Detection of amyloid fibrils in Parkinson's disease using plasmonic chirality.

Amyloid fibrils, which are closely associated with various neurodegenerative diseases, are the final products in many protein aggregation pathways. The identification of fibrils at low concentration is, therefore, pivotal in disease diagnosis and development of therapeutic strategies. We report a methodology for the specific identification of amyloid fibrils using chiroptical effects in plasmonic nanoparticles. The formation of amyloid fibrils based on α-synuclein was probed using gold nanorods, which showed no apparent interaction with monomeric proteins but effective adsorption onto fibril structures via noncovalent interactions. The amyloid structure drives a helical nanorod arrangement, resulting in intense optical activity at the surface plasmon resonance wavelengths. This sensing technique was successfully applied to human brain homogenates of patients affected by Parkinson's disease, wherein protein fibrils related to the disease were identified through chiral signals from Au nanorods in the visible and near IR, whereas healthy brain samples did not exhibit any meaningful optical activity. The technique was additionally extended to the specific detection of infectious amyloids formed by prion proteins, thereby confirming the wide potential of the technique. The intense chiral response driven by strong dipolar coupling in helical Au nanorod arrangements allowed us to detect amyloid fibrils down to nanomolar concentrations.

The Influence of Pain-Related Expectations on Intensity Perception of Nonpainful Somatosensory Stimuli.

OBJECTIVE: The extent to which pain-related expectations, known to affect pain perception, also affect perception of nonpainful sensations remains unclear, as well as the potential role of unpredictability in this context. METHODS: In a proprioceptive fear conditioning paradigm, various arm extension movements were associated with predictable and unpredictable electrocutaneous pain or its absence. During a subsequent test phase, nonpainful electrocutaneous stimuli with a high or low intensity were presented during movement execution. We used hierarchical drift diffusion modeling to examine the influence of expecting pain on the perceptual decision-making process underlying intensity perception of nonpainful sensations. In the first experiment (n = 36), the pain stimulus was never presented during the test phase after conditioning. In the second experiment (n = 39), partial reinforcement was adopted to prevent extinction of pain expectations. RESULTS: In both experiments, movements that were associated with (un)predictable pain led to higher pain expectancy, self-reported fear, unpleasantness, and arousal as compared with movements that were never paired with pain (effect sizes η2 ranging from 0.119 to 0.557; all p values < .05). Only in the second experiment-when the threat of pain remained present-we found that the expectation of pain affected decision making. Compared with the no pain condition, an a priori decision-making bias toward the high-intensity decision threshold was found with the strongest bias during unpredictable pain (effect sizes η2 ranging from 0.469 to 0.504; all p-values < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the expectation of pain affects inferential processes not only for subsequent painful but also for nonpainful bodily stimuli, with unpredictability moderating these effects, and only when the threat of pain remains present due to partial reinforcement.

Reversible Clustering of Gold Nanoparticles under Confinement.

A limiting factor of solvent-induced nanoparticle self-assembly is the need for constant sample dilution in assembly/disassembly cycles. Changes in the nanoparticle concentration alter the kinetics of the subsequent assembly process, limiting optical signal recovery. Herein, we show that upon confining hydrophobic nanoparticles in permeable silica nanocapsules, the number of nanoparticles participating in cyclic aggregation remains constant despite bulk changes in solution, leading to highly reproducible plasmon band shifts at different solvent compositions.

A combined 3D and 2D light scattering study on aqueous colloidal model systems with tunable interactions.

In this article we report on the synthesis and characterization of a system of colloidal spheres suspended in an aqueous solvent which can be refractive index-matched, thus allowing for investigations of the particle near-wall dynamics by evanescent wave dynamic light scattering at concentrations up to the isotropic to ordered transition and beyond. The particles are synthesized by copolymerization of a fluorinated acrylic ester monomer with a polyethylene-glycol (PEG) oligomer by surfactant free emulsion polymerization. Static and dynamic light scattering experiments in combination with cryo transmission electron microscopy reveal that the particles have a core shell structure with a significant enrichment of the PEG chains on the particles surface. In index-matching DMSO/water suspensions the particles arrange in an ordered phase at volume fraction above 7%, if no additional electrolyte is present. The near-wall dynamics at low volume fraction are quantitatively described by the combination of electrostatic repulsion and hydrodynamic interaction between the particles and the wall. At volume fractions close to the isotropic to ordered transition, the near-wall dynamics are more complex and qualitatively reminiscent of the behaviour which was observed in hard sphere suspensions at high concentrations.

Defect Engineering of MoTe2 via Thiol Treatment for Type III van der Waals Heterojunction Phototransistor.

Molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) nanosheets have displayed intriguing physicochemical properties and opto-electric characteristics as a result of their tunable and small band gap (Eg ∼ 1 eV), facilitating concurrent electron and hole transport. Despite the numerous efforts devoted to the development of p-type MoTe2 field-effect transistors (FETs), the presence of tellurium (Te) point vacancies has caused serious reliability issues. Here, we overcome this major limitation by treating the MoTe2 surface with thiolated molecules to heal Te vacancies. Comprehensive materials and electrical characterizations provided unambiguous evidence for the efficient chemisorption of butanethiol. Our thiol-treated MoTe2 FET exhibited a 10-fold increase in hole current and a positive threshold voltage shift of 25 V, indicative of efficient hole carrier doping. We demonstrated that our powerful molecular engineering strategy can be extended to the controlled formation of van der Waals heterostructures by developing an n-SnS2/thiol-MoTe2 junction FET (thiol-JFET). Notably, the thiol-JFET exhibited a significant negative photoresponse with a responsivity of 50 A W-1 and a fast response time of 80 ms based on band-to-band tunneling. More interestingly, the thiol-JFET displayed a gate tunable trimodal photodetection comprising two photoactive modes (positive and negative photoresponse) and one photoinactive mode. These findings underscore the potential of molecular engineering approaches in enhancing the performance and functionality of MoTe2-based nanodevices as key components in advanced 2D-based optoelectronics.

Direct visualization of ligands on gold nanoparticles in a liquid environment.

The interactions between gold nanoparticles, their surface ligands and the solvent critically influence the properties of these nanoparticles. Although spectroscopic and scattering techniques have been used to investigate their ensemble structure, a comprehensive understanding of these processes at the nanoscale remains challenging. Electron microscopy makes it possible to characterize the local structure and composition but is limited by insufficient contrast, electron beam sensitivity and the requirement for ultrahigh-vacuum conditions, which prevent the investigation of dynamic aspects. Here we show that, by exploiting high-quality graphene liquid cells, we can overcome these limitations and investigate the structure of the ligand shell around gold nanoparticles and at the ligand-gold interface in a liquid environment. Using this graphene liquid cell, we visualize the anisotropy, composition and dynamics of ligand distribution on gold nanorod surfaces. Our results indicate a micellar model for surfactant organization. This work provides a reliable and direct visualization of ligand distribution around colloidal nanoparticles.

Heterogeneous Pt-catalyzed transfer dehydrogenation of long-chain alkanes with ethylene.

The dehydrogenation of long-chain alkanes to olefins and alkylaromatics is a challenging endothermic reaction, typically requiring harsh conditions which can lead to low selectivity and coking. More favorable thermodynamics can be achieved by using a hydrogen acceptor, such as ethylene. In this work, the potential of heterogeneous platinum catalysts for the transfer dehydrogenation of long-chain alkanes is investigated, using ethylene as a convenient hydrogen acceptor. Pt/C and Pt-Sn/C catalysts were prepared via a simple polyol method and characterized with CO pulse chemisorption, HAADF-STEM, and EDX measurements. Conversion of ethylene was monitored via gas-phase FTIR, and distribution of liquid products was analyzed via GC-FID, GC-MS, and 1H-NMR. Compared to unpromoted Pt/C, Sn-promoted catalysts show lower initial reaction rates, but better resistance to catalyst deactivation, while increasing selectivity towards alkylaromatics. Both reaction products and ethylene were found to inhibit the reaction significantly. At 250 °C for 22 h, TON up to 28 and 86 mol per mol Pt were obtained for Pt/C and PtSn2/C, respectively, with olefin selectivities of 94% and 53%. The remaining products were mainly unbranched alkylaromatics. These findings show the potential of simple heterogeneous catalysts in alkane transfer dehydrogenation, for the preparation of valuable olefins and alkylaromatics, or as an essential step in various tandem reactions.

Size of cerium dioxide support nanocrystals dictates reactivity of highly dispersed palladium catalysts.

The catalytic performance of heterogeneous catalysts can be tuned by modulation of the size and structure of supported transition metals, which are typically regarded as the active sites. In single-atom metal catalysts, the support itself can strongly affect the catalytic properties. Here, we demonstrate that the size of cerium dioxide (CeO2) support governs the reactivity of atomically dispersed palladium (Pd) in carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation. Catalysts with small CeO2 nanocrystals (~4 nanometers) exhibit unusually high activity in a CO-rich reaction feed, whereas catalysts with medium-size CeO2 (~8 nanometers) are preferred for lean conditions. Detailed spectroscopic investigations reveal support size-dependent redox properties of the Pd-CeO2 interface.

Charging of Vitreous Samples in Cryogenic Electron Microscopy Mitigated by Graphene.

Cryogenic electron microscopy can provide high-resolution reconstructions of macromolecules embedded in a thin layer of ice from which atomic models can be built de novo. However, the interaction between the ionizing electron beam and the sample results in beam-induced motion and image distortion, which limit the attainable resolutions. Sample charging is one contributing factor of beam-induced motions and image distortions, which is normally alleviated by including part of the supporting conducting film within the beam-exposed region. However, routine data collection schemes avoid strategies whereby the beam is not in contact with the supporting film, whose rationale is not fully understood. Here we characterize electrostatic charging of vitreous samples, both in imaging and in diffraction mode. We mitigate sample charging by depositing a single layer of conductive graphene on top of regular EM grids. We obtained high-resolution single-particle analysis (SPA) reconstructions at 2 Å when the electron beam only irradiates the middle of the hole on graphene-coated grids, using data collection schemes that previously failed to produce sub 3 Å reconstructions without the graphene layer. We also observe that the SPA data obtained with the graphene-coated grids exhibit a higher b factor and reduced particle movement compared to data obtained without the graphene layer. This mitigation of charging could have broad implications for various EM techniques, including SPA and cryotomography, and for the study of radiation damage and the development of future sample carriers. Furthermore, it may facilitate the exploration of more dose-efficient, scanning transmission EM based SPA techniques.

The exploration-exploitation dilemma in pain: an experimental investigation.

ABSTRACT: Daily life consists of a chain of decisions. Typically, individuals may choose to pursue what they already know (exploitation) or to search for other options (exploration). This exploration-exploitation dilemma is a topic of interest across multiple scientific fields. Here we propose that investigating how individuals solve this dilemma may improve our understanding of how individuals make behavioral decisions (eg, avoidance) when facing pain. To this end, we present the data of 3 experiments in which healthy individuals were given the opportunity to choose between 4 different movements, with each movement being associated with different probabilities of receiving a painful outcome only (experiment 1) or pain and/or a reward (experiment 2). We also investigated whether participants stuck to their decisions when the contingencies between each movement and the painful/rewarding outcome changed during the task (experiment 3). The key findings across all experiments are the following: First, after initial exploration, participants most often exploited the safest option. Second, participants weighted rewards more heavily than receiving pain. Finally, after receiving a painful outcome, participants were more inclined to explore than to exploit a rewarding movement. We argue that by focusing more on how individuals in pain solve the exploration-exploitation dilemma is helpful in understanding behavioral decision making in pain.

Learn to breathe, breathe to learn? No evidence for effects of slow deep breathing at a 0.1 Hz frequency on reversal learning.

This study sought to investigate whether slow deep breathing (SDB) facilitates reversal learning. We also explored whether SDB modulates the renewal effect. After learning a series of cue-outcome associations (early acquisition phase) in a predictive learning task, 37 participants paced their breathing according to a normal (NPB group; 0.2 Hz) or a slow (SDB group; 0.1 Hz) pattern while completing the reversal and renewal phases. Response correctness, heart rate variability (HRV, i.e., Root mean square of successive differences), and respiratory rate were assessed. Findings indicated that both groups adopted the targeted breathing pattern. As expected, the SDB (vs. NPB) group displayed a steeper rise in HRV from early acquisition to the later phases of the task during which the breathing manipulation took place. However, the performance of the NPB and SDB groups did not significantly differ in any phase of the predictive learning task. Despite the inconclusive findings on the effect of SDB on reversal and renewal, these results confirm that SDB can be performed while performing a learning task.

Quantification of the Helical Morphology of Chiral Gold Nanorods.

Chirality in inorganic nanoparticles and nanostructures has gained increasing scientific interest, because of the possibility to tune their ability to interact differently with left- and right-handed circularly polarized light. In some cases, the optical activity is hypothesized to originate from a chiral morphology of the nanomaterial. However, quantifying the degree of chirality in objects with sizes of tens of nanometers is far from straightforward. Electron tomography offers the possibility to faithfully retrieve the three-dimensional morphology of nanomaterials, but only a qualitative interpretation of the morphology of chiral nanoparticles has been possible so far. We introduce herein a methodology that enables us to quantify the helicity of complex chiral nanomaterials, based on the geometrical properties of a helix. We demonstrate that an analysis at the single particle level can provide significant insights into the origin of chiroptical properties.

Metal-Polymer Heterojunction in Colloidal-Phase Plasmonic Catalysis.

Plasmonic catalysis in the colloidal phase requires robust surface ligands that prevent particles from aggregation in adverse chemical environments and allow carrier flow from reagents to nanoparticles. This work describes the use of a water-soluble conjugated polymer comprising a thiophene moiety as a surface ligand for gold nanoparticles to create a hybrid system that, under the action of visible light, drives the conversion of the biorelevant NAD+ to its highly energetic reduced form NADH. A combination of advanced microscopy techniques and numerical simulations revealed that the robust metal-polymer heterojunction, rich in sulfonate functional groups, directs the interaction of electron-donor molecules with the plasmonic photocatalyst. The tight binding of polymer to the gold surface precludes the need for conventional transition-metal surface cocatalysts, which were previously shown to be essential for photocatalytic NAD+ reduction but are known to hinder the optical properties of plasmonic nanocrystals. Moreover, computational studies indicated that the coating polymer fosters a closer interaction between the sacrificial electron-donor triethanolamine and the nanoparticles, thus enhancing the reactivity.

Evidence for a modulating effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on salivary alpha-amylase as indirect noradrenergic marker: A pooled mega-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has received tremendous attention as a potential neuromodulator of cognitive and affective functions, which likely exerts its effects via activation of the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NA) system. Reliable effects of taVNS on markers of LC-NA system activity, however, have not been demonstrated yet. METHODS: The aim of the present study was to overcome previous limitations by pooling raw data from a large sample of ten taVNS studies (371 healthy participants) that collected salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) as a potential marker of central NA release. RESULTS: While a meta-analytic approach using summary statistics did not yield any significant effects, linear mixed model analyses showed that afferent stimulation of the vagus nerve via taVNS increased sAA levels compared to sham stimulation (b = 0.16, SE = 0.05, p = 0.001). When considering potential confounders of sAA, we further replicated previous findings on the diurnal trajectory of sAA activity. CONCLUSION(S): Vagal activation via taVNS increases sAA release compared to sham stimulation, which likely substantiates the assumption that taVNS triggers NA release. Moreover, our results highlight the benefits of data pooling and data sharing in order to allow stronger conclusions in research.

Effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on reversal learning, tonic pupil size, salivary alpha-amylase, and cortisol.

This study investigated whether transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) enhances reversal learning and augments noradrenergic biomarkers (i.e., pupil size, cortisol, and salivary alpha-amylase [sAA]). We also explored the effect of taVNS on respiratory rate and cardiac vagal activity (CVA). Seventy-one participants received stimulation of either the cymba concha (taVNS) or the earlobe (sham) of the left ear. After learning a series of cue-outcome associations, the stimulation was applied before and throughout a reversal phase in which cue-outcome associations were changed for some (reversal), but not for other (distractor) cues. Tonic pupil size, salivary cortisol, sAA, respiratory rate, and CVA were assessed at different time points. Contrary to our hypothesis, taVNS was not associated with an overall improvement in performance on the reversal task. Compared to sham, the taVNS group performed worse for distractor than reversal cues. taVNS did not increase tonic pupil size and sAA. Only post hoc analyses indicated that the cortisol decline was steeper in the sham compared to the taVNS group. Exploratory analyses showed that taVNS decreased respiratory rate but did not affect CVA. The weak and unexpected effects found in this study might relate to the lack of parameters optimization for taVNS and invite to further investigate the effect of taVNS on cortisol and respiratory rate.

Nanoparticle-Mediated In Situ Molecular Reprogramming of Immune Checkpoint Interactions for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Immune checkpoint blockade involves targeting immune regulatory molecules with antibodies. Preclinically, complex multiantibody regimes of both inhibitory and stimulatory targets are a promising candidate for the next generation of immunotherapy. However, in this setting, the antibody platform may be limited due to excessive toxicity caused by off target effects as a result of systemic administration. RNA can be used as an alternate to antibodies as it can both downregulate immunosuppressive checkpoints (siRNA) or induce expression of immunostimulatory checkpoints (mRNA). In this study, we demonstrate that the combination of both siRNA and mRNA in a single formulation can simultaneously knockdown and induce expression of immune checkpoint targets, thereby reprogramming the tumor microenvironment from immunosuppressive to immunostimulatory phenotype. To achieve this, RNA constructs were synthesized and formulated into stable nucleic acid lipid nanoparticles (SNALPs); the SNALPs produced were 140-150 nm in size with >80% loading efficiency. SNALPs could transfect macrophages and B16F10 cells in vitro resulting in 75% knockdown of inhibitory checkpoint (PDL1) expression and simultaneously express high levels of stimulatory checkpoint (OX40L) with minimal toxicity. Intratumoral treatment with the proposed formulation resulted in statistically reduced tumor growth, a greater density of CD4+ and CD8+ infiltrates in the tumor, and immune activation within tumor-draining lymph nodes. These data suggest that a single RNA-based formulation can successfully reprogram multiple immune checkpoint interactions on a cellular level. Such a candidate may be able to replace future immune checkpoint therapeutic regimes composed of both stimulatory- and inhibitory-receptor-targeting antibodies.

Efficient long-range conduction in cable bacteria through nickel protein wires.

Filamentous cable bacteria display long-range electron transport, generating electrical currents over centimeter distances through a highly ordered network of fibers embedded in their cell envelope. The conductivity of these periplasmic wires is exceptionally high for a biological material, but their chemical structure and underlying electron transport mechanism remain unresolved. Here, we combine high-resolution microscopy, spectroscopy, and chemical imaging on individual cable bacterium filaments to demonstrate that the periplasmic wires consist of a conductive protein core surrounded by an insulating protein shell layer. The core proteins contain a sulfur-ligated nickel cofactor, and conductivity decreases when nickel is oxidized or selectively removed. The involvement of nickel as the active metal in biological conduction is remarkable, and suggests a hitherto unknown form of electron transport that enables efficient conduction in centimeter-long protein structures.

Decomposing conditioned avoidance performance with computational models.

Avoidance towards innocuous stimuli is a key characteristic across anxiety-related disorders and chronic pain. Insights into the relevant learning processes of avoidance are often gained via laboratory procedures, where individuals learn to avoid stimuli or movements that have been previously associated with an aversive stimulus. Typically, statistical analyses of data gathered with conditioned avoidance procedures include frequency data, for example, the number of times a participant has avoided an aversive stimulus. Here, we argue that further insights into the underlying processes of avoidance behavior could be unraveled using computational models of behavior. We then demonstrate how computational models could be used by reanalysing a previously published avoidance data set and interpreting the key findings. We conclude our article by listing some challenges in the direct application of computational modeling to avoidance data sets.

Improving extracellular vesicles visualization: From static to motion.

In the last decade, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become a hot topic. The findings on EVs content and effects have made them a major field of interest in cancer research. EVs, are able to be internalized through integrins expressed in parental cells, in a tissue specific manner, as a key step of cancer progression and pre-metastatic niche formation. However, this specificity might lead to new opportunities in cancer treatment by using EVs as devices for drug delivery. For future applications of EVs in cancer, improved protocols and methods for EVs isolation and visualization are required. Our group has put efforts on developing a protocol able to track the EVs for in vivo internalization analysis. We showed, for the first time, the videos of labeled EVs uptake by living lung cancer cells.

Goal conflict in chronic pain: day reconstruction method.

BACKGROUND: When suffering from chronic pain, attempts to control or avoid pain often compete with other daily activities. Engaging in one activity excludes engaging in another, equally valued activity, which is referred to as "goal conflict." As yet, the presence and effects of goal conflicts in patients with chronic pain remain poorly understood. METHODS: This study systematically mapped the presence and experience of goal conflicts in patients with fibromyalgia compared to healthy controls. A total of 40 patients and 37 controls completed a semi-structured interview in which they first reconstructed the previous day, identified conflicts experienced during that day, and classified each of the conflicting goals in one of nine goal categories. Additionally, they assessed how they experienced the previous day and the reported conflicts. RESULTS: Results showed that patients did not experience more goal conflicts than healthy controls, but that they did differ in the type of conflicts experienced. Compared to controls, patients reported more conflicts related to pain, and fewer conflicts involving work-related, social or pleasure-related goals. Moreover, patients experienced conflicts as more aversive and more difficult to resolve than control participants. DISCUSSION: This study provides more insight in the dynamics of goal conflict in daily life, and indicates that patients experience conflict as more aversive than controls, and that conflict between pain control (and avoidance) and other valued activities is part of the life of patients.