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PremiseThere is considerable variation in leaf lobing and leaf size, including among grapevines, some of the most well-studied leaves. We examined the relationship between leaf lobing and leaf size across grapevine populations which varied in extent of leaf lobing.MethodsWe used homologous landmarking techniques to measure 2,632 leaves across two years in 476 unique, genetically distinct grapevines from 5 biparental crosses which vary primarily in the extent of lobing. We determined to what extent leaf area could explain variation in lobing, vein length, and vein to blade ratio.ResultsAlthough lobing was the primary source of variation in shape across the leaves we measured, leaf area varied only slightly as a function of lobing. Rather, leaf area increases as a function of total major vein length, total branching vein length, and decreases as a function of vein to blade ratio. These relationships are stronger for more highly lobed leaves, with the residuals for each model differing as a function of distal lobing.ConclusionsFor a given leaf area, more highly lobed leaves have longer veins and higher vein to blade ratios, allowing them to maintain similar leaf areas despite increased lobing. These findings show how more highly lobed leaves may compensate for what would otherwise result in a reduced leaf area, allowing for increased photosynthetic capacity through similar leaf size.

Refinery GHG emissions were predicted for 10% and 30% ethanol blends at refinery blendstock octanes between 77 and 89 AKI at any gasoline pool energy content between parity and constant gasoline pool volume. Linear programming analyzed how separate E30 blending scenarios of 2017 PADD 2-based refineries affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to status quo gasoline (i.e., E10, 87 AKI and 93 AKI premium). The compliance synergy of higher ethanol blends illustrated here is pertinent to national policy goals and multiple environmental objectives. Study results have implications for CAFE Standards, US EPA Tier 3 fuel standards, and Clean Air Act regulations of stationary source CO2 emissions from refinery operations. Results varied by amounts and types of crude oil processed, refinery operations, refinery gasoline blendstock produced (and fuel ethanol blended), and produced refinery product composition and properties. Significant differences exist in total refinery GHG emissions (including emissions from purchased electricity and hydrogen) with the largest differences from coke burn in the fluidized catalytic cracker and refinery fuel gas combustion principally related to reformer operations. The concept of refinery GHG emissions intensity was introduced to differentiate between differences in refinery throughput (an extensive factor) and severity of refinery operations (intensive factors). Refinery GHG emissions decline 12% to 27% from a 2017 base case for the various 30% ethanol cases, highlighting a significant gap in current life cycle analysis (LCA) and supporting incorporation of this improved approach into LCA related to higher ethanol blends. This methodology can be adapted to other PADDs and/or for the USA. ©2015 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts, Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Bulk MgGa2O4 single crystals with inverse spinel structure were grown from the melt by different methods. The degree of inversion could be changed by suitable annealing, which was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry analysis and corresponding changes of the specific heat capacity. MgGa2O4 is thermally much more stable at high temperatures than β-Ga2O3 despite of a higher melting point of about 1930 °C and could be grown under a neutral atmosphere. Melt-grown MgGa2O4 crystals were found to be either electrical insulators or n-type semiconductors depending on the presence of oxygen in the growth atmosphere and the growth method applied. Growing the crystals in the presence of oxygen resulted in electrically insulating crystals. For as-grown and intentionally undoped semiconducting crystals, the free electron concentration was in the range of 1017–1018 cm−3, but the electron mobility was relatively low, just a few cm2V−1s−1. The free electron concentration remained at a level of 1018 cm−3 after annealing in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere at 600–900 °C for 10 h. On the other hand, annealing in an oxygen-containing atmosphere above 600 °C for 10–40 h turns the crystals from the semiconducting to the insulating state. The optical bandgap at room temperature amounts to about 4.9 eV. It decreases with temperature at a rate of 1.35 meV/K. Cathodoluminescence spectra of as-grown crystals show a dominant band at 362 nm. The melt-grown crystals have sufficient size and structural quality to be used as substrates for epitaxy.

We report a highly ordered intercalated hexagonal binary superlattice of hydrophilically functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (p-SWNTs) and surfactant (C12 E5 ) cylindrical micelles. When p-SWNTs (with a diameter slightly larger than that of the C12 E5 cylinders) were added to the hexagonally packed C12 E5 cylindrical-micellar system, p-SWNTs positioned themselves in such a way that the free-volume entropies for both p-SWNTs and C12 E5 cylinders were maximized, thus resulting in the intercalated hexagonal binary superlattice. In this binary superlattice, a hexagonal array of p-SWNTs is embedded in a honeycomb lattice of C12 E5 cylinders. The intercalated hexagonal binary superlattice can be highly aligned in one direction by an oscillatory shear field and remains aligned after the shear is removed.

SnO2 is a semiconductor with a wide optical bandgap (3.5 eV), which makes it an attractive transparent semiconducting oxide (TSO) for electronic and opto-electronic applications. At elevated temperatures it is, however, much more unstable than other TSOs (such as ZnO, Ga2O3, or In2O3). This leads to a rapid decomposition even under very high oxygen pressures. Our experiments showed that stoichiometric SnO2 does not melt up to 2100 °C, in contradiction to earlier published data. Bulk SnO2 single crystals, that could provide substrates for epitaxial growth, have not been reported so far. Hereby we report on truly bulk SnO2 single crystals of 1 inch diameter grown by physical vapor transport (PVT). The most volatile species during SnO2 decomposition is, in addition to oxygen, SnO, which is stable in the gas phase at high temperature and reacts again with oxygen at lower temperatures to form SnO2. We identified a relatively narrow temperature window, temperature gradients and a ratio of SnO/O2 for providing the best conditions for SnO2 single crystal growth. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) proved the single SnO2 phase. Moreover, by selecting a suitable SnO/O2 ratio it was possible to obtain either n-type conductivity with electron concentrations up to 2 × 1018 cm−3 and electron mobilities up to 200 cm2 V−1 s−1, or insulating behavior. The crystals exhibited an optical absorption edge located at 330–355 nm, depending on the crystal orientation, and a good transparency over visible and near infrared (NIR) spectra.

The cell nucleus harbors a large number of proteins involved in transcription, RNA processing, chromatin remodeling, nuclear signaling, and ribosome assembly. The nuclear genome of the model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii P. A. Dang. was recently sequenced, and many genes encoding nuclear proteins, including transcription factors and transcription regulators, have been identified through computational discovery tools. However, elucidating the specific biological roles of nuclear proteins will require support from biochemical and proteomics data. Cellular preparations with enriched nuclei are important to assist in such analyses. Here, we describe a simple protocol for the isolation of nuclei from Chlamydomonas, based on a commercially available kit. The modifications done in the original protocol mainly include alterations of the differential centrifugation parameters and detergent-based cell lysis. The nuclei-enriched fractions obtained with the optimized protocol show low contamination with mitochondrial and plastid proteins. The protocol can be concluded within only 3 h, and the proteins extracted can be used for gel-based and non-gel-based proteomic approaches.

GaN substrates with low dislocation densities were prepared by halide vapor-phase epitaxy (HVPE) on c-plane sapphire and by means of a post-growth laser-induced lift-off or natural stress-induced (self-) separation process. The HVPE growth on InGaN/GaN buffer layers and subsequent self-separation method was seen as advantageous, in comparison with the laser-induced lift-off one, in terms of lower cost and better crystalline quality of the GaN material obtained. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

In LEC-grown InP, about 30 sharp vibrational absorption lines are measured in the frequency region 2200 to 2350 cm–1. All these lines are due to phosphorus-hydrogen stretching modes. Experiments on InP containing both hydrogen and deuterium finally proved that the line at 2202.4 cm–1 is due to a single hydrogen atom bonded to P in an indium vacancy (VIn) and that the line at 2315.6 cm–1 is due to the complex of four P–H bonds in an VIn. In InP:H:D, this VInH4 complex gives rise to six vibrational lines in the region of P–H modes and six lines in the region of P–D modes because of the five different types of VInHnDm complexes. The measured frequencies of these 12 lines are in excellent agreement with those obtained from ab initio calculations reported in the literature. Additional P–H complexes are discussed. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The ultraviolet (UV)–Visible absorption spectrum of trans-stilbene (tS) is computed at different temperatures by coupling molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with the classical MM3 force field to ZINDO/S-CIS calculations of vertical excitation energies and transition dipole moments. The selection of a large number of structures along the MD trajectories enables a consistent treatment of temperature effects in the vacuum, whereas the ZINDO/S-CIS calculations permit a reliable treatment of electron correlation and relaxation, taking account of multistate interactions in the final state. Thermal motions are found to alter very differently the width and shape of bands. Structural alterations such as the stretching and the torsion of the vinyl single and double bonds very strongly influence the appearance of the first valence state, pertaining to the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO–LUMO) transition. At temperatures less than 400 K, these are found to yield a merely Gaussian and very pronounced thermal broadening of the related band (A), up to nearly 30 nm, together with a minor blue shift of its maximum λmax. In contrast, a red shift by several nanometers occurs due to thermal motions for the remaining three valence bands. As can be expected, the broadening intensifies at higher temperatures, and for the A-band, becomes markedly asymmetric when T exceeds 400 K. The combination of MD(MM3) and ZINDO/S-CIS computations enables also consistent calculations of hot bands, which are forbidden by symmetry at 0 K. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001

Biaxial BaGa4S7 and BaGa4Se7 crystals have been grown by the Bridgman-Stockbarger technique in sufficiently large sizes and with good optical quality to measure the refractive indices and analyze the phase-matching configurations.

The relation between the chemical reactivity of a dissolving pulp and the molecular mobility of cellulose was investigated by an unconventional method for these problems: dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). Carrefully dried pulps show better reactivity in comparison to a mill dried sample. A specific deformation of the local polymeric backbone dynamics (β-relaxation) was observed in the former samples. The intensity of the dielectric β-relaxation correlates with the acetylation velocity in an excellent manner. A similar correlation was found between the relaxation strength and the water retention capacity of pulps. All experimental results support th explanation (here named δ-relaxation) outside of th real β-peak in the dielectic spectrum are preferably substituted. The relusts of the investigation indicate that dielectric spectroscopy can provid a new, additional alternative tool to charcterize the accessibility and chemical reactivity of cellulose. Comparison of the dielectric loss spectra of machine sulfite pulp (sample C) at the temperature 0° before and after annealing at 170°C.

The dielectric relaxation spectra of polysaccharides are already affected very specifically by small amounts of water. The measured samples of cellulose, starch and dextran behave differently in the wet and in the dried state comparing their low temperature dielectric spectra: The positions of the secondary relaxation in the frequency scale, which are due to the local chain mobility, shift in a specific manner between wet and dried state for every substance. In general, we can say that drying strongly decreases the relaxation strength for all samples. The dielectric spectra of the wet polysaccharides (2 to 12% w/w water content) show an additional relaxation process (β wet -relaxation) in the room temperature range (0 °C to 60 °C) which vanishes after an intensive drying procedure. The experimental results were fitted by using the Havriliak-Negami-equation for each individual relaxation process. This evaluation leads to a number of physical parameters for the polymer dynamics given in the paper. The results could be explained by the differences in the interaction of the several polysaccharides with water caused by their distinct glycosidic linked backbones and their different supramolecular structures.

The present study focuses on the low-lying valence electronically excited states of trans-stilbene. A comparison is made between semiempirical CIS-ZINDO/S and ab initio time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) results obtained in conjunction with a cc-pVDZ basis set and using three different functionals, namely SVWN, B3LYP, and B3P86. Geometry optimization with the B3LYP functional and the cc-pVDZ basis set provides as most stable form an almost planar structure. With the exception of the TD-SVWN approach, and despite the limitation of the cc-pVDZ basis set, these methods provide overall a rather satisfactory insight into the main valence transitions identified experimentally from one-photon and two-photon absorption measurements. In particular, our CIS-ZINDO/S and TD-DFT results for excitation energies and symmetry assignments of lines are in rather close agreement with a recent CASPT2 study. On the other hand, only qualitative agreement can be claimed for the oscillator strengths and line composition, in particular at the highest excitation energies, where strong configurational mixing between excited states occurs. As a by-product of the present study, our TD-DFT results for the energy excitation threshold, λmax, indirectly confirms the planar nature of trans-stilbene in the vacuum, even at room temperature. c

Microvascular permeability in the mesentery and consequent leakage of protein into the peritoneum of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive rats (NTR) was measured in vivo by the extravasation of Evans blue dye. In sensitized NTR, challenge with antigen produced extensive increases in dye extravasation in the mesentery and in peritoneal lavage fluid within 10 min. In sensitized SHR there was no increase in the permeability of the mesentery and a very weak increase in dye extravasation in the peritoneal cavity following challenge. The glucocorticoid antagonist RU38486 did not change the permeability response induced by antigen in sensitized NTR and SHR. However, compound 48/80 was equally effective in either NTR or SHR in causing increased vasopermeability. Mesenteric mast cells in the NTR were degranulated after immunological challenge, whereas those in the SHR were resistant, as measured histologically. Similarly, challenge ex vivo of mesentery from sensitized NTR induced contraction of guinea-pig ileum in co-incubation experiments, whereas SHR mesentery was unresponsive. Plasma levels of antigen-specific IgE and IgG2a in sensitized NTR and SHR were identical. Immune serum from SHR was unable to induce a passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction in the skin of NTR and SHR did not develop a PCA reaction upon passive sensitization with NTR immune serum. We conclude that the mast cells of SHR are resistant to degranulation following immunological challenge, although the relevant antibodies are present.

The quasi-binary phase diagram lithium oxide – molybdenum(VI) oxide was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The four intermediate phases Li4MoO5, Li2MoO4, Li4Mo5O17, and Li2Mo4O13 show incongruent melting. The system has one eutectic point at 50.5 mol% MoO3 and 49.5 mol% LiO0.5 with a eutectic temperature of 524.6°C. At this point the melt is in equilibrium with Li2MoO4 and Li4Mo5O17. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)