Optical transition rates of a meso-substituted thiacarbocyanine in methanol-in-oil reverse miscelles

Cataloged from PDF version of article.We report the photophysical properties of 3,3′-diethyl-5,5′-dichloro-9-phenylthiacarbocyanine (DDPT) in methanol-in-oil (m/o) reverse micellar systems which form methanol droplets stabilized with anionic surfactant aerosol-OT (AOT) in n-heptane. The fluorescence quantum yield of DDPT is enhanced by a factor of 17 in the methanol droplet in comparison with bulk methanol. The fluorescence lifetimes of DDPT in m/o reverse micelles are prolonged up to 2.2 ns with increasing molar ratio of methanol to surfactant (w0=[MeOH]/[AOT]), whereas the fluorescence lifetime of DDPT in bulk methanol is 75 ps. The non-radiative rate constants of DDPT in the droplets are decreased by a factor of 40, resulting in a remarkable enhancement in quantum yields, indicating that internal motions of DDPT in the droplets are significantly reduced due to strong electrostatic interactions between the positively charged DDPT and the negatively charged sulfonate head-groups of AOT and the spatial confinement induced by the reverse micellar structure. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Concave Plasmonic Particles: Broad-Band Geometrical Tunability in the Near Infra-Red

Optical resonances spanning the Near and Short Infra-Red spectral regime were exhibited experimentally by arrays of plasmonic nano-particles with concave cross-section. The concavity of the particle was shown to be the key ingredient for enabling the broad band tunability of the resonance frequency, even for particles with dimensional aspect ratios of order unity. The atypical flexibility of setting the resonance wavelength is shown to stem from a unique interplay of local geometry with surface charge distributions

Self-similarity, small-world, scale-free scaling, disassortativity, and robustness in hierarchical lattices

In this paper, firstly, we study analytically the topological features of a family of hierarchical lattices (HLs) from the view point of complex networks. We derive some basic properties of HLs controlled by a parameter $q$. Our results show that scale-free networks are not always small-world, and support the conjecture that self-similar scale-free networks are not assortative. Secondly, we define a deterministic family of graphs called small-world hierarchical lattices (SWHLs). Our construction preserves the structure of hierarchical lattices, while the small-world phenomenon arises. Finally, the dynamical processes of intentional attacks and collective synchronization are studied and the comparisons between HLs and Barab{\'asi}-Albert (BA) networks as well as SWHLs are shown. We show that degree distribution of scale-free networks does not suffice to characterize their synchronizability, and that networks with smaller average path length are not always easier to synchronize.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figure

GCK gene mutations are a common cause of childhood-onset MODY (maturity-onset diabetes of the young) in Turkey.

Inactivating heterozygous mutations in the GCK gene are a common cause of MODY and result in mild fasting hyperglycaemia, which does not require treatment. We aimed to identify the frequency, clinical and molecular features of GCK mutations in a Turkish paediatric cohort.This article is freely available via PubMed Central, click on the Additional Link above to access the full-text

The effect of an exercise program in conjunction with short-period patellar taping on pain, electromyogram activity, and muscle strength in patellofemoral pain syndrome

Background: McConnell recommended that patellar tape be kept on all day, until patients learn how to activate their vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) during an exercise program. This application may pose problems because prolonged taping may be inadvisable for some patients or even contraindicated owing to skin discomfort, irritation, or allergic reaction. Hypothesis: Wearing patellofemoral tape for a shorter duration during an exercise program would be just as beneficial as a prolonged taping application. Study Design: Prospective cohort. Methods: Twelve patients and 16 healthy people participated. Patients underwent short-period patellar taping plus an exercise program for 3 months. Numeric pain rating, muscle strength of the knee extensors, and electromyogram activity of the vastus lateralis and VMO were evaluated. Results: There were significant differences in electromyogram activity (P=.04) and knee extensor muscle strength (P=.03) between involved and uninvolved sides before treatment. After treatment, pain scores decreased, and there were no significant differences between involved and uninvolved sides in electromyogram activity (P=.68) and knee extensor strength (P=.62). Before treatment, mean VMO activation started significantly later than that of vastus lateralis, as compared with the matched healthy control group (P=.01). After treatment, these differences were nonsignificant (P=.08). Conclusion: Short-period patellar taping plus an exercise program improves VMO and vastus lateralis activation. Clinical Relevance: A shorter period of taping for the exercise program may be as beneficial as a prolonged taping application. © 2009 The Author(s)

The impact of circulating preeclampsia-associated extracellular vesicles on the migratory activity and phenotype of THP-1 monocytic cells

Intercellular communication via extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their target cells, especially immune cells, results in functional and phenotype changes that consequently may play a significant role in various physiological states and the pathogenesis of immune-mediated disorders. Monocytes are the most prominent environment-sensing immune cells in circulation, skilled to shape their microenvironments via cytokine secretion and further differentiation. Both the circulating monocyte subset distribution and the blood plasma EV pattern are characteristic for preeclampsia, a pregnancy induced immune-mediated hypertensive disorder. We hypothesized that preeclampsia-associated EVs (PE-EVs) induced functional and phenotypic alterations of monocytes. First, we proved EV binding and uptake by THP-1 cells. Cellular origin and protein cargo of circulating PE-EVs were characterized by flow cytometry and mass spectrometry. An altered phagocytosis-associated molecular pattern was found on 12.5 K fraction of PE-EVs: an elevated CD47 "don't eat me" signal (p < 0.01) and decreased exofacial phosphatidylserine "eat-me" signal (p < 0.001) were found along with decreased uptake of these PE-EVs (p < 0.05). The 12.5 K fraction of PE-EVs induced significantly lower chemotaxis (p < 0.01) and cell motility but accelerated cell adhesion of THP-1 cells (p < 0.05). The 12.5 K fraction of PE-EVs induced altered monocyte functions suggest that circulating EVs may have a role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia

Resonances On-Demand for Plasmonic Nano-Particles

A method for designing plasmonic particles with desired resonance spectra is presented. The method is based on repetitive perturbations of an initial particle shape while calculating the eigenvalues of the various quasistatic resonances. The method is rigorously proved, assuring a solution exists for any required spectral resonance location. Resonances spanning the visible and the near-infrared regimes, as designed by our method, are verified using finite-difference time-domain simulations. A novel family of particles with collocated dipole-quadrupole resonances is designed, demonstrating the unique power of the method. Such on-demand engineering enables strict realization of nano-antennas and metamaterials for various applications requiring specific spectral functions

Editorial of Special Issue of National Identities: Alevism as an ethno-religious identity: Contested boundaries

No abstract for editorial but this is the opening paragraph: This special issue on Alevism and trans/national Alevi identity critically engages with the relationship between religion, ethnicity and national identity. The core issues are as follows: • how ethnicity and religion are conceptualised for a relatively invisible ethnic group in different national contexts; • how religion and ethnicity intersect when Alevism is both a faith and an ethnic identity, especially when conceptions of that identity are contested; • how identity is shaped through state policies within different national policy contexts and how etic definitions of minority communities are constructed by the state or other agencies with the power to impose them on the community in contrast to the emic or self-definitions of Aleviness from within the Alevi community; • how despite the fragmented, heterogeneous nature of Alevi communities, there is also a sense of a single, transnational imaginary community, at least for the purposes of political assimilation/integration and activism; • how education and other arenas of political, religious and cultural engagement at local, national and transnational levels create the possibilities, both positively and negatively, for future action/policy to situate minority ethnic communities

Mode imaging and selection in strongly coupled nanoantennas

The number of eigenmodes in plasmonic nanostructures increases with complexity due to mode hybridization, raising the need for efficient mode characterization and selection. Here we experimentally demonstrate direct imaging and selective excitation of the bonding and antibonding plasmon mode in symmetric dipole nanoantennas using confocal two-photon photoluminescence mapping. Excitation of a high-quality-factor antibonding resonance manifests itself as a two-lobed pattern instead of the single spot observed for the broad bonding resonance, in accordance with numerical simulations. The two-lobed pattern is observed due to the fact that excitation of the antibonding mode is forbidden for symmetric excitation at the feedgap, while concomitantly the mode energy splitting is large enough to suppress excitation of the bonding mode. The controlled excitation of modes in strongly coupled plasmonic nanostructures is mandatory for efficient sensors, in coherent control as well as for implementing well-defined functionalities in complex plasmonic devices.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, 1 supplementary informatio