All-optical 3D blue phase photonic crystal switch with photosensitive dopants.

Blue phase (BP) liquid crystals (LC) have lately become the focus of extensive research due to their peculiar properties and structure. BPs exhibit a highly organized 3D structure with a lattice period in the hundreds of nm. Owing to such structure, BPs are regarded as 3D photonic crystals.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of New 1-Benzo[]imidazole Based PqsR Inhibitors as Adjuvant Therapy for Infections.

is one of the top priority pathogens that requires immediate attention according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Due to the alarming shortage of novel antimicrobials, targeting quorum sensing (QS), a bacterial cell to cell signaling system controlling virulence, has emerged as a promising approach as an antibiotic adjuvant therapy. Interference with the system, one of three QS systems in , results in reduction of bacterial virulence gene expression and biofilm maturation.

Achiral Nanoparticle-Enhanced Chiral Twist and Thermal Stability of Blue Phase Liquid Crystals.

Blue phase liquid crystals (BPLCs) are chiral mesophases with 3D order, which makes them a promising template for doping nanoparticles (NPs), yielding tunable nanomaterials attractive for microlasers and numerous microsensor applications. However, doping NPs to BPLCs causes BP lattice extension, which translates to elongation of operating wavelengths of light reflection. Here, it is demonstrated that small (2.

Design and Evaluation of New Quinazolin-4(3)-one Derived PqsR Antagonists as Quorum Sensing Quenchers in .

(PA) continues to pose a threat to global public health due to its high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The ongoing AMR crisis has led to an alarming shortage of effective treatments for resistant microbes, and hence there is a pressing demand for the development of novel antimicrobial interventions. The potential use of antivirulence therapeutics to tackle bacterial infections has attracted considerable attention over the past decades as they hamper the pathogenicity of target microbes with reduced selective pressure, minimizing the emergence of resistance.

Orientation control of ideal blue phase photonic crystals.

Three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystals like Blue Phases, self-assemble in highly organized structures with a sub-micrometer range periodicity, producing selective Bragg reflections in narrow bands. Current fabrication techniques are emerging at a fast pace, however, manufacturing large 3D monocrystals still remains a challenge, and controlling the crystal orientation of large crystals has not yet been achieved. In this work, we prepared ideal 3D Blue Phase macrocrystals with a controlled crystal orientation.

Hit Identification of New Potent PqsR Antagonists as Inhibitors of Quorum Sensing in Planktonic and Biofilm Grown .

Current treatments for infections are becoming less effective because of the increasing rates of multi-antibiotic resistance. Pharmacological targeting of virulence through inhibition of quorum sensing (QS) dependent virulence gene regulation has considerable therapeutic potential. In , the QS system regulates the production of multiple virulence factors as well as biofilm maturation and is a promising approach for developing antimicrobial adjuvants for combatting drug resistance.

Liquid crystal tunable claddings for polymer integrated optical waveguides.

Optical waveguides in photonic integrated circuits are traditionally passive elements merely carrying optical signals from one point to another. These elements could contribute to the integrated circuit functionality if they were modulated either by variations of the core optical properties, or by using tunable claddings. In this work, the use of liquid crystals as electro-optically active claddings for driving integrated waveguides has been explored.

Rapid detection of pathogens using lyotropic liquid crystals.

Lyotropic liquid crystals play an important role in many biological environments, such as micelles, liposomes, and phospholipid bilayers of cell membranes. In this work, we explore the performance of lyotropic liquid crystals as biosensors for macromolecules, proteins and whole microorganisms in hydrophilic media, i.e.

Clinical outcomes of patients undergoing antiviral therapy while awaiting liver transplantation.

Background & Aims: Antiviral therapy for the treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) infection has proved to be safe and efficacious in patients with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation (LT). However, the information regarding the clinical impact of viral eradication in patients on the waiting list is still limited. The aim of the study was to investigate the probability of delisting in patients who underwent antiviral therapy, and the clinical outcomes of these delisted patients.

Wide tunable shift of the reflection band in dual frequency cholesteric liquid crystals.

Technologies featuring external control of reflected and transmitted light are lately being explored for a wide range of optical and photonic applications. Yet, the options for spectral band tuning are scarce, especially if dynamic control of either reflected or transmitted light is required. In this work we demonstrate a tunable device capable of shifting the reflected light spectrum of an impinging light using dual frequency cholesteric liquid crystals.

Monodomain Blue Phase Liquid Crystal Layers for Phase Modulation.

Liquid crystal "Blue Phases" (BP) have evolved, in the last years, from a scientific curiosity to emerging materials for new photonic and display applications. They possess attractive features over standard nematic liquid crystals, like submillisecond switching times and polarization- independent optical response. However, BPs still present a number of technical issues that prevent their use in practical applications: their phases are only found in limited temperature ranges, thus requiring stabilization of the layers; stabilized BP layers are inhomogeneous and not uniformly oriented, which worsen the optical performance of the devices.

Morphology of SiO films as a key factor in alignment of liquid crystals with negative dielectric anisotropy.

Control of liquid crystal (LC) orientation using a proper SiO alignment layer is essential for the optimization of vertically aligned nematic (VAN) displays. With this aim, we studied the optical anisotropy of thin SiO films by generalized ellipsometry as a function of deposition angle. The columnar SiO structure orientation measured by a noninvasive ellipsometry technique is reported for the first time, and its morphology influence on the LC alignment is demonstrated for large deposition angles.

Predictors of Poor Prognosis in Recurrent Hepatitis C After Liver Transplantation.

Background: Hepatitis C is a common indication for liver transplantation (LT). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence is universal in viremic patients. This recurrence is frequently very aggressive, with graft loss in less than 5 years.

Phylogenetic congruence and ecological coherence in terrestrial Thaumarchaeota.

Thaumarchaeota form a ubiquitously distributed archaeal phylum, comprising both the ammonia-oxidising archaea (AOA) and other archaeal groups in which ammonia oxidation has not been demonstrated (including Group 1.1c and Group 1.3).

Risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation: accuracy of the alpha-fetoprotein model in a single-center experience.

Background: Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis after a liver transplantation (LT) is a major concern, and a strict Milan criteria selection of candidates does not accurately discriminate the relapse rate after LT.

Purpose: This study sought to analyze the risk factors affecting tumor recurrence after LT for related cirrhosis HCC and the application of the French prognostic model (preLT alpha-fetoprotein [AFP], size, number) in a single center.

Methods: In a retrospective observational study of LT for HCC and cirrhosis, clinicopathological features were analyzed.

Point diffraction interferometer with a liquid crystal monopixel.

In this work a novel point diffraction interferometer based on a variable liquid crystal wave plate (LCWP) has been implemented. The LCWP consists of a 3x3 cm(2) monopixel cell with parallel alignment. The monopixel cell was manufactured such that the electrode covers the entire surface except in a centered circular area of 50 μm of diameter.

Hepatitis C virus sensitivity to combined antiviral therapy in liver transplant versus immunocompetent patients.

Recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) frequently causes allograft failure, because viral aggressiveness has been shown to be increased among immunosuppressed patients. Several studies have reported lower efficacy of antiviral therapy after OLT associated with worse tolerability. The aim of this study was to compare the logarithmic falls in viral loads at 4 and 12 weeks of treatment with pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin among OLT versus immunocompetent patients.

Scarce influence of corticosteroid boluses on long-term viral load and liver histology in transplanted patients with recurrent hepatitis C.

Corticosteroid boluses, which are the treatment for acute rejection episodes, have been shown to produce transient increases in viremia. However, their effect on long-term viral load, histological activity index (HAI), and fibrosis has not been well established. The aim of our study was to compare late viral load, HAI, and fibrosis in patients with versus without steroid boluses in the immediate posttransplant period.

Hepatitis C virus recurrence after liver transplantation: influence of immunosuppressive regimens on viral load and liver histology.

Cyclosporine has recently been reported to produce in vitro suppression of hepatitis C virus replication driven by blockade of cyclophilins, an effect not shown for tacrolimus. However, the clinical consequence of this in vitro finding have not been well studied in vivo. We compared viral load and fibrosis in transplanted patients receiving monotherapy with tacrolimus or cyclosporine.

Hepatitis C recurrence after liver transplantation: Viral and histologic response to full-dose PEG-interferon and ribavirin.

Hepatitis C recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) is universal, and frequently leads to cirrhosis and death. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy and safety of 48-weeks of full-dose peg-interferon-alpha-2a (n = 4) or alpha-2b (n = 51) plus ribavirin (>11 mg/kg/day) in a multicentric cohort of 55 patients > or =12 months after LT. All subjects had histologically proven HCV recurrence, excluding severe cholestatic recurrence.

Improved graft function in liver-transplanted patients after partial splenic embolization: reversal of splenic artery steal syndrome?

Aim: To describe the functional effect of partial splenic embolization (PSE) in liver-transplanted (LT) patients with hypersplenism and hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence.

Patients And Methods: From May 2002 to May 2005, five LT patients with persistent hypersplenism, viral recurrence and graft dysfunction underwent PSE prior to pegylated interferon/ribavirin (peg-IFN/RBV).

Results: The mean splenic size was 19.