High-Pressure Synthesis of β-IrB and Determination of the Compressibility of Various Iridium Borides.

A new iridium boride, β-IrB, was synthesized under high-pressure/high-temperature conditions of 10.5 GPa and 1500 °C in a multianvil press with a Walker-type module. The new modification β-IrB crystallizes in a new structure type in the orthorhombic space group Pnma (no.

Dual function of EDTA with silver nanoparticles for root canal treatment-A novel modification.

The chelating and antimicrobial capacity of a novel modification of 17% EDTA with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) (EDTA-AgNPs) was evaluated in-vitro for root canal treatment (RCT). The EDTA-AgNPs solution was characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, ζ-potential and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Antimicrobial capacity was evaluated against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus in planktonic and biofilm cells by broth macrodilution (24 h) and XTT assays, (1, 10 and 30 min) respectively.

Arsenic contamination in irrigation water, agricultural soil and maize crop from an abandoned smelter site in Matehuala, Mexico.

Mobility of Arsenic (As) from metallurgical wastes in Matehuala, Mexico has been accounted for ultra-high concentration of As in water (4.8-158mg/L) that is used for recreational purposes as well as cultivation of maize. In this study, we (i) measured As concentrations in soils irrigated with this water, (ii) investigated the geochemical controls of available As, and (iii) measured bioaccumulation of As in maize.

Nanoscale influence on photoluminescence and third order nonlinear susceptibility exhibited by ion-implanted Pt nanoparticles in silica.

A systematic study has been carried out to investigate photoluminescence and third order nonlinear ultraviolet properties exhibited by platinum nanoparticles nucleated in a high-purity silica matrix. The modification in the characteristic photoluminescence spectra of the nanocomposites, ranging between 400 and 600 nm, was obtained with the assistance of a thermal annealing process that changed the average size of the platinum nanoparticles. The influence of temperature, between 200 °C-1100 °C, during the thermal treatment of the nanostructures was analyzed.

Ultrastructural analysis of Candida albicans when exposed to silver nanoparticles.

Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen in humans, and recently some studies have reported the antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against some Candida species. However, ultrastructural analyses on the interaction of AgNPs with these microorganisms have not been reported. In this work we evaluated the effect of AgNPs on C.