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- ItemAnomalous transparency in photonic crystals and its application to point-by-point grating inscription in photonic crystal fibers(Berlin : Nature Publishing, 2018) Baghdasaryan, Tigran; Geernaert, Thomas; Chah, Karima; Caucheteur, Christophe; Schuster, Kay; Kobelke, Jens; Thienpont, Hugo; Berghmans, FrancisIt is common belief that photonic crystals behave similarly to isotropic and transparent media only when their feature sizes are much smaller than the wavelength of light. Here, we counter that belief and we report on photonic crystals that are transparent for anomalously high normalized frequencies up to 0.9, where the crystal’s feature sizes are comparable with the free space wavelength. Using traditional photonic band theory, we demonstrate that the isofrequency curves can be circular in the region above the first stop band for triangular lattice photonic crystals. In addition, by simulating how efficiently a tightly focused Gaussian beam propagates through the photonic crystal slab, we judge on the photonic crystal’s transparency rather than on isotropy only. Using this approach, we identified a wide range of photonic crystal parameters that provide anomalous transparency. Our findings indicate the possibility to scale up the features of photonic crystals and to extend their operational wavelength range for applications including optical cloaking and graded index guiding. We applied our result in the domain of femtosecond laser micromachining, by demonstrating what we believe to be the first point-by-point grating inscribed in a multi-ring photonic crystal fiber.
- ItemAutofluorescence lifetime augmented reality as a means for real-time robotic surgery guidance in human patients(Berlin : Nature Publishing, 2019) Gorpas, Dimitris; Phipps, Jennifer E.; Bec, Julien; Ma, Dinglong; Dochow, Sebastian; Yankelevich, Diego R.; Sorger, Jonathan; Popp, Jürgen; Bewley, Arnaud Fassett; Gandour-Edwards, Regina F.; Marcu, Laura; Farwell, D. GregoryDue to loss of tactile feedback the assessment of tumor margins during robotic surgery is based only on visual inspection, which is neither significantly sensitive nor specific. Here we demonstrate time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy (TRFS) as a novel technique to complement the visual inspection of oral cancers during transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in real-time and without the need for exogenous contrast agents. TRFS enables identification of cancerous tissue by its distinct autofluorescence signature that is associated with the alteration of tissue structure and biochemical profile. A prototype TRFS instrument was integrated synergistically with the da Vinci Surgical robot and the combined system was validated in swine and human patients. Label-free and real-time assessment and visualization of tissue biochemical features during robotic surgery procedure, as demonstrated here, not only has the potential to improve the intraoperative decision making during TORS but also other robotic procedures without modification of conventional clinical protocols.
- ItemBoson peak, heterogeneity and intermediate-range order in binary SiO2-Al2O3 glasses(Berlin : Nature Publishing, 2018) Fatobene Ando, Mariana; Benzine, Omar; Pan, Zhiwen; Garden, Jean-Luc; Wondraczek, Katrin; Grimm, Stephan; Schuster, Kay; Wondraczek, LotharIn binary aluminosilicate liquids and glasses, heterogeneity on intermediate length scale is a crucial factor for optical fiber performance, determining the lower limit of optical attenuation and Rayleigh scattering, but also clustering and precipitation of optically active dopants, for example, in the fabrication of high-power laser gain media. Here, we consider the low-frequency vibrational modes of such materials for assessing structural heterogeneity on molecular scale. We determine the vibrational density of states VDoS g(ω) using low-temperature heat capacity data. From correlation with low-frequency Raman spectroscopy, we obtain the Raman coupling coefficient. Both experiments allow for the extraction of the average dynamic correlation length as a function of alumina content. We find that this value decreases from about 3.9 nm to 3.3 nm when mildly increasing the alumina content from zero (vitreous silica) to 7 mol%. At the same time, the average inter-particle distance increases slightly due to the presence of oxygen tricluster species. In accordance with Loewensteinian dynamics, this proves that mild alumina doping increases structural homogeneity on molecular scale.
- ItemSuperlattice in collapsed graphene wrinkles(Berlin : Nature Publishing, 2019) Verhagen, Timotheus; Pacakova, Barbara; Bousa, Milan; Hübner, Uwe; Kalbac, Martin; Vejpravova, Jana; Frank, OtakarTopographic corrugations, such as wrinkles, are known to introduce diverse physical phenomena that can significantly modify the electrical, optical and chemical properties of two-dimensional materials. This range of assets can be expanded even further when the crystal lattices of the walls of the wrinkle are aligned and form a superlattice, thereby creating a high aspect ratio analogue of a twisted bilayer or multilayer – the so-called twisted wrinkle. Here we present an experimental proof that such twisted wrinkles exist in graphene monolayers on the scale of several micrometres. Combining atomic force microscopy and Raman spectral mapping using a wide range of visible excitation energies, we show that the wrinkles are extremely narrow and their Raman spectra exhibit all the characteristic features of twisted bilayer or multilayer graphene. In light of a recent breakthrough – the superconductivity of a magic-angle graphene bilayer, the collapsed wrinkles represent naturally occurring systems with tuneable collective regimes.
- ItemBiomimetic light dilution using side-emitting optical fiber for enhancing the productivity of microalgae reactors(Berlin : Nature Publishing, 2019) Wondraczek, Lothar; Gründler, Alexander; Reupert, Aaron; Wondraczek, Katrin; Schmidt, Markus A.; Pohnert, Georg; Nolte, StephanPhotoautotrophic microbes present vast opportunities for sustainable lipid production, CO2 storage and green chemistry, for example, using microalgae beds to generate biofuels. A major challenge of microalgae cultivation and other photochemical reactors is the efficiency of light delivery. In order to break even on large scale, dedicated photon management will be required across all levels of reactor hierarchy – from the harvesting of light and its efficient injection and distribution inside of the reactor to the design of optical antenna and pathways of energy transfer on molecular scale. Here, we discuss a biomimetic approach for light dilution which enables homogeneous illumination of large reactor volumes with high optical density. We show that the immersion of side-emitting optical fiber within the reactor can enhance the fraction of illuminated volume by more than two orders of magnitude already at cell densities as low as ~5 104ml−1. Using the green algae Haematococcus pluvialis as a model system, we demonstrate an increase in the rate of reproduction by up to 93%. Beyond micoralgae, the versatile properties of side-emitting fiber enable the injection and dilution of light with tailored spectral and temporal characteristics into virtually any reactor containment.
- ItemCombining super-resolution microcopy with neuronal network recording using magnesium fluoride thin films as cover layer for multi-electrode array technology(Berlin : Nature Publishing, 2019) Schmidl, Lars; Schmidl, Gabriele; Gawlik, Annett; Dellith, Jan; Hübner, Uwe; Tympel, Volker; Schmidl, Frank; Plentz, Jonathan; Geis, Christian; Haselmann, HolgerWe present an approach for fabrication of reproducible, chemically and mechanically robust functionalized layers based on MgF2 thin films on thin glass substrates. These show great advantages for use in super-resolution microscopy as well as for multi-electrode-array fabrication and are especially suited for combination of these techniques. The transparency of the coated substrates with the low refractive index material is adjustable by the layer thickness and can be increased above 92%. Due to the hydrophobic and lipophilic properties of the thin crystalline MgF2 layers, the temporal stable adhesion needed for fixation of thin tissue, e.g. cryogenic brain slices is given. This has been tested using localization-based super-resolution microscopy with currently highest spatial resolution in light microscopy. We demonstrated that direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy revealed in reliable imaging of structures of central synapses by use of double immunostaining of post- (homer1 and GluA2) and presynaptic (bassoon) marker structure in a 10 µm brain slice without additional fixing of the slices. Due to the proven additional electrical insulating effect of MgF2 layers, surfaces of multi-electrode-arrays were coated with this material and tested by voltage-current-measurements. MgF2 coated multi-electrode-arrays can be used as a functionalized microscope cover slip for combination with live-cell super-resolution microscopy.
- ItemStructural insights into heme binding to IL-36α proinflammatory cytokine(Berlin : Nature Publishing, 2019) Wißbrock, Amelie; Goradia, Nishit; Kumar, Amit; Paul George, Ajay Abisheck; Kühl, Toni; Bellstedt, Peter; Ramachandran, Ramadurai; Hoffmann, Patrick; Galler, Kerstin; Popp, Jürgen; Neugebauer, Ute; Hampel, Kornelia; Zimmermann, Bastian; Adam, Susanne; Wiendl, Maximilian; Krönke, Gerhard; Hamza, Iqbal; Heinemann, Stefan H.; Frey, Silke; Hueber, Axel J.; Ohlenschläger, Oliver; Imhof, DianaCytokines of the interleukin (IL)-1 family regulate immune and inflammatory responses. The recently discovered IL-36 family members are involved in psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and pulmonary diseases. Here, we show that IL-36α interacts with heme thereby contributing to its regulation. Based on in-depth spectroscopic analyses, we describe two heme-binding sites in IL-36α that associate with heme in a pentacoordinated fashion. Solution NMR analysis reveals structural features of IL-36α and its complex with heme. Structural investigation of a truncated IL-36α supports the notion that the N-terminus is necessary for association with its cognate receptor. Consistent with our structural studies, IL-36-mediated signal transduction was negatively regulated by heme in synovial fibroblast-like synoviocytes from rheumatoid arthritis patients. Taken together, our results provide a structural framework for heme-binding proteins and add IL-1 cytokines to the group of potentially heme-regulated proteins.
- ItemIn Vitro Selection of Specific DNA Aptamers Against the Anti-Coagulant Dabigatran Etexilate(Berlin : Nature Publishing, 2018) Aljohani, Maher M; Chinnappan, Raja; Eissa, Shimaa; Alsager, Omar A; Weber, Karina; Cialla-May, Dana; Popp, Jürgen; Zourob, MohammedDabigatran Etexilate (PRADAXA) is a new oral anticoagulant increasingly used for a number of blood thrombosis conditions, prevention of strokes and systemic emboli among patients with atrial fibrillation. It provides safe and adequate anticoagulation for prevention and treatment of thrombus in several clinical settings. However, anticoagulation therapy can be associated with an increased risk of bleeding. There is a lack of specific laboratory tests to determine the level of this drug in blood. This is considered the most important obstacles of using this medication, particularly for patients with trauma, drug toxicity, in urgent need for surgical interventions or uncontrolled bleeding. In this work, we performed Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) to select specific DNA aptamers against dabigatran etexilate. Following multiple rounds of selection and enrichment with a randomized 60-mer DNA library, specific DNA aptamers for dabigatran were selected. We investigated the affinity and specificity of generated aptamers to the drug showing dissociation constants (Kd) ranging from 46.8–208 nM. The most sensitive aptamer sequence was selected and applied in an electrochemical biosensor to successfully achieve 0. 01 ng/ml level of detection of the target drug. With further improvement of the assay and optimization, these aptamers would replace conventional antibodies for developing detection assays in the near future.Dabigatran Etexilate (PRADAXA) is a new oral anticoagulant increasingly used for a number of blood thrombosis conditions, prevention of strokes and systemic emboli among patients with atrial fibrillation. It provides safe and adequate anticoagulation for prevention and treatment of thrombus in several clinical settings. However, anticoagulation therapy can be associated with an increased risk of bleeding. There is a lack of specific laboratory tests to determine the level of this drug in blood. This is considered the most important obstacles of using this medication, particularly for patients with trauma, drug toxicity, in urgent need for surgical interventions or uncontrolled bleeding. In this work, we performed Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) to select specific DNA aptamers against dabigatran etexilate. Following multiple rounds of selection and enrichment with a randomized 60-mer DNA library, specific DNA aptamers for dabigatran were selected. We investigated the affinity and specificity of generated aptamers to the drug showing dissociation constants (Kd) ranging from 46.8–208 nM. The most sensitive aptamer sequence was selected and applied in an electrochemical biosensor to successfully achieve 0. 01 ng/ml level of detection of the target drug. With further improvement of the assay and optimization, these aptamers would replace conventional antibodies for developing detection assays in the near future.
- ItemSurface deep profile synchrotron studies of mechanically modified top-down silicon nanowires array using ultrasoft X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy(Berlin : Nature Publishing, 2019) Turishchev, S.Yu.; Parinova, V.E.; Pisliaruka, Aleksandra; Koyuda, D.A.; Yermukhamed, Dana; Ming, Tingsen; Ovsyannikov, Ruslan; Smirnov, Dmitriy; Makarova, Anna; Sivakov, VladimirAtomic, electronic structure and composition of top-down metal-assisted wet-chemically etched silicon nanowires were studied by synchrotron radiation based X-ray absorption near edge structure technique. Local surrounding of the silicon and oxygen atoms in silicon nanowires array was studied on as-prepared nanostructured surfaces (atop part of nanowires) and their bulk part after, first time applied, in-situ mechanical removal atop part of the formed silicon nanowires. Silicon suboxides together with disturbed silicon dioxide were found in the composition of the formed arrays that affects the electronic structure of silicon nanowires. The results obtained by us convincingly testify to the homogeneity of the phase composition of the side walls of silicon nanowires and the electronic structure in the entire length of the nanowire. The controlled formation of the silicon nanowires array may lead to smart engineering of its atomic and electronic structure that influences the exploiting strategy of metal-assisted wet-chemically etched silicon nanowires as universal matrices for different applications.
- ItemMolecular Characterization and Comparative Genomics of Clinical Hybrid Shiga Toxin-Producing and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC/ETEC) Strains in Sweden(Berlin : Nature Publishing, 2019) Bai, Xiangning; Zhang, Ji; Ambikan, Anoop; Jernberg, Cecilia; Ehricht, Ralf; Scheutz, Flemming; Xiong, Yanwen; Matussek, AndreasHybrid E. coli pathotypes are representing emerging public health threats with enhanced virulence from different pathotypes. Hybrids of Shiga toxin-producing and enterotoxigenic E. coli (STEC/ETEC) have been reported to be associated with diarrheal disease and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in humans. Here, we identified and characterized four clinical STEC/ETEC hybrids from diarrheal patients with or without fever or abdominal pain and healthy contact in Sweden. Rare stx2 subtypes were present in STEC/ETEC hybrids. Stx2 production was detectable in stx2a and stx2e containing strains. Different copies of ETEC virulence marker, sta gene, were found in two hybrids. Three sta subtypes, namely, sta1, sta4 and sta5 were designated, with sta4 being predominant. The hybrids represented diverse and rare serotypes (O15:H16, O187:H28, O100:H30, and O136:H12). Genome-wide phylogeny revealed that these hybrids exhibited close relatedness with certain ETEC, STEC/ETEC hybrid and commensal E. coli strains, implying the potential acquisition of Stx-phages or/and ETEC virulence genes in the emergence of STEC/ETEC hybrids. Given the emergence and public health significance of hybrid pathotypes, a broader range of virulence markers should be considered in the E. coli pathotypes diagnostics, and targeted follow up of cases is suggested to better understand the hybrid infection.