Microbial sensor for preliminary screening of mutagens utilizing a phage induction test

For the preliminary screening of mutagens, a novel microbial sensor system was developed utilizing a phage induction test. Escherichia coli lysogenic strain GY5027 and nonlysogenic strain GY5026 were used in this study. The number of living cells was determined by measuring the respiration of cells immobilized onto an oxygen electrode. The injection of a mutagen, such as AF-2 and MNNG, caused the phage induction in the lysogenic strain, resulting in the decreased respiration of only the lysogenic strain immobilized onto the oxygen electrode but not of nonlysogenic strain. The rate of current increase correlated well with the concentration of mutagens. The sensor responses to the antibiotics and bactericides were definitely different from those of mutagens. Therefore, utilization of this microbial sensor system makes possible the estimation of a substrate's mutagenicity.     

Optical properties of graphite-like carbon films

A model of the electronic structure of graphite-like carbon films, describing the semiconductor properties of this material, is presented. Spectra of optical constants of microcrystalline carbon films in the region λ = 0.4–8.0 μm were studied by the spectral ellipsometry and IR reflection methods. A number of distinctive features of the spectra, associated with both the appearance of C---C- and C---H_n-type bonds and direct energy gaps, were found. Analysis of the optical data using the proposed model makes possible a common interpretation of our results and literature data. Values of a parameter Θ, which is an averaged qualitative parameter of structural distortions within carbon microcrystallites as compared with crystalline graphite, are determined from comparison of theoretical results and experimental data.     

Strength of small-scale spherical shells formed from pressed glass elements

Institute of Strength Problems, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Sumy Branch, Khar'kov Polytechnic Institute. Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 8, pp. 102–104, August, 1989.     

Dynamics of the nitrogen transformation in a shallow stream and possible interventions.

This paper presents the assessment of the efficiency of the main biological nitrogen transformation processes in a shallow well-oxygenated river and conditions under which they are active and stabilise. The process dynamics was studied with the help of mathematical modelling of 2 years on-line data series measured in a reach of the Toess River, Switzerland. The algal nitrogen uptake was very stable and unaffected by most but frequent flood events. Daylight photosynthetic nitrogen uptake stabilised at 6 mgN mstreambed(-2) h(-1) (15 degrees C), dark uptake on storage products at rates of 0.5-2.5 mgN mstreambed(-2) h(-1). Nitrogen uptake by heterotrophic bacteria in the hyporheic zone was relatively constant at a level of 1.5-3.5 mgN mstreambed(-2) h(-1). Streambed nitrification could establish only during periods with average an daily concentration of at least 0.3 g(NH4-N) m(-3) in river water for several weeks. The maximum nitrification rate was 35 mgN mstreambed(-2) h(-1) for 3 g(NH4-N) m(-3). The effects of reduced nitrification in the WWTP and of river banks shading on a sudden ammonium peak were simulated. A river reach endangered by ammonium spills should be kept open to sun to favour ammonium uptake by algae. In-stream nitrification reduces ammonium peaks efficiently but leads to toxic nitrite concentrations.     

Formation of layered structure on bismuth-borate glass surface

X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the transformation during heat treatment from amorphous to crystalline phases of bismuth-borate glass samples takes place in sequences. After a short heat treatment, 5 min at 550 °C, a layered structure with a preferred orientation of crystallites on the surface is observed. After a long heat treatment, 8 h at the same temperature, normal polycrystalline bulk samples are obtained.     

Review on the fracture processes in nanocrystalline materials

An overview of experimental study, computer simulations and theoretical models of fracture of nanocrystalline materials is presented. The key experimentally detected facts on ductile and brittle fracture processes are discussed. Special attention is paid to computer simulations and theoretical models of nucleation and growth of nanocracks and nanopores in deformed nanocrystalline materials. Also, we discuss mechanisms for fracture suppression in such materials showing good ductility or superplasticity.     

Hydrogen adsorption studies in micro-size cobalt dots

Hydrogen desorption curves were obtained from a sample composed of a square arrangement of Co dots with average diameter of 4.4 μm, separated by a distance of 11.6 μm. A macroscopic sample of Co dots grown on a 2.5 × 2.5 cm Si substrate was made by standard lithographic techniques and used in these experiments. Thermal programmed desorption (TPD) was performed under ultra-high vacuum conditions. Hydrogen TPD curves were obtained from a 1 × 1 cm Co dots samples displaying a maximum of intensity at 425 K. Hydrogen TPD curve was also obtained from 1 cm× 1 cm samples of Co films and Co foils for comparison. The hydrogen TPD curves have decreasing intensity from the Co foils to the Co dots and finally to the Co films. This indicates that there are more sites for hydrogen adsorption on the Co dots than in the Co films. This is a surprising result because there is approximately 8.7 times less Co atoms exposed in the Co dots that in the Co film sample. A desorption energy of 27 kcal/mol was obtained for the Co dots suggesting that hydrogen is adsorbed on an hcp hollow site of the Co dot crystalline structure.     

Effects of hot-carrier stress on high performance polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor with a single perpendicular grain boundary

This paper is a report on the effect of a single perpendicular grain boundary on the hot-carrier and high current stability in high performance polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin film transistors (TFTs). Under a hot carrier stress condition (Vg = Vth + 1 V, Vd = 12 V), the poly-Si TFT with a single grain boundary is superior to the poly-Si without any grain boundary because of the smaller free carriers available for electric conduction. The shift of transconductance in poly-Si TFT with a single grain boundary is less than 5% after hot carrier stress during a period of 1000 s. The shift of transconductance is about 25% in the case of the poly-Si TFTs without a grain boundary in the channel. On high current stress, the poly-Si TFT without the grain boundary is less degraded than the poly-Si TFT with the grain boundary because the concentrated electric field near the drain junction is lower.     

Quantum Critical Ferromagnetism in Ni x Pd1- x Alloys

We analyze the non-Fermi liquid behavior in the proximity of the quantum phase transition induced by the strong polarization of the electrons due to local magnetic moments in Ni _x Pd_1-x alloys. We use the renormalization group approach introduced by Hertz–Mi11is–Moriya (HMM) to estimate the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity for the case of three dimensional itinerant ferromagnets. We study two different cases, namely, the clean and disordered ferromagnets, and argue that at the present time more experimental data are needed to decide if the HMM theory can accurately describe the physical properties in Ni _x Pd_1-x alloys.