Conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy using a CAMAC data acquisition system (KODAQ)

For simple depth selective conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) by using a He+CH₄ proportional counter, a flexible and versatile CAMAC data acquisition system (KODAQ) which works on a popular Japanese personal computer PC9801VX (NEC) was applied. It is demonstrated that CEM spectra of the oxidized Fe thin film which is composed of Fe₃O₄, Fe_1–xO and -Fe metal are successfully obtained.     

Involvement of human small fragment nuclease in the resistance of human cells to UV-C-induced cell death

Human small fragment nuclease (Sfn) is one of the cellular proteins that were reported to degrade small, single-stranded DNA and RNA. However, the biological role of Sfn in cellular response to various stressors such as UV-C (mainly 254 nm wavelength ultraviolet ray) remains unclear. We have examined whether modulation of human SFN gene expression affects cell survival capacity against UV-C-induced cell death, analyzing colony survival ability in UV-C-sensitive human RSa cells treated with short double-stranded RNA (siRNA) specific for SFN messenger RNA (mRNA). The expression levels of SFN mRNA in the siRNA-treated RSa cells decreased to about 15% compared with those in the control siRNA-treated cells. The siRNA-treated RSa cells showed lower colony survival and higher activity of caspase-3 after UV-C irradiation than the control siRNA-treated RSa cells. Furthermore, the removal capacity of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) in the siRNA-treated RSa cells decreased compared with the control siRNA-treated RSa cells. There was no difference in the colony survival and CPD removal capacity after UV-C irradiation between the control siRNA-treated RSa cells and mock-treated RSa cells. These results suggest that SFN expression is involved in resistance of RSa cells to UV-C-induced cell death through the roles it plays in the DNA repair process.     

Mathematical modelling of surface vibration with volume constraint and its analysis

A hyperbolic problem with volume constraint is investigated by means of a minimizing method called the discrete Morse flow. A weak solution is introduced in a constructive way and results of numerical computations are shown.     

Determination of gap symmetry from angle-dependent H(c2) measurements on CeCu₂Si₂

The tetragonal heavy-fermion compound CeCu?Si? exhibits a superconducting ground state (S type, T(c) = 0.67 K) close to a magnetic instability. Here, we present angle-resolved resistivity measurements of the upper critical field H(c2). In-plane rotation of S-type CeCu?Si? single crystals reveals a fourfold oscillation of H(c2). An extended weak-coupling BCS model for a d-wave symmetry including strong Pauli-limiting effects confirms the aforementioned angular dependence and points towards d(xy) symmetry of the order parameter.     

Anelastic relaxation of Pr1/2Ca1/2MnO3 at low and medium frequencies in the 350–500 K range

In previous works (Jornadas SAM 2000; J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 226–230 (2001) 988) the low-frequency anelastic effects of two manganite perovskites of La_2/3Sr_1/3MnO₃ and La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ were studied at 1 Hz and temperatures above those of the metal–insulator transition. An important internal friction peak (P1) appears at 414 and 419 K, respectively, with a modulus variation and no appreciable contribution to electrical resistivity. Another compound Pr_1/2Ca_1/2MnO₃ of the same family has been studied by anelastic mechanical spectroscopy in order to add new data which could elucidate the (P1) peak mechanism. The measurements were made in a sub-resonant forced pendulum (0.1–20 Hz) and in a vibrating reed equipment (kHz range). A stable (P1) peak has been detected at 410 K (1 Hz), with a corresponding modulus step. The appearance of this relaxation peak in the Pr_1/2Ca_1/2MnO₃ compound, and its high activation energy value, similar to the other compounds measured, indicates that the microscopic origin of this relaxation does not correspond to an oxygen jump (characteristic activation energy0.8–0.9 eV).     

Convergence of the Approximation Scheme to American Option Pricing via the Discrete Morse Semiflow

We consider the approximation scheme to the American call option via the discrete Morse semiflow, which is a minimizing scheme of a time semi-discretized variational functional. In this paper we obtain a rate of convergence of approximate solutions and the convergence of approximate free boundaries. We mainly apply the theory of variational inequalities and that of viscosity solutions to prove our results.     

UV luminescent organic-capped ZnO quantum dots synthesized by alkoxide hydrolysis with dilute water

A novel synthesis route to organic-capped and colloidal ZnO quantum dots (QDs) has been developed. Specifically, zinc-di-t-butoxide and zinc-di-n-butoxide are hydrolyzed by very dilute water (400-600 mass ppm) in hydrophilic benzylamine and polymerized to ZnO by dehydration and/or a butanol elimination reaction. Growth of the ZnO QDs and exchange of the surface capping ligand from the hydroxyl groups and/or benzylamine to the oleylamine occur by heating the colloidal solution after addition of the oleylamine at 100-180°C. The final ZnO QDs with diameters in the range of 3-7 nm are highly dispersible in various organic solvents. The ZnO QDs exhibit the quantum size effect upon UV emission; it was controlled between 3.39 and 3.54 eV in the present study. The defect-related Vis emission decreased and the UV emission becomes dominant when zinc-di-n-butoxide with a 99.99% zinc purity is used as the starting material. The intensity of the photoluminescence UV emission is 1.5 times higher than that of the Vis emission.     

Permeability to oxygen of poly(methyl methacrylate) films containing silane-treated glass flakes

Permeability to oxygen of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films containing glass flakes (GF) was investigated. The glass flakes were treated with five kinds of silanes and K₂Cr₂O₇-H₂SO₄ solution to improve the affinity with PMMA. The permeability curves were classified into five representative types, which depend on the pretreatment of the glass flakes and the type of silane used as a coupling agent. The factors which influence permeability were studied from the point of view of permeative retardation with the aid of several methods, such as determination of the apparent density of the glass flakes treated with the silanes, the shearing and tensile strength of the PMMA films containing the glass flakes, ESR spectra of films irradiated by γ-rays, and x-ray diffraction patterns of the films. It was found that the three very effective methods to retard the permeability are (a) pretreatment of the glass flakes with NaOH, (b) treatment with γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane or ditrimethylsiloxymethylsilane, and (c) heat pressing of the films. The lowest permeability constant which was attained in this study was about one-eighth that with PMMA alone.