BINA

Courtship behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster are innate and contain highly stereotyped but also experience-and state-dependent elements. They have been the subject of intense study for more than 100 years. The power of Drosophila as a genetic experimental system has allowed the dissection of reproductive behaviors at a molecular, cellular, and physiological level. As a result, we know a great deal about how flies perceive sensory cues from potential mates, how this information is integrated in higher brain centers to execute reproductive decisions, and how state and social contexts modulate these responses. The simplicity of the assay has allowed for its broad application. Here, we introduce methods for studying male and female innate reproductive behaviors as well as their plastic responses.

Cold atoms hold much promise for the realization of quantum technologies, but still encounter many challenges. In this work we show how the fundamental Casimir-Polder force, by which atoms are attracted to a surface, may be temporarily suppressed by utilizing a specially designed quantum potential, which is familiar from the hydrodynamic or Bohmian reformulations of quantum mechanics. We show that when harnessing the quantum potential via suitable atomic wave-packet engineering, the absorption by the surface can be dramatically reduced. As a result, the probing time of the atoms as sensors can increase. This is proven both analytically and numerically. Furthermore, an experimental scheme is proposed for achieving the required shape for the atomic wave packet. All these may assist existing applications of cold atoms in metrology and sensing and may also enable prospective ones. Finally, these …

Upon copulation, females undergo a switch-like change in their behavior and physiology, known as “postmating responses.” These strong behavioral and physiological changes are triggered by the transfer of male seminal proteins during copulation. Postmating response is associated with strong reduction in receptivity, indicated by the females kicking their legs toward the suitor and curving their abdomen downward to hide their genitalia from them and extruding their ovipositor at the tip of the abdomen, which physically prevents copulation. The transfer of male-specific pheromones, such as 11-cis-vaccenyl-acetate, during copulation further reduces female attractiveness. In addition, mated females exhibit increased ovulation, egg-laying behavior, enhanced feeding behavior, and changes in food preference. However, females increase their rate of remating when they are in social groups or in the presence of food …

Bone construction has been under intensive scrutiny for many years using numerous techniques. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy helped unravel key characteristics of the mineral structure in bone owing to its capability of analyzing crystalline and disordered phases at high-resolution. This has invoked new questions regarding the roles of persistent disordered phases in structural integrity and mechanical function of mature bone as well as regarding regulation of early events in formation of apatite by bone proteins which interact intimately with the different mineral phases to exert biological control.Here, spectral editing tethered to standard NMR techniques is employed to analyze bone-like apatite minerals prepared synthetically in the presence and absence of two non-collagenous bone proteins, osteocalcin and osteonectin. A 1H spectral editing block allows excitation of species from the crystalline and disordered …

As part of the performance characterization of a combined and enhanced new AFM-NSOM tip-photo-detector, diffraction limitations were studied on two complementary samples: a nano-barrier embedded between two nano-apertures and one nano-aperture embedded between two nano-barriers. These consecutive multiple-obstacle scanning paths are part of this challenging specifications study of a new conical-shaped and drilled tip-photodetector, sharing a subwavelength aperture. A super-resolution algorithm feature was added in order to overcome possible obstacles, while scanning the same object with several small angles. The new multi-mode system includes scanning topography, optical imaging and an obstacle-overcoming algorithm. The present article study emphasizes the complexity of nano-scanning multiple-apertures/barriers. Both complementary analytical (Python) and numerical (Comsol …

Possible routes for intra-cluster bond formation (ICBF) in protonated serine dimers have been studied. We found no evidence of ICBF following low energy collision induced dissociation (in correspondence with previous works), however, we do observe clear evidence for ICBF following photon absorption in the eV range. Moreover, the comparison of photon induced dissociation measurements of the protonated serine dimer to those of a protonated serine dipeptide provides evidence that ICBF, in this case, involves peptide bond formation (PBF). The experimental results are supported by {\it ab initio} molecular dynamics and exploration of several excited state potential energy surfaces, unravelling a pathway for PBF following photon absorption. The combination of experiments and theory provides insight into the PBF mechanisms in clusters of amino acids, and reveals the importance of electronic excited states reached upon UV/VUV light excitation.

Engines are systems and devices that convert one form of energy into another, typically into a more useful form that can perform work. In the classical setup, physical, chemical, and biological engines largely involve the conversion of heat into work. This energy conversion is at the core of thermodynamic laws and principles and is codified in textbook material. In the quantum regime, however, the principles of energy conversion become ambiguous, since quantum phenomena come into play. As with classical thermodynamics, fundamental principles can be explored through engines and refrigerators, but, in the quantum case, these devices are miniaturized and their operations involve uniquely quantum effects. Our work provides a broad overview of this active field of quantum engines and refrigerators, reviewing the latest theoretical proposals and experimental realizations. We cover myriad aspects of these devices, starting with the basic concepts of quantum analogs to the classical thermodynamic cycle and continuing with different quantum features of energy conversion that span many branches of quantum mechanics. These features include quantum fluctuations that become dominant in the microscale, non-thermal resources that fuel the engines, and the possibility of scaling up the working medium's size, to account for collective phenomena in many-body heat engines. Furthermore, we review studies of quantum engines operating in the strong system-bath coupling regime and those that include non-Markovian phenomena. Recent advances in thermoelectric devices and quantum information perspectives, including quantum measurement …

The finding that electronic conductance across ultrathin protein films between metallic electrodes remains nearly constant from room temperature to just a few degrees Kelvin has posed a challenge. We show that a model based on a generalized Landauer formula explains the nearly constant conductance and predicts an Arrhenius-like dependence for low temperatures. A critical aspect of the model is that the relevant activation energy for conductance is either the difference between the HOMO and HOMO–1 or the LUMO+1 and LUMO energies instead of the HOMO–LUMO gap of the proteins. Analysis of experimental data confirms the Arrhenius-like law and allows us to extract the activation energies. We then calculate the energy differences with advanced DFT methods for proteins used in the experiments. Our main result is that the experimental and theoretical activation energies for these three different proteins …

RAG2-SCID is a primary immunode ciency caused by mutations in Recombination-activating gene 2 (RAG2), a gene intimately involved in the process of lymphocyte maturation and function. ex-vivo manipulation of a patient’s own hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) using CRISPR-Cas9/rAAV6 gene editing could provide a therapeutic alternative to the only current treatment, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Here we show a rst-of-its-kind RAG2 correction strategy that replaces the entire endogenous coding sequence (CDS) to preserve the critical endogenous spatiotemporal gene regulation and locus architecture. Expression of the corrective transgene led to successful development into CD3+TCRαβ+ and CD3+TCRγδ+ T cells and promoted the establishment of highly diverse TRB and TRG repertoires in an in-vitro T-cell differentiation platform. We believe that a CDS replacement technique to correct tightly regulated genes, like RAG2, while maintaining critical regulatory elements and conserving the locus structure could bring safer gene therapy techniques closer to the clinic.

Being nearly unlimited natural resource containing mostly Na cations, the use of seawater as an electrolyte solution (aka seawater batteries) for electrochemical energy storage has received growing attention. To date, the vast majority of studies have focused on the use of seawater in Na-metal batteries protected by ion-conductive membranes hermetic to water. These systems, however, are complex and expensive, and suffer from a short cycling life. Here, we present alternative seawater batteries that utilize polyimide anodes. With its high capacity of more than 140 mAh/g, impressive rate capability, and excellent long-term stability (98% capacity retention after more than 9000 cycles), the prepared polyimide electrodes demonstrated to be promising candidate anodes for seawater electrochemical energy storage devices. Looking for a suitable cathode, we explored the use of nickel hexacyanoferrate (Ni-HCF) and …

The term “carbon-based spintronics” mostly refers to the spin applications in carbon materials such as graphene, fullerene, carbon nitride, and carbon nanotubes. Carbon-based spintronics and their devices have undergone extraordinary development recently. The causes of spin relaxation and the characteristics of spin transport in carbon materials, namely for graphene and carbon nanotubes, have been the subject of several theoretical and experimental studies. This article gives a summary of the present state of research and technological advancements for spintronic applications in carbon-based materials. We discuss the benefits and challenges of several spin-enabled, carbon-based applications. The advantages include the fact that they are significantly less volatile than charge-based electronics. The challenge is in being able to scale up to mass production.

PROCEEDINGS OF SPIE Page 1 PROCEEDINGS OF SPIE SPIEDigitalLibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie Front Matter: Volume 12394 , "Front Matter: Volume 12394," Proc. SPIE 12394, Nanoscale Imaging, Sensing, and Actuation for Biomedical Applications XX, 1239401 (2 May 2023); doi: 10.1117/12.2678752 Event: SPIE BiOS, 2023, San Francisco, California, United States Downloaded From: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie on 03 May 2023 Terms of Use: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/terms-of-use Page 2 PROGRESS IN BIOMEDICAL OPTICS AND IMAGING Vol. 24 No. 43 Volume 12394 Proceedings of SPIE, 1605-7422, V. 12394 SPIE is an international society advancing an interdisciplinary approach to the science and application of light. Nanoscale Imaging, Sensing, and Actuation for Biomedical Applications XX Dror Fixler Ewa M. Goldys Sebastian Wachsmann-…

This review describes the use of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) to measure residue specific dynamics in proteins with a specific focus on Cu(II)‐based spin labels. First, we outline approaches used to measure protein motion by nitroxide‐based spin labels. Here, we describe conceptual details and outline challenges that limit the use of nitroxide spin labels to solvent‐exposed α‐helical sites. The bulk of this review showcases the use of newly developed Cu(II)‐based protein labels. In this approach, the strategic mutation of native residues on a protein to generate two neighboring Histidine residues (i.e., the dHis motif) is exploited to enable a rigid site‐selective binding of a Cu(II) complex. The chelation of the Cu(II) complex to dHis directly anchors the Cu(II) spin label to the protein backbone. The improvement in rigidity expands both the spin‐labeling toolkit as well as the resolution of many EPR …

PROCEEDINGS OF SPIE Page 1 PROCEEDINGS OF SPIE SPIEDigitalLibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie Front Matter: Volume 12397 , "Front Matter: Volume 12397," Proc. SPIE 12397, Frontiers in Biological Detection: From Nanosensors to Systems XV, 1239701 (2 May 2023); doi: 10.1117/12.2679008 Event: SPIE BiOS, 2023, San Francisco, California, United States Downloaded From: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie on 04 May 2023 Terms of Use: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/terms-of-use Page 2 PROGRESS IN BIOMEDICAL OPTICS AND IMAGING Vol. 24 No. 46 Volume 12397 Proceedings of SPIE, 1605-7422, V. 12397 SPIE is an international society advancing an interdisciplinary approach to the science and application of light. Frontiers in Biological Detection: From Nanosensors to Systems XV Amos Danielli Benjamin L. Miller Sharon M. Weiss Editors 29 …

This review describes the use of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) to measure residue specific dynamics in proteins with a specific focus on Cu(II)‐based spin labels. First, we outline approaches used to measure protein motion by nitroxide‐based spin labels. Here, we describe conceptual details and outline challenges that limit the use of nitroxide spin labels to solvent‐exposed α‐helical sites. The bulk of this review showcases the use of newly developed Cu(II)‐based protein labels. In this approach, the strategic mutation of native residues on a protein to generate two neighboring Histidine residues (i.e., the dHis motif) is exploited to enable a rigid site‐selective binding of a Cu(II) complex. The chelation of the Cu(II) complex to dHis directly anchors the Cu(II) spin label to the protein backbone. The improvement in rigidity expands both the spin‐labeling toolkit as well as the resolution of many EPR …

A hydrothermal method was conducted to synthesize Ni(1−α)Co(α)MoO4 (α = 0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 M) nanorods, which were proven as excellent electrode materials in a hybrid supercapacitor. Their electrochemical properties were also dependent on the Ni/Co ratio as demonstrated by different electrochemical techniques. Ni0.5Co0.5MoO4 (α = 0.5 M) offered specific capacity (Qg) = 354 Cg–1@1 Ag–1, a remarkable specific capacity with a notable retention capacity of 92% after 8000 repeated cycles at 10 Ag–1. Ni0.5Co0.5MoO4 with a high surface area outperformed the mono-metallic (NiMoO4) and bimetallic (Ni0.9Co0.1MoO4 and Ni0.7Co0.3MoO4) nanostructures. The hybrid supercapacitor (Ni0.5Co0.5MoO4//activated carbon) delivered a maximum Qcell of 53 Cg–1 at 1 Ag–1 with an energy density of 16.2 Wh kg–1 and power density of 725 W kg–1.

A distinguishing feature of ultracold collisions of bosonic lithium atoms is the presence of two near-degenerate two-body continua. The influence of such a near-degeneracy on the few-body physics in the vicinity of a narrow Feshbach resonance is investigated within the framework of a minimal model with two atomic continua and one closed molecular channel. The model allows analysis of the spin composition of loosely bound dimers and trimers. In the two-body sector the well-established coupled-channels calculations phenomenology of lithium is qualitatively reproduced, and its particularities are emphasized and clarified. In the three-body sector we find that the Efimov trimer energy levels follow a different functional form as compared to a single continuum scenario while the thresholds remain untouched. This three-channel model with two atomic continua complements our earlier developed three-channel model with two molecular channels [Y. Yudkin and L. Khaykovich, Phys. Rev. A 103, 063303 (2021)] and suggests that the experimentally observed exotic behavior of the first excited Efimov energy level [Y. Yudkin, R. Elbaz and L. Khaykovich, arXiv:2004.02723] is most probably caused by the short-range details of the interaction potential.

Biosensors are analytical devices with a wide range of uses in various fields such as food, military, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnostics. Similarly, polymers and their composites have sparked a lot of interest in biosensing because of their properties, including compatibility with biological molecules, efficient electron transfer during biochemical reactions, bioreagent loading, and biomolecule immobilization. Different nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes, graphenes, gold nanoparticles, etc., have been efficiently integrated into the polymer matrix to improve performance features such as rapid response, high selectivity, improved sensitivity, long-term stability, and lower detection limit. Polymers in combination with nanomaterials provide a three-dimensional matrix that preserves biomolecule activity and provides an excellent platform for immobilization due to their good durability, porosity, selectivity …

Metal transcription factors regulate metal concentrations in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Copper is a metal ion that is being tightly regulated, owing to its dual nature. Whereas copper is an essential nutrient for bacteria, it is also toxic at high concentrations. CopY is a metal-sensitive transcription factor belonging to the copper-responsive repressor family found in Gram-positive bacteria. CopY represses transcription in the presence of Zn(II) ions and initiates transcription in the presence of Cu(I) ions. The complete crystal structure of CopY has not been reported yet, therefore most of the structural information on this protein is based on its similarity to the well-studied MecI protein. In this study, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to characterize structural and local dynamical changes in Streptococcus pneumoniae CopY as a function of Zn(II), Cu(I), and DNA binding. We detected different …

Metal transcription factors regulate metal concentrations in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Copper is a metal ion that is being tightly regulated, owing to its dual nature. Whereas copper is an essential nutrient for bacteria, it is also toxic at high concentrations. CopY is a metal-sensitive transcription factor belonging to the copper-responsive repressor family found in Gram-positive bacteria. CopY represses transcription in the presence of Zn(II) ions and initiates transcription in the presence of Cu(I) ions. The complete crystal structure of CopY has not been reported yet, therefore most of the structural information on this protein is based on its similarity to the well-studied MecI protein. In this study, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to characterize structural and local dynamical changes in Streptococcus pneumoniae CopY as a function of Zn(II), Cu(I), and DNA binding. We detected different …

Efficient and stable electrocatalysts are critically needed for the development of practical overall seawater splitting. The nanocomposite of RuCoBO has been rationally engineered to be an electrocatalyst that fits these criteria. The study has shown that a calcinated RuCoBO-based nanocomposite (Ru2Co1BO-350) exhibits an extremely high catalytic activity for H2 and O2 production in alkaline seawater (overpotentials of 14 mV for H2 evolution and 219 mV for O2 evolution) as well as a record low cell voltage (1.466 V@10 mA cm–2) and long-term stability (230 h @50 mA cm–2 and @100 mA cm–2) for seawater splitting. The results show that surface reconstruction of Ru2Co1BO-350 occurs during hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, which leads to the high activity and stability of the catalyst. The reconstructed surface is highly resistant to Cl– corrosion. The investigation suggests that a new …