WNT10B/β-catenin signalling induces HMGA2 and proliferation in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

Wnt/β-catenin signalling has been suggested to be active in basal-like breast cancer. However, in highly aggressive metastatic triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) the role of β-catenin and the underlying mechanism(s) for the aggressiveness of TNBC remain unknown. We illustrate that WNT10B induces transcriptionally active β-catenin in human TNBC and predicts survival-outcome of patients with both TNBC and basal-like tumours. We provide evidence that transgenic murine Wnt10b-driven tumours are devoid of ERα, PR and HER2 expression and can model human TNBC. Importantly, HMGA2 is specifically expressed during early stages of embryonic mammogenesis and absent when WNT10B expression is lost, suggesting a developmentally conserved mode of action. Mechanistically, ChIP analysis uncovered that WNT10B activates canonical β-catenin signalling leading to up-regulation of HMGA2. Treatment of mouse and human triple-negative tumour cells with two Wnt/β-catenin pathway modulators or siRNA to HMGA2 decreases HMGA2 levels and proliferation. We demonstrate that WNT10B has epistatic activity on HMGA2, which is necessary and sufficient for proliferation of TNBC cells. Furthermore, HMGA2 expression predicts relapse-free-survival and metastasis in TNBC patients

The impact of high temperature superconductivity on the electric power sector

The progress and prospects for the application of high temperature superconductivity to the Electric Power Sector has been the topic of an IEA Implementing Agreement, begun in 1990. The present Task Members are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States. As a result of the Implementing Agreement, work has been done by the Operating Agent with the full participation of all the member countries. This work has facilitated the exchange of information among experts in all countries and has documented relevant assessments. Further, this work has examined the status of high amperage conductor, fault-current limiters, superconducting magnetic energy storage, cables, rotating machines, refrigeration, and studies of the power system. The Task Members find more progress toward applications than many expected five years ago and the grounds for further international collaboration to hasten the use of superconductors in the power sector, early in the 21st century

Introduction to Progress and Promise of Superconductivity for Energy Storage in the Electric Power Sector

Around the world, many groups conduct research, development and demonstration (RD and D) to make storage an economic option for the electric power sector. The progress and prospects for the application of superconductivity, with emphasis on high-temperature superconductivity, to the electric power sector has been the topic of an IEA Implementing Agreement, begun in 1990. The present Task members are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the US. As a result of the Implementing Agreement, work has been done by the Operating Agent with the full participation of all the member countries. This work has facilitated the exchange of informtion among experts in all countries and has documented relevant assessments. Further, this work has reviewed the status of SMES and is now updating same, as well as investigating the progress on and prospects for flywheels with superconducting bearings. The Operating Agent and Task members find a substantially different set of opportunities for and alternatives to storage than was the case before the 1987 discovery of high-temperature superconductivity. Beside the need to level generation, there is also the need to level the load on transmission lines, increase transmission stability, and increase power quality. These needs could be addressed by high power storage that could be brought in and out of the grid in fractions of a second. Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage and flywheels with superconducting bearings are devices that deserve continued RD and D because they promise to be the needed storage devices

Inferred referendum: a rule for committee decisions

A new method of social choice is presented. The result of the method coincides with that of majority voting when it does not produce an intransitivity among the alternatives under consideration. When majority voting would produce an intransitivity, the method orders the alternatives in the same way as the transitive constituency would whom the committee members are most likely to represent. Analysis of the application of the method to three alternatives shows that the resulting order depends only on the committee members' votes between pairs of alternatives; the resulting order is less sensitive to irrelevant alternatives than the orders provided by other schemes; when majority voting provides an intransitivity, the hypothesis that, in fact, the committee's constituency is as assumed is almost as likely as the hypothesis that it precisely mirrors the committee

Published assessments bearing on the future use of ceramic superconductors by the electric power sector

Much has been written about ceramic superconductors since their discovery in 1986. Most of this writing reports and describes scientific research. However, some authors have sought to put this research in context: to assess where the field stands, what might be technically feasible, what might be economically feasible, and what potential impacts ceramic superconductors will bring to the electric power sector. This report`s purpose is to make the results of already published assessments readily available. To that end, this report lists and provides abstracts for various technical and economic assessments related to applications of High-Temperature Superconductors (HTS) to the electric power sector. Those studies deemed most important are identified and summarized. These assessments were identified by two means. First, members of the Executive Committee identified some reports as worthy of consideration and forwarded them to Argonne National Laboratory. Twelve assessments were selected. Each of these is listed and summarized in the following section. Second, a bibliographic search was performed on five databases: INSPEC, NTIS, COMPENDEX, Energy Science & Technology, and Electric Power Database. The search consisted of first selecting all papers related to High Temperature Superconductors. Then papers related to SMES, cables, generators, motors, fault current limiters, or electric utilities were selected. When suitable variants of the above terms were included, this resulted in a selection of 493 citations. These citations were subjected to review by the authors. A number of citations were determined to be inappropriate (e.g. a number referred to digital transmission lines for electronics and communications applications). The reduced list consisted of 200 entries. Each of these citations, with an abstract, is presented in the following sections

Economics of hydrogen production

Much of the current interest in hydrogen (H/sub 2/) centers around its potential to displace oil and gas as a fuel. The results of this study should be useful to research and development managers making funding decisions, and they should also be of interest to energy analysts, economists, and proponents of a hydrogen economy. We examined the current costs of H/sub 2/ produced by commercially available technologies (from fossil fuels and by electrolysis) and projected these costs to 2010, to set cost goals for H/sub 2/ produced via new technologies. We also examined the sensitivity of H/sub 2/ costs to varying energy price forecasts, capital costs and the required rate of return on investment, and by-product credits. We find that conventionally produced H/sub 2/ will not break into the fuel market before 2010. 23 references, 19 figures, 12 tables