Stacked optical antennas for plasmon propagation in a 5 nm-confined cavity

The sub-wavelength concentration and propagation of electromagnetic energy are two complementary aspects of plasmonics that are not necessarily co-present in a single nanosystem. Here we exploit the strong nanofocusing properties of stacked optical antennas in order to highly concentrate the electromagnetic energy into a 5 nm metal-insulator-metal (MIM) cavity and convert free radiation into guided modes. The proposed nano-architecture combines the concentration properties of optical nanoantennas with the propagation capability of MIM systems, paving the way to highly miniaturized on-chip plasmonic waveguiding

Modeling of open quantum devices within the closed-system paradigm

We present an alternative simulation strategy for the study of nonequilibrium carrier dynamics in quantum devices with open boundaries. We propose to replace the usual modeling of open quantum systems based on phenomenological injection/loss rates with a kinetic description of the system-reservoir thermalization process. In this simulation scheme the partial carrier thermalization induced by the device spatial boundaries is treated within the standard Boltzmann-transport approach via an effective scattering mechanism between the highly nonthermal device electrons and the thermal carrier distribution of the reservoir. Applications to state-of-the-art semiconductor nanostructures are discussed. Finally, the proposed approach is extended to the quantum-transport regime; to this end, we introduce an effective Liouville superoperator, able to describe the effect of the device spatial boundaries on the time evolution of the single-particle density matrix

Response to erlotinib in a patient with lung adenocarcinoma harbouring the EML4-ALK translocation: A case report.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide, and the mainstay of treatment remains to be personalised therapy. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR-TKIs) have been reported to exert a significant impact in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly in patients harbouring mutations in the EGFR gene. The echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) gene translocation has been described in a subset of patients with NSCLC and possesses potent oncogenic activity. This translocation represents one of the most novel molecular targets in the treatment of NSCLC. Patients who harbour the EML4-ALK rearrangement possess lung tumours that lack EGFR or K-ras mutations. The present study reports the case of a patient possessing the EML4-ALK rearrangement that was initially treated with erlotinib and achieved a lasting clinical response. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first report of a clinical response to EGFR-TKI in a patient with lung adenocarcinoma harbouring the EML4-ALK fusion gene, but no EGFR mutations. However, as the disease progressed, the ALK gene status of the tumour was investigated, and based upon a positive result, the patient was treated with crizotinib and achieved a complete response. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the EML4-ALK rearrangement is not always associated with resistance to EGFR-TKIs. Further studies are required to clarify the biological features of these tumours and to investigate the mechanisms underlying the primary resistance to EGFR-TKIs when the EML4-ALK rearrangement is present