Single-mode cavities at frequencies of 172 and 178 MHz

In the report presented here the projects of two accelerating cavities with strong damping of higher modes (HOM) with special vacuum loads are presented. The designs of the cavities and loads are described. The design parameters of cavities, their spectra of higher modes and calculation results of the beam phase motion stability are given for the VEPP-2000 and NANOHANA Projects

Comprehensive Comparison of Various Techniques for the Analysis of Elemental Distributions in Thin Films

The present work shows results on elemental distribution analyses in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films for solar cells performed by use of wavelength-dispersive and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) in a scanning electron microscope, EDX in a transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron, angle-dependent soft X-ray emission, secondary ion-mass (SIMS), time-of-flight SIMS, sputtered neutral mass, glow-discharge optical emission and glow-discharge mass, Auger electron, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, by use of scanning Auger electron microscopy, Raman depth profiling, and Raman mapping, as well as by use of elastic recoil detection analysis, grazing-incidence X-ray and electron backscatter diffraction, and grazing-incidence X-ray fluorescence analysis. The Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films used for the present comparison were produced during the same identical deposition run and exhibit thicknesses of about 2 μm. The analysis techniques were compared with respect to their spatial and depth resolutions, measuring speeds, availabilities, and detection limit

Field testing and exploitation of genetically modified cassava with low-amylose or amylose-free starch in Indonesia

The development and testing in the field of genetically modified -so called- orphan crops like cassava in tropical countries is still in its infancy, despite the fact that cassava is not only used for food and feed but is also an important industrial crop. As traditional breeding of cassava is difficult (allodiploid, vegetatively propagated, outbreeding species) it is an ideal crop for improvement through genetic modification. We here report on the results of production and field testing of genetically modified low-amylose transformants of commercial cassava variety Adira4 in Indonesia. Twenty four transformants were produced and selected in the Netherlands based on phenotypic and molecular analyses. Nodal cuttings of these plants were sent to Indonesia where they were grown under biosafety conditions. After two screenhouse tests 15 transformants remained for a field trial. The tuberous root yield of 10 transformants was not significantly different from the control. Starch from transformants in which amylose was very low or absent showed all physical and rheological properties as expected from amylose-free cassava starch. The improved functionality of the starch was shown for an adipate acetate starch which was made into a tomato sauce. This is the first account of a field trial with transgenic cassava which shows that by using genetic modification it is possible to obtain low-amylose cassava plants with commercial potential with good root yield and starch quality

Optimization of parameters for particle bombardment of embryogenic suspension cultures of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) using computer image analysis

Tissue derived from embryonic suspension cultures of cassava was bombarded with microparticles coated with a plasmid containing the uidA gene, which codes for beta-glucuronidase (GUS). After 3 days, the effect of different bombardment parameters was evaluated by comparing the numbers of blue spots that resulted from histological GUS assays. Counting of blue spots was performed using a system comprised of a black and white video camera, a stereoscope and a personal computer. A reproducible counting method was established by optimizing GUS assay conditions, preparation of tissue samples and acquisition of video images in view of attaining the highest possible contrast between the blue spots and the surrounding tissue. The effects of bombardment pressure, microparticle size, number of bombardments, and osmotic pretreatment on GUS expression were investigated. Optimal transient expression of the uidA gene was observed after bombardment at 1100 psi, with a particle size of 1 micrometer, an osmotic pretreatment and two bombardments per sample. The highest number of blue spots observed was 2400 per square centimeter of bombarded tissue. (Résumé d'auteur

Regeneration of transgenic cassava plants (Manihot esculenta Crantz) through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of embryogenic suspension cultures

A protocol was developed for #Agrobacterium$-mediated transformation of embryogenic suspension cultures of cassava. The bacterial strain ABI containing the binary vector pMON977 with the nptII gene as selectable market and an intron-interrupted uidA gene (encoding beta-glucuronidase) as visible marker was used for the experiments. Selection of transformed tissue with paromomycin resulted in the establishment of antibiotic-resistant, beta-glucuronidase-expressing lines of friable embryogenic callus, from which embryos and subsequently plants were regenerated. Southern blot analysis demonstrated stable integration of the uidA gene into the cassava genome in five lines of transformed embryogenic suspension cultures and in two plant lines. (Résumé d'auteur