Ultracompact polarization converter with a dual subwavelength trench built in a silicon-on-insulator waveguide

The design and fabrication of an ultracompact silicon-on-insulator polarization converter is reported. The polarization conversion with an extinction ratio of 16 dB is achieved for a conversion length of only 10 μm. Polarization rotation is achieved by inducing a vertical asymmetry by forming in the waveguide core two subwavelength trenches of different depths. By taking advantage of the calibrated reactive ion etch lag, the two depths are implemented using a single mask and etching process. The measured converter loss is -0.7 dB and the 3 dB bandwidth is 26 nm.     

In situ detection of aromatic compounds with biosensor <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas putida</Emphasis> cells preserved and delivered to soil in water-soluble gelatin capsules

While many types of bacteria have been engineered to produce an optical output in response to given analytes in a culture, their use for extensive, in situ monitoring of distinct chemical species in soil is hampered by a dearth of practicable spreading schemes. In this work, we report and validate a comprehensive system for the long-term preservation of Pseudomonas putida cells genetically designed for biosensing benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in soil, along with a procedure to formulate, spread, and vigorously activate such bacteria at the desired site and occasion. To this end, various known lyoprotectants were tested for promoting the long-term maintenance of biosensor cells with quite variable outcomes. While a formulation of inositol and maltodextrines was optimal for preservation of freeze-dried BTEX-sensing bacteria, adsorption of P. putida cells to corncob powder (an abundant residue of the corn industry) endowed the resulting material with a lasting viability at ambient conditions. In any case, the thereby preserved bacterial biomass acquired physical and mechanical properties adequate for formulating the biosensor agent in water-soluble but otherwise hard dry gelatine capsules with a long shelf life. When such capsules were spread in a soil microcosm and subsequently liquefied with water or high humidity, the released microorganisms formed spots that gave an intense luminiscent signal upon exposure to effectors of the sensor circuit implanted in the chromosome of the P. putida strain. We argue that the procedures described here can facilitate implementation of wide-area biological detection strategies for revealing the location of toxic or perilous chemicals.     

Elemental analyses of soil and sediment fused with lithium borate using isotope dilution laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

Quantitative analysis using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) remains challenging primarily due to the lack of appropriate reference materials available for the wide variety of samples of interest and to elemental fractionation effects. Isotopic dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) is becoming the methodology of choice to address these issues because the different isotopes of an element represent near-perfect internal standards. In this work, we investigated the lithium borate fusion of powdered solid samples, including soils, sediments, rock mine waste and a meteorite, as a strategy to homogenously distribute, i.e. equilibrate the elements and the added isotopically enriched standards. A comparison of this methodology using two pulsed laser ablation systems (ArF* excimer and Nd:YAG) with different wavelengths as well as two ICP-MS instruments (quadrupole and double-focusing sector field) was performed. Emphasis was put on using standard equipment to show the potential of the proposed strategy for its application in routine laboratories. Cr, Zn, Ba, Sr and Pb were successfully determined by LA-ICP-IDMS in six Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) representing different matrices of environmental interest. Experimental results showed the SRM fused glasses exhibited a low level of heterogeneity (intra- and inter-sample) for both natural abundance and isotopically enriched samples (RSD <3%, n = 3, 1σ). A good agreement between experimental results and the certified values was also observed.     

In vitro/in vivo screening of oxidative homeostasis and damage to DNA,protein, and lipids using UPLC/MS-MS

Multiple analytical methods are required to comprehensively assess oxidative homeostasis and specific damage to macromolecules. Our aim was to develop a straightforward strategy for the fast assessment of global oxidative status and specific damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids. To this end, an analytical method, based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), was developed and validated for the quantification of 16 oxidative stress (OS) biomarkers. Some of these markers were unstable; thus, an easy sample treatment procedure, including fractionation and derivatization, was set up. The method was validated according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, and it provided good results in terms of intra- and inter-day precision (≤17.2 and 16 %, respectively), accuracy (relative error measurement between ?16.6 and 19.8 %), and linearity (R ²?>?0.994). The approach was applied to determine the oxidative insult provoked to cultured rat hepatocytes by cumene hydroperoxide and to analyze the liver and serum samples from patients diagnosed with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. In both studies, significant differences were found if compared to the corresponding control groups; interestingly, ophthalmic acid was shown as an OS biomarker in both models for the first time. A key advantage of the novel approach in comparison with former multi-method approaches is that now a single method is applied to assess the 16 OS biomarkers. Its comprehensive capacity to profile oxidative homeostasis and damage in both in vitro and clinical samples has been illustrated, which indicates that the proposed approach is a good choice to evaluate whether OS is involved in physiological signals, diseases, or toxic events and to what extent.     

A simple asymmetric organocatalytic approach to optically active cyclohexenones

Optically active 2,5-disubstituted-cyclohexen-2-one derivatives have been prepared in a one-pot process consisting of five reaction steps: an organocatalytic asymmetric conjugated addition of beta-ketoesters to alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes that proceeds in aqueous solutions or under solvent-free conditions has been implemented in a multi-step process.     

Kohn anomalies and enhanced superconductivity in simple systems under pressure: Insights from the nearly free electron model

The phonon spectrum of sodium is studied using ab initio methods and a simple nearly free electron model in the pressure range where the fcc phase is stable. It is found that the phonon softening previously reported consist of simple Kohn anomalies, the amplitudes of which are increased under pressure; their relative amplitudes and positions are easily understood in terms of the nearly free electron model. Furthermore, it is shown that superconductivity should be enhanced by pressure because of the increased contribution to the Eliashberg function associated to transverse phonon modes.