Plasmonic Enhancement of Two-Photon Excited Luminescence of Gold Nanoclusters

Plasmonic-enhanced luminescence of single molecules enables imaging and detection of low quantities of fluorophores, down to individual molecules. In this work, we present two-photon excited luminescence of single gold nanoclusters, Au₁₈(SG)₁₄, in close proximity to bare gold nanorods (AuNRs). We observed 25-times enhanced emission of gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) in near infrared region, which was mainly attributed to the resonant excitation of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of AuNRs and spectral overlap of LSPR band with photoluminescence of AuNCs. This work is an initial step in application of combined nanoparticles: gold nanorods and ultrasmall nanoclusters in a wide range of multiphoton imaging and biosensing applications.     

LC/MS/MS analysis of α‐tocopherol and coenzyme Q10 content in lyophilized royal jelly,beebread and drone homogenate

This study shows the results of application liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) for assay of the content of α‐tocopherol and coenzyme Q₁₀ in bee products of animal origin, i.e. royal jelly, beebread and drone homogenate. The biological matrix was removed using extraction with n‐hexane. It was found that drone homogenate is a rich source of coenzyme Q₁₀. It contains only 8 ± 1 µg/g of α‐tocopherol and 20 ± 2 µg/g of coenzyme Q₁₀. The contents of assayed compounds in royal jelly were 16 ± 3 and 8 ± 0.2 µg/g of α‐tocopherol and coenzyme Q₁₀, respectively. Beebread appeared to be the richest of α‐tocopherol. Its level was 80 ± 30 µg/g, while the level of coenzyme Q₁₀ was only 11.5 ± 0.3 µg/g. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The synthesis and evaluation of unsymmetrical dimeric X-ray contrast agents

Novel dimeric iodinated contrast agents with low osmolality have been prepared and evaluated with the aim of improving the already good safety profile of such agents. The aim of low osmolality was achieved, and the viscosity of these dimeric agents was also found to be beneficially lower than current dimeric agents in clinical use.     

Heteroclinic solutions for a class of the second order Hamiltonian systems

We shall be concerned with the existence of heteroclinic orbits for the second order Hamiltonian system , where q∈Rn and V∈C¹(R×Rn,R), V?0. We will assume that V and a certain subset M⊂Rn satisfy the following conditions. M is a set of isolated points and #M?2. For every sufficiently small ε>0 there exists δ>0 such that for all (t,z)∈R×Rn, if d(z,M)?ε then −V(t,z)?δ. The integrals , z∈M, are equi-bounded and −V(t,z)→∞, as |t|→∞, uniformly on compact subsets of Rn?M. Our result states that each point in M is joined to another point in M by a solution of our system.     

Switching and Swapping of Quantum Information: Entropy and Entanglement Level

Information switching and swapping seem to be fundamental elements of quantum communication protocols. Another crucial issue is the presence of entanglement and its level in inspected quantum systems. In this article, a formal definition of the operation of the swapping local quantum information and its existence proof, together with some elementary properties analysed through the prism of the concept of the entropy, are presented. As an example of the local information swapping usage, we demonstrate a certain realisation of the quantum switch. Entanglement levels, during the work of the switch, are calculated with the Negativity measure and a separability criterion based on the von Neumann entropy, spectral decomposition and Schmidt decomposition. Results of numerical experiments, during which the entanglement levels are estimated for systems under consideration with and without distortions, are presented. The noise is generated by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and the intrinsic decoherence is modelled by the Milburn equation. This work contains a switch realisation in a circuit form—built out of elementary quantum gates, and a scheme of the circuit which estimates levels of entanglement during the switch’s operating.     

How to Exhibit Toroidal Maps in Space

Steinitz's theorem states that a graph is the 1-skeleton of a convex polyhedron if and only if it is 3-connected and planar. The polyhedron is called a geometric realization of the embedded graph. Its faces are bounded by convex polygons whose points are coplanar. A map on the torus does not necessarily have such a geometric realization. In this paper we relax the condition that faces are the convex hull of coplanar points. We require instead that the convex hull of the points on a face can be projected onto a plane so that the boundary of the convex hull of the projected points is the image of the boundary of the face. We also require that the interiors of the convex hulls of different faces do not intersect. Call this an exhibition of the map. A map is polyhedral if the intersection of any two closed faces is simply connected. Our main result is that every polyhedral toroidal map can be exhibited. As a corollary, every toroidal triangulation has a geometric realization.     

A rugged landscape model for self-organization and emergent leadership in creative problem solving and production groups

The process by which an initially leaderless group differentiates into one containing leadership and secondary role structures was examined using the swallowtail catastrophe model and principles of selforganization. The objectives were to identify the control variables in the process of leadership emergence in creative problem solving groups and production groups. In the first of two experiments, groups of university students (total N = 114) played a creative problem solving game. Participants later rated each other on leadership behavior, styles, and variables related to the process of conversation. A performance quality measure was included also. Control parameters in the swallowtail catastrophe model were identified through a combination of factor analysis and nonlinear regression. Leaders displayed a broad spectrum of behaviors in the general categories of Controlling the Conversation and Creativity in their role-play. In the second experiment, groups of university students (total N = 197) engaged in a laboratory work experiment that had a substantial production goal component. The same system of ratings and modeling strategy was used along with a work production measure. Leaders in the production task emerged to the extent that they exhibited control over both the creative and production aspects of the task, they could keep tension low, and the externally imposed production goals were realistic.     

The conformation of epinephrine in polar solvents: an NMR study

Structural Chemistry - Epinephrine (Epi) is a physiologically important catecholamine. Molecular conformation of Epi controls the interactions with other molecules and its biological effects. There...     

Green synthesis and antibacterial effects of aqueous colloidal solutions of silver nanoparticles using clove eugenol

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using clove extract (CE). Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) revealed the morphology of the metallic Ag nanoparticles obtained via the clove extract synthesis (Ag NPs‐CE), which had a uniform distribution and average sizes varying from 10 nm to 100 nm. Fourier transform infra‐red (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that clove eugenol acts as a capping and reducing agent being adsorbed on the surface of Ag NPs‐CE, enabling their reduction from Ag⁺ and preventing their agglomeration. Formation of the Ag⁰ structure is also confirmed in the FTIR spectrum by the presence in the Ag NPs‐CE sample of the –C=O and –C=C vibrations at wavenumbers 1600 and 2915 cm^‐1, respectively. Antibacterial and antifungal tests using three strains of bacteria and one fungi strain showed that the Ag NPs‐CE performed better compared to pure clove extract (CE) sample.