Efficiency of fluorescence excitation in chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> by the second and third harmonics of emission from an Nd:YAG laser

We have studied the efficiency of fluorescence excitation in chlorophyll a by the second harmonic (532 nm) and the third harmonic (355 nm) of an Nd:YAG laser for sea water samples with phytoplankton taken during different algal blooms and for extracts of higher plants diluted with sea water. We have shown that when using the second harmonic, the efficiency of fluorescence excitation in chlorophyll a is more than twice as high as for excitation by the third harmonic. We discuss the advisability of using the second or third harmonics of the emission from an Nd:YAG laser when studying the biooptical parameters of sea water. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 2, pp. 224–227, March–April, 2008.     

Effect of the structure of mesophyll in a leaf on the form of the spectral curve for the first derivatives of the reflection coefficients of leaves over the range 0.68–0.75 μm

It is shown that replacement of the investigated surface of a leaf by the opposite one, as well as nonuniform content of chlorophyll over a pile of leaves, may lead to a change in the form of spectra for the first derivatives of reflection coefficients of leaves. A simplified model of the reflection of a leaf is used to explain the experimental results obtained. B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 68, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 6, pp. 921–925, November–December, 1998.     

Effect of bengal rose sensitizer on activity of the photosynthetic apparatus of green barley leaves

We have observed disruption of the energy distribution between chlorophyll-protein complexes, their partial degradation, and inactivation of photosystem II in green barley leaves under photooxidative stress conditions induced by the photosensitizer bengal rose. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 2, pp. 266–269, March–April, 2006.     

Stress-Induced Alteration of Chlorophyll Fluorescence Polarization and Spectrum in Leaves of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alocasia macrorrhiza</Emphasis> L. Schott

The value of intrinsic chlorophyll fluorescence polarization, and the intensity in emission spectrum were investigated in leaf segments of Alocasia macrorrhiza under several stress conditions including different temperatures (25–50°C), various concentrations of NaCl (0–250 mM), methyl viologen (MV, 0–25 μM), SDS (0–1.0%) and NaHSO₃ (0–80 μM). Fluorescence emission spectrum of leaves at wavelength regions of 500–800 nm was monitored by excitation at 436 nm. The value of fluorescence polarization (P value), as result of energy transfer and mutual orientation between chlorophyll molecules, was determined by excitation at 436 nm and emission at 685 nm. The results showed that elevated temperature and concentrations of salt (NaCl), photooxidant (MV), surfactant (SDS) and simulated SO₂ (NaHSO₃) treatments all induced a reduction of fluorescence polarization to various degrees. However, alteration of the fluorescence spectrum and emission intensity of F₆₈₅ and F₇₃₁ depended on the individual treatment. Increase in temperature and concentration of NaHSO₃ enhanced fluorescence intensity mainly at F₆₈₅, while an increase in MV concentration led to a decrease at both F₆₈₅ and F₇₃₁. On the contrary, NaCl and SDS did not cause remarkable change in fluorescence spectrum. Among different treatments, the negative correlation between polarization and fluorescence intensity was found with NaHSO₃ treatments only. We concluded that P value being measured with intrinsic chlorophyll fluorescence as probe in leaves is a susceptible indicator responding to changes in environmental conditions. The alteration of P value and fluorescence intensity might not always be shown a functional relation pattern. The possible reasons of differed response to various treatments were discussed.     

Effect of glutaphen on generation of active oxygen species, photosynthetic electron transport, and the functional activity of photosystem 2 in Chlorella cells

Treatment of chlorella green algae (Chlorella sp.) for 2 h in the dark with the photodynamic herbicide glutaphen (GTP), consisting of 0.3 mM 1,10-phenanthroline and 0.6 mM glutamic acid, followed by illumination leads to efficient generation of active oxygen species (AOS). After 15 min of illumination, AOS accumulation reaches 200% compared with the level in cells of the control culture, then it decreases down to 130% and 115% after 1 day and 3 days of illumination. During the first few days after treatment, we observe inhibition of synthesis of a specific precursor of chlorophyll (Chl): 5-aminolevulinic acid molecules, and then we observe stimulation of the synthesis. The effect of GTP on the photosynthetic activity of chlorella does not depend on the AOS level but rather remains uniform, in contrast to its effect on the Chl biosynthesis system. GTP does not change the efficiency of light harvesting and charge separation at the reaction centers of photosystem (PS) 2, but significantly lowers the functional efficiency of the electron transport chain: the photochemical quenching constants for Chl a fluorescence and the effective quantum yield of photochemical reactions in photosystem 2 decrease. The major mechanism of action for GTP is probably displacement of the secondary quinone acceptor Q_B from its binding site on the D1 protein by the 1,10-phenanthroline, consequent inhibition of electron efflux from Q _A ⁻ and increase in the fraction of Q_B-nonreducing centers of PS 2. The active oxygen species generated in the cells have a photodegradative effect on the Chl biosynthesis system, in particular on its initial steps, and do not involve already formed pigment-protein complexes of PS 2. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 6, pp. 801–806, November–December, 2006.     

Green sub-nanosecond microchip laser based on BiBO crystals

Frequency doubling of a passively Q-switched microchip laser using BiBO crystals is reported. Generation of green second harmonic at 532 nm with pulse energies of 2.4–3.4 μJ and conversion efficiency of 25–35% is demonstrated.     

Pulsed spark-discharge assisted synthesis of colloidal gold nanoparticles in ethanol

A green method, using pulsed spark-discharge (PSD) to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in ethanol, is studied in this article. Unlike conventional methods for metal nanoparticles synthesis, the PSD method does not require the addition of chemical surfactants and stabilizers. The size of PSD–AuNPs is examined by transmission electron microscopy, with a range 5–50 nm. The chemical compounds, crystal structure, and surface plasmon resonance of PSD–AuNPs are studied using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV–Visible spectroscopy, respectively. Zeta potential analysis shows that a negative charge (−40 mV) on the surface of the PSD–AuNPs may be contributing to the stability of the suspension. During the gold electrodes discharge in the ethanol, under an intensive electric field and thermal energy, bulk metallic gold and ethanol may produce AuNPs and varieties of chemical derivatives, which are also studied by GC/MS and FTIR to investigate the suspension mechanism. The analysis results show that there is an oxidation reaction of ethanol occurring during the PSD process to produce ethanol derivatives, such as acetaldehyde, acetic acid, and ethyl acetate, which may modify the surface of AuNPs by coordination of oxygen atoms. However, only acetic acid can form a negative charge by the deprotonation of the carboxylic group of surface in ethanol, resulting in the creation of a repulsion force between the particles to form the stable colloid system. The experimental results indicate that PSD is an alternative green process to synthesize gold nanoparticles suspension in ethanol. Moreover, with a gold rod consumption rate of 15 mg/L, concentrations of gold nanoparticles ~9 ppm have been observed; therefore, the net production rate is around 60%.     

Spectral and spectral-polarization characteristics of potato leaves

The results of laboratory investigations of the spectral and spectral-polarization characteristics of radiation reflected from the leaves of potato(Solanum tuberosum) of different varieties are discussed. During the vegetation season of 1997, the angular dependence of the degree and azimuth of polarization of radiation reflected from potato leaves as well as the scattering indicatrices in the range 380–1080 nm were determined by a specially developed method with the use of a laboratory goniometric setup. The relationship between the spectral polarization characteristics of radiation and biological parameters of the potato has been obtained with the help of different methods of statistical analysis and explained on the basis of the known physical mechanisms. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii. Vol. 67, No. 4, pp. 524–529, July–August, 2000.     

Statistical modelling of laser induced fluorescence in plant cover

A system of mutually coupled radiative transfer equations is proposed as a formal basis for the numerical analysis of a broad range of spectroscopic effects associated with the propagation of laser radiation in the environment. In particular, this concerns the reabsorption of laser induced fluorescence which inevitably occurs in dense disperse media containing two or more fluorophors. One practical application is for the pressing problem of lidar monitoring the state of plant cover, in particular the concentration of chlorophyll, which regulates the vital activity of plants. A new concept for an optical model of plant cover has been developed in which leaves are not treated as separate scattering elements, but as local volumes of a multiphase medium with a complex polydisperse structure. A modified Monte-Carlo algorithm is created for imitating the fluorescence and reabsorption processes. Test calculations confirm the adequacy of this approach. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 76, No. 3, pp. 411–418, May–June, 2009.     

Spectral polarization characteristics of optical radiation reflected from leaves subjected to unfavorable ecological factors

Angle distributions of the degree and azimuth of polarization of radiation scattered by individual leaves were measured. The polarization characteristics of the reflected radiation were investigated at four radiation wavelengths (460, 550, 680, and 740 nm) and angles of exposure of leaves to light of 60–70°. The experiments were performed with leaves of maples (Acer platonoides) at different stages of vegetation and withering. More than 1000 distributions of the spectral polarization characteristics of the reflected radiation were obtained for maple leaves taken from regions with different ecological conditions during 1993–1995 It was established that the spectral polarization characteristics of the radiation scattered by a leaf markedly change with the state of the leaf. Belarusian State University, 4, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220080, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 1, pp. 107–113, January–February, 1998.     

利用吸收光谱确定叶绿素a和b的颜色

叶绿素a和b在植物生长过程中起着至关重要的作用,精确测定其含量,可为农作物生长状况、植物病理诊断等提供科学依据,是实施精准农业的关键所在。文章将前人已经给出的叶绿素a和叶绿素b的吸收光谱实验数据,转换为透过光谱。用人眼观察其透过光谱,显然就形成叶绿素a和b的颜色。于是,根据色度学的三基色原理,选择具有确定光谱功率分布的标准光源作为照明光源,确定了它们在CIE1931-色品图中的色度坐标：叶绿素a为(0.198 1,0.334 1), 落在蓝绿色区域内;叶绿素b为(0.270 4,0.566 3),落在黄绿色区域内。上述处理的要点是：将叶绿素a和叶绿素b的光谱曲线压缩成色度图上的坐标点,其结果将为发展植物单叶或群体的非接触式、远距离、无损伤测定植物色素含量的新技术提供必要的理论支持。     

Transfection using hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in the inner ear via an intact round window membrane in chinchilla

Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAT) are known to have excellent biocompatibility, and have attracted increasing attention as new candidates of non-viral vectors for gene therapy. In our previous studies, nHAT carrying a therapeutic gene and a reporter gene were successfully transfected into the spiral ganglion neurons in the inner ear of guinea pigs in vivo as well as in the cultured cell lines, although the transfection efficiencies were never higher than 30%. In this study, the surface modification of nHAT with polyethylenimine (PEI) was made (PEI–nHAT, diameter = 73.09 ± 27.32 nm) and a recombinant plasmid carrying enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) gene was constructed as pEGFPC2–NT3. The PEI modified nHAT and the recombinant plasmid was then connected to form the nHAT-based vector–gene complex (PEI–nHAT–pEGFPC2–NT3). This complex was then placed onto the intact round window membranes of the chinchillas for inner ear transfection. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was tested to evaluate auditory function. Green fluorescence of EGFP was observed using confocal microscopy 48 h after administering vector–gene complexes. There was no significant threshold shift in tone burst-evoked ABR at any tested frequency. Abundant, condensed green fluorescence was found in dark cells on both sides of the crista and around the macula of the utricle. Scattered EGFP signals were also detected in vestibular hair cells, some Schwann cells in the cochlear spiral ganglion region, some outer pillar cells in the organ of Corti, and a few cells in the stria vascularis. The density of green fluorescence-marked cells was obviously higher in the vestibular dark cell area than in other areas of the inner ear, suggesting that vestibular dark cells may have the ability to actively engulf the nHAT-based vector–gene complexes. Considering the high transfection efficiency in the vestibular system, PEI–nHAT may be a potential vector for gene therapy of inner ear diseases, especially vestibular disorders, and deserves further study.     

Early Detection of Plant Stress from Changes in Distributions of Chlorophyll a Fluorescence Parameters Measured with Fluorescence Imaging

In this work, we used barley leaves suffering from a stress, for measurements of chlorophyll a fluorescence with an imaging fluorometer. We compared selected fluorescence parameters (FP) determined from the measurements of control (no stress) and afterwards stressed sample by classical statistical comparison (Mann–Whitney test) and by statistical comparison of shapes of distributions of the FPs (two-sample Smirnov test). We have found that there exist examples where statistically significant difference is not revealed using the classical statistical comparison (for given critical level), but statistically significant difference is revealed using comparisons of distributions (for the same critical level). It implies that the shape of statistical distribution of a FP is more sensitive to a stress of a sample than median of the FP. Further, the comparison of changes in shapes of statistical distributions of FPs is therefore more suitable for early detection of plant stress than a classical statistical comparison. The observed changes in the distributions of FPs are discussed.     

Optical phase conjugation and double-exposure phase-conjugate interferometry in dye-doped thin film using He–Ne laser

We have experimentally demonstrated optical phase conjugation and double-exposure phase-conjugate interferometry in a methyl green dye-doped gelatin film via degenerate four-wave mixing using a low-power He–Ne laser for the first time. The origin of phase conjugation associated with this dye-doped film is discussed. A phase-conjugate reflectivity of 0.13% is obtained with a He–Ne laser of total power 35 mW. PACS 42.65.Hw; 42.65.-k; 42.40.-i     

油菜叶片的光谱特征与叶绿素含量之间的关系研究

叶绿素是作物生长中的重要因素,是植物营养胁迫、光合作用能力和生长状况的良好指示剂。实时、可靠的作物营养诊断是进行科学施肥管理的基础,也是实践精细农业的关键技术之一。采用便携式可见-近红外光谱仪,在室外自然光照条件下对不同氮肥水平下油菜叶片的光谱特性进行了研究,并根据作物特有的光谱特征,采用逐步回归分析方法建立了油菜叶片的叶绿素含量与红边位置和绿峰位置之间的定量分析模型。结果表明,将红边位置、绿峰位置二者作为自变量时,建立的模型效果优于采用单一的红边位置为自变量时建立的模型效果。其相关系数分别为0.863和0.848;校正标准偏差SEC分别为5.273和5.459, 说明采用红边位置和绿峰位置这两个参数更能很好地预测叶片的叶绿素含量。     

Numerical investigation of the effect of signal trapping on soot measurements using LII in laminar coflow diffusion flames

Laser-induced incandescence has been rapidly developed into a powerful diagnostic technique for measurements of soot in many applications. The incandescence intensity generated by laser-heated soot particles at the measurement location suffers the signal trapping effect caused by absorption and scattering by soot particles present between the measurement location and the detector. The signal trapping effect was numerically investigated in soot measurements using both a 2D LII setup and the corresponding point LII setup at detection wavelengths of 400 and 780 nm in a laminar coflow ethylene/air flame. The radiative properties of aggregated soot particles were calculated using the Rayleigh–Debye–Gans polydisperse fractal aggregate theory. The radiative transfer equation in emitting, absorbing, and scattering media was solved using the discrete-ordinates method. The radiation intensity along an arbitrary direction was obtained using the infinitely small weight technique. The contribution of scattering to signal trapping was found to be negligible in atmospheric laminar diffusion flames. When uncorrected LII intensities are used to determine soot particle temperature and the soot volume fraction, the errors are smaller in 2D LII setup where soot particles are excited by a laser sheet. The simple Beer–Lambert exponential attenuation relationship holds in LII applications to axisymmetric flames as long as the effective extinction coefficient is adequately defined.     

Green luminescent ZnO:Cu<Superscript>2+</Superscript> nanoparticles for their applications in white-light generation from UV LEDs

Copper doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by a chemical technique based on a hydrothermal method. The crystallite sizes, estimated by XRD and TEM/SEM for different doping percentage of Cu²⁺ (1–10%), were found to be in the range of ~10–15 nm. TEM/SEM images showed formation of uniform nanorods, the aspect ratio of which varied with doping percentage. Photoluminescence (PL) measurement showed strong green visible emission and PL intensity was found enhanced with increase in doping percentage. The increase in the PL intensity was mainly due to Cu incorporation in ZnO lattice. Currently, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) giving ultraviolet emission have been combined with broad-band visible green phosphors to make white-light LEDs. Thus, green luminescent ZnO:Cu²⁺ nanoparticles are seen as necessary and condemnatory constituent for white-light generation from UV LEDs, underlying the importance of the current work.     

Potential and restriction of high resolution,high energy photoemission in 400–8,000 eV for studying strongly correlated electron systems

InSe and InSe:Er single crystals were grown by using the Bridgman–Stockbarger method. The absorption measurements were carried out for voltage U=0 and U=30 V states of InSe and InSe:Er samples in the temperature range of 10–320 K with a step of 10 K. The absorption edge shifted towards longer wavelengths and the intensity of the absorption spectra decreased under a 5.90 kV/cm electric field. The same binding energy values for InSe and InSe:Er were calculated as 22.2 and 14.2 meV at U=0 and U=30 V, respectively. The steepness parameters and Urbach energies for InSe and InSe:Er samples increased with increasing sample temperature in the range of 10–320 K. An applied electric field caused a shift and a decrease of the intensity of the absorption spectra and an increase in the Urbach energy and steepness parameters. The shift of the absorption edge can be explained on the basis of the Franz–Keldysh effect or thermal heating of the sample under the electric field. PACS 71.20.Nr     

Taking into account nonselective absorption of light in atomic absorption analysis

We propose a method for quantitatively taking into account nonselective absorption for systems in which the vapor phase contains a single molecular form: sodium and potassium chlorides and iodides. We identified the absorption bands using modern quantum chemistry methods. We have demonstrated good agreement between the experimental data and the calculations. We have tested the correctness of the method we developed for the example of determining known silicon and iron contents in potassium chloride and sodium iodide. Differences between the results obtained and the true elemental contents were random. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 3, pp. 397–400, May–June, 2006.     

Determination of potassium in several plants and study of potassium transfer to different beverages, including tequila, by measurement of 40K

Measurement of ⁴⁰K was used for determination of potassium concentrations in leaves of agave and maguey cactus leaves, and coffee beans of various origins. The procedure was also used to study potassium transfer to tequila (alcoholic drink made of agave cactus), and the cactus and coffee infusions using ⁴⁰K as a natural radioactive tracer. Counting of ⁴⁰K in Marinelli containers with the aid of a low background NaI(Ti) scintillation detection system for 12–24 hours was employed. The method appeared to be simple and suitable for determination of potassium concentrations in large samples, which eliminates homogeneity problems.