Mesh-like Morphology Research Articles

Sex-Specific Impact of Fkbp5 on Hippocampal Response to Acute Alcohol Injection: Involvement in Alterations of Metabolism-Related Pathways.

High levels of alcohol intake alter brain gene expression and can produce long-lasting effects. FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP51) encoded by Fkbp5 is a physical and cellular stress response gene and has been associated with alcohol consumption and withdrawal severity. Fkbp5 has been previously linked to neurite outgrowth and hippocampal morphology, sex differences in stress response, and epigenetic modification. Presently, primary cultured Fkbp5 KO and WT mouse neurons were examined for neurite outgrowth and mitochondrial signal with and without alcohol. We found neurite specification differences between KO and WT; particularly, mesh-like morphology was observed after alcohol treatment and confirmed higher MitoTracker signal in cultured neurons of Fkbp5 KO compared to WT at both naive and alcohol-treated conditions. Brain regions that express FKBP51 protein were identified, and hippocampus was confirmed to possess a high level of expression. RNA-seq profiling was performed using the hippocampus of naïve or alcohol-injected (2 mg EtOH/Kg) male and female Fkbp5 KO and WT mice. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between Fkbp5 KO and WT at baseline and following alcohol treatment, with female comparisons possessing a higher number of DEGs than male comparisons. Pathway analysis suggested that genes affecting calcium signaling, lipid metabolism, and axon guidance were differentially expressed at naïve condition between KO and WT. Alcohol treatment significantly affected pathways and enzymes involved in biosynthesis (Keto, serine, and glycine) and signaling (dopamine and insulin receptor), and neuroprotective role. Functions related to cell morphology, cell-to-cell signaling, lipid metabolism, injury response, and post-translational modification were significantly altered due to alcohol. In summary, Fkbp5 plays a critical role in the response to acute alcohol treatment by altering metabolism and signaling-related genes.

Nanoarchitectonics of 2D-thin and porous Ag-Au nanostructures with controllable alloying degrees toward electrocatalytic CO2 reduction

Silver nanostructures are promising catalysts toward the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) due to their excellent performance. However, the overpotential (η) and the electrocatalytic activity of pure Ag nanostructures cannot meet the practical requirements. Herein, we develop an interface-confined etching strategy, fabricating two-dimension (2D)-thin and porous AgAu nanostructures for electrocatalyzing CO2RR. By tuning the alloying degree, optimized AgAu nanostructure has a mesh-like morphology and shows remarkable catalytic performance towards CO2RR: the faradaic efficiency (FE) of CO as high as 99.0% and a low η of 0.79 V. The outstanding catalytic performance of AgAu nanomesh can be reasonably attributed to the synergistic effects of its composition and morphology. We believe that this study may provide a fruitful strategy for designing nanoarchitectonic catalyst, helpful for developing other specific catalysts.

Hierarchically Porous Three-Dimensional (3D) Carbon Nanorod Networks with a High Content of FeNx Sites for Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Efficient, durable, and inexpensive electrocatalysts are recommendable for accelerating the kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction and achieving high performance. Herein, with predesigned hierarchically porous silica nanorods as a hard template, hierarchically macro-bimodal meso/microporous 3D carbon interwoven nanorod networks containing a high content of single-atom FeNx species (Fe/RNC) were prepared by melting of precursors and confined pyrolysis within the pores of the hard template. What distinguishes the use of silica nanorods as a hard template is that it not only provides a porous texture for confined pyrolysis of the precursors but also the interwoven texture of the nanorods gives rise to a macroporous mesh-like morphology. Benefiting from the ultrahigh iron content (5.69 wt %) of the FeNx sites, a 3D porous network configuration with high accessibility of active centers, as well as a high specific surface area of 793 m2g-1, the as-prepared Fe/RNC exhibited superior activity and durability for ORR and zinc-air batteries. For comparison, the catalyst Fe/NC-MCM, which was prepared with a similar procedure but with unimodal mesoporous silica MCM-41 nanoparticles as the hard template, possesses a less porous structure and active accessibility and thus exhibits inferior ORR activity. This work provides an effective design/nanoengineering for electrocatalysts in ORR and zinc-air batteries and will inspire more research on accessibility of active sites in non-noble carbon-based electrocatalysts.

Porous NiTiNb alloys with superior strength and ductility induced by modulating eutectic microregion

Porous metals are lightweight and multi-functional at the expense of strength and ductility, requiring post-heat treatment to elevate mechanical properties. In this study, we report porous NiTi-Nb alloys fabricated via laser powder bed fusion, which achieved a synergistic strength-ductility enhancement by modulating the eutectic microregion through heat treatment. After solution treatment with the aging process, porous NiTi-Nb alloys achieved ultra-high compressive strength (2 GPa) and good ductility (33%). Compared to the as-built sample, the strength was enhanced by 500 MPa, and the ductility was improved by 12%. The effect of heat treatment on the eutectic microregion and the mechanism of strengthening and toughening were revealed. In the as-built sample, β-Nb existed mainly in a mesh-like morphology, while in heat-treated samples, the mesh-like β-Nb was damaged and appeared in an independent morphology (sphere-like or rod-like). Compared to mesh-like β-Nb, independent β-Nb enabled the adjacent matrix to have a more favorable twinning orientation, which could effectively release strain energy through stress-induced martensitic transformation. Moreover, the internal dislocation density of mesh-like β-Nb was relatively low, while independent β-Nb had a superior capacity to store dislocations. During the strain accumulation, the staggered twins and Ti2Ni precipitates together provided a continuous strain hardening capability, which ultimately led to an ultra-high compressive strength. This work can provide inspiration for porous metals to achieve a combination of high porosity and outstanding mechanical properties.

Nanoscale pattern formation on silicon surfaces bombarded with a krypton ion beam: experiments and simulations

The nanoscale patterns produced by bombardment of the (100) surface of silicon with a 2 keV Kr ion beam are investigated both experimentally and theoretically. In our experiments, we find that the patterns observed at high ion fluences depend sensitively on the angle of incidence Θ. For Θ values between 74° and 85°, we observe five decidedly different kinds of morphologies, including triangular nanostructures traversed by parallel-mode ripples, long parallel ridges decorated by short-wavelength ripples, and a remarkable mesh-like morphology. In contrast, only parallel-mode ripples are present for low ion fluences except for Θ = 85°. Our simulations show that triangular nanostructures that closely resemble those in our experiments emerge if a linearly dispersive term and a conserved Kuramoto–Sivashinsky nonlinearity are appended to the usual equation of motion. We find ridges traversed by ripples, on the other hand, in simulations of the Harrison–Pearson–Bradley equation (Harrison et al 2017 Phys. Rev. E 96 032804). For Θ = 85°, the solid surface is apparently stable and simulations of an anisotropic Edwards–Wilkinson equation yield surfaces similar to those seen in our experiments. Explaining the other two kinds of patterns we find in our experiments remains a challenge for future theoretical work.

A Multivalent RNA Matrix Drives Formation of Mesh-Like Condensates

The TIS granule network is a constitutively expressed membraneless organelle that is important for trafficking of membrane proteins and is formed through assembly of the RNA-binding protein TIS11B. TIS granules have a mesh-like morphology that allows them to share a lot of surface area with the rough endoplasmic reticulum. It has been unclear how condensates with filamentous shapes, but dynamic protein components are formed. In vitro reconstitution of TIS granule-like condensates revealed that mRNAs with large unstructured regions, that are abundant in a subset of human 3′UTRs, are required for formation of mesh-like condensates. The unstructured regions allow formation of an extensive intermolecular mRNA-mRNA interaction network that acts as condensate skeleton. The underlying RNA matrix prevents full fusion of spherical liquid-like condensates, thus driving the formation of irregularly shaped membraneless organelles. The resulting large surface area promotes interactions at the condensate surface and at the interface with other organelles.

Shear-Enhanced Stretchable Polymer Semiconducting Blends for Polymer-based Field-Effect Transistors

Solution-sheared field-effect transistors based on the blend of the high-mobility donor-acceptor conjugated copolymer poly(diketopyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-co-thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) (PDBT-co-TT) and the elastic polymer poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene) (SBS) are demonstrated for stretchable electronics. In this study, PDBT-co-TT serves as a charge transport layer, and the insulating polymer SBS with double bonds is used for improving elasticity. Through combination with solution shearing, the phase separation and charge transport properties of the PDBT-co-TT/SBS blends can be manipulated. Compared with the spin-coated PDBT-co-TT/SBS blends showing lower charge mobilities (~10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1), the solution-sheared polymer-blend films with the PDBT-co-TT content of 20% maintain high mobility (>0.1 cm2 V−1 s−1). The films with 60% PDBT-co-TT can even achieve mobility as high as 2 cm2 V−1 s−1, which is higher than the pristine conjugated polymer. Furthermore, as the SBS content increases, the dichroic ratios of the solution-sheared blends increase, indicating improved alignment of the conjugated polymer chains. The PDBT-co-TT/SBS blends exhibit great stretchability and high charge mobilities even under 100% strain due to their mesh-like morphology. Moreover, solution shearing not only improves polymer alignment but also controls surface morphology to enhance stretchability. This work reveals the importance of solution shearing in high-mobility stretchable polymer semiconductor blends.

Interaction with zinc oxide nanoparticle kinetically traps α-synuclein fibrillation into off-pathway non-toxic intermediates

α-Synuclein is an intrinsically disordered amyloidogenic protein associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). The monomeric α-synuclein transition into amyloid fibril involves multiple steps, which are affected by several intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This increases complexities in development of targeted therapeutics against the pathological intermediate(s). Several studies have been dedicated to find an effective molecule to inhibit the detrimental amyloidogenesis. In recent years, metal oxide nanoparticle interfaces have shown direct effects on protein conformation, hence may be adopted as an alternative potential therapeutic approach against amyloidosis. In this context, our study explores the zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnONP) with negative surface potential interface interaction with α-synuclein, and subsequent impact of the interaction on the protein fibrillation and the fibril-mediated cytotoxicity. N-terminus amphipathic “KA/TKE/QGV” repeating motifs in α-synuclein primarily interact with the ZnONP interface that enthalpically drives initial adsorption of the protein onto the interface. Whereas, subsequent bulk-protein adsorption onto the hard-corona is entropically driven, leading into flocculation of the complex. The flocs appear as amorphous mesh-like morphology in TEM micrographs, as opposed to the typical fibrils formed by the wild-type protein. Interestingly, α-synuclein in complex with ZnONP shows significantly lowered cytotoxicity against the IMR32 and THP-1 cells in-vitro, as compared to fresh α-synuclein.

Mesh-like thin-film electrodes of manganese oxide with high specific capacitance synthesized via thermal decomposition of manganese formate-amine complexed ink

Thin-film electrodes of manganese oxide were synthesized via the thermal decomposition of various ink complexes consisting of manganese (II), formate (Mnf), triethylenetetramine (TETA), and hexanol. Inks complexed with various molar ratios of TETA to Mnf were calcined at 260 °C for 30 min under air. The molar ratio of TETA to Mnf was varied from 0 to 6.0. The pseudocapacitive properties of the thin-film electrodes were evaluated via cyclic voltammetry measurement, and the capacitance degradation was evaluated via galvanostatic charge-discharge at 0.5 mA cm−2 for 1000 cycles. The thin-film electrode synthesized from ink complexed with a molar ratio of 0.1 showed the highest level of specific capacitance at 2190 F g-1, and good cycling stability was confirmed. The thin-film electrode consisted of Mn3O4 and had a mesh-like morphology that was generated by the dissolution of the remaining Mnf by the electrolyte solution, which resulted in high specific capacitance.

Creation of New Functions by Combination of Surfactant and Polymer - Complex Coacervation with Oppositely Charged Polymer and Surfactant for Shampoo and Body Wash.

The combination of polymers and surfactants is an important means to create various functions in recent detergents and personal care products. In particular, detergents mixing oppositely charged anionic surfactants and cationic polymers induce coacervation by the dilution of the washing and rinsing process, and the complexes effectively adsorb onto surfaces and can change their characteristics. The driving force of the coacervation is electrostatic interaction between the anionic groups of the surfactant and the cationic groups of the polymer. Normally, the coacervation is controlled by selecting the molecular structure or the amount of polymer and surfactant. In shampoo and body wash compositions, we studied the complex precipitation (CP) regions and the morphology and rheological properties of precipitated complexes by focusing on the number of ionic groups in the anionic surfactants and cationic polymers, the mixed electrolyte and the ionic strength as a whole. This clarified the factors related to complex functions. For coacervation in shampoo based on alkyl ethoxylate sulfate (AES), the degree of cationization of the cationic cellulose (CC) and coexisting electrolyte greatly contributed to these functions. In a combination of moderately cationically charged CC and AES mixed amphoteric surfactant, the precipitated complexes became a loose mesh-like morphology, which was also formed when the charge shielding effect was enhanced by adding electrolyte. The precipitated complexes with a looser mesh-like morphology gave a smooth texture to the hair surface during rinsing.On the other hand, for coacervation in body wash based on fatty acid salt, the complexes were effectively precipitated in a combination with a synthetic polymer, poly diallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC), which has a higher cationic charge than CC. The precipitated complexes had high adsorbability onto skin and contributed to a moisturizing effect by lowering transepidermal water loss (TEWL).In this review, we introduce the controllable factors of coacervation in shampoo and body wash systems by focusing on the relationship between dilution processes and precipitation behavior.

Investigation of super-capacitive nature of reduced graphene oxide nano mesh grown over 18 k gold foil using wings of Parides iphidamas as biological template

This paper deals with the fabrication of novel, reduced graphene oxide nano mesh (rGONM) patterns with longitudinal nano-ridges and transverse nano-ribs using nano tubular structures found on the scales of Parides iphidamas, a butterfly species as biological template. Raman spectra, EDAX and FTIR results confirm the obtained mesh-like morphology that comprises only reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Further, super-capacitor performances of rGO and rGONM-coated gold substrates have been evaluated using cyclic-voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge cycle (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) analysis. A characteristic rectangular curve obtained from the CV of rGO and rGONM-coated gold electrodes display specific capacitances of 291F/g and 418F/g respectively at a scan rate of 5mV/s. The results obtained from EIS support the superior nature of rGONM-coated electrode against rGO system, suggesting the use of rGONM-Au as a potential candidate for electrochemical super capacitor applications.

Counter Electrode Impact on Quantum Dot Solar Cell Efficiencies.

The counter electrode (CE), despite being as relevant as the photoanode in a quantum dot solar cell (QDSC), has hardly received the scientific attention it deserves. In this study, nine CEs (single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), tungsten oxide (WO3), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), copper sulfide (Cu2S), candle soot, functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNTs), reduced tungsten oxide (WO3-x), carbon fabric (C-Fabric), and C-Fabric/WO3-x) were prepared by using low-cost components and facile procedures. QDSCs were fabricated with a TiO2/CdS film which served as a common photoanode for all CEs. The power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) were 2.02, 2.1, 2.79, 2.88, 2.95, 3.78, 3.66, 3.96, and 4.6%, respectively, and the incident photon to current conversion efficiency response was also found to complement the PCE response. Among all CEs employed here, C-Fabric/WO3-x outperforms all the other CEs, for the synergy between C-Fabric and WO3-x comes to the fore during cell operation. The low sheet resistance of C-Fabric and its high surface area due to the meshlike morphology enables high WO3-x loading during electrodeposition, and the good electrocatalytic activity of WO3-x, the very low overpotential, and its high electrical conductivity that facilitate electron transfer to the electrolyte are responsible for the superior PCE. WO3-based electrodes have not been used until date in QDSCs; the ease of fabrication of WO3 films and their good chemical stability and scalability also favor their application to QDSCs. Futuristic possibilities for other novel composite CEs are also discussed. We anticipate this study to be useful for a well-rounded development of high-performance QDSCs.

Reply: Prospective Randomized Comparison of Scar Appearances between Cograft of Acellular Dermal Matrix with Autologous Split-Thickness Skin and Autologous Split-Thickness Skin Graft Alone for Full-Thickness Skin Defects of the Extremities.

Sir: We would like to thank Yu and Qi for their interest in and comments on our article. We note they welcomed the described protocol of single-stage application of acellular dermal matrix and split-thickness skin graft for the coverage of full-thickness skin defects. However, they raised questions regarding what might contribute to the success of our single-stage technique. We believe that the most important factor of successful graft take is the thickness of cograft, as they mentioned. The thickness of acellular dermal matrix used in our study1 was within the range of 0.23 to 0.33 mm, and the thickness of split-thickness skin grafts in the cograft group was 0.25 mm, which means that the total thickness of cograft (acellular dermal matrix plus split-thickness skin graft) was within the threshold (0.7 mm) for successful skin grafting.2 Negative-pressure wound therapy could have promoted microcirculatory flow to the graft and wound edges; stimulated angiogenesis and basement membrane integrity; prevented complications of graft lift-off by edema, exudates, and subgraft hematoma; and reduced shear stress compared with traditional dressings.3 We used negative-pressure wound therapy to promote well-vascularized granulation tissue before skin grafting and to provide a better environment for skin graft take; thus, it is possible that negative-pressure wound therapy had a beneficial effect on successful graft take. However, negative-pressure wound therapy was used in both groups and thus could not have caused an intergroup difference. The mesh-like morphology of the acellular dermal matrix would also have promoted successful graft take by preventing fluid accumulation and hematoma formation. However, this aspect was beyond the scope of our study, and we suggest further clinical or basic study be undertaken to prove this hypothesis. Yu and Qi commented that addition of ReCell (Avita Medical, Northridge, Calif.) could improve pigmentation in the cograft group. However, we are skeptical of this notion, because split-thickness skin graft contains melanocytes and fibroblasts, and hyperpigmentation rather than hypopigmentation is more common in our patients, although we admit racial difference regarding this issue. They also suggested the insightful idea of using an acellular dermal matrix and ReCell cograft for full-thickness skin defects. We welcome this idea because such an approach could potentially treat full-thickness skin defects, with minimal donor-site morbidity. DISCLOSURE The original study was supported by a research grant from Daewoong Bio Incorporation and all of acellular dermal matrix and CURAVAC were donated by Daewoong Bio Incorporation. Otherwise, none of authors has financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this communication. Jae Kwang Kim, M.D., Ph.D.Department of Orthopedic SurgeryEwha Womans UniversitySchool of MedicineSeoul, Republic of Korea Ju Won Yi, M.D.Department of Orthopedic SurgeryArmed Forces Capital HospitalSeongnam, Republic of Korea

Direct Uniaxial Alignment of a Donor-Acceptor Semiconducting Polymer Using Single-Step Solution Shearing.

The alignment of organic semiconductors (OSCs) in the active layers of electronic devices can confer desirable properties, such as enhanced charge transport properties due to better ordering, charge transport anisotropy for reduced device cross-talk, and polarized light emission or absorption. The solution-based deposition of highly aligned small molecule OSCs has been widely demonstrated, but the alignment of polymeric OSCs in thin films deposited directly from solution has typically required surface templating or complex pre- or postdeposition processing. Therefore, single-step solution processing and the charge transport enhancement afforded by alignment continue to be attractive. We report here the use of solution shearing to tune the degree of alignment in poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole-terthiophene) thin films by controlling the coating speed. A maximum dichroic ratio of ∼7 was achieved on unpatterned substrates without any additional pre- or postdeposition processing. The degree of polymer alignment was found to be a competition between the shear alignment of polymer chains in solution and the complex thin film drying process. Contrary to previous reports, no charge transport anisotropy was observed because of the small crystallite size relative to the channel length, a meshlike morphology, and the likelihood of increased grain boundaries in the direction transverse to coating. In fact, the lack of aligned morphological structures, coupled with observed anisotropy in X-ray diffraction data, suggests the alignment of polymer molecules in both the crystalline and the amorphous regions of the films. The shear speed at which maximum dichroism is achieved can be controlled by altering deposition parameters such as temperature and substrate treatment. Modest changes in molecular weight showed negligible effects on alignment, while longer polymer alkyl side chains were found to reduce the degree of alignment. This work demonstrates that solution shearing can be used to tune polymer alignment in a one-step deposition process not requiring substrate patterning or any postdeposition treatment.

Development of the evaluation system for barrier functions of engineered epithelial lumens.

We have investigated the effects of a diameter of engineered epithelial lumen on cellar architectures and a barrier function. For this investigation, we have developed a system to evaluate the barrier function of engineered epithelial lumens. To test the utility of our system, we constructed the engineered epithelial lumens by culturing Madin–Darby Canine Kidney cells (MDCK) on the gold wires with different diameters ranging from 50 μm–200 μm. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that long actin stress fibers and a low focal adhesion density were observed at the gold wire diameter of 200 μm, whereas the mesh-like morphology consisted of short actin stress fibers and high focal adhesion densities were found at the gold wire diameters of 50 μm and 100 μm. The expression pattern of ZO-1 that localizes at the tight junction was independent on the gold wire diameter. The electrical impedance measurement indicates that the barrier function for the samples constructed at the gold wire diameter of 200 μm was significantly higher than those at the gold wire diameters of 50 μm and 100 μm. The difference in the barrier functions of epithelial lumens might be attributed to the changes in cellular architectures with increasing the curvature of gold wire.

Delivery of a Cell Patch of Cocultured Endothelial Cells and Smooth Muscle Cells Using Thermoresponsive Hydrogels for Enhanced Angiogenesis.

Cell-based therapy has been studied as an attractive strategy for therapeutic angiogenesis. However, obtaining a stable vascular structure remains a challenge due to the poor interaction of transplanted cells with native tissue and the difficulty in selecting the optimal cell source. In this study, we developed a cell patch of cocultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) using thermosensitive hydrogels for regeneration of mature vasculatures. In vitro characterization of HUVECs in the cocultured group revealed the formation of a mesh-like morphology over 5 days of culture. Vascular endothelial growth factor expression was also upregulated in the cocultured group compared with HUVECs only. The cell patch seeded with HUVECs, SMCs, or both cell type was prepared on the synthetic thermosensitive and cell interactive hydrogels, and readily detached from the hydrogel within 10 min by expansion of the hydrogel when the temperature was decreased to 4°C. We then investigated the therapeutic effect of the cell patch using a hind limb ischemic model of an athymic mouse. Overall, the group that received a cell patch of cocultured HUVECs and SMCs had a significantly retarded rate of necrosis with a significant increase in the number of arterioles and capillaries for 4 weeks compared with the groups transplanted with only HUVECs or SMCs. Dual staining of smooth muscle alpha actin and human nuclear antigen showed that the implanted cell patch was partially involved in vessel formation. In summary, the simple transplantation of a cocultured cell patch using a hydrogel system could enhance therapeutic angiogenesis through the regeneration of matured vascular structures.

A study on the effect of biomineralization and phosphorylation performed on the titanium implant surfaces

To suggest a chemical surface treatment for titanium and to initiate the formation of hydroxycarbonated apatite (HCA) on titanium surface during in vitro bioactivity tests in simulated body fluid (SBF). To improve the bone-bonding ability of Ti implants, commercially pure titanium (cpTi) by a simple chemical pre-treatment in orthophosphoric acid (H(3)PO(4)) with different density was activated, and then the phosphorylation specimens were soaked in SBF to investigate the function of biomineralization. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs showed that the surfaces of the pre-treated samples were characterized by a complex construction, which consisted of a mesh-like morphology matrix (a micro-roughened surface) and an uniform surface with different morphous of titanium dihydrogen orthophosphate [Ti(H(2)PO(4))(3)] crystal. After 14 days in SBF a homogeneous biomimetic apatite layer precipitated. These data suggest that the treatment of titanium by acid etching in orthophosphoric acid is a suitable method to provide the titanium implant with bone-bonding ability.

Enhanced electrochromic performance of f-MWCNT-WO 3 composite

In the present investigation, the structural, morphological and electrochromic properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)-tungsten oxide (WO 3) composites were investigated. The WO 3 thin films were prepared by patented pulsed spray pyrolysis technique (PSPT) onto ITO coated glass substrates. A reticulated mesh like structure suitable for embedding is achieved by optimizing the deposition parameters. The functionalized MWCNT with 20–30 nm in diameter were embedded by drop casting/micro-injector method into the reticulated mesh-like morphology in WO 3 host lattice is exploited for enhanced optical modulation. Enhancement in electrochromic properties in terms of optical modulation (ΔOD), coloration efficiency (CE) and switching times ( t b and t c) was studied and reported.

ABC Triblock Copolymer Vesicles with Mesh-Like Morphology

Polymer vesicles made from poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine) (PI-b-PS-b-P2VP) triblock copolymer confined within the nanopores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane are studied. It was found that these vesicles have well-defined, nanoscopic size, and complex microphase-separated hydrophobic membranes, comprised of the PS and PI blocks, while the coronas are formed by the P2VP block. Vesicle formation was tracked using both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. A mesh-like morphology formed in the membrane at a well-defined composition of the three blocks that can be tuned by changing the copolymer composition. The nanoscale confinement, copolymer composition, and subtle molecular interactions contribute to the generation of these vesicles with such unusual morphologies.

Mononuclear muscle cells in Drosophila ovaries revealed by GFP protein traps

Genetic analysis of muscle specification, formation and function in model systems has provided valuable insight into human muscle physiology and disease. Studies in Drosophila have been particularly useful for discovering key genes involved in muscle specification, myoblast fusion, and sarcomere organization. The muscles of the Drosophila female reproductive system have received little attention despite extensive work on oogenesis. We have used newly available GFP protein trap lines to characterize of ovarian muscle morphology and sarcomere organization. The muscle cells surrounding the oviducts are multinuclear with highly organized sarcomeres typical of somatic muscles. In contrast, the two muscle layers of the ovary, which are derived from gonadal mesoderm, have a mesh-like morphology similar to gut visceral muscle. Protein traps in the Fasciclin 3 gene produced Fas3::GFP that localized in dots around the periphery of epithelial sheath cells, the muscle surrounding ovarioles. Surprisingly, the epithelial sheath cells each contain a single nucleus, indicating these cells do not undergo myoblast fusion during development. Consistent with this observation, we were able to use the Flp/FRT system to efficiently generate genetic mosaics in the epithelial sheath, suggesting these cells provide a new opportunity for clonal analysis of adult striated muscle.