Synergic Response Research Articles

Idasanutlin and navitoclax induce synergistic apoptotic cell death in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy in which activating mutations in the Notch pathway are thought to contribute to transformation, in part, by activating c-Myc. Increased c-Myc expression induces oncogenic stress that can trigger apoptosis through the MDM2-p53 tumor suppressor pathway. Since the great majority of T-ALL cases carry inactivating mutations upstream in this pathway but maintain wildtype MDM2 and TP53, we hypothesized that T-ALL would be selectively sensitive to MDM2 inhibition. Treatment with idasanutlin, an MDM2 inhibitor, induced only modest apoptosis in T-ALL cells but upregulated the pro-apoptotic BH3 domain genes BAX and BBC3, prompting us to evaluate the combination of idasanutlin with BH3 mimetics. Combination treatment with idasanutlin and navitoclax, a potent Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibitor, induces more consistent and potent synergistic killing of T-ALL PDX lines in vitro than venetoclax, a Bcl-2 specific inhibitor. Moreover, a marked synergic response to combination treatment with idasanutlin and navitoclax was seen in vivo in all four T-ALL xenografts tested, with a significant increase in overall survival in the combination treatment group. Collectively, these preclinical data show that the combination of idasanutlin and navitoclax is highly active in T-ALL and may merit consideration in the clinical setting.

Cross-coupling contribution to the isothermal entropy change in multicaloric materials

Multiferroic materials with strong coupling between different degrees of freedom are prone to exhibit giant multicaloric effects resulting from the application or removal of diverse external fields. These materials exhibit a synergic response to the combined action of two fields when the monocaloric effects are both conventional (or both inverse), while a non-synergic response occurs when one of the monocaloric effects is conventional and the other is inverse. In all cases, the multicaloric properties (isothermal entropy and adiabatic temperature changes) do not result from the simple addition of the corresponding monocaloric quantities because there is a contribution from the interplay between degrees of freedom (cross-coupling term). In this paper, we analyse in detail the contribution of the cross-coupling term to the multicaloric entropy values obtained for both synergic and non-synergic multicaloric materials. We first introduce basic thermodynamic concepts accounting for the multicaloric effects, and next the contribution from the cross-coupling term is illustrated via several model examples. We finally analyse the realistic situation for two prototype materials with synergic and non-synergic multicaloric effects.

Effects of dietary Bopu powder supplementation on intestinal development and microbiota in broiler chickens.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with Bopu powder on intestinal development and bacterial community composition in broiler chickens. A total of 486 1-day-old arbor acres broilers were fed a basal diet (CON group), a basal diet supplemented with 50 mg/kg aureomycin (AB group), or a basal diet supplemented with 40 mg/kg Bopu powder (BP group). The results showed that the BP group had significantly lower serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and diamine oxidase concentrations and had significantly higher serum IL-10 concentrations than CON group (p < 0.05). Groups AB and BP had a significantly higher weight per unit length of the small intestine and villus height than the CON group (p < 0.05), and BP group had a significantly higher ratio of villus height to crypt depth than groups CON and AB (p < 0.05). Compared to the CON group, dietary Bopu powder or aureomycin supplementation significantly increased transforming growth factor-α concentration and mRNA expressions of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin, and decreased intestinal mucosal concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, caspase-3, and caspase-8 and mRNA expressions of nuclear factor-kappa-B and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in the intestinal mucosa (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, BP group had significantly higher ZO-1, secretory immunoglobulin A, interferon-γ concentrations, and mRNA expressions of glucose transporter type-2 and sirtuin-1, and significantly lower IL-1β concentration than groups CON and AB in intestinal mucosa (p < 0.05). Dietary Bopu powder supplementation significantly increased the concentration of trefoil factor family member and mRNA expressions of superoxide dismutase-1 and bcl-2 associated X, and significantly reduced casepase-9 concentration and myeloid differentiation primary response-88 expression in the intestinal mucosa of broiler chickens relative to CON group (p < 0.05). Moreover, results of high-throughput sequencing showed that broilers in the BP group had microbial community structure distinct from that in CON group, and the addition of Bopu powder increased the abundances of Faecalibacterium and Colidextribacter (p < 0.05). Therefore, our study suggests a synergic response of intestinal development and microbiota to the Bopu powder, and provides a theoretical basis as a potential substitute for antibiotics.

Translational landscape and metabolic characteristics of the etiolated tea plant (Camellia sinensis)

• Transcriptome, translatome, and metabolome were used to analyse tea etiolation. • Ribosome profiling reveals carbon and phytohormone metabolism mediate leaf etiolation. • HY5 inhibited chlorophyll and flavonoids metabolism in etiolated leaf. • Changes in gene structure between EL and GL influence their gene expression. Albino tea plants ( Camellia sinensis , Atps) are among the most attractive germplasm resources because of their unique phenotype and flavor. Although previous studies have extensively investigated the transcriptional and metabolic mechanisms in Atps, the lack of research at the translational level hinders the understanding of translation control and multi-omics integration. Here, we integrated the transcriptome, translatome, and metabolome to study the global translation and its effect on the metabolic characteristics of Atps. Comparative analysis of RNA-seq and Ribo-seq datasets indicated that 4,295 genes were expressed as synergic responses in etiolated leaves and were mainly enriched in the carbon metabolism and phytohormone pathways. Further integration-omics analyses revealed that the HY5 gene was upregulated at both the transcription and translation levels and repressed chlorophyll biosynthesis and flavonoids metabolism due to low levels of indole acetic acid and auxin response factors. Moreover, sequence characterizations (guanine-cytosine (GC) content, length, and normalized minimal free energy (NMFE)) highly influenced the translational efficiencies (TE) of genes and upstream open reading frames (uORFs), and a higher quantity of uORFs and TE were observed in EL, inhibiting the expression of downstream genes. In summary, we demonstrated that translation regulation contributes to causing leaf color variation and provided a valuable method for exploring the potential regulatory mechanisms controlling phytohormones that affect crop quality using multi-omics technology.

High Drug Resistance in Feline Mammary Carcinoma Cell Line (FMCm) and Comparison with Human Breast Cancer Cell Line (MCF-7)

Simple SummaryThe repurposing and combination of drugs are important therapeutic strategies in cancer therapy, being important for combating drug resistance and improving therapeutical regimens. This paper outlines the use of candidate drugs that are to be repurposed, and combines clinically approved drugs in breast cancer, aiming to understand the response of feline mammary carcinoma cells to this therapeutic approach, previously applied in human breast cancer cells. By using cell viability assays, we revealed that feline mammary carcinoma cells were highly resistant to these tested approaches, contrasting with human breast cancer cells.Drug repurposing and drug combination are important therapeutic approaches in cancer therapy. Drug repurposing aims to give new indications to drugs, rather than the original indication, whereas drug combination presupposes that the effect that is obtained should be more beneficial than the effect obtained by the individual drugs. Previously, drug repurposing and the combination of different drugs was evaluated in our research group against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7 cells). Our results demonstrated that the response obtained through the combination of drugs, when compared with the single drugs, led to more synergic responses. Therefore, using potential drugs for repurposing, combined with a reference drug in breast cancer (5-Fluorouracil), was the major aim of this project, but for the first time using the feline mammary carcinoma cell line, FMCm. Surprisingly, the feline neoplastic cells demonstrated considerable resistance to the drugs tested in isolation, and the combination was not effective, which contrasted with the obtained MCF-7 cells’ response.

Visualizing the knowledge outburst in global research on COVID-19.

The scholarly output of the new coronavirus research has been proliferating. During five months, an amount of 14,588 scientific publications about nCoV-2 and COVID-19 has been generated intensively (as indexed in Scopus on 31 May 2020). Such a knowledge outburst has created ample interest in understanding the research landscape of this newly configured area. This paper demonstrates on scientometric dimensions of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) research using quantifiable characteristics of the publication dataset. Findings reveal that the rate of publication growth (1600%) is very significant to a synergic response of the researchers to combat with the most extended sequence of an RNA virus. Indeed their response has geared up to an average of 100 articles per day. Many scholarly publishers have disclosed their preprint servers to make the publications available immediately, even by enabling Open Access. The scientific contents have published in more than 500 journals from 240 academic publishers. While the top-ten publishers occupied almost 70% of the articles, then about 25% of the studies were sponsored by 300 funding agencies. Among the notable journals Lancet, Nature, BMJ, JAMA, JMV, and NEJM are prominent. Findings also reveal that majority of the contributions have occurred in Medical Science, focusing on virology, immunology, epidemiology, pharmacology, public health, critical care, and emergency medicine. However, the closely associated terms are virus transmission, infection control, asymptomatic, quarantine, pneumonia, human, disease severity, clinical trials, viral pathogenesis, pandemic, risk, and mortality. The study suggests that academic hubs are located mostly in the USA, China, Italy, and the UK. Among the productive institutions; Huazhong Univ (China), Tongji Med. College (China), Harvard Med. School (USA), Univ of Milan (Italy), INSERM (France), UCL (UK) are outstanding. The G7 countries together produced 50% of the global research output on nCov-2. It also noted an encouraging trend of collaborative research across many countries and disciplines, where the values of CI (6.46), DC (0.79), and CC (0.59) are very significant. It examines the geographical diversity of the collaborating authors, thereby visualized their linkages via co-authorship occurrences. Finally, it analyzed the publications’ impact to showcase the most influential contributions of the new coronavirus research.

Aqueous solution processed mesoporous silica-gated photo-perception neuromorphic transistor

Our body is a multiple perception learning system. Bionic application of perception cognitive functions based on neuromorphic electronics would endow artificial intelligence new intension. In particular, electrolyte-gated transistors have been suggested for neuromorphic platform applications. Due to the fundamental limitations for ionic liquid and ionic gel-based electrolyte, it would be interesting to obtain solid-state electrolytes through a vacuum free system. Thus, in the present work, a simple aqueous solution-processed mesoporous silica coating-gated oxide photo-perception neuromorphic transistors have been proposed. The neuromorphic transistors exhibit good electrical performances. A resistor-loaded inverter is built, exhibiting typical inverter operation at low working voltage. ‘Selective potentiation and depression’ behaviors have been mimicked on the neuromorphic transistor. In addition, the proposed neuromorphic transistor shows optical and electrical synergic response behaviors. Neurological behavior of conditioned taste aversion learning has been mimicked. Thus, the single photo-perception neuromorphic transistor could integrate the functions of perception and neuromorphic algorithm. The proposed photo-perception neuromorphic transistors could have potentials in artificial perception learning systems.

Effects of a Diet Supplemented with Exogenous Catalase from Penicillium notatum on Intestinal Development and Microbiota in Weaned Piglets.

This study aims to investigate the effects of exogenous catalase (CAT), an antioxidative enzyme from microbial cultures, on intestinal development and microbiota in weaned piglets. Seventy-two weaned piglets were allotted to two groups and fed a basal diet or a basal diet containing 2.0 g/kg exogenous CAT. Results showed that exogenous CAT increased (p < 0.05) jejunal villus height/crypt depth ratio and intestinal factors (diamine oxidase and transforming growth factor-α) concentration. Moreover, dietary CAT supplementation enhanced the antioxidative capacity, and decreased the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokine in the jejunum mucosa. Exogenous CAT did not affect the concentration of short-chain fatty acids, but decreased the pH value in colonic digesta (p < 0.05). Interestingly, the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and Dialister were increased (p < 0.05), while Streptococcus and Escherichia-Shigella were decreased (p < 0.05) in colonic digesta by exogenous CAT. Accordingly, decreased (p < 0.05) predicted functions related to aerobic respiration were observed in the piglets fed the CAT diet. Our study suggests a synergic response of intestinal development and microbiota to the exogenous CAT, and provides support for the application of CAT purified from microbial cultures in the feed industry.

Application of statistical analyses for lapis lazuli stone provenance determination by XRL and XRF

Lapis lazuli use stretches back more than 6500 years; ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome treasured and prized it. Afghanistan has been the oldest source for this stone, while Chile, Canada, Russia and a few other countries have been reported as sources for raw material in more recent times; the rarity of historical mines surely represents a positive aspect for the provenance clue of artefacts. Lapis lazuli is a rock consisting mainly of lazurite, to which it owes the blue colour, calcite and pyrite. Other constituents may be present, related to the different mines. In the present work, we apply the principles of Radio-luminescence (RL) exploiting as radiation source the X-ray tube of a portable commercial X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer; in this way, X-Ray Fluorescence spectra (XRF) can be simultaneously acquired to have a larger set of data. To highlight the instrumental experimental differences, we refer to the portable set up as X-Ray Luminescence (XRL), as suggested by recent literature. We thus looked for the possibility of applying a wieldy, low cost and non-destructive method that could fit also to precious objects, based on the join use of XRF and XRL. We performed analyses on raw lapis lazuli stones from five different provenances, both historical and modern, and on four sets of unknown origin carved polished stones, to test our methods on real artefacts. We focalised on a limited number of samples to concentrate on the statistical treatment of spectra obtained, so to get a synergic response of the two applied techniques. We were able to obtain a clear distinction for the different classified provenances and could speculate those of unknown samples.

Achievements in the Topographic Design of Commercial Titanium Dental Implants: Towards Anti-Peri-Implantitis Surfaces.

Titanium and its alloys constitute the gold standard materials for oral implantology in which their performance is mainly conditioned by their osseointegration capacity in the host’s bone. We aim to provide an overview of the advances in surface modification of commercial dental implants analyzing and comparing the osseointegration capacity and the clinical outcome exhibited by different surfaces. Besides, the development of peri-implantitis constitutes one of the most common causes of implant loss due to bacteria colonization. Thus, a synergic response from industry and materials scientists is needed to provide reliable technical and commercial solutions to this issue. The second part of the review focuses on an update of the recent findings toward the development of new materials with osteogenic and antibacterial capacity that are most likely to be marketed, and their correlation with implant geometry, biomechanical behavior, biomaterials features, and clinical outcomes.

Changes of porcine gut microbiota in response to dietary chlorogenic acid supplementation.

Chlorogenic acids (CGA), the most abundant natural polyphenol present in human diet and plants, have attracted considerable research interest because of their broad bioactivities including the antimicrobial activity. However, little is known about their influences on intestinal bacterial communities. Here, we described a response in intestinal microbiome to CGA using a porcine model. Twenty-four weaned pigs were allotted to two groups and fed with a basal diet or a basal diet containing 1000mg/kg CGA. Results showed that CGA significantly increased the length of the small intestine (P < 0.05) and enhanced the activity of diamine oxidase (DAO) and the concentration of MHC-II in the jejunal and ileal mucosa (P < 0.05). Moreover, the acetate concentration in ileum and cecum digesta, and the propionate and butyrate concentrations in the cecum digesta, were significantly elevated by CGA (P < 0.05). Interestingly, CGA significantly increased the total 16S rRNA gene copies and bacterial alpha diversity in the cecum (P < 0.05). The relative abundance of bacteria from phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes was increased in the cecum digesta (P < 0.05), whereas the abundance of bacteria from phylum Protebacteria was decreased by CGA (P < 0.05). Importantly, pigs on CGA-containing diet had higher abundance of Lactobacillus spp., Prevotella spp., Anaerovibrio spp., and Alloprevotella spp. in the cecum (P < 0.05). Not only did our study suggest a synergic response of intestinal barrier function and microbiota to the CGA, but the result will also contribute to understanding of the mechanisms behind the CGA-modulated gut health.

Influence of hybrid fibres on strength and stress-strain behaviour of concrete under uni-axial stresses

Abstract Combination of different kinds of fibre to achieve synergic response in concrete is termed hybrid fibre reinforced concrete (HFRC). Earlier research demonstrates that short and fine fibres enhance the fresh property of concrete by controlling the growth of micro-cracks. Long and coarse fibres enhance the hardening property of concrete by arresting the propagation of macro-cracks. Thus a combination of short-fine fibres and long-coarse fibres improves the overall performance of concrete. In this study an attempt has been made to investigate the effect of fibre hybridization on mechanical behaviour of concrete reinforced with metallic (Steel) and non-metallic (Polyester and Polypropylene) fibres on 30 MPa concrete. Hybridization was done in two stages; the first stage of investigation was to study the effect of polyester (PO)-polypropylene (PP) HFRC, where three hybrid combinations were considered i.e. 75% PO + 25% PP, 50% PO + 50% PP and 25% PO + 75% PP at a total fibre volume of 0.15%. The optimum hybrid combination was achieved at 75% PO + 25% PP. Further, the investigation was carried out to develop a HFRC made with metallic and non-metallic fibres at a total fibre dosage of 1%. Mechanical properties, namely compressive strength, direct tensile strength, flexural strength and stress-stain behaviour of concrete under uni-axial stresses were investigated. The results obtained were compared with mono-fibre reinforced concrete and conventional concrete. Significant improvement in tensile strength and toughness was observed with the fibre hybridization. This may be due to synergic response of different fibres at different scales of cracking at different stress levels in concrete. Superior results were observed at metallic – non-metallic hybridization.

Multivariate statistical analysis of chemical and electrochemical oscillators for an accurate frequency selection.

The effect of experimental parameters on the frequency of chemical oscillators has been systematically studied since the first observations of clock reactions. The approach is mainly based on univariate changes in one specific parameter while others are kept constant. The frequency is then monitored and the effect of each parameter is discussed separately. This type of analysis, however, does not take into account the multiple interactions among the controllable parameters and the synergic responses on the oscillation frequency. We have carried out a multivariate statistical analysis of chemical (BZ-ferroin catalyzed reaction) and electrochemical (Cu/Cu2O cathodic deposition) oscillators and identified the contributions of the experimental parameters on frequency variations. The BZ reaction presented a strong dependence on the initial concentration of sodium bromate and temperature, resulting in a frequency increase. The concentration of malonic acid, the organic substrate, affects the system but with lower intensity compared with the combination of sodium bromate and temperature. On the other hand, the Cu/Cu2O electrochemical oscillator was shown to be less sensitive to changes in the temperature. The applied current density and pH were the two parameters which most perturbed the system. Interestingly, the frequency behaved nonmonotonically with a quadratic dependence. The multivariate analysis of both oscillators exhibited significant differences - while the homogenous oscillator displayed a linear dependence with the factors, the heterogeneous one revealed a more complex dependence with quadratic terms. Our results may contribute, for instance, in the synthesis of self-organized materials in which an accurate frequency selection is required and, depending on its value, different physicochemical properties are obtained.

Preparation and Characterization of Plasters with Photodegradative Action

The aim of this project is to investigate the behaviour of several special types plasters specifically designed to degrade the most common pollutants which are present in the atmosphere. In particular, specific additives have been added to these plasters, in order to obtain a broad spectrum of active and synergic response, each of which have peculiar functions: - microporous materials, such as clinoptilolite, a natural zeolite, that promotes the adsorption of air pollutants thanks to its porous nature; - nano-fillers, such as carbon nanotubes, that behave both as reinforcing agents as well as adsorbent materials; - photochemical agents, such as titanium oxide, that degrade air pollutants, previously adsorbed on carbon nanotubes and zeolites, thanks to the action of light that activates photodegradation reactions. All the samples were also characterized in terms of mechanical properties, adhesion to supports and water absorption. Furthermore, photodegradation tests were carried out by exposing plaster surfaces, wetted with a Rodamine solution, to Ultraviolet rays (UV) for different times. Plasters photodegradative capacity was evaluated and the results highlighted the fact that the designed admixtures showed an important photodegradative action, strictly dependent on the types and specific ratios of the selected additives.

Appraising the “entourage effect”: Antitumor action of a pure cannabinoid versus a botanical drug preparation in preclinical models of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. Although early diagnosis and development of new treatments have improved their prognosis, many patients present innate or acquired resistance to current therapies. New therapeutic approaches are therefore warranted for the management of this disease. Extensive preclinical research has demonstrated that cannabinoids, the active ingredients of Cannabis sativa, trigger antitumor responses in different models of cancer. Most of these studies have been conducted with pure compounds, mainly Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The cannabis plant, however, produces hundreds of other compounds with their own therapeutic potential and the capability to induce synergic responses when combined, the so-called “entourage effect”. Here, we compared the antitumor efficacy of pure THC with that of a botanical drug preparation (BDP). The BDP was more potent than pure THC in producing antitumor responses in cell culture and animal models of ER+/PR+, HER2+ and triple-negative breast cancer. This increased potency was not due to the presence of the 5 most abundant terpenes in the preparation. While pure THC acted by activating cannabinoid CB2 receptors and generating reactive oxygen species, the BDP modulated different targets and mechanisms of action. The combination of cannabinoids with estrogen receptor- or HER2-targeted therapies (tamoxifen and lapatinib, respectively) or with cisplatin, produced additive antiproliferative responses in cell cultures. Combinations of these treatments in vivo showed no interactions, either positive or negative. Together, our results suggest that standardized cannabis drug preparations, rather than pure cannabinoids, could be considered as part of the therapeutic armamentarium to manage breast cancer.

Aluminum Enhances Growth and Sugar Concentration, Alters Macronutrient Status and Regulates the Expression of NAC Transcription Factors in Rice.

Aluminum (Al) is a beneficial element for some plant species, especially when used at low concentrations. Though some transcription factors are induced by exposure to this element, no data indicate that Al regulates the expression of NAC genes in rice. In this study we tested the effect of applying 200 μM Al on growth, chlorophyll, amino acids, sugars, macronutrient concentration and regulation of NAC transcription factors gene expression in 24-day-old plants of four rice (Oryza sativa ssp. indica) cultivars: Cotaxtla, Tres Ríos, Huimanguillo and Temporalero, grown hydroponically under greenhouse conditions. Twenty days after treatment, we observed that Al enhanced growth in the four cultivars studied. On average, plants grown in the presence of Al produced 140% more root dry biomass and were 30% taller than control plants. Cotaxtla and Temporalero showed double the root length, while Huimanguillo and Cotaxtla had three times more root fresh biomass and 2.5 times more root dry biomass. Huimanguillo plants showed 1.5 times more shoot height, while Cotaxtla had almost double the root dry biomass. With the exception of Tres Ríos, the rest of the cultivars had almost double the chlorophyll concentration when treated with Al, whereas amino acid and proline concentrations were not affected by Al. Sugar concentration was also increased in plants treated with Al, almost 11-fold in comparison to the control. Furthermore, we observed a synergic response of Al application on P and K concentration in roots, and on Mg concentration in shoots. Twenty-four hours after Al treatment, NAC transcription factors gene expression was measured in roots by quantitative RT-PCR. Of the 57 NAC transcription factors genes primer-pairs tested, we could distinguish that 44% (25 genes) showed different expression patterns among rice cultivars, with most of the genes induced in Cotaxtla and Temporalero plants. Of the 25 transcription factors up-regulated, those showing differential expression mostly belonged to the NAM subfamily (56%). We conclude that Al improves growth, increases sugar concentration, P and K concentrations in roots, and Mg concentration in shoots, and report, for the first time, that Al differentially regulates the expression of NAC transcription factors in rice.

Climate Change Adaptation In Serbia: The Role Of Information Networks

Facing climate shift and responding to its challenges have become important concerns for scientists, politicians and grassroots movements in their efforts to reduce the carbon footprint. Simultaneously, they all agree that information has a significant role in the process of mitigation and adaptation, especially in urban areas. Communicating the climate change and raising the general awareness are preconditions for implementation of numerous suggested measures, while detecting the condition and increasing the efficiency and low-carbon potential have become imperatives for humanity. Consequently, all these tendencies directly influence changes is spatial and activity patterns, reinforcing the material realm with information flows. The integral approach to urban development, anticipated as a preferred option for the climate-friendly future, has recently generated a number of creative concepts, tools and methods as a multi-disciplinary synergic response to accumulating problems. However, its real-time success greatly depends on the expansion and improvement of material and digital information networks because they represent a key-ingredient of all futuristic visions. Considering the current condition of climate awareness, as well as the course of undertaken actions, this article will focus on the relationship between cities, climate change and information networks, analyzing emerging ideas and innovations related to the (un)conventional use of information flows in reducing the consequences of climate change. The strategic role of networks in the exchange of data and knowledge will be examined on two levels - in the domain of public communication of climate changes, and on the level of urban systems, their effectiveness, accessibility and low-carbon outcomes. In accordance with recent environmental and technological trends, the article indentifies three areas of networks applicability, targeting main challenges of the anticipated climate-friendly development - human behavior, ecological awareness and general efficiency.

Early-warning management of regional tourism emergency: a holistic approach

Purpose – There have been plenty of emergencies occurred in tourism all over the world in recent years. These events and disasters have brought the tourists and relevant organizations enormous loss of life and property. The main reasons are the lack of holistic coordination among different departments and response for social responsibility. In the process of prevention and response of tourism emergency, the local governments need to take synergic action. Meanwhile, the positive participation in the tourism emergency rescue is one of the ways to share social responsibility. This paper aims to examine the early-warning management of regional tourism emergencies, in order to minimize the loss on both tourists' life and money, from the perspective of systematic thinking. Design/methodology/approach – The paper establishes a regional tourism emergency response model based on holistic assessment approach and Bayesian network technology. It analyzes most critical factors of regional tourism emergency and the mutual influence among them. Thereafter, it employs the Bayesian network technology to assess the influence of several factors on the final magnitude of casualties holistically. Based on this, the paper proposes the response principle and the response process to regional tourism emergency. Findings – This paper constructs the “FRES” principle about the holistic response to regional tourism emergency, including “fulfillment of social responsibility”, “rapid action”, “experience accumulation” and “synergic response”. Based on this principle, the paper suggests a general process on the holistic response to regional tourism emergency. Finally, the paper takes the mudslides emergency in Taiwan on October 23, 2010 as an example to conduct an empirical analysis. The paper gives an optimal holistic solution to the responding process of this event in the light of the “FRES” principle. Originality/value – This paper explains the social responsibility related to the regional tourism emergencies and employs the Bayesian network technology to analyze the systematical responding process to tourism emergency. It proposes originally a “FRES” principle and a general process on the response to regional tourism emergency which are proven to be effective in systematical response to regional tourism events. The research results can facilitate the various local governments to jointly fulfill their social responsibilities and optimize the management of regional tourism emergencies in a holistic way.

Arabidopsis Copper Transport Protein COPT2 Participates in the Cross Talk between Iron Deficiency Responses and Low-Phosphate Signaling

Copper and iron are essential micronutrients for most living organisms because they participate as cofactors in biological processes, including respiration, photosynthesis, and oxidative stress protection. In many eukaryotic organisms, including yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and mammals, copper and iron homeostases are highly interconnected; yet, such interdependence is not well established in higher plants. Here, we propose that COPT2, a high-affinity copper transport protein, functions under copper and iron deficiencies in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). COPT2 is a plasma membrane protein that functions in copper acquisition and distribution. Characterization of the COPT2 expression pattern indicates a synergic response to copper and iron limitation in roots. We characterized a knockout of COPT2, copt2-1, that leads to increased resistance to simultaneous copper and iron deficiencies, measured as reduced leaf chlorosis and improved maintenance of the photosynthetic apparatus. We propose that COPT2 could play a dual role under iron deficiency. First, COPT2 participates in the attenuation of copper deficiency responses driven by iron limitation, possibly to minimize further iron consumption. Second, global expression analyses of copt2-1 versus wild-type Arabidopsis plants indicate that low-phosphate responses increase in the mutant. These results open up new biotechnological approaches to fight iron deficiency in crops.

Methylation of ethanolamine groups in phosphoethanolamines is relevant for L-arginine insertion in lipid membranes

The interaction of L-arginine with membranes composed by phospholipids with different degrees of methylation of the ethanolamine group was studied by means of surface and dipole potentials and surface pressure variations. The subsequent methylation of the amine head group appears to hinder the synergic response of the adsorption observed in phosphatidylethanolamine membranes. The kinetics of the binding process denotes that the methyl groups are relevant in regulating the specific interaction of the amino acid with the interface by hydrogen bonds. This response can be put in correlation with the function of signal transduction assigned previously to methyl lipids [F. Hirata and J. Axelrod, 1980] and appears to be relevant to understand the mechanism of insertion of arginine residues in peptides of biological interest.