Direct imaging of ROS-activated fluorescence showed that UVC irradiation caused a significant increase in endogenous ROS levels in the larval body wall and transgenic overexpression of antioxidant enzymes strongly suppressed the UVC-induced writhing response. Direct electrophysiological recordings demonstrated that UVC irradiation also increased neuronal activity of the mdIV

neurons. Conclusions: Results obtained using UVC irradiation to induce ROS generation provide evidence that UVC-induced writhing behavior is mediated by endogenous production of ROS capable of IPI-145 cost activating mdIV mechanonociceptors in the larval body wall.”
“Objective: Aclidinium bromide is a novel antimuscarinic being developed for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The objective of this Phase I study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) as well as the tolerability, safety and pharmacokinetics of aclidinium in healthy subjects.

Materials and methods: 16 healthy Subjects were randomized to receive 5 single ascending doses of aclidinium 600 – 6,000 mu g or placebo inhaled via dry powder inhaler, with 7 day washouts. Safety measurements included adverse events (AEs), physical examination, vital signs, pupillometry examination, clinical laboratory tests, and 12-lead electrocardiogram. Pharmacokinetic parameters of aclidinium and its metabolites Thiazovivin supplier were assessed. Results: The incidence of AEs was comparable between aclidinium and placebo at all doses. Most AEs were CA4P solubility dmso mild to moderate with no dose-related or anticholinergic/cardiac AEs. At doses >= 2,400 mu g. only 13 AEs were considered treatment related. Aclidinium (600 – 6,000 mu g) did not produce function-limiting or severe AEs in >= 50% of subjects; hence, the prospectively-defined MTD was not established. Aclidiniurn was rapidly converted in plasma into alcohol and carboxylic acid metabolites, and was no longer detectable after 3 hours post-dose for all doses. At lower doses, aclidinium was quantifiable only up to 1 hour post-dose in the majority Of Subjects. Maximum plasma concentrations

for aclidinium were reached within 5 – 7 minutes (all doses) and declined rapidly. Mean elimination half-lives of aclidinium > 2,400 mu g were approximately 1 hour. AUC and C(max) increased proportionately up to 4,800 mu g. Conclusions: Aclidiniurn appears to be safe and well tolerated in single doses of 600 – 6,000 mu g.”
“For trans-uranium elements, stable atomic isobars do not exist. In order to provide isobaric reference ions for the mass measurement of trans-uranium elements, an electrospray ion source (ESI) was combined with an rf-carpet to collect molecular ions efficiently. The rf-carpet allows for simplification of the pumping system to transport ions from the ESI to a precision mass analyzer.

Objective: To update and assess the utilization of interventional techniques in chronic pain management in fee-for-service Medicare population. Study Design: An updated analysis of the growth of interventional techniques in managing chronic pain in fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries from 2000 through 2013. Methods: The data were derived and analyzed utilizing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Supplier Procedure Summary Master Data from 2000 through 2013. Results: From 2000 through 2013, in fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, the overall utilization of interventional techniques services increased 236%

at an annual average growth of 9.8%, whereas the per 100,000 Medicare population utilization increased 156% with an annual average growth AZD6244 of 7.5%. During this period, the US population increased 12% with an annual average increase of 0.9%, whereas those above 65 years of age increased 27% with an annual average increase of 1.9%.

Total Medicare beneficiaries increased 31% with an annual average increase of 2.1%, with an overall increase of 64% for those above 65 years of age, an increase of 26%, constituting 17% of the US population in 2013. The overall Selleckchem Sapanisertib increases in epidural and adhesiolysis procedures were 165% compared to 102% per 100,000 fee-for-service population with annual average increases of 7.8% and 5.6%. Facet joint and sacroiliac joint injections

increased 417% for services with an annual average increase of 13.5%, whereas the rate per 100,000 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries increased 295% with an annual average increase check details of 11.1%. Limitations: Limitations of this assessment include the lack of inclusion of participants from Medicare Advantage plans, lack of appropriate available data for state-wide utilization, and potential errors in documentation, coding, and billing. Conclusion: This update once again shows a significant increase in interventional techniques in fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries from 2000 through 2013 with an increase of 156% per 100,000 Medicare population with an annual average increase of 7.5%. During this period the Medicare population increased 31% with an annual average increase of 2.1%.”
“Stress-induced release or central administration of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) enhances locomotion in a wide range of vertebrates, including the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa. Although CRF’s stimulatory actions on locomotor behavior are well established, the target neurons through which CRF exerts this effect remain unknown. To identify these target neurons, we utilized a fluorescent conjugate of CRF (CRF-TAMRA 1) to track this peptide’s internalization into reticulospinal and other neurons in the medullary reticular formation (MRF), a region critically involved in regulating locomotion.

3 +/- 0.3 parts per thousand). This may have been due to microbial processes or increased algal respiration rates in the experimental containers, which may not affect Daphnia in natural environments. There was no significant difference in the offset between delta O-18 and delta N-15 values of ephippia and Daphnia between the 12 and 20 A degrees C treatments, but the delta O-18 values of Daphnia

and ephippia were on average 1.2 parts per thousand lower at 20 A degrees C than at 12 A degrees C. We conclude that the stable isotopic composition of Daphnia check details ephippia provides information on that of the parent Daphnia and of the food and water they were exposed to, with small offsets between Daphnia and ephippia relative to variations in Daphnia stable isotopic composition reported from downcore studies. However, our experiments also indicate that temperature may have a minor influence on the delta C-13, delta

N-15 and delta O-18 values of Daphnia body tissue and ephippia. This aspect deserves attention in further controlled experiments.”
“In 2004 the British Cardiac Society redefined myocardial infarction by cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration: <= 0.06 mu g/L (unstable angina), >0.06 to <0.5 mu g/L (myocardial necrosis), and >= 0.5 mu g/L (myocardial infarction). We investigated the effects of this classification on all-cause mortality in 1,285 patients from the Evaluation of the Methods and Management

of Acute Coronary Events (EMMACE)-2 registry. There were 528 deaths CP-868596 clinical trial (6.6-year all-cause mortality 41.1%). Survival was greatest in the cTnI <= 0.06-mu g/L subgroup at 30 days (p = 0.005), 6 months (p = 0.015), 1 year (p = 0.002), and 6.6 years (p = 0.045). After adjustment there was no significant difference in survival between the cTnI >0.06- to <0.5-mu g/L and >= 0.5-mu g/L subgroups. Increased mortality (hazard ratio, 95% confidence interval) was associated with ages 70 to 80 years click here (2.58, 1.17 to 3.91) and >80 years (3.30, 3.50 to 5.06), peripheral vascular disease (1.50, 1.16 to 1.94), heart failure (1.36, 1.05 to 1.83), diabetes mellitus (1.68, 1.36 to 2.07), severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction (1.50, 1.00 to 2.21), and creatinine per 10 mu mol/L (1.65, 1.02 to 1.08), whereas ages 50 to 60 years (0.55, 0.32 to 0.96), beta blockers (0.53, 0.44 to 0.64), aspirin (0.80 0.65 to 0.99), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (0.67, 0.56 to 0.80), statins (0.73, 0.59 to 0.90), and revascularization (0.33, 0.12 to 0.92) were associated with a lower risk of death. In conclusion, although quantitative evaluation of cTnI concentration in patients with acute coronary syndrome with cTnI >0.

1 MW at 46% efficiency and 96% Gaussian mode purity. A new power record of second harmonic oscillation has been achieved in the subterahertz

band check details (83 kW/389 GHz/3 ms) in Japan for application to collective Thomson scattering diagnostics. A fundamental frequency 670-GHz gyrotron with pulsed magnet generated 210 kW in 20-30-mu s pulses at 20% efficiency (collaboration of institutions in Russia and USA).”
“Dual specificity phosphatase (DSP) 18 and 21 are members of a poorly understood subfamily of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP) that are unique in their ability to dephosphorylate both phosphotyrosine and phosphoserine/threonine residues in vitro. Because of the difficulty in identifying substrate specificity, determining subcellular localization can help to resolve biological function of these phosphatases. DSP18 and DSP21 are targeted to mitochondria by internal localization signals. Surprisingly, DSP18 and DSP21 are both peripherally associated with the mitochondrial inner membrane, however, DSP18 is oriented toward click here the intermembrane space while DSP21 is facing the matrix compartment. This chapter describes methodology for purification of recombinant protein and demonstration of phosphatase activity, for mitochondrial purification and subfractionation of mitochondria to determine submitochondrial

localization and for determining membrane orientation and strength of membrane association.”
“Aberrant methylation of Nr4a3 exon 3 CpG

island (CpGi) was initially identified during multistep mouse skin carcinogenesis. Nr4a3 is also known as a critical gene for neuronal development. Thus, we examined the Nr4a3 exon 3 CpGi methylation in mouse brain tissues from 15-day embryos, newborns and 12-week-old adults and found significant increase of its methylation and Tariquidar Transmembrane Transporters inhibitor Nr4a3 expression during mouse brain development after birth. In addition, homologous region in human genome was frequently and aberrantly methylated in neuroblastoma specimens. A quantitative analysis of DNA methylation revealed that hypomethylation of CpG islands on NR4A3 exon 3, but not on exon 1 was identified in three neuroblastomas compared with matched adrenal glands. Additional analysis for 20 neuroblastoma patients was performed and 8 of 20 showed hypomethylation of the CpGi on NR4A3 exon 3. The survival rate of those 8 patients was significantly lower compared with those in patients with hypermethylation. Immunohistochemical NR4A3 expression was generally faint in neuroblastoma tissues compared with normal tissues. Moreover, the MYCN amplified NB9 cell line showed hypomethylation and low expression of NR4A3, while the non-MYCN amplified NB69 cell line showed hypermethylation and high expression. These results indicate that DNA hypomethylation of the CpGi at NR4A3 exon 3 is associated with low NR4A3 expression, and correlates with poor prognosis of neuroblastoma.

During screening for T-DNA insertion mutants in the plNAD-MDH gene of Arabidopsis, only heterozygous plants could be isolated and homozygous knockout mutants grew only after complementation. These heterozygous plants show higher transcript levels of an alternative NAD(+)-regenerating enzyme, NADH-GOGAT, and, remarkably, improved growth when ammonium is the sole N-source.

In situ hybridization and GUS-histochemical staining revealed that plNAD-MDH was particularly abundant in male and female gametophytes. Knockout plNAD-MDH pollen exhibit impaired tube growth in vitro, which can be overcome by adding the substrates of NADH-GOGAT. In vivo, knockout pollen is able to fertilize the egg cell. Young siliques of selfed heterozygous plants contain both green and Androgen Receptor signaling pathway Antagonists white seeds corresponding to wild-type/heterozygous (green) and homozygous knockout mutants (white) in a (1:2):1 ratio. Embryos of the homozygous knockout LY3039478 seeds only reached the globular stage, did not green, and developed to tiny wrinkled seeds. Complementation with the gene under the native promoter rescued this defect, and all seeds developed as wild-type. This suggests that a blocked major physiological process in plNAD-MDH

mutants stops both embryo and endosperm development, thus avoiding assimilate investment in compromised offspring.”
“Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, including Huntington’s disease, are neurodegenerative disorders associated with the abnormal expansion of a polyQ tract within nine proteins. The polyQ expansion is thought to be a major determinant in the development of neurotoxicity, triggering protein aggregation into amyloid fibrils, although non-polyQ regions play a modulating role. In this work, we investigate the relative importance of the https://www.selleckchem.com/products/qnz-evp4593.html polyQ length, its location within a host protein, and the

conformational state of the latter in the amyloid fibril elongation. Model polyQ proteins made of the beta-lactamase BlaP containing up to 79Q inserted at two different positions, and quartz crystal microbalance and atomic force microscopy were used for this purpose. We demonstrate that, independently of the polyQ tract location and the conformational state of the host protein, the relative elongation rate of fibrils increases linearly with the polyQ length. The slope of the linear fit is similar for both sets of chimeras (i.e., the elongation rate increases by similar to 1.9% for each additional glutamine), and is also similar to that previously observed for polyQ peptides. The elongation rate is, however, strongly influenced by the location of the polyQ tract within BlaP and the conformational state of BlaP. Moreover, comparison of our results with those previously reported for aggregation in solution indicates that these two parameters also modulate the ability of BlaP-polyQ chimeras to form the aggregation nucleus.

Moreover, it is a useful, simple and low-cost

alternative method for monitoring the quality of this medicine.”
“Raman spectroscopy has been used to study the arsenate minerals haidingerite Ca(AsO3OH)center dot H2O and brassite Mg(AsO3OH)center dot 4H(2)O. Intense Raman bands in the haidingerite spectrum observed at 745 and 855 cm(-1) are assigned to the (AsO3OH)(2-) (nu 3) antisymmetric stretching and (nu 1) symmetric stretching vibrational modes. For brassite, two similarly assigned intense bands are found at 809 and 862 cm(-1). The observation of multiple Raman bands in the (AsO3OH)(2-) stretching and bending regions suggests that the arsenate tetrahedrons in the crystal structures of both minerals studied are strongly distorted. Broad Raman bands observed at 2842 cm(-1) for haidingerite and 3035 cm(-1) Citarinostat ic50 for brassite indicate strong hydrogen bonding of water PFTα Apoptosis inhibitor molecules in the structure of these minerals. OH center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen-bond lengths were calculated from the Raman spectra based on empirical relations. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.”
“Objective: Moderate-to-severe psoriasis is a chronic skin condition

that often requires systemic therapy and biologics are the newest systemic treatment available. A favorable aspect of biologics is that they are thought to have minimal risks for drug-drug interactions compared to oral systemic medications such as cyclosporine and methotrexate. However, this assumption has not been recently or adequately reviewed. We reviewed the literature

to identify possible drug-drug interactions with biologics and other medications. Methods: We searched PubMed for published case reports, clinical studies, reviews, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labels discussing possible drug-drug interactions with biologics for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Results: There were only a small number of published articles describing drug-drug interactions with biologics. selleck inhibitor Our review identified two case reports, five clinical studies, and three pharmacokinetics reviews. The majority of articles did not observe clinically relevant drug-drug interactions with biologics. FDA labels do suggest a possible relationship between tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors and cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity. Conclusion: The paucity of information regarding drug-drug interactions reaffirms the idea that biologics have limited susceptibility to drug-drug interactions compared to other oral medications. Further studies are needed to adequately assess drug-drug interactions with biologics.”
“The ability to inhibit expression of a mutant allele while retaining expression of a wildtype protein might provide a useful approach to treating Huntington’s Disease (HD) and other inherited pathologies. The mutant form of huntingtin (HTT), the protein responsible for HD, is encoded by an mRNA containing an expanded CAG repeat.

For example Bacteroidetes, Frankineae and Propionibacterineae were detected only in the endosome, whereas Cyanobacteria, Planctomycetacia and Micrococcineae were only associated with the cortex. Some branches of alpha-Proteobacteria, gamma-Proteobacteria, Corynebacterineae, Acidimicobidae, Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota also showed distribution difference. Bacterial denitrifiers and ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were observed using nirS and amoA genes as markers. Particularly, AOB were

only associated with the endosome. This study highlighted the spatial distribution of bacterial symbionts especially those with ammonia oxidization function.”
“A stereoselective Nutlin-3 total synthesis of (-)-kumausallene was completed in 12 steps from acetylacetone. The hidden symmetry of (-)-kumausallene was recognized, and its skeleton was constructed efficiently from a C(2)-symmetric diol by a palladium-catalyzed cascade reaction. High diastereoselectivity AZD4547 was observed for the DMF-promoted biomimetic 1,4-bromocyclization of a conjugated enyne.”
“Genetic resources available for Arabidopsis thaliana make this species particularly attractive as a model for molecular genetic studies of guard cell homeostasis, transport and signalling, but this facility is not matched by accessible tools for quantitative analysis of transport in the intact cell. We have

developed a reliable set of procedures for voltage clamp analysis of guard cells from Arabidopsis leaves. These procedures greatly simplify electrophysiological recordings, extending the duration of measurements and scope for analysis of the predominant K+ and anion channels of intact stomatal guard cells to that achieved previously in work with Vicia and tobacco guard cells.”
“Heat stress decreases natural immunity making cows more vulnerable to diseases. A previous study reported that daidzein can enhance animal resistance to heat stress and regulate

animal immunocompetence. However, it is unclear whether daidzein regulates the immune performance of late lactation cows under heat stress. Liproxstatin-1 In this study, late lactation cows in four groups were raised in hot weather and fed with basic diet, basic diet plus 200, 300, 400mg/day daidzein, respectively, and the experimental period was 60 days. Blood was collected to examine the changes of serum total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), immunoglobulin G (IgG), interferon alpha (IFN-), and interleukin-2 (IL-2). We found the levels of serum IgG and INF- were significantly higher in late lactation cows after 300 and 400mg/day daidzein treatment compared to those in the control group and 200mg/day daidzein treatment (P smaller than 0.05 or P smaller than 0.01). Moreover, 300 and 400mg/day daidzein treatment markedly increased serum IL-2 (P smaller than 0.01), while the levels of serum TP and ALB were not changed by any concentration of daidzein treatment (P bigger than 0.05).

, with low corporal condition relative to other fish present in the culture system, were sampled from a freshwater recirculation pisciculture located in Chile. The most characteristic signs and lesions were cachexia and presence of multiple greyish-white granulomas within internal organs. The external and internal lesions, along with the microscopic, histologic and biochemical

findings, were consistent with mycobacteriosis. The identification of Mycobacterium salmoniphilum as the causal agent of the lesions was possible through the use of molecular analyses. This study represents the first report of Mycobacterium salmoniphilum in a freshwater recirculation system Selleckchem MEK inhibitor and the first case of fish mycobacteriosis described in Chile.”
“Objective: Chronic infections tend to induce the production of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA). Infective endocarditis (IE) has been reported to exhibit positive ANCA tests and to mimic ANCA-associated vasculitis, which may lead to a misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. The aim of this study was to clarify whether there is any difference in the clinical GSK461364 features between ANCA-positive IE and ANCA-negative IE. Methods: A retrospective

study was carried out on 39 IE patients whose proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA and myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA levels were measured. After dividing the patients into ANCA-positive and ANCA-negative IE, we compared their clinical features. Results: we compared 13 ANCA-positive IE patients with 26 ANCA-negative IE patients. All 13 ANCA-positive IE patients were proteinase-3-ANCA positive. Compared with the ANCA-negative IE group, the prevalence of edema of the lower extremities, the serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level and positive blood cultures rate were higher in ANCA-positive IE group, but there was no significant difference in other clinical JNK phosphorylation features. Conclusion: Therefore, if a patient presents with fever, arthralgia, skin rash and is ANCA-positive, appropriate steps should be taken to exclude infection (especially IE)

before confirming the diagnosis of ANCA-associated vasculitis and embarking on long-term immunosuppressive therapy.”
“The adhesion receptor CD44 plays an important role in the survival and retention of leukemic stem/progenitor cells (LSPC) within the bone marrow (BM) niche, as well as in the high relapse rates of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Down-regulating CD44 could be clinically relevant not only for suppression of the deregulated function of LSPC but also in LSPC response to chemotherapeutic agents. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery is a promising approach for AML treatment, and we recently reported effective siRNA delivery into difficult-to-transfect AML cell lines using lipid-substituted polyethylenimine/siRNA complexes (polymeric nanoparticles). In this study, we investigated polymeric nanoparticle-mediated silencing of CD44 in CD34(+) LSPC cell models (leukemic KG-1 and KG-1a cell lines) as well as primary AML cells.

\n\nConclusion: The demonstrated resistance to the tested antibiotics might not play a dominant role for an intestinal colonization success in pigs in the absence of antimicrobial drugs, or cross-selection of other colonization factors e. g. virulence associated genes might compensate Fosbretabulin “the cost of antibiotic resistance”. Nevertheless, resistant strains are not outcompeted by susceptible bacteria in the porcine intestine.\n\nTrial Registration: The study was approved by the local animal welfare committee of the “Landesamt fur Arbeitsschutz, Gesundheitsschutz und technische Sicherheit” Berlin, Germany (No. G0037/02).”
“Aims: Pigment Epithelium

Derived Factor (PEDF) is a multifunctional factor, which was found in mouse ovary and in human ovarian follicular fluid (FF). Its ovarian functions include anti-angiogenic actions. This study aimed to explore other PEDF-actions and the sites of PEDF expression in the human ovary. Materials see more and methods: We used paraffin-embedded human ovarian sections for PEDF-immunohistochemistry and IVF-derived human granulosa cells (GCs) for RT-PCR, Western blotting and functional studies, including measurement of cell viability (ATP-assay), apoptosis (caspase-assay) and reactive oxygen species

(ROS). Key findings: Immunohistochemistry revealed PEDF in the cytoplasm of GCs of avascular follicles from the preantral to the antral stage and in FF. PEDF was also found in luteinized GCs of the highly vascularized corpus luteum, a result not in line with a sole anti-angiogenic action. Like GCs in vivo, cultured human luteinizing GCs express PEDF. They also responded to exogenous recombinant PEDF. In low concentrations PEDF did not affect cell viability but caused generation ROS. ROS-induction by PEDF was a concentration-dependent

process and may be due to the activity of NADPH oxidase (NOX) type 4 and/or 5, which as we found are expressed by GCs. An antioxidant and apocynin, which inhibits NOX, blocked ROS generation. High levels of exogenous recombinant PEDF induced apoptosis of GCs, PF-00299804 mouse which was prevented by antioxidants, implying involvement of ROS. Significance: PEDF is emerging as an ovarian factor, which has unexpected ROS-augmenting activities in the human ovary. It may be involved in ovarian ROS homeostasis and may contribute to oxidative stress. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“The paradigm of competitive males vying to influence female mate choice has been repeatedly upheld, but, increasingly, studies also report competitive females and choosy males. One female trait that is commonly proposed to influence male mate choice is the exaggerated sexual swelling displayed by females of many Old World primate species. The reliable indicator hypothesis posits that females use the exaggerated swellings to compete for access to mates, and that the swellings advertise variation in female fitness.

77% in terms of compression ratio.”
“Background: The present cross-sectional study evaluates the utility of the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) over conventional nutritional indices for nutritional assessment. It also assesses the impact of various socio-economic and demographic factors on the CIAF.\n\nSubjects and methods: Height, weight, find more age, socio-economic and demographic data were recorded from 3444 children (1682 boys; 1762 girls)

aged 1-12 years and residing in Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India. The conventional anthropometric indices and CIAF were compared with the NCHS reference data to assess prevalence of under-nutrition. A multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the impact of different socio-economic and demographic variables on

the CIAF.\n\nResults: Prevalence of under-nutrition was observed to be 21.5% (wasting), 43.3% (stunting) and 52.0% (underweight). This increased to 63.6% using the CIAF. The multinomial logistic regression odds showed that children suffering from double and multiple failures were significantly associated with the socio-economic and demographic variables.\n\nConclusion: The CIAF provides more precision in identifying the nutritionally vulnerable segment of the population. The disaggregation of CIAF has an adequate potential to enhance the efficacy of a nutritional intervention programme by identifying double or multiple failures.”
“The study of mechanisms by which animals tolerate environmental see more extremes may provide strategies for preservation of living Evofosfamide mammalian materials. Animals employ a variety of compounds to enhance their survival, including production of disaccharides, glycerol, and antifreeze compounds. The cryoprotectant glycerol was discovered before its role in amphibian survival. In the last decade, trehalose has made an impact on freezing and drying methods for mammalian cells. Investigation of disaccharides was stimulated by the variety of

organisms that tolerate dehydration stress by accumulation of disaccharides. Several methods have been developed for the loading of trehalose into mammalian cells, including inducing membrane lipid-phase transitions, genetically engineered pores, endocytosis, and prolonged cell culture with trehalose. In contrast, the many antifreeze proteins (AFPs) identified in a variety of organisms have had little impact. The first AFPs to be discovered were found in cold water fish; their AFPs have not found a medical application. Insect AFPs function by similar mechanisms, but they are more active and recombinant AFPs may offer the best opportunity for success in medical applications. For example, in contrast to fish AFPs, transgenic organisms expressing insect AFPs exhibit reduced ice nucleation.