Hydro-osmotic instabilities in active membrane tubes

We study a membrane tube with unidirectional ion pumps driving an osmotic pressure difference. A pressure driven peristaltic instability is identified, qualitatively distinct from similar tension-driven Rayleigh type instabilities on membrane tubes. We discuss how this instability could be related to the function and biogenesis of membrane bound organelles, in particular the contractile vacuole complex. The unusually long natural wavelength of this instability is in agreement with that observed in cells

Identification of authentic and counterfeit Viagra tablets using near-infrared spectroscopic methods and machine learning algorithms

Counterfeit medicinal and lifestyles products are a global issue that impacts public health. Counterfeit products are often made in unsafe and unsanitary conditions before their release to the public without testing by regulatory bodies. One product that is particularly susceptible to online counterfeiting is Viagra, which is one of the highest selling medicines worldwide. A total of 57 Viagra tablets were used for the study; this included 27 authentic and 30 counterfeit tablets which were measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Spectra obtained using the NIR spectrometer non-destructively were exported into a multi-paradigm numerical computing environment where machine learning algorithms (MLAs) were applied using Matlab 2007a. Four algorithms were used related to correlation in wavelength space (CWS), K-nearest neighbour (KNN), principal component analysis (PCA) and PCA combined with fuzzy C-mean clustering (PCA/FCM). The algorithms were applied unsupervised to the authentic and counterfeit tables with no prior labelling to any of the tablets. The results showed two clear groups/clusters between the authentic and counterfeit tablets. In particular, PCA and PCA/FCM showed further subgroups among the counterfeit tablets that corresponded to their varying manufacturing sources. In summary, the use of NIRS and MLAs proved an effective method for identifying counterfeit Viagra medicines rapidly and non-destructively

Evaluation of near-infrared chemical imaging for authenticating of antibiotics

Counterfeit medicines represent a public health threat that leads to treatment ineffectiveness at its least and lethal effects at its worst. Near-infrared chemical imaging (NIR-CI) offers an informative and in-depth tool for several applications in the pharmaceutical industry particularly in medicines’ authentication. The aim of this work is to authenticate antibiotic tablets using NIR-CI. Tablets were measured non-destructively using a near-infrared microscope as follows: within their blister packaging, without their blisters, sectioned and crushed. The results showed that there was no marked difference in measuring the tablet within or without its blister packaging. The mean spectra of tablets showed high correlation coefficient values against the active pharmaceutical ingredient in case of authentic tablets. On the other hand, counterfeit tablets showed key differences from authentic alternatives with low correlation coefficient values. More specifically, counterfeit tablets showed poor distribution of the active pharmaceutical ingredient and excipients. In summary, the results have demonstrated the potential of NIR-CI in authenticating counterfeit tablets non-destructively

Assessing the role of insulin-like growth factors and binding proteins in prostate cancer using Mendelian randomization:genetic variants as instruments for circulating levels

Circulating insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs) are associated with prostate cancer. Using genetic variants as instruments for IGF peptides, we investigated whether these associations are likely to be causal. We identified from the literature 56 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IGF axis previously associated with biomarker levels (8 from a genome-wide association study [GWAS] and 48 in reported candidate genes). In ∼700 men without prostate cancer and two replication cohorts (N∼900 and ∼9,000), we examined the properties of these SNPS as instrumental variables (IVs) for IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3. Those confirmed as strong IVs were tested for association with prostate cancer risk, low (< 7) vs high (≥ 7) Gleason grade, localised vs advanced stage, and mortality, in 22,936 controls and 22,992 cases. IV analysis was used in an attempt to estimate the causal effect of circulating IGF peptides on prostate cancer. Published SNPs in the IGFBP1/IGFBP3 gene region, particularly rs11977526, were strong instruments for IGF-II and IGFBP-3, less so for IGF-I. Rs11977526 was associated with high (vs low) Gleason grade (OR per IGF-II/IGFBP-3 level-raising allele 1.05; 95% CI 1.00, 1.10). Using rs11977526 as an IV we estimated the causal effect of a one SD increase in IGF-II (∼265 ng/ml) on risk of high vs low grade disease as 1.14 (95% CI 1.00, 1.31). Because of the potential for pleiotropy of the genetic instruments, these findings can only causally implicate the IGF pathway in general, not any one specific biomarker. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Evaluating the detection of cocaine and its impurities concealed inside fruit- and vegetable- food products using handheld spatially offset Raman spectroscopy

This study investigated the use of handheld spatially offset Raman spectroscopy for the identification of drugs concealed within fruit and vegetable food products, which is a common method of drug trafficking in busy environments such as airports. Handheld Raman spectroscopy is advantageous due to its mobility, speed, and chemical specificity for drug analysis. In this study, spatially offset Raman spectra of six substances were collected and included cocaine and its impurities. Raman spectra were collected for drugs on their own and for drugs concealed in transparent bags and in various food products such as green pepper, pomegranate, potato, and zucchini. The collected spectra were analyzed using different algorithms. The results showed successful identification of drugs in three out of the four tested food products, except for pomegranate, which had a thick rind and spongy tissue that hindered detection. An instrumental hit quality index algorithm provided instant identification with matches above 80% in the three identified products. Correlation in wavelength space yielded high correlation coefficient values between substances in food substrates and reference substances, although there were a few false negatives due to noisy spectra. Principal component analysis successfully differentiated between drugs in different food products. In summary, the study demonstrated the potential of handheld spatially offset Raman spectroscopy for identifying drugs concealed within food products. Future work aims to expand the technique to a wider range of substances and food products and develop a quantitative approach to predict substances’ concentrations. Overall, this research contributes to the field of forensic applications and offers insights into the detection of illicit drugs in challenging scenarios

Associations of vitamin D pathway genes with circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin-D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D, and prostate cancer:a nested case-control study

Vitamin D pathway single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are potentially useful proxies for investigating whether circulating vitamin D metabolites [total 25-hydroxyvitamin-D, 25(OH)D; 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin, 1,25(OH)2D] are causally related to prostate cancer. We investigated associations of sixteen SNPs across seven genes with prostate-specific antigen-detected prostate cancer

Impact of protein supplementation during endurance training on changes in skeletal muscle transcriptome

Background: Protein supplementation improves physiological adaptations to endurance training, but the impact on adaptive changes in the skeletal muscle transcriptome remains elusive. The present analysis was executed to determine the impact of protein supplementation on changes in the skeletal muscle transcriptome following 5- weeks of endurance training. Results: Skeletal muscle tissue samples from the vastus lateralis were taken before and after 5-weeks of endurance training to assess changes in the skeletal muscle transcriptome. One hundred and 63 genes were differentially expressed after 5-weeks of endurance training in both groups (q-value 0.05). Endurance training primarily affected expression levels of genes related to extracellular matrix and these changes tended to be greater in PRO than in CON. Conclusions: Protein supplementation subtly impacts endurance training-induced changes in the skeletal muscle transcriptome. In addition, our transcriptomic analysis revealed that the extracellular matrix may be an important factor for skeletal muscle adaptation in response to endurance training. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03462381, March 12, 201