In this manuscript, we address the role of the soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein (alpha-SNAP) in synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction of the crayfish opener muscle. Immunochemical methods confirm the presence of alpha-SNAP in these preparations and show that it is concentrated in the synaptic areas. Microinjection and electrophysiological studies show t...

We report on the capillarity-induced snapping of elastic beams. We show that a millimeter-sized water drop gently deposited on a thin buckled polymer strip may trigger an elastocapillary snap-through instability. We investigate experimentally and theoretically the statics and dynamics of this phenomenon and we further demonstrate that snapping can act against gravity, or be induced by soap bubb...

We show that a granular suspension, composed of particles immersed in a liquid, can form pearls, hooks, and arches when deposited from a nozzle onto a translating substrate that acts as a liquid super-absorber. The removal of the liquid induces a rapid pinning of the contact line leading to mechanically stable structures that are held together by capillary adhesion with shapes that depend on th...

SNARE-mediated membrane fusion is a pivotal event for a wide-variety of biological processes. SNAP-25, a neuron-specific SNARE protein, has been well-characterized and mouse embryos lacking Snap25 are viable. However, the phenotype of mice lacking SNAP-23, the ubiquitously expressed SNAP-25 homolog, remains unknown. To reveal the importance of SNAP-23 function in mouse development, we generated...

INTRODUCTION Our objectives were to (a) identify rates of food insecurity among patients seen in a pediatric weight management clinic and (b) test a pilot intervention to address food insecurity in the identified patients. METHODS All new patients seen in the clinic were screened for food insecurity and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit status. Families with food insecu...

Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion attachment proteins (SNAPs) are required for the binding of N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) to Golgi membranes and are, therefore, required for intra-Golgi transport. We report the existence of distinct alpha/beta-SNAP and gamma-SNAP-binding sites in Golgi membranes that appear to be part of the same receptor complex. Cross-linking studi...

The prolonged and localized delivery of nitric oxide (NO), a potent antithrombotic and antimicrobial agent, has many potential biomedical applications. In this work, the origin of the long-term storage stability and sustained NO release mechanism of S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D-penicillamine (SNAP)-doped CarboSil 20 80A polymer, a biomedical thermoplastic silicone-polycarbonate-urethane, is explored. L...

A snap-stabilizing algorithm, regardless of the initial configuration of the system, guarantees that it always behaves according to its specification. We consider here the locally shared memory model. In this model, we propose the first snap-stabilizing Propagation of Information with Feedback (PIF) algorithm for rooted networks of arbitrary connected topology which is proven assuming the distr...

Reverse recovery of a P-i-N power diode at high dI/dt is subject to two detrimental effects, i.e. avalanche injection and snap-off. Both the effects can be reduced by a proper application of lifetime engineering. For this purpose, combined proton and electron irradiation was found to be the method of choice. For exact design of irradiation parameters, the device simulation, taking into account ...

α-SNAP has an essential role in membrane fusion that consists of bridging cis SNARE complexes to NSF. α-SNAP stimulates NSF, which releases itself, α-SNAP, and individual SNAREs that subsequently re-engage in the trans arrays indispensable for fusion. α-SNAP also binds monomeric syntaxin and NSF disengages the α-SNAP/syntaxin dimer. Here, we examine why recombinant α-SNAP blocks secretion in pe...