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Human evolution is intricately linked with culture, which permeates almost all facets of human life from health and reproduction, to the environments in which we live. Nevertheless, our understanding of the ways in which stably transmitted, evolutionarily relevant human cultural traits might interact with the human genome is incomplete, and methods to detect such interactions are limited. Here, we describe some rules of cultural transmission which could pertain to both humans and cultural nonhuman animals that could lead to the formation and maintenance of stable associations between cultural and genetic traits. Next, we show that, in the presence of such associations, a process analogous to genetic hitchhiking is possible in gene–culture systems. These could leave signatures in the human genome similar to, and perhaps indistinguishable from, those left by selection on genetic traits. Finally, we model selective interference between cultural and genetic traits. We show that selective interference between a cultural trait under selection and a genetic trait under selection can reduce the efficacy of natural selection in the human genome, both in terms of the probability of fixation of beneficial alleles and the dynamics of selective sweeps. We then show that the efficiency of selection at genetic loci can, however, be increased in the presence of strong cultural transmission biases. This implies that the signatures of gene–culture interactions in genetic data may be complex and wide-ranging in gene–culture coevolutionary systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When nutrient starvation sets in, the tubular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) within the morphological domain transforms into sheet-like ER structures. Motile early endosomes and lysosomes, which establish membrane contact sites (MCS) with the tubular ER, exert force to organize the tubular ER network in fed cells at steady-state, a phenomenon known as hitchhiking. During early stages of starvation, MCS are reconfigured, leading to conversion of the tubular ER network into sheet-like ER. Lipid metabolism involving phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate [PI(3)P] at MCS between the tubular ER and motile endolysosomes has an important role in early starvation-induced ER remodeling. ER-phagy is activated during prolonged starvation and may selectively remove specific ER subdomains enriched in (oxidized) polyunsaturated fatty acid phospholipids. Unlike most other organelles found in multiple copies, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a unique singular organelle within eukaryotic cells. Despite its continuous membrane structure, encompassing more than half of the cellular endomembrane system, the ER is subdivided into specialized sub-compartments, including morphological, membrane contact site (MCS), and de novo organelle biogenesis domains. In this review, we discuss recent emerging evidence indicating that, in response to nutrient stress, cells undergo a reorganization of these sub-compartmental ER domains through two main mechanisms: non-destructive remodeling of morphological ER domains via regulation of MCS and organelle hitchhiking, and destructive remodeling of specialized domains by ER-phagy. We further highlight and propose a critical role of membrane lipid metabolism in this ER remodeling during starvation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The West Virginia University (WVU) Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system was built between 1971 and 1975 in Morgantown, West Virginia to be a prototype transportation system of the future. Envisioned as a hybrid of public and automotive transportation, the fully automated cars deliver passengers directly to their destinations without stopping at intervening stations. The PRT concept may be familiar to STS scholars through Latour's study of Aramis, a PRT in Paris that was never completed. This article recounts a history with the opposite ending: the successful realization of a PRT in West Virginia. Our account supplements existing ones, which explain the construction of the WVUPRT primarily as the product of geography and politics. While not denying these factors, we carve out an explanatory role for another influence: a public narrative about the dangers of hitchhiking and crimes that might ensue from that practice. In weaving together that narrative with the history of the WVUPRT, we show how public narratives of crime authorize technological infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phoresy is an interspecies interaction that facilitates spatial dispersal by attaching to a more mobile species. Hitchhiking species have evolved specific traits for physical contact and successful phoresy, but the regulatory mechanisms involved in such traits and their evolution are largely unexplored. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans displays a hitchhiking behavior known as nictation during its stress-induced developmental stage. Dauer-specific nictation behavior has an important role in natural C. elegans populations, which experience boom-and-bust population dynamics. In this study, we investigated the nictation behavior of 137 wild C. elegans strains sampled throughout the world. We identified species-wide natural variation in nictation and performed a genome-wide association mapping. We show that the variants in the promoter of nta-1, encoding a putative steroidogenic enzyme, underlie differences in nictation. This difference is due to the changes in nta-1 expression in glial cells, which implies that glial steroid metabolism regulates phoretic behavior. Population genetic analysis and geographic distribution patterns suggest that balancing selection maintained two nta-1 haplotypes that existed in ancestral C. elegans populations. Our findings contribute to further understanding of the molecular mechanism of species interaction and the maintenance of genetic diversity within natural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

His legs are screaming pins and needles and his hands cannot feel if anything is broken. Blood drips from somewhere onto the snow, but not for long. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal fibrosis is a progressive process associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), contributing to impaired kidney function. Active constituents in traditional Chinese herbs, such as emodin (EMO) and asiatic acid (AA), exhibit potent anti-fibrotic properties. However, the oral administration of EMO and AA results in low bioavailability and limited kidney accumulation. Additionally, while oral probiotics have been accepted for CKD treatment through gut microbiota modulation, a significant challenge lies in ensuring their viability upon administration. Therefore, our study aims to address both renal fibrosis and gut microbiota imbalance through innovative co-delivery strategies. Results: In this study, we developed yeast cell wall particles (YCWPs) encapsulating EMO and AA self-assembled nanoparticles (NPYs) and embedded them, along with Lactobacillus casei Zhang, in chitosan/sodium alginate (CS/SA) microgels. The developed microgels showed significant controlled release properties for the loaded NPYs and prolonged the retention time of Lactobacillus casei Zhang (L. casei Zhang) in the intestine. Furthermore, in vivo biodistribution showed that the microgel-carried NPYs significantly accumulated in the obstructed kidneys of rats, thereby substantially increasing the accumulation of EMO and AA in the impaired kidneys. More importantly, through hitchhiking delivery based on yeast cell wall and positive modulation of gut microbiota, our microgels with this synergistic strategy of therapeutic and modulatory interactions could regulate the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway and thus effectively ameliorate renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rats. Conclusion: In conclusion, our work provides a new strategy for the treatment of renal fibrosis based on hitchhiking co-delivery of nanodrugs and probiotics to achieve synergistic effects of disease treatment and targeted gut flora modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal fibrosis is a progressive process associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), contributing to impaired kidney function. Active constituents in traditional Chinese herbs, such as emodin (EMO) and asiatic acid (AA), exhibit potent anti-fibrotic properties. However, the oral administration of EMO and AA results in low bioavailability and limited kidney accumulation. Additionally, while oral probiotics have been accepted for CKD treatment through gut microbiota modulation, a significant challenge lies in ensuring their viability upon administration. Therefore, our study aims to address both renal fibrosis and gut microbiota imbalance through innovative co-delivery strategies. Results: In this study, we developed yeast cell wall particles (YCWPs) encapsulating EMO and AA self-assembled nanoparticles (NPYs) and embedded them, along with Lactobacillus casei Zhang, in chitosan/sodium alginate (CS/SA) microgels. The developed microgels showed significant controlled release properties for the loaded NPYs and prolonged the retention time of Lactobacillus casei Zhang (L. casei Zhang) in the intestine. Furthermore, in vivo biodistribution showed that the microgel-carried NPYs significantly accumulated in the obstructed kidneys of rats, thereby substantially increasing the accumulation of EMO and AA in the impaired kidneys. More importantly, through hitchhiking delivery based on yeast cell wall and positive modulation of gut microbiota, our microgels with this synergistic strategy of therapeutic and modulatory interactions could regulate the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway and thus effectively ameliorate renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rats. Conclusion: In conclusion, our work provides a new strategy for the treatment of renal fibrosis based on hitchhiking co-delivery of nanodrugs and probiotics to achieve synergistic effects of disease treatment and targeted gut flora modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutrophils are a crucial component of the innate immune system and play a pivotal role in various physiological processes. From a physical perspective, hitchhiking is considered a phenomenon of efficient transportation. The combination of neutrophils and hitchhikers has given rise to effective delivery systems both in vivo and in vitro, thus neutrophils hitchhiking become a novel approach to disease treatment. This article provides an overview of the innovative and feasible application of neutrophils as drug carriers. It explores the mechanisms underlying neutrophil function, elucidates the mechanism of drug delivery mediated by neutrophil‐hitchhiking, and discusses the potential applications of this strategy in the treatment of cancer, immune diseases, inflammatory diseases, and other medical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B cell-targeted cancer vaccines are receiving increasing attention in immunotherapy due to the combined antibody-secreting and antigen-presenting functions. In this study, we propose a natural IgM-hitchhiking delivery strategy to co-deliver tumor antigens and adjuvants to splenic marginal zone B (MZB) cells. We constructed nanovaccines (FA-sLip/OVA/MPLA) consisting of classical folic acid (FA)-conjugated liposomes co-loaded with ovalbumin (OVA) and toll-like receptor 4 agonists, MPLA. We found that natural IgM absorption could be manipulated at the bio-nano interface on FA-sLip/OVA/MPLA, enabling targeted delivery to splenic MZB cells. Systemic administration of FA-sLip/OVA/MPLA effectively activated splenic MZB cells via IgM-mediated multiplex pathways, eliciting antigen-specific humoral and cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses, and ultimately retarding E.G7-OVA tumor growth. In addition, combining FA-sLip/OVA/MPLA immunization with anti-PD-1 treatments showed improved antitumor efficiency. Overall, this natural IgM-hitchhiking delivery strategy holds great promise for efficient, splenic MZB cell-targeted delivery of cancer vaccines in future applications. Splenic MZB cells-selective co-delivery of cancer antigens and TLR4 agonists was realized via a natural IgM-hitchhiking delivery strategy. The nanovaccines could capture natural IgM in the circulation and led to the accumulation in splenic MZB cells, eliciting lasting tumor antigen-specific antibodies production and cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses. [Display omitted] • Proposing a natural IgM-hitchhiking delivery strategy to deliver nanovaccines to splenic MZB cells • Utilizing the combined antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune of splenic MZB cells for cancer immunotherapy • Improving antitumor efficiency through combination with nanovaccines and anti-PD-1 treatments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutator alleles, which confer increased mutation rates, are known to spontaneously emerge and "hitchhike" to fixation in evolving asexual populations. Theory predicts that in an evolving asexual mutator population, a second mutator allele may spontaneously arise and hitchhike to fixation. Here, we describe an empirical test of the hypothesis of repeated hitchhiking. The starting population was a clonal strain of mutL − Escherichia coli whose mutation rate was 100-fold higher than wild type. We exposed the mutL − strain to a series of three antibiotics in increasing order of selective strength: fosfomycin, rifampicin, and streptomycin. Two independent replicates of the experiment were performed. As predicted, elevated mutation rates and enrichment for multilocus mutators (which bear more than one mutator allele) were observed in the end point populations of both experiments. DNA sequencing revealed an identical spontaneous 1-bp insertion in the mutator gene mutT in both end point populations. In the multilocus mutators, the causal relationship between the mutT − mutations and the increase in mutation rate was supported with mutT + plasmid complementation tests. Surprisingly, when the experiment was repeated with the antibiotics deployed in decreasing order of selective strength, enrichment for multilocus mutators was not observed. Our data support the likelihood that the mutT − mutations rose to fixation in both populations, consistent with the hypothesis of repeated mutator hitchhiking. The escalation of mutation rates in asexual populations is relevant to multiple biological scenarios, including antibiotic resistance, host–pathogen interactions, and carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria have shown great potential in anti-tumor treatment, and an attenuated strain of Salmonella named VNP20009 has been shown to be safe in clinical trials. However, colonized bacteria recruit neutrophils into the tumor, which release NETs to capture and eliminate bacteria, compromising bacterial-based tumor treatment. In this study, we report a neutrophil hitchhiking nanoparticles (SPPS) that block the formation of NET to enhance bacteria-mediated tumor therapy. In the 4 T1 tumor-bearing mouse model, following 24 h of bacterial therapy, there was an approximately 3.0-fold increase in the number of neutrophils in the bloodstream, while the amount of SPPS homing to tumor tissue through neutrophil hitchhiking increased approximately 2.0-fold. It is worth noting that the NETs in tumors significantly decreased by approximately 2.0-fold through an intracellular ROS scavenging-mediated NETosis reprogramming, thereby increasing bacterial vitality by 1.9-fold in tumors. More importantly, the gene drug (siBcl-2) loaded in SPPS can be re-encapsulated in apoptotic bodies by reprogramming neutrophils from NETosis to apoptosis, and enable the redelivery of drugs to tumor cells, further boosting the antitumor efficacy with a synergistic effect, resulting in about 98% tumor inhibition rate and 90% survival rate. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being a new promising tool for cancer therapy, intravenous delivery of oncolytic viruses (OVs) is greatly limited by poor tumor targeting, rapid clearance in the blood, severe organ toxicity, and cytokine release syndrome. Herein, a simple and efficient strategy of erythrocyte‐leveraged oncolytic virotherapy (ELeOVt) is reported, which for the first time assembled OVs on the surface of erythrocytes with up to near 100% efficiency and allowed targeted delivery of OVs to the lung after intravenous injection to achieve excellent treatment of pulmonary metastases while greatly improving the biocompatibility of OVs as a drug. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a bridge to assemble OVs on erythrocytes also played an important role in promoting the transfection of OVs. It is found that ELeOVt approach significantly prolonged the circulation time of OVs and increased the OVs distribution in the lung by more than tenfold, thereby significantly improving the treatment of lung metastases while reducing organ and systemic toxicity. Taken together, these findings suggest that the ELeOVt provides a biocompatible, efficient, and widely available approach to empower OVs to combat lung metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Middle and Late Woodland periods in the American Midwest some small-scale societies transitioned from grit to limestone as the primary clay temper. Limestone offers experimentally demonstrated benefits to vessel manufacture, including decreased wall thickness, but given the society-wide changes in mobility and exchange that also occurred, we investigated whether the use of limestone temper resulted in a different vessel weight relative to an analogous grit-tempered vessel. Our analyses demonstrated a significant difference: post-firing, limestone-tempered vessels were 4.5% lighter than grit-tempered ones. The combination of reduced weight and other benefits could help explain why limestone became the predominant temper type throughout much of the Midwest. These issues have direct analogs in the biological realm, and we use three concepts from evolutionary biology – modularity, mosaic evolution, and constraint – to investigate the role limestone temper played not only in vessel weight but also in other aspects of vessel production and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A drug-delivery system consisting of an inorganic host—layered double hydroxide (LDH)—and an anticancer drug—methotrexate (MTX)—was prepared via the intercalation route (MTX-LDH), and its hematocompatibility was investigated. Hemolysis, a red blood cell counting assay, and optical microscopy revealed that the MTX-LDH had no harmful toxic effect on blood cells. Both scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy exhibited that the MTX-LDH particles softly landed on the concave part inred blood cells without serious morphological changes of the cells. The time-dependent change in the surface charge and hydrodynamic radius of MTX-LDH in the plasma condition demonstrated that the proteins can be gently adsorbed on the MTX-LDH particles, possibly through protein corona, giving rise to good colloidal stability. The fluorescence quenching assay was carried out to monitor the interaction between MTX-LDH and plasma protein, and the result showed that the MTX-LDH had less dynamic interaction with protein compared with MTX alone, due to the capsule moiety of the LDH host. It was verified by a quartz crystal microbalance assay that the surface interaction between MTX-LDH and protein was reversible and reproducible, and the type of protein corona was a soft one, having flexibility toward the biological environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of death worldwide. However, current therapies are unable to restore the function of the injured myocardium. Advanced approaches, such as stimulation of cardiomyocyte (CM) proliferation are promising, but suffer from poor pharmacokinetics and possible systemic adverse effects. Nanomedicines can be a solution to the above‐mentioned drawbacks. However, targeting the cardiac tissue still represents a challenge. Herein, a MI‐selective precision nanosystem is developed, that relies on the heart targeting properties of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and lin‐TT1 peptide‐mediated hitchhiking on M2‐like macrophages. The system based on pH‐responsive putrescine‐modified acetalated dextran (Putre‐AcDEX) nanoparticles, shows biocompatibility with cultured cardiac cells, and ANP receptor‐dependent interaction with CMs. Moreover, treatment with nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with two pleiotropic cellular self‐renewal promoting compounds, CHIR99021 and SB203580, induces a 4‐fold increase in bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation in primary cardiomyocytes compared to control. In vivo studies confirm that M2‐like macrophages targeting by lin‐TT1 peptide enhances the heart targeting of ANP. In addition, NP administration does not alter the immunological profile of blood and spleen, showing the short‐term safety of the developed system in vivo. Overall, the study results in the development of a peptide‐guided precision nanosystem for delivery of therapeutic compounds to the infarcted heart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adoptive T cells and immunotherapy suppress the most destructive metastatic tumors and prevent tumor recurrence by inducing T lymphocytes. However, the heterogeneity and immune privilege of invasive metastatic clusters often reduce immune cell infiltration and therapeutic efficacy. Here, the red blood cells (RBC)-hitchhiking mediated lung metastasis delivery of multi-grained iron oxide nanostructures (MIO) programming the antigen capture, dendritic cell harnessing, and T cell recruitment is developed. MIO is assembled to the surface of RBCs by osmotic shock-mediated fusion, and reversible interactions enable the transfer of MIO to pulmonary capillary endothelial cells by intravenous injection by squeezing RBCs at the pulmonary microvessels. RBC-hitchhiking delivery revealed that >65% of MIOs co-localized in tumors rather than normal tissues. In alternating magnetic field (AMF)-mediated magnetic lysis, MIO leads to the release of tumor-associated antigens, namely neoantigens and damage-associated molecular patterns. It also acted as an antigen capture agent-harnessed dendritic cells delivers these antigens to lymph nodes. By utilizing site-specific targeting, erythrocyte hitchhiker-mediated delivery of MIO to lung metastases improves survival and immune responses in mice with metastatic lung tumors. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated, for the first time, the hitchhiker‐host fidelity of deep‐diving whale sharks and Chilean devil rays. We found that two of the most ubiquitous oceanic hitchhikers, the common remora and the pilot fish, are able to follow their hosts to bathypelagic depths, where they are exposed to extreme gradients of light, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and pressure. We documented a deep dive of a large whale shark hosting remoras and pilot fish. Common remora was observed at the deepest section of the dive, at 1460 m, where the water temperature was 3.6°C. A pilot fish was recorded at 900 m, during the ascent phase, with the water temperature of 7.5°C. Although the adaptations that allow these hitchhikers to mitigate the impacts of such extreme environmental conditions remain unknown, we discuss these findings in the framework of the ecophysiology of deep diving and the hitchhiker‐host fidelity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural selection not only affects the actual loci under selection but also leaves “footprints” in patterns of genetic variation in linked genetic regions. This offers exciting opportunities for inferring selection and for understanding the processes shaping levels of genetic variation in natural populations. Here, we develop analytical approximations based on coalescent theory to characterize the genetic footprint of a complex, but potentially common type of natural selection: balancing selection with seasonally fluctuating allele frequencies. As we show analytically and confirm with stochastic simulations, seasonal allele frequency fluctuations can have important (and partly unexpected) consequences for the genetic footprint of balancing selection. Fluctuating balancing selection generally leads to an increase in genetic diversity close to the selected site, the effect of balancing selection, but reduces diversity further away from the selected site, which is a consequence of the allele-frequency fluctuations effectively producing recurrent bottlenecks of allelic backgrounds. This medium- and long-range reduction usually outweighs the short-range increase when averaging diversity levels across the entire chromosome. Strong fluctuating balancing selection even induces a loss of genetic variation in unlinked regions, e.g. on different chromosomes. If many loci in the genome are simultaneously under fluctuating balancing selection this can lead to substantial genome-wide reductions in genetic diversity, even when allele-frequency fluctuations are small and local footprints are difficult to detect. Thus, together with genetic drift, selective sweeps and background selection, fluctuating selection could be a major force shaping levels of genetic diversity in natural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant gravitropism has fascinated scientists for centuries. A new study provides a major mechanistic update of the so-called starch/statolith hypothesis, revealing how gravity perception is converted into a physiological response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A concentration-dependent curve was determined using in vitro assays. • Copper chloride, copper sulfate, and nitroxynil were effective against nematodes. • A synergic effect was observed against Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. • Copper chloride had a better effect, even in combination, against nematode parasites. Infections caused by Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. are major health problems for sheep and cattle. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of copper chloride (CuCl 2), and copper sulphate (CuSO 4) at 2.0, 7.0, 30.0, 125.0, 500.0, and 2000.0 µM formulations, and nitroxynil 34% (NTX) at 0.235 mM against gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) of ruminants. Hence, the in vitro egg hatch test (EHT), the larval development test (LDT), and the larval migration inhibition test (LMIT) were used. Haemonchus spp. (52%) and Trichostrongylus spp. (38%) were the most frequently found parasites. The data fitted a concentration-dependent shape with the highest efficacies of CuCl 2 and CuSO 4 at 95.2 and 97.3% for parasites collected from sheep, and 95.8 and 93.4% from cattle, respectively. The combination of the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC 50) of CuCl 2 and CuSO 4 and the IC 10 of NTX showed up to a 52% increase in efficacy above the expected additive results, demonstrating a synergic/drug enhancer interaction. NTX may retain Cu-II ions by complexation, in a hitchhiking mechanism carrying the salts across the parasite cell wall, causing oxidative stress as a consequence of free radical production and cell damage. Synergy data between NTX and CuCl 2 , and CuSO 4 represent a viable opportunity to develop new formulations for combating parasites of ruminants (i.e., Fasciola hepatica , Haemonchus spp., and Oesophagostomum spp.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small therapeutic proteins are receiving increased interest as therapeutic drugs; however, their clinical success has been limited due to their rapid elimination. Here, we report a half-life extension strategy via strategy via red blood cell red blood cell (RBC) hitch-hiking. This manuscript details the development and characterization of novel anti-RBC single-domain antibodies (sdAbs), their genetic fusion to therapeutic antibody fragments (TAF) as bispecific fusion constructs, and their influence on TAF pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. Several sdAbs specific to the band 3 antigen were generated via phage-display technology. Binding affinity to RBCs was assessed via flow cytometry. Affinity maturation via random mutagenesis was carried out to improve the binding affinity of the sdAbs. Bi-specific constructs were generated by fusing the anti-RBC sdAbs with anti-tissue necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) TAF via the use of a glycine-serine flexible linker, and assessments for binding were performed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry. Pharmacokinetics of anti-RBC sdAbs and fusion constructs were evaluated following intravenous bolus dosing in mice at a 1 mg/kg dose. Two RBC-binding sdAbs, RB12 and RE8, were developed. These two clones showed high binding affinity to human RBC with an estimated KD of 17.7 nM and 23.6 nM and low binding affinity to mouse RBC with an estimated KD of 335 nM and 528 nM for RB12 and RE8, respectively. Two derivative sdAbs, RMA1, and RMC1, with higher affinities against mouse RBC, were generated via affinity maturation (KD of 66.9 nM and 30.3 nM, respectively). Pharmacokinetic investigations in mice demonstrated prolonged circulation half-life of an anti-RBC-TNF-α bispecific construct (75 h) compared to a non-RBC binding control (1.3 h). In summary, the developed anti-RBC sdAbs and fusion constructs have demonstrated high affinity in vitro, and sufficient half-life extension in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal therapy (PTT) holds potential as an alternative approach for effective cancer treatment since it exerts minimal side effects on normal tissues. However, the photothermal stimulation increases the expression of heat shock protein (HSP) in tumor cells, rendering the tumor cells insensitive to heat and thus constraining the effects of PTT. In this study, biomimetic aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) photothermal agents with hitchhiking ability (DC@BPBBT dots) are developed by coating the nanoaggregates of the NIR AIE polymeric photothermal agents with dendritic cell (DC) membranes. Notably, the inner nanoaggregate (BPBBT dots) holds bright second‐window near infrared (NIR‐II) fluorescence (quantum yield of up to 3.47%) and a high photothermal conversion performance (photothermal conversion efficiency of up to 30.5%), and the outer cell membrane can facilitate the hitchhiking of DC@BPBBT dots on endogenous T cells and enhance the tumor delivery efficiency by about 1.2 times. Furthermore, DC@BPBBT dots can activate and stimulate T cells in vivo to secrete cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α), which can reduce the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) to render tumor cells more sensitive to heat. This study not only provides an alternative heat shock protein inhibition strategy based on immune cell interactions but also provides a hitchhike approach for drug delivery in cancer photothermal immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted the monitoring of hitchhiker insect pests around the port area in Korea and reported the settlement of Melanoplus differentialis (Thomas, 1865) in Onsan Port, Ulsan, Korea. The occurrence pattern of the invasive species was determined using a line census method. Species identification was first performed with DNA barcoding, and then the DNA barcoded samples were morphologically re‐examined. Monitoring of the occurrence pattern revealed that the invasive populations of M. differentialis settled in a narrow artificial green area, and it occurred in large numbers (over 100 individuals per hour). Species identification of the invasive population using DNA barcoding indicated that the population showing high intraspecific divergence from null to 3.9% was difficult to identify as a separate species. However, in morphological re‐examination, the population was clearly identified as a single species, M. differentialis. In a haplotype analysis using DNA barcodes, the population included 45 haplotypes with polymorphism at 46 nucleotide sites. On the basis of these results, we considered that M. differentialis may have invaded into Onsan Port, Ulsan, Korea. Therefore, we provided the biological traits of the grasshopper for risk assessment and suggested the necessity of monitoring and controlling the dispersal of M. differentialis into the inlands of Korea in the early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eukaryotic cells across the tree of life organize their subcellular components via intracellular transport mechanisms. In canonical transport, myosin, kinesin, and dynein motor proteins interact with cargos via adaptor proteins and move along filamentous actin or microtubule tracks. In contrast to this canonical mode, hitchhiking is a newly discovered mode of intracellular transport in which a cargo attaches itself to an already-motile cargo rather than directly associating with a motor protein itself. Many cargos including messenger RNAs, protein complexes, and organelles hitchhike on membrane-bound cargos. Hitchhiking-like behaviors have been shown to impact cellular processes including local protein translation, long-distance signaling, and organelle network reorganization. Here, we review instances of cargo hitchhiking in fungal, animal, and plant cells and discuss the potential cellular and evolutionary importance of hitchhiking in these different contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently published a paper quantifying the genome‐wide consequences of natural selection, including the effects of indirect selection due to the correlation of genetic regions (neutral or selected) with directly selected regions (Gompert et al., 2022). In their critique of our paper, Charlesworth and Jensen (2022) make two main points: (i) indirect selection is equivalent to hitchhiking and thus well documented (i.e., our results are not novel) and (ii) that we do not demonstrate the source of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between SNPs and the Mel‐Stripe locus in the Timema cristinae experiment we analyse. As we discuss in detail below, neither of these are substantial criticisms of our work. This is a reply to the commentary by Charlesworth and Jensen (2022); [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We write to address recent claims by regarding the potentially important and underappreciated phenomena of "indirect selection," the observation that neutral regions may be affected by natural selection. We argue both that this phenomenon—generally known as genetic hitchhiking—is neither new nor poorly studied, and that the patterns described by the authors have multiple alternative explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hitchhiking bistatic radar system takes the direct wave signal that is transmitted by the non-cooperative radar emitter as the reference to detect and analyze the target echo signal, so as to realize the positioning and tracking of the target. This radar system has the advantages of low cost and strong survivability. Aiming at the problem of passive radar to covert the detection of maritime targets, this paper develops a hitchhiking bistatic radar system for maritime target detection, which uses the shore-based radar as the non-cooperative radar emitter. By continuously collecting the direct wave and target echo data of the non-cooperative radar, the direct wave reference signal reconstruction, pulse compression, interference suppression and synchronization processing, non-coherent integration, MTI (moving target indication), clutter map processing, and adaptive CFAR (constant false alarm rate) detection are completed to obtain the azimuth, bistatic range, and Doppler frequency of the target, and finally realize the positioning of non-cooperative maritime targets. This paper first introduces and demonstrates the composition principle of the system, introduces the signal processing implementation method of the system in detail, and tests and analyzes the key algorithms. The experimental results show that the system can realize the passive coherent detection of maritime moving targets and locate multiple targets at the same time. The experiment obtains a very clear PPI (plane position indicator) display picture of the hitchhiking bistatic radar system, and the radar detection data of the experimental system is in good agreement with the AIS (automatic identification system) data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red blood cell (RBC) hitchhiking has great potential in enhancing drug therapy, by improving targeting and reducing rapid clearance of nanoparticles (NPs). However, to improve the potential for clinical translation of RBC hitchhiking, a more thorough understanding of the RBC-NP interface is needed. Here, we evaluate the effects of NP surface parameters on the success and biocompatibility of NP adsorption to extracted RBCs from various species. Major differences in RBC characteristics between rabbit, mouse and human were proven to significantly impact NP adsorption outcomes. Additionally, the effects of NP design parameters, including NP hydrophobicity, zeta potential, surfactant concentration and drug encapsulation, on RBC hitchhiking are investigated. Our studies demonstrate the importance of electrostatic interactions in balancing NP adsorption success and biocompatibility. We further investigated the effect of varying the anti-coagulant used for blood storage. The results presented here offer new insights into the parameters that impact NP adsorption on RBCs that will assist researchers in experimental design choices for using RBC hitchhiking as drug delivery strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the genetic, demographic, and selective forces that are likely to be at play in restricting observed levels of DNA sequence variation in natural populations to a much smaller range of values than would be expected from the distribution of census population sizes alone—Lewontin's Paradox. While several processes that have previously been strongly emphasized must be involved, including the effects of direct selection and genetic hitchhiking, it seems unlikely that they are sufficient to explain this observation without contributions from other factors. We highlight a potentially important role for the less-appreciated contribution of population size change; specifically, the likelihood that many species and populations may be quite far from reaching the relatively high equilibrium diversity values that would be expected given their current census sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many phoretic relationships between arthropods are understudied because of taxonomic impediments. We here illustrate for avian lice riding on hippoboscid flies how new natural history data on phoretic relationships can be acquired quickly with modern and cost‐effective barcoding techniques. Most avian lice are host‐specific, but some can arrive on new hosts by hitchhiking on hippoboscid flies that feed on bird blood. Our summary of the literature yielded 254 published records which we here show to belong to two large and 13 small interaction networks for birds, flies, and lice. In order to generate new records, we developed a protocol based on screening bird carcasses sourced with the help of citizen scientists. The inspection of 131 carcasses from Singapore led to the first record of a Guimaraesiella Eichler (Ischnocera: Philopteridae) louse species riding on Ornithoica momiyamai Kishida flies collected from a pitta carcass. Phoresy may explain why this louse species is now known from three phylogenetically disparate hosts (Pitta moluccensis (Müller), Ficedula zanthopygia (Hay); Pardaliparus elegans Lesson). A second new case of phoresy enhanced a large interaction network dominated by Ornithophila metallica (Schiner), a cosmopolitan and polyphagous hippoboscid fly species. Overall, we argue that many two‐ and three‐way phoretic relationships between arthropods (e.g., mites, pseudoscorpions, beetles, flies) can be resolved with cost‐effective large‐scale NGS barcoding, which can be used to partially overcome taxonomic impediments by pre‐sorting specimens for taxonomic revision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flagellum is a complex molecular nanomachine crucial for cell motility. Its assembly requires coordinated expression of over 50 flagellar genes, regulated by the transcription activator FleQ. Phylogenomic analyses suggest that many non-flagellated bacterial species have evolved from flagellated ancestors by losing specific flagellar components, though the evolutionary mechanisms driving this process remain unclear. In this study, we examined the evolutionary dynamics of Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 under standard laboratory conditions using quantitative proteomics. We observed a notable reduction in flagellar gene expression following prolonged serial passages. Whole-genome sequencing revealed multiple adaptive mutations in fleQ , dksA , and glnE , all of which are associated with flagellar biosynthesis. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that nonmotile Δ fleQ cells can hitchhike onto wild-type cells, potentially facilitated by increased production of the surfactant syringafactin. Our study suggests that the high metabolic costs associated with flagella biosynthesis, coupled with advantageous hitchhiking properties, contribute to the degenerative evolution of flagella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Seed morphology and quality of cultivated soybean (Glycine max) have changed dramatically during domestication from their wild relatives, but their relationship to selection is poorly understood. Here, we describe a semi‐dominant locus, ST1 (Seed Thickness 1), affecting seed thickness and encoding a UDP‐D‐glucuronate 4‐epimerase, which catalyses UDP‐galacturonic acid production and promotes pectin biosynthesis. Interestingly, this morphological change concurrently boosted seed oil content, which, along with up‐regulation of glycolysis biosynthesis modulated by ST1, enabled soybean to become a staple oil crop. Strikingly, ST1 and an inversion controlling seed coat colour formed part of a single selective sweep. Structural variation analysis of the region surrounding ST1 shows that the critical mutation in ST1 existed in earlier wild relatives of soybean and the region containing ST1 subsequently underwent an inversion, which was followed by successive selection for both traits through hitchhiking during selection for seed coat colour. Together, these results provide direct evidence that simultaneously variation for seed morphology and quality occurred earlier than variation for seed coat colour during soybean domestication. The identification of ST1 thus sheds light on a crucial phase of human empirical selection in soybeans and provides evidence that our ancestors improved soybean based on taste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms have long been isolated from soils to develop microbial inoculants, with the goal of spiking them into new soils to augment target functions. However, establishment can be sporadic, and we assume that inoculants simply arrive at their destination. Here, we posit a need for integrating dispersal into inoculant development and deployment. We argue that consideration for an inoculant's dispersal ability, whether via active (e.g., chemotaxis) or passive (e.g., attachment to other organisms) means, and including methods of deployment that allow multiple establishment attempts could help increase the predictability of inoculant success. Dispersal can influence many key aspects of in-field survival, including the ability to escape stressors, seek favorable colonization sites, facilitate multiple establishment attempts, and engage in multikingdom interactions. Introducing microbial inoculants to augment target functions in soil, particularly in agricultural settings, has recently increased in interest by farmers and agrotech companies, but inoculant establishment in-field has been unpredictable. Dispersal is an underexplored avenue for improving inoculant establishment and persistence in-field. The inoculant's ability to disperse in-field can impact whether it reaches sites of interest (e.g., plant roots or systemic field infiltration), and can provide avenues to escape stressors and allow inoculants to continually improve their living situation in sites of interest. We posit a need for incorporating dispersal in the inoculant development pipeline and for inoculant deployment in-field. We provide examples for selecting superior dispersers, deploying inoculants in ways that facilitate multiple introductions, and leveraging the dispersal abilities of other organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Trust is the most joyous kind of bond with another living being. But isn't it true that whenever we enjoy being with someone, there is [both] a factor of risk there, and also a factor of trust, which gives our enjoyment an edge of rapture?" (Lingis (2004),x). Trust is akin to a permeable border, solid but skin-thin, that makes possible connections between Other and self, self and world. A hitchhiker exercises trust when surrendering to another but, as a prerequisite to a successful journey, also submits to indeterminacies and ambiguities of chance encounters. Trust is openness, but also an acceptance of risk. Whilst on the road, it is impossible to know who you will travel with next. Trust guides and draws lines and dots on the map. Trust determines the length of waiting times at petrol pumps; it regulates feelings of safety; and shapes geographic contours. Trust is an emotion that welcomes becoming. In contrast, a lack of trust impedes the friendship necessary to move the hitchhiker's body; provokes feelings of danger; and, inevitably, will hamper the fluency of lines on the map. Trust is the fundamental stuff of hitchhiking. But, what is trust? How does it look like, feel like, how is it evoked, and where is it located? Does it have a color, a gender? Drawing insights from the phenomenological work of Alphonso Lingis and my own personal experiences being-on-the-road, this contribution analyses geographies, feelings and the sensing of trust associated with and experienced in hitchhiking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the selection–recombination equation with a single selected site and an arbitrary number of neutral sites was solved by Alberti and Baake (2021) by means of the ancestral selection–recombination graph. Here, we introduce a more accessible approach, namely the ancestral initiation graph. The construction is based on a discretisation of the selection–recombination equation. We apply our method to systematically explain a long-standing observation concerning the dynamics of linkage disequilibrium between two neutral loci hitchhiking along with a selected one. In particular, this clarifies the nontrivial dependence on the position of the selected site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting selective sweeps driven by strong positive selection and localizing the targets of selection in the genome play a major role in modern population genetics and genomics. Most of these analyses are based on the classical model of genetic hitchhiking proposed by Maynard Smith and Haigh (1974, Genetical Research, 23, 23). Here, we consider extensions of the classical two-locus model. Introducing mutation at the strongly selected site, we analyze the conditions under which soft sweeps may arise. We identify a new parameter (the ratio of the beneficial mutation rate to the selection coefficient) that characterizes the occurrence of multiple-origin soft sweeps. Furthermore, we quantify the hitchhiking effect when the polymorphism at the linked locus is not neutral but maintained in a mutation-selection balance. In this case, we find a smaller relative reduction of heterozygosity at the linked site than for a neutral polymorphism. In our analysis, we use a semi-deterministic approach; i.e., we analyze the frequency process of the beneficial allele in an infinitely large population when its frequency is above a certain threshold; however, for very small frequencies in the initial phase after the onset of selection we rely on diffusion theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns of variation and evolution at a given site in a genome can be strongly influenced by the effects of selection at genetically linked sites. In particular, the recombination rates of genomic regions correlate with their amount of within-population genetic variability, the degree to which the frequency distributions of DNA sequence variants differ from their neutral expectations, and the levels of adaptation of their functional components. We review the major population genetic processes that are thought to lead to these patterns, focusing on their effects on patterns of variability: selective sweeps, background selection, associative overdominance, and Hill–Robertson interference among deleterious mutations. We emphasize the difficulties in distinguishing among the footprints of these processes and disentangling them from the effects of purely demographic factors such as population size changes. We also discuss how interactions between selective and demographic processes can significantly affect patterns of variability within genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, an unprecedented synergistic strategy for the development of high-performance NIR-II fluorophore is proposed and validated. Based on an unsymmetrical cyanine dye design strategy, the NIR-II emissive dye NIC was successfully developed by replacing only one of the indoline donors of symmetrical cyanine dye ICG with a fully conjugated benz[c,d]indole donor. This minor structural change maximally maintains the high extinction coefficient advantage of cyanine dyes. NIC-ER with endogenous albumin-hitchhiking capability was constructed to further enhance its in vivo fluorescence brightness. In the presence of HSA (Human serum albumin), NIC-ER spontaneously resides in the albumin pocket, and a brilliant ~89-fold increase in fluorescence was observed. Due to its high molar absorptivity and moderate quantum yield, NIC-ER in HSA exhibits bright NIR-II emission with high photostability and significant Stokes shift (>110 nm). Moreover, NIC-ER was successfully employed for tumor-targeted NIR-II/PA imaging and efficient photothermal tumor elimination. Overall, our strategy may open up a new avenue for designing and constructing high-performance NIR-II fluorophores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, an unprecedented synergistic strategy for the development of high-performance NIR-II fluorophore is proposed and validated. Based on an unsymmetrical cyanine dye design strategy, the NIR-II emissive dye NIC was successfully developed by replacing only one of the indoline donors of symmetrical cyanine dye ICG with a fully conjugated benz[c,d]indole donor. This minor structural change maximally maintains the high extinction coefficient advantage of cyanine dyes. NIC-ER with endogenous albumin-hitchhiking capability was constructed to further enhance its in vivo fluorescence brightness. In the presence of HSA (Human serum albumin), NIC-ER spontaneously resides in the albumin pocket, and a brilliant ~89-fold increase in fluorescence was observed. Due to its high molar absorptivity and moderate quantum yield, NIC-ER in HSA exhibits bright NIR-II emission with high photostability and significant Stokes shift (>110 nm). Moreover, NIC-ER was successfully employed for tumor-targeted NIR-II/PA imaging and efficient photothermal tumor elimination. Overall, our strategy may open up a new avenue for designing and constructing high-performance NIR-II fluorophores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a decrease in its practice, the interest in hitchhiking is currently renewed. However, so far, very little is known about the personality characteristics of hitchhikers. Consequently, the aim of this study was to investigate the associations between hitchhiking and personality traits, with the Big Five and emotional competences. Five hundred and seventy-eight travellers (452 hitchhikers, M age = 28.4 years old; and 126 non-hitchhikers, M age = 27.7 years old) took part in the study. Participants completed an online survey including hitchhiking behaviour, the Big Five Inventory, and the Profile for Emotional Competences. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, hitchhiking was found to be positively associated with openness, and negatively associated with neuroticism. No associations were found with emotional competences. These findings improve our understanding of the personality characteristics associated with hitchhiking, however longitudinal studies are required to understand how hitchhiking is related to personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The endosymbiont Wolbachia can manipulate arthropod reproduction and invade host populations by inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Some host species are coinfected with multiple Wolbachia strains which may have sequentially invaded host populations by expressing different types of modular CI factor (cif) genes. The tephritid fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi is a model for CI and Wolbachia population dynamics. It is associated with at least four Wolbachia strains in various combinations, with demonstrated (wCer2, wCer4), predicted (wCer1) or unknown (wCer5) CI phenotypes. Results: We sequenced and assembled the draft genomes of the Wolbachia strains wCer1, wCer4 and wCer5, and compared these with the previously sequenced genome of wCer2 which currently invades R. cerasi populations. We found complete cif gene pairs in all strains: four pairs in wCer2 (three Type I; one Type V), two pairs in wCer1 (both Type I) and wCer4 (one Type I; one Type V), and one pair in wCer5 (Type IV). Wolbachia genome variant analyses across geographically and genetically distant host populations revealed the largest diversity of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in wCer5, followed by wCer1 and then wCer2, indicative of their different lengths of host associations. Furthermore, mitogenome analyses of the Wolbachia genome-sequenced individuals in combination with SNP data from six European countries revealed polymorphic mitogenome sites that displayed reduced diversity in individuals infected with wCer2 compared to those without. Conclusions: Coinfections with Wolbachia are common in arthropods and affect options for Wolbachia-based management strategies of pest and vector species already infected by Wolbachia. Our analyses of Wolbachia genomes of a host naturally coinfected by several strains unravelled signatures of the evolutionary dynamics in both Wolbachia and host mitochondrial genomes as a consequence of repeated invasions. Invasion of already infected populations by new Wolbachia strains requires new sets of functionally different cif genes and thereby may select for a cumulative modularity of cif gene diversity in invading strains. Furthermore, we demonstrated at the mitogenomic scale that repeated CI-driven Wolbachia invasions of hosts result in reduced mitochondrial diversity and hitchhiking effects. Already resident Wolbachia strains may experience similar cytoplasmic hitchhiking effects caused by the invading Wolbachia strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active‐targeting nanomedicine formulations have an intricate in vivo behavior. Nanomedicines developed to target endothelial αvβ3‐integrin are recently demonstrated to display extensive uptake by circulating phagocytes. These phagocytes show inherent tumor‐homing capacities and therefore are capable of actively delivering the endocytosed nanomaterial in lesions. Here, the targeting kinetics and mechanisms of cyclic arginine–glycine–aspartate (cRGD)‐decorated lipid nanoparticles (NPs) toward activated vasculature in inflamed lesions during wound healing are studied. The cRGD‐NP targeting toward inflamed lesions is identified to be mechanistically similar to the NP accumulation in cancerous lesions. Through a complementary experimental approach, it is observed that circulating phagocytes engage cRGD‐NPs and are subsequently homed to the inflamed endothelium. The inflammation‐associated phagocytes remain static among endothelial cells upon targeting, resulting in the extensive presence of cRGD‐NP‐positive phagocytes in the angiogenic vessels. Hence, phagocytic immune cells contribute to cRGD‐NP targeting toward angiogenesis. This mechanistic study underlines the need for detailed investigations of NP in vivo behavior. This is critically important for the realization of NPs potential as advanced (immunological) therapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effort to draw boundaries between public and private space in contemporary cities, is articulated through reflections on the State's action to intervene and regulate the common use of space in the face of the interests and demands of for the private use by individuals, social groups, and/or corporations. If the collective ownership of spaces refers to the domains of action of various agents monitored by the State due to its power of governance (Foucault, 2012), private appropriation of spaces tends to be associated with the figure of the individual and the sphere of his/her actions. The purpose of this text arises from the dialogue between two ethnographic researches: one about the practice of hitchhiking in the city of Florianópolis (SC, Brazil) and the other about the practices of formation and construction of permacultural housing in Porto Alegre and Pelotas (RS, Brazil). We are interested in thinking about how these activities can blur and destabilize imagined/constructed boundaries between what is public and private departing from the concept of infrastructures (Star, 1999; Larkin, 2013). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active‐targeting nanomedicine formulations have an intricate in vivo behavior. Nanomedicines developed to target endothelial αvβ3‐integrin are recently demonstrated to display extensive uptake by circulating phagocytes. These phagocytes show inherent tumor‐homing capacities and therefore are capable of actively delivering the endocytosed nanomaterial in lesions. Here, the targeting kinetics and mechanisms of cyclic arginine–glycine–aspartate (cRGD)‐decorated lipid nanoparticles (NPs) toward activated vasculature in inflamed lesions during wound healing are studied. The cRGD‐NP targeting toward inflamed lesions is identified to be mechanistically similar to the NP accumulation in cancerous lesions. Through a complementary experimental approach, it is observed that circulating phagocytes engage cRGD‐NPs and are subsequently homed to the inflamed endothelium. The inflammation‐associated phagocytes remain static among endothelial cells upon targeting, resulting in the extensive presence of cRGD‐NP‐positive phagocytes in the angiogenic vessels. Hence, phagocytic immune cells contribute to cRGD‐NP targeting toward angiogenesis. This mechanistic study underlines the need for detailed investigations of NP in vivo behavior. This is critically important for the realization of NPs potential as advanced (immunological) therapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019 the RV Meteor cruised from Guadalupe in April/May to Cape Verde in June/July and to Namibia in August/September. The distance is about 10,000 km. The ship has a moon pool for installation of instruments. In Cape Verde we had a first glimpse of the already sparsely populated moon pool. We reached Namibian waters in mid-August. In mid-September, 47 days later and 6000 km south, the ship's moon pool was sampled in the port of Walvis Bay. 13 different taxa could be identified belonging to two phyla, four classes, six orders and 10 families. Most of these species have not yet been observed in the port or in the adjacent areas and are new records for the entire Namibian coast. The goose barnacles Conchoderma auritum (Linnaeus, 1767), Conchoderma virgatum Spengler, 1789 and Lepas anatifera Linnaeus, 1758 were particularly noticeable. They were only surpassed by the large number of amphipods. The species Ericthonius brasiliensis (Dana, 1853), Jassa marmorata Holmes, 1905, Stenothoe senegalensis Krapp-Schickel, 2015 and Paracaprella pusilla Mayer, 1890 are particularly noteworthy here. In addition, the pycnogonid species Endeis straughani Clark, 1970 and the titan acorn barnacle Megabalanus coccopoma (Darwin, 1854) should be mentioned, which occurred very frequently as well. The present study shows, on the one hand, an example of the transatlantic spread of bioinvasive species by ships as vectors and, on the other hand, a convenient method for sampling ship hulls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red blood cell (RBC) hitchhiking is a method of drug delivery that can increase drug concentration in target organs by orders of magnitude. In RBC hitchhiking, drug-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) are adsorbed onto red blood cells and then injected intravascularly, which causes the NPs to transfer to cells of the capillaries in the downstream organ. RBC hitchhiking has been demonstrated in multiple species and multiple organs. For example, RBC-hitchhiking NPs localized at unprecedented levels in the brain when using intra-arterial catheters, such as those in place immediately after mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. RBC hitchhiking has been successfully employed in numerous preclinical models of disease, ranging from pulmonary embolism to cancer metastasis. In addition to summarizing the versatility of RBC hitchhiking, we also describe studies into the surprisingly complex mechanisms of RBC hitchhiking as well as outline future studies to further improve RBC hitchhiking's clinical utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motility allows many microbes to traverse their environment to find nutrient sources or escape unfavorable environments. However, some microbes are nonmotile and are restricted to their immediate conditions. Intriguingly, sporadic reports have demonstrated that many nonmotile microbes can utilize the motility machinery of other microbes in their vicinity. This form of transportation, called hitchhiking, has been observed with both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. Importantly, many hitchhiking microbes are pathogenic to humans or plants. Here, we discuss reports of intermicrobial hitchhiking to generate a comprehensive view of hitchhiking mechanisms and how such interactions may influence human and plant health. We hypothesize that microbial hitchhiking is ubiquitous in nature and may become the subject of an independent subfield of research in microbiology. Sporadic reports demonstrate that some nonmotile microbes utilize trans-species hitchhiking to traverse their environment. Hitchhiking has been observed with eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes. Four general hitchhiking mechanisms have been elucidated thus far: mechanical pushing by motile cells, direct attachment to cell bodies, direct attachment to bacterial flagella, and internal transport by cells. Several immotile human and plant pathogens hitchhike motile microbes that are natively found in their vicinity. In some instances, hitchhiking is implicated in infectivity mechanisms of microbial pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hitchhikers (phoretic organisms) identify their vehicles using species‐specific visual, chemical and vibrational cues. However, what factors influence their choice between vehicles of the same species has rarely been investigated.Hitchhikers must not only avoid overcrowded vehicles but may also need to travel with conspecifics to ensure mates at their destination. Hence, a trade‐off between overcrowding and presence of conspecifics likely determines the choice of a vehicle especially when destination sites are distant, ephemeral and unique.Here, we investigate whether a trade‐off between the presence of conspecifics versus overcrowding by conspecifics or heterospecifics on a vehicle affects hitchhiker choice. We also investigate the sensory modality responsible for this choice. We experimentally examine these questions using a phoretic nematode community (containing plant‐ and animal‐parasitic taxa) obligately associated with a brood‐site pollination mutualism. In this model system, nematodes co‐travel with conspecifics and heterospecifics on pollinators as vehicles, between ephemeral plant brood sites to complete their developmental life cycle. In this system, hitchhiker overcrowding has proven negative impacts on vehicle and plant fitness. We expected nematodes to respond to conspecifics and heterospecific density on offered vehicles when making their choice.We found that animal‐parasitic nematodes preferred vehicles containing some conspecifics within a certain density range. However, plant‐parasitic nematodes preferentially boarded vehicles that were devoid of conspecifics or had few conspecifics. Plant parasites that preferred empty vehicles likely hitchhiked in pairs. Both nematode types employed volatile cues to discriminate between vehicles with different conspecific nematode densities. Our results suggest that vehicle overcrowding by conspecifics, most likely, guaranteed access to mates at the destination determined hitchhiker choice. Surprisingly, and contrary to our expectations, plant‐ and animal‐parasitic nematodes did not respond to heterospecific crowding on vehicles and did not discriminate between vehicles with different heterospecific nematode densities. The reason for this lack of response to heterospecific presence is unknown.This study not only shows that phoretic organisms use different strategies while choosing a vehicle but also confirms that density‐dependent effects can ensure the stability and persistence of phoretic interactions in a mutualism by balancing overcrowding against reproductive assurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symbionts of ant colonies can hitchhike on winged ant reproductives (alates) during colony nuptial flights. Attaphila fungicola Wheeler, a miniature cockroach that lives in the nests of Texas leaf-cutter ants (Atta texana Buckley), hitchhikes on female alates (winged queens). Hitchhiking roaches are presumably vertically transmitted from leaf-cutter parent colonies to daughter colonies, remaining with female alates as they transition into foundresses (workerless queens); however, foundresses have limited resources and high mortality rates. Rather than remaining with foundresses likely to die (vertical transmission), roaches might abandon them during dispersal to infect higher-quality later stages of colony development (female alate–vectored transmission). In field experiments, I find evidence for female alate–vectored transmission and discover that roaches use a second hitchhiking step (riding foraged plant material) to infect established colonies. This work reveals a novel relationship between host dispersal and symbiont transmission and shows that colony development can be an important selection pressure on transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central to proteopathies and leading to most age‐related neurodegenerative disorders is a failure in protein quality control (PQC). To harness the toxicity of misfolded and damaged disease proteins, such proteins are either refolded, degraded by temporal PQC, or sequestered by spatial PQC into specific, organelle‐associated, compartments within the cell. Here, we discuss the impact of vesicle trafficking pathways in general, and syntaxin 5 in particular, as key players in spatial PQC directing misfolded proteins to the surface of vacuole and mitochondria, which facilitates their clearance and detoxification. Since boosting vesicle trafficking genetically can positively impact on spatial PQC and make cells less sensitive to misfolded disease proteins, we speculate that regulators of such trafficking might serve as therapeutic targets for age‐related neurological disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]