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We find no evidence for stable oligomers of RHBDL2 in giant plasma membrane vesicles of human cells even at concentrations that highly exceed endogenous expression levels. This indicates that the rhomboid transmembrane core is intrinsically monomeric. Our findings will find use in the application of FRET and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy for the analysis of oligomerization of transmembrane proteins in cell-derived lipid membranes. Laurdan fluorescence, novel spectral fitting, and dynamic light scattering were combined to determine lateral lipid organization in mixed lipid membranes of the oxidized lipid, 1-palmitoyl-2-glutaryl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PGPC), and each of the three bilayer lipids, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC). Second harmonic spectra were computed to determine the number of elementary emissions present. All mixtures indicated two emissions. Accordingly, spectra were fit to two log-normal distributions. Changes with PGPC mole fraction, XPGPC, of the area of the shorter wavelength line and of dynamic light scattering-derived aggregate sizes show that DPPC and PGPC form component-separated mixed vesicles for XPGPC ≤ 0.2 and coexisting vesicles and micelles for XPGPC > 0.2 in gel and liquid-ordered phases and for all XPGPC in the liquid-disordered phase; POPC and PGPC form randomly mixed vesicles for XPGPC ≤ 0.2 and component-separated mixed vesicles for XPGPC > 0.2. DOPC and PGPC separate into vesicles and micelles. check details Component segregation is due to unstable inhomogeneous membrane curvature stemming from lipid-specific intrinsic curvature differences between mixing molecules. PGPC is inverse cone-shaped because its truncated tail with a terminal polar group points into the interface. It is similar to and mixes with POPC, also an inverse cone because of mobility of its unsaturated tail. PGPC is least similar to DOPC because mobilities of both unsaturated tails confer a cone shape to DOPC, and PGPC separates form DOPC. DPPC and PGPC do not mix in the liquid-disordered phase because mobility of both tails in this phase renders DPPC a cone. DPPC is a cylinder in the gel phase and of moderate similarity to PGPC and mixes moderately with PGPC. Cerumen was found to be a promising alternative specimen for the detection of drugs. In a pilot study, drugs of abuse were identified at a higher detection rate and a longer detection window in cerumen than in urine. In this study, cerumen from subjects was analyzed after they ingested the designer stimulant 4-fluoroamphetamine (4-FA) in a controlled manner. METHODS Twelve subjects ingested placebo and 100 mg of 4-FA. Five of them were also given 150 mg of 4-FA in 150 mL Royal Club bitter lemon drink at least after 7 days. Cerumen was sampled using cotton swabs at baseline, 1 h after the ingestion of the drug and at the end of the study day (12 h). After extraction with ethyl acetate followed by solid-phase extraction, the extracts were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In the cerumen of all 12 subjects, 4-FA was detected 12 h after its ingestion; in most subjects, cerumen was detected after 1 h of ingestion, ranging from 0.06 to 13.90 (median 1.52) ng per swab. The detection of 4-FA in cerumen sampled 7 days or more after the first dose suggested a long detection window of cerumen. CONCLUSIONS Cerumen can be successfully used to detect a single drug ingestion even immediately after the ingestion when a sufficient amount of cerumen is used. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Venoms were first identified as potential doping agents by the racing industry in 2007 when three vials of cobra venom were seized during an inspection of a stable at Keeneland Racecourse in the USA. Venoms are a complex mixture of proteins, peptides, and other substances with a wide range of biological effects, including inhibiting the transmission of nervous and muscular impulses. As an example of this, cobratoxin, an α-neurotoxin found in cobra venom, is claimed to be an effective treatment for pain. Recent analysis of seized samples identified venom from two different species of snake. Proteomic analysis identified the first sample as cobra venom, while the second sample, in a vial labeled "Conotoxin", was identified as venom from a many banded krait. Cobratoxin, conotoxins, and bungarotoxins (a component of krait venom) are all α-neurotoxins, suggesting a common application for all three venom proteins as potential pain blocking medications. Using a peptide based on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, a one-step affinity purification method was developed for the detection of α-neurotoxins in plasma. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.EMM Following Italy, many other European countries and the USA are implementing various degrees of quarantine/social distancing to slow down the spread of the virus. Are drastic lockdown measures as applied in Huabei better than enforced social distancing to halt COVID-19? Are these measures applied too late to have optimal impact? What would it take for other countries to escape the dramatic escalation we see in Italy or the USA? This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has been approved by the FDA as a general anesthetic because of its rapid onset and high potency. However, since 2013 an opioid epidemic involving fentanyl or fentanyl-related compounds (FRCs) has swept the United States and caused numerous deaths in every state. The identification of novel FRCs is complicated by the rapid turnover of modifications to the core fentanyl structure. In this study, a series of 16 FRCs were analyzed using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) to gain a deeper understanding of the conserved and unique fragmentation behaviors associated with substitution to the core fentanyl structure. This work provides an approach, based on the product ions from ESI-MS/MS, to identify the modification site(s) on the core fentanyl structure for FRCs. Five common locations of substitution to the core fentanyl structure were used to assess the effect of substitution on the fragmentation behavior of FRCs. The proposed fragmentation pathways are supported through the combination of isotopic labeling, multi-stage mass spectrometry (MSn ), and accurate mass measurements with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS).