Heat conduction in bismuth-antimony alloy single crystals between 4.2 and 300 K

Thermal conductivity measurements in the temperature range 4.2–300 K on three single crystals of bismuth containing 1.77, 3.2, and 9.33 at % antimony, respectively, are reported. In the low-temperature region, a change from purely phonon-phonon scattering process to a predominantly impurity scattering process was observed with the increase of antimony concentration. In the high-temperature region, the analysis of the results shows the dominance of the electronic contribution over the phonon contribution to the total thermal conductivity, though the latter is not negligible. Individual contributions to total electronic thermal conductivity were calculated, using the equation formulated by Price, for the sample containing 9.33 at % antimony. The agreement between (K _E)_calc and (K _E)_exp = K ? K_L seems to be quite satisfactory up to about 200 K.     

Higher order finite strip analysis for curved bridge decks

The development of a higher order finite strip method for improved accuracy and its application to orthotropic curved bridge decks are discussed. A quintic polynomial in the radial direction is employed along with a basic function series in the angular direction which satisfy a priori the boundary conditions along the radial edges. Thus a two-dimensional plate bending problem is reduced to a one-dimensional one. As a result, both the size and bandwidth of the global stiffness matrix are greatly reduced. The method is easy to program, requires a minimum input data and small computer storage. In order to estimate the reliability of the present formulation, three examples of curved plates are solved and the results are compared with the existing solutions.     

Detection of Helicobacter pylori associated antigen and heat shock protein 60 on follicular dendritic cells in the germinal centres of low grade B cell lymphoma of gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)

AIMS: To investigate the localisation of Helicobacter pylori antigens and the expression of human heat shock proteins (HSP) in stomachs affected by MALT lymphoma. METHODS: Surgically resected stomachs from 24 patients with MALT lymphoma were immunostained with anti-H pylori rabbit antibodies (ORP-1 and ORP-2) and anti-human HSP60 mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAb) (LK-1 and LK-2). RESULTS: Follicular dendritic cells of germinal centres in the stomachs affected by MALT lymphoma were immunostained with anti-H pylori polyclonal antibodies and with anti-human HSP60 mAb, as were the epithelial cells. None of the lymph node samples reacted. CONCLUSIONS: Human HSP60, which cross reacts with anti-H pylori polyclonal antibodies, is often expressed on follicular dendritic cells in gastric MALT lymphoma tissues and may be aetiologically relevant to lymphomagenesis of MALT lymphoma.     

S.E.M. studies of the Li-film growth and the voltage-delay phenomenon associated with the lithium-thionyl chloride inorganic electrolyte system

The “voltage-delay” exhibited by the Li/SOCl₂ inorganic electrolyte cells has been determined to be due to the Li anode which presumably reacts with the soluble depolarizer SOCl₂ and forms a protective film. The morphology and the growth of the Li film have been studied at temperatures of 25°, 45°, 55°, 70° and 85°C employing S.E.M. The results show that Li is coated with LiCi crystals formed due to the chemical reaction between Li and inorganic electrolyte (LiAlCl₄-SOCl₂). The LiCl film (many microns thick) grows with time and temperature of storage resulting in the voltage delay. The voltage recovery appears to occur due to the mechanical disruption of the film during the anodic dissolution of Li from under the film at isolated spots. The Li film growth is significantly reduced in the absence of LiAlCl₄ in SOCl₂.     

Fatty acid compositions of indian shark liver fats

Summary Liver fats ofCarcharias limbatus andPristis cuspidatus from the West Coast of India have been studied. Lithium salt-acetone and lead salt-alcohol methods were adopted for the resolution of the fatty acids. An efficient, electrically heated and packed column has been employed for fractionation of the methyl esters of fatty acids. These fats have been found to have a high content of saturated fatty acids and thus belong to the fourth group of Tsujimoto's classification of Elasmobranch fish liver fats. Analyses of the liver oils from the same species of fish show that there is a tendeney towards saturation or hydrogenation of polyethylenic acids accompanied by an increasing concentration of unsaponifiable matter, which is mainly alcohol ethers of the selachyl type, in accordance with Lovern's views.     

Progressive chorion morphology during egg development in Samia ricini (Donovan)

The egg of Samia ricini (Donovan), is oval or laterally flattened ellipsoid, freshly laid eggs are candid white while the chorion is colorless and semi‐transparent. The surface of the chorion is covered with network patterns of polygons and their shapes are common in the whole surface region. The boundaries between polygons made ridges had distinct acropyles at three‐cell junctions. The numbers of aeropyles are variable according to their structures both in the lateral flat and marginal regions. During the course of egg development, no significant structural changes were observed in either the polygonal structures or the overall morphology of the egg. However, the size of the aeropyles kept on changing as the egg matures. The aeropyle increases initially upto day‐9 of egg development and then decreases as it approach hatching. Lines of weaknesses were not observed at time of hatching or close to it. Hatching process of the newly emerge larvae are through gnawing. The larva eats their way out through the chorion membrane mostly from the anterior region. Egg buster or spine which aid in hatching are not present in the newly emerge larvae. This article was published online on 25 September 2009. An error was subsequently identified. This notice is included in the online and print versions to indicate that both have been corrected 6 January 2010. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) Gene Family Reveals Role in Developmental and Various Stress Conditions in Triticum aestivum L.

PIN-FORMED (PIN) genes play a crucial role in regulating polar auxin distribution in diverse developmental processes, including tropic responses, embryogenesis, tissue differentiation, and organogenesis. However, the role of PIN-mediated auxin transport in various plant species is poorly understood. Currently, no information is available about this gene family in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In the present investigation, we identified the PIN gene family in wheat to understand the evolution of PIN-mediated auxin transport and its role in various developmental processes and under different biotic and abiotic stress conditions. In this study, we performed genome-wide analysis of the PIN gene family in common wheat and identified 44 TaPIN genes through a homology search, further characterizing them to understand their structure, function, and distribution across various tissues. Phylogenetic analyses led to the classification of TaPIN genes into seven different groups, providing evidence of an evolutionary relationship with Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa. A gene exon/intron structure analysis showed a distinct evolutionary path and predicted the possible gene duplication events. Further, the physical and biochemical properties, conserved motifs, chromosomal, subcellular localization, transmembrane domains, and three-dimensional (3D) structure were also examined using various computational approaches. Cis-elements analysis of TaPIN genes showed that TaPIN promoters consist of phytohormone, plant growth and development, and stress-related cis-elements. In addition, expression profile analysis also revealed that the expression patterns of the TaPIN genes were different in different tissues and developmental stages. Several members of the TaPIN family were induced during biotic and abiotic stress. Moreover, the expression patterns of TaPIN genes were verified by qRT-PCR. The qRT-PCR results also show a similar expression with slight variation. Therefore, the outcome of this study provides basic genomic information on the expression of the TaPIN gene family and will pave the way for dissecting the precise role of TaPINs in plant developmental processes and different stress conditions.