Schmidtshoemaker2788

Correlative measurements demonstrate the potentiation of PDT and ferroptosis with SRF@Hb-Ce6. More importantly, PDT strengthens ferroptosis by recruiting immune cells to secrete IFN-γ, which can sensitize the tumor to ferroptosis in our findings. The therapeutic effect of synergistic treatment with SRF@Hb-Ce6 in vitro and in vivo was proven significant, revealing the promising prospects of combined PDT and ferroptosis therapy with the 2-in-1 nanoplatform.Chiral materials appear as excellent candidates to control and manipulate the polarization of light in optical devices. In nanophotonics, the self-assembly of colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles gives rise to strong resonances in the visible range, and when such organizations are chiral, a strong chiroplasmonic effect can be observed. In the present work, we describe the optical properties of chiral artificial nanophotonic materials, Goldhelices, which are hierarchically organized by grazing incidence spraying. These Goldhelices are made by plasmonic nanoparticles (gold) grafted onto helical templates made from silica nanohelices. A comparison of oriented versus non-oriented surfaces has been performed by Mueller matrix polarimetry, showing the importance of the organization of the Goldhelices regarding their interaction with light. Moreover, mono- versus multilayer photonic films are created, and the measured optical properties are discussed and compared to simulations.Efficacious use of therapeutic gene delivery via nanoparticles is hampered by the challenges associated with targeted delivery to tissues of interest. Systemic administration of lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNA leads to a protein expressed predominantly in the liver and spleen. Here, LNP encapsulating mRNA was covalently conjugated to an antibody, specifically binding plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein (PV1) as a means to target lung tissue. Systemic administration of PV1-targeted LNPs demonstrated significantly increased delivery of mRNA to the lungs and a 40-fold improvement in protein expression in the lungs, compared with control LNPs. We also investigated the effect of LNP size to determine optimal tissue distribution and transfection. Larger-size PV1-targeted LNPs not only have the elasticity to target the PV1 expressed in the caveolae but also enable robust mRNA expression in the lungs. Targeted delivery of mRNA to the lungs is a promising approach in the treatment of lung diseases.The physical properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials depend strongly on the number of layers. Hence, methods for controlling their thickness with atomic layer precision are highly desirable, yet still too rare, and demonstrated for only a limited number of 2D materials. Here, we present a simple and scalable method for the continuous layer-by-layer thinning that works for a large class of 2D materials, notably layered germanium pnictides and chalcogenides. It is based on a simple oxidation/etching process, which selectively occurs on the topmost layers. Through a combination of atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction experiments we demonstrate the thinning method on germanium arsenide (GeAs), germanium sulfide (GeS), and germanium disulfide (GeS2). We use first-principles simulation to provide insights into the oxidation mechanism. Our strategy, which could be applied to other classes of 2D materials upon proper choice of the oxidation/etching reagent, supports 2D material-based device applications, e.g., in electronics or optoelectronics, where a precise control over the number of layers (hence over the material's physical properties) is needed. Finally, we also show that when used in combination with lithography, our method can be used to make precise patterns in the 2D materials.Destabilization of plasma and inner mitochondrial membranes by extra- and intracellular amyloid β peptide (Aβ42) aggregates may lead to dysregulated calcium flux through the plasma membrane, mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, and neuronal cell death in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In the current study, experiments performed with artificial membranes, isolated mitochondria, and neuronal cells allowed us to understand the mechanism by which a nonaggregating Aβ42 double mutant (designated Aβ42DM) exerts its neuroprotective effects. Specifically, we showed that Aβ42DM protected neuronal cells from Aβ42-induced accumulation of toxic intracellular levels of calcium and from apoptosis. Methylβcyclodextrin Aβ42DM also inhibited Aβ42-induced mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization in the cells and abolished the Aβ42-mediated decrease in cytochrome c oxidase activity in purified mitochondrial particles. These results can be explained in terms of the amelioration by Aβ42DM of Aβ42-mediated changes in membrane fluidity in DOPC and cardiolipin/DOPC phospholipid vesicles, mimicking plasma and mitochondrial membranes, respectively. These observations are also in agreement with the inhibition by Aβ42DM of phospholipid-induced conformational changes in Aβ42 and with the fact that, unlike Aβ42, the Aβ42-Aβ42DM complex could not permeate into cells but instead remained attached to the cell membrane. Although most of the Aβ42DM molecules were localized on the cell membrane, some penetrated into the cytosol in an Aβ42-independent process, and, unlike Aβ42, did not form intracellular inclusion bodies. Overall, we provide a mechanistic explanation for the inhibitory activity of Aβ42DM against Aβ42-induced membrane permeability and cell toxicity and provide confirmatory evidence for its protective function in neuronal cells.Layered materials (LMs) such as graphene or MoS2 have attracted a great deal of interest recently. These materials offer unique functionalities due to their structural anisotropy characterized by weak van der Waals bonds along the out-of-plane axis and covalent bonds in the in-plane direction. A central requirement to access the structural information on complex nanostructures built upon LMs is to control the relative orientation of each sample prior to their inspection, e.g., with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, developing sample preparation methods that result in large inspection areas and ensure full control over the sample orientation while avoiding damage during the transfer to the TEM grid is challenging. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of deploying ultramicrotomy for the preparation of LM samples in TEM analyses. We show how ultramicrotomy leads to the reproducible large-scale production of both in-plane and out-of-plane cross sections, with bulk vertically oriented MoS2 and WS2 nanosheets as a proof of concept.