Single ryanodine receptor channel basis of caffeine's action on Ca2+ sparks

Caffeine (1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthine) is a widely used pharmacological agonist of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) Ca(2+) release channel. It is also a well-known stimulant that can produce adverse side effects, including arrhythmias. Here, the action of caffeine on single RyR2 channels in bilayers and Ca(2+) sparks in permeabilized ventricular cardiomyocytes is defined. Single RyR2 caffeine activation depended on the free Ca(2+) level on both sides of the channel. Cytosolic Ca(2+) enhanced RyR2 caffeine affinity, whereas luminal Ca(2+) essentially scaled maximal caffeine activation. Caffeine activated single RyR2 channels in diastolic quasi-cell-like solutions (cytosolic MgATP, pCa 7) with an EC(50) of 9.0 ± 0.4 mM. Low-dose caffeine (0.15 mM) increased Ca(2+) spark frequency ～75% and single RyR2 opening frequency ～150%. This implies that not all spontaneous RyR2 openings during diastole are associated with Ca(2+) sparks. Assuming that only the longest openings evoke sparks, our data suggest that a spark may result only when a spontaneous single RyR2 opening lasts >6 ms.     

The Role of Functional Amyloids in Bacterial Virulence

Amyloid fibrils are best known as a product of human and animal protein misfolding disorders, where amyloid formation is associated with cytotoxicity and disease. It is now evident that for some proteins, the amyloid state constitutes the native structure and serves a functional role. These functional amyloids are proving widespread in bacteria and fungi, fulfilling diverse functions as structural components in biofilms or spore coats, as toxins and surface-active fibers, as epigenetic material, peptide reservoirs or adhesins mediating binding to and internalization into host cells. In this review, we will focus on the role of functional amyloids in bacterial pathogenesis. The role of functional amyloids as virulence factor is diverse but mostly indirect. Nevertheless, functional amyloid pathways deserve consideration for the acute and long-term effects of the infectious disease process and may form valid antimicrobial targets.     

Immunoassay identification ofAspergillus flavus using monoclonal antibodies raised to the whole cell extracts

Five separate monoclonal antibodies were produced against whole cell extracts ofAspergillus flavus and ELISA procedures used to characterise the reactivity of the antibodies to various fungal extracts. All five antibodies were specific to the aflatoxin producing fungi,A, flavus andA. parasiticus, and indicated no cross reactivity with otherAspergillus species, genera of several fungi or with other components which may be found in food samples whereA. flavus may be found.     

Sociocultural aspects of disorders of sex development

Disorders of sex development (DSD) is a congenital condition in which the development of chromosomes, gonads, hormones, and reproductive structures are atypical. DSD brings with it a psychological impact on the affected individual and their families. The consensus statement on management of DSD strongly advised an integrated and multidisciplinary approach in providing care to the affected individuals. Studies have been conducted focusing on medical intervention, and more recently, there is increasing attention paid to psychological aspects of DSD. However, studies reporting cultural aspects of DSD are lacking. This review provides an overview on how culture impacts the affected individuals in coping with DSD and making decisions with regard to gender assignment or reassignment, help‐seeking behavior for medical treatments, attitudes toward medical treatment, religious beliefs, and values concerning marriage and fertility. The involvement of social scientists is needed to study sociocultural aspects of DSD from more diverse cultures, to help affected individuals and their families in gaining better social acceptance. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 108:380–383, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Governing the Interplay between Industrial Ecosystems and Environmental Regulation

Many scholars of industrial ecology have focused on the institutional and organizational challenges of building and maintaining regional industrial symbiosis through the synergistic integration of material and energy flows. Despite the promise that these intellectual developments hold for the future dematerialization of industrial production, they rarely address the actual regulatory obstacles of turning wastes into raw materials. In this article we introduce a potential future industrial symbiosis around the Gulf of Bothnia between Finland and Sweden, and assess the regulatory bottlenecks related to waste by‐product consideration. We find that although the Gulf of Bothnia region has technological and economic potential for industrial symbiosis, the regulatory support for this is insufficient. We suggest a common pool resource‐based governance system that could utilize market and regulatory mechanisms in a regional‐level cross‐border system of governance. Importantly, the suggested governance system would protect the users of potential raw materials from unpredictable waste regulation, market risks related to large‐scale material flows, and societal risks of hazardous waste treatment.     

Lecanicillium and Verticillium species from Indonesia and Japan including three new species

Forty-six Lecanicillium strains and one Verticillium strain were isolated from subterranean and epiphytic arthropods, soil, and other sources collected in Indonesia and Japan. These strains were identified as nine Lecanicillium and one Verticillium species including six undescribed species based on light microscopy and the sequences of the ITS-1 and ITS-2 regions including 5.8S ribosomal DNA. Four of the ten species (L. araneicola, L. kalimantanense, Lecanicillium sp. 4, and V. indonesiacum) were recovered from Indonesia, five of the ten (L. attenuatum, L. fusisporum, L. psalliotae, Lecanicillium sp. 1, and Lecanicillium sp. 3) were from Japan, and L. saksenae was from both countries. In this article, new species (L. araneicola, L. kalimantanense, and V. indonesiacum) and a new combination (L. saksenae) are proposed from the fungi isolated from epiphytic and subterranean arthropods collected in East Kalimantan.     

A mathematical model of cancer treatment by immunotherapy

In this paper, a detailed mathematical study of cancer immunotherapy will be presented. General principles of cancer immunotherapy and the model equations and hypotheses will be discussed. Mathematical analyses of the model equations with regard to dissipativity, boundedness of solutions, invariance of non-negativity, nature of equilibria, persistence, extinction and global stability will be analyzed. It will also be shown that bifurcations can occur, and criteria for total cure will also be derived.     

Surimi wash water treatment for protein recovery: effect of chitosan-alginate complex concentration and treatment time on protein adsorption

Chitosan (Chi), a protein recovery agent for the treatment of aqueous food processing streams, appears to work by mechanical entrapment and electrostatic interaction of chitosan amino groups with anionic groups on proteins. Chitosan effectiveness for recovering soluble proteins from surimi wash water (SWW) is increased by complexation with alginate (Alg) and by adjusting complex concentration and treatment time. Flocculation at 20 degrees C with Chi-Alg at a 0.2 mixing ratio added as 20, 40, 100 and 150 mg/L SWW was aided by 5 min agitation at 130 rpm and then held at the same temperature for 30 min, 1 and 24 h. Turbidity measurements, protein determinations and qualitative FTIR analysis confirmed SWW protein adsorption which depended on Chi-Alg concentration and reaction time while turbidity reduction was affected by concentration only. No differences (p < 0.05) in protein adsorption were found between 1 and 24 h. Using 100 mg Chi-Alg complex/L SWW for 1 h achieved 83% protein adsorption and 97% turbidity reduction.