Hybrid modeling of an ultracentrifugation process for separation of full and empty adeno-associated virus particles.

Ultracentrifugation is an attractive method for separating full and empty capsids, exploiting their density difference. Changes of the serotype/capsid, density of loading material, or the genetic information contained in the adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) require the adaptation of the harvesting parameters and the density gradient loaded onto the centrifuge. To streamline these adaptations, a mathematical model could support the design and testing of operating conditions.

On the theoretical maximum achievable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of piezoelectric microphones.

A theoretical maximum achievable signal to noise ratio (SNR) for piezoelectric microphones is identified as a function of only microphone volume irrespective of architecture and construction details. For a given piezoelectric material, microphone SNR can be reduced to an expression containing only a dimensionless coupling coefficient and microphone volume. For a given material, the coupling coefficient has a theoretical upper bound defined by the most favorable deformation geometry.

The DUX4 gene at the FSHD1A locus encodes a pro-apoptotic protein.

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) patients carry contractions of the D4Z4-tandem repeat array on chromosome 4q35. Decrease in D4Z4 copy number is thought to alter a chromatin structure and activate expression of neighboring genes. D4Z4 contains a putative double-homeobox gene called DUX4.

Immunization of mice with a Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomic expression library results in lower bacterial load in lungs after challenge with BCG.

Tuberculosis is a serious infectious disease in many developing countries. The lack of an effective vaccine for preventing this disease has stimulated the search for new vaccine candidates against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the present work, the construction of a genomic expression library of M.