Multisensory stimulation modulates perceptual and post perceptual face representations: Evidence from event-related potentials.

Seeing a face being touched in spatial and temporal synchrony with the own face produces a bias in self-recognition, whereby the other face becomes more likely to be perceived as the self. The present study employed event-related potentials to explore whether this enfacement effect reflects initial face encoding, enhanced distinctiveness of the enfaced face, modified self-identity representations, or even later processing stages that are associated with the emotional processing of faces. Participants were stroked in synchrony or asynchrony with an unfamiliar face they observed on a monitor in front of them, in a situation approximating a mirror image. Subsequently, event-related potentials were recorded during the presentation of (a) a previously synchronously stimulated face, (b) an asynchronously stimulated face, (c) observers' own face, (d) filler faces, and (e) a to-be-detected target face, which required a response. Observers reported a consistent enfacement illusion after synchronous stimulation. Importantly, the synchronously stimulated face elicited more prominent N170 and P200 responses than the asynchronously stimulated face. By contrast, similar N250 and P300 responses were observed in these conditions. These results suggest that enfacement modulates early neural correlates of face encoding and facial prototypicality, rather than identity self-representations and associated emotional processes

Restricting Glycolysis Preserves T Cell Effector Functions and Augments Checkpoint Therapy

Tumor-derived lactic acid inhibits T and natural killer (NK) cell function and, thereby, tumor immunosurveillance. Here, we report that melanoma patients with high expression of glycolysis-related genes show a worse progression free survival upon anti-PD1 treatment. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac lowers lactate secretion of tumor cells and improves anti-PD1-induced T cell killing in vitro. Surprisingly, diclofenac, but not other NSAIDs, turns out to be a potent inhibitor of the lactate transporters monocarboxylate transporter 1 and 4 and diminishes lactate efflux. Notably, T cell activation, viability, and effector functions are preserved under diclofenac treatment and in a low glucose environment in vitro. Diclofenac, but not aspirin, delays tumor growth and improves the efficacy of checkpoint therapy in vivo. Moreover, genetic suppression of glycolysis in tumor cells strongly improves checkpoint therapy. These findings support the rationale for targeting glycolysis in patients with high glycolytic tumors together with checkpoint inhibitors in clinical trials

Physical–chemical and biological behavior of an amorphous calcium phosphate thin film produced by RF-magnetron sputtering

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Continuous-flow preparation of nanoporous metal/polymer composite particles by in situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles in photopolymerized acrylate/diethylene glycol droplets

The principle of micro continuous-flow synthesis of polymer microparticles using a co-flow arrangement with integrated in situ photopolymerization was applied for the synthesis of nanoporous acrylate particles and for polymer composite microparticles containing silver and gold/silver metal nanoparticles. The nano porosity is induced by the addition of diethylene glycol (DEG). Nanoporous and composite polymer particles with sizes between about 50 and 500 mu m have been obtained depending on the diameter of the applied glass capillary and the flow conditions during droplet formation. DEG acts as a mediator for miscibility and allows the addition of silver salt and tetrachloroauric acid as well as ascorbic acid for enhancing the reduction of metal ions in the reaction mixture. The formation of metal nanoparticles takes place mainly during the UV-light-induced polymerization. The presence of metal nanoparticles inside the polymer matrix was proved by SEM imaging and EDX analysis

Microstructure and mechanical characteristics of hydroxyapatite coatings on Ti/TiN/Si substrates synthesized by pulsed laser deposition

We synthesized by pulsed laser deposition a bilayer of Ti/TiN on Si(100) wafers which was coated in a next step with hydroxyapatite (samples labelled HA-1). Some of the structures were further thermally treated in a water vapour jet (samples labelled HA-2). In SEM, the HA surface looked rough, with micronic droplets. TEM and SAED investigations revealed a compact organization of HA crystals in the case of the HA-1 sample, while two regions (one compact and one porous) were identified for the HA-2 sample, with triclinic HA crystals within the 500 nm range. In XTEM, at the Si/TiN border, a 2-3 nm SiO(2) layer was visible, whereas at the TiN/Ti border there was a smooth transition from fcc (111) TiN to hcp (100) Ti. The HA crystals were elongated normal to the surface. According to Berkovich indentation qualitative analyses, the sample HA-1 was more homogeneous and harder but brittle. Scratch tests confirmed quantitatively that HA-1 was more resistant and adherent than HA-2 films. In the first case, the big droplets only were removed by the indenter, while the HA-2 films were delaminated on large areas as a result of wedge spallation failure

Resin-free three-layered Ti/PMMA/Ti sandwich materials: Adhesion and formability study

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