the issues of spatial and temporal variability and better characterize the roles of EcM fungi at multiple scales.

Morphological and ultrastructural characterization of the coelomocytes in Apostichopus japonicus

The coelomocytes suspended in the coelomic fluid and occurring in the coelomic epithelial layer of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) (Holothuroidea: Aspidochirota: Stichopodidae) function as mediators of the immune system, trephocytic cells and nutrient transport cells. Types of coelomocytes are characterized based on their morphological and ultrastructural features. Flow cytometry plus light and electron microscopic analyses were conducted in order to characterize the coelomocytes of A. japonicus. Six types of coelomocytes were identified: lymphocytes, morula cells, amoebocytes, crystal cells, fusiform cells and vibratile cells. Within these major categories, several distinctive cell types occurred that might represent developmental stages. The mean +/- SD coelomocyte concentration in the individuals (body length: 10 to 15 cm; weight: 100 to 150 g) was (3.79 +/- 0.65) X 10(6) cells ml(-1). The coelomic fluid contained mainly hyalinocytes (76.69%) and granulocytes (23.31 %).

Growth and characterization of ZnO films on (0 0 1), (1 0 0) and (0 1 0) LiGaO2 substrates

ZnO films were fabricated on LiGaO2 (0 0 1), (10 0) and (0 10) planes by RF magnetron sputtering. The structural, morphological and optical properties of as-grown ZnO films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectra and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. It is found that the orientation of ZnO films is strongly dependent on the substrate plane. [0 0 0 11, [1 (1) over bar 00] and [11 (2) over bar0] oriented ZnO films are deposited on LiGaO2 (001), (100) and (010), respectively. AFM shows the (0001) ZnO film consists of well-aligned regular hexagonal grains. Raman spectra reveal a tensile stress in the (0 0 0 1) ZnO film and a compressive stress in (110 0) and (112 0) ZnO films. PL spectra of all ZnO films exhibit only a near-band-edge UV emission peak. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polyphasic characterization of water bloom forming Raphidiopsis species (cyanobacteria) from central China

Two strains of Raphidiopsis Fritsch et Rich were isolated from a fishpond in Wuhan city, China and rendered axenic, and characterized by a combination of morphological, physiological, biochemical and genetic methods. Morphologically the strains were identified as Raphidiopsis mediterranea Skuja (straight trichomes) and R. curvata Fritsch et Rich (coiled trichomes). These two strains demonstrated slight differences in optimal temperature range and GC content, while sharing some common characteristics including inability to grow hetertrophically, similar salinity tolerance (up to 0.78%) and an identical fatty acid composition. Cyanotoxins were not found in the strain of R. mediterranea, however, the strain of R. curvata contained both deoxycylindrospermopsin and cylindrospermopsin. Phylogenetic affiliations inferred from 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that both Raphidiopsis strains clustered with Cylindrospermopsis, demonstrating their phylogenetic ties to Nostocaceae. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic diversity of plankton community as depicted by PCR-DGGE fingerprinting and its relation to morphological composition and environmental factors in lake donghu

To collect information about the genetic diversity of the plankton community and to study how plankton respond to environmental conditions, plankton samples were collected from five stations representing different trophic levels in a shallow, eutrophic lake (Lake Donghu), and investigated by PCR-DGGE fingerprinting. A total of 100 bands (61 of 16S rDNA bands and 39 of 18S rDNA bands) were detected. The DGGE bands unique to any single station accounted for 38% of the total bands, whereas common bands detected at all five stations accounted for only 11%. Using UPGMA clustering and MDS ordination of DGGE fingerprints, stations I and II were found to initially group together into one cluster, which was later joined by station V. Stations III and IV were isolated into two separate groups of one station each. Some differences in grouping relationships were found when analysis was completed on the basis of chemical characteristics and morphological composition, with zooplankton composition showing the greatest variability. However, the most similar stations (I and II) were always initially grouped into one cluster. Moreover, stations that exhibited the same or similar trophic level (stations III and IV), but different concentrations of heavy metals, were further differentiated by the DGGE method. Results of the present study indicated that PCR-DGGE fingerprinting was more sensitive than the traditional methods, as other studies suggested. Additionally, PCR-DGGE appears to be more appropriate for diversity characterization of the plankton community, as it is more canonical, systematic, and effective. Most importantly, fingerprinting results are more convenient for the comparative analyses between different studies. Therefore, the use of the described fingerprinting analysis may provide an operable and sensitive biomonitoring approach to identify critical, and potentially negative, stress within an aquatic ecosystem.

Cloning and characterization of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI) in Gobiocypris rarus

In study of gene expression profile in cloned embryos which derived from D. rerio embryonic nuclei and G. rarus enucleated eggs, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI) of G. rarus, exhibiting difference at expression level between cloned embryos and zebrafish embryo, was cloned. Its full cDNA length is 1654 bp and contains a 1551 bp open reading frame, encoding a 5.64 kDa protein of 516 amino acids. The alignment result shows that mitochondrion tRNA(ser) is co-transcripted with COXI, which just was the 3'-UTR of COXI. Molecular phylogenic analysis based on COXI indicates G. rarus should belong to Gobioninae, which was not in agreement with previous study according to morphological taxonomy. Comparison of DNA with cDNA shows that RNA editing phenomenon does not occur in the COXI of G. rarus.

Isolation and characterization of a rhabdovirus from co-infection of two viruses in mandarin fish

Co-infection of two viruses has been observed in mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi), but the two viruses have not been characterized. In this study, a rhabdovirus has been isolated from the co-infected two viruses extracted from the diseased mandarin fish, and its morphological structure and partial biochemical and biophysical characteristics have been observed and analyzed. The isolated rhabdovirus has a typical bullet shape, and is therefore called S. chttatsi rhabdovirus (SCRV). And, the isolated rhabdovirus produced a higher titer (10(8.5) TCID50 ml(-1)) than did the co-infecting viruses (10(6.5) TCID50 ml(-1)). Subsequently, the viral genome RNA was extracted, and used as template to clone the complete nucleoprotein (N) gene by RT-PCR amplification. Cloning and sequencing of the SCRV N protein revealed 42%-31% amino acid identities to that of trout rhabdovirus 903/87 and the rhabdoviruses in genus Vesiculovirus. SDS-PAGE separation of the isolated SCRV and other two rhabdoviruses also revealed obvious polypeptide profile difference. Moreover, the anti-SCRV N protein antibody was prepared, and the anti-SCRV N protein antibody only could recognize the SCRV N protein, whereas no antigenicity was detected in other two rhabdoviruses. The data suggested that the SCRV should be a rhabdovirus member related to the genus Vesiculovirus in the Rhabdoviridae. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the Rana grylio virus 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and its novel role in suppressing virus-induced cytopathic effect

The 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta-HSD) isoenzymes play a key role in cellular steroid hormone synthesis. Here, a 3 beta-HSD gene homolog,was cloned from Rana grylio virus (RGV), a member of family Iridoviridae. RGV 3 beta-HSD gene has 1068 bp, encoding a 355 aa predicted protein. Transcription analyses showed that RGV 3 beta-HSD gene was transcribed immediate-early during infection from an initiation site 19 nucleotides upstream of the translation start site. Confocal microscopy revealed that the 3 beta-HSD-EGFP fusion protein was exclusively colocalized with the mitochondria marker (pDsRed2-Mito) in EPC cells. Upon morphological observation and MTT assay, it was revealed that overexpression of RGV 3 beta-HSD in EPC cells could apparently suppress RGV-induced cytopathic effect (CPE). The present studies indicate that the RGV immediate-early 3 beta-HSD gene encodes a mitochondria-localized protein, which has a novel role in suppressing virus-induced CPE. All these suggest that RGV 3 beta-HSD might be a protein involved in host-virus interaction. @ 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of an iridovirus from the cultured pig frog Rana grylio with lethal syndrome

Three virus isolates, RGV-9506, RGV-9807 and RGV-9808, were obtained from cultured pig frogs Rana grylio undergoing lethal infections. Previously, the first isolate, RGV-9506, was shown to be an iridovirus based on ultrastructural and morphological studies. In the present study, the original isolate, along with 2 recent ones, were more extensively characterized by experimental infection studies, histopathology, electron microscopy, serological reactivity, gel electrophoresis of viral polypeptides and DNA restriction fragments, PCR amplification, and nucleic acid sequence analysis of the major capsid protein (MCP) gene. The 3 isolates were shown to be identical to each other, and very similar to FV3, the type species of the genus Ranavirus (family Iridoviridae). These results suggest that RGV should be considered a strain of FV3, and indicate that FV3-like iridoviruses are capable of causing widespread, severe disease among cultured frogs.

Microstructure characterization of transition films from amorphous to nanocrocrystalline silicon

Hydrogenated silicon (Si:H) films near the threshold of crystallinity were prepared by very high-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (VHF-PECVD) using a wide range of hydrogen dilution R-H = [H-2]/[SiH4] values of 2-100. The effects of H dilution R-H on the structural properties of the films were investigated using micro-Raman scattering and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy. The obtained Raman spectra show that the H dilution leads to improvements in the short-range order and the medium-range order of the amorphous network and then to the morphological transition from amorphous to crystalline states. The onset of this transition locates between R-H = 30 and 40 in our case, and with further increasing R-H from 40 to 100, the nanocrystalline volume fraction increases from similar to23% to 43%, and correspondingly the crystallite size enlarges from similar to2.8 to 4.4 nm. The FTIR spectra exhibit that with R-H increasing, the relative intensities of both the SiH stretching mode component at 2100 cm(-1) and wagging mode component at 620 cm(-1) increase in the same manner. We assert that these variations in IR spectra should be associated with the formation of paracrystalline structures in the low H dilution films and nanocrystalline structures in the high H dilution films. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Isolation and Characterization of a Methomyl-Degrading Paracoccus sp mdw-1

Methomyl, an extremely toxic pesticide, is widely used in agriculture. A strain named mdw-1 capable of degrading methomyl rapidly was successfully isolated from activated sludge in this study. It could utilize methomyl as the sole carbon or nitrogen source. The optimal temperature and medium pH for its growth and methomyl biodegradation were 30 degrees C and 7.0, respectively. It was identified as a Paracoccus sp. according to its morphological features, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and phylogenetic analysis based on the sequence of 16S rDNA. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed that methomyl could be completely transformed to S-methyl-N-hydroxythioacetamidate in 10 h of incubation with the isolate mdw-1.

Growth and characterization of InAsSb alloys by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition

Low pressure metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (LP-MOCVD) growth and characteristics of InAssb on (100) Gasb substrates are investigated. Mirror-like surfaces with a minimum lattice mismatch are obtained. The samples are studied by photoluminescence spectra, and the output is 3.17 mu m in wavelength. The surface of InAssb epilayer shows that its morphological feature is dependent on buffer layer. With an InAs buffer layer used, the best surface is obtained. The InAssb film shows to be of n-type conduction with an electron concentration of 8.52 x 10(16) cm(-3).

Electrochemical polymerization and characterization of polypyrrole nanowires and nanotubules

Polypyrrole nanostructure arrays, including simultaneously large quantities of nanowires and small quantities of partially filled nanotubules have been electrochemically synthesized in home-made etched ion-track polycarbonate (PC) templates. Diameter of the prepared nanostructures varies from 45 to 320 nm with their lengths up to 30 microns. Morphological studies of these nanostructures were performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Raman spectroscopy. While optical absorption properties were studied by ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectrophotometry (UV-vis-NIR). It has been observed that the absorption maximum of polypyrrole shifts to the longer wavelength side as the diameter of these nanostructures (nanowires and nanotubules) increases. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.