Polarization-dependent fluorescence from an anisotropic gold/polymer hybrid nano-emitter

Based on nanoscale photopolymerization triggered by the dipolar surface plasmon mode, we developed a light-emitting gold nanoparticle/Eosin Y-doped polymer hybrid nanostructure. Due to the anisotropic spatial distribution of the dipolar surface plasmon mode during photopolymerization, this nano-emitter is anisotropic in both geometry and emission. The trapped dye molecules in the hybrid nanostructure display fluorescence intensity that is dependent upon the polarization of the incident excitation light. This nano-emitter further allows the photo-selection of fluorescence configuration (i.e., molecule concentration and refractive index of active medium) by controlling the incident polarization. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC

Control Performance Verification – The Hidden Opportunity of Ensuring High Performance of Building Control System

Advances in building control have shown significant potential for improving building energy performance and decarbonization. One of the challenges to realizing those savings is the correct implementation of such advanced control strategies and regularly verifying their actual operational performance. Currently, the verification is often manually conducted, which is time-consuming, adhoc, and error-prone. To address this challenge, we introduced an automated control verification framework, aiming to create automatic verification of control performance in buildings. This framework integrates interpretations of the control requirements from recent energy codes and knowledge of conducting control verification into a knowledge base. The verification is based on time series data and thus is applicable for both trended data from a building automation system and simulation results of building energy simulations. This paper discusses the new version of the control performance verification framework, the expansion of the verification library, and the newly developed key performance indicators (KPIs) for control verification. It also provides an evaluation of the tool using both simulation and real building operation data and also an end-to-end demonstration case from importing a data set equipped with a semantic model, automatically instantiating control verification cases, and then conducting the verification and reporting the result

Near-Field and Far-Field Sensitivities of LSPR Sensors

International audienceThe present study compares the near-field and far-field sensitivities of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensors. To put into evidence the difference between far-field and near-field sensors, optical extinction measurements have been performed on gold nanoparticle gratings coated with dielectric superstrates of varying thicknesses. The potential of LSPR sensors is usually considered to lie in the near-field regime. Therefore, a comparison of the near-field sensitivities for gold nanoparticle gratings and continuous gold films of 50 nm in thickness is provided. The difference in refractive index sensitivities of both sensors is discussed in relation with the decay length of the evanescent near-field. SPRs sensors are usually considered more sensitive than LSPRs in terms of the m factor, refractive index sensitivity. We argue that the m factor sensitivity can only be defined for thick (15--100 nm) superstrates; for thin superstrates (d < 15 nm), the decay length of the evanescent field must be taken into account to properly compare both sensors

Somatic <i>PIK3CA</i> Mutations in Sporadic Cerebral Cavernous Malformations.

BackgroundCerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are common sporadic and inherited vascular malformations of the central nervous system. Although familial CCMs are linked to loss-of-function mutations in KRIT1 (CCM1), CCM2, or PDCD10 (CCM3), the genetic cause of sporadic CCMs, representing 80% of cases, remains incompletely understood.MethodsWe developed two mouse models harboring mutations identified in human meningiomas with the use of the prostaglandin D2 synthase (PGDS) promoter. We performed targeted DNA sequencing of surgically resected CCMs from patients and confirmed our findings by droplet digital polymerase-chain-reaction analysis.ResultsWe found that in mice expressing one of two common genetic drivers of meningioma - Pik3ca H1047R or AKT1 E17K - in PGDS-positive cells, a spectrum of typical CCMs develops (in 22% and 11% of the mice, respectively) instead of meningiomas, which prompted us to analyze tissue samples from sporadic CCMs from 88 patients. We detected somatic activating PIK3CA and AKT1 mutations in 39% and 1%, respectively, of lesion tissue from the patients. Only 10% of lesions harbored mutations in the CCM genes. We analyzed lesions induced by the activating mutations Pik3ca H1074R and AKT1 E17K in mice and identified the PGDS-expressing pericyte as the probable cell of origin.ConclusionsIn tissue samples from sporadic CCMs, mutations in PIK3CA were represented to a greater extent than mutations in any other gene. The contribution of somatic mutations in the genes that cause familial CCMs was comparatively small. (Funded by the Fondation ARC pour la Recherche contre le Cancer and others.)

The role of HLA-G 14-bp polymorphism in allo-HSCT after short-term course MTX for GvHD prophylaxis.

HLA-G molecules are HLA class Ib antigens characterized by tolerogenic and immunoinhibitory functions. The HLA-G 14-bp insertion/deletion (ins/del) polymorphism controls protein expression and seems to be implicated in both MTX treatment response and SCT outcome. The aim of our study is to evaluate the role of HLA-G 14\u2009bp polymorphism in subjects affected by hematological malignancies undergoing allo-SCT and receiving MTX therapy for GvHD prophylaxis. We performed a retrospective analysis of HLA-G 14\u2009bp polymorphism using a specific PCR in 47 recipients and in their respective donors, and evaluated the correlation with the incidence of aGvHD, OS and disease-free survival (DFS) after allo-SCT. We did not observe any correlation between this polymorphism and the risk of aGvHD occurrence. On the contrary, we found that the recipients with a 14\u2009bp ins/14\u2009bp ins genotype were characterized by a lower OS and DFS in univariate and multivariate analysis (OS=OR: 3.235; DFS=OR: 3.302). These data indicate a role for recipient HLA-G 14\u2009bp polymorphism in allo-SCT immunotolerance status and follow-up