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Immune responses from Au/Ni nanorods prepared by electrochemical deposition in alumina templates are evaluated in C57BL/6 mice. When the nanorods are bombarded into skin, they generate a strong CD8 T-cell and antibody response. When pcDNA3 is bound to the Ni segment of the nanorod, it provides a strong immunostimulatory adjuvant effect to the antigen bound on the Au segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Landau damping behavior in a cylindrical inhomogeneous warm magnetized plasma waveguide has been studied. The radial inhomogeneity for different characteristic lengths (L0) with strong spatial dispersion has been taken into account. The analyses have been considered for two limits and . Due to the radial inhomogeneity of the plasma, all essential equations for studying the Landau damping are calculated in the Bessel–Furrier and differential Bessel–Furrier expansions. The dependence of Landau damping on the inhomogeneity, temperature and external magnetic field for electrostatic modes is scrutinized and described in detail through numerical calculations. The associated numerical results are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanosheet, nanorod and nanotubes are synthesized using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and anodizing processes. TiO2 nanosheets are grown on Ti foil which is coated with Au catalyst in CVD, TiO2nanorods are synthesized on treated Ti foil with HCl by CVD, and TiO2nanotubes are prepared by the three-step anodization method. Scanning electron microscopy shows the final TiO2structures prepared using three processes with three different morphologies of nanosheet, nanorod and nanotube. X-ray diffraction verifies the presence of TiO2. TiO2sheets and rods are crystalized in rutile phase, and TiO2 tubes after annealing turn into the anatase crystal phase. The optical investigations carried out by diffuse reflection spectroscopy reveal that the morphology of TiO2nanostructures influencing their optical response and band gap energy of TiO2is changed for different TiO2nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pair of copper bromide lasers in an oscillator–amplifier configuration is used to investigate the small signal gain and saturation intensity as amplifying parameters and output power of lasers, versus pressure of buffer gas. It is shown that the amplifying parameters and laser output power have a maximum value at optimum buffer gas pressure of 11 Torr. The challenge between microscopic parameters such as stimulated emission cross section, laser upper level lifetime, and population inversion, which determine the values of laser characteristics respective to the operational pressure of buffer gas, are investigated. Thus an optimum delay time of about 10 ns is determined, and a maximum output power equivalent to about 12 W is extracted. The amplifying parameters and measured output power of laser versus delay times show some local maxima and minima at the delay time interval of 6–43 ns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pair of copper bromide lasers in an oscillator–amplifier configuration was used to investigate the temperature dependence of the small-signal gain, saturation intensity, and output power of the laser. The observations were explained in terms of the electron temperature and energy levels of transition. An optimum electrical input power of 1.6 kW and a corresponding operational temperature of 510 °C were determined for the maximum values of these parameters. The balance between the microscopic parameters, such as stimulated emission cross-section, laser upper-level lifetime, and population inversion, which determine the behavior of the amplifying parameters and laser output power with respect to the operational temperature, has been investigated. We used the steady-state rate equation from the Hargrove model to determine the amplifying parameters, instead of the Frantz–Nodvik formula. The power extracted from the amplifier exceeds that achieved with the same device as the oscillator by more than 60%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report on a new zeolite-based silicalite nanoparticle that can enhance the transfection efficiencies generated by poly ethylene imine-plasmid DNA (PEI-pDNA) complexes via a sedimentation mechanism and can enhance the transfection efficiencies of pDNA alone when surface functionalized with amine groups. The silicalite nanoparticles have a mean size of 55 nm. Functionalizing the silicalite nanoparticles with amine groups results in a clear transition in zeta potential from [?]25.9 ± 2.3 mV (pH 7.4) for unfunctionalized silicalite nanoparticles to 4.9 ± 0.7 mV (pH 7.4) for amine functionalized silicalite nanoparticles. We identify that silicalite nanoparticles used to promote non-viral vector acceleration to the cell surface are found in acidic vesicles or the cytoplasm but not the nucleus. An MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay showed that the silicalite nanoparticles were non-toxic at the concentrations tested for transfection. We show that surface functionalization of silicalite nanoparticles with amine groups results in a significant (230%) increase in transfection efficiency of pDNA when compared to unfunctionalized silicalite nanoparticles. Silicalite nanoparticles enhanced pDNA-PEI induced transfection of human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells by over 150%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]