MiRP2 forms potassium channels in skeletal muscle with Kv3.4 and is associated with periodic paralysis.

The subthreshold, voltage-gated potassium channel of skeletal muscle is shown to contain MinK-related peptide 2 (MiRP2) and the pore-forming subunit Kv3.4. MiRP2-Kv3.4 channels differ from Kv3.4 channels in unitary conductance, voltage-dependent activation, recovery from inactivation, steady-state open probability, and block by a peptide toxin. Thus, MiRP2-Kv3.4 channels set resting membrane potential (RMP) and do not produce afterhyperpolarization or cumulative inactivation to limit action potential frequency. A missense mutation is identified in the gene for MiRP2 (KCNE3) in two families with periodic paralysis and found to segregate with the disease. Mutant MiRP2-Kv3.4 complexes exhibit reduced current density and diminished capacity to set RMP. Thus, MiRP2 operates with a classical potassium channel subunit to govern skeletal muscle function and pathophysiology

The Case for UHF RFID application in the meat supply chain in the Irish context: a review perspective

As a result of recent food scares increasing pressure has been placed on food producing industries to incorporate a farm-to-fork traceability system. Conventional methods of traceability while reasonably successful are not without their disadvantages. These include potential damage and limited data capacity in the case of bar codes, unacceptable delays incurred through the use of DNA sampling and finally inapplicability of on biometric technologies due to permanent detachment post mortem. The aims of this paper is to outline the legislative requirements for traceability, technological aspects of current traceability systems, and the case for the widespread adoption of RFID in the farm-to-fork traceability of meat, all based on the Irish system. The arguments would be valid to any country or geographic region, with the existing differences taken into account. RFID technologies offer, among others, solutions to most important challenges to barcode technology, amenity to automation, possibility of value-added products, possibility for condition monitoring during storage and transport, potential to in house traceability under adverse processing environments, seamless integration with global supply chain, item-level traceability, and all these in near real-time

Permittivity of Meat Fish and their Components at UHF RFID Frequencies and Industry Relevant Temperatures

Permittivity values of lean beef, pork, fish, poultry, and values for other components from these sources (i.e. fat, marrow and bone) were measured at selected                                                                                                                                                                                                                              industry-relevant temperatures – 18 oC, - 12  oC, - 5 oC, 0 oC, 7 oC, 25 oC, 40 oC and UHF RFID relevant frequencies of 868 MHz, 915 MHZ, 950 MHz and 2450 MHz. Muscle fibre orientation in relation to probe placement was also investigated. Increases in temperature generally led to increases in the dielectric constant (e’) and loss factor (e’’) of all test samples while the opposite trend was observed with increases in frequency (i.e. e’ and e’’ decreased). These trends were clearly evident for samples of lean beef, pork, poultry and fish. The dielectric properties of other non-lean components also varied with temperature and frequency. e’ and e’’ values of fat and marrow were significantly lower than those of lean while for fibrous tissues muscle fibre orientation only had a significant influence in the case of poultry (p≤0.05) and not in the case of beef or pork (p≥0.05). Results of this study can serve as basic data for the design and/or application of RFID inlays

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the “spinal cord injury-falls concern scale” in the Italian population

Study design: Psychometrics study. Objective: The objective of this study was to develop an Italian version of the Spinal Cord Injury-Falls Concern Scale (SCI-FCS) and examine its reliability and validity. Setting: Multicenter study in spinal units in Northern and Southern Italy. The scale also was administered to non-hospitalized outpatient clinic patients. Methods: The original scale was translated from English to Italian using the “Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures” guidelines. The reliability and validity of the culturally adapted scale were assessed following the “Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments” checklist. The SCI-FCS-I internal consistency, inter-rater, and intra-rater reliability were examined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient, respectively. Concurrent validity was evaluated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient with the Italian version of the short form of the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual Wheelchair Users (WheelCon-M-I-short form). Results: The Italian version of the SCI-FCS-I was administered to 124 participants from 1 June to 30 September 2017. The mean ± SD of the SCI-FCS-I score was 16.73 ± 5.88. All SCI-FCS items were either identical or similar in meaning to the original version’s items. Cronbach’s α was 0.827 (p < 0.01), the inter-rater reliability was 0.972 (p < 0.01), and the intra-rater reliability was 0.973 (p < 0.01). Pearson’s correlation coefficient of the SCI-FCS-I scores with the WheelCon-M-I-short form was 0.56 (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The SCI-FCS-I was found to be reliable and a valid outcome measure for assessing manual wheelchair concerns about falling in the Italian population

Topological Modes in One Dimensional Solids and Photonic Crystals

This is the final version of the article. Available from American Physical Society via the DOI in this record.It is shown theoretically that a one-dimensional crystal with time reversal symmetry is characterized by a Z_{2} topological invariant that predicts the existence or otherwise of edge states. This is confirmed experimentally through the construction and simulation of a photonic crystal analogue in the microwave regime.We thank an anonymous referee for helpful comments. The authors acknowledge financial support from the EPSRC through the QUEST program grant (Grant No. EP/I034548/1), C.A.M.B. was supported by QinetiQ and the EPSRC through the Industrial CASE scheme (Grant No. 08000346). H.M. is supported by a grant from the U. S. Department of Energy to the Particle Astrophysics Theory group at CWRU. T.J.A. is funded by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement through a Cottrell Award

Complete Genome of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris UC509.9, Host for a Model Lactococcal P335 Bacteriophage

Item does not contain fulltextHere, we report the complete genome of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris UC509.9, an Irish dairy starter. The circular chromosome of L. lactis UC509.9 represents the smallest among those of the sequenced lactococcal strains, while its large complement of eight plasmids appears to be a reflection of its adaptation to the dairy environment

Control of blood glucose in type 2 diabetes without weight loss by modification of diet composition

BACKGROUND: Over the past several years our research group has taken a systematic, comprehensive approach to determining the effects on body function (hormonal and non-hormonal) of varying the amounts and types of proteins, carbohydrates and fats in the diet. We have been particularly interested in the dietary management of type 2 diabetes. Our objective has been to develop a diet for people with type 2 diabetes that does not require weight loss, oral agents, or insulin, but that still controls the blood glucose concentration. Our overall goal is to enable the person with type 2 diabetes to control their blood glucose by adjustment in the composition rather than the amount of food in their diet. METHODS: This paper is a brief summary and review of our recent diet-related research, and the rationale used in the development of diets that potentially are useful in the treatment of diabetes. RESULTS: We determined that, of the carbohydrates present in the diet, absorbed glucose is largely responsible for the food-induced increase in blood glucose concentration. We also determined that dietary protein increases insulin secretion and lowers blood glucose. Fat does not significantly affect blood glucose, but can affect insulin secretion and modify the absorption of carbohydrates. Based on these data, we tested the efficacy of diets with various protein:carbohydrate:fat ratios for 5 weeks on blood glucose control in people with untreated type 2 diabetes. The results were compared to those obtained in the same subjects after 5 weeks on a control diet with a protein:carbohydrate:fat ratio of 15:55:30. A 30:40:30 ratio diet resulted in a moderate but significant decrease in 24-hour integrated glucose area and % total glycohemoglobin (%tGHb). A 30:20:50 ratio diet resulted in a 38% decrease in 24-hour glucose area, a reduction in fasting glucose to near normal and a decrease in %tGHb from 9.8% to 7.6%. The response to a 30:30:40 ratio diet was similar. CONCLUSION: Altering the diet composition could be a patient-empowering method of improving the hyperglycemia of type 2 diabetes without weight loss or pharmacologic intervention

Cellular Contraction and Polarization Drive Collective Cellular Motion

Coordinated motions of close-packed multicellular systems typically generate cooperative packs, swirls, and clusters. These cooperative motions are driven by active cellular forces, but the physical nature of these forces and how they generate collective cellular motion remain poorly understood. Here, we study forces and motions in a confined epithelial monolayer and make two experimental observations: 1) the direction of local cellular motion deviates systematically from the direction of the local traction exerted by each cell upon its substrate; and 2) oscillating waves of cellular motion arise spontaneously. Based on these observations, we propose a theory that connects forces and motions using two internal state variables, one of which generates an effective cellular polarization, and the other, through contractile forces, an effective cellular inertia. In agreement with theoretical predictions, drugs that inhibit contractility reduce both the cellular effective elastic modulus and the frequency of oscillations. Together, theory and experiment provide evidence suggesting that collective cellular motion is driven by at least two internal variables that serve to sustain waves and to polarize local cellular traction in a direction that deviates systematically from local cellular velocity

When local poverty is more important than your income: Mental health in minorities in inner cities

Volkswagen Foundation and the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research . Grant Number: BMBF 01 EL080

Removing exogenous information using pedigree data

Management of certain populations requires the preservation of its pure genetic background. When, for different reasons, undesired alleles are introduced, the original genetic conformation must be recovered. The present study tested, through computer simulations, the power of recovery (the ability for removing the foreign information) from genealogical data. Simulated scenarios comprised different numbers of exogenous individuals taking partofthe founder population anddifferent numbers of unmanaged generations before the removal program started. Strategies were based on variables arising from classical pedigree analyses such as founders? contribution and partial coancestry. The ef?ciency of the different strategies was measured as the proportion of native genetic information remaining in the population. Consequences on the inbreeding and coancestry levels of the population were also evaluated. Minimisation of the exogenous founders? contributions was the most powerful method, removing the largest amount of genetic information in just one generation.However, as a side effect, it led to the highest values of inbreeding. Scenarios with a large amount of initial exogenous alleles (i.e. high percentage of non native founders), or many generations of mixing became very dif?cult to recover, pointing out the importance of being careful about introgression events in populatio