Resonant plasmonic nanoparticles for multicolor second harmonic imaging

Nanoparticles capable of efficiently generating nonlinear optical signals, like second harmonic generation, are attracting a lot of attention as potential background-free and stable nano-probes for biological imaging. However, second harmonic nanoparticles of different species do not produce readily distinguishable optical signals, as the excitation laser mainly defines their second harmonic spectrum. This is in marked contrast to other fluorescent nano-probes like quantum dots that emit light at different colors depending on their sizes and materials. Here, we present the use of resonant plasmonic nanoparticles, combined with broadband phase-controlled laser pulses, as tunable sources of multicolor second harmonic generation. The resonant plasmonic nanoparticles strongly interact with the electromagnetic field of the incident light, enhancing the efficiency of nonlinear optical processes. Because the plasmon resonance in these structures is spectrally narrower than the laser bandwidth, the plasmonic nanoparticles imprint their fingerprints on the second harmonic spectrum. We show how nanoparticles of different sizes produce different colors in the second harmonic spectra even when excited with the same laser pulse. Using these resonant plasmonic nanoparticles as nano-probes is promising for multicolor second harmonic imaging while keeping all the advantages of nonlinear optical microscopy.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Patient Satisfaction as a Reflection of Quality Health Care and Outcomes

Background: In 2006 the Centers of Medicaid and Medicare Services mandated that acute care centers begin submitting HCAHPS survey data for financial reimbursement for Medicare patients. The national shift to a patient centered focus and the financial incentive to improve patient satisfaction scores has stimulated debate regarding the relationship between patient satisfaction and quality healthcare. Clinical Question: Does improvement in patient satisfaction with their healthcare and its providers, as measured by the HCAHPS survey, improve healthcare quality and outcomes? Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Searches were performed using PubMed and Scopus databases.The terms used for the PubMed search were “patient satisfaction” and “HCAHPS” with filters for full text, last 10 years and English. The terms for the Scopus search were “quality”, “patient satisfaction” and “care” with filters for English, from 2010 and “Limit Exact Keyword ‘patient satisfaction’.” Results: The PubMed search found two articles: Jha et al., and Kennedy et. al. Another study was located in PubMed using “frequently viewed together” hyperlink: Fenton, et al. The Scopus database search located an additional two articles: Lyu et a.l, and Tsai et al. Conclusions: The relationship between patient satisfaction and healthcare quality remains elusive. Within this review, two articles showed a positive association, one showed a negative association and two that supported the null hypothesis. Limitations to the HCAHPS survey and various quality assessment tools prevent the adequate assessment regarding the association between patient satisfaction and healthcare quality. Further refinement of the HCAHPS and quality assessment tools are required to help determine a more concrete relationship

Polarization control of metal-enhanced fluorescence in hybrid assemblies of photosynthetic complexes and gold nanorods

Fluorescence imaging of hybrid nanostructures composed of a bacterial light-harvesting complex LH2 and Au nanorods with controlled coupling strength is employed to study the spectral dependence of the plasmon-induced fluorescence enhancement. Perfect matching of the plasmon resonances in the nanorods with the absorption bands of the LH2 complexes facilitates a direct comparison of the enhancement factors for longitudinal and transverse plasmon frequencies of the nanorods. We find that the fluorescence enhancement due to excitation of longitudinal resonance can be up to five-fold stronger than for the transverse one. We attribute this result, which is important for designing plasmonic functional systems, to a very different distribution of the enhancement of the electric field due to the excitation of the two characteristic plasmon modes in nanorods

A redescription of Planctoteuthis levimana (Lönnberg, 1896) (Mollusca: Cephalopoda), with a brief review of the genus

We re-describe Planctoteuthis levimana (Lönnberg, 1896), a poorly known species of oegopsid squid in the Chiroteuthidae, based on two specimens taken from near the type locality. We also designate a neotype for P. levimana. We demonstrate that P. levimana is a valid taxon through brief comparisons with other members of the genus, and we assess the importance of the funnel locking-apparatus as a species-level character in Planctoteuthis