A laser opto-microactuator has been proposed as an Optical Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (OMEMS). The rotational or twisting mechanisms of the microactuator have been discussed. For increasing the sensitivity of the actuator, the temperature difference between the front and rear blade surfaces of the actuator should be increased. Therefore, high absorption rates on the blade surface with las...

The iron-limited Southern Ocean plays an important role in regulating atmospheric CO(2) levels. Marine mammal respiration has been proposed to decrease the efficiency of the Southern Ocean biological pump by returning photosynthetically fixed carbon to the atmosphere. Here, we show that by consuming prey at depth and defecating iron-rich liquid faeces into the photic zone, sperm whales (Physete...

In Crocus vernus, a spring bulbous species, prolonged growth at low temperatures results in the development of larger perennial organs and delayed foliar senescence. Because corm growth is known to stop before the first visual sign of leaf senescence, it is clear that factors other than leaf duration alone determine final corm size. The aim of this study was to determine whether reduced growth ...

While we now know that N2 fixation is a significant source of new nitrogen (N) in the marine environment, little is known about the fate of this N (and associated C), despite the importance of diazotrophs to global carbon and nutrient cycles. Specifically, does N fixed during N2 fixation fuel autotrophic or heterotrophic growth and thus facilitate carbon (C) export from the euphotic zone, or do...

While we now know that N2 fixation is a significant source of new nitrogen (N) in the marine environment, little is known about the fate of this N (and associated C), despite the importance of diazotrophs to global carbon and nutrient cycles. Specifically, does N fixed during N2 fixation fuel autotrophic or heterotrophic growth and thus facilitate carbon (C) export from the euphotic zone, or do...

Thin, filamentous, non-heterocystous, benthic cyanobacteria (Subsection III) from some marine, lacustrine and thermal environments aggregate into macroscopic cones and conical stromatolites. We investigate the uptake and storage of inorganic carbon by cone-forming cyanobacteria from Yellowstone National Park using high-resolution stable isotope mapping of labeled carbon (H(13)CO3 (-)) and immun...

BACKGROUND Symbiotic dinoflagellates transfer a substantial amount of their photosynthetic products to their animal hosts. This amount has been estimated to represent up to 90% of the photosynthetically fixed carbon and can satisfy in some instances the full respiratory requirements of the host. Although in several cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbioses glycerol is the primary photosynthetic produc...

Using nonresonant bond-polarization theory, the Raman intensity of a single-wall carbon nanotube is calculated as a function of the polarization of light and the chirality of the carbon nanotube. The force-constant tensor for calculating phonon dispersion relations in the nanotubes is scaled from those for two-dimensional graphite. The calculated Raman spectra do not depend much on the chiralit...

A catalyst and sorbent is disclosed which comprises pellets with an absorbent core and a protective shell with a catalyst in the shell. Such material is especially well suited for steam reforming of hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen since a reforming catalyst can be incorporated in the shell and a sorbent for the by-product carbon dioxide can be used for the core. It is also well suited for prod...

Aminooxyacetate induced excretion of glycolate from air-grown cells of Euglena gracilis in both air and 1% CO(2) atmospheres. The rate of the excretion reached 70% of the photosynthetic rate in the air on a carbon basis, and was 10% in 1% CO(2). The compulsory loss of photosynthetically fixed carbon as glycolate at the high rate in air in the presence of aminooxyacetate caused a decrease of the...