A vagal reflex evoked by airway closure.

Airway integrity must be continuously maintained throughout life. Sensory neurons guard against airway obstruction and, on a moment-by-moment basis, enact vital reflexes to maintain respiratory function. Decreased lung capacity is common and life-threatening across many respiratory diseases, and lung collapse can be acutely evoked by chest wall trauma, pneumothorax or airway compression.

Production enhancement of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells by low-intensity ultrasound stimulation.

Low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS) enhances the proliferation rate of various mammalian stem cells through mechanical stimulation. This study quantitively finds suitable LIUS stimulation parameters for increasing the proliferation rate of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAdMSCs) for mass production. Various stimulation conditions of LIUS were assessed based on the beam pattern of the ultrasonic transducer and the attenuation of the sound waves.

Discovery of levodopa-induced dyskinesia-associated genes using genomic studies in patients and Drosophila behavioral analyses.

Although levodopa is the most effective medication for Parkinson's disease, long-term levodopa treatment is largely compromised due to late motor complications, including levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). However, the genetic basis of LID pathogenesis has not been fully understood. Here, we discover genes pathogenic for LID using Drosophila genetics and behavioral analyses combined with genome-wide association studies on 578 patients clinically diagnosed with LID.

Loss of UCHL1 rescues the defects related to Parkinson's disease by suppressing glycolysis.

The role of ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (; also called ) in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been controversial. Here, we find that the loss of UCHL1 destabilizes pyruvate kinase (PKM) and mitigates the PD-related phenotypes induced by PTEN-induced kinase 1 () or loss-of-function mutations in and mammalian cells. In UCHL1 knockout cells, cellular pyruvate production and ATP levels are diminished, and the activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is highly induced.

Interoperable Nanoparticle Sensor Capable of Strain and Vibration Measurement for Rotor Blade Monitoring.

Recent advances in nanomaterials technology create the new possibility to fabricate high performance sensors. However, there has been limitations in terms of multivariate measurable and interoperable sensors. In this study, we fabricated an interoperable silver nanoparticle sensor fabricated by an aerodynamically focused nanomaterial (AFN) printing system which is a direct printing technique for inorganic nanomaterials onto a flexible substrate.

Periphery signals generated by Piezo-mediated stomach stretch and Neuromedin-mediated glucose load regulate the Drosophila brain nutrient sensor.

Nutrient sensors allow animals to identify foods rich in specific nutrients. The Drosophila nutrient sensor, diuretic hormone 44 (DH44) neurons, helps the fly to detect nutritive sugar. This sensor becomes operational during starvation; however, the mechanisms by which DH44 neurons or other nutrient sensors are regulated remain unclear.

Control of feeding by Piezo-mediated gut mechanosensation in .

Across animal species, meals are terminated after ingestion of large food volumes, yet underlying mechanosensory receptors have so far remained elusive. Here, we identify an essential role for Piezo in volume-based control of meal size. We discover a rare population of fly neurons that express Piezo, innervate the anterior gut and crop (a food reservoir organ), and respond to tissue distension in a Piezo-dependent manner.

The reasons why fractional flow reserve and instantaneous wave-free ratio are similar using wave separation analysis.

Background And Objectives: Fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) are the two most commonly used coronary indices of physiological stenosis severity based on pressure. To minimize the effect of wedge pressure (P), FFR is measured during hyperemia conditions, and iFR is calculated as the ratio of distal and aortic pressures (P/P) in the wave-free period. The goal of this study was to predict P using the backward wave (P) through wave separation analysis (WSA) and to reflect the effect of P on FFR and iFR to identify the relationship between the two indices.

Directly Printed Low-Cost Nanoparticle Sensor for Vibration Measurement during Milling Process.

A real-time, accurate, and reliable process monitoring is a basic and crucial enabler of intelligent manufacturing operation and digital twin applications. In this study, we represent a novel vibration measurement method for workpiece during the milling process using a low-cost nanoparticle vibration sensor. We directly printed the vibration sensor based on silver nanoparticles positioned onto a polyimide substrate using an aerodynamically-focused nanomaterials printing system, which is a direct printing technique for inorganic nanomaterials positioned onto a flexible substrate.

Stretchable Biaxial and Shear Strain Sensors Using Diffractive Structural Colors.

Structural colors that can be changed dynamically, using either plasmonic nanostructures or photonic crystals, are rapidly emerging research areas for stretchable sensors. Despite the wide applications of various techniques to achieve strain-responsive structural colors, important factors in the feasibility of strain sensors-such as their sensing mechanism, stability, and reproducibility-have not yet been explored. Here, we introduce a stretchable, diffractive, color-based wireless strain sensor that can measure strain using the entire visible spectrum, based on an array of cone-shaped nanostructures on the surface of an elastomeric substrate.

Arterial Baroreceptors Sense Blood Pressure through Decorated Aortic Claws.

Mechanosensory neurons across physiological systems sense force using diverse terminal morphologies. Arterial baroreceptors are sensory neurons that monitor blood pressure for real-time stabilization of cardiovascular output. Various aortic sensory terminals have been described, but those that sense blood pressure are unclear because of a lack of selective genetic tools.

Highly Sensitive Solvent-free Silver Nanoparticle Strain Sensors with Tunable Sensitivity Created Using an Aerodynamically Focused Nanoparticle Printer.

We developed and presented highly sensitive solvent-free silver nanoparticle strain sensors fabricated using the aerodynamically focused nanoparticle (AFN) printer. The nanoparticles were printed in various conductive patterns. We explored how printer scan velocity affected pattern geometry and sensor sensitivity.

PIEZOs mediate neuronal sensing of blood pressure and the baroreceptor reflex.

Activation of stretch-sensitive baroreceptor neurons exerts acute control over heart rate and blood pressure. Although this homeostatic baroreflex has been described for more than 80 years, the molecular identity of baroreceptor mechanosensitivity remains unknown. We discovered that mechanically activated ion channels PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 are together required for baroreception.

NEDD4-induced degradative ubiquitination of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase α and its implication in breast cancer cell proliferation.

Phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase (PIP5K) family members generate phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), a critical lipid regulator of diverse physiological processes. The PIP5K-dependent PIP2 generation can also act upstream of the oncogenic phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. Many studies have demonstrated various mechanisms of spatiotemporal regulation of PIP5K catalytic activity.

Misato underlies visceral myopathy in Drosophila.

Genetic mechanisms for the pathogenesis of visceral myopathy (VM) have been rarely demonstrated. Here we report the visceral role of misato (mst) in Drosophila and its implications for the pathogenesis of VM. Depletion of mst using three independent RNAi lines expressed by a pan-muscular driver elicited characteristic symptoms of VM, such as abnormal dilation of intestinal tracts, reduced gut motility, feeding defects, and decreased life span.

The Hippo-Salvador signaling pathway regulates renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis.

Renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) is the final pathway of various renal injuries that result in chronic kidney disease. The mammalian Hippo-Salvador signaling pathway has been implicated in the regulation of cell proliferation, cell death, tissue regeneration, and tumorigenesis. Here, we report that the Hippo-Salvador pathway plays a role in disease development in patients with TIF and in a mouse model of TIF.

Positive geotactic behaviors induced by geomagnetic field in Drosophila.

Background: Appropriate vertical movement is critical for the survival of flying animals. Although negative geotaxis (moving away from Earth) driven by gravity has been extensively studied, much less is understood concerning a static regulatory mechanism for inducing positive geotaxis (moving toward Earth).

Results: Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism, we showed that geomagnetic field (GMF) induces positive geotaxis and antagonizes negative gravitaxis.

Identification of a neural pathway governing satiety in Drosophila.

Satiety cues a feeding animal to cease further ingestion of food, thus protecting it from excessive energy gain. Impaired control of satiety is often associated with feeding-related disorders such as obesity. In our recent study, we reported the identification of a neural pathway that expresses the myoinhibitory peptide (MIP), critical for satiety responses in Drosophila.

Identification of a Peptidergic Pathway Critical to Satiety Responses in Drosophila.

Although several neural pathways have been implicated in feeding behaviors in mammals [1-7], it remains unclear how the brain coordinates feeding motivations to maintain a constant body weight (BW). Here, we identified a neuropeptide pathway important for the satiety and BW control in Drosophila. Silencing of myoinhibitory peptide (MIP) neurons significantly increased BW through augmented food intake and fat storage.

Nutrient Sensor in the Brain Directs the Action of the Brain-Gut Axis in Drosophila.

Animals can detect and consume nutritive sugars without the influence of taste. However, the identity of the taste-independent nutrient sensor and the mechanism by which animals respond to the nutritional value of sugar are unclear. Here, we report that six neurosecretory cells in the Drosophila brain that produce Diuretic hormone 44 (Dh44), a homolog of the mammalian corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), were specifically activated by nutritive sugars.

Ionotropic glutamate receptors IR64a and IR8a form a functional odorant receptor complex in vivo in Drosophila.

Drosophila olfactory sensory neurons express either odorant receptors or ionotropic glutamate receptors (IRs). The sensory neurons that express IR64a, a member of the IR family, send axonal projections to either the DC4 or DP1m glomeruli in the antennal lobe. DC4 neurons respond specifically to acids/protons, whereas DP1m neurons respond to a broad spectrum of odorants.

Dedicated olfactory neurons mediating attraction behavior to ammonia and amines in Drosophila.

Animals across various phyla exhibit odor-evoked innate attraction behavior that is developmentally programmed. The mechanism underlying such behavior remains unclear because the odorants that elicit robust attraction responses and the neuronal circuits that mediate this behavior have not been identified. Here, we describe a functionally segregated population of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and projection neurons (PNs) in Drosophila melanogaster that are highly specific to ammonia and amines, which act as potent attractants.

Taste-independent detection of the caloric content of sugar in Drosophila.

Feeding behavior is influenced primarily by two factors: nutritional needs and food palatability. However, the role of food deprivation and metabolic needs in the selection of appropriate food is poorly understood. Here, we show that the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, selects calorie-rich foods following prolonged food deprivation in the absence of taste-receptor signaling.

Acid sensing by the Drosophila olfactory system.

The odour of acids has a distinct quality that is perceived as sharp, pungent and often irritating. How acidity is sensed and translated into an appropriate behavioural response is poorly understood. Here we describe a functionally segregated population of olfactory sensory neurons in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, that are highly selective for acidity.

Pharmacological targeting reveals distinct roles for CXCR2/CXCR1 and CCR2 in a mouse model of arthritis.

Neutrophils and monocytes are abundantly represented in the synovial fluid and tissue in rheumatoid arthritis patients. We therefore explored the effects of small molecule chemokine receptor antagonists to block migration of these cells in anti-collagen antibody-induced arthritis. Targeting neutrophil migration with the CXCR2/CXCR1 antagonist SCH563705 led to a dose-dependent decrease in clinical disease scores and paw thickness measurements and clearly reduced inflammation and bone and cartilage degradation based on histopathology and paw cytokine analyses.