Immunoassay of plasmonic gold‐nanoparticle clusters: Plasmon coupling effects for Parkinson biomarker detection

A simple signal‐on plasmonic optical assay for the detection of the Parkinson biomarker using gold‐nanoparticle clusters (AuNCs) for signal amplification is presented. This approach is based on the improvement of the optical density (OD) change of the plasmonic band of a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) Au nanoparticle (AuNP) sensor interface using Au NCs conjugated antibodies. The amplification results in a 260‐fold improvement in concentration detection, from 1,000 ng/mL (unlabeled antibody) to 3.8 ng/mL (antibody‐conjugated AuNCs). The sensitivity enhancement can be ascribed to the further plasmonic coupling between the antibody‐conjugated AuNCs and the AuNPs on the LSPR interface and the enhanced amount of target molecule bound to the bioassay. This AuNCs‐assisted signal amplification strategy allows for improving the sensitivity of the plasmon‐based bioassays and can be extended to other optical‐based diagnostic technologies. Importantly, the simple detecting procedure and protocol assembly make it competitive with other existing sensing technologies such as ELISA, allowing for practical usage in clinical diagnostics.     

Propagation of Solitary Pulses in Optical Fibers with Both Self-Steepening and Quintic Nonlinear Effects

Pulse dynamics and stability in optical fibers in the presence of both self-steepening and quintic nonlinear effects are analyzed. Propagating profiles of the quintic derivative nonlinear Schrodinger model are isolated via two invariants of motion. The resulting canonical equation admits exact periodic propagating patterns in terms of the Jacobi elliptic functions, and solitary pulses are recovered in the long wave limit, i.e. degenerate cases of periodic profiles where each pulse is widely separated from the adjacent ones. Two families of such exact wave profiles are identified. The first one has a precise constraint concerning the magnitude of self-steepening and quintic nonlinear effects, while the second one permits more freedom. The reduction to the well established temporal soliton in an optical fiber waveguide in the absence of self-steepening and quintic nonlinearity is demonstrated explicitly. Numerical simulations are performed to identify regimes of parameter values where robust propagation patterns exist.     

Observation of a near-threshold enhancement in the e+e- -->Lambda+_(c)Lambda-_(c) cross section using initial-state radiation

We report a measurement of the exclusive e+ e- -->Lambda+_(c)Lambda-_(c) cross section as a function of center-of-mass energy near the Lambda+_(c)Lambda-_(c) threshold. A clear peak with a significance of 8.2sigma is observed in the Lambda+_(c)Lambda-_(c) invariant mass distribution just above threshold. With an assumption of a resonance origin for the observed peak, a mass and width of M=[4634 (+8)_(-7)(stat)(+5)_(-8)(syst)] MeV/c(2) and Gamma_(tot)=[92 (+40)_(-24)(stat)(+10)_(-21)(syst)] MeV are determined. The analysis is based on a study of events with initial-state-radiation photons in a data sample collected with the Belle detector at the Upsilon(4S) resonance and nearby continuum with an integrated luminosity of 695 fb(-1) at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+ e- collider.     

Application of a WGM optical fiber probe fabricated by 3D printing technology for glucose concentration measurement

This study proposes a method for manufacturing a whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical fiber probe used for measuring glucose. The principle of the WGM optical fiber probe consists of the bending interference that occurs between the core mode and cladding mode. 3D printing technology was used to create a mold for the optical fiber sensor so that the bent optical fiber sensor was fixed within the mold to ensure a stable bend radius. This method of fabrication allows for easier installation and replacement of the resulting optical fiber compared to WGM optical fiber sensors fabricated by traditional methods. The results of the concentration test showed that as the glucose aqueous solution concentration increased from 0 to 10%, the wavelength was red shifted and the transmission loss gradually increased. At a bend radius of 3.1 mm and an etching diameter of 46 μm, the wavelength sensitivity was 1.475 nm/% and the R-squared value was 0.983, indicating an extremely high sensitivity. These results confirm that the WGM optical fiber probe created in this study can be used to measure glucose concentrations with high sensitivity, and that it is relatively easy to manufacture, install, and replace. Therefore, the proposed WGM optical fiber probe exhibits good performance and is suitable for use as a glucose concentration sensor.     

Micro FTIR Mapping of Nanometer Ferroelectric Polymer Films

Summary: Highly crystalline ferroelectric polymer films [vinyidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene, β‐P(VDF‐TrFE), 260–15 nm thick] were characterized with FTIR reflectance‐transmission microspectroscopy (FTIR‐RTM) mapping technique (400 µm × 400 µm spatial resolution). The amorphous and crystalline fractions were identified locally. FTIR‐RTM maps (1 cm² area) provided a unique in‐depth view of the ultrathin films. Lower film thickness suppressed growth of the crystalline phase. Increased content of amorphous phase lead to non‐uniform films with degraded ferroelectric behavior.

FTIR‐RTM maps of the distribution of the amorphous phase in the 80 and 35 nm films.     

NEW STRAIN GRADIENT THEORY AND ANALYSIS

A new strain gradient theory which is based on energy nonlocal model is proposed in this paper, and the theory is applied to investigate the size effects in thin metallic wire torsion, ultra-thin beam bending and micro-indentation of polycrystalline copper. First, an energy nonlocal model is suggested. Second, based on the model, a new strain gradient theory is derived. Third, the new theory is applied to analyze three representative experiments.     

Comprehensive profiles and diagnostic value of menopausal-specific gut microbiota in premenopausal breast cancer

In Western countries, breast cancer tends to occur in older postmenopausal women. However, in Asian countries, the proportion of younger premenopausal breast cancer patients is increasing. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays a critical role in breast cancer. However, studies on the gut microbiota in the context of breast cancer have mainly focused on postmenopausal breast cancer. Little is known about the gut microbiota in the context of premenopausal breast cancer. This study aimed to comprehensively explore the gut microbial profiles, diagnostic value, and functional pathways in premenopausal breast cancer patients. Here, we analyzed 267 breast cancer patients with different menopausal statuses and age-matched female controls. The α-diversity was significantly reduced in premenopausal breast cancer patients, and the β-diversity differed significantly between breast cancer patients and controls. By performing multiple analyses and classification, 14 microbial markers were identified in the different menopausal statuses of breast cancer. Bacteroides fragilis was specifically found in young women of premenopausal statuses and Klebsiella pneumoniae in older women of postmenopausal statuses. In addition, menopausal-specific microbial markers could exhibit excellent discriminatory ability in distinguishing breast cancer patients from controls. Finally, the functional pathways differed between breast cancer patients and controls. Our findings provide the first evidence that the gut microbiota in premenopausal breast cancer patients differs from that in postmenopausal breast cancer patients and shed light on menopausal-specific microbial markers for diagnosis and investigation, ultimately providing a noninvasive approach for breast cancer detection and a novel strategy for preventing premenopausal breast cancer.Subject terms: Bacterial genetics, Breast cancer     

Nitrate and perchlorate salts of a silver(I) complex from 5-methyl-2-(2,3-diaza-4-(5-methyl-2-thienyl)buta-1,3-dienyl)thiophene

Bis(5-methyl-2-(2,3-diaza-4-(5-methyl-2-thienyl)buta-1,3-dienyl)thiophene) silver(I) complex was synthesized in high yield by refluxing 5-methyl-2-(2,3-diaza-4-(5-methyl-2-thienyl)buta-1,3-dienyl)thiophene (L) with silver nitrate or silver perchlorate in anhydrous acetonitrile. The product thus formed was well characterized by NMR, IR, UV–Vis and mass spectroscopies as well as elemental analysis and electrochemical analysis. Molecular structures of compounds L, [L₂Ag]NO₃ and [L₂Ag]ClO₄ were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that the C=N double bond of the ligand rotated during the course of ligand coordination in the case of the perchlorate salt but not in the case of the nitrate salt.     

The synthesis and properties of side‐chain liquid‐crystal polymers with a chiral center

The synthesis and mesomorphic properties of six monomers and six side‐chain liquid‐crystal polymers with a chiral center are described. The polysiloxanes were prepared by the hydrosilation of monomers with poly(hydromethylsiloxane)s. Most of the polymers exhibit a wide range of the chiral smectic C phase (SmC*). © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1609–1617, 2000     

Recent progress on the chiral unitary approach to meson meson and meson baryon interactions

We report on recent progress on the chiral unitary approach, analogous to the effective range expansion in Quantum Mechanics, which is shown to have a much larger convergence radius than ordinary chiral perturbation theory, allowing one to reproduce data for meson meson interaction up to 1.2 GeV. Applications to physical processes so far unsuited for a standard chiral perturbative approach are presented. Results for the extension of these ideas to the meson baryon sector are discussed, together with applications to kaons in a nuclear medium and K⁻ atoms.