The response of gold nanoparticle dimers is studied theoretically near and beyond the limit where the particles are touching. As the particles approach each other, a dominant dipole feature is observed that is pushed into the infrared due to interparticle coupling and that is associated with a large pileup of induced charge in the interparticle gap. The redshift becomes singular as the particle...

In the use of atmospheric pressure plasma jets in biological applications, the plasma-produced charged and neutral species in the plume of the jet often interact with a thin layer of liquid covering the tissue being treated. The plasma-produced reactivity must then penetrate through the liquid layer to reach the tissue. In this computational investigation, a plasma jet created by a single disch...

BACKGROUND The hand hygiene practices of health care workers (HCWs) have long been the main vector for nosocomial infection in hospitals. The purpose of this study was to examine influences on risk judgment from the individual differences in knowledge levels and health beliefs among US HCWs. METHODS Knowledge levels were assessed by questions taken from published questionnaires. The health lo...

Characterizing cytoarchitecture is crucial for understanding brain functions and neural diseases. In neuroanatomy, it is an important task to accurately extract cell populations' centroids and contours. Recent advances have permitted imaging at single cell resolution for an entire mouse brain using the Nissl staining method. However, it is difficult to precisely segment numerous cells, especial...

A hug is a wholesome thing. At least at one time it was. Most people considered a hug genial and benevolent. It conveyed a positive meaning: a praise, an expression of encouragement, or consolation. A hug meant someone was being friendly. Those were the days before sexual harassment issues and sexual assault cases. Now a hug often is suspect. The motivation for touch frequently is questioned. T...

Segmentation of agricultural products on a conveyor belt is a rst step for product inspection. We consider a new algorithm to achieve segmentation (locating each individual item and placing it in a separate le). We use X-ray images which provide useful internal information on the state of the product (good or bad). The product items considered vary in size, shape, gray-scale properties, and lie...