Integration of TGF-beta and Ras/MAPK signaling through p53 phosphorylation

During development and tissue homeostasis, cells must integrate different signals. We investigated how cell behavior is controlled by the combined activity of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling, whose integration mechanism is unknown. We find that RTK/Ras/MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) activity induces p53 N-terminal phosphorylation, enabling the interaction of p53 with the TGF-beta-activated Smads. This mechanism confines mesoderm specification in Xenopus embryos and promotes TGF-beta cytostasis in human cells. These data indicate a mechanism to allow extracellular cues to specify the TGF-beta gene-expression program.     

Dorid nudibranch elaborates its own chemical defense

A biosynthetic experiment with mevalonic acid labeled with carbon-14 showed that the nudibranch Dendrodoris limbata elaborates polygodial, a sesquiterpenoid dialdehyde stored in the mantle, which constitutes its chemical defense against predators. Previously described nudibranchs drew defensive chemicals from their preys.     

Biohybrid artificial pancreas: long-term implantation studies in diabetic, pancreatectomized dogs

Diabetic complications such as neuropathy, retinopathy, and renal and cardiovascular disease continue to pose major health risks for diabetic patients. Consequently, much effort has focused on approaches that could replace conventional insulin therapy and provide more precise regulation of blood glucose levels. The biohybrid perfused artificial pancreas was designed to incorporate islet tissue and a selectively permeable membrane that isolates this tissue from the immune system of the recipient. Biohybrid pancreas devices containing canine islet allografts were implanted in ten pancreatectomized dogs requiring 18 to 32 units of injected insulin daily. These implants resulted in good control of fasting glucose levels in six of these animals without further exogenous insulin for periods of up to 5 months.     

Electronic transitions in perovskite: possible nonconvecting layers in the lower mantle

We measured the spin state of iron in magnesium silicate perovskite (Mg(0.9),Fe(0.1))SiO(3) at high pressure and found two electronic transitions occurring at 70 gigapascals and at 120 gigapascals, corresponding to partial and full electron pairing in iron, respectively. The proportion of iron in the low spin state thus grows with depth, increasing the transparency of the mantle in the infrared region, with a maximum at pressures consistent with the D" layer above the core-mantle boundary. The resulting increase in radiative thermal conductivity suggests the existence of nonconvecting layers in the lowermost mantle.     

Is the fragility of a liquid embedded in the properties of its glass?

When a liquid is cooled below its melting temperature, it usually crystallizes. However, if the quenching rate is fast enough, the system may remain in a disordered state, progressively losing its fluidity upon further cooling. When the time needed for the rearrangement of the local atomic structure reaches approximately 100 seconds, the system becomes "solid" for any practical purpose, and this defines the glass transition temperature Tg. Approaching this transition from the liquid side, different systems show qualitatively different temperature dependencies of the viscosity, and accordingly they have been classified by introducing the concept of "fragility." We report experimental observations that relate the microscopic properties of the glassy phase to the fragility. We find that the vibrational properties of the glass well below Tg are correlated with the fragility value. Consequently, we extend the fragility concept to the glassy state and indicate how to determine the fragility uniquely from glass properties well below Tg.     

PAMELA measurements of cosmic-ray proton and helium spectra

Protons and helium nuclei are the most abundant components of the cosmic radiation. Precise measurements of their fluxes are needed to understand the acceleration and subsequent propagation of cosmic rays in our Galaxy. We report precision measurements of the proton and helium spectra in the rigidity range 1 gigavolt to 1.2 teravolts performed by the satellite-borne experiment PAMELA (payload for antimatter matter exploration and light-nuclei astrophysics). We find that the spectral shapes of these two species are different and cannot be described well by a single power law. These data challenge the current paradigm of cosmic-ray acceleration in supernova remnants followed by diffusive propagation in the Galaxy. More complex processes of acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays are required to explain the spectral structures observed in our data.     

Opioid inhibition of dopamine release from nervous tissue of Mytilus edulis and Octopus bimaculatus

Morphine and D-Ala2-Met-enkephalin as well as other opioids suppress potassium-stimulated release of 3H-labeled dopamine from neurons tissue of two marine invertebrates, Mytilus edulis and Octopus bimaculatus. Naloxone reverses the inhibitory effects in both species. Potassium-stimulated release of 3H-labeled serotonin is not altered by opioids. It is postulated that opiate receptors and their endogenous effectors play a prominent role in regulation of transmitter release in invertebrates.     

Modelling and mapping the suitability of European forest formations at 1-km resolution

Proactive forest conservation planning requires spatially accurate information about the potential distribution of tree species. The most cost-efficient way to obtain this information is habitat suitability modelling i.e. predicting the potential distribution of biota as a function of environmental factors. Here, we used the bootstrap-aggregating machine-learning ensemble classifier Random Forest (RF) to derive a 1-km resolution European forest formation suitability map. The statistical model use as inputs more than 6,000 field data forest inventory plots and a large set of environmental variables. The field data plots were classified into different forest formations using the forest category classification scheme of the European Environmental Agency. The ten most dominant forest categories excluding plantations were chosen for the analysis. Model results have an overall accuracy of 76%. Between categories scores were unbalanced and Mesophitic deciduous forests were found to be the least correctly classified forest category. The model’s variable ranking scores are used to discuss relationship between forest category/environmental factors and to gain insight into the model’s limits and strengths for map applicability. The European forest suitability map is now available for further applications in forest conservation and climate change issues.