1,628 research outputs found
Entangled Stories: The Red Jews in Premodern Yiddish and German Apocalyptic Lore
βFar, far away from our areas, somewhere beyond the Mountains of Darkness, on the other side of the Sambatyon Riverβ¦there lives a nation known as the Red Jews.β The Red Jews are best known from classic Yiddish writing, most notably from Mendele's Kitser masoes Binyomin hashlishi (The Brief Travels of Benjamin the Third). This novel, first published in 1878, represents the initial appearance of the Red Jews in modern Yiddish literature. This comical travelogue describes the adventures of Benjamin, who sets off in search of the legendary Red Jews. But who are these Red Jews or, in Yiddish, di royte yidelekh? The term denotes the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, the ten tribes that in biblical times had composed the Northern Kingdom of Israel until they were exiled by the Assyrians in the eighth century BCE. Over time, the myth of their return emerged, and they were said to live in an uncharted location beyond the mysterious Sambatyon River, where they would remain until the Messiah's arrival at the end of time, when they would rejoin the rest of the Jewish people.
This article is part of a broader study of the Red Jews in Jewish popular culture from the Middle Ages through modernity. It is partially based on a chapter from my book, Umstrittene ErlΓΆser: Politik, Ideologie und jΓΌdisch-christlicher Messianismus in Deutschland, 1500β1600 (GΓΆttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2011). Several postdoctoral fellowships have generously supported my research on the Red Jews: a Dr. Meyer-Struckmann-Fellowship of the German Academic Foundation, a Harry Starr Fellowship in Judaica/Alan M. Stroock Fellowship for Advanced Research in Judaica at Harvard University, a research fellowship from the Heinrich Hertz-Foundation, and a YIVO Dina Abramowicz Emerging Scholar Fellowship. I thank the organizers of and participants in the colloquia and conferences where I have presented this material in various forms as well as the editors and anonymous reviewers of AJS Review for their valuable comments and suggestions. I am especially grateful to Jeremy Dauber and Elisheva Carlebach of the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies at Columbia University, where I was a Visiting Scholar in the fall of 2009, for their generous encouragement to write this article. Sue Oren considerably improved my English. The style employed for Romanization of Yiddish follows YIVO's transliteration standards. Unless otherwise noted, translations from the Yiddish, Hebrew, German, and Latin are my own. Quotations from the Bible follow the JPS translation, and those from the Babylonian Talmud are according to the Hebrew-English edition of the Soncino Talmud by Isidore Epstein
Neutral and Charged Polymers at Interfaces
Chain-like macromolecules (polymers) show characteristic adsorption
properties due to their flexibility and internal degrees of freedom, when
attracted to surfaces and interfaces. In this review we discuss concepts and
features that are relevant to the adsorption of neutral and charged polymers at
equilibrium, including the type of polymer/surface interaction, the solvent
quality, the characteristics of the surface, and the polymer structure. We pay
special attention to the case of charged polymers (polyelectrolytes) that have
a special importance due to their water solubility. We present a summary of
recent progress in this rapidly evolving field. Because many experimental
studies are performed with rather stiff biopolymers, we discuss in detail the
case of semi-flexible polymers in addition to flexible ones. We first review
the behavior of neutral and charged chains in solution. Then, the adsorption of
a single polymer chain is considered. Next, the adsorption and depletion
processes in the many-chain case are reviewed. Profiles, changes in the surface
tension and polymer surface excess are presented. Mean-field and corrections
due to fluctuations and lateral correlations are discussed. The force of
interaction between two adsorbed layers, which is important in understanding
colloidal stability, is characterized. The behavior of grafted polymers is also
reviewed, both for neutral and charged polymer brushes.Comment: a review: 130 pages, 30 ps figures; final form, added reference
Perceptions of primary healthcare professionals towards their role in type 2 diabetes mellitus patient education in Brazil
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of the current study was to analyze the perceptions, knowledge, and practices of primary healthcare professionals in providing patient education to people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 23 health professionals working in primary healthcare units in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, participated in a focus group in order to discuss their patient education practices and the challenges for effective patient education in diabetes self-management.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results were categorized as follows: 1) lack of preparation and technical knowledge among the health professionals on some aspects of diabetes mellitus and the health professionals' patient education practices; 2) work conditions and organization; 3) issues related or attributed to the clientele themselves; and 4) diabetes care model.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study highlights the importance of reorienting the patient education practices, health professionals' skills and work goals, and evaluation of the educational interventions, in order to establish strategies for health promotion and prevention and control of the disease.</p> <p>Descriptors</p> <p>Health Education; Prevention of Diabetes Mellitus; Primary Healthcare</p
Transient Receptor Potential channels (TRP) in GtoPdb v.2022.1
The TRP superfamily of channels (nomenclature as agreed by NC-IUPHAR [159, 999]), whose founder member is the Drosophila Trp channel, exists in mammals as six families; TRPC, TRPM, TRPV, TRPA, TRPP and TRPML based on amino acid homologies. TRP subunits contain six putative TM domains and assemble as homo- or hetero-tetramers to form cation selective channels with diverse modes of activation and varied permeation properties (reviewed by [679]). Established, or potential, physiological functions of the individual members of the TRP families are discussed in detail in the recommended reviews and in a number of books [371, 635, 1066, 236]. The established, or potential, involvement of TRP channels in disease is reviewed in [412, 634] and [637], together with a special edition of Biochemica et Biophysica Acta on the subject [634]. Additional disease related reviews, for pain [585], stroke [1052], sensation and inflammation [921], itch [117], and airway disease [284, 979], are available. The pharmacology of most TRP channels has been advanced in recent years. Broad spectrum agents are listed in the tables along with more selective, or recently recognised, ligands that are flagged by the inclusion of a primary reference. See Rubaiy (2019) for a review of pharmacological tools for TRPC1/C4/C5 channels [751]. Most TRP channels are regulated by phosphoinostides such as PtIns(4,5)P2 although the effects reported are often complex, occasionally contradictory, and likely to be dependent upon experimental conditions, such as intracellular ATP levels (reviewed by [941, 638, 747]). Such regulation is generally not included in the tables.When thermosensitivity is mentioned, it refers specifically to a high Q10 of gating, often in the range of 10-30, but does not necessarily imply that the channel's function is to act as a 'hot' or 'cold' sensor. In general, the search for TRP activators has led to many claims for temperature sensing, mechanosensation, and lipid sensing. All proteins are of course sensitive to energies of binding, mechanical force, and temperature, but the issue is whether the proposed input is within a physiologically relevant range resulting in a response. TRPA (ankyrin) familyTRPA1 is the sole mammalian member of this group (reviewed by [268]). TRPA1 activation of sensory neurons contribute to nociception [382, 831, 555]. Pungent chemicals such as mustard oil (AITC), allicin, and cinnamaldehyde activate TRPA1 by modification of free thiol groups of cysteine side chains, especially those located in its amino terminus [529, 51, 336, 531]. Alkenals with α, β-unsaturated bonds, such as propenal (acrolein), butenal (crotylaldehyde), and 2-pentenal can react with free thiols via Michael addition and can activate TRPA1. However, potency appears to weaken as carbon chain length increases [23, 51]. Covalent modification leads to sustained activation of TRPA1. Chemicals including carvacrol, menthol, and local anesthetics reversibly activate TRPA1 by non-covalent binding [391, 470, 1007, 1006]. TRPA1 is not mechanosensitive under physiological conditions, but can be activated by cold temperatures [392, 193]. The electron cryo-EM structure of TRPA1 [688] indicates that it is a 6-TM homotetramer. Each subunit of the channel contains two short ‘pore helices’ pointing into the ion selectivity filter, which is big enough to allow permeation of partially hydrated Ca2+ ions. TRPC (canonical) familyMembers of the TRPC subfamily (reviewed by [261, 726, 15, 4, 84, 410, 687, 60]) fall into the subgroups outlined below. TRPC2 is a pseudogene in humans. It is generally accepted that all TRPC channels are activated downstream of Gq/11-coupled receptors, or receptor tyrosine kinases (reviewed by [713, 889, 999]). A comprehensive listing of G-protein coupled receptors that activate TRPC channels is given in [4]. Hetero-oligomeric complexes of TRPC channels and their association with proteins to form signalling complexes are detailed in [15] and [411]. TRPC channels have frequently been proposed to act as store-operated channels (SOCs) (or compenents of mulimeric complexes that form SOCs), activated by depletion of intracellular calcium stores (reviewed by [689, 15, 718, 765, 1039, 141, 675, 55, 142]). However, the weight of the evidence is that they are not directly gated by conventional store-operated mechanisms, as established for Stim-gated Orai channels. TRPC channels are not mechanically gated in physiologically relevant ranges of force. All members of the TRPC family are blocked by 2-APB and SKF96365 [319, 318]. Activation of TRPC channels by lipids is discussed by [60]. Important progress has been recently made in TRPC pharmacology [751, 571, 400, 92]. TRPC channels regulate a variety of physiological functions and are implicated in many human diseases [270, 61, 827, 960]. TRPC1/C4/C5 subgroup TRPC1 alone may not form a functional ion channel [210]. TRPC4/C5 may be distinguished from other TRP channels by their potentiation by micromolar concentrations of La3+. TRPC2 is a pseudogene in humans, but in other mammals appears to be an ion channel localized to microvilli of the vomeronasal organ. It is required for normal sexual behavior in response to pheromones in mice. It may also function in the main olfactory epithelia in mice [1036, 672, 673, 1037, 496, 1077, 1032].TRPC3/C6/C7 subgroup All members are activated by diacylglycerol independent of protein kinase C stimulation [319].TRPM (melastatin) familyMembers of the TRPM subfamily (reviewed by [252, 318, 689, 1064]) fall into the five subgroups outlined below. TRPM1/M3 subgroupIn darkness, glutamate released by the photoreceptors and ON-bipolar cells binds to the metabotropic glutamate receptor 6 , leading to activation of Go . This results in the closure of TRPM1. When the photoreceptors are stimulated by light, glutamate release is reduced, and TRPM1 channels are more active, resulting in cell membrane depolarization. Human TRPM1 mutations are associated with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB), whose patients lack rod function. TRPM1 is also found melanocytes. Isoforms of TRPM1 may present in melanocytes, melanoma, brain, and retina. In melanoma cells, TRPM1 is prevalent in highly dynamic intracellular vesicular structures [368, 657]. TRPM3 (reviewed by [663]) exists as multiple splice variants which differ significantly in their biophysical properties. TRPM3 is expressed in somatosensory neurons and may be important in development of heat hyperalgesia during inflammation (see review [878]). TRPM3 is frequently coexpressed with TRPA1 and TRPV1 in these neurons. TRPM3 is expressed in pancreatic beta cells as well as brain, pituitary gland, eye, kidney, and adipose tissue [662, 877]. TRPM3 may contribute to the detection of noxious heat [949].TRPM2TRPM2 is activated under conditions of oxidative stress (respiratory burst of phagocytic cells) and ischemic conditions. However, the direct activators are ADPR(P) and calcium. As for many ion channels, PIP2 must also be present (reviewed by [1020]). Numerous splice variants of TRPM2 exist which differ in their activation mechanisms [219]. The C-terminal domain contains a TRP motif, a coiled-coil region, and an enzymatic NUDT9 homologous domain. TRPM2 appears not to be activated by NAD, NAAD, or NAADP, but is directly activated by ADPRP (adenosine-5'-O-disphosphoribose phosphate) [902]. TRPM2 is involved in warmth sensation [789], and contributes to neurological diseases [66]. Recent study shows that 2'-deoxy-ADPR is an endogenous TRPM2 superagonist [253]. TRPM4/5 subgroupTRPM4 and TRPM5 have the distinction within all TRP channels of being impermeable to Ca2+ [999]. A splice variant of TRPM4 (i.e.TRPM4b) and TRPM5 are molecular candidates for endogenous calcium-activated cation (CAN) channels [301]. TRPM4 is active in the late phase of repolarization of the cardiac ventricular action potential. TRPM4 deletion or knockout enhances beta adrenergic-mediated inotropy [546]. Mutations are associated with conduction defects [374, 546, 821]. TRPM4 has been shown to be an important regulator of Ca2+ entry in to mast cells [926] and dendritic cell migration [43]. TRPM5 in taste receptor cells of the tongue appears essential for the transduction of sweet, amino acid and bitter stimuli [494] TRPM5 contributes to the slow afterdepolarization of layer 5 neurons in mouse prefrontal cortex [471]. Both TRPM4 and TRPM5 are required transduction of taste stimuli [226].TRPM6/7 subgroupTRPM6 and 7 combine channel and enzymatic activities (‘chanzymes’). These channels have the unusual property of permeation by divalent (Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+) and monovalent cations, high single channel conductances, but overall extremely small inward conductance when expressed to the plasma membrane. They are inhibited by internal Mg2+ at ~0.6 mM, around the free level of Mg2+ in cells. Whether they contribute to Mg2+ homeostasis is a contentious issue. When either gene is deleted in mice, the result is embryonic lethality. The C-terminal kinase region is cleaved under unknown stimuli, and the kinase phosphorylates nuclear histones. TRPM7 is responsible for oxidant- induced Zn2+ release from intracellular vesicles [3] and contributes to intestinal mineral absorption essential for postnatal survival [574]. TRPM8Is a channel activated by cooling and pharmacological agents evoking a ‘cool’ sensation and participates in the thermosensation of cold temperatures [54, 161, 205] reviewed by [943, 516, 420, 599]. TRPML (mucolipin) familyThe TRPML family [729, 1049, 723, 1010, 173] consists of three mammalian members (TRPML1-3). TRPML channels are probably restricted to intracellular vesicles and mutations in the gene (MCOLN1) encoding TRPML1 (mucolipin-1) cause the neurodegenerative disorder mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV) in man. TRPML1 is a cation selective ion channel that is important for sorting/transport of endosomes in the late endocytotic pathway and specifically, fission from late endosome-lysosome hybrid vesicles and lysosomal exocytosis [766]. TRPML2 and TRPML3 show increased channel activity in low extracellular sodium and are activated by similar small molecules [293]. A naturally occurring gain of function mutation in TRPML3 (i.e. A419P) results in the varitint waddler (Va) mouse phenotype (reviewed by [729, 639]). TRPP (polycystin) familyThe TRPP family (reviewed by [197, 195, 275, 988, 345]) or PKD2 family is comprised of PKD2 (PC2), PKD2L1 (PC2L1), PKD2L2 (PC2L2), which have been renamed TRPP1, TRPP2 and TRPP3, respectively [999]. It should also be noted that the nomenclature of PC2 was TRPP2 in old literature. However, PC2 has been uniformed to be called TRPP2 [317]. PKD2 family channels are clearly distinct from the PKD1 family, whose function is unknown. PKD1 and PKD2 form a hetero-oligomeric complex with a 1:3 ratio. [845]. Although still being sorted out, TRPP family members appear to be 6TM spanning nonselective cation channels. TRPV (vanilloid) familyMembers of the TRPV family (reviewed by [928]) can broadly be divided into the non-selective cation channels, TRPV1-4 and the more calcium selective channels TRPV5 and TRPV6.TRPV1-V4 subfamilyTRPV1 is involved in the development of thermal hyperalgesia following inflammation and may contribute to the detection of noxius heat (reviewed by [710, 824, 860]). Numerous splice variants of TRPV1 have been described, some of which modulate the activity of TRPV1, or act in a dominant negative manner when co-expressed with TRPV1 [787]. The pharmacology of TRPV1 channels is discussed in detail in [303] and [947]. TRPV2 is probably not a thermosensor in man [684], but has recently been implicated in innate immunity [503]. TRPV3 and TRPV4 are both thermosensitive. There are claims that TRPV4 is also mechanosensitive, but this has not been established to be within a physiological range in a native environment [114, 488].TRPV5/V6 subfamily TRPV5 and TRPV6 are highly expressed in placenta, bone, and kidney. Under physiological conditions, TRPV5 and TRPV6 are calcium selective channels involved in the absorption and reabsorption of calcium across intestinal and kidney tubule epithelia (reviewed by [984, 185, 601, 248])
Transient Receptor Potential channels (version 2019.4) in the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology Database
The TRP superfamily of channels (nomenclature as agreed by NC-IUPHAR [145, 915]), whose founder member is the Drosophila Trp channel, exists in mammals as six families; TRPC, TRPM, TRPV, TRPA, TRPP and TRPML based on amino acid homologies. TRP subunits contain six putative transmembrane domains and assemble as homo- or hetero-tetramers to form cation selective channels with diverse modes of activation and varied permeation properties (reviewed by [630]). Established, or potential, physiological functions of the individual members of the TRP families are discussed in detail in the recommended reviews and in a number of books [344, 589, 979, 216]. The established, or potential, involvement of TRP channels in disease is reviewed in [384, 588] and [591], together with a special edition of Biochemica et Biophysica Acta on the subject [588]. Additional disease related reviews, for pain [542], stroke [967], sensation and inflammation [843], itch [109], and airway disease [261, 896], are available. The pharmacology of most TRP channels has been advanced in recent years. Broad spectrum agents are listed in the tables along with more selective, or recently recognised, ligands that are flagged by the inclusion of a primary reference. See Rubaiy (2019) for a review of pharmacological tools for TRPC1/C4/C5 channels [692]. Most TRP channels are regulated by phosphoinostides such as PtIns(4,5)P2 although the effects reported are often complex, occasionally contradictory, and likely to be dependent upon experimental conditions, such as intracellular ATP levels (reviewed by [862, 592, 689]). Such regulation is generally not included in the tables.When thermosensitivity is mentioned, it refers specifically to a high Q10 of gating, often in the range of 10-30, but does not necessarily imply that the channel's function is to act as a 'hot' or 'cold' sensor. In general, the search for TRP activators has led to many claims for temperature sensing, mechanosensation, and lipid sensing. All proteins are of course sensitive to energies of binding, mechanical force, and temperature, but the issue is whether the proposed input is within a physiologically relevant range resulting in a response. TRPA (ankyrin) familyTRPA1 is the sole mammalian member of this group (reviewed by [246]). TRPA1 activation of sensory neurons contribute to nociception [356, 763, 516]. Pungent chemicals such as mustard oil (AITC), allicin, and cinnamaldehyde activate TRPA1 by modification of free thiol groups of cysteine side chains, especially those located in its amino terminus [491, 47, 311, 493]. Alkenals with α, β-unsaturated bonds, such as propenal (acrolein), butenal (crotylaldehyde), and 2-pentenal can react with free thiols via Michael addition and can activate TRPA1. However, potency appears to weaken as carbon chain length increases [21, 47]. Covalent modification leads to sustained activation of TRPA1. Chemicals including carvacrol, menthol, and local anesthetics reversibly activate TRPA1 by non-covalent binding [364, 438, 923, 922]. TRPA1 is not mechanosensitive under physiological conditions, but can be activated by cold temperatures [365, 175]. The electron cryo-EM structure of TRPA1 [639] indicates that it is a 6-TM homotetramer. Each subunit of the channel contains two short ‘pore helices’ pointing into the ion selectivity filter, which is big enough to allow permeation of partially hydrated Ca2+ ions. TRPC (canonical) familyMembers of the TRPC subfamily (reviewed by [239, 673, 14, 4, 79, 382, 638, 55]) fall into the subgroups outlined below. TRPC2 is a pseudogene in humans. It is generally accepted that all TRPC channels are activated downstream of Gq/11-coupled receptors, or receptor tyrosine kinases (reviewed by [661, 814, 915]). A comprehensive listing of G-protein coupled receptors that activate TRPC channels is given in [4]. Hetero-oligomeric complexes of TRPC channels and their association with proteins to form signalling complexes are detailed in [14] and [383]. TRPC channels have frequently been proposed to act as store-operated channels (SOCs) (or compenents of mulimeric complexes that form SOCs), activated by depletion of intracellular calcium stores (reviewed by [640, 14, 665, 703, 954, 132, 626, 51, 133]). However, the weight of the evidence is that they are not directly gated by conventional store-operated mechanisms, as established for Stim-gated Orai channels. TRPC channels are not mechanically gated in physiologically relevant ranges of force. All members of the TRPC family are blocked by 2-APB and SKF96365 [295, 294]. Activation of TRPC channels by lipids is discussed by [55]. Important progress has been recently made in TRPC pharmacology [692, 529, 372, 87]. TRPC channels regulate a variety of physiological functions and are implicated in many human diseases [248, 56, 759, 879]. TRPC1/C4/C5 subgroup TRPC1 alone may not form a functional ion channel [191]. TRPC4/C5 may be distinguished from other TRP channels by their potentiation by micromolar concentrations of La3+. TRPC2 is a pseudogene in humans, but in other mammals appears to be an ion channel localized to microvilli of the vomeronasal organ. It is required for normal sexual behavior in response to pheromones in mice. It may also function in the main olfactory epithelia in mice [951, 625, 624, 952, 462, 988, 947].TRPC3/C6/C7 subgroup All members are activated by diacylglycerol independent of protein kinase C stimulation [295].TRPM (melastatin) familyMembers of the TRPM subfamily (reviewed by [230, 294, 640, 978]) fall into the five subgroups outlined below. TRPM1/M3 subgroupIn darkness, glutamate released by the photoreceptors and ON-bipolar cells binds to the metabotropic glutamate receptor 6 , leading to activation of Go . This results in the closure of TRPM1. When the photoreceptors are stimulated by light, glutamate release is reduced, and TRPM1 channels are more active, resulting in cell membrane depolarization. Human TRPM1 mutations are associated with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB), whose patients lack rod function. TRPM1 is also found melanocytes. Isoforms of TRPM1 may present in melanocytes, melanoma, brain, and retina. In melanoma cells, TRPM1 is prevalent in highly dynamic intracellular vesicular structures [341, 609]. TRPM3 (reviewed by [615]) exists as multiple splice variants which differ significantly in their biophysical properties. TRPM3 is expressed in somatosensory neurons and may be important in development of heat hyperalgesia during inflammation (see review [803]). TRPM3 is frequently coexpressed with TRPA1 and TRPV1 in these neurons. TRPM3 is expressed in pancreatic beta cells as well as brain, pituitary gland, eye, kidney, and adipose tissue [614, 802]. TRPM3 may contribute to the detection of noxious heat [870].TRPM2TRPM2 is activated under conditions of oxidative stress (respiratory burst of phagocytic cells) and ischemic conditions. However, the direct activators are ADPR(P) and calcium. As for many ion channels, PIP2 must also be present (reviewed by [935]). Numerous splice variants of TRPM2 exist which differ in their activation mechanisms [200]. The C-terminal domain contains a TRP motif, a coiled-coil region, and an enzymatic NUDT9 homologous domain. TRPM2 appears not to be activated by NAD, NAAD, or NAADP, but is directly activated by ADPRP (adenosine-5'-O-disphosphoribose phosphate) [827]. TRPM2 is involved in warmth sensation [724], and contributes to neurological diseases [61]. Recent study shows that 2'-deoxy-ADPR is an endogenous TRPM2 superagonist [231]. TRPM4/5 subgroupTRPM4 and TRPM5 have the distinction within all TRP channels of being impermeable to Ca2+ [915]. A splice variant of TRPM4 (i.e.TRPM4b) and TRPM5 are molecular candidates for endogenous calcium-activated cation (CAN) channels [278]. TRPM4 is active in the late phase of repolarization of the cardiac ventricular action potential. TRPM4 deletion or knockout enhances beta adrenergic-mediated inotropy [507]. Mutations are associated with conduction defects [347, 507, 753]. TRPM4 has been shown to be an important regulator of Ca2+ entry in to mast cells [847] and dendritic cell migration [39]. TRPM5 in taste receptor cells of the tongue appears essential for the transduction of sweet, amino acid and bitter stimuli [460] TRPM5 contributes to the slow afterdepolarization of layer 5 neurons in mouse prefrontal cortex [439]. Both TRPM4 and TRPM5 are required transduction of taste stimuli [206].TRPM6/7 subgroupTRPM6 and 7 combine channel and enzymatic activities (‘chanzymes’). These channels have the unusual property of permeation by divalent (Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+) and monovalent cations, high single channel conductances, but overall extremely small inward conductance when expressed to the plasma membrane. They are inhibited by internal Mg2+ at ~0.6 mM, around the free level of Mg2+ in cells. Whether they contribute to Mg2+ homeostasis is a contentious issue. When either gene is deleted in mice, the result is embryonic lethality. The C-terminal kinase region is cleaved under unknown stimuli, and the kinase phosphorylates nuclear histones. TRPM7 is responsible for oxidant- induced Zn2+ release from intracellular vesicles [3] and contributes to intestinal mineral absorption essential for postnatal survival [532]. TRPM8Is a channel activated by cooling and pharmacological agents evoking a ‘cool’ sensation and participates in the thermosensation of cold temperatures [50, 147, 186] reviewed by [864, 481, 391, 556]. TRPML (mucolipin) familyThe TRPML family [676, 964, 670, 926, 156] consists of three mammalian members (TRPML1-3). TRPML channels are probably restricted to intracellular vesicles and mutations in the gene (MCOLN1) encoding TRPML1 (mucolipin-1) cause the neurodegenerative disorder mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV) in man. TRPML1 is a cation selective ion channel that is important for sorting/transport of endosomes in the late endocytotic pathway and specifically, fission from late endosome-lysosome hybrid vesicles and lysosomal exocytosis [704]. TRPML2 and TRPML3 show increased channel activity in low extracellular sodium and are activated by similar small molecules [270]. A naturally occurring gain of function mutation in TRPML3 (i.e. A419P) results in the varitint waddler (Va) mouse phenotype (reviewed by [676, 593]). TRPP (polycystin) familyThe TRPP family (reviewed by [179, 177, 252, 905, 320]) or PKD2 family is comprised of PKD2 (PC2), PKD2L1 (PC2L1), PKD2L2 (PC2L2), which have been renamed TRPP1, TRPP2 and TRPP3, respectively [915]. It should also be noted that the nomenclature of PC2 was TRPP2 in old literature. However, PC2 has been uniformed to be called TRPP2 [293]. PKD2 family channels are clearly distinct from the PKD1 family, whose function is unknown. PKD1 and PKD2 form a hetero-oligomeric complex with a 1:3 ratio. [775]. Although still being sorted out, TRPP family members appear to be 6TM spanning nonselective cation channels. TRPV (vanilloid) familyMembers of the TRPV family (reviewed by [849]) can broadly be divided into the non-selective cation channels, TRPV1-4 and the more calcium selective channels TRPV5 and TRPV6.TRPV1-V4 subfamilyTRPV1 is involved in the development of thermal hyperalgesia following inflammation and may contribute to the detection of noxius heat (reviewed by [660, 756, 786]). Numerous splice variants of TRPV1 have been described, some of which modulate the activity of TRPV1, or act in a dominant negative manner when co-expressed with TRPV1 [722]. The pharmacology of TRPV1 channels is discussed in detail in [280] and [868]. TRPV2 is probably not a thermosensor in man [635], but has recently been implicated in innate immunity [469]. TRPV3 and TRPV4 are both thermosensitive. There are claims that TRPV4 is also mechanosensitive, but this has not been established to be within a physiological range in a native environment [106, 454].TRPV5/V6 subfamily TRPV5 and TRPV6 are highly expressed in placenta, bone, and kidney. Under physiological conditions, TRPV5 and TRPV6 are calcium selective channels involved in the absorption and reabsorption of calcium across intestinal and kidney tubule epithelia (reviewed by [901, 168, 558, 227])
The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems
We review the formation and evolution of compact binary stars consisting of
white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), and black holes (BHs). Binary NSs and
BHs are thought to be the primary astrophysical sources of gravitational waves
(GWs) within the frequency band of ground-based detectors, while compact
binaries of WDs are important sources of GWs at lower frequencies to be covered
by space interferometers (LISA). Major uncertainties in the current
understanding of properties of NSs and BHs most relevant to the GW studies are
discussed, including the treatment of the natal kicks which compact stellar
remnants acquire during the core collapse of massive stars and the common
envelope phase of binary evolution. We discuss the coalescence rates of binary
NSs and BHs and prospects for their detections, the formation and evolution of
binary WDs and their observational manifestations. Special attention is given
to AM CVn-stars -- compact binaries in which the Roche lobe is filled by
another WD or a low-mass partially degenerate helium-star, as these stars are
thought to be the best LISA verification binary GW sources.Comment: 105 pages, 18 figure
Multi-site and multi-depth near-infrared spectroscopy in a model of simulated (central) hypovolemia: lower body negative pressure
Purpose: To test the hypothesis that the sensitivity of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in reflecting the degree of (compensated) hypovolemia would be affected by the application site and probing depth. We simultaneously applied multi-site (thenar and forearm) and multi-depth (15-2.5 and 25-2.5 mm probe distance) NIRS in a model of simulated hypovolemia: lower body negative pressure (LBNP). Methods: The study group comprised 24 healthy male volunteers who were subjected to an LBNP protocol in which a baseline period of 30 min was followed by a step-wise manipulation of negative pressure in the following steps: 0, -20, -40, -60, -80 and -100 mmHg. Stroke volume and heart rate were measured using volume-clamp finger plethysmography. Two multi-depth NIRS devices were used to measure tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) and tissue hemoglobin index (THI) continuously in the thenar and the forearm. To monitor the shift of blood volume towards the lower extremities, calf THI was measured by single-depth NIRS. Results: The main findings were that the application of LBNP resulted in a significant reduction in stroke volume which was accompanied by a reduction in forearm StO2 and THI. Conclusions: NIRS can be used to detect changes in StO2 and THI consequent upon central hypovolemia. Forearm NIRS measurements reflect hypovolemia more sensitively than thenar NIRS measurements. The sensitivity of these NIRS measurements does not depend on NIRS probing depth. The LBNP-induced shift in blood volume is reflected by a decreased THI in the forearm and an increased THI in the calf
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Associations Between Nutrition, Gut Microbiome, and Health in A Novel Nonhuman Primate Model.
Red-shanked doucs (Pygathrix nemaeus) are endangered, foregut-fermenting colobine primates which are difficult to maintain in captivity. There are critical gaps in our understanding of their natural lifestyle, including dietary habits such as consumption of leaves, unripe fruit, flowers, seeds, and other plant parts. There is also a lack of understanding of enteric adaptations, including their unique microflora. To address these knowledge gaps, we used the douc as a model to study relationships between gastrointestinal microbial community structure and lifestyle. We analyzed published fecal samples as well as detailed dietary history from doucs with four distinct lifestyles (wild, semi-wild, semi-captive, and captive) and determined gastrointestinal bacterial microbiome composition using 16S rRNA sequencing. A clear gradient of microbiome composition was revealed along an axis of natural lifestyle disruption, including significant associations with diet, biodiversity, and microbial function. We also identified potential microbial biomarkers of douc dysbiosis, including Bacteroides and Prevotella, which may be related to health. Our results suggest a gradient-like shift in captivity causes an attendant shift to severe gut dysbiosis, thereby resulting in gastrointestinal issues
Initial Mutations Direct Alternative Pathways of Protein Evolution
Whether evolution is erratic due to random historical details, or is repeatedly directed along similar paths by certain constraints, remains unclear. Epistasis (i.e. non-additive interaction between mutations that affect fitness) is a mechanism that can contribute to both scenarios. Epistasis can constrain the type and order of selected mutations, but it can also make adaptive trajectories contingent upon the first random substitution. This effect is particularly strong under sign epistasis, when the sign of the fitness effects of a mutation depends on its genetic background. In the current study, we examine how epistatic interactions between mutations determine alternative evolutionary pathways, using in vitro evolution of the antibiotic resistance enzyme TEM-1 Ξ²-lactamase. First, we describe the diversity of adaptive pathways among replicate lines during evolution for resistance to a novel antibiotic (cefotaxime). Consistent with the prediction of epistatic constraints, most lines increased resistance by acquiring three mutations in a fixed order. However, a few lines deviated from this pattern. Next, to test whether negative interactions between alternative initial substitutions drive this divergence, alleles containing initial substitutions from the deviating lines were evolved under identical conditions. Indeed, these alternative initial substitutions consistently led to lower adaptive peaks, involving more and other substitutions than those observed in the common pathway. We found that a combination of decreased enzymatic activity and lower folding cooperativity underlies negative sign epistasis in the clash between key mutations in the common and deviating lines (Gly238Ser and Arg164Ser, respectively). Our results demonstrate that epistasis contributes to contingency in protein evolution by amplifying the selective consequences of random mutations
Fungal enzyme sets for plant polysaccharide degradation
Enzymatic degradation of plant polysaccharides has many industrial applications, such as within the paper, food, and feed industry and for sustainable production of fuels and chemicals. Cellulose, hemicelluloses, and pectins are the main components of plant cell wall polysaccharides. These polysaccharides are often tightly packed, contain many different sugar residues, and are branched with a diversity of structures. To enable efficient degradation of these polysaccharides, fungi produce an extensive set of carbohydrate-active enzymes. The variety of the enzyme set differs between fungi and often corresponds to the requirements of its habitat. Carbohydrate-active enzymes can be organized in different families based on the amino acid sequence of the structurally related catalytic modules. Fungal enzymes involved in plant polysaccharide degradation are assigned to at least 35 glycoside hydrolase families, three carbohydrate esterase families and six polysaccharide lyase families. This mini-review will discuss the enzymes needed for complete degradation of plant polysaccharides and will give an overview of the latest developments concerning fungal carbohydrate-active enzymes and their corresponding families
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