Molecules in the mirror: how SERS backgrounds arise from the quantum method of images

The Raman coupling of light to molecular vibrations is strongly modified when they are placed near a plasmonic metal surface, with the appearance of a strong broad continuum background in addition to the normal surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) peaks. Using a quantum method of images approach, we produce a simple but quantitative explanation of the inevitable presence of the background, due to the resistive damping of the image molecule. This model thus suggests new strategies for enhancing the SERS peak to background ratio

School Counselor Involvement in Partnerships with Families of Color: A Social Cognitive Perspective

School-family partnerships facilitate the academic and personal success of all students. Whereas forming these partnerships are a component of school counselor identity, school counselors are commonly unprepared to form and maintain such relationships. Additionally, shifting racial demographics within K-12 schools call for culturally responsive partnership-building, as the majority of school counselors continue to belong to the dominant culture. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of school counselors as it relates to involvement in partnerships with families of color. Using a social cognitive theoretical framework, this study solicited a national sample of 155 practicing school counselors to examine self-efficacy, multicultural competence, and environment with regards to forming these diverse partnerships. The School Counselor Self-Efficacy (SCSE) scale, the Multicultural Counseling Competence and Training Survey-Revised (MCCTS-R), and a modified version of the School Counselor Involvement in Partnerships Survey (SCIPS) were used to examine these characteristics. The results of this study indicated significantly positive relationships between self-efficacy, multicultural competence, and involvement in partnerships with families of color. However, only self-efficacy as it relates specifically to partnerships and multicultural knowledge served as significant predictors of involvement in these partnerships. Further, receiving previous coursework in multicultural counseling or family-related content did not make any significant differences in involvement. The outcomes suggest that school counselors may benefit from more practical experiences in diverse settings to encourage involvement in partnerships with families of color. Findings also support the integration of the social cognitive theoretical concept of triadic reciprocal determinism into training curricula

Molecules in the mirror: how SERS backgrounds arise from the quantum method of images.

The Raman coupling of light to molecular vibrations is strongly modified when they are placed near a plasmonic metal surface, with the appearance of a strong broad continuum background in addition to the normal surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) peaks. Using a quantum method of images approach, we produce a simple but quantitative explanation of the inevitable presence of the background, due to the resistive damping of the image molecule. This model thus suggests new strategies for enhancing the SERS peak to background ratio.This work was supported by UK EPSRC EP/C511786/1, EP/F011393, ERC 320503 LINASS, EU CUBIHOLES, 3M, the Royal Society and the Wolfson Foundation

Women Talking about Water: Feminist Subjectivities and Intersectional Understandings

In this study based on discussions held by women\u27s groups across Canada on water challenges and interests, we recognized that in the current context in Canada, women are truly connected with peoples, humans or any other form of life. They recognize that water is socially embedded, integrating issues of social, ecological and intergenerational justice in relation to complex changes in riparian landscapes. Clearly their talk is from a gender perspective, but we also found movement beyond gender that nuanced cross-sectoral understanding, critical links between gender, class and ethnicity are frequently mentioned

The structure of the agrochemical fungicidal 4-Chloro-3-(3,5-dichloropheny)-1H-pyrazole, RPA 406194 and related compounds

The difficulties to obtain convenient monocrystals of the important fungicide RPA 406194 have been overcome by a combination of solid state 13C NMR, X-ray powder diffraction and molecular modeling. The compound, a 3-aryl tautomer, crystallizes forming infinite chains of molecules bonded by N–H· · ·N hydrogen bonds, leading to needle-shaped crystals. The tautomerism (equilibrium constant and energy barrier) of this compound in solution has been studied

Synthesis and Isolation of {110}-Faceted Gold Bipyramids and Rhombic Dodecahedra

Two {110}-faceted gold nanostructures—rhombic dodecahedra and obtuse triangular bipyramids—have been synthesized via a Ag-assisted, seed-mediated growth method. The combination of a Cl−-containing surfactant with a low concentration of Ag+ plays a role in the stabilization of the {110} facets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported synthesis of a {110}-faceted bipyramid structure

Synthesis and Isolation of {110}-Faceted Gold Bipyramids and Rhombic Dodecahedra

Two {110}-faceted gold nanostructures—rhombic dodecahedra and obtuse triangular bipyramids—have been synthesized via a Ag-assisted, seed-mediated growth method. The combination of a Cl−-containing surfactant with a low concentration of Ag+ plays a role in the stabilization of the {110} facets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported synthesis of a {110}-faceted bipyramid structure

Searching for health information in rural Canada. Where do residents look for health information and what do they do when they find it?

Abstract Introduction. People living in rural area

Optimisation of absorption efficiency for varying dielectric spherical nanoparticles

Abstract-In this paper we compare the optical absorption for nanospheres made from a range of transition and alkali metals from Li (A=3) to Au (A=79). Numerical solutions to Mie theory were used to calculate the absorption efficiency, Q abs , for nanospheres varying in radii between 5 nm and 100 nm in vacuum. We show that, although gold is the most commonly used nanoparticle material, its absorption efficiency at the plasmon resonance is not as strong as materials such as the alkali metals. Of all the materials tried, potassium spheres with a radius of 21 nm have an optimum absorption efficiency of 14.7. In addition we also show that, unlike gold, the wavelength of the plasmon peak in other materials is sensitive to the sphere radius. In potassium the peak position shifts by 100 nm for spheres ranging from 5 nm to 65 nm, the shift is less than 10 nm for gold spheres

The deaminase APOBEC3B triggers the death of cells lacking uracil DNA glycosylase

Human cells express up to 9 active DNA cytosine deaminases with functions in adaptive and innate immunity. Many cancers manifest an APOBEC mutation signature and APOBEC3B (A3B) is likely the main enzyme responsible. Although significant numbers of APOBEC signature mutations accumulate in tumor genomes, the majority of APOBEC-catalyzed uracil lesions are probably counteracted in an error-free manner by the uracil base excision repair pathway. Here, we show that A3B-expressing cells can be selectively killed by inhibiting uracil DNA glycosylase 2 (UNG) and that this synthetic lethal phenotype requires functional mismatch repair (MMR) proteins and p53. UNG knockout human 293 and MCF10A cells elicit an A3B-dependent death. This synthetic lethal phenotype is dependent on A3B catalytic activity and reversible by UNG complementation. A3B expression in UNG-null cells causes a buildup of genomic uracil, and the ensuing lethality requires processing of uracil lesions (likely U/G mispairs) by MSH2 and MLH1 (likely noncanonical MMR). Cancer cells expressing high levels of endogenous A3B and functional p53 can also be killed by expressing an UNG inhibitor. Taken together, UNG-initiated base excision repair is a major mechanism counteracting genomic mutagenesis by A3B, and blocking UNG is a potential strategy for inducing the selective death of tumors.</p