Yeast exo-β-glucanases can be used as efficient and readily detectable reporter genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yeast exo-1,3-β-glucanases are secretable proteins whose function is basically trophic and may also be involved in cell wall glucan hydrolytic processes. Since fluorescein di(β-D -glucopyranoside) is a fluorogenic substrate detectable and quantifiable by flow cytometry, it was used for testing the ability of the EXG1 gene product of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its homologous gene in Candida albicans to function as reporter genes. These open reading frames were coupled to different promoters in multicopy plasmids, and exoglucanase activity quantified at flow cytometry. Exoglucanases were found to be useful tools for the study of promoter regions in S. cerevisiae. This technique has the advantage over other reporter gene systems—such as β-galactosidase fusions—that it does not require permeabilization of yeast cells and therefore it allows the recovery of viable cells—by sorting—after flow cytometry analysis.     

Ultimate stiffnesses of frames in shell strength problems

Stiffness criteria are proposed for circular frames in problems of the stress-strain state of thin-walled cylindrical structural orthotropic shells. On the basis of the results of a computation experiment and actual test data the author establishes limiting values for stiffness criteria with which frames may be assumed to be absolutely stiff or absolutely compliant for a given shell. It is shown that for frames in the case of axisymmetric strains it is necessary to consider elasticity and that it is possible to use the idea of an absolutely stiff frame with nonaxisymmetric shell strains.Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 7, pp. 76–83, July, 1994.     

Raising the accuracy of operative monitoring by using a variable pressure differential of the flow rate of material and energy carriers in the liquid and gaseous states

Means are considered for reducing the systematic errors in calculating the flow rate of material. For operative monitoring of the day- to- day flow rate, a comparative analysis is made of the numerical solution of the mass flow rate equation and the structure- generalized method for solving the equation.Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 5, pp. 37–39, May, 1994.     

Numerical differentiation of the radical artery sphygmogram by Tikhonov regularization

A method is proposed and substantiated for determining the characteristic points of the pulse wave (sphygmogram) of the human radial artery, by numerical differentiation with the aid of the Tikhonov regularization algorithm. The results are given of experiments made to test the stability, to evaluate the accuracy of recovering the first and second derivatives, and to establish the sensitivity of the method to random distortions of the original data. Based on this method, we have solved one of the chief technical problems in the objectivization and automatization of the pulse diagnostics of Tibetan medicine, by the development and construction of an information-computing Tibetan medicine diagnostic complex, for processing medicobiological information in real time.Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 11, pp. 60–62, November, 1994.     

The thermoelastic behaviour of semicrystalline and of glassy poly(ether-ether-ketone)

A thermoelastic evaluation, based on simultaneous measurements of the mechanical work and of the concomitant heat of deformation by a stretching micro calorimeter, was performed on semicrystalline and glassy PEEK. The objective of this study was to utilize the sensitive technique to detect differences that would account for observed effects of micro structure on mechanical performance. A clear difference was detected beyond a 0.6% strain, where the behaviour of glassy PEEK began to exhibit inelastic features such as yielding and plastic deformation. This difference between the glassy and the semicrystalline polymers was considered the reason for the superior mechanical fatigue and fracture properties produced by the latter micro structure.     

Differential calorimeter for studying composites

The novel design of the DK-600/K differential thermal-flux calorimeter, with a cell volume of 6.5 cm³, is intended for the study of materials in the temperature range 300–900 K. The sensitivity of the calorimeter is 22 μV/mW at 300 K and 8 μV/mW at 900 K; the reaction threshold is 80 μW in the temperature scanning mode and 7 μW in the isothermal mode. Comparison of some characteristics of the DK-600/K with analogs from a number of foreign firms shows that it is competitive. Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 3, pp. 41–43, March, 1994.     

Measurement of interfacial area concentration in subcooled liquid-vapour flow

In two-fluid modelling, accurate prediction of the interfacial transport of mass, momentum and energy is required. Experiments were carried out to obtain a database for the development of interfacial transport models, or correlations, for subcooled water-steam flow in vertical conduits. The experimental data of interest included the interfacial area concentration, interfacial condensation heat transfer and bubble relative velocity. This paper focuses on the interfacial area concentration. The interfacial area concentration was obtained by measuring the distributions of bubble volume and surface area as well as the area-averaged void fraction at various axial locations in subcooled water-steam condensing vertical upward flow under low flow rate and low pressure conditions. The bubble size and surface area were determined using high-speed photography and digital image processing techniques. The area-averaged void fraction was measured by a single-beam gamma densitometer. The results were compared with existing correlations, which were developed on the basis of data obtained for air-water adiabatic flows. Poor agreement between the present data and the existing correlations was obtained. Accordingly, new correlations suitable for subcooled liquid-vapour bubbly flow are proposed.     

Synthesis and characterization of tungsten disulphide films grown by pulsed-laser deposition

The synthesis and characterization of tungsten disulphide (WS₂) films grown on 440C stainless steel substrates using the 248 nm line from a KrF excimer laser are reported. Film properties could be adjusted by controlling substrate temperature and by laser or thermal anneals. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, glancing angle XRD, Raman spectroscopy and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate film chemistry, crystallinity and morphology. Films grown at room temperature were amorphous, near stoichiometric, and had a multiplicity of chemical states. Local order and bonding were improved most dramatically through post-deposition laser anneals. Crystallite size could be increased by raising the substrate temperature during deposition and, to a lesser degree, by post-deposition thermal anneals. Local disorder was observed within the larger crystallites compared to those that were laser annealed. Crystallinity was induced in amorphous films by mechanical rubbing at room temperature under conditions where frictional heating was negligible. The degree of control over film properties provided by PLD demonstrates its value for growing/designing tribological coatings.     

Sub-100 fs Kerr lens modelocked Cr4+:YAG laser

Sub-100 fs pulse generation from a Kerr lens modelocked Cr⁴⁺ :YAG laser has been demonstrated for the first time, yielding femtosecond pulses tunable from 1.49 to 1.56 μm with pulses as short as 90 fs obtained at 1.53 μm     

A forward-looking system for planning and monitoring metrological support to an organization

The ARM-Uchet computerized system is considered, which is intended for accounting, planning, and monitoring for metrological support to an organization and has been implemented on an IBM PC AT. Schemes are given for the basic modes of operation and for the software suites, as well as the database structure.Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 7, pp. 70–71, July, 1994.