Understanding cellular internalization pathways of silicon nanowires

BACKGROUND: Understanding how cells interact with nanomaterials is important for rational design of nanomaterials for nanomedicine and transforming them for clinical applications. Particularly, the mechanism for one-dimensional (1D) nanomaterials with high aspect ratios still remains unclear. RESULTS: In this work, we present amine-functionalized silicon nanowires (SiNW-NH2) entering CHO-β cells via a physical membrane wrapping mechanism. By utilizing optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and confocal fluorescence microscopy, we successfully visualized the key steps of internalization of SiNW-NH2 into cells. CONCLUSION: Our results provide insight into the interaction between 1D nanomaterials and confirm that these materials can be used for understanding membrane mechanics through physical stress exerted on the membrane

Synergistic Toll-like receptor 3/9 signaling impairs glioma growth via affecting properties of microglia

In murine experimental glioma models, TLR3 or TLR9 activation of microglial/macrophages has been shown to impair glioma growth, which could, however, not been verified in recent clinical trials. We therefore tested whether combined TLR3 and TLR9 activation of microglia/macrophages would have a synergistic effect. Indeed, combined TLR3/9 activation augmented the suppression of glioma growth in organotypic brain slices from male mice in a microglia-dependent fashion, and this synergistic suppression depended on interferon β release and phagocytic tumor clearance. Combined TLR3/9 stimulation also augmented several functional features of microglia such as the release of pro-inflammatory factors, motility and phagocytosis activity. TLR3/9 stimulation combined with CD47 blockade further augmented glioma clearance. Finally, we confirmed that the co-activation of TLR3/9 also augments the impairment of glioma growth in vivo. Our results show that combined activation of TLR3/9 in microglia/macrophages results in a more efficient glioma suppression, which may provide a potential strategy for glioma treatment.In murinen, experimentellen Modellen von Gliomen hat die Aktivierung von TLR3 oder TLR9 in Mikroglia/Makrophagen nachweislich das Wachstum von Gliomen beeinträchtigt, was jedoch nicht in jüngsten, klinischen Studien verifiziert werden konnte. Deswegen haben wir getestet, ob die kombinierte Aktivierung von TLR3 und TLR9 in Mikroglia/Makrophagen einen synergistischen Effekt hat. Tatsächlich hat die kombinierte TLR3/TLR9-Aktivierung die Suppression des Wachstums von Gliomen in organotypischen Hirnschnitten von männlichen Mäusen in Abhängigkeit von Mikroglia positiv beeinflusst, und diese synergistische Suppression war von der Ausschüttung von Interferon β und der phagozytotischen Beseitigung des Tumors abhängig. Die kombinierte TLR3/9 Stimulation hat ebenfalls mehrere, funktionelle Eigenschaften von Mikroglia erhöht, wie beispielsweise die Ausschüttung von proinflammatorischen Faktoren, Beweglichkeit und phagozytotische Aktivität. Die Stimulation von TLR3/9 in Kombination mit einer CD47-Blockierung hat weiterhin zu einer vermehrten Beseitigung der Gliome geführt. Abschließend haben wir bestätigt, dass die Koaktivierung von TLR3/9 auch die Beeinträchtigung des Wachstums von Gliomen in vivo erhöht. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die kombinierte Aktivierung von TLR3/9 in Mikroglia/Makrophagen eine effizientere Unterdrückung von Gliomen zum Ergebnis hat, was eine potenzielle Strategie für die Behandlung von Gliomen bieten könnte

Iris si iv line profiles: An indication for the plasmoid instability during small-scale magnetic reconnection on the sun

Our understanding of the process of fast reconnection has undergone a dramatic change in the last 10 years driven, in part, by the availability of high-resolution numerical simulations that have consistently demonstrated the break-up of current sheets into magnetic islands, with reconnection rates that become independent of Lundquist number, challenging the belief that fast magnetic reconnection in flares proceeds via the Petschek mechanism that invokes pairs of slow-mode shocks connected to a compact diffusion region. The reconnection sites are too small to be resolved with images but these reconnection mechanisms, Petschek and the plasmoid instability, have reconnection sites with very different density and velocity structures and so can be distinguished by high-resolution line-profiles observations. Using IRIS spectroscopic observations we obtain a survey of typical line profiles produced by small-scale events thought to be reconnection sites on the Sun. Slit-jaw images are used to investigate the plasma heating and re-configuration at the sites. A sample of 15 events from two active regions is presented. The line profiles are complex with bright cores and broad wings extending to over 300 km/s. The profiles can be reproduced with the multiple magnetic islands and acceleration sites that characterise the plasmoid instability but not by bi-directional jets that characterise the Petschek mechanism. This result suggests that if these small-scale events are reconnection sites, then fast reconnection proceeds via the plasmoid instability, rather than the Petschek mechanism during small-scale reconnection on the Sun.Comment: 10 pages, 18 Figures, to be published in Ap

Strong blueshift of the excitonic transition in the InGaAs/InP/InAsP antisymmetric coupled quantum wells

[[abstract]]A new strained InGaAs/InP/InAsP antisymmetric coupled-quantum-well (CQW) structure with significant enhancement of the blue and red Stark effects in the first heavy-hole-to-electron excitonic transition is proposed in this letter. The calculated amount of blueshift is about 48 meV as the applied electric field varied from 0 to 90 kV/cm and the red Stark shift of about 56 meV can be achieved with an applied electric field in the 0 to –90 kV/cm range. The results of the strong Stark effect in the antisymmetric CQW structure may have potential applications in sophisticated new electronic devices, such as optical switching devices and tunable lasers.[[fileno]]2030103010015[[department]]電機工程學