Ca2+ monitoring in Plasmodium falciparum using the yellow cameleon-Nano biosensor

Calcium (Ca2+)-mediated signaling is a conserved mechanism in eukaryotes, including the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Due to its small size (300?nM). We determined that the mammalian SERCA inhibitor thapsigargin and antimalarial dihydroartemisinin did not perturb SERCA activity. The change of the cytosolic Ca2+ level in P. falciparum was additionally detectable by flow cytometry. Thus, we propose that the developed YC-Nano-based system is useful to study Ca2+ signaling in P. falciparum and is applicable for drug screening.We are grateful to Japanese Red Cross Blood Society for providing human RBC and plasma. We also thank Tanaka R, Ogoshi (Sakura) M and Matsumoto N for technical assistance and Templeton TJ for critical reading. This study was conducted at the Joint Usage / Research Center on Tropical Disease, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Japan. KP was a Tokyo Biochemical Research Foundation (TBRF, http://www.tokyobrf.or.jp) post-doctoral fellow and PEF was a Japanese Society of Promotion Sciences (JSPS) post-doctoral fellow. This work was supported in part by the TBRF (K.P.), JSPS (P.E.F.), Takeda Science Foundation (K.Y.), Grants-in-Aids for Scientific Research 24590509 (K.Y.), 22390079 (O.K.), and for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas 23117008 (O.K.), MEXT, Japan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

New method to characterize a machining system: application in turning

Many studies simulates the machining process by using a single degree of freedom spring-mass sytem to model the tool stiffness, or the workpiece stiffness, or the unit tool-workpiece stiffness in modelings 2D. Others impose the tool action, or use more or less complex modelings of the efforts applied by the tool taking account the tool geometry. Thus, all these models remain two-dimensional or sometimes partially three-dimensional. This paper aims at developing an experimental method allowing to determine accurately the real three-dimensional behaviour of a machining system (machine tool, cutting tool, tool-holder and associated system of force metrology six-component dynamometer). In the work-space model of machining, a new experimental procedure is implemented to determine the machining system elastic behaviour. An experimental study of machining system is presented. We propose a machining system static characterization. A decomposition in two distinct blocks of the system "Workpiece-Tool-Machine" is realized. The block Tool and the block Workpiece are studied and characterized separately by matrix stiffness and displacement (three translations and three rotations). The Castigliano's theory allows us to calculate the total stiffness matrix and the total displacement matrix. A stiffness center point and a plan of tool tip static displacement are presented in agreement with the turning machining dynamic model and especially during the self induced vibration. These results are necessary to have a good three-dimensional machining system dynamic characterization