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.     

Threshold electron impact excitation of Cl2

A high resolution electron impact threshold spectroscopy technique was used to examine the excitation of Cl₂ in the 2–14 eV region. This study complements previous photon absorption and emission measurements, because it is capable of detecting transitions which are optically forbidden. In the region up to 7.5 eV, broad dissociative structures are correlated with optically active valence states, although relative intensities in the threshold spectrum differ considerably and indicate a substantial contribution from the optically forbidden transitions. At 7.46 eV a series of 5 equidistant sharp peaks is detected and interpreted as arising from the² π _g Feshbach resonance, which differs from the ground state positive ion Cl ₂ ⁺ by a pair of Rydberg electrons: (4sσ)². The decay channels responsible for the appearance of the resonance in a threshold spectrum are discussed and it is suggested that they include several valence states of the (2431) and (2341) configurations, whose potential energy curves cross the Cl ₂ ^? ,²π_g curve in the region of energy at which the resonance state is formed. At higher incident electron energies and up to ionisation, Rydberg states predominate, starting with (2430) 4s^3,1 π _g states detected for the first time. The absence of broad peaks above 8 eV and the irregular appearance of Rydberg bands is consistent with the strong Rydberg-valence configuration mixing proposed by Peyerimhoff and Buenker. Where our resolution permits comparison, good general agreement is found with recent synchrotron radiation absorption measurements of optically allowed transitions.     

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.     

Some relations between additive functions,II

Aequationes mathematicae -     

Electron impact induced Balmer line emission from some aliphatic hydrocarbons

Absolute Balmer line emission cross sections are determined. The Balmer emission is obtained by dissociative electron excitation in propane, propylene and n-butane. The optical excitation functions measured for these lines are investigated in the medium energy range of 50–700 eV and normalized by a He bench-mark procedure. The measured data are corrected by an apparatus collection efficiency factor F to compensate for the loss of optical signal due to non-thermal energies of H-excited molecular fragments. The obtained results are determined with an accuracy of ± 15%. The absolute Balmer line cross sections are analysed according to the Bethe theory to get some information on primary excited parent molecular states. The power-law dependence for Balmer series has been determined.     

Some relations between additive functions-I

Aequationes mathematicae -