Frontiers | How emotional expression in human-like virtual influencers drives user engagement: empathy model and its antecedents

IntroductionThis study builds upon the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and influencer marketing to examine the impact of emotional expressions b...

Frontiers | FastACI: a toolbox for investigating auditory perception using reverse correlation

The fastACI toolbox provides a compilation of tools for collecting and analyzing data from auditory reverse-correlation experiments. These experiments involv...

Bluesky

Cellular functions of spermatogonial stem cells in relation to JAK/STAT signaling pathway

This manuscript comprehensively reviews the interrelationship between spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Spermatogonial stem cells in the testes of male mammals, characterized by their self-renewal and pluripotential differentiation capabilities, are essential for tissue regeneration, immunomodulation, and advancements in regenerative medicine. This review delves into the historical background and biological characteristics of SSCs, with a particular emphasis on the pivotal role of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in their proliferation, maturation, and differentiation processes. Research indicates that the JAK/STAT pathway extensively influences various functionalities of spermatogonial stem cells, encompassing immunomodulation, tissue differentiation, homing, and adaptation to the microenvironment. Herein, we collate and dissect related studies, shedding light on the intricate dynamics between SSCs and the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, and examine the implications of these interactions on the biological attributes and functionalities of SSCs. Furthermore, the review discusses the profound implications of these findings for preclinical research and the domain of cellular engineering. It is acknowledged that, despite advancements in the research of SSCs and the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, investigations in humans and larger mammals remain inadequate, necessitating more in-depth exploration to establish a comprehensive theoretical framework. Ov...

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Open access publisher of peer-reviewed scientific articles across the entire spectrum of academia. Research network for academics to stay up-to-date with the latest scientific publications, events, blogs and news.

Separation of Heterotrophic Microalgae Crypthecodinium cohnii by Dielectrophoresis

Microalgae constitute an abundant source of poly-unsaturated fatty acids which are applied in various biotechnological fields such as pharmaceuticals and food supplement. Separating microalgae cells with respect to their lipid content would establish a relevant at-line analytical technique. The present study demonstrates an electrical approach for the separation of the lipid-producing microalgae Crypthecodinium cohnii using the effect of dielectrophoresis (DEP) in a microfluidic flow cell. Microalgae were cultivated for 8 days, while cell growth was characterized by optical density, dry cell weight, glucose concentration and lipid content via fluorescence microscopy. The size distribution of cells during cultivation was thoroughly investigated, since the DEP force scales with cell volume, but also depends on lipid content via cell electrophysiological constants. Thus, the challenge was to deconvolute one separation effect from the other, while the electrical cell constants of C. cohnii are not known yet. The DEP-dependent separation was realized by slanted top-bottom electrodes with the flowing cell suspension between them. Turning on the voltage deflected the cells from their initial path as determined by the streaming and thus changed their direction of flow. The separation efficiency of DEP was tested for various electrical field strengths and its performance was determined by quantitative analysis of optical and fluorescence videos. It could be shown for all size group...