Ionizing Radiation Resistance in Deinococcus Radiodurans

Deinococcus radiodurans is unmatched among all known species in its ability to resist ionizing radiation and other DNA-damaging factors. It is considered a model organism in the study of DNA damage and repair. Treatment of D. radiodurans with an acute dose of 5,000 Gy of ionizing radiation with almost no loss of viability, and an acute dose of 15,000 Gy with 37% viability. The extreme radiation resistance of this bacterium is due to efficient DNA repair capacity, high antioxidant activities, and unique cell structure. Based on the latest findings, the general characteristics and ionizing radiation resistance mechanisms of D. radiodurans are reviewed and discussed in this paper

Evaluating the benefits of picking and packing planning integration in e-commerce warehouses

Motivated by recent claims on the potential value of integration in warehouse management, this study evaluates the benefits arising from integrating the planning of order picking and packing processes in e-commerce warehouses. A set of research questions are proposed for exploring various benefits under different operational conditions and an experimental study is designed to answer them. In order to have a concrete model to represent the integrated planning method, a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model is developed, and then compared against a non-integrated variation. The experimental study makes the comparisons by analysing the collected empirical data from a real-life warehouse. Our findings indicate that integrated picking and packing planning can yield improved performance in different aspects under different configurations of objectives, order quantities, order categories or workforce allocation

Evaluating the benefits of picking and packing planning integration in e-commerce warehouses

Motivated by recent claims on the potential value of integration in warehouse management, this study evaluates the benefits arising from integrating the planning of order picking and packing processes in e-commerce warehouses. A set of research questions are proposed for exploring various benefits under different operational conditions and an experimental study is designed to answer them. In order to have a concrete model to represent the integrated planning method, a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model is developed, and then compared against a non-integrated variation. The experimental study makes the comparisons by analysing the collected empirical data from a real-life warehouse. Our findings indicate that integrated picking and packing planning can yield improved performance in different aspects under different configurations of objectives, order quantities, order categories or workforce allocation

A model for soil moisture dynamics estimation based on artificial neural network

Research on soil moisture estimation models can effectively improve the growth environment of crops. In this paper, the author studied the artificial neural network and variation pattern of soil moisture. Then, application of the model for water diversion estimation was explored based on artificial neural network. On this basis, an optimization algorithm was presented to simulate water diversion. Furthermore, a model for remote sensing of soil moisture dynamics was applied to artificial neural network. It has been proven that the research can optimize the application of the proposed model, laying a solid foundation for future study

Identification and comprehensive analyses of the CBL and CIPK gene families in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The interaction analysis of wheat TaCBL and TaCIPK proteins were performed by Y2H method. (PDF 191 kb

PYCR1 and PYCR2 Interact and Collaborate with RRM2B to Protect Cells from Overt Oxidative Stress

Ribonucleotide reductase small subunit B (RRM2B) is a stress response protein that protects normal human fibroblasts from oxidative stress. However, the underlying mechanism that governs this function is not entirely understood. To identify factors that interact with RRM2B and mediate anti-oxidation function, large-scale purification of human Flag-tagged RRM2B complexes was performed. Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 and 2 (PYCR1, PYCR2) were identified by mass spectrometry analysis as components of RRM2B complexes. Silencing of both PYCR1 and PYCR2 by expressing short hairpin RNAs induced defects in cell proliferation, partial fragmentation of the mitochondrial network, and hypersensitivity to oxidative stress in hTERT-immortalized human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF-hTERT). Moderate overexpression of RRM2B, comparable to stress-induced level, protected cells from oxidative stress. Silencing of both PYCR1 and PYCR2 completely abolished anti-oxidation activity of RRM2B, demonstrating a functional collaboration of these metabolic enzymes in response to oxidative stress

Podocytes maintain high basal levels of autophagy independent of mTOR signaling

While constant basal levels of macroautophagy/autophagy are a prerequisite to preserve long-lived podocytes at the filtration barrier, MTOR regulates at the same time podocyte size and compensatory hypertrophy. Since MTOR is known to generally suppress autophagy, the apparently independent regulation of these two key pathways of glomerular maintenance remained puzzling. We now report that long-term genetic manipulation of MTOR activity does in fact not influence high basal levels of autophagy in podocytes either in vitro or in vivo. Instead we present data showing that autophagy in podocytes is mainly controlled by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and ULK1 (unc-51 like kinase 1). Pharmacological inhibition of MTOR further shows that the uncoupling of MTOR activity and autophagy is time dependent. Together, our data reveal a novel and unexpected cell-specific mechanism, which permits concurrent MTOR activity as well as high basal autophagy rates in podocytes. Thus, these data indicate manipulation of the AMPK-ULK1 axis rather than inhibition of MTOR as a promising therapeutic intervention to enhance autophagy and preserve podocyte homeostasis in glomerular diseases