Superconducting state in a gallium-doped germanium layer at low temperatures.

We demonstrate that the third elemental group-IV semiconductor, germanium, exhibits superconductivity at ambient pressure. Using advanced doping and annealing techniques of state-of-the-art semiconductor processing, we have fabricated a highly Ga-doped Ge (GeratioGa) layer in near-intrinsic Ge. Depending on the detailed annealing conditions, we demonstrate that superconductivity can be generated and tailored in the doped semiconducting Ge host at temperatures as high as 0.5 K. Critical-field measurements reveal the quasi-two-dimensional character of superconductivity in the approximately 60 nm thick GeratioGa layer. The Cooper-pair density in GeratioGa appears to be exceptionally low.

Spraying spin coating silanization at room temperature of a SiO2 surface for silicon-based integrated light emitters.

A new silanization method for SiO(2) surfaces has been developed for Si-based light emitters which are intended to serve as light sources in smart biosensors relying on fluorescence analysis. This method uses a special silanization chamber and is based on spraying and spin coating (SSC) in nitrogen atmosphere at room temperature for 10 min. It avoids processes like sonication and the use of certain chemicals being harmful to integrated light emitters. The surface of a SiO(2) layer serving as a passivation layer for the light emitters was hydrolyzed to silanols using an in situ-hybridization chamber and catalyzed with MES (2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfone acid hydrate) buffer solution. Subsequently, the substrates were silanized with the SSC method using two coupling agents as (3-Aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APMS), and N'-(3-(trimethoxysilyl)-propyl)-diethylenetriamine (triamino-APMS). The structure of the SiO(2) surface, the APMS and the triamino-APMS layers was controlled and characterized by Infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show a covalent binding of the silane coupling agents on the surface. Atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the roughness of the surface. The silanized samples exhibit smooth and densely covered surfaces. Finally, the suitability of the SSC method was verified on real light emitters.

Biogeochemical changes induced in uranium mining waste pile samples by uranyl nitrate treatments under anaerobic conditions.

Response of the subsurface soil bacterial community of a uranium mining waste pile to treatments with uranyl nitrate over different periods of time was studied under anaerobic conditions. The fate of the added U(VI) without supplementation with electron donors was investigated as well. By using 16S rRNA gene retrieval, we demonstrated that incubation with uranyl nitrate for 4 weeks resulted in a strong reduction in and even disappearance of some of the most predominant bacterial groups of the original sample. Instead, a strong proliferation of denitrifying and uranium-resistant populations of Rahnella spp. from Gammaproteobacteria and of Firmicutes occurred. After longer incubations for 14 weeks with uranyl nitrate, bacterial diversity increased and populations intrinsic to the untreated samples such as Bacteroidetes and Deltaproteobacteria propagated and replaced the above-mentioned uranium-resistant groups. This indicated that U(VI) was immobilized. Mössbauer spectroscopic analysis revealed an increased Fe(III) reduction by increasing the incubation time from four to 14 weeks. This result signified that Fe(III) was used as an electron acceptor by the bacterial community established at the later stages of the treatment. X-ray absorption spectroscopic analysis demonstrated that no detectable amounts of U(VI) were reduced to U(IV) in the time frames of the performed experiments. The reason for this observation is possibly due to the low level of electron donors in the studied oligotrophic environment. Time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopic analysis demonstrated that most of the added U(VI) was bound by organic or inorganic phosphate phases both of biotic origin.

Ion beam treatment of titanium surfaces for enhancing deposition of hydroxyapatite from solution.

Surface coating with hydroxyapatite (HA) is a common way to improve the osseointegration of orthopaedic and dental titanium (Ti)-based materials. The main problems with current techniques are changes in composition during heating and poor adhesion to the surface. An alternative method is deposition of HA onto an activated surface out of a solution. The present work studies the surface treatment involving ion implantation of Na into Ti to induce a modification in chemistry and morphology, showing sodium titanate (Na(2)TiO(3)) incorporated within the surface layer with concentration, depth distribution, and morphology depending on the parameters of the ion implantation. Such ion-implanted Ti surfaces actively induce heterogeneous precipitation of HA from a simulated body fluid containing physiological concentrations of calcium and phosphate ions. This is compared with the activation by NaOH etching. The growth of bone forming cells on the pure Na implanted surface is oriented without an increased bone formation. Cell growth on the NaOH etched surface is reduced. After deposition of HA on both surfaces cell the growth pattern was improved.

Solution deposition of hydroxyapatite on titanium pretreated with a sodium ion implantation.

Titanium surfaces were treated by exposing them to a beam of sodium ions. Sodium titanate was shown to be incorporated within the oxidic titanium surface. The ion-implanted surfaces were examined for their reactivity by immersion in a simulated body fluid, which showed the formation of surface-bound hydroxyapatite. The surface was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and optical and electron microscopy. The surface hydroxyl concentration was determined using the nuclear reaction (1)H((15)N, alpha gamma)(12)C. Surface-related parameters that may affect hydroxyapatite nucleation are discussed in terms of the electrical double layer.

Surface induced reactivity for titanium by ion implantation.

Calcium and phosphorus storage in a thin layer of titanium surface was achieved by ion implantation. We study the reactivity of this surface in response to a hydrothermal treatment. The incipient implanted species are observed to convert to Ca(2+) and PO(4)(3-), the precursors for generating calcium phosphate polymorphs. Hydroxyapatite is formed from these precursors by an interface-liquid mediated mineralization preceded by the hydrolysis of oxygen compounds of Ca and P from the solid phase. The morphology and organization of apatite mineral is controlled by the fluid dynamics reflecting the surface remodeling to adapt to the available local environment. Exposed to calcium and phosphate ion containing solution, the hydrothermally treated surface templates hydroxyapatite deposition. Ca and P implanted Ti surface was shown to be chemically and morphologically actively involved in the interfacial reactions.

The interactions of mesna and dimesna with the sulfate exchange in human red blood cells.

The influence of disodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate disulfide (mesna, Uromitexan) and sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate (dimesna) on the carrier mediated exchange of 35S-sulfate in human red blood cells was investigated in vitro in order to contribute to the understanding of pharmakokinetics and organospecific action of mesna. Countertransport indicated uptake of mesna in washed red blood cells by the carrier. In contrast, dimesna inhibited the transport of sulfate in a competitive manner. However, when 35S-sulfate uptake into red cells was studied with whole blood, addition of mesna was found to be inhibitory, which was caused by its rapid conversion to dimesna by plasma components. It is concluded that conversion of the anion carrier substrate mesna into the inhibitor dimesna is the reason that mesna or dimesna cannot be detected in red blood cells in vivo.

Interactions of the chelating agent 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonate with red blood cells in vitro. I. Evidence for carrier mediated transport.

Uptake of the water soluble 1,2-dimercaptopropanol (BAL) derivative 2,3-dimercapto-1-sulfonate (DMPS) into human red blood cells was found in vitro and the mode of penetration studied in detail. The compound entered erythrocytes in a concentration dependent manner. In contrast to sealed ghosts where inside and outside concentrations reached the same value, DMPS accumulated in intact erythrocytes. Since no binding of DMPS could be detected, the reason for accumulation was assumed to be a conversion of DMPS into chelates or metabolites which penetrated the membrane in a slower rate. A facilitated transport of DMPS mediated by the anion carrier protein was concluded on the basis of the following similarities with the anion transport: inhibition of [14C]DMPS-uptake by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), tetrathionate (90%), sulfate (50%), 5,5'-dithio bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) (25%); inhibition of uptake and efflux by 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbene disulfonate (DIDS) (80%), dipyridamole (55%); temperature dependency (activation energy 24 Kcal/mol); pH-dependency (pH optimum about 6.9); counter-transport; activation of uptake by preincubation with DMPS (transmembrane effect).

Interactions of the chelating agent 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonate with red blood cells in vitro. II. Effects on metalloproteins.

The implications of the carrier mediated uptake of 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonate (DMPS) (D.B. Wildenauer et al., Chem.-Biol. Interact., 42 (1982) 165) on cytoplasmic components of human red blood cells have been investigated in vitro. The water-soluble chelating agent caused a mobilization of metals (zinc and copper) from metalloproteins which resulted in a permeation of the membrane. Furthermore, a cytoplasmic protein was found to be attached to the membrane after DMPS treatment of red blood cells. The protein was isolated and identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), amino acid analysis and finger-printing as carbonic anhydrase. The enzyme could be solubilized from the membrane by addition of beta-mercaptoethanol, suggesting an involvement of sulfhydryl-groups. In a reconstitution experiment, DMPS-treated human carbonic anhydrase could be attached to inside-out vesicles which were prepared from human erythrocytes. In contrast, bovine carbonic anhydrase, which is known to lack sulfhydryl-groups, failed to bind to the same vesicles. Moreover, attachment of carbonic anhydrase to the membrane did not occur when intact bovine erythrocytes were treated with DMPS. It is suggested that zinc-depletion of carbonic anhydrase causes the liberation of a sulfhydryl-group of the enzyme. This is followed by a disulfide formation with a component of the membrane which results in the observed membrane attachment.

Reactions of the alkylating agent tris(2-chloroethyl)-amine with the erythrocyte membrane. Effects on shape changes of human erythrocytes and ghosts.

The influence of tris(2-chloroethyl)amine on shape changes of human erythrocytes and ghosts was studied in vitro and correlated with alterations in the molecular structure of the membrane. (1) Reaction with 1--2 mM tris(2-chloroethyl)amine, a concentration which caused polymerisation of spectrin as detected by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, protected intact erythrocytes against metabolically induced shape changes. (2) When induced by Mg2+-ATP, ghosts porepared from alkylated erythrocytes underwent normal changes in shape. However, when ghosts were treated directly with tris(2-chloroethyl)amine, no Mg2+-ATP-induced shape changes occurred. This fixation in shape appeared to be due to a higher degree of reaction with the alkylating agent. (3) The amount of chlorpromazine necessary for transformation of erythrocytes into stomatocytes was increased for tris(2-chloroethyl)amine-pretreated cells and was dependent on the degree of reaction with tris(2-chloroethyl)amine. (4) Deformability of red cells after reaction with tris(2-chloroethyl)amine was estimated by measuring their rheological behaviour in glass capillary arrays. A slight reduction of the flow rate was observed for cells alkylated with 1--2 mM tris(2-chloroethyl)amine. (5) Extractability of spectrin was diminished and corresponded to the degree of spectrin polymerisation. (6) No difference in the incorporation of 32P by alkylated and untreated cells was found. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography of the membrane proteins from 32-P-treated cells showed that the spectrin component 2 and the polymerisation products generated by the reaction with tris(2-chloroethyl)amine were labelled. It is suggested that the observed conservation of cell shape is preferentially caused by the reaction of tris(2-chloroethyl)amine with spectrin.