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Plasmon-mechanical resonators are frequently employed in sensor development. Here, I report the coupling of plasmon and mechanical modes in a multilayer architecture. In the experiment, the multilayer comprised indium tin oxide (ITO) and silver (Ag) mirrors placed on the top and bottom of a SiO2 substrate. By activating a Fabry–Pérot hybrid mode and surface plasmon polariton in a Kretschmann configuration, I demonstrated the generation of a hybrid plasmon-mechanical mode by plasmonic dispersion and through strong coupling, which resulted in mechanical distortion at multiple frequencies. Adsorption of rhodamine G6 on Ag modifies the optomechanical spectrum; it causes eigenmodes to split, resulting in a coupling rate greater than the optical decay rate (κ ∗ < g). Besides, the excitonic modes were observed to interact with plasmon-mechanical modes, especially on-resonance, where the plasmon-mechanical modes exhibited the higher intensity. For example, the out-of-phase flexural mode (iii, g 0 = 427 × 2 π kHz) became active because of the coupling of the dye. Meanwhile, after dye absorption, the strong in-phase compressional mode (iv, g 0 = 560 × 2 π kHz) exhibited the widest splitting and an increase in the side peaks, which merged when the pump power was raised. The system was then analyzed to determine the ideal experimental settings for detecting mass by the oscillator in a controlled experiment. The mass sensor responsivity was evaluated to be F = 10 17 Hz g − 1 . Advantages and disadvantages of this approach are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meloidogyne incognita is one of the globally serious plant parasitic nematodes. New control measure is urgently needed to replace the common chemical control method. Ascarosides are pheromones regulating the nematodes' aggregation, avoidance, mating, dispersal and dauer recovery and formation. Ascr#9, one of the ascarosides, exhibits the potential to repel M. incognita. However, the nematode genes involved in the perception of ascr# 9 signal are totally unknown. In this study, the transcriptome of ascr#9-treated second stage M. incognita juveniles (J2s) was analyzed, 44 pathways were significantly affected, multiple ligand-receptor and mucin type O-glycan were induced, and olfactory transduction was disturbed. A total of 11 highly differentially expressed genes involved in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and FMRFamide-like peptide related process were identified and knocked down by RNAi. The dispersal rates of M. incognita with three knocked-down genes (flp-14, mgl-1 and ADOR-1) significantly decreased, respectively, when ascr#9 was present. The results demonstrate that flp-14, mgl-1, and ADOR-1 are involved in the dispersal behavior of M. incognita nematodes responding to ascr#9, which promotes the interaction study between ascarosides and M. incognita, and provides new ideas for the prevention and control of M. incognita by using pheromone ascarosides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the progress in the development of innovative EEG acquisition systems, their use in dynamic applications is still limited by motion artifacts compromising the interpretation of the collected signals. Therefore, extensive research on the genesis of motion artifacts in EEG recordings is still needed to optimize existing technologies, shedding light on possible solutions to overcome the current limitations. We identified three potential sources of motion artifacts occurring at three different levels of a traditional biopotential acquisition chain: the skin-electrode interface, the connecting cables between the detection and the acquisition systems, and the electrode-amplifier system. The identified sources of motion artifacts were modelled starting from experimental observations carried out on EEG signals. Consequently, we designed customized EEG electrode systems aiming at experimentally disentangling the possible causes of motion artifacts. Both analytical and experimental observations indicated two main residual sites responsible for motion artifacts: the connecting cables between the electrodes and the amplifier and the sudden changes in electrode-skin impedance due to electrode movements. We concluded that further advancements in EEG technology should focus on the transduction stage of the biopotentials amplification chain, such as the electrode technology and its interfacing with the acquisition system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidermal patches utilized for the transduction of biopotentials and biomechanical signals are pivotal in wearable health monitoring. However, the shortcomings, such as inferior conformal ability, deficient adhesion, and motion artifacts, severely impede the bioelectrodes from perceiving stable and superior‐quality physiological signals. Herein, a polymer epidermal patch possessing a spontaneous Janus structure is facilely prepared through itaconic acylhydrazine (IAH) induced gradient polymerization. The solubility discrepancy of the monomers in IAH authorized the Janus structure with distinct adhesion properties on each side. Moreover, the hydrogen bond network constructed by IAH confers the polymer with a high degree of skin compliance, enabling dynamic and stable mechanical properties to withstand complex monitoring environments. By integrating skin‐like softness (Young's modulus ≈0.16 MPa), robust adhesion (35 kPa), and high signal‐to‐noise ratio (32 dB), this epidermal patch displays exceptional elasticity within the physiological activity spectrum, provides swift electrical and mechanical self‐recovery capabilities, and resists interference in dynamic signal monitoring (deformation, compression, humidity, etc.). By demonstrating multifaceted applications for Electrocardiogram recording under diverse disturbances, the epidermal patch profiles a promising noninvasive, enduring wearable bioelectronic interface with immunity to interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the bottlenecks to bringing new therapies to the clinic has been a lack of vectors for delivering novel therapeutics in a targeted manner. Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) have received a lot of attention and have been the subject of numerous developments since their identification nearly three decades ago. Known for their transduction abilities, they have generally been considered inert vectors. In this review, we present a schema for their classification, highlight what is known about their mechanism of transduction, and outline the existing literature as well as our own experience, vis a vis the intrinsic anti-inflammatory properties that certain CPPs exhibit. Given the inflammatory responses associated with viral vectors, CPPs represent a viable alternative to such vectors; furthermore, the anti-inflammatory properties of CPPs, mostly through inhibition of the NF-κB pathway, are encouraging. Much more work in relevant animal models, toxicity studies in large animal models, and ultimately human trials are needed before their potential is fully realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of hypertension in non-Hispanic black (BL) individuals is the greatest of any racial/ethnic group. Whereas women generally display lower rates of hypertension than men of the same background, BL women display a similar if not greater burden of hypertension compared with BL men. The risk for cardiovascular disease and related events is also highest in BL individuals. Given the importance of the sympathetic nervous system for the regulation of the cardiovascular system, a growing body of literature has investigated sympathetic function in BL and non-Hispanic white (WH) individuals. Here, we are focused on emerging evidence indicating that sympathetic function may be altered in BL individuals, with particular emphasis on the process by which bursts of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) are transduced into vasoconstriction and increases in blood pressure (sympathetic vascular transduction). To synthesize this growing body of literature we discuss sex and race differences in 1) sympathetic outflow, 2) sympathetic vascular transduction, and 3) adrenergic receptor sensitivity. Sex differences are discussed foremost, to set the stage for new data indicating a sex dimorphism in sympathetic regulation in BL individuals. Specifically, we highlight evidence for a potential neurogenic phenotype including greater adiposity-independent sympathetic outflow and enhanced sympathetic vascular transduction in BL men that is not observed in BL women. The implications of these findings for the greater hypertension and cardiovascular disease risk in BL adults are discussed along with areas that require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a model of a synthetic molecular motor—a [3]-catenane consisting of two small macrocycles mechanically interlocked with a bigger one—subjected to time-dependent driving using stochastic thermodynamics. The model presents nontrivial features due to the two interacting small macrocycles but is simple enough to be treated analytically in limiting regimes. Among the results obtained, we find a mapping into an equivalent [2]-catenane that reveals the implications of the no-pumping theorem stating that to generate net motion of the small macrocycles, both energies and barriers need to change. In the adiabatic limit (slow driving), we fully characterize the motor's dynamics and show that the net motion of the small macrocycles is expressed as a surface integral in parameter space, which corrects previous erroneous results. We also analyze the performance of the motor subjected to step-wise driving protocols in the absence and presence of an applied load. Optimization strategies for generating large currents and maximizing free energy transduction are proposed. This simple model provides interesting clues into the working principles of non-autonomous molecular motors and their optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants sense and respond to environmental cues during 24 h fluctuations in their environment. This requires the integration of internal cues such as circadian timing with environmental cues such as light and temperature to elicit cellular responses through signal transduction. However, the integration and transduction of circadian and environmental signals by plants growing in natural environments remains poorly understood. To gain insights into 24 h dynamics of environmental signaling in nature, we performed a field study of signal transduction from the nucleus to chloroplasts in a natural population of Arabidopsis halleri. Using several modeling approaches to interpret the data, we identified that the circadian clock and temperature are key regulators of this pathway under natural conditions. We identified potential time-delay steps between pathway components, and diel fluctuations in the response of the pathway to temperature cues that are reminiscent of the process of circadian gating. We found that our modeling framework can be extended to other signaling pathways that undergo diel oscillations and respond to environmental cues. This approach of combining studies of gene expression in the field with modeling allowed us to identify the dynamic integration and transduction of environmental cues, in plant cells, under naturally fluctuating diel cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is often accompanied by hypertension, exaggerated blood pressure (BP) responses to sympatho‐excitatory stressors, and raised cardiovascular disease risk. Appropriate respiratory–sympathetic coupling and sympathetic transduction to BP are important for short‐ and longer‐term BP control. We tested the hypotheses that respiratory modulation of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and its transduction to BP would be impaired in T2D and associated with higher BP and respiratory‐coupled BP variability. Resting MSNA, respiration and beat‐to‐beat BP were recorded in 20 T2D (49.1 ± 7.4 years; mean ± SD) and 13 healthy control (46.3 ± 9.4 years) participants. MSNA and the transduction of sympathetic bursts (signal‐averaging) to mean arterial pressure (MAP) were compared at low and high lung volume phases. The peak MAP response following a sympathetic burst was lower during the high lung volume than low lung volume phase in controls (P = 0.005), whereas it was unchanged with phase in T2D participants (P = 0.522). Respiratory modulation of MSNA was impaired in T2D participants, who had an attenuated reduction in burst incidence from low to the high lung volume phase, versus controls (27.8 ± 38.4% vs. 49.4 ± 24.6%, respectively; P = 0.043). The T2D participants were grouped into unimpaired respiratory modulators (burst incidence modulation median or above) or impaired respiratory modulators (below median). Impaired modulators had higher systolic BP (133 ± 14 vs. 121 ± 11 mmHg, P = 0.046), greater Traube–Hering wave amplitudes (6.3 ± 2.4 vs. 4.6 ± 1.1 mmHg; P = 0.028) and higher BP variability (MAP average real variability, 2.0 ± 0.7 vs. 1.4 ± 0.3, P = 0.033). Respiratory modulation of MSNA and sympathetic transduction to BP are altered in T2D patients and may contribute to their increased hypertension and cardiovascular risk. Key points: Respiratory–sympathetic coupling and sympathetic transduction to blood pressure (BP) contribute to short‐ and longer‐term BP control. Our understanding of these processes in health and type 2 diabetes (T2D), a condition with high prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular risk, is incomplete.We found that respiration and sympathetic transduction to BP are coupled in healthy individuals. The mean arterial pressure response to a sympathetic burst was reduced during the high lung volume compared to the low lung volume phase. This coupling was absent in T2D.Respiratory modulation of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) is impaired in T2D, with a blunted reduction of MSNA observed during the high lung volume phase.T2D patients with impaired respiratory MSNA modulation had augmented systolic BP, respiratory‐related BP excursions (Traube–Hering waves) and BP variability.Abnormal respiratory modulation of MSNA and sympathetic transduction to BP in T2D may contribute to altered blood pressure control and cardiovascular risk in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fundamental understanding of mechanochemical reactivity is important for designing new mechanophores. Besides the core structure of mechanophores, substituents on a mechanophore can affect its mechanochemical reactivity through electronic stabilization of the intermediate or effectiveness of force transduction from the polymer backbone to the mechanophore. The latter factor represents a unique mechanical effect in considering polymer mechanochemistry. Here, we show that regioisomeric linkage that is not directly adjacent to the first cleaving bond in cyclobutane can still significantly affect the mechanochemical reactivity of the mechanophore. We synthesized three non‐scissile 1,2‐diphenyl cyclobutanes, varying their linkage to the polymer backbone via the o, m, or p‐position of the diphenyl substituents. Even though the regioisomers share the same substituted cyclobutane core structure and similar electronic stabilization of the diradical intermediate from cleaving the first C−C bond, the p isomer exhibited significantly higher mechanochemical reactivity than the o and m isomers. The observed difference in reactivity can be rationalized as the much more effective force transduction to the scissile bond through the p‐position than the other two substitution positions. These findings point to the importance of considering force‐bearing linkages that are more distant from the bond to be cleaved when incorporating mechanophores into polymer backbones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fundamental understanding of mechanochemical reactivity is important for designing new mechanophores. Besides the core structure of mechanophores, substituents on a mechanophore can affect its mechanochemical reactivity through electronic stabilization of the intermediate or effectiveness of force transduction from the polymer backbone to the mechanophore. The latter factor represents a unique mechanical effect in considering polymer mechanochemistry. Here, we show that regioisomeric linkage that is not directly adjacent to the first cleaving bond in cyclobutane can still significantly affect the mechanochemical reactivity of the mechanophore. We synthesized three non‐scissile 1,2‐diphenyl cyclobutanes, varying their linkage to the polymer backbone via the o, m, or p‐position of the diphenyl substituents. Even though the regioisomers share the same substituted cyclobutane core structure and similar electronic stabilization of the diradical intermediate from cleaving the first C−C bond, the p isomer exhibited significantly higher mechanochemical reactivity than the o and m isomers. The observed difference in reactivity can be rationalized as the much more effective force transduction to the scissile bond through the p‐position than the other two substitution positions. These findings point to the importance of considering force‐bearing linkages that are more distant from the bond to be cleaved when incorporating mechanophores into polymer backbones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transduction of producer cells during lentiviral vector (LVV) production causes the loss of 70–90% of viable particles. This process is called retro-transduction and it is a consequence of the interaction between the LVV envelope protein, VSV-G, and the LDL receptor located on the producer cell membrane, allowing lentiviral vector transduction. Avoiding retro-transduction in LVV manufacturing is crucial to improve net production and, therefore, the efficiency of the production process. Here, we describe a method for quantifying the transduction of producer cells and three different strategies that, focused on the interaction between VSV-G and the LDLR, aim to reduce retro-transduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient cellular uptake of biomolecules, including genetic material, mRNA, proteins, and nanoparticles, requires novel approaches to overcome inherent cellular barriers. Here, the study investigates how nanotopographical cues from nanoporous surfaces impact the uptake efficiency by cells. The results demonstrate notable enhancements in cellular uptake efficiency across a range of vectors when cells are exposed to nanoporous surfaces. The uptake process is found to be dependent on the size and morphology of the nanopores, reaching a peak efficacy with blind pores of 400 nm in size. Enhanced genetic transduction on nanoporous surfaces are observed for multiple vectors, including lentiviruses, baculoviruses, and mRNA molecules. The versatile nature of this approach allows co‐transfection of cells with multiple mRNA vectors. Moreover, the nanoporous platform is used for efficient and fast manufacturing of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)‐T cells through lentiviral transduction. Furthermore, the study pinpoints macropinocytosis as the predominant mechanism driving increased cellular uptake induced by the nanoporous surfaces. The introduced method for enhancing genetic transduction of cells has applications in immunotherapy research, drug delivery, and cell engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AAV-mediated gene therapy typically requires a high dose of viral transduction, risking acute immune responses and patient safety, part of which is due to limited understanding of the host-viral interactions, especially post-transduction viral genome processing. Here, through a genome-wide CRISPR screen, we identified SMCHD1 (Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes Hinge Domain 1), an epigenetic modifier, as a critical broad-spectrum restricting host factor for post-entry AAV transgene expression. SMCHD1 knock-down by RNAi and CRISPRi or knock-out by CRISPR all resulted in significantly enhanced transgene expression across multiple viral serotypes, as well as for both single-strand and self-complementary AAV genome types. Mechanistically, upon viral transduction, SMCHD1 effectively repressed AAV transcription by the formation of an LRIF1-HP1-containing protein complex and directly binding with the AAV genome to maintain a heterochromatin-like state. SMCHD1-KO or LRIF1-KD could disrupt such a complex and thus result in AAV transcriptional activation. Together, our results highlight the host factor-induced chromatin remodeling as a critical inhibitory mechanism for AAV transduction and may shed light on further improvement in AAV-based gene therapy. Author summary: Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is one of the most commonly used carrier for gene therapy. However, current approved therapies typically use extremely high doses in order to achieve sufficient beneficial efficiency. This is partially due to a lack of understanding about host reponsese that restrict AAV-mediated gene delivery and expression. In this study, we carried out genome-wide CRISPR screens to identify potential host restricting factors for AAV transduction in human cells and identified SMCHD1 as one of the key epigenetic modifers that formed a complex with LRIF1, bound with HP1-associated AAV genome to form a heterochromatin-like states, and suppressed its transcription. Disruption of the SMCHD1-LRIF1 complex would increase the genome accessibility of AAVs and viral transduction, and significantly increase AAV-mediated transgene expression. Therefore, our results indicated that the host factor-induced chromatin remodeling might be a critical inhibitory mechanism for AAV transduction and may help to further improve AAV-based gene therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractFermentation is a critical technological process for flavor development in fermented foods. The combination of odor and taste, known as flavor, is crucial in enhancing people’s perception and psychology toward fermented foods, thereby increasing their acceptance among consumers. This review summarized the determination and key flavor compound screening methods in fermented foods and analyzed the flavor perception, perceptual interactions, and evaluation methods. The flavor compounds in fermented foods could be separated, purified, and identified by instrument techniques, and a molecular sensory science approach could identify the key flavor compounds. How flavor compounds bind to their respective receptors determines flavor perception, which is influenced by their perceptual interactions, including odor-odor, taste-taste, and odor-taste. Evaluation methods of flavor perception mainly include human sensory evaluation, electronic sensors and biosensors, and neuroimaging techniques. Among them, the biosensor-based evaluation methods could facilitate the investigation of the flavor transduction mechanism and the neuroimaging technique could explain the brain’s signals that relate to the perception of flavor and how they compare to signals from other senses. This review aims to elucidate the flavor profile of fermented foods and highlight the significance of comprehending the interactions between various flavor compounds, thus improving the healthiness and sensory attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work consists of a design and simulation of a structure composed by an aluminum structural layer whose purpose is to act as an angular electrostatic micromotor. The structure of the micromotor is defined using the layers available from a 0.5 μm CMOS technology used for integrated circuit fabrication. In this proposal, a digital circuit is configured for the generation of the three phases needed for proper operation of the micromotor. The phases and poles of the stator are biased in an alternating sequence, thus, when there is a potential difference between the misaligned poles of the rotor and stator, an electrostatic force is generated that causes the motor to advance one step. If this sequence is performed correctly and periodically, the rotor reaches a set speed in a clockwise direction. As a novel contribution to the presented design, an FGMOS transistor is used as an auxiliary element to measure the rotating speed of the micromotor and whose control gate is a structure mechanically coupled to the rotor. The elements of the system are proposed for being monolithically integrated: the rotation control circuit, the micromotor, and the speed sensor. This work also shows a static simulation and a time-dependent simulation that allows predicting the behavior over time and the torque generated by the micro-actuator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-contact ion-selective electrodes (SC-ISEs) have the advantages of easy miniaturization, even chip integration, easy carrying, strong stability, and more favorable detection in complex environments. They have been widely used in conjunction with portable, wearable, and intelligent detection devices, as well as in on-site analysis and timely monitoring in the fields of environment, industry, and medicine. This article provides a comprehensive review of the composition of sensors based on redox capacitive and double-layer capacitive SC-ISEs, as well as the ion–electron transduction mechanisms in the solid-contact (SC) layer, particularly focusing on strategies proposed in the past three years (since 2021) for optimizing the performance of SC-ISEs. These strategies include the construction of ion-selective membranes, SC layer, and conductive substrates. Finally, the future research direction and possibilities in this field are discussed and prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the types of textual relationship that arise between Don Quijote en Yanquilandia (1921) by Juan Manuel Polar and El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (1605-1615) by Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra. The text studies the relationships of intertextuality (Bajtin/Kristeva), hypertextuality (Genette), and transduction (Doležel) that are established between both works. Polar's novel does not recreate Cervantes' work as a mere playful act, but rather, using a pastiche (Jameson), it uses the figure of Don Quixote to outline a fierce criticism against the consumerist ethics of capitalism, represented in the story like Yanquilandia, a place that evokes the United States. The main contribution of the article is to address a work that has been minimally studied, if not made invisible by Peruvian and Latin American literary criticism. It is of interest to the reader because it not only expands knowledge about the corpus of works that have been inspired by Cervantes' contributions on the continent, but also shows the peculiarities of a current text as Don Quijote en Yanquilandia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium (Salmonella) and its bacteriophage P22 are a model system for the study of horizontal gene transfer by generalized transduction. Typically, the P22 DNA packaging machinery initiates packaging when a short sequence of DNA, known as the pac site, is recognized on the P22 genome. However, sequences similar to the pac site in the host genome, called pseudo-pac sites, lead to erroneous packaging and subsequent generalized transduction of Salmonella DNA. While the general genomic locations of the Salmonella pseudo-pac sites are known, the sequences themselves have not been determined. We used visualization of P22 sequencing reads mapped to host Salmonella genomes to define regions of generalized transduction initiation and the likely locations of pseudo-pac sites. We searched each genome region for the sequence with the highest similarity to the P22 pac site and aligned the resulting sequences. We built a regular expression (sequence match pattern) from the alignment and used it to search the genomes of two P22-susceptible Salmonella strains—LT2 and 14028S—for sequence matches. The final regular expression successfully identified pseudo-pac sites in both LT2 and 14028S that correspond with generalized transduction initiation sites in mapped read coverages. The pseudo-pac site sequences identified in this study can be used to predict locations of generalized transduction in other P22-susceptible hosts or to initiate generalized transduction at specific locations in P22-susceptible hosts with genetic engineering. Furthermore, the bioinformatics approach used to identify the Salmonella pseudo-pac sites in this study could be applied to other phage—host systems. Author summary: Bacteriophage P22 has been a genetic tool and a key model for the study of generalized transduction in Salmonella since the 1950s, yet certain components of the generalized transduction molecular mechanism remain unknown. Specifically, the locations and sequences of pseudo-pac sites, hypothesized to facilitate packaging of Salmonella DNA by P22, have not been determined to date. In this study, we identified the specific locations and sequences of the pseudo-pac sites frequently recognized by P22 in Salmonella genomes. The identification of highly efficient pseudo-pac sites in Salmonella helps us understand the sequence specificity necessary for P22 pac site recognition and paves the way for more targeted use of generalized transduction with P22. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transduction has undergone remarkable advancements in recent years, revolutionizing the landscape of gene therapy specifically for inherited hematologic disorders. The evolution of viral vector-based transduction technologies, including retroviral and lentiviral vectors, has significantly enhanced the efficiency and specificity of gene delivery to HSCs. Additionally, the emergence of small molecules acting as transduction enhancers has addressed critical barriers in HSC transduction, unlocking new possibilities for therapeutic intervention. Furthermore, the advent of gene editing technologies, notably CRISPR-Cas9, has empowered precise genome modification in HSCs, paving the way for targeted gene correction. These striking progresses have led to the clinical approval of medicinal products based on engineered HSCs with impressive therapeutic benefits for patients. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the collective progress in HSC transduction via viral vectors for gene therapy with a specific focus on transduction enhancers, highlighting the latest key developments, challenges, and future directions towards personalized and curative treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromechanical transduction gain of 21 dB is realized in a micro-cantilever resonant force sensor operated in the unresolved-sideband regime. Strain-dependent kinetic inductance weakly couples cantilever motion to a superconducting nonlinear resonant circuit. A single pump generates motional sidebands and parametrically amplifies them via four-wave mixing. We study the gain and added noise, and we analyze potential benefits of this integrated amplification process in the context force sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezo1 is an essential mechanosensitive transduction ion channel in mammals. Its unique structure makes it capable of converting mechanical cues into electrical and biological signals, modulating biological and (patho)physiological processes in a wide variety of cells. There is increasing evidence demonstrating that the piezo1 channel plays a vital role in renal physiology and disease conditions. This review summarizes the current evidence on the structure and properties of Piezo1, gating modulation, and pharmacological characteristics, with special focus on the distribution and (patho)physiological significance of Piezo1 in the kidney, which may provide insights into potential treatment targets for renal diseases involving this ion channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document, published in the journal Clinical Autonomic Research, explores the relationship between sympathetic vasoconstrictor outflow and endothelial-mediated vasodilation in maintaining blood flow homeostasis. The study investigates whether endothelial ischemic reperfusion injury enhances sympathetic neurovascular transduction. The researchers conducted experiments on 11 healthy participants and found that impairments in endothelial function did not affect sympathetic vasoconstrictor responsiveness. The study suggests that a more robust sympatho-excitatory stimulus may be required to potentiate sympathetic vasoconstrictor transduction in conditions of endothelial dysfunction. [Extracted from the article]

The majority of bacteria live and evolve in surface biofilms. Both growth in biofilms and horizontal transfer of DNA are regulated by quorum‐sensing pheromone signals. The common regulation of bacterial surface growth and DNA transfers illustrates how physiology contributes to bacterial evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the role of PIEZO proteins in sensory transduction in auditory hair cells. The authors argue that PIEZOs do not meet the criteria to be considered components of the hair cell transduction complex, providing evidence from gene expression, protein localization, and genetic deletion studies. They conclude that TMC proteins, along with other transduction apparatus components, are crucial for sensory transduction in hair cells, while PIEZO proteins are not. The document provides a list of references to scientific articles exploring various aspects of mechanotransduction in auditory hair cells, offering valuable insights for researchers studying genetic forms of hearing loss. Another document contains a comprehensive list of references related to sensory transduction channels in auditory hair cells, including studies on the role of proteins and genes, effects of mutations and gene therapy, and more. These references can be used by library patrons to further explore the topic. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Transfection is an important analytical method for studying gene expression in the cellular environment. There are some barriers to efficient DNA transfection in host cells, including circumventing the plasma membrane, escaping endosomal compartmentalization, autophagy, immune sensing pathways, and translocating the nuclear envelope. Therefore, it would be very useful to introduce an optimum transfection approach to achieve a high transfection efficiency in the Vero cell line. The aim of this study was to compare various transfection techniques and introduce a highly efficient method for gene delivery in Vero cells. Methods: In the current study, three transfection methods were used, including chemical transfection, electroporation, and lentiviral vector transduction, to obtain the optimum transfection conditions in the Vero cell line. Vero cells were cultured and transfected with chemical transfection reagents, electroporation, or HIV-1-based lentivectors under different experimental conditions. Transfection efficiency was assessed using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy to detect GFP-positive cells. Results: Among the tested methods, TurboFect™ chemical transfection exhibited the highest efficiency. Optimal transfection conditions were achieved using 1 µg DNA and 4 µL TurboFect™ in 6 × 104 Vero cells. Conclusion: TurboFect™, a cationic polymer transfection reagent, demonstrated superior transfection efficiency in Vero cells compared with electroporation and lentivirus particles, and is the optimal choice for chemical transfection in the Vero cell line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though rod and cone photoreceptors use similar phototransduction mechanisms, previous model calculations have indicated that the most important differences in their light responses are likely to be differences in amplification of the G-protein cascade, different decay rates of phosphodiesterase (PDE) and pigment phosphorylation, and different rates of turnover of cGMP in darkness. To test this hypothesis, we constructed TrUx;GapOx rods by crossing mice with decreased transduction gain from decreased transducin expression, with mice displaying an increased rate of PDE decay from increased expression of GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). These two manipulations brought the sensitivity of TrUx;GapOx rods to within a factor of 2 of WT cone sensitivity, after correcting for outer-segment dimensions. These alterations did not, however, change photoreceptor adaptation: rods continued to show increment saturation though at a higher background intensity. These experiments confirm model calculations that rod responses can mimic some (though not all) of the features of cone responses after only a few changes in the properties of transduction proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical sensing and transduction are integral to biological systems and have inspired research into the regulation of supramolecular self‐assembly via mechanical forces. This review presents an inaugural discussion on mechanically active supramolecular systems. It focuses on two primary mechanisms for modulating these systems: the incorporation of mechanophores and the application of mechanical forces to modulate non‐covalent interactions. Challenging the traditional view of mechanical forces as solely destructive, their constructive potential when harnessed through sophisticated design is showcased. Investigation is done on how external forces like ultrasound, stirring, vortex, tension, and compression can induce fluorescence in π‐conjugated systems, initiate hydrogelation, propel non‐equilibrium self‐assembly, and affect the structure of vesicles. The review also casts light on the prospective uses of mechanically active supramolecular systems in areas such as protein activation, drug delivery, and stress sensing, illustrating the nuanced role of mechanical forces as both disruptors and enablers in the creation of functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary airport automation often takes the form of self-service interfaces which transform the work tasks of check-in and boarding. In effect, such interfaces redistribute substantive and complex service labour to passengers. This article rethinks contemporary automation through the lens of the interface and examines how such automation constitutes a spatially-extended and more-than-technological assemblage that reconfigures labour across the consumer-worker divide. Rather than drawing clear lines between agential humans and technical things, we examine human elements of the interface as also having technicity within the spatialities of automation. Drawing on interviews with passenger services personnel at the two largest airports in Beijing, China, we find that at self-service interfaces airport workers step out of the way to allow passengers to step up, interfacing directly with 'back-end' airport digital infrastructure previously limited to paid personnel. In place of routine transduction, the work of check-in and boarding agents becomes regulatory, i.e. assisting, trouble-shooting and understanding: the work that cannot be automated. This work includes handling those passengers that self-service interfaces exclude: passengers who stray from – or cannot adhere to – the form of the generic, skilled and legible PAX. In closing, we consider this paper's implications for future research on automation, spatiality and labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying cell settlement in the three-dimensional structure of synthetic biomaterials over time is of great interest in research and clinical translation for the development of artificial tissues and organs. Tracking cells as physical objects improves our understanding of the processes of migration, homing, and cell division during colonisation of the artificial environment. In this study, the 3D environment had a direct effect on the behaviour of biological objects. Recently, deep learning-based algorithms have shown significant benefits for cell segmentation tasks and, furthermore, for biomaterial design optimisation. We analysed the primary LHON fibroblasts in an artificial 3D environment after adeno-associated virus transduction. Application of these tools to model cell homing in biomaterials and to monitor cell morphology, migration and proliferation indirectly demonstrated restoration of the normal cell phenotype after gene manipulation by AAV transduction. Following the 3Rs principles of reducing the use of living organisms in research, modeling the formation of tissues and organs by reconstructing the behaviour of different cell types on artificial materials facilitates drug testing, the study of inherited and inflammatory diseases, and wound healing. These studies on the composition and algorithms for creating biomaterials to model the formation of cell layers were inspired by the principles of biomimicry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearable sensors would revolutionize healthcare and personalized medicine by providing individuals with continuous and real-time data about their bodies and environments. Their integration into everyday life has the potential to enhance well-being, improve healthcare outcomes, and offer new opportunities for research. Capacitive sensors technology has great potential to enrich wearable devices, extending their use to more accurate physiological indicators. On the basis of capacitive sensors developed so far to monitor physical parameters, and taking into account the advances in capacitive biosensors, this work discusses the benefits of this type of transduction to design wearables for the monitoring of biomolecules. Moreover, it provides insights into the challenges that must be overcome to take advantage of capacitive transduction in wearable sensors for health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we introduce electrospun polydioxanone (PDO) nonwoven fabrics as a platform for the delivery of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for transduction and genome editing by adhering them to organ surfaces, including the heart. AAV vectors were loaded onto the PDO fabrics by soaking the fabrics in a solution containing AAV vectors. In vitro, the amount of AAV vectors loaded onto the fabrics could be adjusted by changing their concentration in the solution, and the number of cells expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) encoded by the AAV vectors increased in correlation with the increasing amount of loaded AAV vectors. In vivo, both transduction and genome editing resulted in the observation of GFP expression around AAV vector-loaded PDO fabrics attached to the surfaces of mouse hearts, indicating effective transduction and expression at the target site. These results demonstrate the great potential of electrospun PDO nonwoven fabrics carrying therapeutic AAV vectors for gene therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder is an important pest in forestry and construction and is widely distributed in China. We found that Serratia marcescens Bizio strain SM1 has insecticidal activity to R. chinensis , but the pathogenic mechanism of SM1 to R. chinensis is not clear. Therefore, full-length transcriptome sequencing was performed on R. chinensis infected with SM1 and the control group. A total of 230 differentially expressed genes were identified by comparing SM1 infection group and the control group, among which 103 were downregulated and 127 were upregulated. We found downregulated genes in nine metabolic pathway categories, among which carbohydrate metabolism had the most downregulated genes, followed by energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism. We also found that some downregulated genes were related to pattern recognition receptors, cellular immunity, and humoral immunity, indicating that R. chinensis immunity was negatively affected by SM1 infection. In addition, some genes in signal transduction and genetic information processing pathways were downregulated. In this study, high-throughput full-length transcriptome analysis was used to analyse the pathogenic mechanism of SM1 to R. chinensi s. The results of this study provide useful information for exploring the relationship between SM1 and R. chinensis , and provide theoretical support for the future application of SM1 and the prevention and treatment of R. chinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene therapy holds significant promises to treat or potentially cure various human diseases. Although AAV holds promise for their significant therapeutic potential, batch-to-batch differences can exist from manufacturing; and therefore, a potency assay is required for clinical development of AAV. Among different serotypes, due to its ability to cross blood–brain barrier and wide-spread transduction capability in vivo upon systemic administration, AAV9 has been widely utilized for the development of treatment of neurological disorders. However, as AAV9 is known to show poor transduction in vitro, establishing a robust in vitro potency assay have been difficult. To this end, we engineered HEK293T and Schwann-like cell lines to express previously identified common AAV receptor, AAVR or endogenous host factor involved in AAV endosomal escapes, GPR108 that can increase infectivity of AAVs in an attempt to increase transduction capability of AAV9. We found that AAVR overexpressed Schwann-like cell line showed significant increase in AAV9 transduction; whereas, GPR108 overexpression showed no effect on AAV9 transduction. On the other hand, GPR108 engineered HEK293T showed increase in AAV9 transduction; whereas, AAVR overexpressed HEK293T cell line showed modest increase in AAV9 transduction. Gene expression analysis showed that AAVR is highly expressed in HEK293T compared to Schwann-like cell line; whereas, GPR108 is highly expressed in Schwann-like cell line when compared to HEK293T. These results indicate that different cell lines may require different gene engineering to increase AAV9 infectivity and analysis of endogenous expression of AAV entry factors for cell line to be engineered can improve efficiency of cell line engineering for AAV transduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of heterogeneous modular units for building large-scale quantum networks requires engineering mechanisms that allow suitable transduction of quantum information. Magnon-based transducers are especially attractive due to their wide range of interactions and rich nonlinear dynamics, but most of the work to date has focused on linear magnon transduction in the traditional system composed of yttrium iron garnet and diamond, two materials with difficult integrability into wafer-scale quantum circuits. In this work, we present a different approach by using wafer-compatible materials to engineer a hybrid transducer that exploits magnon nonlinearities in a magnetic microdisc to address quantum spin defects in silicon carbide. The resulting interaction scheme points to the unique transduction behavior that can be obtained when complementing quantum systems with nonlinear magnonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new era of solid contact ion selective electrodes (SC-ISEs) miniaturized design has received an extensive amount of concern. Because it eliminated the requirement for ongoing internal solution composition optimization and created a two-phase system with stronger detection limitations. Herein, the determination of venlafaxine HCl is based on a comparison study between different ion- to electron transduction materials (such as; multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), polyaniline (PANi), and ferrocene) and illustrating their mechanisms in their applied sensors. Their different electrochemical features (such as bulk resistance (Rb**), double-layer capacitance (Cdl), geometric capacitance (Cg), and specific capacitance (Cp)) were evaluated and discussed by using the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Chronopotentiometry (CP), and Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) experiments. The results indicated that each transducer's influence on the proposed sensor's electrochemical characteristics is determined by their unique chemical and physical properties. The electrochemical features vary for different solid contact materials used in transduction mechanisms. The results confirm that the MWCNT sensor revealed the best electrochemical behavior with the potentiometric response of a near-Nernestian slope of 56.1 ± 0.8 mV/decade with detection limits of 3.8 × 10−6 mol/L (r2 = 0.999) and a low potential drift (∆E/∆t) of 34.6 µV/s. Also, the selectivity study was performed in the presence of different interfering species either in single or complex matrices. This demonstrates excellent selectivity, stability, conductivity, and reliability as a VEN-TPB ion pair sensor for accurately measuring VEN in its various formulations. The proposed method was compared to HPLC reported technique and confirmed no significant difference between them. So, the proposed sensors fulfill their solutions' demand features for VEN appraisal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic skin based on nanomaterials has great potential for material detection and health monitoring. This paper first outlines the current development of physical sensors for electronic skin based on nanomaterials. Secondly, according to the different kinds of propagation signals, it reviews the research on physical sensors based on different nanomaterials sensing. Strain signals, temperature signals and electrophysiological signals are the main types of nanomaterials transduction. It discusses the different mechanisms, research processes and advantages of the different ways of constituting physical sensors after sensing signals. In particular, it reviews the comparison of nanomaterials constituting sensors with conventional approaches and innovations in the performance of advanced electronic skin sensors. According to the technologies used in them, it reviews the particularities of each study in detail. It analytically summarizes their application in electronic skin as a novel bionic monitoring element. Finally, it also summarizes and proposes future directions for the development of electronic skins composed of physical sensors based on nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic contamination remains a pervasive challenge in (meta)genomics, prompting the development of numerous detection tools. Despite the attention that this issue has attracted, a comprehensive comparison of the available tools is absent from the literature. Furthermore, the potential effect of horizontal gene transfer on the detection of genomic contamination has been little studied. In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of detection of six widely used contamination detection tools. To this end, we developed a simulation framework using orthologous group inference as a robust basis for the simulation of contamination. Additionally, we implemented a variable mutation rate to simulate horizontal transfer. Our simulations covered six distinct taxonomic ranks, ranging from phylum to species. The evaluation of contamination levels revealed the suboptimal precision of the tools, attributed to significant cases of both over-detection and under-detection, particularly at the genus and species levels. Notably, only so-called "redundant" contamination was reliably estimated. Our findings underscore the necessity of employing a combination of tools, including Kraken2, for accurate contamination level assessment. We also demonstrate that none of the assayed tools confused contamination and horizontal gene transfer. Finally, we release CRACOT, a freely accessible contamination simulation framework, which holds promise in evaluating the efficacy of future algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delivering vectorized information into cells with the help of viruses has been of high interest to fundamental and applied science, and bears significant therapeutic promise. Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) have been at the forefront of gene delivery for many years, and the subject of intensive development resulting in several generations of agents, including replication-competent, -defective or retargeted vectors, and recently also helper-dependent (HD), so-called gutless vectors lacking any viral protein coding information. While it is possible to produce HD-AdVs in significant amounts, physical properties of these virus-like particles and their efficiency of transduction have not been addressed. Here, we used single-cell and single virus particle assays to probe the effect of genome length on HAdV-C5 vector transduction. Our results demonstrate that first-generation C5 vectors lacking the E1/E3 regions of the viral genome as well as HD-AdV-C5 particles with a wild type (wt) ∼36 kbp or an undersized double-strand DNA genome are similar to human adenovirus C5 (HAdV-C5) wt regarding attachment to human lung epithelial cells, endocytic uptake, endosome penetration and dependency on the E3 RING ubiquitin ligase Mind Bomb 1 for DNA uncoating at the nuclear pore complex. Atomic force microscopy measurements of single virus particles indicated that small changes in the genome length from 94% to 103% of HAdV-C5 have no major impact on physical and mechanical features of AdV vectors. In contrast, an HD-AdV-C5 with ∼30 kbp genome was slightly stiffer and less heat-resistant than the other particles, despite comparable entry and transduction efficiencies in tissue culture cell lines, including murine alveolar macrophage-like Max-Planck-Institute (MPI)-2 cells. Together, our in vitro studies reinforce the use of HD-AdV vectors for effective single round gene delivery. The results illustrate how physical properties and cell entry behavior of single virus particles can provide functional information for anticipated therapeutic vector applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide a rigorous definition of free-energy transduction and its efficiency in arbitrary—linear or nonlinear—open chemical reaction networks (CRNs) operating at a steady state. Our method is based on the knowledge of the stoichiometric matrix and the chemostatted species (i.e., the species maintained at a constant concentration by the environment) to identify the fundamental currents and forces contributing to the entropy production. Transduction occurs when the current of a stoichiometrically balanced process is driven against its spontaneous direction (set by its force), thanks to other processes flowing along their spontaneous direction. In these regimes, open CRNs operate as thermodynamic machines. After exemplifying these general ideas using toy models, we analyze central energy metabolism. We relate the fundamental currents to metabolic pathways and discuss the efficiency with which they can transduce free energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most recent research finding on the tolerance of fruit trees to cold stress are reviewed from a molecular perspective, including the perception and transduction of low temperature calcium signaling, CBF-dependent molecular regulatory mechanisms, non-CBF-dependent molecular regulatory mechanisms, and so forth. The objective is to provide a reference basis for further improving the cold resistance of fruit trees and cultivating new varieties of hardy plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanotransduction is the process by which a mechanical force, such as touch, is converted into an electrical signal. Transmembrane channel-like (TMC) proteins are an evolutionarily conserved family of membrane proteins whose function has been linked to a variety of mechanosensory processes, including hearing and balance sensation in vertebrates and locomotion in Drosophila. TMC1 and TMC2 are components of ion channel complexes, but the molecular features that tune these complexes to diverse mechanical stimuli are unknown. Caenorhabditis elegans express two TMC homologs, TMC-1 and TMC-2, both of which are the likely pore-forming subunits of mechanosensitive ion channels but differ in their expression pattern and functional role in the worm. Here, we present the single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structure of the native TMC-2 complex isolated from C. elegans. The complex is composed of two copies of the pore-forming TMC-2 subunit, the calcium and integrin binding protein CALM-1 and the transmembrane inner ear protein TMIE. Comparison of the TMC-2 complex to the recently published cryo-EM structure of the C. elegans TMC-1 complex highlights conserved protein-lipid interactions, as well as a p-helical structural motif in the pore-forming helices, that together suggest a mechanism for TMC-mediated mechanosensory transduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phononic waveguides (PnWGs) are devices with rationally designed periodic structures to manipulate mechanical oscillations and to engineer and control the propagation of acoustic waves, thus allowing for frequency and band selection of wave transmission and routing, promising for both classical and quantum transduction on chip-scale platforms with various constituent materials of interest. They can be incorporated into both electromechanical and optomechanical signal transduction schemes. Here, we present an overview of emerging micro/nanoscale PnWGs and offer perspectives for future. We evaluate the typical structural designs, frequency scaling, and phononic band structures of the PnWGs. Material choices, fabrication techniques, and characterization schemes are discussed based on different PnWG designs. For classical transduction schemes, an all-phononic integrated circuit perspective is proposed. Toward emerging quantum applications, the potential of utilizing PnWGs as universal interfaces and transduction channels has been examined. We envision PnWGs with extraordinary propagation properties, such as nonreciprocity and active tunability, can be realized with unconventional design strategies (e.g., inverse design) and advanced materials (e.g., van der Waals layered crystals), opening opportunities in both classical and quantum signal transduction schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) channels of the mammalian hair cells are essential for converting sound stimuli into electrical signals that enable hearing. However, the impact of acoustic overstimulation, a leading cause of hearing loss, on the MET channel function remains poorly understood. In this study, I investigated the effect of loud sound-induced temporary threshold shift (TTS) on the transduction response phase across a wide range of sound frequencies and amplitudes. The results demonstrated an increase in the transduction response phase following TTS, indicating altered transduction apparatus function. Further investigations involving the reduction of extracellular calcium, a known consequence of TTS, replicated the observed phase changes. Additionally, reduction of potassium entry confirmed the specific role of calcium in regulating the transduction response phase. These findings provide novel insights into the impact of loud sound exposure on hearing impairment at the transduction apparatus level and highlight the critical role of calcium in modulating sound transduction. Considering that over 1 billion teenagers and young adults globally are at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe music listening habits, these results could significantly enhance awareness about the damaging effects of loud sound exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How Nature discovered genetic coding is a largely ignored question, yet the answer is key to explaining the transition from biochemical building blocks to life. Other, related puzzles also fall inside the aegis enclosing the codes themselves. The peptide bond is unstable with respect to hydrolysis. So, it requires some form of chemical free energy to drive it. Amino acid activation and acyl transfer are also slow and must be catalyzed. All living things must thus also convert free energy and synchronize cellular chemistry. Most importantly, functional proteins occupy only small, isolated regions of sequence space. Nature evolved heritable symbolic data processing to seek out and use those sequences. That system has three parts: a memory of how amino acids behave in solution and inside proteins, a set of code keys to access that memory, and a scoring function. The code keys themselves are the genes for cognate pairs of tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, AARSs. The scoring function is the enzymatic specificity constant, kcat/kM, which measures both catalysis and specificity. The work described here deepens the evidence for and understanding of an unexpected consequence of ancestral bidirectional coding. Secondary structures occur in approximately the same places within antiparallel alignments of their gene products. However, the polar amino acids that define the molecular surface of one are reflected into core-defining non-polar side chains on the other. Proteins translated from base-paired coding strands fold up inside out. Bidirectional genes thus project an inverted structural duality into the proteome. I review how experimental data root the scoring functions responsible for the origins of coding and catalyzed activation of unfavorable chemical reactions in that duality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stable Cas9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9)-expressing cell lines have emerged as valuable tools in genetic research, enhancing the efficiency of the CRISPR/Cas9 system and streamlining gene editing procedures. These cell lines enable simultaneous editing of multiple genes and reduce the overall editing time. Objective: This study aimed to develop a stable human fibroblast cell line capable of genetic conversion into a mutant form, serving as a cellular model for a specific genetic disease. The established cell line facilitates investigation of disease mechanisms, testing of potential treatments, and gaining insights into underlying molecular processes. Materials and Methods: Human embryonic kidney 293LTV cells were used to produce pseudo-virus particles, while Yazd human foreskin fibroblasts batch 8 (YhFF#8) cells were targeted for genetic modification. Transfection of human embryonic kidney 293LTV cells with pCDH-Cas9 plasmid DNA generated pseudo-viral particles. YhFF#8 cells were transduced and selected using antibiotics. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) detection confirmed successful transduction and selection. Relative expression levels of the Cas9 gene were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: The study validated the fidelity of the Cas9 gene cassette sequence and its transcriptional activity. Transduced YhFF#8 cells exhibited green fluorescence, with antibiotic selection resulting in nearly 100% transduced cells. A reporter GFP gene enabled real-time monitoring of YhFF#8-Cas9-GFP-PuroR cells using fluorescence microscopy. Conclusion: YhFF#8-Cas9-GFP-PuroR cells, labeled and susceptible to genomic editing, provide an optimal source for generating induced pluripotent stem cell lines for future biomedical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in Clinical Autonomic Research, explores the relationship between sympathetic vascular transduction and baroreflex sensitivity in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study found that despite the elevated sympathetic tone in COPD patients, neurovascular transduction remained comparable to that of age-matched controls. The researchers hypothesized that this may be due to the compensatory effects of chronic hypercapnia and hypoxia. The findings suggest that the peripheral vasculature in COPD patients has the capacity to respond to sympathetically-mediated vasoconstrictive demands. [Extracted from the article]

During auditory transduction, sound-evoked vibrations of the hair cell stereociliary bundles open mechanotransducer (MET) ion channels via tip links extending from one stereocilium to its neighbor. How tension in the tip link is delivered to the channel is not fully understood. The MET channel comprises a pore-forming subunit, transmembrane channel-like protein (TMC1 or TMC2), aided by several accessory proteins, including LHFPL5 (lipoma HMGIC fusion partner-like 5). We investigated the role of LHFPL5 in transduction by comparing MET channel activation in outer hair cells of Lhfpl5-/- knockout mice with those in Lhfpl5+/- heterozygotes. The 10 to 90 percent working range of transduction in Tmc1+/+; Lhfpl5+/- was 52 nm, from which the single-channel gating force, Z, was evaluated as 0.34 pN. However, in Tmc1+/+; Lhfpl5-/- mice, the working range increased to 123 nm and Z more than halved to 0.13 pN, indicating reduced sensitivity. Tip link tension is thought to activate the channel via a gating spring, whose stiffness is inferred from the stiffness change on tip link destruction. The gating stiffness was ~40 percent of the total bundle stiffness in wild type but was virtually abolished in Lhfpl5-/-, implicating LHFPL5 as a principal component of the gating spring. The mutation Tmc1 p.D569N reduced the LHFPL5 immunolabeling in the stereocilia and like Lhfpl5-/- doubled the MET working range, but other deafness mutations had no effect on the dynamic range. We conclude that tip-link tension is transmitted to the channel primarily via LHFPL5; residual activation without LHFPL5 may occur by direct interaction between PCDH15 and TMC1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]