Are diamond nanoparticles cytotoxic?

Finely divided carbon particles, including charcoal, lampblack, and diamond particles, have been used for ornamental and official tattoos since ancient times. With the recent development in nanoscience and nanotechnology, carbon-based nanomaterials (e.g., fullerenes, nanotubes, nanodiamonds) attract a great deal of interest. Owing to their low chemical reactivity and unique physical properties, nanodiamonds could be useful in a variety of biological applications such as carriers for drugs, genes, or proteins; novel imaging techniques; coatings for implantable materials; and biosensors and biomedical nanorobots. Therefore, it is essential to ascertain the possible hazards of nanodiamonds to humans and other biological systems. We have, for the first time, assessed the cytotoxicity of nanodiamonds ranging in size from 2 to 10 nm. Assays of cell viability such as mitochondrial function (MTT) and luminescent ATP production showed that nanodiamonds were not toxic to a variety of cell types. Furthermore, nanodiamonds did not produce significant reactive oxygen species. Cells can grow on nanodiamond-coated substrates without morphological changes compared to controls. These results suggest that nanodiamonds could be ideal for many biological applications in a diverse range of cell types.     

Ni(0)-promoted hydroxycarboxylation of 1,2-dienes by reaction with CO2 and O2

[structure: see text]. A novel method for the preparation of hydroxy carboxylic acid derivatives has been developed by O2-oxidation of pi-allylnickel intermediates generated by Ni(0)-mediated coupling of 1,2-dienes with CO2.     

Characteristics of coherent transverse optical phonon in CuI thin films on Au nano-films

We have investigated the coherent phonon in CuI thin films deposited on Au films with nanoscale roughness. It is found that the coherent transverse optical (TO) phonon in the CuI thin film on the Au film is dramatically enhanced, whereas that in the CuI thin film without the Au film is hardly observed. The enhancement of the coherent TO phonon in the CuI thin film on the Au film will originate from the surface enhanced electric field around the surface of the Au film with nanoscale roughness. To clarify the properties of the enhanced coherent phonon, we have investigated the pump-power dependence and pump-polarization dependence of the coherent phonon. We discuss the generation process of the coherent phonon in the CuI thin film on the Au film as compared with the pump-power dependence and the pump-polarization dependence.     

Some remarks on Euclidean tight designs

In this paper we present a new 4-dimensional tight Euclidean 5-design on 3 concentric spheres, together with a list of all known tight Euclidean designs which has been updated since the last survey paper by Bannai and Bannai (2009) [6]. We also examine whether each of all known tight Euclidean designs has the structure of a coherent configuration.     

Boundary operators in the one-matrix model

The one matrix model is known to reproduce in the continuum limit the (2,2p+1)$(2,2p+1)$ minimal Liouville gravity. Recently, two of the authors have shown how to construct arbitrary critical boundary conditions within this matrix model. So far, between two such boundary conditions only one boundary operator was constructed. In this Letter, we explain how to construct all the set of boundary operators that can be inserted. As a consistency check, we reproduce the corresponding Liouville boundary 2pt function from the matrix model correlator. In addition, we remark a connection between a matrix model relation and the boundary ground ring operator insertion in the continuum theory.     

Discovery of deep and shallow trap states from step structures of rutile TiO2 vicinal surfaces by second harmonic and sum frequency generation spectroscopy

In this report, local electronic structures of steps and terraces on rutile TiO(2) single crystal faces were studied by second harmonic and sum frequency generation (SHG∕SFG) spectroscopy. We attained selective measurement of the local electronic states of the step bunches formed on the vicinal (17 18 1) and (15 13 0) surfaces using a recently developed step-selective probing technique. The electronic structures of the flat (110)-(1×1) (the terrace face of the vicinal surfaces) and (011)-(2×1) surfaces were also discussed. The SHG∕SFG spectra showed that step structures are mainly responsible for the formation of trap states, since significant resonances from the trap states were observed only from the vicinal surfaces. We detected deep hole trap (DHT) states and shallow electron trap (SET) states selectively from the step bunches on the vicinal surfaces. Detailed analysis of the SHG∕SFG spectra showed that the DHT and SET states are more likely to be induced at the top edges of the step bunches than on their hillsides. Unlike the SET states, the DHT states were observed only at the step bunches parallel to [1?1?1] [equivalent to the step bunches formed on the (17 18 1) surface]. Photocatalytic activity for each TiO(2) sample was also measured through methylene blue photodegradation reactions and was found to follow the sequence: (110) < (17 18 1) < (15 13 0) < (011), indicating that steps along [0?0?1] are more reactive than steps along [1?1?1]. This result implies that the presence of the DHT states observed from the step bunches parallel to [1?1?1] did not effectively contribute to the methylene blue photodegradation reactions.     

Reversible solid-state structural conversion between a three-dimensional network and a one-dimensional chain of Cu(II) triazole coordination polymers in acidic/basic-suspensions or vapors

New Cu(II) triazole coordination polymers with a 3D network were synthesized and reversible structural conversion between a 3D network and a 1D chain with color change was realized by pH controlled acidic and basic-suspensions or vapors. For each conversion process of decreasing and increasing pH, conversion was accomplished with high yield, in which the crystal before conversion played the role of a solid-state crystal template.     

The spectrum of additive BIB designs

In this article, the existence of additive BIB designs is discussed with direct and recursive constructions, together with investigation of a property of resolvability. Such designs can be used to construct infinite families of BIB designs. In particular, we obtain a series of B(sⁿ, ts^m, λt (ts^m ? 1) (s^n‐m ? 1)/[2(s^m ? 1)]) for any positive integer λ, such that sⁿ (sⁿ ? 1) λ ≡ 0 (mod s^m (s^m ? 1) and for any positive integer t with 2 ≤ t ≤ s^n‐m, where s is an odd prime power. Connections between additive BIB designs and other combinatorial objects such as multiply nested designs and perpendicular arrays are discussed. A construction of resolvable BIB designs with v = 4k is also proposed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 15: 235–254, 2007     

Eisenstein series and zeta functions on symplectic groups

Oblatum 22-III-1994 & 6-VI-1994