PHOTOACOUSTIC SPECTROSCOPY,A NONDESTRUCTIVE METHOD FOR SENSITIVE ANALYSIS OF DISEASE IN PLANTS

The Photoacoustic (PA) spectra of wheat leaves infected by brown rust were recorded at modulation frequencies, 18 Hz and 228 Hz, using a 300W Xenon Arc lamp. The PA signals at 6328.8 nm radiation of He-Ne laser were recorded at different modulation frequencies to ascertain depth of penetration of the disease in the infected leaf tissue. For an abaxial surface of the leaf facing the incident radiation, the PA signal from leaves severely infected with brown rust disease is higher than that obtained from healthy leaves. This is in a marked contrast to a situation observed when an adaxial surface faces the incident radiation (the PA signal from severely infected leaves is lower than that from the intact leaf). In case of a horizontal spread of a disease, the tendency towards the stem side of the leaf was observed. Our results also reveal the progress of disease vertically through the leaf.     

Monitoring of the heavy-metal hyperaccumulation in vegetal tissues by X-ray radiography and by femto-second laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

This article reports on the utilization of X-ray microradiography and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) techniques for investigation of the metal accumulation in different part of leaf samples. The potential of the LIBS-analysis for finding the proper plant species for phytoremediation is compared with the results of microradiography measurements at the HERCULES source at ENEA, Rome (Italy) and X-ray microradiography experiments at the ELETTRA Synchrotron, Trieste (Italy).     

Comparison of Bougainvillea spectabilis and Bougainvillea glabra species inhibited in Pakistan based on microscopic studies: Light microscope and scanning electron microscope

The anatomical variations of two plants from the Nyctaginaceae family, Bougainvillea spectabilis and Bougainvillea glabra, were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy methods in this work. Bougainvillea is a dicotyledonous with defensive traits that can withstand extreme (hot and dry) settings; according to the findings, crystal inclusions in cells, woody spines, and an abnormal development pattern are all features that help them survive against predators and are unique to this species. The Bougainvillea plant's leaves are arranged in simple pattern, alternate to each other along stem having an undulate leaves edge and an oval form. The xylem and phloem, palisade, parenchyma midrib, spongy mesophyll, raphide crystal bundles, and trichomes were all visible when bracts and leaves were transversally sectioned and dyed with toluidine blue O (TBO). The presence of crystals was confirmed by a detailed examination of the transverse leaves by using bright-field and cross-polarizing microscopy. Dissecting microscopic examination showed that all the leaves revealed leaves venation pattern that had midvein, lateral veins areoles, and trichomes. Although trichomes have been identified on both sides, a closer look at a cleaned leaf dyed with TBO showed multicellular abundant trichomes on adaxial surface. Stomata complexes were typically found on the abaxial surface of the leaf according to epidermal peels. Present studies also showed that on adaxial side, stomata were lesser in number or were absent and also showed that the morphologies of the pavement cells on the adaxial and abaxial sides of the leaf differed.     

Effects of surface relaxation on convergent-beam electron diffraction analysis of stress in silicon

Convergent‐beam electron diffraction on cross‐sectional transmission electron microscopy specimens can map strains in the silicon substrate of microelectronics devices with high spatial resolution. However, at shallow depths below the interface, most of the diffraction lines within a convergent‐beam electron diffraction pattern are split, rendering pattern interpretation impossible in the classic way. The splitting effect was systematically analysed for a variety of materials, and the same qualitative behaviour that can be explained by stress relaxation at the surfaces of the thin transmission electron microscopy specimen was observed. The effects of surface relaxation are modelled by finite elements simulations. The results predict well the experimental magnitude of the splitting for a variety of diffraction lines at different positions below the interface, but fail to simulate the intensity of the secondary lines. Possible reasons for such discrepancies are discussed and assessed.     

Utilization of laser‐assisted analytical methods for monitoring of lead and nutrition elements distribution in fresh and dried Capsicum annuum l. leaves

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) have been applied for high‐resolution mapping of accumulation and distribution of heavy metal (lead) and nutrition elements (potassium, manganese) in leaves of Capsicum annuum L. samples. Lead was added in a form of Pb(NO₃)₂ at concentration up to 10 mmol L^?1 into the vessels that contained tap water and where the 2‐months old Capsicum annuum L. plants were grown another seven days. Two dimensional maps of the elements are presented for both laser‐assisted analytical methods. Elemental mapping performed on fresh (frozen) and dried Capsicum annuum L. leaves are compared. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

IN VIVO PHOTOACOUSTIC SPECTROSCOPY OF LEAVES INFECTED BY FUNGAL AND VIRAL DISEASES

Abstract

The PA spectra of fungal and viral infected leaves were recorded at a modulation frequency of 17 Hz. The leaves of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.), severely infected with a sheath blight, and the leaves of a mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), infected with yellow mosaic virus, exhibit a higher PA signal than the untreated, healthy leaves of same cultivars at all wavelengths examined. The ratio of photoacoustic signals obtained from diseased and healthy leaves in the UV region was higher, as compared to that in the visible region. In fungal infections, the higher PA signal was attributed to non-radiative de-excitation (heat emission). In case of viral infection, the signal appears affected by both O₂ evolution and heat emission. The PA spectra of leaves show that the heat emission due to non-radiative de-excitation exceeds the O₂ evolution. Additionally, the PA spectroscopy proved capable of differentiating between the healthy C-3 and C-4 leaves.     

大型回转窑支承系统的力学行为分析

对操作工况下大型回转窑支承系统的力学行为规律进行理论分析和接触非线性有限元仿真.根据轮带结构和运行特点,解析导出轮带内壁受简体的压力分布公式,修正了长期以来前人轮带压力公式的不妥之处.基于Ansys及其APDL( Ansys parametric design language)编程,实现对支承系统的多体接触模型在分布压力、摩擦转矩和预紧配合作用下的复杂加载及其边界非线性有限元模拟,获得回转窑支承系统的变形与应力分布规律.结果表明,轮带与托轮之间是循环挤压过程;每回转一周,轮带内外表面的等效应力经历五次脉冲循环,在与托轮接触处的峰值应力达最大.托轮外表面也存在较高接触应力.循环应力集中是使轮带与托轮发生表面疲劳失效的根本原因.过盈配合与支承载荷的双重作用,导致轮孔在与轮轴的配合端面成为托轮强度的最薄弱部位,可解释轮孔开裂或喇叭口失效现象.摩擦转矩使载荷偏置,导致支承系统应力分布非对称,故左右对称模型只适用于停工状态,对操作工况是不准确的.这些认识对回转窑支承系统的设计、检修和窑线调整具有参考价值.     

利用LIBS技术在线半定量分析液态钢成分

基于激光诱导击穿光谱技术,研发了一套钢液成分在线分析系统,实现了钢液中Cr、Ni、Si、Mn元素成分的半定量在线分析.实验采用中频感应炉熔炼钢材,并在熔炼过程中添加原料来调整钢液中的元素浓度.通过估算的浓度值绘制标定曲线,比较了不同特征谱线的标定结果.结果表明,采用合适的特征谱线能使标定曲线相关系数达到0.9476以上,测量结果的相对标准差低于7.43％,平均误差低于0.058％.浓度在线测量中,通过中值滤波提高了测量精度,抑制了异常点,准确识别了浓度改变时刻和变化程度.     

Comparative morphology of leaf epidermis in eight populations of Atlas Pistachio (Pistacia atlantica Desf., Anacardiaceae)

A comparative analysis was undertaken to conduct a micromorphological study of Pistacia atlantica leaves by comparing different populations grown under different climatic conditions. Leaf epidermis of eight wild populations was investigated under scanning electron microscope. Micromorphological characteristics (epidermis ornament, stomata type, waxes as well as trichomes) of the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces were examined. The epidermis ornament varied among populations and leaf surface, the abaxial leaf surface is reticulate with a striate surface. Messaad site shows a smooth uneven surface. The adaxial leaf surface is smooth but several ornamentations can be seen. The leaflet is amphistomatic; the stomata appeared to be slightly sunken. A variety of stomatal types were recorded; actinocytic and anomocytic types are the most frequent. The indumentum consisted of glandular and nonglandular trichomes. Unicellular glandular trichomes are recorded for P. atlantica leaves in this study. Their density is higher in Oued safene site, located at the highest altitude in comparison with the other populations. The wax occurred in all the sites and its pattern varied according to the populations studied, particularly between Berriane and Messaad. The morphological variability exhibited by the eight populations of P. atlantica may be interpreted as relevant to the ecological plasticity and the physiological mechanisms involved are discussed in this report.     

Peltate trichomes on biogenic silvery leaves of Elaeagnus umbellata

External and internal features of Elaeagnus umbellata leaves were investigated by optical and electron microscopy. The adaxial (upper) and abaxial (lower) leaf surfaces appeared green and silver in color, respectively. There were peltate trichomes on both the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces. The peltate trichomes were 200–300 μm in diameter and shield or umbrella‐shaped. They had a central dome and 20–30 radiating rays that were fused to form a circular cap in the center and tapered at the end. The density of peltate trichomes was apparently higher on the abaxial leaf surface than on the adaxial leaf surface. At least two layers of peltate trichomes were commonly observed on the abaxial leaf surface. The epidermal cells on the abaxial leaf surface had convex lens‐like shape in cross sections. No distinct chloroplasts were found in the cytoplasm of peltate trichomes. These results suggest that the silver coloration on the abaxial leaf surface is mostly due to structural coloration associated with the profuse overlapping peltate trichomes having a circular cap of radially fused rays. The shrub did not show any pigmentary cellular features associated with the silver coloration. With the silvery leaves as a reflective surface for shaded leaves in canopy, E. umbellata is likely to adapt to the harsh non‐native light‐demanding environments.     

A GRINDING-BASED MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR SILICON WAFERS: DECOMPOSITION ANALYSIS OF WAFER SURFACES

It is difficult for the lapping-based manufacturing method currently used to manufacture the majority of silicon wafers to meet the ever-increasing demand for flatter wafers at lower costs. A grinding-based manufacturing method for silicon wafers has been investigated. It has been demonstrated that the site flatness on the ground wafers (except for a few sites at the wafer center) could meet the stringent specifications for future silicon wafers. The generation mechanisms of the dimples and bumps in the central areas on ground wafers have also been studied. This paper reports another study on the grinding-based method, aiming to reduce the cost of chemical-mechanical polishing – the final material removal process in manufacturing of silicon wafers. Using design of experiments, investigations were carried out to understand the influences of grinding process variables on the peak-to-valley values of the polished wafer surfaces. It was found that the peak-to-valley values over the entire wafer surfaces did not show any relationship with grinding process variables. However, after analyzing the surface profiles by decomposing them into different frequencies, it was observed that there is a correlation between grinding process variables and certain surface feature components. Based on this finding, it is recommended to optimize the grinding process variables by minimizing the peak-to-valley values for each surface feature component, one at a time. This methodology has not been published for wafer grinding and is of practical use to the wafer industry.     

A GRINDING-BASED MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR SILICON WAFERS: DECOMPOSITION ANALYSIS OF WAFER SURFACES

It is difficult for the lapping-based manufacturing method currently used to manufacture the majority of silicon wafers to meet the ever-increasing demand for flatter wafers at lower costs. A grinding-based manufacturing method for silicon wafers has been investigated. It has been demonstrated that the site flatness on the ground wafers (except for a few sites at the wafer center) could meet the stringent specifications for future silicon wafers. The generation mechanisms of the dimples and bumps in the central areas on ground wafers have also been studied. This paper reports another study on the grinding-based method, aiming to reduce the cost of chemical-mechanical polishing - the final material removal process in manufacturing of silicon wafers. Using design of experiments, investigations were carried out to understand the influences of grinding process variables on the peak-to-valley values of the polished wafer surfaces. It was found that the peak-to-valley values over the entire wafer surfaces did not show any relationship with grinding process variables. However, after analyzing the surface profiles by decomposing them into different frequencies, it was observed that there is a correlation between grinding process variables and certain surface feature components. Based on this finding, it is recommended to optimize the grinding process variables by minimizing the peak-to-valley values for each surface feature component, one at a time. This methodology has not been published for wafer grinding and is of practical use to the wafer industry.     

EFFECT OF SURFACE ENERGY ON THE GROWTH OF DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON/AMORPHOUS SILICON FILMS ON VARIOUS SUBSTRATES

Diamond-like carbon/amorphous silicon bilayer films were deposited on SiO₂, Ge, and Ta₂O₅ substrates using a pulsed filtered cathodic arc (PFCA) system. Amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer was firstly deposited on three substrates using DC magnetron sputtering, then diamond-like carbon (DLC) film was deposited on a-Si layer via pulsed filtered cathodic arc. The thicknesses of a-Si layer and DLC film as monitored by in-situ ellipsometry during the film deposition were 7 and 10 nm, respectively. The surface energy of SiO₂, Ge, and Ta₂O₅ substrates was determined by measuring the contact angle of water on these substrates. It was found that the contact angles of water on SiO₂, Ge, and Ta₂O₅ substrates were 53°, 63°, and 75°, respectively. This result indicates that SiO₂ has the highest surface energy while Ta₂O₅ has the lowest surface energy. The thickness of the a-Si layer and DLC film was determined from the cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. The thinnest a-Si layer of 5.64 nm was obtained from SiO₂ substrate which has the highest surface energy. The thickest a-Si layer of 6.97 nm was obtained from Ta₂O₅ corresponding to the lowest surface energy. This study shows that the thickness of the growth film strongly depends on the surface energy of the substrate. However, the DLC films deposited on each a-Si layer of three substrates have the same thickness approximately of 9.9 nm, because all of them were deposited on a-Si layers having the same surface energy.     

典型碳化硅光学材料的超光滑抛光试验研究

研究了三种典型的碳化硅光学材料CVD SiC、HP SiC以及RB SiC的材料去除机理与可抛光性,并对其进行了超光滑抛光试验。在分析各种材料制备方法与材料特性的基础上,通过选择合理的抛光工艺参数,均获得了表面粗糙度优于Rq=2nm（采样面积为0.71mm×0.53mm）的超光滑表面。试验结果表明：研磨过程中,三种碳化硅光学材料均以脆性断裂的方式去除材料,加工表面存在着裂纹以及材料脱落留下的缺陷;抛光过程中,CVD SiC主要以塑性划痕的方式去除材料,决定表面粗糙度的主要因素为表面微观划痕的深度;HP SiC同时以塑性划痕与晶粒脱落的形式去除材料,决定表面粗糙度的主要因素为碳化硅颗粒大小以及颗粒之间微孔的尺寸;RB SiC为多组分材料,决定其表面粗糙度的主要因素为RB SiC三种组分之间的去除率差异导致的高差。
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Qualitative detection of Mg content in a leaf of Hedera helix by using X-ray radiation from a laser plasma source

In this article, a method to reveal the presence of Mg content inside the different parts of leaves of Hedera helix is presented. In fact a sample of a Hedera helix's leaf, commonly characterized by a green and a white side, is analyzed under X-ray radiation. The presence of two zones with different colors in the Hedera helix's leaf has not been explained. In this connection, there are presently three hypotheses to explain the characteristic double-color appearance of the leaf. The first hypothesis suggests a different cytoplasmic inheritance of chloroplasts at the cell division, the second a different allelic composition, homozygote and heterozygote, between the two zones, and finally the third the action of a virus which changes the color properties in the Hedera's leaves. The resulting effect is a different content of "something" between the green and the white side. We utilized X-ray radiation, obtained from a plasma source with a Mg target, to image Hedera helix leaves and we found that the green side of the leaf is highlighted. We may suppose that the reason why the X-rays from a Mg plasma source, allow us to pick up the green side is probably due to the greater presence of the amount of Mg (from chlorophyll or other complexes and/or salts) in the two sides, green and white, of the leaf.     

Mapping the intake of different elements in vegetal tissues by dual-energy X-ray imaging at DaPhine synchrotron light source

This article reports on the first utilization of the soft X-ray beamline at the DaPhine synchrotron light source for mapping the intake of different elements in plant tissues. As a test, the method of dual-energy X-ray microradiography was applied to the investigation of the natural sulfur content in dried leaf and root samples. Our ultimate goal was to monitor the pollutant lead and its intake, which was added in controlled doses to the hydroponic medium of laboratory-controlled samples of vegetal species. The results obtained by the nondestructive X-ray radiographic analysis are compared to the values of concentrations determined by a standard chemical analysis utilizing atomic absorption spectroscopy. From this comparison the validity of the X-ray detection of heavy metals in biological samples has been confirmed. The superposition of the dual energy results on the simple planar radiography shows the representation of the pollutant intake directly on the sample structures. It should be pointed out that this method, developed here for plant root and leaves could be applied to any biological sample of interest, but the preparation and observation conditions necessitate different strategies according to the type of sample under analysis.     

3D characterization of the eutectic Au–Si alloy by using a nuclear microprobe

The quantitative analysis of silicon in gold is performed in the three dimensions by the spectroscopy of protons produced in various depths by scanning a microbeam of energetic deuterons. Owing to the high Coulomb repulsion of incident deuterons by heavy nuclei (like gold), proton emission can only be induced on light elements. The incident deuterons may approach silicon nuclei at a sufficiently close distance to be broken and to give rise to an emission of energetic protons. Measuring the energy of these protons leads to a quantitative method of analysis of silicon at various depths under the surface of the irradiated material. The spatial resolution in the three dimensions of space lies around 3 microns. Application is made to the study of eutectic gold-silicon alloys formed, in situ, and used for the soldering of gold at a low temperature (400° C).     

Taxus globosa S. cell lines: Initiation,selection and characterization in terms of growth,and of baccatin III and paclitaxel production

Of the initial six cell lines originating from explants of Taxus globosa, or Mexican yew (stem internode, leaves and meristematic tissue), three were selected for their microbial and oxidation resistance, two from leaves and the other from stem internode. A study of their behavior, both in terms of cell growth, and of baccatin III and paclitaxel production, was developed in suspension cultures with an initially standardized biomass (fresh weight 0.23 g/L) using modified Gamborg’s B5 medium, and an elicitor (methyl jasmonate), on either the first or seventh day of culture, at several levels (0, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 μM). In most of the conditions used, the three cell lines showed growth associated baccatin III production. The cell line from stem internode was the highest producer of baccatin III using 1 μM elicitor, sampling at 10 days (p < 0.01, 6.45 mg/L). This same line also had the highest biomass production (6.85 g/L, p < 0.01) at 10 days of culture but at the higher elicitor concentration of 10 μM. All three cell lines did not produce paclitaxel under experimental conditions used.     

Determination of neutral carbon concentration in electron cyclotron resonance generated plasma discharges

Carbon containing plasmas play an important role not only in plasma technology but also in thermonuclear fusion research. In order to understand and control the processes taking place in the plasma, the knowledge of the carbon ground state density is of major importance. It can be determined by absorption and emission spectroscopy. Detailed measurements were performed in the past to determine the silicon ground state density by means of spectroscopy of the self-absorbed spectral lines of the silicon ground state multiplet at 251 nm. The same procedure was applied for the determination of the carbon concentration, for which the carbon multiplet at 165 nm was analyzed and compared to a simulated spectrum. The ground state density was determined by two independent methods.