Investigating carbon materials for use as the electron emission source in a parallel electron-beam lithography system

A microelectronic parallel electron-beam lithography system using an array of field emitting microguns is currently being developed. This paper investigates the suitability of various carbon based materials for the electron source in this device, namely tetrahedrally bonded amorphous carbon (ta-C), nanoclustered carbon and carbon nanotubes. Ta-C was most easily integrated into a gated field emitter structure and various methods, such as plasma and heavy ion irradiation, were used to induce emission sites in the ta-C. However, the creation of such emission sites at desired locations appeared to be difficult/random in nature and thus the material was unsuitable for this application. In contrast, nanoclustered carbon material readily field emits with a high site density but the by-products from the deposition process create integration issues when using the material in a microelectronic gated structure. Carbon nanotubes are currently the most promising candidate for use as the emission source. We have developed a high yield and clean (amorphous carbon by-product free) PECVD process to deposit single free standing nanotubes at desired locations with exceptional uniformity in terms of nanotube height and diameter. Field emission from an array of nanotubes was also obtained. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.

Instability in lean premixed combustors

A generalized acoustic equation is used to identify the mechanisms driving combustion instability. The relationship between the unsteady rate of heat release and the flow is found to influence significantly the frequency of oscillation. A kinematic flame model is reviewed and used to describe the unsteady combustion in a premixed ducted flame and in a typical lean premixed industrial gas turbine. Comparison is made between theory and experiment. | A generalized acoustic equation is used to identify the mechanisms driving combustion instability. The relationship between the unsteady rate of heat release and the flow is found to influence significantly the frequency of oscillation. A kinematic flame model is reviewed and used to describe the unsteady combustion in a premixed ducted flame and in a typical lean premixed industrial gas turbine. Comparison is made between theory and experiment.

中国原产秋海棠属植物的形态和解剖结构

作者回顾了秋海棠属植物的发现、命名和引种栽培历史，概述了对该属的分类、形态、解剖、染色体研究取得的进展．结合查阅文献、标本和野外考察、栽培、实验观察，论述了秋海棠科的形态特征、秋海棠属中国种的分组、分布和生态习性、生物学特性、栽培繁殖技术和组织培养技术．强调了保护秋海棠属濒危物种的紧迫性，本论文描述了作者亲自采集或引种栽培的33种2亚种、57号中国原产秋海棠属植物的形态和解剖学特征，分析了结构与功能的关系和不同特征对分类与鉴定的价值，提出了中国产秋海棠属6个组和秋海棠科3个属的演化趋势及相应的形态与解剖学证据，就秋海棠科在分类系统中的位置进行了讨论．本文的主要观察结果和论点如下： 1．首次报道本属成熟根的结构：四原型或五原型，木质部由厚壁细胞和放射状排列的导管组成． 2．茎中维管束环状排列，维管束之间有较宽的束间区．直立茎和花序梗的束间形成层向内产生硬化和木化的薄壁组织，将维管束连成封闭的环，但在直立茎和花序梗的节附近以及根状茎中维管束和束间区硬化程度弱，不形成硬化的封闭环．硬化封闭环是和茎的机械支持功能相联系的，节附近硬化程度弱则为离层的形成做准备，有的种除了轴维管束之外还有髓维管束． 3．茎、叶柄和中脉维管束的数目和分布在不同部位可有或大或小的变化，但对种的鉴定仍有一定价值，重要的是要注意选取具有可比性的相同部位．木质部和韧皮部的比例有时也表现出明显的种间差异． 4．叶片气孔只见于下表面，首次发现内环为4个副卫细胞的螺旋型气孔（已有报道的有不等细胞型和内环为3个副卫细胞的螺旋型）．在茎、叶柄和托叶背面气孔生于看上去类似皮孔而实际上由初生组织构成的特殊通气结构上．在本属植物叶片上表面的突出体和子房翅有排水器存在． 5．对各器官特别是叶片表面的毛状体、突出体进行了肉眼、放大镜和显微镜观察，描述了它们的形态和组织学特征，比较了一些种间毛状体组型的区别及鉴定价值． 6．植物体内含有草酸和草酸钙晶体，晶体以棱晶、沙晶和晶簇的形式存在于秋海棠属植物的大部分器官和组织中，在几个细胞相邻处聚集的球形晶簇只见于Sect.Coelocentrum和Sect.Diploclinium，可能表明二者有较密切的关系． 7．根据对子房的解剖研究并结合营养器官特征，认为原来划归Sect.Reichenheimia的B．wangii实际属于Sect. Diploclinium，确认原来没有子房形态描述的B. peltatifolia属于Sect.Diploclinium，B.villifolia属于Sect. Platycentrum。 8．首次较详细描述了花柱和子房中引导组织的分布和形状变化情况。 9．通过对子房结构和其中维管束数目与分布的观察，认为Sect. Platycentrum的2室子房由3个心皮组成，它可能是由3室子房进化而来的． 10.推测中国原产的本属各组的演化趋势如下： (Sect. Mezierea ) →Scct. Sphenanthera → Sect. Begonia → Sect. Reichenheimia ↘Sect. Coelocentrum →Sect. Diploclinium↘ Sect. Platycentrum 11.推测秋海棠科内的演化趋势可能是：Hillebrandia→Begonia→Symbegonia． 12.秋海棠科叶片具单生气孔的种多数只有单表皮，叶片具气孔组的种多数有复表皮．单生气孔和单表皮是较原始的性状，气孔组和复表皮是衍生性状．在10．所列的各组和11.所列的Hillebrandia中，这些性状的发生是和主要依据子房特征而提出的演化趋势基本一致的． 13.中国种的花粉和种子形态变化幅度较小，组间差异不明显．花粉和种子形态表明中国种总的进化程度在秋海棠属中偏低，但没有非洲种所显示的极端情形． 14.证实文献报道的种子萌发时种盖掀起、颈细胞沿胞间层裂开，这是减少种皮对萌发种胚阻力的高度适应机制． 15.作者赞同秋海棠科比四数木科进化程度高、两个科关系最为接近的看法，认为Melchior (1964)修订的Engler系统和Takhtajan(1987)的分类系统对秋海棠科位置的安排可能更接近于反映秋海棠科和其他科之间的系统关系．

Age determination and growth of the night shark (Carcharhinus signatus) off the northeastern Brazilian coast

Age and growth of the night shark (Carcharhinus signatus) from areas off northeastern Brazil were determined from 317 unstained vertebral sections of 182 males (113–215 cm total length [TL]), 132 females (111.5–234.9 cm) and three individuals of unknown sex (169–242 cm). Although marginal increment (MI) analysis suggests that band formation occurs in the third and fourth trimesters in juveniles, it was inconclusive for adults. Thus, it was assumed that one band is formed annually. Births that occur over a protracted period may be the most important source of bias in MI analysis. An estimated average percent error of 2.4% was found in readings for individuals between two and seventeen years. The von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) showed no significant differences between sexes, and the model derived from back-calculated mean length at age best represented growth for the species (L∞=270 cm, K=0.11/yr, t0=–2.71 yr) when compared to the observed mean lengths at age and the Fabens’ method. Length-frequency analysis on 1055 specimens (93–260 cm) was used to verify age determination. Back-calculated size at birth was 66.8 cm and maturity was reached at 180–190 cm (age 8) for males and 200–205 cm (age ten) for females. Age composition, estimated from an age-length key, indicated that juveniles predominate in commercial catches, representing 74.3% of the catch. A growth rate of 25.4 cm/yr was estimated from birth to the first band (i.e. juveniles grow 38% of their birth length during the first year), and a growth rate of 8.55 cm/yr was estimated for eight- to ten-year-old adults.

复苏植物牛耳草干旱诱导的ACC氧化酶及乙烯调控的引导蛋白基因的克隆、表达与功能分析

本文以耐旱的牛耳草(Boea hygrometirica)为材料，研究了乙烯合成关键酶之一——ACC氧化酶编码基因（BhACO1）在干旱复苏过程中的诱导表达及其编码蛋白的酶活，分析了乙烯在干旱复苏过程中的积累及其对叶片复苏能力的影响和对干旱诱导基因的调控，探讨了一个受乙烯调控的干旱诱导的引导蛋白编码基因（BhDIR1）的表达及其功能。 利用cDNA微阵列技术从牛耳草干旱2h的叶片中得到一个ACC氧化酶基因片段，经5’-RACE得到全长cDNA，命名为BhACO1。BhACO1包含317个氨基酸，与其它植物中的ACC氧化酶具有80%左右的序列相似性。BhACO1基因受乙烯和干旱诱导、但ACC氧化酶抑制剂氯化钴可抑制其干旱诱导表达。BhACO1基因受ABA、2,4-D、SA、H2O2、CaCl2、EGTA及热害和盐害的诱导，但不受冷害诱导。原核表达的GST-BhACO1融合蛋白在体内体外均表现出ACC氧化酶的活性，而过量表达BhACO1的转基因植物的蛋白提取物也表现出较野生型更强的ACC氧化酶活性。 乙烯在牛耳草叶片干旱复水过程中随着时间延长而逐步积累。外源乙烯可诱导叶片黄化，但不影响叶片在复水后的复苏能力;氯化钴处理可部分地抑制乙烯合成而降低牛耳草叶片在干旱过程中乙烯的释放量，同时导致叶片失去复苏能力。与对照相比，氯化钴处理的叶片在干旱时仍可维持较低的离子渗漏水平，但复水后发生大量离子外渗，表明细胞膜完整性也遭到破坏;光系统ІІ活性下降程度在干旱时与对照相似，但复水后完全丧失。 乙烯诱导牛耳草干旱响应基因BhDohb561，BhLEA2和BhDIR1的表达，但不影响牛耳草干旱响应基因BhCML1，BhGRP1，BhSGP和BhLEA1的表达。除BhLEA1外，上述基因在干旱过程中的诱导表达均可被氯化钴预处理所抑制，尤其是BhSGP最明显。 BhDIR1在牛耳草干旱复水过程中mRNA明显地积累，乙烯、ABA、CaCl2、EGTA、H2O2、SA和热害、冷害、盐害都可诱导其表达。BhDIR1编码一个199个氨基酸的小分子量蛋白质，与松柏等植物中发现的可能参与木质素合成的引导蛋白具有约20-30%的序列相似性。与其它引导蛋白相同，BhDIR1在N’端包含一个外泌的信号肽，GFP定位分析表明BhDIR1定位于细胞膜和壁上。 上述结果表明，乙烯在牛耳草叶片耐脱水复苏反应中有不可或缺的作用，而ACC氧化酶所催化的反应是干旱诱导的乙烯合成中的关键步骤。氯化钴预处理通过抑制干旱过程中的乙烯合成，影响一系列基因的干旱诱导表达导致叶片在生理水平和细胞水平上造成了损伤，或是使牛耳草失去了在复水过程中原有的修复能力而无法恢复生命力。BhDIR1作为乙烯调控的下游靶基因之一，可能通过调控木质素的单体间的连接方式而改变木质素的物理性质来影响细胞壁的机械强度和柔韧性，减少干旱对细胞造成的机械伤害。

Influence of salinity on population growth of a rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis (Mullen)

The rotifer Brachionus plicatilis plays an important role in prawn hatcheries. It tolerates a wide range of salinities. The present experiments were conducted to find the optimum salinity for its mass culture. Experiments conducted on various ranges of salinities starting from 0 to 40 ppt at an interval of 5 ppt revealed that Brachionus plicatilis did not survive at salinities 0 and 40 ppt. Optimum salinity studies conducted at 5-15 ppt with an interval of 1 ppt showed that the production of 70 individuals/ml was highest at 10 ppt salinity and the doubling time ranged from 1.728 to 1.317 days.