Chaminade University of Honolulu

About: Chaminade University of Honolulu is a education organization based out in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Experiential learning. The organization has 164 authors who have published 223 publications receiving 5381 citations.

Genomic analysis reveals key aspects of prokaryotic symbiosis in the phototrophic consortium “Chlorochromatium aggregatum”

Abstract: ‘Chlorochromatium aggregatum’ is a phototrophic consortium, a symbiosis that may represent the highest degree of mutual interdependence between two unrelated bacteria not associated with a eukaryotic host. ‘Chlorochromatium aggregatum’ is a motile, barrel-shaped aggregate formed from a single cell of ‘Candidatus Symbiobacter mobilis”, a polarly flagellated, non-pigmented, heterotrophic bacterium, which is surrounded by approximately 15 epibiont cells of Chlorobium chlorochromatii, a non-motile photolithoautotrophic green sulfur bacterium. We analyzed the complete genome sequences of both organisms to understand the basis for this symbiosis. Chl. chlorochromatii has acquired relatively few symbiosis-specific genes; most acquired genes are predicted to modify the cell wall or function in cell-cell adhesion. In striking contrast, ‘Ca. S. mobilis’ appears to have undergone massive gene loss, is probably no longer capable of independent growth, and thus may only reproduce when consortia divide. A detailed model for the energetic and metabolic bases of the dependency of ‘Ca. S. mobilis’ on Chl. chlorochromatii is described. Genomic analyses suggest that three types of interactions lead to a highly sophisticated relationship between these two organisms. Firstly, extensive metabolic exchange, involving carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur sources as well as vitamins, occurs from the epibiont to the central bacterium. Secondly, ‘Ca. S. mobilis’ can sense and move towards light and sulfide, resources that only directly benefit the epibiont. Thirdly, electron cycling mechanisms, particularly those mediated by quinones and potentially involving shared protonmotive force, could provide an important basis for energy exchange in this and other symbiotic relationships.

Cannabinoids, the Heart of the Matter

Abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a global epidemic representing the leading cause of death in some Western countries. According to the American Heart Association, a total of 92.1 million US citizens currently have ≥1 forms of CVD, with numbers expected to grow reaching up to 43.9% of the US population by 2030. In 2013, 17.3 million people (≈31% of all deaths) died due to CVD, and the number is expected to rise to at least 23.6 million in the next 15 years and cause an estimated economic burden of 1.0 trillion US dollars by 2030.1 Given its pathological and economic burden, there is a striking need for both mechanistic insights into CVD and the development of avenues for therapy. This review highlights the potential of cannabinoids and their receptors as targets for intervention. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is upregulated in cardiovascular disease states, and cannabinoids in general influence disease progression.2 Moreover, there are paradoxical indications as to whether therapies directed at the ECS, or exogenous drugs derived from marijuana, could have therapeutic impact in CVD. The recent changes in the legalization of cannabis for both medical and recreational use has made cannabis consumption almost as conventional as tobacco use (Hall et al). This makes understanding the long‐term effects of cannabis, whether harmful or beneficial, imperative. While acute adverse effects (impairment of memory, coordination and judgement) are widely accepted, most studies on long‐term use and effects have been inconclusive.3, 4, 5, 6, 7 These inconclusive results could possibly be due to the barriers in conducting cannabis research such as: access to the quality and quantity of cannabis needed for research as well as cannabis being classified as a Schedule 1 substance.7 Other difficulties of long‐term population studies also include separating tobacco users from marijuana users, as these two usually coincide. For example, recent publications from the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) cohort study concluded no significant association with neither marijuana use and CVD or atherosclerosis risk.5, 6 Furthermore, in the CARDIA study looking at the association of smoking marijuana to atherosclerosis, only the subjects that smoked both marijuana and were tobacco users showed an associated risk with subclinical atherosclerosis.6 Even with current challenges and knowledge gaps in cannabis research there has been some strong evidence for cannabis having therapeutic roles in treating everything from pain, and muscle spasms in multiple‐sclerosis patients, to reducing nausea in chemotherapy patients.7 This evidence, along with the knowledge of the ECS being upregulated in CVD, makes it an attractive therapeutic target for CVD. This literature begins by reviewing CVD, including the contributing pathologies within CVD, and current therapeutic approaches. That is followed by the review of the ECS and its physiological and pathological roles, and details the receptors involved in the ECS. Finally, we discuss the connection of CVD to the ECS and delve into the possible manipulations of these pathways that could be employed for future therapeutic approaches.

Trimedlure affects mating success and mate attraction in male Mediterranean fruit flies

Abstract: Male Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), are attracted to the synthetic compound trimedlure. Despite the common use of trimedlure in control programs, the underlying basis of male attraction remains unknown. In a series of laboratory trials, we compared the mating success of (treated) males exposed to trimedlure and (control) males not given access to trimedlure. When tested immediately after exposure, treated males mated more frequently than control males. This mating advantage was short-lived, however, and males tested as little as 24 h after exposure had no advantage over control males. When tested immediately after exposure, treated males exhibited higher levels of pheromone calling than control males. Consequently, more females were attracted to treated males than to control males in field tests.

Chaotic mélange: neo-liberalism and neo-statism in the age of Sino-capitalism

Abstract: Following the central themes of this special forum, this article aims to move beyond binary debates on how China relates to the hitherto dominant US-led liberal order. The most debated outcomes – s...