Topological Darkness: How to Design a Metamaterial for Optical Biosensing with Virtually Unlimited Sensitivity

Due to the absence of labels and fast analyses, optical biosensors promise major advances in biomedical diagnostics, security, environmental and food safety applications. However, sensitivity of the most advanced plasmonic biosensor implementations has a fundamental limitation caused by losses in the system and or geometry of biochips. Here, we report a scissor effect in topologically dark metamaterials which is capable of providing virtually unlimited bona fide sensitivity to biosensing thus solving the bottleneck sensitivity limitation problem. We explain how the scissor effect can be realized via a proper design of topologically dark metamaterials and describe strategies for their fabrication. To validate the applicability of this effect in biosensing, we demonstrate the detection of folic acid (vitamin important for human health) in the wide 3-log linear dynamic range with the limit of detection of 0.125 nM, which is orders of magnitude better than previously reported for all optical counterparts. Our work opens possibilities for designing and realising plasmonic, semiconductor and dielectric metamaterials with ultra-sensitivity to binding events.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figure

Plants with genetically encoded autoluminescence

Autoluminescent plants engineered to express a bacterial bioluminescence gene cluster in plastids have not been widely adopted because of low light output. We engineered tobacco plants with a fungal bioluminescence system that converts caffeic acid (present in all plants) into luciferin and report self-sustained luminescence that is visible to the naked eye. Our findings could underpin development of a suite of imaging tools for plants

Отдаленные результаты хирургического лечения тромбоэмболии легочной артерии (ТЭЛА) методом баллонной ангиопластики (БАП) в сочетании с тромболитической терапией

Introduction. Pulmonary Arterial Thromboembolism (PATE), which is characterised by low prognosis probability and potentially high danger, ranks third in the mortality structure of cardiovascular diseases. The primary method for treating PATE is recanalisation of the pulmonary arteries affected by embolism. Although the destruction of thromboemboli with thrombolytic drugs has proven effective, the right ventricular failure progresses faster in a majority of patients with massive pulmonary embolism. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the long-term results of surgical treatment of PATE by balloon angioplasty in combination with thrombolytic therapy in comparison with isolated systemic thrombolysis.Materials and methods. The treatment of 80 patients with pulmonary embolism was analysed. Depending on the selected treatment approaches, the patients were divided into 2 groups as follows: group 1 — 39 patients, conducted by the BAP LA, in combination with thrombolysis; group 2 — 41 patients who underwent conservative treatment (thrombolysis and subsequent anticoagulation therapy).Results. Despite the small sample and short period of observation, we may note the significantly better results of treatment in group 1 of the study. Positive dynamics of ECG indicators — in particular, pulmonary hypertension, RV KDR, functional class of heart failure NYHA as well as the reduction of right ventricular overload according to the ECG — indicates that the BAP LA method for the surgical treatment of pulmonary embolism, in combination with thrombolytic therapy, is effective and safe.Conclusions. Balloon angioplasty of pulmonary arteries in combination with thrombolytic therapy can significantly reduce the degree of pulmonary hypertension (рχ2 = 0.034), as well as helping to normalise the size of the right ventricle (рχ2 < 0.001) and improvement in functional class of heart failure NYHA (рχ2 = 0.026) in patients with pulmonary embolism compared with patients with isolated thrombolytic therapy.Введение. ТЭЛА характеризуется низкой вероятностью прогноза и потенциально высокой опасностью, занимает третье место в структуре смертности от сердечно-сосудистых заболеваний. Основным методом лечения ТЭЛА является реканализация пораженных эмболией легочных артерий. Несмотря на доказанную эффективность разрушения тромбоэмболов тромболитическими препаратами, у значительной части пациентов с массивной легочной эмболией правожелудочковая недостаточность прогрессирует быстрее. Настоящее исследование посвящено оценке отдаленных результатов хирургического лечения ТЭЛА методом баллонной ангиопластики в сочетании с тромболитической терапией в сравнении с изолированным системным тромболизисом.Материалы и методы. Проведен анализ отдаленных результатов лечения у 80 пациентов с ТЭЛА высокого и промежуточно-высокого риска с 2015 по 2018 г. Пациенты разделены на 2 группы в зависимости от выбранной тактики лечения: 1 группа — 39 пациентов, которым было проведено БАП легочной артерии в сочетании с тромболизисом, 2 группа — 41 пациент, которым проводилось консервативное лечение (тромболизис с последующей антикоагулянтной терапией).Результаты. Несмотря на малую выборку и небольшой срок наблюдения, можно говорить о получении достоверно лучших результатов лечения в 1 группе исследования. Положительная динамика ЭхоКГ показателей, в частности легочной гипертензии, КДР ПЖ, функционального класса сердечной недостаточности по NYHA, а также уменьшение перегрузки правых отделов сердца по данным ЭКГ, указывает на то, что метод хирургического лечения ТЭЛА — БАП ЛА в сочетании с тромболитической терапией — является эффективным и безопасным.Заключение. Баллонная ангиопластика легочных артерий в сочетании с тромболитической терапией является безопасным и эффективным методом лечения пациентов с ТЭЛА, позволяющим значительно снизить степень легочной гипертензии (рχ2 = 0,027), ускорить ремоделирование правого желудочка (рχ2 < 0,001) и улучшить функциональный класс сердечной недостаточности по NYHA (рχ2 = 0,026) по сравнению с группой пациентов с изолированной тромболитической терапией

Resources to matrix control of mental activity in information environments

The analysis of information resources to influence mass consciousness and personality behavior is rather topical in social sciences as media tends to control the public sphere for political purposes. This article aims to research resources to control mental activity that is connected with framing communication techniques analysis, particularly identifying matrix techniques to manipulate the subject’s cognitive orientation in the communication field. It has been emphasized that orientation in the network social sphere is realized in hierarchically organized information.El análisis de los recursos de información para influir en la conciencia de masas y el comportamiento de la personalidad es bastante tópico en las ciencias sociales, ya que los medios tienden a controlar la esfera pública con fines políticos. Este artículo tiene como objetivo investigar recursos para controlar la actividad mental que están conectados con el análisis de las técnicas de comunicación enmarcada, en particular identificando las técnicas de matriz para manipular la orientación cognitiva del sujeto en el campo de la comunicación. Se ha enfatizado que la orientación en la esfera social de la red se realiza en información organizada jerárquicamente

Fourier nanotransducers for phase-sensitive plasmonic biosensing

International audienceWe present phase-responding Fourier nanotransducers based on plasmonic metamaterials for ultrasensitive control of dynamic characteristics of 2D materials and functional biosensing interfaces. These nanotransducers are designed in such a way that they can confine light in 2D plane contacting with a probed ultrathin sample, gathering information about its properties, and then transmitting the information into discrete optical beams with amplified phase relations. To demonstrate their potential of Fourier transducers in biosensing, we designed Fourier nanotransducers based on periodic gold nanostructures and applied it in a newly developed protocol for the detection of important antibiotic chloramphenicol (CAP). Such biosensing tests showed the lower detection limit at fg mL −1 level, which several orders of magnitude better than reported in the literature. The implementation of Fourier nanotransducers opens new opportunities for a radical improvement of current state-of-the art plasmonic biosensing technology

Phase-Responsive Fourier Nanotransducers for Probing 2D Materials and Functional Interfaces

International audienc

Topological Darkness: How to Design a Metamaterial for Optical Biosensing with Ultrahigh Sensitivity

Due to the absence of labels and fast analyses, optical biosensors promise major advances in biomedical diagnostics, security, environmental, and food safety applications. However, the sensitivity of the most advanced plasmonic biosensor implementations has a fundamental limitation caused by losses in the system and/or geometry of biochips. Here, we report a “scissor effect” in topologically dark metamaterials which is capable of providing ultrahigh-amplitude sensitivity to biosensing events, thus solving the bottleneck sensitivity limitation problem. We explain how the “scissor effect” can be realized via the proper design of topologically dark metamaterials and describe strategies for their fabrication. To validate the applicability of this effect in biosensing, we demonstrate the detection of folic acid (vitamin important for human health) in a wide 3-log linear dynamic range with a limit of detection of 0.22 nM, which is orders of magnitude better than those previously reported for all optical counterparts. Our work provides possibilities for designing and realizing plasmonic, semiconductor, and dielectric metamaterials with ultrasensitivity to binding events

Long-Term Results of Surgical Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism (PE) by Balloon Angioplasty (BAP) in Combination with Thrombolytic Therapy

Introduction. Pulmonary Arterial Thromboembolism (PATE), which is characterised by low prognosis probability and potentially high danger, ranks third in the mortality structure of cardiovascular diseases. The primary method for treating PATE is recanalisation of the pulmonary arteries affected by embolism. Although the destruction of thromboemboli with thrombolytic drugs has proven effective, the right ventricular failure progresses faster in a majority of patients with massive pulmonary embolism. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the long-term results of surgical treatment of PATE by balloon angioplasty in combination with thrombolytic therapy in comparison with isolated systemic thrombolysis.Materials and methods. The treatment of 80 patients with pulmonary embolism was analysed. Depending on the selected treatment approaches, the patients were divided into 2 groups as follows: group 1 — 39 patients, conducted by the BAP LA, in combination with thrombolysis; group 2 — 41 patients who underwent conservative treatment (thrombolysis and subsequent anticoagulation therapy).Results. Despite the small sample and short period of observation, we may note the significantly better results of treatment in group 1 of the study. Positive dynamics of ECG indicators — in particular, pulmonary hypertension, RV KDR, functional class of heart failure NYHA as well as the reduction of right ventricular overload according to the ECG — indicates that the BAP LA method for the surgical treatment of pulmonary embolism, in combination with thrombolytic therapy, is effective and safe.Conclusions. Balloon angioplasty of pulmonary arteries in combination with thrombolytic therapy can significantly reduce the degree of pulmonary hypertension (рχ2 = 0.034), as well as helping to normalise the size of the right ventricle (рχ2 < 0.001) and improvement in functional class of heart failure NYHA (рχ2 = 0.026) in patients with pulmonary embolism compared with patients with isolated thrombolytic therapy

Two-Step Targeted Drug Delivery via Proteinaceous Barnase-Barstar Interface and Doxorubicin-Loaded Nano-PLGA Outperforms One-Step Strategy for Targeted Delivery to HER2-Overexpressing Cells

Nanoparticle-based chemotherapy is considered to be an effective approach to cancer diagnostics and therapy in modern biomedicine. However, efficient tumor targeting remains a great challenge due to the lack of specificity, selectivity, and high dosage of chemotherapeutic drugs required. A two-step targeted drug delivery strategy (DDS), involving cancer cell pre-targeting, first with a first nontoxic module and subsequent targeting with a second complementary toxic module, is a solution for decreasing doses for administration and lowering systemic toxicity. To prove two-step DDS efficiency, we performed a direct comparison of one-step and two-step DDS based on chemotherapy loaded PLGA nanoparticles and barnase*barstar interface. Namely, we developed and thoroughly characterized the two-step targeting strategy of HER2-overexpressing cancer cells. The first targeting block consists of anti-HER2 scaffold polypeptide DARPin9_29 fused with barstar. Barstar exhibits an extremely effective binding to ribonuclease barnase with Kaff = 1014 M−1, thus making the barnase*barstar protein pair one of the strongest known protein*protein complexes. A therapeutic PLGA-based nanocarrier coupled to barnase was used as a second targeting block. The PLGA nanoparticles were loaded with diagnostic dye, Nile Blue, and a chemotherapeutic drug, doxorubicin. We showed that the two-step DDS increases the performance of chemotherapy-loaded nanocarriers: IC50 of doxorubicin delivered via two-step DDS was more than 100 times lower than that for one-step DDS: IC50 = 43 ± 3 nM for two-step DDS vs. IC50 = 4972 ± 1965 nM for one-step DDS. The obtained results demonstrate the significant efficiency of two-step DDS over the classical one-step one. We believe that the obtained data will significantly change the direction of research in developing targeted anti-cancer drugs and promote the creation of new generation cancer treatment strategies