Determination of Zn in high-purity GaAs with neutron activation analysis
Neutron activation analysis was used to analyse Zn concentrations in high-purity GaAs. A combination of chemical separation of the neutron-induced 65Zn from the GaAs-matrix with anion-exchange chromatography and ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry in an underground laboratory was applied. Zn concentration ranged from 2.1 to 51 ng g(-1), and detection limits from 0.018 to 0.059 ng g(-1) were obtained.
Tungsten-containing aldehyde oxidoreductase of Eubacterium acidaminophilum.
Aldehyde oxidoreductase of Eubacterium acidaminophilum was purified to homogeneity under strict anaerobic conditions using a four-step procedure. The purified enzyme was present as a monomer with an apparent molecular mass of 67 kDa and contained 6.0 +/- 0.1 iron, 1.1 +/- 0.2 tungsten, about 0.6 mol pterin cofactor and zinc, but no molybdenum. The enzyme activity was induced if a molar excess of electron donors, such as serine and/or formate, were supplied in the growth medium compared to readily available electron acceptors such as glycine betaine. Many aldehydes served as good substrates, thus enzyme activity obtained with acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, isovaleraldehyde and benzaldehyde differed by a factor of less than two. Kinetic parameters were determined for all substrates tested. Oligonucleotides deduced from the N-terminal amino acid sequence were used to isolate the encoding aorA gene and adjacent DNA regions. The deduced amino acid sequence of the aldehyde oxidoreductase exhibited high similarities to other tungsten-containing aldehyde oxidoreductases from archaea. Transcription of the aorA gene was monocistronic and started from a sigma 54-dependent promoter. Upstream of aorA, the gene aorR is localized whose product is similar to sigma 54-dependent transcriptional activator proteins and, thus, AorR is probably involved in the regulation of aorA expression.
A new technique for device compatible anodic oxidation of GaAs
A simple and effective new technique has been demonstrated which improves markedly the chemical and electrical properties of heat-treated anodic oxide films on GaAs. This technique should facilitate the use of anodic oxides in innovative GaAs devices.