Effect of compound treatments on mouse lens viscoelasticity.

Previous studies have shown that pharmaceutical agents such as lipoic acid have the ability to soften the lens, presenting a promising avenue for treating presbyopia. One obstacle encountered in the preclinical stage of such agents is the need for precise measurements of lens elasticity in experimental models. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of 25-hydroxycholesterol, lipoic acid, and obeticholic acid on the viscoelastic properties of mouse lenses using a custom-built elastometer system. Data were acquired on lenses from C57BL/6J female mice from two age groups: young (age: 8-10 weeks) and old (age: 32-43 weeks). OD lenses were used as the control and OS lenses were treated. Control lenses were immersed in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) and treatment lenses were immersed in a compound solution containing 25-hydroxycholesterol (5 young and 5 old), lipoic acid at 2.35 mM (5 young and 5 old), lipoic acid at 0.66 mM (5 old), or obeticholic acid (5 old) at 37 °C for 18 h. After treatment, the mouse lenses were placed in a DMEM-filled chamber within a custom-built elastometer system that recorded the load and lens shape as the lens was compressed by 600 µm at a speed of 50 µm/s. The load was continuously recorded during compression and during stress-relaxation. The compression phase was fit with a linear function to quantify lens stiffness. The stress-relaxation phase was fit with a 3-term exponential relaxation model providing relaxation time constants (t1, t2, t3), and equilibrium load. The lens stiffness, time constants and equilibrium load were compared for the control and treated groups. Results revealed an increase in stiffness with age for the control group (young: 1.16 ± 0.11 g/mm, old: 1.29 ± 0.14 g/mm) and relaxation time constants decreased with age (young: t1 = 221.9 ± 29.0 s, t2 = 24.7 ± 3.8 s, t3 = 3.12 ± 0.87 s, old: t1 = 183.0 ± 22.0 s, t2 = 20.6 ± 2.6 s and t3 = 2.24 ± 0.43 s). Among the compounds tested, only 25-hydroxycholesterol produced statistically significant changes in the lens stiffness, relaxation time constants, and equilibrium load. In conclusion, older mouse lenses are stiffer and less viscous than young mouse lenses. Notably, no significant change in lens stiffness was observed following treatment with lipoic acid, contrary to previous findings.

Decreased Anogenital Gonorrhea and Chlamydia in Transgender and Gender Diverse Primary Care Patients Receiving Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults in the U.S. experience health disparities, including in anogenital sexually transmitted infections (STI). Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is known to be medically necessary and improve health. Few studies have assessed the effect of GAHT on STI diagnoses. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of GAHT delivered in primary care as an intervention to improve STI outcomes for TGD adults. DESIGN: LEGACY is a longitudinal, multisite cohort study of adult TGD primary care patients from two federally qualified community health centers in Boston, MA, and New York, NY. PARTICIPANTS: Electronic health record data for eligible adult TGD patients contributed to the LEGACY research data warehouse (RDW). A total of 6330 LEGACY RDW patients were followed from 2016 to 2019, with 2555 patients providing STI testing data. MAIN MEASURES: GAHT exposure was being prescribed hormones, and the clinical outcome was anogenital gonorrhea or chlamydia diagnoses. Log-Poisson generalized estimating equations assessed the effect of prescription GAHT on primary outcomes, adjusting for age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, poverty level, health insurance, clinical site, and cohort years. KEY RESULTS: The median age was 28 years (IQR = 13); the racial breakdown was 20.4% Black, 8.1% Multiracial, 6.9% Asian/Pacific Islander, 1.8% Other; 62.8% White; 21.3% Hispanic/Latinx; 47.0% were assigned female at birth, and 16.0% identified as nonbinary. 86.3% were prescribed hormones. Among those tested, the percentage of patients with a positive anogenital STI diagnosis ranged annually from 10.0 to 12.5% between 2016 and 2019. GAHT prescription was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of anogenital STI diagnosis (aRR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.59-0.96) over follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: GAHT delivered in primary care was associated with less STI morbidity in this TGD cohort over follow-up. Patients may benefit from individualized and tailored clinical care alongside GAHT to optimize STI outcomes.

Cognate RNA-Binding Modes by the Alternative-Splicing Regulator MBNL1 Inferred from Molecular Dynamics.

The muscleblind-like protein family (MBNL) plays a prominent role in the regulation of alternative splicing. Consequently, the loss of MBNL function resulting from sequestration by RNA hairpins triggers the development of a neuromuscular disease called myotonic dystrophy (DM). Despite the sequence and structural similarities between the four zinc-finger domains that form MBNL1, recent studies have revealed that the four binding domains have differentiated splicing activity. The dynamic behaviors of MBNL1 ZnFs were simulated using conventional molecular dynamics (cMD) and steered molecular dynamics (sMD) simulations of a structural model of MBNL1 protein to provide insights into the binding selectivity of the four zinc-finger (ZnF) domains toward the GpC steps in YGCY RNA sequence. In accordance with previous studies, our results suggest that both global and local residue fluctuations on each domain have great impacts on triggering alternative splicing, indicating that local motions in RNA-binding domains could modulate their affinity and specificity. In addition, all four ZnF domains provide a distinct RNA-binding environment in terms of structural sampling and mobility that may be involved in the differentiated MBNL1 splicing events reported in the literature.

Biochemical and Genomic Characterization of the Cypermethrin-Degrading and Biosurfactant-Producing Bacterial Strains Isolated from Marine Sediments of the Chilean Northern Patagonia.

Pesticides cause severe environmental damage to marine ecosystems. In the last ten years, cypermethrin has been extensively used as an antiparasitic pesticide in the salmon farming industry located in Northern Patagonia. The objective of this study was the biochemical and genomic characterization of cypermethrin-degrading and biosurfactant-producing bacterial strains isolated from cypermethrin-contaminated marine sediment samples collected in southern Chile (MS). Eleven strains were isolated by cypermethrin enrichment culture techniques and were identified by 16S rDNA gene sequencing analyses. The highest growth rate on cypermethrin was observed in four isolates (MS13, MS15a, MS16, and MS19) that also exhibited high levels of biosurfactant production. Genome sequence analyses of these isolates revealed the presence of genes encoding components of bacterial secondary metabolism, and the enzymes esterase, pyrethroid hydrolase, and laccase, which have been associated with different biodegradation pathways of cypermethrin. These novel cypermethrin-degrading and biosurfactant-producing bacterial isolates have a biotechnological potential for biodegradation of cypermethrin-contaminated marine sediments, and their genomes contribute to the understanding of microbial lifestyles in these extreme environments.

Electrocorticography reveals the temporal dynamics of posterior parietal cortical activity during recognition memory decisions.

Theories of the neurobiology of episodic memory predominantly focus on the contributions of medial temporal lobe structures, based on extensive lesion, electrophysiological, and imaging evidence. Against this backdrop, functional neuroimaging data have unexpectedly implicated left posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in episodic retrieval, revealing distinct activation patterns in PPC subregions as humans make memory-related decisions. To date, theorizing about the functional contributions of PPC has been hampered by the absence of information about the temporal dynamics of PPC activity as retrieval unfolds. Here, we leveraged electrocorticography to examine the temporal profile of high gamma power (HGP) in dorsal PPC subregions as participants made old/new recognition memory decisions. A double dissociation in memory-related HGP was observed, with activity in left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and left superior parietal lobule (SPL) differing in time and sign for recognized old items (Hits) and correctly rejected novel items (CRs). Specifically, HGP in left IPS increased for Hits 300-700 ms poststimulus onset, and decayed to baseline ∼200 ms preresponse. By contrast, HGP in left SPL increased for CRs early after stimulus onset (200-300 ms) and late in the memory decision (from 700 ms to response). These memory-related effects were unique to left PPC, as they were not observed in right PPC. Finally, memory-related HGP in left IPS and SPL was sufficiently reliable to enable brain-based decoding of the participant's memory state at the single-trial level, using multivariate pattern classification. Collectively, these data provide insights into left PPC temporal dynamics as humans make recognition memory decisions.

Standards of Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse People.

This article summarizes the recent update of guidelines on health care for transgender and gender diverse people, including primary care, gender-affirming care, mental health care, and education of the clinical workforce.

GLP-1 response to sequential mixed meals: influence of insulin resistance.

Previous work has shown that potentiation of insulin release is impaired in non-diabetic insulin resistance; we tested the hypothesis that this defect may be related to altered glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) release. On consecutive days, 82 non-diabetic individuals, classified as insulin sensitive (IS, n=41) or insulin resistant (IR, n=41) by the euglycaemic clamp, were given two sequential mixed meals with standard (75 g, LCD) or double (150 g, HCD) carbohydrate content. Plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and GLP-1 concentrations were measured; ß-cell function (glucose sensitivity and potentiation) was resolved by mathematical modelling. Fasting GLP-1 levels were higher in IR than IS (by 15%, P=0.006), and reciprocally related to insulin sensitivity after adjustment for sex, age, fat mass, fasting glucose or insulin concentrations. Mean postprandial GLP-1 responses were tightly correlated with fasting GLP-1, were higher for the second than the first meal, and higher in IR than IS subjects but only with LCD. In contrast, incremental GLP-1 responses were higher during (i) the second than the first meal, (ii) on HCD than LCD, and (iii) significantly smaller in IR than IS independently of meal and load. Potentiation of insulin release was markedly reduced in IR vs IS across meal and carbohydrate loading. In the whole dataset, incremental GLP-1 was directly related to potentiation, and both were inversely related to mean NEFA concentrations. We conclude that (a) raised GLP-1 tone may be inherently linked with a reduced GLP-1 response and (b) defective post-meal GLP-1 response may be one mechanism for impaired potentiation of insulin release in insulin resistance.

Metabolic fuel kinetics in fish: swimming, hypoxia and muscle membranes.

Muscle performance depends on the supply of metabolic fuels and disposal of end-products. Using circulating metabolite concentrations to infer changes in fluxes is highly unreliable because the relationship between these parameters varies greatly with physiological state. Quantifying fuel kinetics directly is therefore crucial to the understanding of muscle metabolism. This review focuses on how carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids are provided to fish muscles during hypoxia and swimming. Both stresses force white muscle to produce lactate at higher rates than it can be processed by aerobic tissues. However, lactate accumulation is minimized because disposal is also strongly stimulated. Exogenous supply shows that trout have a much higher capacity to metabolize lactate than observed during hypoxia or intense swimming. The low density of monocarboxylate transporters and their lack of upregulation with exercise explain the phenomenon of white muscle lactate retention. This tissue operates as a quasi-closed system, where glycogen stores act as an 'energy spring' that alternates between explosive power release during swimming and slow recoil from lactate in situ during recovery. To cope with exogenous glucose, trout can completely suppress hepatic production and boost glucose disposal. Without these responses, glycemia would increase four times faster and reach dangerous levels. The capacity of salmonids for glucoregulation is therefore much better than presently described in the literature. Instead of albumin-bound fatty acids, fish use lipoproteins to shuttle energy from adipose tissue to working muscles during prolonged exercise. Proteins may play an important role in fueling muscle work in fish, but their exact contribution is yet to be established. The membrane pacemaker theory of metabolism accurately predicts general properties of muscle membranes such as unsaturation, but it does not explain allometric patterns of specific fatty acids. Investigations of metabolic fuel kinetics carried out in fish to date have demonstrated that these ectotherms use several unique strategies to orchestrate energy supply to working muscles and to survive hypoxia.

Development of pharmacophore models for small molecules targeting RNA: Application to the RNA repeat expansion in myotonic dystrophy type 1.

RNA is an important drug target, but current approaches to identify bioactive small molecules have been engineered primarily for protein targets. Moreover, the identification of small molecules that bind a specific RNA target with sufficient potency remains a challenge. Computer-aided drug design (CADD) and, in particular, ligand-based drug design provide a myriad of tools to identify rapidly new chemical entities for modulating a target based on previous knowledge of active compounds without relying on a ligand complex. Herein we describe pharmacophore virtual screening based on previously reported active molecules that target the toxic RNA that causes myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). DM1-associated defects are caused by sequestration of muscleblind-like 1 protein (MBNL1), an alternative splicing regulator, by expanded CUG repeats (r(CUG)exp). Several small molecules have been found to disrupt the MBNL1-r(CUG)exp complex, ameliorating DM1 defects. Our pharmacophore model identified a number of potential lead compounds from which we selected 11 compounds to evaluate. Of the 11 compounds, several improved DM1 defects both in vitro and in cells.

Crystallographic and Computational Analyses of AUUCU Repeating RNA That Causes Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 10 (SCA10).

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 (SCA10) is caused by a pentanucleotide repeat expansion of r(AUUCU) within intron 9 of the ATXN10 pre-mRNA. The RNA causes disease by a gain-of-function mechanism in which it inactivates proteins involved in RNA biogenesis. Spectroscopic studies showed that r(AUUCU) repeats form a hairpin structure; however, there were no high-resolution structural models prior to this work. Herein, we report the first crystal structure of model r(AUUCU) repeats refined to 2.8 Å and analysis of the structure via molecular dynamics simulations. The r(AUUCU) tracts adopt an overall A-form geometry in which 3 × 3 nucleotide (5')UCU(3')/(3')UCU(5') internal loops are closed by AU pairs. Helical parameters of the refined structure as well as the corresponding electron density map on the crystallographic model reflect dynamic features of the internal loop. The computational analyses captured dynamic motion of the loop closing pairs, which can form single-stranded conformations with relatively low energies. Overall, the results presented here suggest the possibility for r(AUUCU) repeats to form metastable A-from structures, which can rearrange into single-stranded conformations and attract proteins such as heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K). The information presented here may aid in the rational design of therapeutics targeting this RNA.

Membranes as a possible pacemaker of metabolism in cypriniform fish: does phylogeny matter?

The 'membrane pacemaker theory of metabolism' proposes that membranes set metabolic rate by modulating protein activity, and thus purports to explain membrane fatty acid allometry. This relationship has never been tested across species in ectotherms. After accounting for phylogeny, recent analyses have failed to support this theory based on correlations between muscle membrane composition and body mass across mammals. Therefore, the goal of this study was to seek phylogenetically corrected correlations between membrane composition, body mass and calcium-ATPase activity, using 12 species of closely related cypriniform fish (4-5500 g) covering a much narrower genetic scale than in previous tests. The results show that fish membrane unsaturation decreases with mass, but through different mechanisms from those in endotherms: 16:0 replacing 22:6 in muscle and 18:0 replacing 16:1, 18:1 and 18:2 in liver. This shows that allometric patterns differ between endotherms and ectotherms as well as between tissues. After accounting for phylogeny, however, almost all these relationships lose significance except for overall unsaturation. No relationship between calcium-ATPase activity and mass or phospholipid composition was detected. This study shows that membrane unsaturation of cypriniforms decreases with mass, but that genetic cues unrelated to size account for differences in the relative abundance of individual fatty acids. The membrane pacemaker concept accurately predicts general membrane properties such as unsaturation, but fails to explain finer scale allometric patterns. Future examinations of the membrane pacemaker hypothesis will have to take into account that allometric patterns vary between endotherms and ectotherms and between tissues of the same animal class.

The ABCs of Trait Anger, Psychological Distress, and Disease Severity in HIV.

BACKGROUND: Trait anger consists of affective, behavioral, and cognitive (ABC) dimensions and may increase vulnerability for interpersonal conflict, diminished social support, and greater psychological distress. The concurrent influence of anger and psychosocial dysfunction on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disease severity is unknown. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine plausible psychosocial avenues (e.g., coping, social support, psychological distress), whereby trait anger may indirectly influence HIV disease status. METHODS: Three hundred seventy-seven HIV seropositive adults, aged 18-55 years (58% AIDS-defined), completed a battery of psychosocial surveys and provided a fasting blood sample for HIV-1 viral load and T lymphocyte count assay. RESULTS: A second-order factor model confirmed higher levels of the multidimensional anger trait, which was directly associated with elevated psychological distress and avoidant coping (p<.001) and indirectly associated with greater HIV disease severity (p<.01) (comparative fit index (CFI)=0.90, root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.06, standardized root-mean-square residual (SRMR)=0.06). CONCLUSION: The model supports a role for the ABC components of anger, which may negatively influence immune function through various psychosocial mechanisms; however, longitudinal study is needed to elucidate these effects.

Comprehensive transgender healthcare: the gender affirming clinical and public health model of Fenway Health.

This report describes the evolution of a Boston community health center's multidisciplinary model of transgender healthcare, research, education, and dissemination of best practices. This process began with the development of a community-based approach to care that has been refined over almost 20 years where transgender patients have received tailored services through the Transgender Health Program. The program began as a response to unmet clinical needs and has grown through recognition that our local culturally responsive approach that links clinical care with biobehavioral and health services research, education, training, and advocacy promotes social justice and health equity for transgender people. Fenway Health's holistic public health efforts recognize the key role of gender affirmation in the care and well-being of transgender people worldwide.

Importance of Probiotics in Fish Aquaculture: Towards the Identification and Design of Novel Probiotics.

Aquaculture is a growing industry worldwide, but it faces challenges related to animal health. These challenges include infections by parasites, bacteria, and viral pathogens. These harmful pathogens have devastating effects on the industry, despite efforts to control them through vaccination and antimicrobial treatments. Unfortunately, these measures have proven insufficient to address the sanitary problems, resulting in greater environmental impact due to the excessive use of antimicrobials. In recent years, probiotics have emerged as a promising solution to enhance the performance of the immune system against parasitic, bacterial, and viral pathogens in various species, including mammals, birds, and fish. Some probiotics have been genetically engineered to express and deliver immunomodulatory molecules. These promote selective therapeutic effects and specific immunization against specific pathogens. This review aims to summarize recent research on the use of probiotics in fish aquaculture, with a particular emphasis on genetically modified probiotics. In particular, we focus on the advantages of using these microorganisms and highlight the main barriers hindering their widespread application in the aquaculture industry.

Partial repair causes permanent defects in papillary structure and function after reversal of urinary obstruction.

Urinary obstruction causes injury to the renal papilla and leads to defects in the ability to concentrate urine which predisposes to progressive kidney injury. However, the regenerative capacity of the papilla after reversal of obstruction is poorly understood. To address this, we developed a mouse model of reversible urinary obstruction which is characterized by extensive papillary injury, followed by a robust regeneration response and complete histological recovery over a 3- month period. However, these mice have a pronounced defect in urinary concentrating capacity. We now show that this is due to permanent changes in the composition, organization, and transcriptional signatures of epithelial, endothelial, and interstitial cell lineages in the papilla. There are persistent inflammatory responses that are also seen in patients with renal stone disease but are associated with cell-specific adaptive responses to the increasingly hypoxic environment of the papilla after reversal of obstruction. Taken together, our analysis of a new model of reversible urinary obstruction reveals that partial repair leads to permanent changes in the structure and function of all of the major cellular compartments in the papilla that include both shared and distinct responses to different types of renal papillary injury in humans and mice. Summary: Partial repair after reversal of urinary obstruction leads to permanent changes in structure and function of all major cellular compartments in the renal papilla.

Enhancing Rose Bengal penetration in ex vivo human corneas using iontophoresis.

Aim: Rose Bengal photodynamic antimicrobial therapy (RB-PDAT) has poor corneal penetration, limiting its efficacy against acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). Iontophoresis enhances corneal permeation of charged molecules, piquing interest in its effects on RB in ex vivo human corneas.Methods: Five donor whole globes each underwent iontophoresis with RB, soaking in RB, or were soaked in normal saline (controls). RB penetration and corneal thickness was assessed using confocal microscopy.Results: Iontophoresis increased RB penetration compared with soaking (177 ± 9.5 µm vs. 100 ± 5.7 µm, p < 0.001), with no significant differences in corneal thickness between groups (460 ± 87 µm vs. 407 ± 69 µm, p = 0.432).Conclusion: Iontophoresis significantly improves RB penetration and its use in PDAT could offer a novel therapy for acanthamoeba keratitis. Further studies are needed to validate clinical efficacy.

The study aimed to improve a new treatment for eye infections known as photodynamic antimicrobial therapy. It investigated whether the use of electricity through a technique called iontophoresis could help a chemical called Rose Bengal go deeper into the eye in order to target more severe infections. The iontophoresis machine was custom built, with patient-contacting components 3D printed. The experiments were performed using donated human eye tissue and found that iontophoresis significantly improved the penetration depth of Rose Bengal as compared with the current technique of only soaking the eye in Rose Bengal.

Using Plantain Rachis Fibers and Mopa-Mopa Resin to Develop a Fully Biobased Composite Material.

A completely biobased composite material was developed using a matrix of natural resin extracted from the Elaegia pastoensis Mora plant, commonly known as Mopa-Mopa or "Barniz de Pasto", reinforced with fibers extracted from plantain rachis agricultural residues. A solvent process, involving grinding, distillation, filtration, and drying stages, was implemented to extract the resin from the plant bud. To obtain the resin from the plant bud, the vegetable material was ground and then dissolved in a water-alcohol blend, followed by distillation, filtration, and grinding until the powdered resin was ready for use in the preparation of the biocomposite. Likewise, using mechanical techniques, the plantain rachis fibers were extracted and worked in their native condition and with a previous alkalinization surface treatment. Finally, the biocomposite material was developed with and without incorporating stearic acid, which was included to reduce the material's moisture absorption. Ultimately stearic acid was used as an additive to reduce biocomposite moisture absorption. The tensile mechanical results showed that the Mopa-Mopa resin reached a maximum strength of 20 MPa, which decreased with the incorporation of the additive to 12 MPa, indicating its plasticization effect. Likewise, slight decreases in moisture absorption were also evidenced with the incorporation of stearic acid. With the inclusion of rachis plantain fibers in their native state, a reduction in the tensile mechanical properties was found, proportional to the amount added. On the other hand, with the alkalinization treatment of the fibers, the behavior was the opposite, evidencing increases in tensile strength, indicating that the fiber modification improved the interfacial adhesion with the Mopa-Mopa matrix. On the other hand, the evaluation of the moisture absorption of the biocomposite material evidenced, as expected, that the absorption level was favored by the relative humidity used in the conditioning (47, 77, and 97%), which also had an impact on the decrease of the mechanical tensile properties, being this was slightly counteracted by the inclusion of stearic acid in the formulation of the material.

Characterization of Antibiotic-Resistance Antarctic Pseudomonas That Produce Bacteriocin-like Compounds.

In this study, bacterial isolates C1-4-7, D2-4-6, and M1-4-11 from Antarctic soil were phenotypically and genotypically characterized, and their antibacterial spectrum and that of cell-free culture supernatant were investigated. Finally, the effect of temperature and culture medium on the production of antimicrobial compounds was investigated. The three bacteria were identified as different strains of the genus Pseudomonas. The three bacteria were multi-drug resistant to antibiotics. They exhibited different patterns of growth inhibition of pathogenic bacteria. M1-4-11 was remarkable for inhibiting the entire set of pathogenic bacteria tested. All three bacteria demonstrated optimal production of antimicrobial compounds at 15 °C and 18 °C. Among the culture media studied, Nutrient broth would be the most suitable to promote the production of antimicrobial compounds. The thermostability exhibited by the antimicrobial molecules secreted, their size of less than 10 kDa, and their protein nature would indicate that these molecules are bacteriocin-like compounds.

Ultrasonic Healing of Plastrons.

Superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) exhibit a pronounced ability to resist wetting. When immersed in water, water does not penetrate between the microstructures of the SHS. Instead, a thin layer of trapped gas remains, i.e., plastron. This fractional wetting is also known as the Cassie-Baxter state (CB). Impairment of superhydrophobicity occurs when water penetrates the plastron and, when complete wetting is achieved, a Wenzel state (W) results. Subsequent recovery back to CB state is one of the main challenges in the field of SHS wetting. Current methods for plastron recovery require complex mechanical or chemical integration, are time-consuming or lack spatial control. Here an on-demand, contact-less approach for performing facile transitions between these wetting states at micrometer length scales is proposed. This is achieved by the use of acoustic radiation force (ARF) produced by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Switching from CB to W state takes <100 µs, while the local recovery back to CB state takes <45 s. To the best of authors knowledge, this is the first demonstration of ARF-induced manipulation of the plastron enabling facile two-way controlled switching of wetting states.

AHL signaling molecules with a large acyl chain enhance biofilm formation on sulfur and metal sulfides by the bioleaching bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.

Biofilm formation plays a pivotal role in bioleaching activities of bacteria in both industrial and natural environments. Here, by visualizing attached bacterial cells on energetic substrates with different microscopy techniques, we obtained the first direct evidence that it is possible to positively modulate biofilm formation of the extremophilic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans on sulfur and pyrite surfaces by using Quorum Sensing molecules of the N-acylhomoserine lactone type (AHLs). Our results revealed that AHL-signaling molecules with a long acyl chain (12 or 14 carbons) increased the adhesion of A. ferrooxidans cells to these substrates. In addition, Card-Fish experiments demonstrated that C14-AHL improved the adhesion of indigenous A. ferrooxidans cells from a mixed bioleaching community to pyrite. Finally, we demonstrated that this improvement of cell adhesion is correlated with an increased production of extracellular polymeric substances. Our results open up a promising means to develop new strategies for the improvement of bioleaching efficiency and metal recovery, which could also be used to control environmental damage caused by acid mine/rock drainage.