Multipolar plasmonic resonances in silver nanowire antennas imaged with a subnanometer electron probe.

We detect short-range surface plasmon-polariton (SR-SPP) resonances setup in individual silver nanoantenna structures at high-spatial resolution with a scanning, subnanometer electron probe. Both even and odd multipolar resonant modes are resolved up to sixth order, and we measure their spatial distribution in relation to nanoantenna structures at energies down to 0.55 eV. Fabry-Perot type SR-SPP reflection phase shifts are calculated from direct measurements of antinode spacings in high-resolution plasmonic field maps. We observe resonant SR-SPP antinode bunching at nanoantenna terminals in high-order resonant modes, and antinode shifts in nonhomogeneous local environments. Finally, we achieve good agreement of our experimental SR-SPP maps with numerical calculations of photon excited near fields, using a novel integrated photon excitation geometry.

Confinement-induced phase transitions in simple liquids.

The liquid-to-solid transition of a simple model liquid confined between two surfaces was studied as a function of surface separation. From large surface separations (more than 1000 angstroms) down to a separation corresponding to seven molecular layers, the confined films displayed a liquid-like shear viscosity. When the surface separation was further decreased by a single molecular spacing, the films underwent an abrupt, reversible transition to a solid. At the transition, the rigidity of the confined films (quantified in terms of an "effective viscosity") increased reversibly by at least seven orders of magnitude.

Plasmon spectra in two-dimensional nanorod arrays.

For various types of ensembles of metal nanorods, the frequencies of longitudinal and transverse plasmons were calculated and correlations between the plasmon frequency shifts and the topology of nanorod arrays were found. The theoretical predictions were compared with the experimentally determined optical absorption in arrays of polymer-terminated Au nanorods obtained by self-assembly in selective solvents.

[Changes in the composition of the causative agents of wound infection in emergency surgery in the period from 1967 through 1987]. / Izmeneniia sostava vozbuditelei ranevoi infektsii v ékstrennoi khirurgii za period s 1967 po 1987 g.

The composition of the causative agents of suppurations, isolated from suppurating wounds of patients hospitalized at different departments of the Sklifosovskii Emergency Aid Institute was studied. The proportion of representatives of different microbial families among more than 18,000 strains of the causative agents of wound infection was estimated. Fluctuations in the amount and structure of the agents were analyzed in different clinics over the period of 1967-1987. Under the conditions of emergency aid hospital Staphylococcus aureus proved to be the most frequent causative agent of suppurative inflammatory processes at different departments. At the same time no tendency towards an increase of the etiological role of any microbial family in the development of wound infections was noted. The incidence of different causative agents of suppurations was found to vary at different departments, depending on their specialization and season. The results of observations on the composition of the causative agents of wound infection may be used for the planning and evaluation of antiepidemic measures.

[Optimal control of the microflora environment in suppurative foci]. / Optimizatsiia nadzora za ékologiei mikroflory ochagov nagnoeniia.

The informative capacity of various statistic parameters characterizing the ecology of pathogens of purulent processes was studied. Many-years' results of the routine bacteriological tests of the materials from purulent wounds in patients from surgical, traumatological and burn departments served as the study subjects. The frequency, persistence and contamination capacity of the pathogens were investigated. Data on the changes in the frequency parameter with respect to the main pathogens of wound infections in various contingents of patients were collected. In relation to the observation period and contingent of the patients, various microorganisms were found to be permanent, supplementary and casual. The use of the ecological parameters was shown to provide integrated information on the etiological role of the pathogens in the development of purulent processes. The information characterized the microbial properties which should be considered in planning the use of antibacterial drugs and estimating the efficacy of the epidemiological control.

Room-temperature amplified spontaneous emission at 1300 nm in solution-processed PbS quantum-dot films.

We report room-temperature amplified spontaneous emission and spectral narrowing at infrared wavelengths in solution-processed films made up of PbS quantum-dot nanocrystals. The results are relevant to optical amplification and lasing integrated upon a variety of substrates. The active optical medium operates at room temperature without any additional matrix material, providing an optical gain of 260 cm(-1) and a pump threshold of 1 mJ/cm(-2). Nanocrystals synthesized in an aqueous solution and stabilized by use of short ligands result in high quantum-dot volume fractions in solid films and in a redshift emission relative to absorption.