Photokilling Squamous Carcinoma Cells SCCVII with Ultrafine Particles of Selected Metal Oxides

The ability of ultrafine particles of TiO₂, WO₃ and iron-doped TiO₂ to kill cancer cells in the presence of UV irradiation was investigated. The best photokilling effect on carcinoma cells SCVII cultured in vitro showed iron-doped TiO₂ ultrafine particles synthesized by the sol-gel procedure with starting chemicals Ti(IV)-isopropoxide and anhydrous Fe(II)-acetate. It was found that a small particle size and high dispersity influenced citotoxicity and photocatalytic efficiency. The remarkable photokiling effect of highly iron-doped TiO₂ ultrafine particles (the molar ratio Fe/Ti = 0.136) in the presence of UV irradiation was observed. The influence of ultrafine metal oxide particles on the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation was measured using a ³H-thymidine incorporation test. The possible mechanism involved in the photokilling of carcinoma cells with ultrafine particles of selected metal oxides was discussed.     

Robust multilevel methods for quadratic finite element anisotropic elliptic problems

This paper discusses a class of multilevel preconditioners based on approximate block factorization for conforming finite element methods employing quadratic trial and test functions. The main focus is on diffusion problems governed by a scalar elliptic partial differential equation with a strongly anisotropic coefficient tensor. The proposed method provides a high robustness with respect to non‐grid‐aligned anisotropy, which is achieved by the interaction of the following components: (i) an additive Schur complement approximation to construct the coarse‐grid operator; (ii) a global block (Jacobi or Gauss–Seidel) smoother complementing the coarse‐grid correction based on (i); and (iii) utilization of an augmented coarse grid, which enhances the efficiency of the interplay between (i) and (ii). The performed analysis indicates the high robustness of the resulting two‐level method. Moreover, numerical tests with a nonlinear algebraic multilevel iteration method demonstrate that the presented two‐level method can be applied successfully in the recursive construction of uniform multilevel preconditioners of optimal or nearly optimal order of computational complexity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural characterization of the trans-equatorial isomer of (aqua)(ethylenediamine-N,N,N′-tripropionato)chromium(III) trihydrate,[Cr(edtrp)(H2O)] · 3H2O

The structure of trans-equatorial [Cr(edtrp)(H₂O)] · 3H₂O (edtrp^3– is the anion of ethylenediamine-N,N,N-tripropionic acid) was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The chromium(III) ion is surrounded octahedrally by the two nitrogen and three oxygen atoms of the quinquedentate edtrp^3–, forming a five-membered diamine ring and the three six-membered -propionato chelate rings. The remaining coordination position is occupied by the H₂O ligand. The crystal structure conformation is compared to the result of recent molecular mechanics analysis. The ring strain of R and G chelate rings was found to be in agreement with the previously proposed mechanisms for the C—N bond cleavage and recombination.     

Untersuchungen der Hydroxylammonium-Aluminate

Summary Two microcristalline phases have been isolated from aqueous solutions: (NH₃OH)₂AlF₅(A) and (NH₃OH)AlF₄·H₂O(B). They crystallize in the orthorhombic system with cell parameters for A:a=6.475 (3) Å,b=7.295 (3) Å,c=10.827 (5) Å, and for B:a=7.003 (3) Å,b=8.489 (4) Å,c=10.745 (5) Å. The Hydroxylammonium-aluminates were characterized by vibrational spectroscopy and their thermal decomposition studied by DSC and TG analysis.

     

Effect of acetate and EDTA ligands on Hydrolysis of the Iron(III) Ion in sodium chloride medium

The hydrolysis of the iron(III) ion in sodium chloride medium without organic ligands and in the presence of acetate and EDTA ligands was studied by emf method, at 25°C. The data indicate the effect of the organic ligands. In the presence of acetate ion the beginning of hydrolysis of the iron(III) ion is slightly shifted toward lower pH values, while in the presence of EDTA, as a strong complex forming ligand, the beginning of hydrolysis is shifted toward higher pH values for 2.5 pH units.     

Investigation of solid phase upon γ-irradiation of ferrihydrite-ethanol suspension

Ferrihydrite (FH) nanoparticles were synthesised and subjected to γ-irradiation in the form of FH-ethanol suspension. The dose rate of γ-radiation was ～16 kGy/h and the samples were irradiated to doses of up to 2590 kGy. γ-irradiation of FH-ethanol suspensions did not cause the transformation of FH to any of the other iron oxide phases. Likewise, neither the Mössbauer and FT-IR spectroscopy nor the quantitative analysis using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy gave any evidence of structural changes of FH upon γ-irradiation. C, H analysis showed that the C concentration in FH gradually increased with dose and was higher in γ-irradiated FH samples than in non-irradiated FH sample. This finding suggested that carbon in FH originated from ethanol degradation. The H concentration in FH gradually increased to the dose of up to 340 kGy and then slightly decreased. Magnetic measurements showed a progressive decrease in magnetisation with an increase in γ-irradiation. The results of magnetic measurements and C, H analysis suggested the carbonisation of FH surface. It was supposed that γ-irradiation of FH-ethanol suspension reductively decomposed ethanol thus generating unsaturated hydrocarbons and acetylides, which in turn formed a conjugate iron complex, thus carbonating the FH surface. The carbonisation of the FH surface prevented FH transformation to other iron oxide phases.