Improved growth of GaN layers on ultra thin silicon nitride/Si (111) by RF-MBE

High-quality GaN epilayers were grown on Si (1 1 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy using a new growth process sequence which involved a substrate nitridation at low temperatures, annealing at high temperatures, followed by nitridation at high temperatures, deposition of a low-temperature buffer layer, and a high-temperature overgrowth. The material quality of the GaN films was also investigated as a function of nitridation time and temperature. Crystallinity and surface roughness of GaN was found to improve when the Si substrate was treated under the new growth process sequence. Micro-Raman and photoluminescence (PL) measurement results indicate that the GaN film grown by the new process sequence has less tensile stress and optically good. The surface and interface structures of an ultra thin silicon nitride film grown on the Si surface are investigated by core-level photoelectron spectroscopy and it clearly indicates that the quality of silicon nitride notably affects the properties of GaN growth. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vesicle and Stable Monolayer Formation from Simple ``Click'' Chemistry Adducts in Water

Click chemistry has been successfully extended into the field of molecular design of novel amphiphatic adducts. After their syntheses and characterizations, we have studied their aggregation properties in aqueous medium. Each of these adducts forms stable suspensions in water. These suspensions have been characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The presence of inner aqueous compartments in such aggregates has been demonstrated using dye (methylene blue) entrapment studies. These aggregates have been further characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), which indicates the existence of bilayer structures in them. Therefore, the resulting aggregates could be described as vesicles. The temperature-induced order-to-disorder transitions of the vesicular aggregates and the accompanying changes in their packing and hydration have been examined using high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescence anisotropy, and generalized polarization measurements using appropriate membrane-soluble probe, 1,6-diphenylhexatriene, and Paldan, respectively. The findings of these studies are consistent with each other in terms of the apparent phase transition temperatures. Langmuir monolayer studies confirmed that these click adducts also form stable monolayers on buffered aqueous subphase at the air-water interface.

Crystal structures of fluorinated aryl biscarbonates and a biscarbamate: a counterpoise between weak intermolecular interactions and molecular symmetry

Conformational features and supramolecular structural organization in three aryl biscarbonates and an aryl biscarbamate with rigid acetylenic unit providing variable spacer lengths have been probed to gain insights into the packing features associated with molecular symmetry and the intermolecular interactions involving `organic' fluorine. Four structures but-2-yne-1,4-diyl bis(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenylcarbonate), 1; but-2-yne-1,4-diyl bis(4-fluorophenylcarbonate), 2; but-2-yne-1,4-diyl bis(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenylcarbamate), 3 and hexa-2,4-diyne-1,6-diyl bis(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenylcarbonate), 4 have been analyzed in this context. Compound 1 adopts a non-centrosymmetric ``twisted'' (syn) conformation, whereas 2, 3 and 4 acquire a centrosymmetric ``extended'' (anti) conformation. Weak intermolecular interactions and in particular those involving fluorine are found to dictate this conformational variation in the crystal structure of 1. A single-crystal neutron diffraction study at 90 K was performed on 1 to obtain further insights into these interactions involving `organic' fluorine.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Expresses ftsE Gene Through Multiple Transcripts

Bacterial FtsE gene codes for the ATP-binding protein, FtsE, which in complex with the transmembrane protein, FtsX, participates in diverse cellular processes. Therefore, regulated expression of FtsE and FtsX might be critical to the human pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, under stress conditions. Although ftsX gene of M. tuberculosis (MtftsX) is known to be transcribed from a promoter inside the upstream gene, ftsE, the transcriptional status of ftsE gene of M. tuberculosis (MtftsE) remains unknown. Therefore, the authors initiated transcriptional analyses of MtftsE, using total RNA from M. tuberculosis cells that were grown under stress conditions, which the pathogen is exposed to, in granuloma in tuberculosis patients. Primer extension experiments showed the presence of putative transcripts, T1, T2, T3, and T4. T1 originated from the intergenic region between the upstream gene, MRA_3135, and MtftsE. T2 and T3 were found initiated from within MRA_3135. T4 was transcribed from a region upstream of MRA_3135. RT-PCR confirmed co-transcription of MRA_3135 and MtftsE. The cloned putative promoter regions for T1, T2, and T3 elicited transcriptional activity in Mycobacterium smegmatis transformants. T1, T2, and T3, but no new transcript, were present in the M. tuberculosis cells that were grown under the stress conditions, which the pathogen is exposed to in granuloma in tuberculosis patients. It showed lack of modulation of MtftsE transcripts under the stress conditions tested, indicating that ftsE may not have a stress response-specific function in M. tuberculosis.

Zirconia nanotubes

Hollow nanotubes of zirconia as well as of yttria-stabilized zirconia are successfully prepared by first coating the carbon nanotubes appropriately with the oxidic material and then burning off the carbon of the template.

Hardness and Nitrogen Bonding Structure of A(x)Ti(1-x)N/CrN Multilayer Hard Coating

AlxTi1-xN/CrN multilayer coatings were fabricated by magnetron sputtering and those hardness variations were studied by observing the crack propagation and measuring the chemical bonding state of nitrides by Ti addition. While AlN/CrN multilayer shown stair-like crack propagation, AlxTi1-xN/CrN multilayer illustrated straight crack propagation. Most interestingly, Ti addition induced more broken nitrogen bonds in the nitride multilayers, leading to the reduction of hardness. However, the hardness of Al0.25Ti0.75N/CrN multilayer, having high Ti contents, increased by the formation of many Ti-N bond again instead of Al-N bond. From these results, we found that linear crack propagation behavior was dominated by broken nitrogen bonds in the AlxT1-xN/CrN multilayer coatings.

Studies and Evaluation of EIT Image Reconstruction in EIDORS with Simulated Boundary Data

Simulated boundary potential data for Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) are generated by a MATLAB based EIT data generator and the resistivity reconstruction is evaluated with Electrical Impedance Tomography and Diffuse Optical Tomography Reconstruction Software (EIDORS). Circular domains containing subdomains as inhomogeneity are defined in MATLAB-based EIT data generator and the boundary data are calculated by a constant current simulation with opposite current injection (OCI) method. The resistivity images reconstructed for different boundary data sets and images are analyzed with image parameters to evaluate the reconstruction.

Post-failure Analysis and Fractography of In-plane Tension-Tested Tufted Carbon Fabric-Reinforced Epoxy Composite Laminates

Tufted and plain unidirectional carbon fabric-reinforced epoxy composite laminates were fabricated by vacuum-enhanced resin infusion technology and subjected to in-plane tensile tests with a view to study the changes in mechanical properties and failure responses. Owing to the presence of tufts in the laminates, both the tensile strength and modulus decrease by similar to 38 and similar to 20%, respectively, vis-A -vis the values recorded for plain composites. The fracture features point to the fact that though both the composites fail in brittle manner, they, however, exhibit differing fiber pull out lengths. Further, it was noticed that for the tufted ones, crack originates in the vicinity of tuft thread, spreads through the composite in a brittle manner, and results in a display of shorter fiber pull out lengths. These observations and other results are discussed in this paper.

关于颗粒悬浮机理和悬浮功的讨论

从分析气体分子的悬浮和静水中Ｂｒｏｗｎ微粒的悬浮之机理出发，论述了重力场中粒子（分子、微粒等）的悬浮不一定需要其它外力，粒子本射的任何形式的无规则运动，达到一定强度后都能使粒子弥散悬浮。河流中的泥沙颗粒和气（水）力输送管道中的颗粒的悬浮也主要靠颗粒物的无规则运动，作用于颗粒的升力和其它力可改变颗粒悬浮沿高度的分布，但仅用这些力９若无任何无规则运动）无法解释颗粒的弥散悬浮状态。讨论了颗粒对流动阻力的…

Efecto de cultivos antecesores y métodos de control de malezas sobre la cenosis de las malezas y el crecimiento, desarrollo y rendimiento de los cultivos de soya (Glycine max (L) Merr.) y ajonjolí (Sesamum indicum L.)

El experimento de campo se llevó a cabo en el ciclo de postrera (Agosto-Dic.) del año 1992 en los terrenos de la cooperativa "Rubén Duarte", Managua. Se estudió la influencia de rotaciones de cultivos (Maíz-Soya; Sorgo-Soya; Maíz-Ajonjolí y Sorgo-Ajonjolí), y tres controles de malezas (control químico, control período crítico, limpia periódica) sobre el comportamiento de la cenosis de las malezas en el crecimiento, desarrollo y rendimiento de la Soya (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) y del Ajonjolí (Sesamun indicum(L)). Se utilizó un diseño experimental de parcelas divididas en bloques completos al azar con 4 repeticiones, estudiados el factor A (Rotación de cultivos) en las parcelas grandes y el factor B (Control de malezas) en las subparcelas. La rotación Maíz-Soya mostró los menores niveles de abundancia, cobertura y biomasa de malezas y alcanzó al igual que la rotación Maíz-Ajonjolí los mayores rendimientos. Las rotaciones Sorgo-Ajonjolí y Sorgo-Soya presentaron una alta abundancia, diversidad, cobertura y biomasa de malezas, llegando a tener los más bajos rendimientos. La especie Cyperus rotundus estuvo presente en todas las rotaciones y en los tres controles de malezas. El control químico tuvo niveles intermedios de abundancia y diversidad en las malezas. El control por período crítico provocó un nivel alto de abundancia y diversidad de malezas, sin afectar el rendimiento. El control limpia periódica generó los menores rangos de abundancia Y diversidad de malezas, y obtuvo los rendimientos más altos.

Conservación in vitro a tasas mínimas de crecimiento del clon de camote N-1437 (Ipomoea batata (L) Lam) durante dieciseis semanas

El presente trabajo se realizó en el Programa adscrito a la Universidad Nacional Agraria, con el objetivo de estudiar el método de conservación in vitro a tasa mínimas de crecimiento en el cultivo de camote (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) clon N-1437, se procedió a inocular bajo condiciones de asepsia total, microesquejes entre 3 y 4 mm de longitud aproximadamente, conteniendo una yema axilar. En la evaluación final a las 16 semanas, se observó que en los tratamientos con 10 y 15 g/1 de manitol las variables altura, número de hojas y número de raíces presentaron menores valores de incremento mensual comparados con los alcanzados en los tratamientos testigo y a 5 g/1 de manitol, además se determinó que en el tratamiento testigo hubo mejores resultados en cuanto a la sobrevivencia de los tejidos en el 100%, menor formación de callo en un 5%, vitrificación 10% y en la coloración verde oscuro de las hojas en un 65% de las plántulas. En los tratamientos testigo y dilución de las sales MS, resultó que al 50% de dilución el incremento mensual presento valores intermedios en las variables altura de la plántula y número de hojas, pero el número de raíces fue menor presentando valores de 0.16 cm, 0.95 y 0.56 respectivamente. La sobrevivencia de los tejidos fue del 100%, no se presentó formación de callo ni vitrificación y la coloración verde oscuro de las hojas fue del 90%. Aun cuando el manitol fue efectivo en la reducción de la tasa presentaron morfológico de crecimiento efectos menos y fisiológico, deseables en el comparado con el aspecto efecto producido por las diluciones de las sales Ms.

Collective evolution characteristics and computer simulation of short fatigue cracks

Fatigue testing was conducted using a kind of triangular isostress specimen to obtain the short-fatigue-crack behaviour of a weld low-carbon steel. The experimental results show that short cracks continuously initiate at slip bands within ferrite grain domains and the crack number per unit area gradually increases with increasing number of fatigue cycles. The dispersed short cracks possess an orientation preference, which is associated with the crystalline orientation of the relevant slip system. Based on the observed collective characteristics, computer modelling was carried out to simulate the evolution process of initiation, propagation and coalescence of short cracks. The simulation provides progressive displays which imitate the appearance of experimental observations. The results of simulation indicate that the crack path possesses a stable value of fractal dimension whereas the critical value of percolation covers a wide datum band, suggesting that the collective evolution process of short cracks is sensitive to the pattern of crack site distribution.

Spectral-line profile of turbulent gas

phases should be specified when the particle Reynolds number is higher than