Absolute quantum yield measurements of fluorescent proteins using a plasmonic nanocavity

One of the key photophysical properties of fluorescent proteins that is most difficult to measure is the quantum yield. It describes how efficiently a fluorophore converts absorbed light into fluorescence. Its measurement using conventional methods become particularly problematic when it is unknown how many of the proposedly fluorescent molecules of a sample are indeed fluorescent (for example due to incomplete maturation, or the presence of photophysical dark states). Here, we use a plasmonic nanocavity-based method to measure absolute quantum yield values of commonly used fluorescent proteins. The method is calibration-free, does not require knowledge about maturation or potential dark states, and works on minute amounts of sample. The insensitivity of the nanocavity-based method to the presence of non-luminescent species allowed us to measure precisely the quantum yield of photo-switchable proteins in their on-state and to analyze the origin of the residual fluorescence of protein ensembles switched to the dark state

A framework for intelligent policy decision making based on a government data hub

Author ProofThe e-Oman Integration Platform is a data hub that enables data exchanges across government in response to transactions. With millions of transactions weekly, and thereby data exchanges, we propose to investigate the potential of gathering intelligence from these linked sources to help government officials make more informed decisions. A key feature of this data is the richness and accuracy, which increases the value of the learning outcome when augmented by other big and open data sources. We consider a high-level framework within a government context, taking into account issues related to the definition of public policies, data privacy, and the potential benefits to society. A preliminary, qualitative validation of the framework in the context of e-Oman is presented. This paper lays out foundational work into an ongoing research to implement government decision-making based on big data.“SmartEGOV: Harnessing EGOV for Smart Governance (Foundations, Methods, Tools)/NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000037”, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (EFDR

Comparing Smart Governance Projects in China : A Contextual Approach

Smart governance has been increasingly gaining momentum to deal with the challenges of fast urbanization in China. However, only limited English literature is available to enhance our understanding of Chinese smart governance. In this chapter, special emphasis is put on our transformative understanding of smart governance in China by identifying the impacts of urban context on smart governance arrangements from an urban planning perspective. As such, we concentrate on smart governance projects in different Chinese cities, foremost based on Chinese literature. We aim to investigate: (1) what smart governance means in Chinese urban planning settings, and (2) how urban context influences the smart governance projects in different Chinese cities. On the basis of an intensive review of Chinese literature on smart governance, we find that smart governance in China varies significantly. Therein, we can identify four types of smart governance in China, including: (1) constructing a pilot area, (2) improving government performance, (3) building trust in government, and (4) encouraging innovation. A comparative exploration of four Chinese projects representing these four types of smart governance shows that the urban context affects the interaction between technology and urban actors. Moreover, it shows that this interaction has a feedback effect on the urban context itself. From this we can conclude that knowledge on the urban context is vital to understand the expected outcomes of intended smart governance arrangements