Efeito do alumínio sobre a absorção, o acúmulo e o fracionamento do fósforo em sorgo

O trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito do Al sobre a absorção, o acúmulo e o fracionamento do P em duas cultivares de sorgo. As plantas foram expostas a níveis tóxicos de Al durante dez dias e, então, colhidas e determinados o crescimento em tamanho e produção de massa seca, os teores de Al e de P total e as diversas formas de P nas duas partes das plantas. Avaliou-se, também, o efeito do Al sobre a absorção de P pelas raízes de plantas intactas. O Al reduziu o crescimento da raiz seminal e a produção de matéria seca de raízes e parte aérea nas duas cultivares, especialmente na sensível. Os teores de Al e de P total aumentaram nas raízes, mas não foram modificados na parte aérea nas duas cultivares. A absorção de P, entretanto, decresceu na presença de Al nas duas cultivares, principalmente na sensível. O Al, de modo geral, modificou as concentrações das várias formas de P solúvel (Pi e Porg) e insolúvel (P RNA e Presidual), exceto a da forma P LIP. Algumas dessas modificações parecem ser importantes e podem estar relacionadas com o mecanismo de tolerância ao Al em sorgo.The objective of this work was to evaluate Al effect on uptake, accumulation and fractionation of P in two sorghum cultivars. Plants were treated with toxic levels of Al during ten days and then they were harvested and growth, dry matter yield, Al and total P contents and concentrations of the various P forms in the two parts of the plants were determined. Aluminum effect on P uptake was also evaluated in intact plants. Aluminum reduced the growth of the seminal root and dry matter yield in roots and tops of both cultivars, especially in the sensitive one. Aluminum and P contents increased in roots but did not change in the top of both cultivars. Phosphate uptake by roots, however, decreased in the presence of Al in both cultivars, especially in the sensitive one. Aluminum, in general, changed concentrations of all soluble (Pi e Porg) and insoluble P forms (P RNA e Presidual), except of the P LIP form. Some of these modifications seem to be important and may be related to Al tolerance mechanism in sorghum

Focused ion beam etching of GaN

We have investigated the use of focused ion beam (FIB) etching for the fabrication of GaN-based devices. Although work has shown that conventional reactive ion etching (RIE) is in most cases appropriate for the GaN device fabrication, the direct write facility of FIB etching – a well-established technique for optical mask repair and for IC failure analysis and repair – without the requirement for depositing an etch mask is invaluable. A gallium ion beam of about 20nm diameter was used to sputter GaN material. The etching rate depends linearly on the ion dose per area with a slope of 3.5 × 10−4 μm3/pC. At a current of 3nA, for example, this corresponds to an each rate of 1.05 μm3/s. Good etching qualities have been achieved with a side wall roughness significantly below 0.1 μm. Change in the roughness of the etched surface plane stay below 8nm.</jats:p

Influence of slope and aspect on long-term vegetation change in British chalk grasslands

1 The species composition of fragmented semi-natural grasslands may change over time due to stochastic local extinction and colonization events, successional change and/or as a response to changing management or abiotic conditions. The resistance of vegetation to change may be mediated through the effects of topography (slope and aspect) on soils and microclimate. 2 To assess long-term vegetation change in British chalk grasslands, 92 plots first surveyed by F. H. Perring in 1952–53, and distributed across four climatic regions, were re-surveyed during 2001–03. Changes in vegetation since the original survey were assessed by comparing local colonization and extinction rates at the plot scale, and changes in species frequency at the subplot scale. Vegetation change was quantified using indirect ordination (Detrended Correspondence Analysis; DCA) and Ellenberg indicator values. 3 Across all four regions, there was a significant decrease in species number and a marked decline in stress-tolerant species typical of species-rich calcareous grasslands, both in terms of decreased plot occupancy and decreased frequency within occupied plots. More competitive species typical of mesotrophic grasslands had colonized plots they had not previously occupied, but had not increased significantly in frequency within occupied plots. 4 A significant increase in Ellenberg fertility values, which was highly correlated with the first DCA axis, was found across all regions. The magnitude of change of fertility and moisture values was found to decrease with angle of slope and with a topographic solar radiation index derived from slope and aspect. 5 The observed shift from calcareous grassland towards more mesotrophic grassland communities is consistent with the predicted effects of both habitat fragmentation and nutrient enrichment. It is hypothesized that chalk grassland swards on steeply sloping ground are more resistant to invasion by competitive grass species than those on flatter sites due to phosphorus limitation in shallow minerogenic rendzina soils, and that those with a southerly aspect are more resistant due to increased magnitude and frequency of drought events