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The present article show a new frontier of knowledge faced with the use of new information and communication technologies applied to students the initial series. The following article is the result the use of a 3D environment - Virtual World - developed by the Laboratory for Remote Experimentation (RexLab) for students and teachers in the first years of elementary school in Classes Connected Project, conducted in partnership with the University of the State of Santa Catarina (UDESC) and Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). Through significant experiences and the use of educational technologies in 3D virtual environments, we sought to provide this 3D space the possibility of multiple choice, mobility, virtualization of everyday life, interaction and modeling environments releasing students and teachers of spaces and rigid times and the massive use of processes of knowledge transmission. The technologies that at first were used separately, are in a plural and challenging environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the development of an architecture for a remote educational experiment concerning the speed control applied to a direct current motor. The proposed architecture is based on the use of an Arduino Uno and Ethernet Shield, whose function is to interface between the experiment and the Internet. The user can access the control experiment through an application developed in Java, which allows the students to choose the model of the controller (P, PI and PID) they want to study, change its parameters and the system response visualization through graphics and webcam. Results show the potential of the application of such architecture to remote experimentation context concerning engineering, mainly to the specific area of control systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project seeks to demonstrate the use of remote experimentation and 3D virtual environments applied to the teaching-learning in the areas of exact sciences-physics. In proposing the combination of remote experimentation and 3D virtual worlds in teaching-learning process, we intend to achieve greater geographic coverage, contributing to the construction of new methodologies of teaching support, speed of access and foremost motivation for students to continue in scientific study of the technology areas. The proposed architecture is based on a model implemented fully featured open source and open hardware. The virtual world was built in OpenSim software and integrated it a remote physics experiment called "electrical panel". Accessing the virtual world the user has total control of the experiment within the 3D virtual world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is developing a system for monitoring, supervision and acquisition parameters using Power Line Communication technology. The system consists of a web microserver using the power grid for the transmission and reception of data through technology PLC (Power Line Communication), as a solution for remote monitoring of temperature parameters of a mini turbine bench. In this article were performed comparative tests between the PLC and LAN technology in two distinct environments: residential and industrial. The analysis of network behavior was conducted through a network analysis software, which were established parameters that represent network performance when sending and receiving data from the monitoring system. Data obtained from this study show satisfactory results of PLC technology in relation to LAN, confirming the possibility of using this technology as an alternative to online monitoring systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many remote experiments currently being created, but just few of these remote experiments are from the field of metallurgical engineering. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of the remote compression test machine. This experiment is an educational experiment aimed to conduct a compression test via the internet. It uses the microcomputer Raspberry Pi as the main data control. This remote experiment is available in a website, where the students can control and monitor it and export the output data. The tests realized in the remote compression test machine demonstrated that the output is similar to industrial machine allowing its use as a didactic experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes o development an remote experiment which used an didactic press to study of Hooke's Law in way theoretical-practical. The tests demonstrated that the laboratory has the potential educational, returned as a list of values consistent with Hooke's Law. 40 tests were performed to validate the experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a recommended first-line therapy for infants with respiratory distress at birth. Resuscitation devices incorporating CPAP delivery can have significantly different imposed resistances affecting airway pressure stability and work of breathing., Aim: To compare CPAP performance of two resuscitation devices (Neopuff T-piece resuscitator and rPAP) in a neonatal lung model simulating spontaneous breathing effort at birth., Methods: The parameters assessed were variation in delivered pressures (∆P), tidal volume (VT), inspiratory effort (model pressure respiratory muscle (PRM)) and work of breathing (WOB). Two data sequences were required with Neopuff and one with rPAP: (1) set PRM with changes in VT and (2) constant VT (preterm 6 mL, term 22 mL) with increased effort. Data were collected at CPAP settings of 5, 7 and 9 cmH 2 O using a 1 kg preterm (Compliance: 0.5 mL/cmH 2 O) and 3.5 kg term (1.0 mL/cmH 2 O) model., Results: 2298 breaths were analysed (760 rPAP, 795 Neopuff constant VT, 743 Neopuff constant PRM). With CPAP at 9 cmH 2 O and set VT the mean ∆P (cmH 2 O) rPAP vs Neopuff 1.1 vs 5.6 (preterm) and 1.9 vs 13.4 (term), WOB (mJ) 4.6 vs 6.1 (preterm) and 35.3 vs 44.5 (term), and with set PRM mean VT (ml) decreased to 6.2 vs 5.2 (preterm) and 22.3 vs 17.5 (term) p<0.001. Similar results were found at pressures of 5 and 7 cmH 2 O., Conclusion: rPAP had smaller pressure swings than Neopuff at all CPAP levels and was thus more pressure stable. WOB was higher with Neopuff when VT was held constant. VT reduced with Neopuff when respiratory effort was constant., Competing Interests: Competing interests: T Drevhammar is one of the inventors of rPAP., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The emergence of commensalism and mutualism often derives from ancestral parasitism. However, in the case of rhizobium-legume interactions, bacterial strains displaying both pathogenic and nodulation features on a single host have not been described yet. Here, we isolated such a bacterium from Medicago nodules. On the same plant genotypes, the T4 strain can induce ineffective nodules in a highly competitive way and behave as a harsh parasite triggering plant death. The T4 strain presents this dual ability on multiple legume species of the Inverted Repeat-Lacking Clade, the output of the interaction relying on the developmental stage of the plant. Genomic and phenotypic clustering analysis show that T4 belongs to the nonsymbiotic Ensifer adhaerens group and clusters together with T173, another strain harboring this dual ability. In this work, we identify a bacterial clade that includes rhizobial strains displaying both pathogenic and nodulating abilities on a single legume host., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Radon is a natural and radioactive noble gas, which may accumulate indoors and cause lung cancers after long term-exposure. Being a decay product of Uranium 238, it originates from the ground and is spatially variable. Many environmental (i.e., geology, tectonic, soils) and architectural factors (i.e., building age, floor) influence its presence indoors, which make it difficult to predict. However, different methods have been developed and applied to identify radon prone areas and buildings. This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review of suitable statistical methods willing to identify buildings and areas where high indoor radon concentrations might be found. The application of these methods is particularly useful to improve the knowledge of the factors most likely to be connected to high radon concentrations. These types of methods are not so commonly used, since generally statistical methods that study factors predictive of radon concentration are focused on the average concentration and aim to identify factors that influence the average radon level. In this paper, an attempt has been made to classify the methods found, to make their description clearer. Four main classes of methods have been identified: descriptive methods, regression methods, geostatistical methods, and machine learning methods. For each presented method, advantages and disadvantages are presented while some applications examples are given. The ultimate purpose of this overview is to provide researchers with a synthesis paper to optimize the selection of the method to identify radon prone areas and buildings., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Rey, Antignani, Baumann, Di Carlo, Loret, Gréau, Gruber, Goyette Pernot and Bochicchio.)

Background: Radon is a carcinogenic, radioactive gas that can accumulate indoors and is undetected by human senses. Therefore, accurate knowledge of indoor radon concentration is crucial for assessing radon-related health effects or identifying radon-prone areas., Objectives: Indoor radon concentration at the national scale is usually estimated on the basis of extensive measurement campaigns. However, characteristics of the sampled households often differ from the characteristics of the target population owing to the large number of relevant factors that control the indoor radon concentration, such as the availability of geogenic radon or floor level. Furthermore, the sample size usually does not allow estimation with high spatial resolution. We propose a model-based approach that allows a more realistic estimation of indoor radon distribution with a higher spatial resolution than a purely data-based approach., Methods: A multistage modeling approach was used by applying a quantile regression forest that uses environmental and building data as predictors to estimate the probability distribution function of indoor radon for each floor level of each residential building in Germany. Based on the estimated probability distribution function, a probabilistic Monte Carlo sampling technique was applied, enabling the combination and population weighting of floor-level predictions. In this way, the uncertainty of the individual predictions is effectively propagated into the estimate of variability at the aggregated level., Results: The results show an approximate lognormal distribution of indoor radon in dwellings in Germany with an arithmetic mean of 63  Bq / m 3 , a geometric mean of 41  Bq / m 3 , and a 95th percentile of 180  Bq / m 3 . The exceedance probabilities for 100 and 300  Bq / m 3 are 12.5% (10.5 million people affected) and 2.2% (1.9 million people affected), respectively. In large cities, individual indoor radon concentration is generally estimated to be lower than in rural areas, which is due to the different distribution of the population on floor levels., Discussion: The advantages of our approach are that is yields a ) an accurate estimation of indoor radon concentration even if the survey is not fully representative with respect to floor level and radon concentration in soil, and b ) an estimate of the indoor radon distribution with a much higher spatial resolution than basic descriptive statistics. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14171.

Immunity and senescence play a crucial role in the functioning of the legume symbiotic nodules. The miss-regulation of one of these processes compromises the symbiosis leading to death of the endosymbiont and the arrest of the nodule functioning. The relationship between immunity and senescence has been extensively studied in plant organs where a synergistic response can be observed. However, the interplay between immunity and senescence in the symbiotic organ is poorly discussed in the literature and these phenomena are often mixed up. Recent studies revealed that the cooperation between immunity and senescence is not always observed in the nodule, suggesting complex interactions between these two processes within the symbiotic organ. Here, we discuss recent results on the interplay between immunity and senescence in the nodule and the specificities of this relationship during legume-rhizobium symbiosis., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Medicago (Medicago truncatula) establishes a symbiosis with the rhizobia Sinorhizobium sp, resulting in the formation of nodules where the bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen. The loss of immunity repression or early senescence activation compromises symbiont survival and leads to the formation of nonfunctional nodules (fix-). Despite many studies exploring an overlap between immunity and senescence responses outside the nodule context, the relationship between these processes in the nodule remains poorly understood. To investigate this phenomenon, we selected and characterized three Medicago mutants developing fix- nodules and showing senescence responses. Analysis of specific defense (PATHOGENESIS-RELATED PROTEIN) or senescence (CYSTEINE PROTEASE) marker expression demonstrated that senescence and immunity seem to be antagonistic in fix- nodules. The growth of senescence mutants on non-sterile (sand/perlite) substrate instead of sterile in vitro conditions decreased nodule senescence and enhanced defense, indicating that environment can affect the immunity/senescence balance. The application of wounding stress on wild-type (WT) fix+ nodules led to the death of intracellular rhizobia and associated with co-stimulation of defense and senescence markers, indicating that in fix+ nodules the relationship between the two processes switches from opposite to synergistic to control symbiont survival during response to the stress. Our data show that the immune response in stressed WT nodules is linked to the repression of DEFECTIVE IN NITROGEN FIXATION 2 (DNF2), Symbiotic CYSTEINE-RICH RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASE (SymCRK), and REGULATOR OF SYMBIOSOME DIFFERENTIATION (RSD), key genes involved in symbiotic immunity suppression. This study provides insight to understand the links between senescence and immunity in Medicago nodules., (© American Society of Plant Biologists 2022. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Doses from the exposure to outdoor radon are typically an order of magnitude smaller than those from indoor radon, causing a greater interest on investigation of the latter for radiation protection issues. As a consequence, assessment of radon priority areas (RPA) is mainly based on indoor radon measurements. Outdoor radon measurements might be needed to guarantee a complete estimation of radiological risk and may help to improve the estimation of RPA. Therefore, authors have analysed the available literature on outdoor radon to give an overview of outdoor radon surveys and potential correlation with indoor radon and estimation of RPA. The review has shown that outdoor radon surveys were performed at much smaller scale compared to indoor radon. Only a few outdoor radon maps were produced, with a much smaller density, covering a larger area, and therefore putting doubt on the representativeness of this data. Due to a large variety of techniques used for outdoor radon measurements and requirement to have detectors with a high sensitivity and resistance to harsh environmental conditions, a standardised measurement protocol should be derived. This is no simple endeavour since there are more applications in different scientific disciplines for outdoor radon measurements compared to indoor radon.

The delineation of radon prone areas is one of the central requirements of the European Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM. It is quite a complex task which usually requires the collection of radon data through an appropriate survey as a first step. This paper presents the design and methodology of the recent Austrian radon survey (ÖNRAP 2, 2013-2019) and its implementation. It details the results of the nationwide survey as well as correlations and dependencies with geology and building characteristics. The paper also discusses the representativeness of the survey as well as advantages and disadvantages of the selected approach. For the purpose of establishing a new delineation of radon prone areas in Austria we distributed approximately 75,000 passive long-term radon detectors. They were offered to selected members of the voluntary fire brigades and this resulted in about 50,000 radon measurements. Thus, a return rate of about 67% was achieved. The distribution of the radon results closely follows a log-normal distribution with a median of 99 Bq/m³, a geometric mean of 109 Bq/m³, and a geometric standard deviation factor of 2.29. 11% of the households show a mean radon concentration above the national reference level of 300 Bq/m³. Important data on building characteristics and the location of the measured rooms were collected by means of a specific questionnaire and a measurement protocol that were handed out together with the radon detectors. We were able to identify significant correlations between the indoor radon concentration and geology, the year of construction, and the coupling of the room to the ground (basement yes/no, floor level). Being a geographically-based and not a population-weighted survey, the comparison of building characteristics with the Austrian census data confirms that rural areas are over-represented in this survey. As a summary, the selected approach of conducting passive long-term radon measurements in selected dwellings of members of the voluntary fire brigades proved to be an efficient method to collect reliable data as a basis for the delineation of radon prone areas. The next step was to eliminate factors that influence the measured radon concentration through appropriate modelling. Based on the results predicted by the model radon areas are then be classified. This will be presented in a subsequent publication., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Exposure to indoor radon at home and in workplaces constitutes a serious public health risk and is the second most prevalent cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoking. Indoor radon concentration is to a large extent controlled by so-called geogenic radon, which is radon generated in the ground. While indoor radon has been mapped in many parts of Europe, this is not the case for its geogenic control, which has been surveyed exhaustively in only a few countries or regions. Since geogenic radon is an important predictor of indoor radon, knowing the local potential of geogenic radon can assist radon mitigation policy in allocating resources and tuning regulations to focus on where it needs to be prioritized. The contribution of geogenic to indoor radon can be quantified in different ways: the geogenic radon potential (GRP) and the geogenic radon hazard index (GRHI). Both are constructed from geogenic quantities, with their differences tending to be, but not always, their type of geographical support and optimality as indoor radon predictors. An important feature of the GRHI is consistency across borders between regions with different data availability and Rn survey policies, which has so far impeded the creation of a European map of geogenic radon. The GRHI can be understood as a generalization or extension of the GRP. In this paper, the concepts of GRP and GRHI are discussed and a review of previous GRHI approaches is presented, including methods of GRHI estimation and some preliminary results. A methodology to create GRHI maps that cover most of Europe appears at hand and appropriate; however, further fine tuning and validation remains on the agenda.

In tumor cells of more than 20 different cancer types, the CXCR4-CXCL12 -axis is involved in multiple key processes including proliferation, survival, migration, invasion, and metastasis. Since data on this axis in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are inconsistent and limited, we comprehensively studied the CXCR4-CXCL12 -axis in our DLBCL cohort as well as the effects of CXCR4 antagonists on lymphoma cell lines in vitro. In DLBCL, we observed a 140-fold higher CXCR4 expression compared to non-neoplastic controls, which was associated with poor clinical outcome. In corresponding bone marrow biopsies, we observed a correlation of CXCL12 expression and lymphoma infiltration rate as well as a reduction of CXCR4 expression in remission of bone marrow involvement after treatment. Additionally, we investigated the effects of three CXCR4 antagonists in vitro. Therefore, we used AMD3100 (Plerixafor), AMD070 (Mavorixafor), and WKI, the niacin derivative of AMD070, which we synthesized. WK1 demonstrated stronger pro-apoptotic effects than AMD070 in vitro and induced expression of pro-apoptotic genes of the BCL2-family in CXCR4-positive lymphoma cell lines. Finally, WK1 treatment resulted in the reduced expression of JNK-, ERK1/2- and NF-κB/BCR-target genes. These data indicate that the CXCR4-CXCL12 -axis impacts the pathogenesis of DLBCL and represents a potential therapeutic target in aggressive lymphomas.

The revised European Directive from 2013 regarding basic safety standard oblige EU Member States to establish a national action plan regarding the exposure to radon. At the same time, International Atomic Energy Agency started technical projects in order to assist countries to establish and implement national radon action. As a consequence, in recent years, in numerous countries national radon surveys were conducted and action plans established, which were not performed before. In this paper, a qualitative overview of radon surveys performed in Europe is given with a special attention to the qualitative and conceptual description of surveys, representativeness and QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control)., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The European Atlas of Natural Radiation is a collection of maps displaying the levels of natural radioactivity caused by different sources. It has been developed and is being maintained by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, in line with its mission, based on the Euratom Treaty: to collect, validate and report information on radioactivity levels in the environment of the EU Member States. This work describes the first version of the European Atlas of Natural Radiation, available in digital format through a web portal, as well as the methodology and results for the maps already developed. So far the digital Atlas contains: an annual cosmic-ray dose map; a map of indoor radon concentration; maps of uranium, thorium and potassium concentration in soil and in bedrock; a terrestrial gamma dose rate map; and a map of soil permeability. Through these maps, the public will be able to: familiarize itself with natural environmental radioactivity; be informed about the levels of natural radioactivity caused by different sources; have a more balanced view of the annual dose received by the European population, to which natural radioactivity is the largest contributor; and make direct comparisons between doses from natural sources of ionizing radiation and those from man-made (artificial) ones, hence, to better assess the latter. Work will continue on the European Geogenic Radon Map and on estimating the annual dose that the public may receive from natural radioactivity, by combining all the information from the different maps. More maps could be added to the Atlas, such us radon in outdoor air and in water and concentration of radionuclides in water, even if these sources usually contribute less to the total exposure., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Conventional antiepileptic drugs suppress the excessive firing of neurons during seizures. In drug-resistant patients, treatment failure indicates an alternative important epileptogenic trigger. Two epilepsy-associated pathologies show myelin deficiencies in seizure-related brain regions: Focal Cortical Dysplasia IIB (FCD) and cortical tubers in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). Studies uncovering white matter-pathology mechanisms are therefore urgently needed to gain more insight into epileptogenesis, the propensity to maintain seizures, and their associated comorbidities such as cognitive defects. We analyzed epilepsy surgery specimens of FCD IIB (n = 22), TSC (n = 8), and other malformations of cortical development MCD (n = 12), and compared them to autopsy and biopsy cases (n = 15). The entire lesional pathology was assessed using digital immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and western blotting for oligodendroglial lineage, myelin and mTOR markers, and findings were correlated to clinical parameters. White matter pathology with depleted myelin and oligodendroglia were found in 50% of FCD IIB and 62% of TSC cases. Other MCDs had either a normal content or even showed reactive oligodendrolial hyperplasia. Furthermore, myelin deficiency was associated with increased mTOR expression and the lower amount of oligodendroglia was linked with their precursor cells (PDGFRa). The relative duration of epilepsy (normalized to age) also correlated positively to mTOR activation and negatively to myelination. Decreased content of oligodendroglia and missing precursor cells indicated insufficient oligodendroglial development, probably mediated by mTOR, which may ultimately lead to severe myelin loss. In terms of disease management, an early and targeted treatment could restore normal myelin development and, therefore, alter seizure threshold and improve cognitive outcome., (© 2016 The Authors. Brain Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Neuropathology.)

Legume plants interact with rhizobia to form nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Legume-rhizobium interactions are specific and only compatible rhizobia and plant species will lead to nodule formation. Even within compatible interactions, the genotype of both the plant and the bacterial symbiont will impact on the efficiency of nodule functioning and nitrogen-fixation activity. The model legume Medicago truncatula forms nodules with several species of the Sinorhizobium genus. However, the efficiency of these bacterial strains is highly variable. In this study, we compared the symbiotic efficiency of Sinorhizobium meliloti strains Sm1021, 102F34, and FSM-MA, and Sinorhizobium medicae strain WSM419 on the two widely used M. truncatula accessions A17 and R108. The efficiency of the interactions was determined by multiple parameters. We found a high effectiveness of the FSM-MA strain with both M. truncatula accessions. In contrast, specific highly efficient interactions were obtained for the A17-WSM419 and R108-102F34 combinations. Remarkably, the widely used Sm1021 strain performed weakly on both hosts. We showed that Sm1021 efficiently induced nodule organogenesis but cannot fully activate the differentiation of the symbiotic nodule cells, explaining its weaker performance. These results will be informative for the selection of appropriate rhizobium strains in functional studies on symbiosis using these M. truncatula accessions, particularly for research focusing on late stages of the nodulation process.

Evolutionary diversity can be driven by the interaction of plants with different environments. Molecular bases involved in ecological adaptations to abiotic constraints can be explored using genomic tools. Legumes are major crops worldwide and soil salinity is a main stress affecting yield in these plants. We analyzed in the Medicago truncatula legume the root transcriptome of two genotypes having contrasting responses to salt stress: TN1.11, sampled in a salty Tunisian soil, and the reference Jemalong A17 genotype. TN1.11 plants show increased root growth under salt stress as well as a differential accumulation of sodium ions when compared to A17. Transcriptomic analysis revealed specific gene clusters preferentially regulated by salt in root apices of TN1.11, notably those related to the auxin pathway and to changes in histone variant isoforms. Many genes encoding transcription factors (TFs) were also differentially regulated between the two genotypes in response to salt. Among those selected for functional studies, overexpression in roots of the A17 genotype of the bHLH-type TF most differentially regulated between genotypes improved significantly root growth under salt stress. Despite the global complexity of the differential transcriptional responses, we propose that an increase in this bHLH TF expression may be linked to the adaptation of M. truncatula to saline soil environments.

Legume crops related to the model plant Medicago truncatula can adapt their root architecture to environmental conditions, both by branching and by establishing a symbiosis with rhizobial bacteria to form nitrogen-fixing nodules. Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress affecting plant yield and root growth. Previous transcriptomic analyses identified several transcription factors linked to the M. truncatula response to salt stress in roots, including NAC (NAM/ATAF/CUC)-encoding genes. Over-expression of one of these transcription factors, MtNAC969, induced formation of a shorter and less-branched root system, whereas RNAi-mediated MtNAC969 inactivation promoted lateral root formation. The altered root system of over-expressing plants was able to maintain its growth under high salinity, and roots in which MtNAC969 was down-regulated showed improved growth under salt stress. Accordingly, expression of salt stress markers was decreased or induced in MtNAC969 over-expressing or RNAi roots, respectively, suggesting a repressive function for this transcription factor in the salt-stress response. Expression of MtNAC969 in central symbiotic nodule tissues was induced by nitrate treatment, and antagonistically affected by salt in roots and nodules, similarly to senescence markers. MtNAC969 RNAi nodules accumulated amyloplasts in the nitrogen-fixing zone, and were prematurely senescent. Therefore, the MtNAC969 transcription factor, which is differentially affected by environmental cues in root and nodules, participates in several pathways controlling adaptation of the M. truncatula root system to the environment., (© 2011 The Authors. The Plant Journal © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

The adaptation of root architecture to environmental constraints is a major agricultural trait, notably in legumes, the third main crop worldwide. This root developmental plasticity depends on the formation of lateral roots (LRs) emerging from primary roots. In the model legume Medicago truncatula, the HD-Zip I transcription factor HB1 is expressed in primary and lateral root meristems and induced by salt stress. Constitutive expression of HB1 in M. truncatula roots alters their architecture, whereas hb1 TILLING mutants showed increased lateral root emergence. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay, promoter mutagenesis, and chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR assays revealed that HB1 directly recognizes a CAATAATTG cis-element present in the promoter of a LOB-like (for Lateral Organ Boundaries) gene, LBD1, transcriptionally regulated by auxin. Expression of these genes in response to abscisic acid and auxin and their behavior in hb1 mutants revealed an HB1-mediated repression of LBD1 acting during LR emergence. M. truncatula HB1 regulates an adaptive developmental response to minimize the root surface exposed to adverse environmental stresses.

The disposal of coal combustion residues (CCR) has led to a significant consumption of land in the West Balkan region. In Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina) we studied previously soil-covered (farmed) and barren CCR landfills including management practises, field ageing of CCR and the transfer of trace elements into crops, wild plants and wastewaters. Soil tillage resulted in mixing of cover soil with CCR. Medicago sativa showed very low Cu:Mo ratios (1.25) which may cause hypocuprosis in ruminants. Total loads of inorganic pollutants in the CCR transport water, but not pH ( approximately 12), were below regulatory limits of most EU countries. Arsenic concentrations in CCR transport water were <2microgl(-1) whereas reductive conditions in an abandoned landfill significantly enhanced concentrations in leachates (44microgl(-1)). The opposite pattern was found for Cr likely due to large initial leaching of CrVI. Public use of landfills, including farming, should be based on a prior risk assessment due to the heterogeneity of CCR.

Fat digestion in humans and some mammals such as dogs requires the successive intervention of two lipases: gastric lipase, which is stable and active despite the highly acidic stomach environment, followed by the classical pancreatic lipase secreted into the duodenum. We previously solved the structure of recombinant human gastric lipase (HGL) at 3.0-A resolution in its closed form; this was the first structure to be described within the mammalian acid lipase family. Here we report on the open structure of the recombinant dog gastric lipase (r-DGL) at 2.7-A resolution in complex with the undecyl-butyl (C11Y4) phosphonate inhibitor. HGL and r-DGL show 85.7% amino acid sequence identity, which makes it relevant to compare the forms from two different species. The open r-DGL structure confirms the previous description of the HGL catalytic triad (Ser(153), His(353), and Asp(324)) with the catalytic serine buried and an oxyanion hole (NH groups of Gln(154) and Leu(67)). In r-DGL, the binding of the C11Y4 phosphonate inhibitor induces part of the cap domain, the lid, to roll over the enzyme surface and to expose a catalytic crevice measuring approximately 20 x 20 x 7 A(3). The C11Y4 phosphonate fits into this crevice, and a molecule of beta-octyl glucoside fills up the crevice. The C11Y4 phosphonate inhibitor and the detergent molecule suggest a possible binding mode for the natural substrates, the triglyceride molecules.

The promoter of the Arabidopsis thaliana L. AtEm1 gene encoding a late embryogenesis abundant protein was fused to the beta-glucuronidase reporter gene and introduced into Brassica napus. The promoter is highly active in the vascular tissues of embryo and pollen grains and also active in petals, sepals, caulinar leaves, and carpels.