Nano-Perforated Silicon Membrane with Monolithically Integrated Buried Cavity.

A wafer-scale process for fabricating monolithically suspended nano-perforated membranes (NPMs) with integrated support structures into silicon is developed. Existing fabrication methods are suitable for many desired geometries, but face challenges related to mechanical robustness and fabrication complexity. We demonstrate a process that utilizes the cyclic deposit, remove, etch, and multi-step (DREM) process for directional etching of high-aspect-ratio (HAR) 300 nm in diameter nano-pores of 700 nm pitch.

Engineered GM-CSF polarizes protumorigenic tumor-associated macrophages to an antitumorigenic phenotype and potently synergizes with IL-12 immunotherapy.

Background: The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) has become a dominant regimen in modern cancer therapy, however immune resistance induced by tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) with immune suppressive and evasion properties limits responses. Therefore, the rational design of immune modulators that can control the immune suppressive properties of TAMs and polarize them, as well as dendritic cells (DCs), toward a more proinflammatory phenotype is a principal objective in cancer immunotherapy.

Methods: Here, using a protein engineering approach to enhance cytokine residence in the tumor microenvironment, we examined combined stimulation of the myeloid compartment via tumor stroma-binding granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to enhance responses in both DCs and T cells via stroma-binding interleukin-12 (IL-12).

Room-Temperature Deposition of δ-NiGa Thin Films and Nanoparticles via Magnetron Sputtering.

Magnetron sputtering is a versatile method for investigating model system catalysts thanks to its simplicity, reproducibility, and chemical-free synthesis process. It has recently emerged as a promising technique for synthesizing δ-NiGa thin films. Physically deposited thin films have significant potential to clarify certain aspects of catalysts by eliminating parameters such as particle size dependence, metal-support interactions, and the presence of surface ligands.

Experimental Measurement and Mathematical Quantification of Fixed-Charged Density in Rat and Pig Brain Tissue.

Cerebral edema is associated with poor prognosis because brain swelling within the rigid skull raises intracranial pressure, exacerbating secondary injuries following traumatic brain injury. Brain swelling can be characterized by triphasic biomechanics, which models brain tissue as a mixture of a deformable porous solid matrix with a negative fixed-charged density (FCD), water, and monovalent counterions. When brain cells die, the intracellular FCD is exposed, attracting cations into the cells.