Deleonbock0922

The phase stability and electronic properties of two-dimensional Si1-xGex alloys are investigated via the first-principles method in combination with the cluster expansion and Monte Carlo simulations. The calculated composition-temperature phase diagram indicates that at low temperatures (below 200 K) monolayer Si1-xGex alloys energetically favor phase separation, whereas when the temperature is increased above 550 K, Si1-xGex alloys can be stabilized and thereby form solid solutions across the whole composition range. Special quasi-random structures were constructed to model the monolayer Si1-xGex. The Si1-xGex alloys are found to possess a robust Dirac cone against composition variation. These results provide a guideline for the experimental realization of Si1-xGex alloys and monolayer Si1-xGex alloys are believed to hold great potential for realization of applications in nanoelectronics and nano-optoelectronics.Carbon-based materials possessing a nanometer size and unique electrical properties perfectly address the two critical issues of transistors, the low power consumption and scalability, and are considered as a promising material in next-generation synaptic devices. In this review, carbon-based synaptic transistors were systematically summarized. In the carbon nanotube section, the synthesis of carbon nanotubes, purification of carbon nanotubes, the effect of architecture on the device performance and related carbon nanotube-based devices for neuromorphic computing were discussed. In the graphene section, the synthesis of graphene and its derivative, as well as graphene-based devices for neuromorphic computing, was systematically studied. Finally, the current challenges for carbon-based synaptic transistors were discussed.In this study, we report the synthesis of self-assembled dityrosine nanotubes as a biologically functional scaffold and their interactions with neural cells. Quantum chemical methods were used to determine the forces involved in the self-assembly process. The physicochemical properties of the nanostructures relevant to their potential as bioactive scaffolds were characterized. The morphology, secondary structure, crystallinity, mechanical properties, and thermal characteristics of YY nanotubes were analyzed. The influence of these nanotubes as scaffolds for neural cells was studied in vitro to understand their effects on cell proliferation, morphology, and gene expression. The scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence confocal microscopy demonstrated the feasibility of nanotube scaffolds for enhanced adhesion to rat and human neural cells (PC12 and SH-SY5Y). Preliminary ELISA and qPCR analyses demonstrate the upregulation of dopamine synthesis and genes involved in dopamine expression and differentiation. The expression levels of DβH, AADC, VMAT2 and MAOA in SH-SY5Y cells cultured on the nanotube scaffolds for 7 days were elevated in comparison to the control cells.Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption (SEIRA) has been proposed as a valuable tool for protein binding studies, but its performances have been often proven on model proteins undergoing severe secondary structure rearrangements, while ligand binding only marginally involves the protein backbone in the vast majority of the biologically relevant cases. In this study we demonstrate the potential of SEIRA microscopy for highlighting the very subtle secondary structure modifications associated with the binding of Lapatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a well-known driver of tumorigenesis in pathological settings such as lung, breast and brain cancers. By boosting the performances of Mid-IR plasmonic devices based on nanoantennas cross-geometry, accustoming the protein purification protocols, carefully tuning the protein anchoring methodology and optimizing the data analysis, we were able to detect EGFR secondary structure modification associated with few amino acids. A nano-patterned platform with this kind of sensitivity bridges biophysical and structural characterization methods, thus opening new possibilities in studying of proteins of biomedical interest, particularly for drug-screening purposes.Dendritic cells (DCs) shape immune responses by influencing T-cell activation. Thus, they are considered both an interesting model for studying nano-immune interactions and a promising target for nano-based biomedical applications. However, the accentuated ability of nanoparticles (NPs) to interact with biomolecules may have an impact on DC function that poses an unexpected risk of unbalanced immune reactions. Here, we investigated the potential effects of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on DC function and the consequences for effector and memory T-cell responses in the presence of the microbial inflammatory stimulus lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Overall, we found that, in the absence of LPS, none of the tested NPs induced a DC response. However, whereas 4-, 8-, and 11 nm AuNPs did not modulate LPS-dependent immune responses, 26 nm AuNPs shifted the phenotype of LPS-activated DCs toward a tolerogenic state, characterized by downregulation of CD86, IL-12 and IL-27, upregulation of ILT3, and induction of class E compartments. Moreover, this DC phenotype was less proficient in promoting Th1 activation and central memory T-cell proliferation. Taken together, these findings support the perception that AuNPs are safe under homeostatic conditions; however, particular care should be taken in patients experiencing a current infection or disorders of the immune system.Electron transport in graphene is dominated by its Dirac-like charge carriers. Grain boundaries add a geometric aspect to the transport behavior by coupling differently oriented grains. ML348 In the phase coherent limit this aspect allows to relate the transport properties to two factors the electronic structure of individual grains around the Dirac points and the orientation relation of the Dirac cones within the grain boundary Brillouin zone. Based on this picture it is possible to quantify the size and strain modulation of transport gaps without the need for explicit transport calculations within the non-equilibrium Green functions formalism. In this work we present a semi-analytical method that exploits this picture. Our method can explore arbitrary grain misorientations in the presence of an external strain providing valuable information about the electronic properties of individual grain boundaries.