Fabrication of Nano-engineered Transparent Conducting Oxides by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Nanosecond Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) in the presence of a background gas allows the deposition of metal oxides with tunable morphology, structure, density and stoichiometry by a proper control of the plasma plume expansion dynamics. Such versatility can be exploited to produce nanostructured films from compact and dense to nanoporous characterized by a hierarchical assembly of nano-sized clusters. In particular we describe the detailed methodology to fabricate two types of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films as transparent electrodes in photovoltaic devices: 1) at low O₂ pressure, compact films with electrical conductivity and optical transparency close to the state of the art transparent conducting oxides (TCO) can be deposited at room temperature, to be compatible with thermally sensitive materials such as polymers used in organic photovoltaics (OPVs); 2) highly light scattering hierarchical structures resembling a forest of nano-trees are produced at higher pressures. Such structures show high Haze factor (>80%) and may be exploited to enhance the light trapping capability. The method here described for AZO films can be applied to other metal oxides relevant for technological applications such as TiO₂, Al₂O₃, WO₃ and Ag₄O₄.     

Leaf litter decomposition as a bioassessment tool of acidification effects in streams: Evidence from a field study and meta-analysis

Atmospheric acid deposition affects many streams worldwide, leading to decreases in pH and in base cations concentrations and increases in aluminum (Al) concentration. These changes in water chemistry induce profound changes in the diversity, structure and activity of biological communities and in ecosystem processes. However, monitoring programs rely only on chemical and structural indicators to assess stream integrity. Nevertheless, the ability of ecosystems to provide services rely on their functional integrity and thus ecosystem processes should be considered in monitoring programs. We assessed the potential for leaf litter decomposition, a fundamental ecosystem process in forest streams, to be used as a bioassessment tool of acidification effects on stream ecosystem functioning. In a field study in the Vosges Mountains (North-eastern France), using three leaf litter species (Alnus glutinosa, Acer pesudoplatanus and Fagus sylvatica) enclosed in fine and coarse mesh bags and incubated in streams flowing over granite or sandstone bedrock along an acidification gradient, we assessed if the response of litter decomposition to acidification depended on litter species, mesh size, parent lithology and acidification level. In a meta-analysis of 17 primary studies on the effect of acidification on leaf litter decomposition, reporting 67 acidified – reference stream comparisons, we assessed the consistency in the response of litter decomposition to acidification cross studies and the robustness of litter decomposition to be used as a bioassessment tool. Both the field study and meta-analysis revealed an overall strong inhibition (>60%) of leaf litter decomposition in acidified streams likely resulting from previously well described altered decomposer community structure and activity. No effect of leaf species was found in the field study, while in the meta-analysis inhibition of leaf litter decomposition in acidified streams was stronger for Fagus than for Acer, Quercus and Liriodendron. However, differences among leaf species in the meta-analysis might have been confounded by other differences among studies. The response of leaf litter decomposition to acidification was stronger in coarse than in fine mesh bags, indicating strong impairment of detritivore community structure and activity. The magnitude of inhibition also depended on parent lithology, but this is likely related to differences in the degree of acidification. Indeed, the magnitude of the inhibition of leaf litter decomposition increases with increases in H⁺ in Al concentration. Litter decomposition has the potential to be used as a bioassessment tool of acidification effects in streams since it shows consistent response to acidification across regions and is robust to experimental choices.     

GFP基因在棉花转化中的应用

以绿色荧光蛋白GFP基因为报道基因,用花粉管通道和农杆菌介导的转化方法将外源基因导入棉花（Gossypium hirsutum L.)分别获得转化幼胚,幼苗和转化愈伤组织,用手持紫外灯结合显微镜检术能够快速地对转化子进行活体筛选鉴定,比用GUS检测广阔圾明显的优越性,本研究不但为花粉管道道转化法的可行性提供了新的证据。同时也建立了GFP用于棉花基因工程研究的检测技术体系。     

Endocrine influence upon the development of vitellogenic competency in Oncopeltus fasciatus

Immunoelectrophoretic analysis of the blood of precocious adult females of Oncopeltus demonstrated the presence of the A form of vitellogenin but no detectable AB form, the form present in mature adult-female haemolymph. Although the appearance of the AB form could be induced by topical treatment of precocious adult females with juvenile hormone, no yolk deposition was induced in these females. Histological examination revealed that the ovaries of precocious adult females reached only a previtellogenic stage of development with or without treatment with juvenile hormone. Topical treatment of normal larvae and adults with the hormone demonstrated that vitellogenin synthesis could not be induced with juvenile hormone treatment alone until after adult emergence. Since the precocious adult females are chronologically younger than normal last-stage larval instars, we suggest that a transition period during which juvenile hormone is absent (i.e. the precocious moult in treated animals; the final moult in control animals) must occur before some tissue of the precocious or normal adult females, presumably the fat body, becomes competent to respond to further exposure to the hormone by making the AB form of vitellogenin. The ovary requires a similar transition period prior to becoming capable of depositing vitellogenin; however, the times when the fat body and the ovary become competent to respond to the transition period differ.     

Sources,fates, and impacts of nitrogen inputs to terrestrial ecosystems: review and synthesis

The relative importance of nitrogen inputs from atmospheric deposition and biological fixation is reviewed in a number of diverse, non-agricultural terrestrial ecosystems. Bulk precipitation inputs of N (l–l2 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1) are the same order of magnitude as, or frequently larger than, the usual range of inputs from nonsymbiotic fixation (< 1=" –=" 5=" kg=" n=">^–1 yr^–1), especially in areas influenced by industrial activity. Bulk precipitation measurements may underestimate total atmospheric deposition by 30–40% because they generally do not include all forms of wet and dry deposition. Symbiotic fixation generally ranges from 10–160 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1) in ecosystems where N-fixing species are present during early successional stages, and may exceed the range under unusual conditions.Rates of both symbiotic and nonsymbiotic fixation appear to be greater during early successional stages of forest development, where they have major impacts on nitrogen dynamics and ecosystem productivity. Fates and impacts of these nitrogen inputs are important considerations that are inadequately understood. These input processes are highly variable in space and time, and few sites have adequate comparative information on both nitrogen deposition and fixation.

NF-κB决定小鼠胎肝激酶-1基因启动子的基本活性

为克隆小鼠胎肝激酶-1（fetal liver kinase-1,FLK-1）基因上游启动子序列,并观察其不同截短片段在小鼠血管内皮细胞中的启动子活性,以小鼠全基因组为模板,通过PCR扩增方法获得-258～+299 bp、-96～+299 bp、-71～+299 bp、-36～+299 bp大小的FLK-1启动子片段,将其定向克隆入pGL3 Basic,构建荧光素酶报告基因载体,并制备NF -κB结合位点的突变或缺失体.在阳离子脂质体介导下,报告基因载体瞬时转染小鼠血管内皮细胞株SVEC 4-10.结果发现,在小鼠血管内皮细胞中,各FLK-1启动子片段均有活性;－71～－36 bp区存在FLK-1启动子的核心调控元件.针对该区域NF-κB结合位点进行突变或缺失,能导致启动子活性显著降低;凝胶电泳迁移率实验表明该区段能结合转录因子NF-κB.结果提示,成功克隆了在血管内皮细胞中具有活性的FLK-1上游启动子序列,NF-κB是决定其基本活性的重要转录因子,为进一步研究FLK-1基因的转录调控机制奠定了基础.     

Development ofgusA reporter gene constructs for cereal transformation: Availability of plant transformation vectors from the CAMBIA Molecular Genetic Resource Service

The use of reporter genes to characterise sequence elements that act to regulate gene expression in transgenic plants has been vital to the development of foreign gene expression strategies for use in cereal transformation. ThegusA locus ofEscherichia coli, which encodes the enzyme-glucuronidase (GUS), is by far the most popular reporter gene used in plant transformation. In this paper we extend the utility of the GUS reporter gene system in cereal transformation by describing and evaluating a number of novel constructs suitable for use in direct gene transfer experiments. These plasmids are all available from the Molecular Genetic Resource Service of the Center for the Application of Molecular Biology to International Agriculture.     

模拟氮沉降对南亚热带两种乔木幼苗生物量及其分配的影响

探讨了南亚热带季风常绿阔叶林两种优势树种荷木(Schima superba)和黄果厚壳桂(Cryptocarya concinna)幼苗的生物量及其分配对氮沉降增加的响应。实验分为对照(CK)、T₅、T₁₀、T₁₅和T₃₀ 5个处理,每个处理设置3次重复。所施氮肥为NH₄NO₃,以溶液方式喷施,5个处理浓度分别为0、0.12、0.24、0.36、0.72 mol N·L^-1。每月喷施2次,5个样方1年喷施的总氮量分别相当于氮沉降率0、5、10、15、30 g N·m^-2·a^-1。经过11个月的施氮处理,两种幼苗对氮沉降的响应存在差异,其中黄果厚壳桂幼苗的基径、株高、全株生物量和相对生长速率除最高处理T₃₀外,均高于对照,但荷木幼苗的基径、全株生物量和相对生长速率除T₁₀外,均小于对照。氮处理也对生物量的分配产生了明显的影响,两种幼苗的叶重比以T₃₀最低,表明高氮处理不利于幼苗叶片的生长;枝重比均以T₃₀最高,反映了高氮处理的幼苗生物量分配到枝干的比例最高;根重比和根冠比均以对照样方幼苗的最高,表明氮处理抑制根的生长,分配到根部分的生物量下降。总的来看,经过11个月的处理,除最高处理T₃₀外,氮处理仍对黄果厚壳桂幼苗的生长有促进作用,而对荷木幼苗的生长则趋向于一定程度的抑制效应,表明黄果厚壳桂幼苗更能耐受高氮条件。     

酸沉降对森林生态系统影响的研究现状及展望

酸沉降影响下物质循环及其不平衡研究;酸沉降对土壤理化性质的影响;森林水化学方面的研究;酸沉降下重金属的活化研究;酸沉降对植物生长的影响研究;酸沉降和气候变化对森林的影响;模拟酸雨对土壤理化性质和植物生长的影响;酸沉降下土壤风化问题的研究;运用模型对酸化问题的研究;森林土壤人为和自然的酸化;酸沉降临界负荷的研究;酸沉降和其它污染物对植物的联合影响;酸化土壤恢复研究等方面介绍了酸沉降对森林生态系统影响的研究现状,并阐明了今后研究的方向及应该注意的问题。     

An SAR sequence containing 395 bp DNA fragment mediates enhanced,gene-dosage-correlated expression of a chimaeric heat shock gene in transgenic tobacco plants

A 395 bp fragment located downstream from the soybean heat shock geneGmhsp 17.6-L exhibits several characteristics of scaffold attachment region (SAR) sequences. It contains matrix consensus elements, a topoisomerase II binding sequence and it associates with the isolated nuclear scaffold of soybeanin vitro. Chimaeric genes containing the SAR_L fragment either at one side (5 or 3) or at both sides of a heat shock promoter-regulated -glucuronidase reporter gene were constructed. A five-to nine-fold increase of heat-inducible -glucuronidase activity was observed in transgenic tobacco plants containing constructs with SAR_L fragments either at both sides or with at least one SAR_L copy located upstream from the reporter gene. The gene copy number is positively correlated with the level of heat-inducible reporter gene activity in these. plants but positional effects are not entirely eliminated. Thus, SAR sequences may potentially be used to increase gene expression, via as yet unknown mechanisms, and to reduce adverse effects on the expression of multiple gene copies in transgenic plants.