Electric field enhancement and concomitant Raman spectral effects at the edges of a nanometre-thin gold mesotriangle

The local electric field enhancement at various regions of an individual nanometre-thin gold mesotriangle has been demonstrated both numerically and experimentally. This work provides, for the first time, direct experimental evidence of localized enhancement of Raman signals at three edges of nanometre-thin gold mesotriangles at single particle level, using Raman microscopy. Raman images were collected from mesotriangles of ~11 mm edge length and ~30 nm thickness, using adsorbed crystal violet as the probe molecule. Spatial distribution and the extent of electric field enhancement around a single mesotriangle are investigated theoretically by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. Confocal Raman studies provided direct proof for the substantial electrical field enhancement at the edges and corners compared to the face of the mesotriangle. The simulated electric field enhancement was in the order, corner > edge > surface, which is in complete agreement with the experimental results

Effects of a Plantago ovata-based herbal compound in prevention and treatment of oral mucositis in patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy: A double-blind, randomized, controlled crossover trial

Background: Oral mucositis (OM) is one of the most common complications of mucotoxic cancer therapy. Mucositis induces clinically significant pain, increases the risk of infections and affects the patients� quality of life. Objective: This study investigated the effects of an herbal preparation from Plantago ovata hydrocolloid in the prevention and treatment of OM, in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with a regimen including adriamycin. Design, setting, participants, and interventions: This research was a double-blind, randomized, controlled crossover trial. The herbal compound consisted of a mixture of 500 mg of P. ovate husk in 30 mL water plus three drops of vinegar per dose, which was used as a mouthwash. Phytochemical and physicochemical tests of the compound were also performed. Twenty-eight patients who developed mucositis during the chemotherapy screening cycle were randomized to the herbal compound (n = 14) and placebo (n = 14) groups. They received herbal compound or placebo three times per day during their next chemotherapy cycle (cycle 1 of treatment). Patients were crossed over during cycle 2 of treatment and received the alternative therapy. An oral care protocol was prescribed to all patients in cycles 1 and 2 of the treatment. Main outcome measures: The patients were visited at baseline, the end of the first and second weeks of the screening cycle, and the end of the first and second weeks of each of two treatment cycles. The degree of mucositis was used as the main treatment outcome. Other indexes, such as the severity of pain, xerostomia grade and the quality of life were also measured. Results: Compared with the placebo, the herbal compound significantly reduced the degree of mucositis, the severity of pain and the xerostomia grade; it also improved the patients� quality of life (P < 0.05). Comparison between the screening cycle and placebo treatment group showed that the oral care protocol had a significant effect in the reduction of OM (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The oral care protocol and the herbal compound based on P. ovata are effective ways for preventing and treating OM in patients undergoing mucotoxic cancer therapy. Trial registration: Iranian registry of clinical trials IRCT20180923041093N1. © 2020 Shanghai Changhai Hospita

Raman active jagged-shaped gold-coated magnetic particles as a novel multimodal nanoprobe.

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Functionalization of fullerene at room temperature toward new carbon vectors with improved physicochemical properties

In this work, fullerene has been functionalized with cyanuric chloride at room temperature by a nitrene mediated [2 + 1] cycloaddition reaction.</p