A 2OGD multi-gene cluster encompasses functional and tissue specificity that direct furanocoumarin and pyranocoumarin biosynthesis in citrus.

Furanocoumarins (FCs) are plant defence compounds derived from the phenylpropanoid pathway via the coumarin umbelliferone that harbour some therapeutic benefits yet are the underlying cause of 'grapefruit-drug interactions' in humans. Most of the pathway genes have not been identified in citrus. We employed a genetic/Omics approach on citrus ancestral species and F1 populations of mandarin × grapefruit and mandarin × pummelo.

LieRHRV system for remote lie detection using heart rate variability parameters.

The standard polygraph, or lie detector, is limited by its reliance on average heart rate, subjective examiner interpretation, and the need for direct subject contact. Remote photoplethysmography (rPPG) offers a promising contactless alternative, by using facial videos to extract heart rate variability (HRV). We introduce "LieRHRV," a remote lie detection algorithm based solely on extracted HRV parameters.

Computational insight into energy control balance by Ca and cAMP-PKA signaling in pacemaker cells.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-protein kinase A (PKA) signaling controls sinoatrial node cell (SANC) function by affecting the degree of coupling between Ca and membrane clocks. PKA is known to phosphorylate ionic channels, Ca pump and release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and enzymes controlling ATP production in the mitochondria. While the PKA cytosolic targets in SANC have been extensively explored, its mitochondrial targets and its ability to maintain SANC energetic balance remain to be elucidated.

Using beat-to-beat heart signals for age-independent biometric verification.

Use of non-stationary physiological signals for biometric verification, reduces the ability to forge. Such signals should be simple to acquire with inexpensive equipment. The beat-to-beat information embedded within the time intervals between consecutive heart beats is a non-stationary physiological signal; its potential for biometric verification has not been studied.

Utilizing risk-controlling prediction calibration to reduce false alarm rates in epileptic seizure prediction.

Introduction: Epilepsy is a neurological disease characterized by sudden, unprovoked seizures. The unexpected nature of epileptic seizures is a major component of the disease burden. Predicting seizure onset and alarming patients may allow timely intervention, which would improve clinical outcomes and patient quality of life.

Double-sided asymmetric method for automated fetal heart rate baseline calculation.

The fetal heart rate (FHR) signal is used to assess the well-being of a fetus during labor. Manual interpretation of the FHR is subject to high inter- and intra-observer variability, leading to inconsistent clinical decision-making. The baseline of the FHR signal is crucial for its interpretation.

Using domain adaptation for classification of healthy and disease conditions from mobile-captured images of standard 12-lead electrocardiograms.

12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings can be collected in any clinic and the interpretation is performed by a clinician. Modern machine learning tools may make them automatable. However, a large fraction of 12-lead ECG data is still available in printed paper or image only and comes in various formats.

The mechano-electric feedback mediates the dual effect of stretch in mouse sinoatrial tissue.

The sinoatrial node (SAN) is the primary heart pacemaker. The automaticity of SAN pacemaker cells is regulated by an integrated coupled-clock system. The beat interval (BI) of SAN, and its primary initiation location (inferior vs.

Ca pushes and pulls energetics to maintain ATP balance in atrial cells: computational insights.

To maintain atrial function, ATP supply-to-demand matching must be tightly controlled. Ca can modulate both energy consumption and production. In light of evidence suggesting that Ca affects energetics through "push" (activating metabolite flux and enzymes in the Krebs cycle to push the redox flux) and "pull" (acting directly on ATP synthase and driving the redox flux through the electron transport chain and increasing ATP production) pathways, we investigated whether both pathways are necessary to maintain atrial ATP supply-to-demand matching.

Ca-Driven Selectivity of the Effect of the Cardiotonic Steroid Marinobufagenin on Rabbit Sinoatrial Node Function.

The synergy between Na-K pumps, Na-Ca exchangers, membrane currents and the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) generates the coupled-clock system, which governs the spontaneous electrical activity of heart sinoatrial node cells (SANCs). Ca mediates the degree of clock coupling via local Ca release (LCR) from the SR and activation of cAMP/PKA signaling. Marinobufagenin (MBG) is a natural Na-K pump inhibitor whose effect on SANCs has not been measured before.

cAMP signaling affects age-associated deterioration of pacemaker beating interval dynamics.

Sinoatrial node (SAN) beating interval variability (BIV) and the average beating interval (BI) are regulated by a coupled-clock system, driven by Ca-calmodulin activated adenylyl cyclase, cAMP, and downstream PKA signaling. Reduced responsiveness of the BI and BIV to submaximal, [X], β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) stimulation, and phosphodiesterase inhibition (PDEI) have been documented in aged SAN tissue, whereas the maximal responses, [X], do not differ by age. To determine whether age-associated dysfunction in cAMP signaling leads to altered responsiveness of BI and BIV, we measured cAMP levels and BI in adult (2-4 months n = 27) and aged (22-26 months n = 25) C57/BL6 mouse SAN tissue in control and in response to β-AR or PDEI at X and [X].

Synergy between Membrane Currents Prevents Severe Bradycardia in Mouse Sinoatrial Node Tissue.

Bradycardia is initiated by the sinoatrial node (SAN), which is regulated by a coupled-clock system. Due to the clock coupling, reduction in the 'funny' current (I), which affects SAN automaticity, can be compensated, thus preventing severe bradycardia. We hypothesize that this fail-safe system is an inherent feature of SAN pacemaker cells and is driven by synergy between I and other ion channels.

A Controlled Community Study of Distress and Resilience in Women Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

This study examines psychological and physical influences on the distress and well-being of patients with chronic rheumatic diseases. The study aims were to (1) evaluate the relative contribution of objective disease activity and psychological factors on the wellbeing of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); (2) to compare the psychological distress of SLE patients to fibromyalgia (FM) patients and healthy controls, and to (3) characterize subgroups of patients by performing cluster analysis using psychological variables. Participants were ascertained from closed forums and social media channels resulting in 41 women with a diagnosis of SLE, 47 with a diagnosis of FM, and 77 healthy controls (HC).

Changes in cAMP signaling are associated with age-related downregulation of spontaneously beating atrial tissue energetic indices.

The prevalence of atria-related diseases increases exponentially with age and is associated with ATP supply-to-demand imbalances. Because evidence suggests that cAMP regulates ATP supply-to-demand, we explored aged-associated alterations in atrial ATP supply-to-demand balance and its correlation with cAMP levels. Right atrial tissues driven by spontaneous sinoatrial node impulses were isolated from aged (22-26 months) and adult (3-4 months) C57/BL6 mice.

Emergence of heartbeat frailty in advanced age I: perspectives from life-long EKG recordings in adult mice.

The combined influences of sinoatrial nodal (SAN) pacemaker cell automaticity and its response to autonomic input determine the heart's beating interval variability and mean beating rate. To determine the intrinsic SAN and autonomic signatures buried within EKG RR interval time series change in advanced age, we measured RR interval variability before and during double autonomic blockade at 3-month intervals from 6 months of age until the end of life in long-lived (those that achieved the total cohort median life span of 24 months and beyond) C57/BL6 mice. Prior to 21 months of age, time-dependent changes in intrinsic RR interval variability and mean RR interval were relatively minor.

Increase in Ca-Activated cAMP/PKA Signaling Prevents Hydroxychloroquine-Induced Bradycardia of the Cardiac Pacemaker.

Bradycardia or tachycardia are known side effects of drugs that limit their clinical use. The heart pacemaker function which control the heart rate under normal conditions is determined by coupled clock system. Thus, interfering with specific clock mechanism will affect other clock mechanisms through changes in interconnected signaling and can lead to rhythm disturbance.

Heart failure in mice induces a dysfunction of the sinus node associated with reduced CaMKII signaling.

Dysfunction of the sinoatrial node (SAN), the natural heart pacemaker, is common in heart failure (HF) patients. SAN spontaneous activity relies on various ion currents in the plasma membrane (voltage clock), but intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) release via ryanodine receptor 2 (RYR2; Ca2+ clock) plays an important synergetic role. Whereas remodeling of voltage-clock components has been revealed in HF, less is known about possible alterations to the Ca2+ clock.

Effects of packinghouse operations on the flavor of 'Orri' mandarins.

Mandarins have a delicate flavor and are easy to peel and easy to consume. However, they are relatively perishable and suffer from flavor deterioration after harvest. The goal of the current study was to examine the effects of commercial packinghouse operations on the flavor of 'Orri' mandarins.

ATP Synthase K- and H-Fluxes Drive ATP Synthesis and Enable Mitochondrial K-"Uniporter" Function: I. Characterization of Ion Fluxes.

ATP synthase (FF) synthesizes daily our body's weight in ATP, whose production-rate can be transiently increased several-fold to meet changes in energy utilization. Using purified mammalian FF-reconstituted proteoliposomes and isolated mitochondria, we show FF can utilize both ΔΨ-driven H- and K-transport to synthesize ATP under physiological pH = 7.2 and K = 140 mEq/L conditions.

ATP Synthase K- and H-fluxes Drive ATP Synthesis and Enable Mitochondrial K-"Uniporter" Function: II. Ion and ATP Synthase Flux Regulation.

We demonstrated that ATP synthase serves the of a primary mitochondrial K "uniporter," i.e., the primary way for K to enter mitochondria.

Ca and Membrane Potential Transitions During Action Potentials Are Self-Similar to Each Other and to Variability of AP Firing Intervals Across the Broad Physiologic Range of AP Intervals During Autonomic Receptor Stimulation.

Ca and transitions occurring throughout action potential (AP) cycles in sinoatrial nodal (SAN) cells are cues that (1) not only regulate activation states of molecules operating within criticality (Ca domain) and limit-cycle ( domain) mechanisms of a coupled-clock system that underlies SAN cell automaticity, (2) but are also regulated by the activation states of the clock molecules they regulate. In other terms, these cues are both causes and effects of clock molecular activation (recursion). Recently, we demonstrated that Ca and transitions during AP cycles in single SAN cells isolated from mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, and humans are self-similar (obey a power law) and are also self-similar to -species AP firing intervals (APFIs) of these cells , to heart rate , and to body mass.