Saxitoxin Is a Gating Modifier of hERG K+ Channels

Potassium (K+) channels mediate numerous electrical events in excitable cells, including cellular membrane potential repolarization. The hERG K+ channel plays an important role in myocardial repolarization, and inhibition of these K+ channels is associated with long QT syndromes that can cause fatal cardiac arrhythmias. In this study, we identify saxitoxin (STX) as a hERG channel modifier and investigate the mechanism using heterologous expression of the recombinant channel in HEK293 cells. In the presence of STX, channels opened slower during strong depolarizations, and they closed much faster upon repolarization, suggesting that toxin-bound channels can still open but are modified, and that STX does not simply block the ion conduction pore. STX decreased hERG K+ currents by stabilizing closed channel states visualized as shifts in the voltage dependence of channel opening to more depolarized membrane potentials. The concentration dependence for steady-state modification as well as the kinetics of onset and recovery indicate that multiple STX molecules bind to the channel. Rapid application of STX revealed an apparent “agonist-like” effect in which K+ currents were transiently increased. The mechanism of this effect was found to be an effect on the channel voltage-inactivation relationship. Because the kinetics of inactivation are rapid relative to activation for this channel, the increase in K+ current appeared quickly and could be subverted by a decrease in K+ currents due to the shift in the voltage-activation relationship at some membrane potentials. The results are consistent with a simple model in which STX binds to the hERG K+ channel at multiple sites and alters the energetics of channel gating by shifting both the voltage-inactivation and voltage-activation processes. The results suggest a novel extracellular mechanism for pharmacological manipulation of this channel through allosteric coupling to channel gating

Sero-prevalence of herpes simplex type 2 virus (HSV-2) and HIV infection in Kampala, Uganda

Background:Prevalence of herpes simplex type 2 virus (HSV-2) is high worldwide. Previous studies in Uganda were rural or in women. We estimated age and sex-specific sero- prevalence of HSV-2 in Kampala, Uganda.Methods: Using two-stage random sampling stratified on population density, a survey of persons 15-65 years was conducted. Type-specific serological tests for HSV-2, HSV-1(HerpeSelect2 and 1 ELISA), HIV (Rapid tests and ELISA), syphilis (RPR and TPHA) were done. Additional prevalence analysis included post-stratification weighting on the Uganda 2002 Census gender distribution.Results: Among 1124 persons, HSV-2 prevalence was 58% (95% CI: 55, 60), HSV-1; 98% (95% CI: 97.6, 99.1), HIV; 17.7% (95% CI: 14.8, 19.2) and syphilis; 1.7% (95% CI: 1.4, 1.9). Weighted HSV-2 prevalence was 53.8% (Women; 63.8%, men; 43.2%), similar to unweighted data. Weighted HIV prevalence was 20.7% in women, 8.6% in men. Of 165 HIV infected persons, 85.4% had HSV-2. Risk factors for HSV-2 were being a woman (OR 2.0; 95% CI: 1.42, 2.78), age (OR 3.3; 95% CI: 2.43, 4.53), education (OR 1.70; 95% CI: 1.34, 2.34) and HIV (OR 4.5; 95% CI: 2.70, 7.50).Conclusion: Prevalence of HSV-2 and HIV was high especially in women. Syphilis was rare. Awareness of herpes was low. Interventions in young people are needed.Keywords: HSV-2, HIV, Kampala Ugand

Efficient solution-processed dendrimer OLEDs

Light-emitting dendrimers are a new distinct class of material for OLEDs. Dendrimers consist of a light-emitting core, dendrons and surface groups. Dendrimers are designed for solution coating and have a number of advantages over conjugated polymers. We report our recent results for solution processed green dendrimer OLEDs. The OLEDs were fabricated by spin-coating a blend of first generation dendrimer/host material followed by the evaporation of a hole blocking layer and a LiF/Al cathode. Power efficiencies of 50 lm/W at practical brightness levels were achieved for these structures

APPLICATION OF THE IMPROVED EXPRESS METHOD OF DETERMINATION THE FALSIFICATION OF MEAT OF SLAUGHTE ANIMALS AND POULTRY PROCESSING HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

Розроблений експресний метод має достовірність у показниках 99,6 % та може застосовуватися для визначення фальсифікації м’яса забійних тварин та птиці за обробки пероксидом водню поряд з іншими методами визначення їх якості та безпечності у виробничих лабораторіях на потужностях з переробки м’яса, супермаркетах, оптових базах, у державних лабораторіях ветеринарної медицини та у лабораторіях ветеринарно-санітарної експертизи на агропромислових ринках.Разработанный экспрессный метод имеет достоверность по показателям – 99,6 % и может использоваться для определения фальсификации мяса убойных животных и птицы при обработке пероксидом водорода вместе с другими методами определения их качества и безопасности в производственных  лабораториях предприятий по переработке мяса убойных животных и птицы, супермаркетах, оптовых базах, в государственных лабораториях ветеринарной медицины и в лабораториях ветеринарно-санитарной экспертизы на агропродовольственных рынках.As a result of the conducted researches is set that stability of indexes on determination of meat after the improved express method was 99,6 % and can be used to determine the falsification of meat of slaughte meat animals and poultry processing hydrogen peroxide, along with other methods to determine their quality and safety in industrial laboratories for meat processing facilities, supermarkets, who lesale bases in thes tateveterinary laboratory and in the laboratories of veterinary-sanitary examination of th eagricultural markets.Conducted studies found that the quality of the meat of slaughte red animals and birds meet the great degree of freshness and the reaction of peroxidase, meat derived from healthy animals. By express method developed by pork, beef, lamb, goat and horse were processed hydrogen peroxide, and hydrogen peroxide was processed poultry, as in dicated by the formation of light-blue color when applied to the poultry reaction. The data on the in tensity of color to establish falsification meat of slaughte meat animals and poultry processing of hydrogen peroxide were stable and reliable, so the separameters can be used in determining the quality and safety of meat animals and poultry.Fur ther more, it should benoted that an express method developed is simple in execution, and the results give a specific quality indicators in falsifying the meat animals and poultry processing hydrogen peroxide.For this development Patent of Ukraine is got on an useful model № 81945 «Method of determination of the falsification of meat of slaughte animals and poultry processing hydrogen peroxide

Conjugated dendrimers: A modular approach to materials for full colour displays

Conjugated dendrimers provide an excellent molecular architecture for tuning material properties for organic light emitting diodes. Here we demonstrate a modular approach allowing highly efficient fluorescent and phosphorescent emissive chromophores to be used to make red, green and blue solution-processed light emitting diodes. The choice of a common dendritic architecture ensures good solubility and film forming properties irrespective of the choice of core unit. In addition, this architecture allows blending of dendrimers with different cores without phase separation. We show that blending provides a simple but powerful way of tuning the colour of dendrimer LEDs from deep blue to blue-green, and from green to red with little impact on the device properties

Multihospital Outbreak of Clostridium difficile Infection, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

To determine whether a multihospital Clostridium difficile outbreak was associated with epidemic strains and whether use of particular fluoroquinolones was associated with increased infection rates, we cultured feces from C. difficile–infected patients. Use of fluoroquionolones with enhanced antianaerobic activity was not associated with increased infection rates

U.S. Physician-Scientist Workforce in the 21st Century: Recommendations to Attract and Sustain the Pipeline

The U.S. physician-scientist (PS) workforce is invaluable to the nation's biomedical research effort. It is through biomedical research that certain diseases have been eliminated, cures for others have been discovered, and medical procedures and therapies that save lives have been developed. Yet, the U.S. PS workforce has both declined and aged over the last several years. The resulting decreased inflow and outflow to the PS pipeline renders the system vulnerable to collapsing suddenly as the senior workforce retires. In November 2015, the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine hosted a consensus conference on the PS workforce to address issues impacting academic medical schools, with input from early-career PSs based on their individual experiences and concerns. One of the goals of the conference was to identify current impediments in attracting and supporting PSs and to develop a new set of recommendations for sustaining the PS workforce in 2016 and beyond. This Perspective reports on the opportunities and factors identified at the conference and presents five recommendations designed to increase entry into the PS pipeline and nine recommendations designed to decrease attrition from the PS workflow

VETERINARY-SANITARY CONTROL OF FISH PRODUCTS IN SUPERMARKETS

За показниками якості та безпечності барабуля сильносолена, нототенія мармурова середньосолена (виробник м. Миколаїв «Океаник-Юг»); піленгас середньосолений, сайра слабкосолена (виробник ТОВ «Водный мир», Одеська обл.); скумбрія середньосолена; ставрида сильносолена (виробник ТОВ «Аквафрост», Одеська обл.) відповідали вимогам, що встановлені нормативними документами (ДСТУ 6025:2008) та гігієнічними нормативами.За показниками якості та безпечності барабуля сильносолена, нототенія мармурова середньосолена (виробник м. Миколаїв «Океаник-Юг»); піленгас середньосолений, сайра слабкосолена (виробник ТОВ «Водный мир», Одеська обл.); скумбрія середньосолена; ставрида сильносолена (виробник ТОВ «Аквафрост», Одеська обл.) відповідали вимогам, що встановлені нормативними документами (ДСТУ 6025:2008) та гігієнічними нормативами.Fish foods matter very much in the feed of man and fold considerable part her food ration. In many countries of the world fish is the basic object of food industry. In our state Law of Ukraine operates «On fish, other hydrogens living resources and food products from them», that determines basic legal and organizational principles of providing of quality and safety of fish, other water living resources, food products made from them for life and health of population and prevention of negative in fluence on an environment in case of fishing-out, processing, packing and moving through the custom border of Ukraine. By the most effective method of providing of safety of food productspresently the system НАССР, that is base on implementation of requirements of ДСТУ 4161−2003, sconfessed in the world, that included general principles of functioning of the system, and also requirements of Regulation of European Parliament and Advice №852/2004. The important index of fish salted are expiration dates depending on the type of packing. Striped mullet of strongly saline keep in barrels with salt solution, wooden boxes for temperatures from −4 °С to 0 °С during 9 months. Marble rockcod middle saline keep in barrels with salt solution for temperatures from −8°С to −4°С during 4 months. So-iuy mullet of middle saline keep in packages from polymeric materials under a vacuum for temperatures from −8°С to −4°С during a 35 twenty four hours. Saury of feeble saline and hardhead of middle saline is kept also in packages from polymeric materials without a vacuum for temperatures from −8°С to −4°С during a 10 twenty-four hours. The horse-mackerel of strongly saline is kept in packages from polymeric materials without a vacuum for temperatures from − 8°С to − 4°С during a 5 twenty-four hours. The least content ofМАFАnМ was educed in so-iuy mullet middle saline and saury of feeble saline − 4,56·102±29,6 and 8,54·102±38,4 КUО/gr. In the products of other types of salt fish content of МАFАnМ was some thing megascopic, especially for the hardhead of middle middle saline − 4,72·103±50,67 КUО/gr and horse-mackerel of strongly saline − 3,66·103±26,4 КUО/gr. On the indexes of quality and unconcern of striped mullet strongly saline, marble rockcod middle saline(producer is Nikolaev «Okeanik-Yug»); so-iuy mullet middle saline, saury of feeble saline (producer of LTD «Water of the world», Odesa region); hardhead of middle saline; horse-mackerel of strongly  saline (producer of LTD «Аkvafrost», Odesa region) answeredrequirements that is set by normative documents ДСТУ 6025: 2008 and hygienical norms.Determined organoleptic, physcal and chemical, microbiological indexes and content of toxic elements, radionuklidis, are set in fish saline, that will be realized in the supermarkets of t. Bilaya Tserkov. In fish saline of striped mullet, marbled rockcod, so-iuy mullet, saury, mackerel and jack mackerel for the indexes of quality answered requirements and norms of DSTU 6025:2008. Probed fish saline answers the regulated indexes of safety in obodience to a normative documents