Self-Adapting Biomass Hydrogel Embodied with miRNA Immunoregulation and Long-Term Bacterial Eradiation for Synergistic Chronic Wound Therapy.

Chronic wound rescue is critical for diabetic patients but is challenging to achieve with a specific and long-term strategy. The prolonged bacterial inflammation is particularly prevalent in hyperglycemia-induced wounds, usually leading to severe tissue damage. Such a trend could further suffer from an environmental suitability provided by macrophages for persisting Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and even deteriorate by their mutual reinforcement. However, the strategy of both suppressing bacteria growth and immunoreprogramming the inflammatory type of macrophages to break their vicious harm to wound healing is still lacking. Here, a self-adapting biomass carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) hydrogel comprising immunomodulatory nanoparticles is reported to achieve Gram-negative/Gram-positive bacteria elimination and anti-inflammatory cytokines induction to ameliorate the cutaneous microenvironment. Mechanistically, antibacterial peptides and CMCs synergistically result in a long-term inhibition against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) over a period of 7 days, and miR-301a reprograms the M2 macrophage via the PTEN/PI3Kγ/mTOR signaling pathway, consequently mitigating inflammation and promoting angiogenesis for diabetic wound healing in rats. In this vein, immunoregulatory hydrogel is a promising all-biomass dressing ensuring biocompatibility, providing a perspective to regenerate cutaneous damaged tissue, and repairing chronic wounds on skin.

Comparison and optimization of different CRISPR/Cas9 donor-adapting systems for gene editing.

Gene knock-in in mammalian cells usually uses homology-directed repair (HDR) mechanism to integrate exogenous DNA template into the target genome site. However, HDR efficiency is often low, and the co-localization of exogenous DNA template and target genome site is one of the key limiting factors. To improve the efficiency of HDR mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 system, our team and previous studies fused different adaptor proteins with SpCas9 protein and expressed them. By using their characteristics of binding to specific DNA sequences, many different CRISPR/SpCas9 donor adapter gene editing systems were constructed. In this study, we used them to knock-in eGFP gene at the 3'-end of the terminal exon of GAPDH and ACTB genes in HEK293T cells to facilitate a comparison and optimization of these systems. We utilized an optimized donor DNA template design method, validated the knock-in accuracy via PCR and Sanger sequencing, and assessed the efficiency using flow cytometry. The results showed that the fusion of yGal4BD, hGal4BD, hLacI, hTHAP11 as well as N57 and other adaptor proteins with the C-terminus of SpCas9 protein had no significant effect on its activity. At the GAPDH site, the donor adapter systems of SpCas9 fused with yGal4BD, hGal4BD, hLacI and hTHAP11 significantly improved the knock-in efficiency. At the ACTB site, SpCas9 fused with yGal4BD and hGal4BD significantly improved the knock-in efficiency. Furthermore, increasing the number of BS in the donor DNA template was beneficial to enhance the knock-in efficiency mediated by SpCas9-hTHAP11 system. In conclusion, this study compares and optimizes multiple CRISPR/Cas9 donor adapter gene editing systems, providing valuable insights for future gene editing applications.

The impact of adapted exercises in basketball on the perception of the difficulty and physical enjoyment of students with overweight.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the adapted basketball cycle on the perceived level of difficulty and physical enjoyment in girls and boys with overweight. Sixty-six students with overweight (aged 16-18 years) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG, n = 32 including 20 boys and 12 girls) and a control group (CG, n = 34; including 21 boys and 13 girls). Statistical analysis also showed that the levels of perceived difficulty decreased significantly after of seven-week of the adapted basketball cycle in both boys (Δ% = - 0.27; p < 0.001; and girls (Δ% = - 0.36; p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in students who participated in the traditional basketball cycle. A physical activity enjoyment Scale revealed that in girls, the level of enjoyment increased significantly (Δ% = + 0.27; P < 0.001) after an adapted basketball cycle. There was no significant change in physical enjoyment in boys EG (P = 0.808) and participants in the control groups. These results push us to opt more for adapted and motivational learning situations to make the teaching-learning process better, in students with overweight.

Vacancy Engineering in 2D Transition Metal Chalcogenide Photocatalyst: Structure Modulation, Function and Synergy Application.

Transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) are widely used in photocatalytic fields such as hydrogen evolution, nitrogen fixation, and pollutant degradation due to their suitable bandgaps, tunable electronic and optical properties, and strong reducing ability. The unique 2D malleability structure provides a pre-designed platform for customizable structures. The introduction of vacancy engineering makes up for the shortcomings of photocorrosion and limited light response and provides the greatest support for TMCs in terms of kinetics and thermodynamics in photocatalysis. This work reviews the effect of vacancy engineering on photocatalytic performance based on 2D semiconductor TMCs. The characteristics of vacancy introduction strategies are summarized, and the development of photocatalysis of vacancy engineering TMCs materials in energy conversion, degradation, and biological applications is reviewed. The contribution of vacancies in the optical range and charge transfer kinetics is also discussed from the perspective of structure manipulation. Vacancy engineering not only controls and optimizes the structure of the TMCs, but also improves the optical properties, charge transfer, and surface properties. The synergies between TMCs vacancy engineering and atomic doping, other vacancies, and heterojunction composite techniques are discussed in detail, followed by a summary of current trends and potential for expansion.

New understandings meet old treatments: putting a contemporary face on established protocols.

In the twenty years since the publication of the most widely used treatment manuals describing evidence-based therapies for eating disorders, there have been some substantial advances in the field. New methods of delivering treatments have been trialled and our perception of mental health has advanced; significant cultural changes have led to shifts in our societal landscape; and new technologies have allowed for more in-depth research to be conducted. As a result, our understanding of eating disorders and their treatment has broadened considerably. However, these new insights have not necessarily been translated into improved clinical practice. This paper highlights the changes we consider to have had the greatest impact on our work as experienced clinical psychologists in the field and suggests a list of new learnings that might be incorporated into clinical practice and research design.

In the field of eating disorders the most commonly used manualised treatments are nearly twenty years old. There has been much progress in the field since then in terms of technologies, understandings and social changes. In this paper, two experienced clinical psychologists describe some of the more recent developments in the field and highlight ways to incorporate the new learnings into clinical practice and research design.

Achieving highly stable sodium metal batteries with self-adapting and high-ionic-mobility ceramic fiber membranes.

Tough issues like sodium (Na) dendrite growth and poor anode reversibility hinder the practical application of sodium metal batteries (SMBs) with moderate liquid electrolytes. To settle these problems, using a smart self-adapting Al2SiO5 ceramic fiber (CF) membrane is demonstrated to enable homogeneous Na depositions and inhibit the dendritic growth. This inorganic membrane itself has superb thermal stability, high ionic mobility (Na+ transference number: 0.65) and electrolyte wettability over traditional glass fiber (GF) or polymeric ones, guaranteeing the low voltage polarization (14 mV) and long-cyclic lifetime (over 600 h) in symmetric cells testing. Notably, aluminous components in CF membranes would interact with F-based molecules in the electrolyte phase, thereby releasing some Al3+ species that can be electrochemically deposited onto the anodic interface. The packed (+)Na3V2(PO4)3|CF|Na(-) full SMBs exhibit far superior cyclic stability (capacity retention over 78.7 % after 600 cycles at 1C) than other counterparts. The in-situ detection/postmortem analysis reveal that Al/F-based inorganics formed in as-built SEI layers play a vital role in Na metal anode protection. This work may provide a viable strategy to overcome the constraints of high-energy SMBs in practical applications.

[A novel CRISPR/Cas9-hLacI donor adapting system for dsDNA-templated gene editing].

During the gene editing process mediated by CRISPR/Cas9, precise genome editing and gene knock-in can be achieved by the homologous recombination of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) donor template. However, the low-efficiency of homologous recombination in eukaryotic cells hampers the development and application of this gene editing strategy. Here, we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9-hLacI donor adapting system (DAS) to enhance the dsDNA-templated gene editing, taking the advantage of the specific binding of the LacI repressor protein and the LacO operator sequence derived for the Escherichia coli lactose operon. The codon-humanized LacI gene was fused as an adaptor to the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) and Staphylococcus lugdunensis Cas9 (SlugCas9-HF) genes, and the LacO operator sequence was used as the aptamer and linked to the dsDNA donor template by PCR. The Cas9 nuclease activity after the fusion and the homology-directed repair (HDR) efficiency of the LacO-linked dsDNA template were firstly examined using surrogate reporter assays with the corresponding reporter vectors. The CRISPR/Cas9-hLacI DASs mediated genome precise editing were further checked, and we achieved a high efficiency up to 30.5% of precise editing at the VEGFA locus in HEK293T cells by using the CRISPR/SlugCas9-hLacI DAS. In summary, we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9-hLacI DAS for dsDNA-templated gene editing, which enriches the CRISPR/Cas9-derived gene editing techniques and provides a novel tool for animal molecular design breeding researches.

Adapting Neutralizing Antibodies to Viral Variants by Structure-Guided Affinity Maturation Using Phage Display Technology.

Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies have achieved great efficacy and safety for the treatment of numerous infectious diseases. However, their neutralization potency is often rapidly lost when the target antigen mutates. Instead of isolating new antibodies each time a pathogen variant arises, it can be attractive to adapt existing antibodies, making them active against the new variant. Potential benefits of this approach include reduced development time, cost, and regulatory burden. Here a methodology is described to rapidly evolve neutralizing antibodies of proven activity, improving their function against new pathogen variants without losing efficacy against previous ones. The reported procedure is based on structure-guided affinity maturation using combinatorial mutagenesis and phage display technology. Its use against the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is demonstrated, but it is suitable for any other pathogen. As proof of concept, the method is applied to CoV-X2, a human bispecific antibody that binds with high affinity to the early SARS-CoV-2 variants but lost neutralization potency against Delta. Antibodies emerging from the affinity maturation selection exhibit significantly improved neutralization potency against Delta and no loss of efficacy against the other viral sequences tested. These results illustrate the potential application of structure-guided affinity maturation in facilitating the rapid adaptation of neutralizing antibodies to pathogen variants.

An Intelligent Water Monitoring IoT System for Ecological Environment and Smart Cities.

Global precipitation is becoming increasingly intense due to the extreme climate. Therefore, creating new technology to manage water resources is crucial. To create a sustainable urban and ecological environment, a water level and water quality control system implementing artificial intelligence is presented in this research. The proposed smart monitoring system consists of four sensors (two different liquid level sensors, a turbidity and pH sensor, and a water oxygen sensor), a control module (an MCU, a motor, a pump, and a drain), and a power and communication system (a solar panel, a battery, and a wireless communication module). The system focuses on low-cost Internet of Things (IoT) devices along with low power consumption and high precision. This proposal collects rainfall from the preceding 10 years in the application region as well as the region's meteorological bureau's weekly weather report and uses artificial intelligence to compute the appropriate water level. More importantly, the adoption of dynamic adjustment systems can reserve and modify water resources in the application region more efficiently. Compared to existing technologies, the measurement approach utilized in this study not only achieves cost savings exceeding 60% but also enhances water level measurement accuracy by over 15% through the successful implementation of water level calibration decisions utilizing multiple distinct sensors. Of greater significance, the dynamic adjustment systems proposed in this research offer the potential for conserving water resources by more than 15% in an effective manner. As a result, the adoption of this technology may efficiently reserve and distribute water resources for smart cities as well as reduce substantial losses caused by anomalous water resources, such as floods, droughts, and ecological concerns.

Exploration of adaptation process and experience among the HIV/AIDS patients based on the comprehensive task-based adaptation model. / 基于综合任务模型探索HIV/AIDSæ‚£è€ çš„ç–¾ç— é€‚åº”è¿‡ç¨‹å’Œä½“éªŒ.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) confront multiple difficulties during the disease adaptation process. Based on the comprehensive task-based adaptation model, this study aims to explore the process and experience of adapting to living with HIV among HIV/AIDS patients and to provide evidence for promoting the adaptation of this population. METHODS: With the design of the phenomenon study, we purposefully recruited 43 HIV/AIDS patients and conducted semi-structural interviews. The qualitative data was analyzed by Van Manen method. RESULTS: There were 1 307 significant quotes and 6 themes with 14 sub-themes. "The shadow comes along with the sunshine" was proposed to describe the process of adapting to life with HIV. Another 5 themes emerged to represent the tasks as follows: the direction of the mental anchor, the management of physical tasks, social network and support, the occupational dilemma and benefits, and the consideration of the future. CONCLUSIONS: The adapting process possesses both common and personalized characteristics. Future intervention development should address the integrality and interaction of the adaptation tasks, contributing to the positive adaptation outcomes of HIV/AIDS patients.

Adapting routines in schools when facing challenging situations: Extending previous theories on routines by considering theories on self-regulated and collectively regulated learning.

Routines play a major role in educational change in schools. But what happens if the routines performed by school staff fail to deal successfully with current challenges? What strategies aid adaptation of the routines in a specific situation? Up to now, there exists no comprehensive concept for understanding why and at what points the adapting of routines in schools in a specific situation takes a favorable or unfavorable direction. To address this gap, we propose extending theories on routines by considering theories on self-regulated and collectively regulated learning. We consider these theories to be a beneficial complement because of their broad theoretical, methodological, and empirical research base. We argue that these theories enhance the understanding of adapting routines to specific challenging situations in schools. We present a newly developed theoretical framework for dealing with specific challenging situations in schools as an interplay between routines and regulation processes. Finally, important research questions regarding the suggested approach are discussed.

Schools at the center of a public health emergency: leveraging schools for pediatric COVID-19 vaccination.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's expansion of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in 2021 to include children presented opportunities and challenges to ensure widespread access. Children, and especially adolescents, were a crucial target population to reduce community positivity rates and support a resumption of in-person academics. Though existing school-based vaccination programs have demonstrated success in improving vaccination rates on an individual school level, best practice strategies for employing mass vaccination programs quickly in response to public health emergencies have yet to be identified. Through established partnerships, School Health Services at Nationwide Children's Hospital led a collaborative effort to employ a rapid, onsite school vaccination strategy across Franklin County for all eligible students. This collaboration resulted in a significant increase in vaccine access carried out through on-site vaccination clinics established in 20 local public and private school districts. Key strategies identified through the process included collaboration with school districts, local hospitals, and the public health department; calibrating program size to each site and number of vaccines needed; and coordination of team member roles. At the same time, experience with the effort also underscored key challenges and opportunities that future programs should consider, especially when operating in public health emergencies. School-based community health approaches targeting adolescents can increase vaccination rates, and can be successfully led by children's health systems in concert with public health departments and schools. At the same time, entities undertaking such efforts must plan in advance to ensure that partnerships can be effectively established with clear protocols for efficient and open communication, which is essential for overcoming barriers in access to healthcare services.

Frequency of adapting events affects face aftereffects but not blur aftereffects.

The dynamics of visual adaptation remain poorly understood. Recent studies have found that the strength of adaptation aftereffects in the perception of numerosity depends more strongly on the number of adaptation events than on the duration of the adaptation. We investigated whether such effects can be observed for other visual attributes. We measured blur (perceived focus-sharp vs blurred adapt) and face (perceived race- Asian vs. White adapt) aftereffects by varying the number of adaptation events (4 or 16) and the duration of each adaptation event (0.25 s or 1 s). We found evidence for an effect of event number on face but not on blur adaptation, though the effect for faces was significant for only one of the two face adapt conditions (Asian). Our results suggest that different perceptual dimensions may vary in how adaptation effects accrue, potentially because of differences in factors such as the sites (early or late) of the sensitivity changes or nature of the stimulus. These differences may impact how and how rapidly the visual system can adjust to different visual properties.

Highly Durable Bidirectional Rotary Triboelectric Nanogenerator with a Self-Lubricating Texture and Self-Adapting Contact Synergy for Wearable Applications.

Sliding-freestanding triboelectric nanogenerators (SF-TENGs) are desirable for application in wearable power sources; however, improving their durability is the primary challenge. Meanwhile, few studies focus on enhancing the service life of tribo-materials, especially from an anti-friction perspective during dry operation. Herein, for the first time, a surface-textured film with self-lubricating property is introduced into the SF-TENG as a tribo-material, which is obtained by the self-assembly of hollow SiO2 microspheres (HSMs) close to a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface under vacuum conditions. The PDMS/HSMs film with micro-bump topography simultaneously reduces the dynamic coefficient of friction from 1.403 to 0.195 and increases the electrical output of SF-TENG by an order of magnitude. Subsequently, a textured film and self-adapting contact synergized bidirectional rotary TENG (TAB-TENG) is developed, and the superiorities of the soft flat rotator with bidirectional reciprocating rotation are systematically investigated. The obtained TAB-TENG exhibits a remarkable output stability and an outstanding mechanical durability over 350 000 cycles. Furthermore, a smart foot system for stepping energy harvesting and wireless walking states monitoring is realized. This study proposes a pioneering strategy for extending the lifetime of SF-TENGs and advances it toward practical wearable applications.

Why do nurses seek employment in forensic mental health and what are their first impressions of the clinical environment? A mixed methods study.

AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate why registered nurses seek forensic mental health employment and explore their initial impressions of this setting. DESIGN: Explanatory sequential mixed methods. METHODS: Registered nurses employed in a forensic mental health hospital completed an online survey about their reasons for seeking work in forensic mental health and their transition into the setting. To fully explore findings, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sub-group of survey respondents. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse survey data, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the interviews. RESULTS: Sixty-nine respondents completed the survey, and 11 interviews were conducted. Prior interest in forensic mental health and encouragement from hospital staff were considered important influences in seeking forensic mental health employment. New knowledge, changes in clinical responsibility, exposure to patients' background offences and security processes overwhelmed some participants initially. However, participants reported that the initial challenges of their transition revealed opportunities to develop genuine connections with patients. CONCLUSION: This study provides a new understanding of the reasons why nurses seek employment in forensic mental health and the challenges and opportunities experienced when first working in this setting. Such professional and personal elements need to be considered by organizations to strengthen recruitment strategies and support future nurses' transition into forensic mental health settings. IMPACT: This study provides new knowledge about recruiting and supporting nurses' transition into forensic mental health employment. As such, it informs policymakers, clinical services and managers about strategies needed to attract and retain this workforce. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No public or patient involvement.

Challenges of being a maternity service leader during the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive analysis of the journey.

BACKGROUND: In Australia, maternity care services provide care for pregnant and postpartum women and their newborns. The COVID-19 pandemic forced these services to quickly adapt and develop policies and procedures for dealing with transmission in health care facilities, as well as work under public health measures to counter its spread within the community. Despite well-documented responses and adaptations by healthcare systems, no studies have examined the experiences of maternity service leaders through the pandemic. This study aimed to explore the experiences of maternity service leaders, to understand their perspectives on what happened in health services and what was required of a leader during the COVID-19 pandemic in one Australian state. METHODS: A longitudinal qualitative study collected data from 11 maternity care leaders during the pandemic in the state of Victoria. Leaders participated in a series of interviews over the 16-month study period, with a total of 57 interviews conducted. An inductive approach to developing codes allowed for semantic coding of the data, then a thematic analysis was conducted to explore patterned meaning across the dataset. RESULTS: One overarching theme, 'challenges of being a maternity service leader during the pandemic', encompassed participant's experiences. Four sub-themes described the experiences of these leaders: (1) needing to be a rapid decision-maker, (2) needing to adapt and alter services, (3) needing to filter and translate information, and (4) the need to support people. At the beginning of the pandemic, the challenges were most acute with slow guideline development, rapid communications from the government and an urgent need to keep patients and staff safe. Over time, with knowledge and experience, leaders were able to quickly adjust and respond to policy change. CONCLUSION: Maternity service leaders played an important role in preparing and adapting services in accordance with government directives and guidelines while also developing strategies tailored to their own health service requirements. These experiences will be invaluable in designing high quality and responsive systems for maternity care in future crises.

Inhibitory effect of sulfur dioxide inhalation on Hering-Breuer inflation reflex in mice: role of voltage-gated potassium channels.

Slowly adapting receptors (SARs), vagal mechanosensitive receptors located in the lung, play an important role in regulating the breathing pattern and Hering-Breuer inflation reflex (HBIR). Inhalation of high concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO2), a common environmental and occupational air pollutant, has been shown to selectively block the SAR activity in rabbits, but the mechanism underlying this inhibitory effect remained a mystery. We carried out this study to determine if inhalation of SO2 can inhibit the HBIR and change the eupneic breathing pattern, and to investigate further a possible involvement of voltage-gated K+ channels in the inhibitory effect of SO2 on these vagal reflex-mediated responses. Our results showed 1) inhalation of SO2 (600 ppm; 8 min) consistently abolished both the phasic activity of SARs and their response to lung inflation in anesthetized, artificially ventilated mice, 2) inhalation of SO2 generated a distinct inhibitory effect on the HBIR and induced slow deep breathing in anesthetized, spontaneously breathing mice, and these effects were reversible and reproducible in the same animals, 3) This inhibitory effect of SO2 was blocked by pretreatment with 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), a nonselective blocker of voltage-gated K+ channel, and unaffected by pretreatment with its vehicle. In conclusion, this study suggests that this inhibitory effect on the baseline breathing pattern and the HBIR response was primarily mediated through the SO2-induced activation of voltage-gated K+ channels located in the vagal bronchopulmonary SAR neurons.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study demonstrated that inhaled sulfur dioxide completely and reversibly abolished the activity of vagal bronchopulmonary slowly adapting receptors, significantly inhibited the apneic response to lung inflation, and induced slow deep breathing in anesthetized mice. More importantly, our results further suggested that this inhibitory effect was mediated through an action of sulfur dioxide and its derivatives on the voltage-gated potassium channels expressed in the slowly adapting receptor sensory neurons innervating the lung.

New Smart Bioactive and Biomimetic Chitosan-Based Hydrogels for Wounds Care Management.

Wound management represents a continuous challenge for health systems worldwide, considering the growing incidence of wound-related comorbidities, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and autoimmune diseases. In this context, hydrogels are considered viable options since they mimic the skin structure and promote autolysis and growth factor synthesis. Unfortunately, hydrogels are associated with several drawbacks, such as low mechanical strength and the potential toxicity of byproducts released after crosslinking reactions. To overcome these aspects, in this study new smart chitosan (CS)-based hydrogels were developed, using oxidized chitosan (oxCS) and hyaluronic acid (oxHA) as nontoxic crosslinkers. Three active product ingredients (APIs) (fusidic acid, allantoin, and coenzyme Q10), with proven biological effects, were considered for inclusion in the 3D polymer matrix. Therefore, six API-CS-oxCS/oxHA hydrogels were obtained. The presence of dynamic imino bonds in the hydrogels' structure, which supports their self-healing and self-adapting properties, was confirmed by spectral methods. The hydrogels were characterized by SEM, swelling degree, pH, and the internal organization of the 3D matrix was studied by rheological behavior. Moreover, the cytotoxicity degree and the antimicrobial effects were also investigated. In conclusion, the developed API-CS-oxCS/oxHA hydrogels have real potential as smart materials in wound management, based on their self-healing and self-adapting properties, as well as on the benefits of APIs.

The experience of nurses moving into forensic mental health employment: A qualitative study.

While forensic mental health has seen considerable growth over the last two decades, little is known about the experience of registered nurses working in these environments. This study used a qualitative descriptive approach and interviewed 11 registered nurses to explore the interpersonal experiences of transition into a forensic mental health hospital. The data revealed three themes. 'Observing what's safe' examined nurses' ability to maintain safety in the context of inconsistent practices among colleagues. 'Navigating cliques and divisions' focused on nurses' sense of belonging and adapting to professional and personal groups. Finally, 'gaining management support' reflected nurses' experiences of engagement with management. This study provides new insight into nurses' experience of adapting to employment in forensic mental health settings and highlights the importance of positive support strategies for workplace transition.

Distribution of proteins for synaptic release in nerve endings associated with the trachealis muscle of rats.

The immunohistochemical localization of proteins for synaptic release was examined in smooth muscle-associated sensory nerve endings using whole-mount preparations of the rat trachea. Plant-like smooth muscle-associated nerve endings with immunoreactivity for Na+-K+-ATPase, α3-subunit were identified in the trachealis muscle. VGLUT1, synapsin1, t-SNARE proteins (SNAP25 and syntaxin1), v-SNARE proteins (VAMP1 and VAMP2), and a presynaptic active zone-related protein (piccolo) were detected in the terminal parts of these endings. These results suggest that smooth muscle-associated nerve endings secrete glutamate to modulate sensorimotor functions in the lung deflation reflex.