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Notes: Silicon clusters have been generated by CO2-laser-induced decomposition of SiH4 in a flow reactor. By introducing a conical nozzle into the reaction zone, they are extracted into a molecular beam apparatus and analyzed with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The mass spectra show that the cluster source emits, besides small clusters, also nanosized species containing around 103 atoms. These clusters were deposited on silicon and sapphire targets at room temperature. The deposited films have been analyzed with a Raman spectrometer and with a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The Raman spectra reveal a broad amorphouslike band and a relatively sharp peak at 518.1 cm−1. Interpretation of the sharp Raman feature, based on the phonon confinement model, suggests the presence of silicon nanocrystallites in the deposited films with a particle size of about 3–3.6 nm in diameter. The FE-SEM micrographs show an agglomerate of spherical particles of 3–12 nm in diameter, with a pronounced maximum in the size distribution at around 3.5 nm. The various methods of characterization allow us to conclude that the size of the nanoclusters is largely preserved if they are deposited on the substrate. Therefore, the technique presented here might be an efficient means to produce silicon quantum dots of about 3 nm in diameter. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: We have included losses in the analysis of a 3N-port stripline/microstrip circulator and have reformulated the circulation conditions previously postulated for the lossless case. Our calculations have been compared to three published data on circulator designs biased below and above ferrimagnetic resonance. Scattering parameters at each port have been calculated as a function of assumed material losses and coupling capacitance of a multiport circulator. Wide transmission band or wide stop bands may be possible for a six port circulator biased above ferrimagnetic resonance. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Various models of reconstructed epidermis already provide useful tools for safety and efficacy assessment of cosmetic products. However, the majority of these in vitro models are composed of keratinocytes only. Recently, the introduction of melanocytes into epidermal reconstructs has considerably enlarged their field of application. Depending on the melanocyte donor, the different phototypes (I–VI) as well as the racial specific pigmentation, caucasian, Asiatic or black epidermis can be reproduced in vitro. The reconstructed pigmented epidermis allows the evaluation of modulators of melanogenesis such as the depigmenting agent kojic acid. In contrast to conventional melanocyte cultures, the pigmented reconstructed epidermis is air-exposed and covered, as in vivo, with a stratum corneum. This allowed us to evaluate the effect of UV-irradiations on the epidermis and its protection by topically applied sunscreens. The introduction of resident epidermal Langerhans cells into the reconstructed epidermis remained an important challenge. We succeeded by seeding blood derived CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors onto a reconstructing epidermis composed of keratinocytes and melanocytes. The resulting pigmented epidermis shows melanocytes in the basal layer and resident epidermal Langerhans cells suprabasally. As in normal skin, the melanocytes transfer melanin to the neighboring keratinocytes, and the Langerhans cells express major histocompatibility complex class II molecules, CD1a antigen and Birbeck granules. This reconstructed epidermis, comprising for the first time the three major epidermal cell types, has the potential to serve in the near future as a predictive model for immuno-pharmaco-toxicological in vitro studies.

Notes: We have studied band-gap renormalization and band filling in Si-doped GaN films with free-electron concentrations up to 1.7×1019 cm−3, using temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The low-temperature (2 K) PL spectra showed a line-shape characteristic for momentum nonconserving band-to-band recombination. The energy downshift of the low-energy edge of the PL line with increasing electron concentration n, which is attributed to band-gap renormalization (BGR) effects, could be fitted by a n1/3 power law with a BGR coefficient of −4.7×10−8 eV cm. The peak energy of the room-temperature band-to-band photoluminescence spectrum was found to decrease as the carrier concentration increases up to about 7×1018 cm−3, followed by a high-energy shift upon further increasing carrier concentration, due to the interplay between the BGR effects and band filling. The room-temperature PL linewidth showed a monotonic increase with carrier concentration, which could be described by a n2/3 power-law dependence. © 1999 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Protein blends were prepared from peanut flour or peanut protein concentrate and whey protein concentrate, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate or nonfat dry milk. One per cent protein dispersions of these blends containing 0.0, 25.0, 50.0, and 100.0% peanut protein were heated at 60, 80, and 90° C for 30 min. Soluble protein was lower in unheated peanut protein preparations than in unheated milk proteins preparations with lowest soluble protein observed in peanut flour dispersions. Solubility of milk proteins dispersed in distilled water was generally not affected by heat treatment, while heating of similarly prepared peanut protein dispersions above 80° C decreased soluble protein. Systems containing peanut protein with whey protein calcium caseinate or nonfat dry milk were intermediate, in soluble protein and heat stability to that of milk and peanut proteins alone. Soluble protein in peanut/sodium caseinate blends increased slightly with heat treatment. Calcium addition to 30mM decreased soluble protein in all protein systems. Peanut lipoprotein concentrate was not affected by added calcium. Heating whey protein, caseinate and blends of peanut with whey or caseinate in the presence of calcium induced aggregation and lowered soluble protein.

Notes: A 38-kDa cell-surface glycoprotein defined by monoclonal antibody MH 99 is markedly increased in many epithelial tumours. In normal human skin, it is a characteristic marker for germ-cell phenotypic tissues. Although the gene encoding the MH 99 antigen has recently been cloned, and several histological and biochemical studies have been performed, the biological function of this interesting antigen still remains unknown.In the present study, we examined the synthesis of MH 99 in keratinocyte populations showing different in vitro differentiation capacity. Normal keratinocytes, spontaneously immortalized keratinocytes (cell line HaCaT), three SV-40-transformed keratinocyte lines (130, 425, and HaSV), and two squamous cell carcinoma lines (SCL-1 and SCL-2), were compared. Radioimmuno-precipitation revealed the highest levels of synthesis in cell populations with the least differentiation. This was paralleled by an increase of MH 99 synthesis in normal keratinocytes cultured in low concentrations of Ca2+ and by an increase of MH 99 synthesis during subculture of normal keratinocytes. Both phenomena were paralleled by an opposite behaviour of a differentiation marker. Molecular cross-linking and subsequent immunoprecipitation led to a decrease of the MH 99 signal, but an increase of a high molecular weight protein signal was seen. After cleavage of the crosslinker, the MH 99 signal reappeared, whereas the signal of the large protein remained unchanged. Thus, the MH 99 antigen may be associated with a high molecular weight protein on the cell surface, supporting the suggestion of a receptor-like function. Phosphorylation of the molecule could not be detected. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed homogeneous distribution on the cell surface, but cells of the same culture exhibited clear differences in their MH 99 expression.A concept for MH 99 regulation in normal and transformed human keratinocyte populations in vitro is proposed, showing that the synthesis of MH 99 is inversely correlated with cell differentiation. The association with a high molecular weight protein supports the suggestion that the MH 99 antigen interacts with other molecules.