AQP4 Attenuated TRAF6/NFκB Activation in Acrylamide-Induced Neurotoxicity

Acrylamide (ACR) is present in high-temperature-processed high-carbohydrate foods, cigarette smoke, and industrial pollution. Chronic exposure to ACR may induce neurotoxicity from reactive oxygen species (ROS); however, the mechanisms underlying ACR-induced neurotoxicity remain unclear. We studied 28-day subacute ACR toxicity by repeatedly feeding ACR (0, 15, or 30 mg/kg) to rats. We conducted RNA sequencing and Western blot analyses to identify differences in mRNA expression in the blood and in protein expression in the brain tissues, respectively, of the rats. AQP4 transient transfection was performed to identify potential associations with protein regulation. The rats treated with 30 mg/kg ACR exhibited hind-limb muscle weakness. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP9) expression was higher in the ACR-treated group than in the control group. ACR induced MMP-9 and AQP4 protein expression in the brain tissues of the rats, which subsequently presented with neurotoxicity. In the in vitro study, Neuro-2a cells were transiently transfected with AQP4, which inhibited MMP-9 and TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) expression, and inhibited ACR induced expression of TRAF6, IκBα, and nuclear factor κB (NFκB). Using a combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments, this study revealed that depressive symptoms associated with ACR-induced neurotoxicity are associated with downregulation of AQP4 and induction of the TRAF6 pathway.     

Current and strain-induced spin polarization in InGaN/GaN superlattices

The lateral current-induced spin polarization in InGaN/GaN superlattices (SLs) without an applied magnetic field is reported. The fact that the sign of the nonequilibrium spin changes as the current reverses and is opposite for the two edges provides a clear signature for the spin Hall effect. In addition, it is discovered that the spin Hall effect can be strongly manipulated by the internal strains. A theoretical work has also been developed to understand the observed strain-induced spin polarization. Our result paves an alternative way for the generation of spin polarized current.     

Selective spreading and jetting of electrically driven dielectric films

We study the electrically driven spreading of dielectric liquid films in wedge-shaped gaps across which a potential difference is applied. Our experiments are in a little-studied regime where, throughout the dynamics, the electrical relaxation time is long compared to the time for charge to be convected by the fluid motion. We observe that at a critical normal electric field the hump-shaped leading edge undergoes an instability in the form of a single Taylor cone and periodic jetting ensues, after which traveling waves occur along the trailing thin film. We propose a convection-dominated mechanism for charge transport to describe the observed dynamics and rationalize the viscosity dependence of the self-excited dynamics.     

Transmission Characteristics of 90° Bent Photonic Crystal Waveguides

There are several key factors that affect the transmission characteristics of the 90° (L-shaped) bent photonic crystal waveguides. The first factor is the direct coupling efficiency from the incident lights into the waveguides. The second one is the bandgap deviations of the photonic crystals. And the third factor is the optical reflections in the bent corners. In this article, we compare three types of L-shaped bent photonic crystal waveguides. One is the original type, which has an abrupt right-angle bend. Another is an improved 90° bend with a 45°-mirror. The other is an L-shaped bent photonic crystal waveguide with a 45°-transitional section. We investigate their respective frequency responses and observe the improvements in the total transmission efficiencies provided by the latter types.     

A new database and benchmark of the bond energies of noble-gas-containing molecules

We have developed a new database of structures and bond energies of 59 noble-gas-containing molecules. The structures were calculated by CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ methods and the bond energies were obtained using the CCSD(T)/complete basis set method. Many wavefunction-based and density functional theory methods have been benchmarked against the 59 accurate bond energies. Our results show that the MPW1B95, B2GP-PLYP, and DSD-BLYP functionals with the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set excel in predicting the bond energies of noble-gas molecules with mean unsigned errors (MUEs) of 2.0 to 2.1 kcal/mol. When combinations of Dunning's basis sets are used, the MPW1B95, B2GP-PLYP, DSD-BLYP, and BMK functionals give significantly lower MUEs of 1.6 to 1.9 kcal/mol. Doubly hybrid methods using B2GP-PLYP and DSD-BLYP functionals and MP2 calculation also provide satisfactory accuracy with MUEs of 1.4 to 1.5 kcal/mol. If the Ng bond energies and the total atomization energies of a group of 109 main-group molecules are considered at the same time, the MPW1B95/aug-cc-pVTZ single-level method (MUE = 2.7 kcal/mol) and the B2GP-PLYP and DSD-PLYP functionals with combinations of basis sets or using the doubly hybrid method (MUEs = 1.9-2.2 kcal/mol) give the overall best result.     

Optical design of high performance con-focal microscopy with digital micro-mirror and stray light filters

This research proposes a newly developed stray light filter in order to eliminate stray light, which otherwise might severely reduce the performance of the con-focal microscopy presented in this research. First, an optical design for con-focal microscopy with a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) is illustrated; second, a newly developed stray light filter is presented, which functions to eliminate possible stray light and ghost images without any sacrifice of luminance. It indicates that not only can the optical system be much simplified but also that its resolution could be one step higher, because the system employs neither a pinhole nor a CCD camera lens. Experimental results are shown in the paper, demonstrating an increase in contrast of up to 60%.     

Monochromatic soft X-ray-induced reactions of CCl2F2 adsorbed on Si(111)-7 × 7 near the Si(2p) edge

Continuous-time photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and continuous-time core-level photon-stimulated desorption (PSD) spectroscopy were used to study the monochromatic soft X-ray-induced reactions of CCl₂F₂ molecules adsorbed on Si(111)-7 × 7 at 30 K (CCl₂F₂ dose = 2.0 × 10¹⁴ molecules/cm², ~ 0.75 monolayer) near the Si(2p) core level. Evolution of adsorbed CCl₂F₂ molecules was monitored by using continuous-time photoelectron spectroscopy at two photon energies of 98 and 120 eV to deduce the photolysis cross section as a function of energy. It was found that the photolysis cross sections for 98 and 120 eV photons are _~1.4 × 10^? 18 and ~ 8.0 × 10^? 18 cm², respectively. Sequential F⁺ PSD spectra obtained by using continuous-time core-level photon-stimulated desorption spectroscopy in the photon energy range of 98–110 eV show the variation of their shapes with photon exposure and depict the formation of surface SiF species. The dissociation of CCl₂F₂ molecules adsorbed on Si(111)-7 × 7, irradiated by monochromatic soft X-ray in the photon energy range of 98–110 eV, is mainly due to dissociative electron attachment and indirect dipolar dissociation induced by photoelectrons emitted from the silicon surface.     

Theoretical investigation of plasmonic enhancement of silica-coated gold nanorod on molecular fluorescence

The plasmonic enhancement or quenching effects of a silica-coated gold nanorod (GNR@SiO₂) on the fluorescence of a molecule doped in the silica layer are studied using the multiple multipole method. The enhancement factors (EF) of a GNR with a typical aspect ratio of 3 coated by a 13 nm silica layer upon the fluorescence of a molecule embedded at different locations with various orientations irradiated by a plane wave are analyzed, particularly at the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of GNR. The numerical results show that the EF of a GNR@SiO₂ on the fluorescence is sensitive to the molecular location and orientation. Furthermore, an effective EF (EEF), which is an average of EF over all possible orientations at a specific location, is calculated. According to EEF, the proximities of the end-caps of a GNR are strong enhancing zones. In contrast, the waist area is the weak zone. Moreover, a bigger GNR (a=10 nm) possesses a higher EEF than a smaller one (a=7 nm) for the same aspect ratio and the molecular relative location. Hence, a strong enhancement on the fluorescence is obtained using bigger GNR, if the molecule is near the end-cup and the dipole orientation is along the long axis. On the contrary, the consequence could be quenching, if the molecule is near the waist of a small GNR. The Stokes shift of fluorescence can also affect the EF, except the excitation wavelength.     

Theranostic Iron@Gold Core–Shell Nanoparticles for Simultaneous Hyperthermia‐Chemotherapy upon Photo‐Stimulation

The challenges of nanoparticles, such as size‐dependent toxicity, nonbiocompatibility, or inability to undergo functionalization for drug conjugation, limit their biomedical application in more than one domain. Oval‐shaped iron@gold core–shell (oFe@Au) magnetic nanoparticles are engineered and their applications in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and controlled drug release, are explored via photo stimulation‐generated hyperthermia. The oFe@Au nanoparticles have a size of 42.57 ± 5.99 nm and consist of 10.76 and 89.24 atomic % of Fe and Au, respectively. Upon photo‐stimulation for 10 and 15 minutes, the levels of cancer cell death induced by methotrexate‐conjugated oFe@Au nanoparticles are sixfold and fourfold higher, respectively, than oFe@Au nanoparticles alone. MRI and OCT confirm the application of these nanoparticles as a contrast agent. Finally, results of in vivo experiments reveal that the temperature is elevated by 13.2 °C, when oFe@Au nanoparticles are irradiated with a 167 mW cm^?2 808 nm laser, which results in a significant reduction in tumor volume and scab formation after 7 days, followed by complete disappearance after 14 days. The ability of these nanoparticles to generate heat upon photo‐stimulation also opens new doors for studying hyperthermia‐mediated controlled drug release for cancer therapy. Applications include biomedical engineering, cancer therapy, and theranostics fields.     

Synthesis and characterization of polyesters derived from succinic acid, ethylene glycol and 1,3-propanediol

Poly(ethylene succinate) (PES), poly(trimethylene succinate) (PTS) and their copolyesters with various compositions were synthesized through a direct polycondensation reaction with titanium tetraisopropoxide as the catalyst. The results of intrinsic viscosity and GPC have proven successful in preparing high molecular weight polyesters. The compositions and the sequence distributions of the copolyesters were determined by analyses of ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra. The sequence distributions of ethylene succinate units and trimethylene succinate (TS) units were found to be random. Their thermal properties were characterized using differential scanning calorimeter and thermal gravimetric analyzer. All of the copolymers exhibit a single glass transition temperature (T_g). There is no significant difference in the thermal stability among these polyesters. Wide angle X-ray diffractograms (WAXD) were obtained for polyesters which can be crystallized isothermally. The results of thermal analysis and the WAXD patterns indicate that the incorporation of TS units into PES significantly inhibits the crystallization behavior of PES. Additionally, the crystal pattern of PTS is quite different from that of PES. Dynamic mechanical properties of moldable polyesters were investigated using a Rheometer operated at 1 Hz. Below T_g, the incorporation of TS units into PES results in the decline of storage modulus. Above T_g, the effect of crystallinity on the storage modulus can be found.