Visible light enhanced catalytic activity of Au subnanoclusters: the importance of d-sp interband transitions.

Polymers can serve as an effective matrix to stabilize gold nanoparticles. These materials offer a continuous light-activated supply of subnanoclusters, which are composed of a few atoms. We report an efficient approach to enhance the catalytic activity of gold subnanoclusters by feeding of these species through the generation of hot carriers 5d-6s6p interband transitions on PEG-stabilized Au nanoparticles.

Increased genomic instability and reshaping of tissue microenvironment underlie oncogenic properties of mutations.

Oncogenic mutations accumulating in many chromatin-associated proteins have been identified in different tumor types. With a mutation rate from 10 to 57%, has been widely considered a tumor suppressor gene. However, whether this role is mainly due to its transcriptional-related activities or its ability to preserve genome integrity is still a matter of intense debate.

Engineering the structural and electrical interplay of nanostructured Au resistive switching networks by controlling the forming process.

Networks of random-assembled gold clusters produced in the gas phase show resistive switching (RS) activity at room temperature and they are suitable for the fabrication of devices for neuromorphic data processing and classification. Fully connected cluster-assembled nanostructured Au films are characterized by a granular structure rich of interfaces, grain boundaries and crystalline defects. Here we report a systematic characterization of the electroforming process of the cluster-assembled films demonstrating how this process affects the interplay between the nano- and mesoscale film structure and the neuromorphic characteristics of the resistive switching activity.

Thermally Promoted Cation Exchange at the Solid State in the Transmission Electron Microscope: How It Actually Works.

Cation exchange offers a strong postsynthetic tool for nanoparticles that are unachievable via direct synthesis, but its velocity makes observing the onset of the reaction in the liquid state almost impossible. After successfully proving that cation exchange reactions can be triggered, performed, and followed live at the solid state by an transmission electron microscopy approach, we studied the deep mechanisms ruling the onset of cation exchange reactions, i.e.

Synthesis and Characterization of Gd-Functionalized BC Nanoparticles for BNCT Applications.

Inorganic nanoparticles of boron-rich compounds represent an attractive alternative to boron-containing molecules, such as boronophenylalanine or boranes, for BNCT applications. This work describes the synthesis and biological activity of multifunctional boron carbide nanoparticles stabilized with polyacrylic acid (PAA) and a gadolinium ()-rich solid phase. A fluorophore (DiI) was included in the PAA functionalization, allowing the confocal microscopy imaging of the nanoparticles.

Correlative Raman-Electron-Light (CREL) Microscopy Analysis of Lipid Droplets in Melanoma Cancer Stem Cells.

Among all neoplasms, melanoma is characterized by a very high percentage of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Several markers have been proposed for their identification, and lipid droplets (LDs) are among them. Different techniques are used for their characterization such as mass spectrometry, imaging techniques, and vibrational spectroscopies.

Fine-tuned KDM1A alternative splicing regulates human cardiomyogenesis through an enzymatic-independent mechanism.

The histone demethylase KDM1A is a multi-faceted regulator of vital developmental processes, including mesodermal and cardiac tube formation during gastrulation. However, it is unknown whether the fine-tuning of KDM1A splicing isoforms, already shown to regulate neuronal maturation, is crucial for the specification and maintenance of cell identity during cardiogenesis. Here, we discovered a temporal modulation of ubKDM1A and KDM1A+2a during human and mice fetal cardiac development and evaluated their impact on the regulation of cardiac differentiation.

Estimation of Nanoporous Au Young's Modulus from Serial Block Face-SEM 3D-Characterisation.

Nanoporous Au has been subjected to serial block face-scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) 3D-characterisation. Corresponding sections have been digitalized and used to evaluate the associated mechanical properties. Our investigation demonstrates that the sample is homogeneous and isotropic.

Hardening of Nanoporous Au Induced by Exposure to Different Gaseous Environments.

This work focuses on the mechanical behaviour of nanoporous Au samples alternately exposed to ozone and carbon dioxide. Nanoporous Au was fabricated by freely corroding the AgAu parent alloys prepared by mechanical alloying in the form of powder and subsequently compacted by cold pressing. Dealloying was performed in acidic solution, and conditions were suitably adjusted to obtain fine nanoporous Au structures with ligaments about 15 nm thick.

Magnetic Study of CuFeO-SiO Aerogel and Xerogel Nanocomposites.

CuFeO is an example of ferrites whose physico-chemical properties can vary greatly at the nanoscale. Here, sol-gel techniques are used to produce CuFeO-SiO nanocomposites where copper ferrite nanocrystals are grown within a porous dielectric silica matrix. Nanocomposites in the form of both xerogels and aerogels with variable loadings of copper ferrite (5 wt%, 10 wt% and 15 wt%) were synthesized.

Microvilli Adhesion: An Alternative Route for Nanoparticle Cell Internalization.

The cellular uptake of nanoparticles (NPs) represents a critical step in nanomedicine and a crucial point for understanding the interaction of nanomaterials with biological systems. No specific mechanism of uptake has been identified so far, as the NPs are generally incorporated by the cells through one of the few well-known endocytotic mechanisms. Here, an alternative internalization route mediated by microvilli adhesion is demonstrated.

Oxidative Stress Boosts the Uptake of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles by Changing Brain Endothelium Microvilli Pattern.

Vascular oxidative stress is considered a worsening factor in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels promote the accumulation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), one of the main hallmarks of AD. In turn, Aβ is a potent inducer of oxidative stress.

Complex structures arising from the self-assembly of a simple organic salt.

Molecular self-assembly is the spontaneous association of simple molecules into larger and ordered structures. It is the basis of several natural processes, such as the formation of colloids, crystals, proteins, viruses and double-helical DNA. Molecular self-assembly has inspired strategies for the rational design of materials with specific chemical and physical properties, and is one of the most important concepts in supramolecular chemistry.

Thermally stable surfactant-free ceria nanocubes in silica aerogel.

Surfactant-mediated chemical routes allow one to synthesize highly engineered shape- and size-controlled nanocrystals. However, the occurrence of capping agents on the surface of the nanocrystals is undesirable for selected applications. Here, a novel approach to the production of shape-controlled nanocrystals which exhibit high thermal stability is demonstrated.

Striatal infusion of cholesterol promotes dose-dependent behavioral benefits and exerts disease-modifying effects in Huntington's disease mice.

A variety of pathophysiological mechanisms are implicated in Huntington's disease (HD). Among them, reduced cholesterol biosynthesis has been detected in the HD mouse brain from pre-symptomatic stages, leading to diminished cholesterol synthesis, particularly in the striatum. In addition, systemic injection of cholesterol-loaded brain-permeable nanoparticles ameliorates synaptic and cognitive function in a transgenic mouse model of HD.

Monitoring the insertion of Pt into CuSe nanocrystals: a combined structural and chemical approach for the analysis of new ternary phases.

The tuning of the chemical composition in nanostructures is a key aspect to control for the preparation of new multifunctional and highly performing materials. The modification of Cu2-xSe nanocrystals with Pt could provide a good way to tune both optical and catalytic properties of the structure. Although the heterogeneous nucleation of metallic Pt domains on semiconductor chalcogenides has been frequently reported, the insertion of Pt into chalcogenide materials has not been conceived so far.

Increased Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Properties of Silver Nanoparticles Using Silver Fluoride as Precursor.

Silver nanoparticles were produced with AgF as the starting Ag(I) salt, with pectin as the reductant and protecting agent. While the obtained nanoparticles (pAgNP-F) have the same dimensional and physicochemical properties as those already described by us and obtained from AgNO and pectin (pAgNP-N), the silver nanoparticles from AgF display an increased antibacterial activity against PHL628 and ( RP62A), both as planktonic strains and as their biofilms with respect to pAgNP-N. In particular, a comparison of the antimicrobial and antibiofilm action of pAgNP-F has been carried out with pAgNP-N, pAgNP-N and added NaF, pure AgNO, pure AgF, AgNO and added NaF and pure NaNO and NaF salts.

NIR multiphoton ablation of cancer cells, fluorescence quenching and cellular uptake of dansyl-glutathione-coated gold nanoparticles.

Theranostics based on two-photon excitation of therapeutics in the NIR region is an emerging and powerful tool in cancer therapy since this radiation deeply penetrates healthy biological tissues and produces selective cell death. Aggregates of gold nanoparticles coated with glutathione corona functionalized with the dansyl chromophore (a-DG-AuNPs) were synthesized and found efficient nanodevice for applications in photothermal therapy (PTT). Actually the nanoparticle aggregation enhances the quenching of radiative excitation and the consequent conversion into heat.

Mesoporous Strontium-Doped Phosphate-Based Sol-Gel Glasses for Biomedical Applications.

Mesoporous phosphate-based glasses have great potential as biomedical materials being able to simultaneously induce tissue regeneration and controlled release of therapeutic molecules. In the present study, a series of mesoporous phosphate-based glasses in the PO-CaO-NaO system, doped with 1, 3, and 5 mol% of Sr, were prepared using the sol-gel method combined with supramolecular templating. A sample without strontium addition was prepared for comparison.

Surface Compositional Change of Iron Oxide Porous Nanorods: A Route for Tuning their Magnetic Properties.

The capability of synthesizing specific nanoparticles (NPs) by varying their shape, size and composition in a controlled fashion represents a typical set of engineering tools that tune the NPs magnetic response via their anisotropy. In particular, variations in NP composition mainly affect the magnetocrystalline anisotropy component, while the different magnetic responses of NPs with isotropic (i.e.

ROS and Lipid Droplet accumulation induced by high glucose exposure in healthy colon and Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells.

Lipid Droplets (LDs) are emerging as crucial players in colon cancer development and maintenance. Their expression has been associated with high tumorigenicity in Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs), so that they have been proposed as a new functional marker in Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells (CR-CSCs). They are also indirectly involved in the modulation of the tumor microenvironment through the production of pro-inflammatory molecules.