Electronic cash systems, such as Mondex, seek to re-engineer cash payments. While the use of cash imposes numerous invisible costs on the economy, numerous security and consumer acceptance issues prevent its immediate replacement. After analyzing the economics of the proposed Mondex electronic cash system, including suggesting sources of gain for multiple channel members, we conclude that the m...

Hereditary channelopathies, that is, mutations in channel genes that alter channel function and are causal for the pathogenesis of the disease, have been described for several members of the transient receptor potential channel family. Mutations in the TRPV4 gene, encoding a polymodal Ca(2+) permeable channel, are causative for several human diseases, which affect the skeletal system and the pe...

Background: TMEM16A and 16B work as Cl-channel, while 16F works as phospholipid-scramblase. Function of other TMEM16 members is unknown. Results: Using TMEM16F cells, TMEM16C, 16D, 16F, 16G and 16J were shown to be lipid scramblases. Conclusion: Some TMEM16 members are divided into two Cl-channels and five lipid-scramblases. Significance: Learning biochemical function of TMEM16 family members i...

Voltage-gated Na(+) channels play important functional roles in the generation of electrical excitability in most vertebrate and invertebrate species. These channels are members of a superfamily that includes voltage-gated K(+), voltage-gated Ca(2+) and cyclic-nucleotide-gated channels. There are nine genes encoding voltage-gated Na(+) channels in mammals, with a tenth homologous gene that has ...

The DEG/ENaC (Degenerin/Epithelial Sodium Channel) protein family comprises related ion channel subunits from all metazoans, including humans. Members of this protein family play roles in several important biological processes such as transduction of mechanical stimuli, sodium re-absorption and blood pressure regulation. Several blocks of amino acid sequence are conserved in DEG/ENaC proteins, ...

TRP channel proteins constitute a large and diverse family of proteins that are expressed in many tissues and cell types. This family was designated TRP because of a spontaneously occurring Drosophila mutant lacking TRP that responded to a continuous light with a transient receptor potential (hence TRP). In addition to responses to light, TRPs mediate responses to nerve growth factor, pheromone...

using of nanofluids and ducts with corrugated walls are both supposed to enhance heat transfer, by increasing the heat transfer fluid conductivity and the heat transfer area respectively. use of a diverging duct with a jet at inlet section may further increase heat transfer by creating recirculation zones inside the duct. in this work two-dimensional incompressible laminar flow of a nanofluid e...

We consider a decentralized two-period supply chain in which a manufacturer produces a product and sells it through a retailer facing a price-dependent demand. We assume that the secondperiod production cost declines linearly in the first-period production, but with a random learning rate. As the mean and/or the standard deviation of the learning rate increase, the traditional double marginaliz...

TRP (transient receptor potential) channels respond to a plethora of stimuli in a fine-tuned manner. We show here that both membrane potential and the level of PI (phosphatidylinositol) phosphates are efficient regulators of TRP channel gating. Recent work has shown that this regulation applies to several members of the TRPV (TRP vanilloid) subfamily (TRPV1 and TRPV5) and the TRPM (TRP melastat...