Influence of Field Effects on the Performance of InGaAs-Based Terahertz Radiation Detectors

A detailed electrical characterization of high-performance bow-tie InGaAs-based terahertz detectors is presented along with simulation results. The local surface potential and tunnelling current were scanned over the surfaces of the detectors by means of Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), which also enabled the determination of the Fermi level. Current-voltage curves were measured and modelled using the Synopsys Sentaurus TCAD package to gain deeper insight into the processes involved in detector operation. In addition, we performed finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations to reveal features related to changes in the electric field due to the metal detector contacts. The investigation revealed that field-effect-induced conductivity modulation is a possible mechanism contributing to the high sensitivity of the studied detectors.     

Multifunctional iron and iron oxide nanoparticles in silica

Iron and iron oxide nanoparticles in silica layers deposited by sol–gel techniques on Si wafers were formed and studied. It was shown that multifunctional nanoparticles of different iron oxides possessing various physical properties can be fabricated by means of post-growth annealing of (SiO₂:Fe)/SiO₂/Si samples in various atmospheres. The hematite, maghemite, and iron nanoparticles were found to be dominant upon annealing the samples in air, argon, and hydrogen atmosphere, respectively. The physical properties of produced hybrid structures were studied by Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, AFM, and magnetic measurements. The sol–gel technique with subsequent annealing procedure is demonstrated to be an effective method for the formation of multifunctional hybrid structures composed of iron or iron oxide nanoparticles in silica matrix.     

Differential Polarization Nonlinear Optical Microscopy with Adaptive Optics Controlled Multiplexed Beams

Differential polarization nonlinear optical microscopy has the potential to become an indispensable tool for structural investigations of ordered biological assemblies and microcrystalline aggregates. Their microscopic organization can be probed through fast and sensitive measurements of nonlinear optical signal anisotropy, which can be achieved with microscopic spatial resolution by using time-multiplexed pulsed laser beams with perpendicular polarization orientations and photon-counting detection electronics for signal demultiplexing. In addition, deformable membrane mirrors can be used to correct for optical aberrations in the microscope and simultaneously optimize beam overlap using a genetic algorithm. The beam overlap can be achieved with better accuracy than diffraction limited point-spread function, which allows to perform polarization-resolved measurements on the pixel-by-pixel basis. We describe a newly developed differential polarization microscope and present applications of the differential microscopy technique for structural studies of collagen and cellulose. Both, second harmonic generation, and fluorescence-detected nonlinear absorption anisotropy are used in these investigations. It is shown that the orientation and structural properties of the fibers in biological tissue can be deduced and that the orientation of fluorescent molecules (Congo Red), which label the fibers, can be determined. Differential polarization microscopy sidesteps common issues such as photobleaching and sample movement. Due to tens of megahertz alternating polarization of excitation pulses fast data acquisition can be conveniently applied to measure changes in the nonlinear signal anisotropy in dynamically changing in vivo structures.     

Fine structure and related properties of the assembleable carbon nanotubes based electrode for new family of biosensors with chooseable selectivity

Surfaces of constituent parts of biosensors based on single wall carbon nanotube layer were investigated and compare for properly functioning and faulty biosensors. Though the original technology is acceptable for changing of the selectivity, only glucose sensitive biosensors are investigated. Based on the results of the study, a correlation between the features of the nanoscale structures and parameters of amperiometric biosensors for assemblage of which an innovative approach is described. Original template of the electrodes has been prepared on a base of single wall carbon nanotube layer deposited on the supporting polycarbonate membrane. Original immobilisation of enzymes within special membrane allows functional modification of biosensors being accomplished by simple replacement of the enzymatic membrane. The original technology leads to a novel family of biosensors acceptable for detection of wide range of carbohydrates. The morphology and the local electric properties of the constituent parts of the biosensors are characterized by scanning probe microscopy. The sensitivity, selectivity and stability are described for typical types of the biosensors.     

Influence of semicrystalline order on the second-harmonic generation efficiency in the anisotropic bands of myocytes

The influence of semicrystalline order on the second-harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency in the anisotropic bands of Drosophila melanogaster sarcomeres from larval and adult muscle has been investigated. Differences in the semicrystalline order were obtained by using wild-type and mutant strains containing different amounts of headless myosin. The reduction in semicrystalline order without altering the chemical composition of myofibrils was achieved by observing highly stretched sarcomeres and by inducing a loss of viability in myocytes. In all cases the reduction of semicrystalline order in anisotropic bands of myocytes resulted in a substantial decrease in SHG. Second-harmonic imaging during periodic contractions of myocytes revealed higher intensities when sarcomeres were in the relaxed state compared with the contracted state. This study demonstrates that an ordered semicrystalline arrangement of anisotropic bands plays a determining role in the efficiency of SHG in myocytes.     

Extracellular Vesicles from Human Teeth Stem Cells Trigger ATP Release and Promote Migration of Human Microglia through P2X4 Receptor/MFG-E8-Dependent Mechanisms

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) effectively suppress neuroinflammation and induce neuroprotective effects in different disease models. However, the mechanisms by which EVs regulate the neuroinflammatory response of microglia remains largely unexplored. Here, we addressed this issue by testing the action of EVs derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth stem cells (SHEDs) on immortalized human microglial cells. We found that EVs induced a rapid increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ and promoted significant ATP release in microglial cells after 20 min of treatment. Boyden chamber assays revealed that EVs promoted microglial migration by 20%. Pharmacological inhibition of different subtypes of purinergic receptors demonstrated that EVs activated microglial migration preferentially through the P2X4 receptor (P2X4R) pathway. Proximity ligation and co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed that EVs promote association between milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor-factor VIII (MFG-E8) and P2X4R proteins. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of αVβ3/αVβ5 integrin suppressed EV-induced cell migration and formation of lipid rafts in microglia. These results demonstrate that EVs promote microglial motility through P2X4R/MFG-E8-dependent mechanisms. Our findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms through which EVs target human microglia that may be exploited for the development of new therapeutic strategies targeting disease-associated neuroinflammation.