The interaction of light with metal nanoparticles leads to novel phenomena mediated by surface plasmon excitations. In this article we use single molecules to characterize the interaction of surface plasmons with light, and show that such interaction can strongly modulate the polarization of the emitted light. The simplest nanostructures that enable such polarization modulation are asymmetric silv

The knowledge regarding putative inflammatory component(s) participating in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VAD) is scarce. Recently, we have demonstrated the presence of certain inflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of demented patients. Although the initial event(s) triggering the neurodegenerative processes in AD versus VAD may be different and lead to differen

This study investigates an intonation contour of German whose status has not been established yet: a globally falling contour with a slight rise at the very end of the phrase (FSR). The contour may be said to lie on a phonetic continuum between falling (F) and falling-rising (FR) contours. It is hypothesized that F, FR and FSR differ with respect to their communicative functions: F is terminal, FR

Abstract in UndeterminedSix to nine years of net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE) data from forests in Hyytiala in Finland, Soro in Denmark and Norunda in Sweden were used to evaluate the interannual variation in the carbon balance. For half-monthly periods, average NEE was calculated for the night-time data. For the daytime data parameters were extracted for the relationship to photosynthetic acti

Insufficient oxygen and nutrient supply often restrain solid tumor growth, and the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF) 1 alpha and HIF-2 alpha are key transcription regulators of phenotypic adaptation to low oxygen levels. Moreover, mouse gene disruption studies have implicated HIF-2 alpha in embryonic regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase, a hallmark gene of the sympathetic nervous system. Neuroblastoma

Nematode-trapping fungi enter the parasitic stage by developing specific morphological structures called traps. The global patterns of gene expression in traps and mycelium of the fungus Monacrosporium haptotylum were compared. The trap of this fungus is a unicellular spherical structure called the knob, which develops on the apex of a hyphal branch. RNA was isolated from knobs and mycelium and hy

The objective of this work is to compare the adherence to therapy of patients receiving etanercept and infliximab during first tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-blocking treatment course in rheumatoid arthritis. Special emphasis is placed on potential predictors for treatment termination and the impact of concomitant methotrexate (MTX) or other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Patients (

The solution structure is presented for the second family 4 carbohydrate binding module (CBM4-2) of xylanase 10A from the thermophilic bacterium Rhodothermus marinus. CBM4-2, which binds xylan tightly, has a beta-sandwich structure formed by I I strands, and contains a prominent cleft. From NMR titrations, it is shown that the cleft is the binding site for xylan, and that the main amino acids inte

We have performed Monte Carlo simulations for two like-charged infinite plates with counterions and solvent in between. The solvent is described at the primitive model (PM) level and also as a Stockmayer fluid. Both descriptions share the same qualitative ion correlation picture. At sufficiently high coupling, the pressure between the plates shows an attractive minimum, which is lost or reduced up

A dinuclear manganese complex {[(Mn2L)-L-II,IIII(mu-OAc)(2)]-ClO4} has been synthesised, where L is the dianion of 2-{[bis-(pyrid-2-ylmethyl)amino]methyl}-6-{[(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2- hydroxybenzyl)(pyrid-2-ylmethyl)amino]methyl)-4-methylphenol, an unsymmetric binucleating ligand with two coordinating phenol groups. The two manganese ions, with a Mn-Mn distance of 3.498 angstrom, are bridged by the t

We study exciton migration in low molecular weight poly[3-(2,5-dioctylphenyl)thiophene] in dilute solution by means of ultrafast spectroscopy and Monte Carlo simulations of resonance energy transfer using the line-dipole Forster approach. The model includes the build-up of polymer chains, site-selective exciton generation, and diffusion through incoherent energy transfer. Time-resolved, ensemble-a

Advanced materials, such as high abrasion resistant cast iron, have great applications for abrasive and erosive environments. Since the amount and the hardness of the microstructural carbides constituents in this material is extremely high, the abrasion-resistance cast iron is generally difficult to be machined with traditional cemented carbide tool. The hard and abrasive particles in this materia

The concept of willow vegetation filters for the treatment of nutrient-rich wastewater has the potential to address two of our most serious environmental problems today -water pollution and climate change- in a cost-efficient way. Despite several benefits, including high treatment efficiency, increased biomass yields, improved energy and resource efficiency, and cost savings, willow vegetation fil

Introduction. There are few published guidelines for the management of sexual dysfunctions in men and women, despite the prevalence and lack of attention to these problems. Disorders of sexual function in men include erectile dysfunction, orgasm/ejaculation disorders, priapism, and Peyronie's disease. Aim. To provide evidence-based and expert-opinion consensus guidelines for the clinical managemen