Plasmonic sphere-on-plane systems with semiconducting polymer spacer layers.

The optical properties of metal-film-coupled nanoparticles (NPs) are highly sensitive to physical and optical interactions between the NPs and the spacer medium in the gap between the NP and metal film. Here, we investigate the physical and optical interactions between gold NPs (AuNPs) and semiconducting conjugated polymer thin-film spacers in a "sphere-on-plane" type metal-film-coupled NP system, and their influence on the plasmonic scattering of individual AuNPs. We choose two different conjugated polymers: one with an absorption spectrum that is resonant with the plasmonic modes of the AuNPs and another that is non-resonant.

Inside the clinic: health professionals' role in their clients' psychological rehabilitation.

Context: Health professionals (ie, physical therapists, athletic trainers) can play an integral role in the psychological recovery from injury.

Objective: To examine health professionals' perceptions of the roles they play and their influence on the psychological recovery of their clients.

Design: A qualitative design using semistructured interviews that were transcribed and analyzed using interpretational analyses to reveal themes.

Evaluation of work place group and internet based physical activity interventions on psychological variables associated with exercise behavior change.

The purpose of this research was to compare group-based and internet-based physical activity interventions in terms of desirability, participant characteristics, exercise self-efficacy, and barrier self-efficacy. Pretest questionnaires were completed prior to voluntary enrollment into either of the ten-week physical activity interventions. Both interventions were based on Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model.