2-kW Average Power CW Phase-Conjugate Solid-State Laser

We have demonstrated stable operation of a 2-kW Yb:YAG phase-conjugate master oscillator power amplifier (PC-MOPA) laser system with a loop phase-conjugate mirror (LPCM). This is the first demonstration of a continuous wave (CW)-input LPCM MOPA operating at a power greater than 1 kW with a nearly diffraction-limited output beam. The single-pass beam quality incident on the LPCM varied with the specific operating conditions, but it was typically ${sim}20$ times diffraction-limited (XDL). The measured beam quality with an MOPA output power of 1.65 kW was 1.3 XDL

Baculovirus Infection Triggers a Shift from Amino Acid Starvation-Induced Autophagy to Apoptosis

Autophagy plays a central role in regulating important cellular functions such as cell survival during starvation and control of infectious pathogens. On the other hand, many pathogens have evolved mechanisms of inhibition of autophagy such as blockage of the formation of autophagosomes or the fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes. Baculoviruses are important insect pathogens for pest control, and autophagy activity increases significantly during insect metamorphosis. However, it is not clear whether baculovirus infection has effects on the increased autophagy. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) infection on autophagy in SL-HP cell line from Spodoptera litura induced under amino acid deprivation. The results revealed that AcMNPV infection did not inhibit autophagy but triggered apoptosis under starvation pressure. In the early stage of infection under starvation, mitochondrial dysfunction was detected, suggesting the organelles might be involved in cell apoptosis. The semi-quantitative PCR assay revealed that the expression of both p35 and ie-1 genes of AcMNPV had no significant difference between the starved and unstarved SL-HP cells. The western blot analysis showed that no cleavage of endogenous Atg6 occurred during the process of apoptosis in SL-HP cells. These data demonstrated that some permissive insect cells may defend baculovirus infection via apoptosis under starvation and apoptosis is independent of the cleavage of Atg6 in SL-HP cells

True concurrent management of multi-component applications

Complex applications orchestrate multiple components and services, which are independently managed by different teams (e.g., DevOps squads). As a consequence, various services may happen to be updated, reconfigured or redeployed concurrently, possibly yielding unexpected/undesired management effects. In this paper, we show how the true concurrent management of multi-component applications can be suitably modelled, analysed and automated, also in presence of faults

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field