Plastic Versus Glass Support for an Immunoassay on Metal-Coated Surfaces in Optically Dense Samples Utilizing Directional Surface Plasmon-Coupled Emission

We compared plastic (polycarbonate) and high-quality glass support materials for gold-coated slides, when performing a model immunoassay against rabbit IgG using fluorescently labeled (AlexaFluor-647) anti-rabbit IgG, and detecting surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) signals. Both, glass and plastic slides were simultaneously coated with a 48-nm layer of gold and protected with a 10-nm layer of silica. The maximum SPCE signal of AlexaFluor-647 was only two- to three-fold smaller on plastic slides than on glass slides. A small difference in the SPCE angles on glass (θ _F = 55°) and plastic (θ _F = 52.5°) slides was observed and can be explained with a slightly smaller refractive index of the plastic. We have not found any difference in the angle distribution (sharpness of the fluorescence signal at optimal SPCE angle) for the plastic slide compared to the glass slide. The kinetics of binding was monitored on the plastic slide as well as on the glass slide. Optically dense samples, a 4% red blood cell suspension and a 15% hemoglobin solution, are causing a reduction in the immunoassay SPCE signal by approximately 15% and three times, respectively, and the percentage of the reduction is the same for plastic and for glass slides. We believe that plastic substrates can be readily used in any SPCE assay, with only marginally lower total signal compared to high-quality glass slides.     

Purge NMR: effective and easy solvent suppression

Presaturation utilizing relaxation gradients and echoes is an extremely easy and effective approach to solvent suppression in solution state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The experiment produces flat baselines, excellent phase properties, and highly selective suppression that betters that of commonly used sequences. Furthermore, the only parameter that needs adjusting is the presaturation power, making it easy to implement even for non spectroscopists. Considering these factors, we envisage the approach will have wide spread applications.     

The similarity hypothesis in general relativity

Self-similar models are important in general relativity and other fundamental theories. In this paper we shall discuss the “similarity hypothesis”, which asserts that under a variety of physical circumstances solutions of these theories will naturally evolve to a self-similar form. We will find there is good evidence for this in the context of both spatially homogenous and inhomogeneous cosmological models, although in some cases the self-similar model is only an intermediate attractor. There are also a wide variety of situations, including critical phenomena, in which spherically symmetric models tend towards self-similarity. However, this does not happen in all cases and it is important to understand the prerequisites for the conjecture.     

Wide-Band Interference Filters With Suppression of the 5th–7th-Order Reflection Bands

We have investigated the influence of the dispersion of optical constants on the spectral properties of multilayer interference systems, in the spectral characteristics of which the suppression of the high-reflection bands of the 5th, 6th, and 7th orders is observed. Examples of realization of synthesized interference filters are given, and special features of their manufacturing are considered. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 5, pp. 684–688, September–October, 2005.     

Determination of ropivacaine in human plasma using highly selective molecular imprint-based solid phase extraction and fast LC–MS analysis

A method for determining ropivacaine in human plasma using highly selective molecular imprint-based solid phase extraction and LC–MS analysis was developed. The imprinted extraction material was prepared using a structural analogue of ropivacaine as the template. The efficient sample cleanup achieved allowed single MS mode operation and analytical separation under isocratic conditions with a total separation time of less than two minutes. The absence of ion suppression was confirmed for both the m/z of ropivacaine and the m/z of the internal standard. The solid phase extraction protocol was optimised for elution of ropivacaine in a small volume of aqueous-rich solvent suitable for injection into a reversed phase LC–MS system. The final method measured trace levels of ropivacaine in human plasma with a limit of quantification of 2.5 nmol/L and interassay accuracy and precision of 101.7–104.4% and 2.1–7.2%, respectively.     

数字全息显微测量技术的发展与最新应用

数字全息显微测量技术是检测显微样本微观结构的重要手段,具有系统简单、非入侵、动态性好等特点,是一种很好地具有应用前景的技术。综述了数字全息显微测量技术的发展,分析并比较了数字全息显微测量技术与其它显微测量技术的特点;归纳并分析了数字全息显微测量技术的典型光路系统及其特点;总结了数字全息显微测量技术的数值再现算法和误差抑制技术;列举了数字全息显微测量技术的最新应用。     

Ultrafast Dynamics of Defect-Assisted Carrier Capture in MoS2 Nanodots Investigated by Transient Absorption Spectroscopy

MoS₂ nanodots are emerging as promising semiconductor materials for optoelectronic devices. However, most of the recent attention is focused on the fabrication of MoS₂ nanodots, and the survey for exciton dynamics of MoS₂ nanodots remains less explored. Herein, we use femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy to investigate the carrier dynamics of MoS₂ nanodots. Our results show that defect-assisted carrier recombination processes are well consistent with the observed dynamics. The photo-excited carriers are captured by defects with at least two different capture rates via Auger scattering. Four processes are deemed to take part in the carrier relaxation. After photoexcitation, carrier cooling occurs instantly within ~0.5 ps. Then most of carriers are fast captured by the defects, and the corresponding time constant increases from ~4.9 ps to ~9.2 ps with increasing pump fluence, which may be interpreted by saturation of the defect states. Next a small quantity of carriers is captured by the other kinds of defects with a relatively slow carrier capture time within ~65 ps. Finally, the remaining small fraction of carriers relaxes via direct interband electron-hole recombination within ~1 ns. Our results may lead to deep insight into the fundamentals of carrier dynamics in MoS₂ nanodots, paving the way for their further applications.