Magnetodielectric small spheres present unusual electromagnetic scattering features, theoretically predicted a few decades ago. However, achieving such behaviour has remained elusive, due to the non-magnetic character of natural optical materials or the difficulty in obtaining low-loss highly permeable magnetic materials in the gigahertz regime. Here we present unambiguous experimental evidence that a single low-loss dielectric subwavelength sphere of moderate refractive index (n ¼ 4 like some semiconductors at near-infrared) radiates fields identical to those from equal amplitude crossed electric and magnetic dipoles, and indistinguishable from those of ideal magnetodielectric spheres. The measured scattering radiation patterns and degree of linear polarization (3-9 GHz/33-100 mm range) show that, by appropriately tuning the a/l ratio, zero-backward ('Huygens' source) or almost zeroforward ('Huygens' reflector) radiated power can be obtained. These Kerker scattering conditions only depend on a/l. Our results open new technological challenges from nanoand micro-photonics to science and engineering of antennas, metamaterials and electromagnetic devices.
The practical efficacy of technologically promising metals for use in ultraviolet plasmonics (3−6 eV) is assessed by an exhaustive numerical analysis. This begins with estimates of the near-and far-field electromagnetic enhancement factors of isolated hemispherical and spherical metallic nanoparticles deposited on typical dielectric substrates like sapphire, from which the potential of each metal for plasmonic applications may be ascertained. The ultraviolet plasmonic behavior of aluminum, chromium, copper, gallium, indium, magnesium, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, titanium, and tungsten was compared with the well-known behavior of gold and silver in the visible. After exploring this behavior for each metal as a function of nanoparticle shape and size, the deleterious effect caused by the metal's native oxide is considered, and the potential for applications such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, accelerated photodegradation and photocatalysis is addressed.
Cytokine genes are targets of multiple epigenetic mechanisms in T lymphocytes. 5-azacytidine (5-azaC) is a nucleosidebased DNA methyltransferase inhibitor that induces demethylation and gene reactivation. In the current study, we analyzed the effect of 5-azaC in T-cell function and observed that 5-azaC inhibits T-cell proliferation and activation, blocking cell cycle in the G 0 to G 1 phase and decreasing the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-␣ and interferon-␥. This effect was not attributable to a proapoptotic effect of the drug but to the down-regulation of genes involved in T-cell cycle progression and activation such as CCNG2, MTCP1, CD58, and ADK and up-regulation of genes that induce cell-growth arrest, such as DCUN1D2, U2AF2, GADD45B, or p53. A longer exposure to the drug leads to demethylation of FOXP3 promoter, overexpression of FOXP3, and expansion of regulatory T cells. Finally, the administration of 5-azaC after transplantation prevented the development of graft-versushost disease, leading to a significant increase in survival in a fully mismatched bone marrow transplantation mouse model. In conclusion, the current study shows the effect of 5-azaC in T lymphocytes and illustrates its role in the allogeneic transplantation setting as an immunomodulatory drug, describing new pathways that must be explored to prevent graft-versus-host disease. (Blood.
We address the scattering cross sections, and their consequences, for submicrometer Germanium spheres. It is shown that there is a wide window in the near infrared where light scattering by these particles is fully described by their induced electric and magnetic dipoles. In this way, we observe remarkable anisotropic scattering angular distributions, as well as zero forward or backward scattered intensities, which until recently was theoretically demonstrated only for hypothetically postulated magnetodielectric spheres. Also, interesting new effects of the optical forces exerted on these objects are now obtained.
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