Seed-layer mediated orientation evolution in dielectric Bi-Zn-Ti-Nb-O thin films

Highly (hhh) -oriented pyrochlore Bi-Zn-Ti-Nb-O (BZTN) thin films were fabricated via metal-organic decomposition using orientation template layers. The preferred orientation was ascribed to the interfacial layer, the lattice parameter of which is similar to BZTN. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy supported that the interfacial layer consists of Bi and Pt. The (hhh) -oriented thin films exhibited a highly insulating nature enabling feasible applications in electronic devices, particularly voltage tunable application. The BZTN thin films did not show any apparent dielectric anisotropy and the slightly enhanced dielectric properties were discussed in connection to the internal stress and the grain boundary effect. © 2007 American Institute of Physics

High Quality Bioreplication of Intricate nanostructures from a Fragile Gecko Skin Surface with Bactericidal Properties

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Minimally Invasive Total Hip Arthroplasty in a Patient with Hereditary Multiple Exostoses: A Case Report

Hip geometry abnormalities found in patients with hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) could promote premature hip joint degeneration which needs treatment. We report the case of a 45-year old male with right hip arthrosis who underwent two-incision minimally invasive (MIS-2) total hip arthroplasty (THA), with satisfactory outcome. This technique could be an alternative approach for performing THA in patients with hereditary multiple exostoses

Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering studies on templating nanopores in networked polymer thin films with a multi-armed porogen

The mechanism of thermal pore generation in organosilicate thin films loaded with a six-armed star-shaped poly(epsilon-caprolactone) porogen was quantitatively investigated by using in-situ grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering and thermogravimetry. These analyses found that the blend components have a limited miscibility that depends on the compositionfor porogen loadings up to only 20 wt%, molecularly miscible blend films were obtained. Even for the miscible blend films, heating the films produced a curing reaction of the precursor matrix component, leading to the phase separation of the porogen component. This phase separation was found to begin at 393 K for 10 wt% porogen loaded films and at 373 K for 20 wt% porogen loaded films, and to continue for temperatures up to 423 K. The porogen aggregates remained and were confined within the matrix film without any further growth or movement until complete thermal decomposition above 564 K.ope

Tailoring the atomic structure of graphene nanoribbons by STM lithography

The practical realization of nano-scale electronics faces two major challenges: the precise engineering of the building blocks and their assembly into functional circuits. In spite of the exceptional electronic properties of carbon nanotubes only basic demonstration-devices have been realized by time-consuming processes. This is mainly due to the lack of selective growth and reliable assembly processes for nanotubes. However, graphene offers an attractive alternative. Here we report the patterning of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) and bent junctions with nanometer precision, well-defined widths and predetermined crystallographic orientations allowing us to fully engineer their electronic structure using scanning tunneling microscope (STM) lithography. The atomic structure and electronic properties of the ribbons have been investigated by STM and tunneling spectroscopy measurements. Opening of confinement gaps up to 0.5 eV, allowing room temperature operation of GNR-based devices, is reported. This method avoids the difficulties of assembling nano-scale components and allows the realization of complete integrated circuits, operating as room temperature ballistic electronic devices.Comment: 8 pages text, 5 figures, Nature Nanotechnology, in pres

Application of immortalized mouse dental papilla cells for tooth bioengineering

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Blockade of cannabinoid 1 receptor improves glucose responsiveness in pancreatic beta cells

Cannabinoid 1 receptors (CB1Rs) are expressed in peripheral tissues, including islets of Langerhans, where their function(s) is under scrutiny. Using mouse beta-cell lines, human islets and CB1R-null (CB1R(-/-)) mice, we have now investigated the role of CB1Rs in modulating beta-cell function and glucose responsiveness. Synthetic CB1R agonists diminished GLP-1-mediated cAMP accumulation and insulin secretion as well as glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in mouse beta-cell lines and human islets. In addition, silencing CB1R in mouse cells resulted in an increased expression of pro-insulin, glucokinase (GCK) and glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), but this increase was lost in cells lacking insulin receptor. Furthermore, CB1R(-/-) mice had increased pro-insulin, GCK and GLUT2 expression in cells. Our results suggest that CB1R signalling in pancreatic islets may be harnessed to improve beta-cell glucose responsiveness and preserve their function. Thus, our findings further support that blocking peripheral CB1Rs would be beneficial to beta-cell function in type 2 diabetes

Intranasal Introduction of Fc-Fused Interleukin-7 Provides Long-Lasting Prophylaxis against Lethal Influenza Virus Infection

Influenza A virus (IAV) infection frequently causes hospitalization and mortality due to severe immunopathology. Annual vaccination and antiviral drugs are the current countermeasures against IAV infection, but they have a limited efficacy against new IAV variants. Here, we show that intranasal pretreatment with Fc-fused interleukin-7 (IL-7-mFc) protects mice from lethal IAV infections. The protective activity of IL-7-mFc relies on transcytosis via neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) in the lung and lasts for several weeks. Introduction of IL-7-mFc alters pulmonary immune environments, leading to recruitment of T cells from circulation and their subsequent residency as tissue-resident memory-like T (T-RM-like) cells. IL-7-mFc-primed pulmonary T-RM-like cells contribute to protection upon IAV infection by dual modes. First, T-RM-like cells, although not antigen specific but polyclonal, attenuate viral replication at the early phase of IAV infection. Second, T-RM-like cells augment expansion of IAV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), in particular at the late phase of infection, which directly control viruses. Thus, accelerated viral clearance facilitated by pulmonary T cells, which are either antigen specific or not, alleviates immunopathology in the lung and mortality from IAV infection. Depleting a subset of pulmonary T cells indicates that both CD4 and CD8 T cells contribute to protection from IAV, although IL-7-primed CD4 T cells have a more prominent role. Collectively, we propose intranasal IL-7-mFc pretreatment as an effective means for generating protective immunity against IAV infections, which could be applied to a potential prophylaxis for influenza pandemics in the future. IMPORTANCE The major consequence of a highly pathogenic IAV infection is severe pulmonary inflammation, which can result in organ failure and death at worst. Although vaccines for seasonal IAVs are effective, frequent variation of surface viral proteins hampers development of protective immunity. In this study, we demonstrated that intranasal IL-7-mFc pretreatment protected immunologically naive mice from lethal IAV infections. Intranasal pretreatment with IL-7-mFc induced an infiltration of T cells in the lung, which reside as effector/memory T cells with lung-retentive markers. Those IL-7-primed pulmonary T cells contributed to development of protective immunity upon IAV infection, reducing pulmonary immunopathology while increasing IAV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Since a single treatment with IL-7-mFc was effective in the protection against multiple strains of IAV for an extended period of time, our findings suggest a possibility that IL-7-mFc treatment, as a potential prophylaxis, can be developed for controlling highly pathogenic IAV infections.open1175sciescopu