RESPONSE: Embracing the Gap Year as a Hospitalist

Multicellular organisms employ a variety of ways for cells to communicate with each other. Gap junctions are specialized proteins that form pores between neighboring cells in animals, connecting the cytoplasm between the two, and allowing for the exchange of molecules and ions. They are found in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species, mediate numerous functions including cell differentiation and development, and are associated with numerous human diseases, including cardiac and...

The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...

Here we present a protocol to express gap junction proteins in Xenopus oocytes and record junctional current between two apposed oocytes using a commercial amplifier designed for dual oocyte voltage-clamp recordings in a high side current measuring...

Understanding service quality gaps enables companies to make targeted improvements to meet customer needs better. The Knowledge Gap arises when a company needs to understand customer expectations due to inadequate research or communication. For example, a store might assume customers prefer a wide selection of products when they value faster service. Companies should actively gather and respond to customer feedback to close this gap.
The Policy Gap occurs when a company's service policies...

Here, we describe the application of three-dimensional fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (3D-FRAP) for the analysis of the gap junction-dependent shuttling of miRNA. In contrast to commonly applied methods, 3D-FRAP allows for the quantification of the intercellular transfer of small RNAs in real time, with high spatio-temporal...

Here, we present a protocol to develop high-performance GaP/Si heterojunction solar cells with a high Si minority-carrier...