Comparative Evaluation of Translocation of GFP Producing Escherichia coli Strains in Acute Intestinal Obstruction.

Comparative evaluation of translocation of E. coli GFP-producing strains in experimental rats with obturation and strangulated intestinal obstruction was carried out. Translocation of infused GFP-producing E. coli strain was studied by bacteriological methods in male rats with experimental obturation and strangulated intestinal obstruction with various ischemia/reperfusion cycles. The maximum incidence of translocation in obturation intestinal obstruction was observed after 24 h. In strangulated intestinal obstruction, the highest incidence was recorded in ischemia/reperfusion cycles of 1 h/2 h and 2 h/6 h. No appreciable differences in the incidence of translocation in animals with two types of intestinal obstruction were detected.

[DYNAMICS OF ENTEROPERITONEAL TRANSLOCATION OF MICROORGANISMS ON THE EXPERIMANTAL MODEL OF ACUTE INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION].

The article presents an analysis of the dynamics of enteroperitoneal translocation of bacteria on the model of acute intestinal obstruction (AIO) in rats by performing an experimental study on laboratory animals. Using the proposed model of AIO we have tried to determine the level of enteroperitoneal translocation as a function of the time of the impassable obstruction. The results which presented in the article clearly demonstrate that when AIO is developing in experimental animals the greatest level of translocation was revealed on the 3rd and 5th days. Statistically significant growth of the microflora in the lumen of the intestine above the level of obturation was observed on the 1st day and the whole period of observation was maintained, and it was also revealed that the level of CFU depends on the duration of the AIO and in the abdominal cavity it increases dramatically by 7 days, compared to 1 and 3 days. However, there is no significant correlation between enteroperitoneal translocation and the level of CFU in the lumen of the intestine and abdominal cavity.

Highly doped InP as a low loss plasmonic material for mid-IR region.

We study plasmonic properties of highly doped InP in the mid-infrared (IR) range. InP was grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) with the growth conditions optimized to achieve high free electron concentrations by doping with silicon. The permittivity of the grown material was found by fitting the calculated infrared reflectance spectra to the measured ones. The retrieved permittivity was then used to simulate surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) propagation on flat and structured surfaces, and the simulation results were verified in direct experiments. SPPs at the top and bottom interfaces of the grown epilayer were excited by the prism coupling. A high-index Ge hemispherical prism provides efficient coupling conditions of SPPs on flat surfaces and facilitates acquiring their dispersion diagrams. We observed diffraction into symmetry-prohibited diffraction orders stimulated by the excitation of surface plasmon-polaritons in a periodically structured epilayer. Characterization shows good agreement between the theory and experimental results and confirms that highly doped InP is an effective plasmonic material aiming it for applications in the mid-IR wavelength range.

Hyperbolic metamaterials based on quantum-dot plasmon-resonator nanocomposites.

We theoretically demonstrate that nanocomposites made of colloidal semiconductor quantum dot monolayers placed between metal nanoparticle monolayers can function as multilayer hyperbolic metamaterials. Depending on the thickness of the spacer between the quantum dot and nanoparticle layers, the effective permittivity tensor of the nanocomposite is shown to become indefinite, resulting in increased photonic density of states and strong enhancement of quantum dot luminescence. This explains the results of recent experiments [T. Ozel et al., ACS Nano 5, 1328 (2011)] and confirms that hyperbolic metamaterials are capable of increasing the radiative decay rate of emission centers inside them. The proposed theoretical framework can also be used to design quantum-dot/nanoplasmonic composites with optimized luminescence enhancement.

Terahertz field enhancement to the MV/cm regime in a tapered parallel plate waveguide.

We investigate field enhancement properties of a tapered parallel plate waveguide for ultrashort terahertz (THz) pulses. We use two independent methods, air biased coherent detection inside the waveguide and free-space electro-optic sampling, respectively, which enables a calibrated, quantitative measurement of the field strength at the output of the waveguide. Field enhancement factors greater than 20 are demonstrated and record-high field strengths of > 1.4 MV/cm are reached. We find an excellent agreement between the two independent methods of field measurement and a numerical 3D full-vectorial time-domain simulations.

Optical waveguide mode control by nanoslit-enhanced terahertz field.

In this Letter we propose a scheme providing control over an optical waveguide mode by a terahertz (THz) wave. The scheme is based on an optimization of the overlap between the optical waveguide mode and the THz field, with the THz field strength enhanced by the presence of a metallic nanoslit surrounding the waveguide. We find an optimum balance between the optical mode attenuation and Kerr-induced change in the propagation constant. The criterion for a π/2-cumulative phase shift, for instance for application in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration, requires 10 kV/cm THz field, which in turn is estimated to result in a nonlinear change of the refractive index in the waveguide of 0.001. Our simulations prove that it is quite reasonable to observe the effect experimentally.

[Radiofrequency-assisted atypical resections of the liver for the colorectal cancer metastases].

The authors presented direct results of atypical resections of the liver for the colorectal cancer metastases fulfilled on 55 patients with the application of radiofrequency apparatus for the period from 2006 through 2010. The method used resulted in creation of 2.0 cm coagulation area which allowed dissection of the liver tissue practically without bleeding.

Photonic surface waves on metamaterial interfaces.

A surface wave (SW) in optics is a light wave, which is supported at an interface of two dissimilar media and propagates along the interface with its field amplitude exponentially decaying away from the boundary. Research on surface waves has been flourishing in the last few decades due to their unique properties of surface sensitivity and field localization. These features have resulted in applications in nano-guiding, sensing, light-trapping and imaging based on near-field techniques, contributing to the establishment of nanophotonics as a field of research. Up to now, a wide variety of surface waves has been investigated in numerous material and structure settings. This article reviews the recent progress and development in the physics of SWs localized at metamaterial interfaces, as well as bulk media in order to provide broader perspectives on optical surface waves in general. For each type of surface wave, we discuss the material and structural platforms. We mainly focus on experimental realizations in the visible and near-infrared wavelength ranges. We also address existing and potential application of SWs in chemical and biological sensing, and experimental excitation and characterization methods.

High-Quality Ultrathin Gold Layers with an APTMS Adhesion for Optimal Performance of Surface Plasmon Polariton-Based Devices.

A low-absorption adhesion layer plays a crucial role for both localized and propagating surface plasmons when ultrathin gold is used. To date, the most popular adhesion layers are metallic, namely, Cr and Ti. However, to the best of our knowledge, the influence of these adhesion layers on the behavior of propagating plasmon modes has not been thoroughly investigated nor reported in the literature. It is therefore important to study the effect of these few- to several-nanometers-thick adhesion layers on the propagating plasmons because it may affect the performance of plasmonic devices, in particular, when the Au layer is not much thicker than the adhesion layers. We experimentally compared the performances of the ultrathin gold films to show the pivotal influence of adhesion layers on highly confined propagating plasmonic modes, using Cr and 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTMS) adhesion layers and without any adhesion layer. We show that the gold films with the APTMS adhesion layer have the lowest surface roughness and the short-range surface plasmon polaritons supported on the Au surface exhibit properties close to the theoretical calculations, considering an ideal gold film.

Resonant add-drop filter based on a photonic quasicrystal.

We present a numerical study of optical properties of an octagonal quasi-periodic lattice of dielectric rods. We report on a complete photonic bandgap in TM polarization up to extremely low dielectric constants of rods. The first photonic bandgap remains open down to dielectric constant as small as epsilon = 1.6 (n = 1.26). The properties of an optical microcavity and waveguides are examined for the system of rods with dielectric constant epsilon = 5.0 (n = 2.24) in order to design an add-drop filter. Proposed add-drop filter is numerically characterized and further optimized for efficient operation. The two-dimensional finite difference time domain method was exploited for numerical calculations. We provide a numerical evidence of effective add-drop filter based on low index material, thus opening further opportunities for application of low refractive index materials in photonic bandgap optics.

Comprehensive FDTD modelling of photonic crystal waveguide components.

Planar photonic crystal waveguide structures have been modelled using the finite-difference-time-domain method and perfectly matched layers have been employed as boundary conditions. Comprehensive numerical calculations have been performed and compared to experimentally obtained transmission spectra for various photonic crystal waveguides. It is found that within the experimental fabrication tolerances the calculations correctly predict the measured transmission levels and other major transmission features.

Action of surfactants on egg lecithin liposomes.

The lytic action of several homologous series of surfactants including N-acyl derivatives of the Na-salt of amino acids on the egg lecithin multilamellar liposomes was examined. The affinity for the lipid membrane and the solubilising capacity of the agents were estimated. The contribution of a CH2 group and that of the polar head group of surfactants to the free energy of the agent's binding to the membrane were evaluated. The results obtained indicate that the contribution of a CH2 group to the free binding energy depends on the nature of the surfactants' head group. This dependence is attributed to either various localisation of the agent's molecules in the lipid bilayer or to different properties of the agent's hydrocarbon tails. The contributions of the head groups of the surfactants are assumed to reflect the affinity of these head groups for the lecithin polar head group at the membrane interface. The results obtained indicate some degree of specificity involved in the interactions of the head groups.

Propagation of classical waves in nonperiodic media: scaling properties of an optical Cantor filter.

Wave propagation through a subclass of deterministic nonperiodic media, namely, fractal Cantor multilayer structures are investigated theoretically as well as experimentally. Transmission spectra of Cantor structures are found to have two distinctive properties (scalability and sequential splitting) closely related to the geometrical peculiarities of the multilayers. A systematic correlation between structural self-similarity and spectral regularities of Cantor multilayers is established.

[Cardiolipin antibodies in pregnancy of high risk]. / Antitela k kardiolipinu pri beremennosti vysokogo riska.

Cardiolipin IgG and IgM antibodies (CAb) were studied in 116 cases of high-risk pregnancy. All the women were undergoing examination or treatment in regional perinatal center. CAb occurred more frequently in antenatal fetal death (50%). In blood hypertension, habitual abortions, history of infertility, gestational gestosis, CAb were encountered in 21.4, 20, 20 and 15.2% of cases, respectively. Intrauterine growth retardation was associated with CAb in 33.3% of cases. CAb occurred in pregnant women of different groups who had high uterine vascular resistance. The above findings indicate CAb contribution to genesis of gestational complications in high risk pregnancy.

[Modern views on the efficacy of different antibacterial preparations in the treatment and prophylaxis of inflammatory processes in patients after transurethral local ultrasonic hyperthermia of the prostate]. / Sovremennyi vzgliad na éffektivnost' primeneniia antibakterial'nykh preparatov raznykh grupp v lechenii i metafilaktike vospalitel'nykh protsessov u patsientov posle transuretral'noi lokal'noi mikrovolnovoi gipertermii predstatel'noi zhelezy.

Extensive clinical investigation was accomplished to study the influence of three antibacterial preparations groups (tetracyclines, aminoglycosides and fluorochinolons) on the phagocytic-macrophages and the immune systems in patients, to whom transurethral local microwave hyperthermia (TLMH) of prostate was performed for its benign hyperplasia. The data obtained witness high efficacy of fluorochinolons group preparation (tavanic) toward bacteria of different nosologic groups, as well as to their atypical forms. Pronounced efficacy and simplicity of application of the preparation had allowed to recommend its wide use in urologic practice.