The mutualistic fungus Piriformospora indica colonizes Arabidopsis roots by inducing an endoplasmic reticulum stress-triggered caspase-dependent cell death

In Arabidopsis thaliana roots, the mutualistic fungus Piriformospora indica initially colonizes living cells, which die as the colonization proceeds. We aimed to clarify the molecular basis of this colonization-associated cell death. Our cytological analyses revealed endoplasmic reticulum (ER) swelling and vacuolar collapse in invaded cells, indicative of ER stress and cell death during root colonization. Consistent with this, P. indica–colonized plants were hypersensitive to the ER stress inducer tunicamycin. By clear contrast, ER stress sensors bZIP60 and bZIP28 as well as canonical markers for the ER stress response pathway, termed the unfolded protein response (UPR), were suppressed at the same time. Arabidopsis mutants compromised in caspase 1–like activity, mediated by cell death–regulating vacuolar processing enzymes (VPEs), showed reduced colonization and decreased cell death incidence. We propose a previously unreported microbial invasion strategy during which P. indica induces ER stress but inhibits the adaptive UPR. This disturbance results in a VPE/caspase 1–like-mediated cell death, which is required for the establishment of the symbiosis. Our results suggest the presence of an at least partially conserved ER stress–induced caspase-dependent cell death pathway in plants as has been reported for metazoans

Thermoluminescence fading studies: Implications for long-duration space measurements in Low Earth Orbit

Within a 1.5 year comprehensive fading experiment several batches of LiF:Mg,Ti and LiF:Mg,Cu,P thermoluminescence detectors (TLDs) were studied. The TLDs originated from two manufacturers and were processed by three laboratories using different annealing and readout conditions. The TLDs were irradiated with two radiation modalities (gamma-rays and thermal neutrons) and were stored at two temperatures (-17.4C and +18.5C). The goal of the experiment was to verify the stability of TLDs in the context of their application in long-term measurements in space. The results revealed that the response of all TLDs is stable within 10% for the studied temperature range. No influence of the radiation type was found. These results indicate that for the properly oven-annealed LiF TLDs, fading is not a significant problem, even for measuring periods longer than a year

The ALTCRISS project on board the International Space Station

The Altcriss project aims to perform a long term survey of the radiation environment on board the International Space Station. Measurements are being performed with active and passive devices in different locations and orientations of the Russian segment of the station. The goal is to perform a detailed evaluation of the differences in particle fluence and nuclear composition due to different shielding material and attitude of the station. The Sileye-3/Alteino detector is used to identify nuclei up to Iron in the energy range above 60 MeV/n. Several passive dosimeters (TLDs, CR39) are also placed in the same location of Sileye-3 detector. Polyethylene shielding is periodically interposed in front of the detectors to evaluate the effectiveness of shielding on the nuclear component of the cosmic radiation. The project was submitted to ESA in reply to the AO in the Life and Physical Science of 2004 and data taking began in December 2005. Dosimeters and data cards are rotated every six months: up to now three launches of dosimeters and data cards have been performed and have been returned with the end of expedition 12 and 13.Comment: Accepted for publication on Advances in Space Research http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2007.04.03

Translations and dynamics

We analyze the role played by local translational symmetry in the context of gauge theories of fundamental interactions. Translational connections and fields are introduced, with special attention being paid to their universal coupling to other variables, as well as to their contributions to field equations and to conserved quantities.Comment: 22 Revtex pages, no figures. Published version with minor correction

Electromagnetic wave scattering by a superconductor

The interaction between radiation and superconductors is explored in this paper. In particular, the calculation of a plane standing wave scattered by an infinite cylindrical superconductor is performed by solving the Helmholtz equation in cylindrical coordinates. Numerical results computed up to $\mathcal{O}(77)$ of Bessel functions are presented for different wavelengths showing the appearance of a diffraction pattern.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure

Simulations of MATROSHKA experiments at ISS using PHITS

Concerns about the biological effects of space radiation are increasing rapidly due to the perspective of long-duration manned missions, both in relation to the International Space Station (ISS) and to manned interplanetary missions to Moon and Mars in the future. As a preparation for these long duration space missions it is important to ensure an excellent capability to evaluate the impact of space radiation on human health in order to secure the safety of the astronauts/cosmonauts and minimize their risks. It is therefore necessary to measure the radiation load on the personnel both inside and outside the space vehicles and certify that organ and tissue equivalent doses can be simulated as accurate as possible. In this paper we will present simulations using the three-dimensional Monte Carlo Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) of long term dose measurements performed with the ESA supported experiment MATROSHKA (MTR), which is an anthropomorphic phantom containing over 6000 radiation detectors, mimicking a human head and torso. The MTR experiment, led by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), was launched in January 2004 and has measured the absorbed dose from space radiation both inside and outside the ISS. In this paper preliminary comparisons of measurements outside the ISS will be presented. The results confirm previous calculations and measurements which indicate that PHITS is a suitable tool for estimations of dose received from cosmic radiation and when performing shielding design studies of spacecraft

Mutational Analysis in Pediatric Thyroid Cancer and Correlations with Age, Ethnicity, and Clinical Presentation.

BackgroundWell-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) incidence in pediatrics is rising, most being papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of different mutations in pediatric WDTC and correlate the genotype with the clinical phenotype.MethodsThis is a single-center retrospective study. Thyroid tissue blocks from 42 consecutive pediatric WDTC patients who underwent thyroidectomy between 2001 and 2013 were analyzed at Quest Diagnostics for BRAF(V600E), RAS mutations (N,K,H), and RET/PTC and PAX8/PPARγ rearrangements, using validated molecular methods. Thyroid carcinomas included PTC, follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), and follicular variant of PTC (FVPTC).ResultsThirty-nine samples (29 females) were genotyped. The mean age at diagnosis was 14.7 years (range 7.9-18.4 years), and most were Hispanic (56.4%) or Caucasian (35.9%). The mean follow-up period was 2.9 years. Mutations were noted in 21/39 (53.8%), with both BRAF(V600E) (n = 9), and RET/PTC (n = 6) detected only in PTC. Mutations were detected in 2/5 FTC (PAX8/PPARγ and NRAS) and 3/6 FVPTC cases (PAX8/PPARγ). Of 28 PTC patients, 57.1% had mutations: 32.1% with BRAF(V600E), 21.4% with RET/PTC, and 3.6% with NRAS. Of patients with BRAF(V600E), 77.8% were Hispanic and 88.9% were >15 years, while all RET/PTC-positive patients were ≤15 years (p = 0.003). Tumor size, lymph node involvement, and distant metastasis at diagnosis (or soon after (131)I ablation) did not vary significantly based on the mutation.ConclusionsBRAF(V600E) was the most common mutation, especially in older and Hispanic adolescents. A larger, ethnically diverse pediatric cohort followed long term will enable the genotypic variability, clinical presentation, and response to therapy to be better assessed

Nonlinear opto-vibronics in molecular systems

We analytically tackle opto-vibronic interactions in molecular systems driven by either classical or quantum light fields. In particular, we examine a simple model of molecules with two relevant electronic levels, characterized by potential landscapes with different positions of minima along the internuclear coordinate and of varying curvatures. Such systems exhibit an electron-vibron interaction, which can be comprised of linear and quadratic terms in the vibrational displacement. By employing a combination of conditional displacement and squeezing operators, we present analytical expressions based on a quantum Langevin equations approach, to describe the emission and absorption spectra of such nonlinear molecular systems. Furthermore, we examine the imprint of the quadratic interactions onto the transmission properties of a cavity-molecule system within the collective strong coupling regime of cavity quantum electrodynamics