Vibrational Stability of NLC Linac and Final Focus Components

Vertical vibration of linac components (accelerating structures, girders and quadrupoles) in the NLC has been studied experimentally and analytically. Effects such as structural resonances and vibration caused by cooling water both in accelerating structures and quadrupoles have been considered. Experimental data has been compared with analytical predictions and simulations using ANSYS. A design, incorporating the proper decoupling of structure vibrations from the linac quadrupoles, is being pursued.Comment: 3 pages, 8 figures presented at the LINAC 2002 conference, Gyeongju Kore

Effect of Cooling Water on Stability of NLC Linac Components

Vertical vibration of linac components (accelerating structures, girders and quadrupoles) in the NLC has been studied experimentally and analytically. Effects such as structural resonances and vibration caused by cooling water both in accelerating structures and quadrupoles have been considered. Experimental data has been compared with analytical predictions and simulations using ANSYS. A design, incorporating the proper decoupling of structure vibrations from the linac quadrupoles, is being pursued.Comment: 6 Pages 13 Figures Presented at The Nanobeam 2002 Workshop (Lausanne Switzerland

PI3K/AKT Signaling in Breast Cancer Molecular Subtyping and Lymph Node Involvement

Lymph node metastatic involvement persists to be among the most important predictors of recurrence and survival in breast carcinoma (BC). This study aimed at investigating possible gene expression differences in primary BC between patients with or without lymph node involvement at the time of diagnosis. In a retrospective study, we investigated the potential prognostic role of 9 candidate biomarkers at mRNA level in a cohort of 305 breast cancer patients, 151 lymph node-negative (LN-) and 154 lymph node-positive (LN+). The analyzed genes belonged to the RAS pathway (RAF1, ERBB2, PIK3CB, AKT1, AKT2, AKT3), RB pathway (RB1 and CDK2) and cellular differentiation (KTR8). Their expression profiles were investigated by RT-qPCR and were correlated to immunohistochemically-based molecular subtypes and BC clinical and pathological features. The differential expression of several genes in the primary tumor tissue was related to the LN involvement. Some of those genes, including PIK3CB, RB1, and AKT3, were more expressed in LN- BC patients, while some others, notably ERBB2 and AKT1, in LN+ ones. Among the candidate biomarkers, the expression levels of AKTs isoforms influenced also patients\u2019 survival rates. In detail, higher expression levels of AKT1 and AKT2 negatively influenced overall patients\u2019 survival and in particular AKT2 expression levels defined a group of luminal B BC patients with shorter cancer-specific survival. On the contrary, longer cancer-specific survival was recorded in luminal A BC patients with higher expression levels of AKT3. That finding was also confirmed by Cox multivariate analysis. The same AKT3 resulted to be a possible candidate predictive biomarker for Tamoxifen response. In conclusion, our study highlighted the complex regulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway in BC and its differences in BC patients with and without lymph node involvement

A superconducting switch for insertion devices with variable period length

Superconducting insertion devices (IDs) are very attractive for synchrotron light sources since they offer the possibility to enhance the tuning range and functionality significantly by period length switching. Period length switching can be realized by reversing the current in a separately powered subset of the superconducting windings. So far, the first demonstration mock-up coil allowing period length tripling was fabricated and tested successfully. Here, we report on the feasibility of superconducting switches built to operate in a liquid helium bath and under conduction cooled conditions

Status of COLDDIAG: A Cold Vacuum Chamber for Diagnostics

One of the still open issues for the development of superconducting insertion devices is the understanding of the beam heat load. With the aim of measuring the beam heat load to a cold bore and the hope to gain a deeper understanding in the beam heat load mechanisms, a cold vacuum chamber for diagnostics is under construction. The following diagnostics will be implemented: i) retarding field analyzers to measure the electron energy and flux, ii) temperature sensors to measure the total heat load, iii) pressure gauges, iv) and mass spectrometers to measure the gas content. The inner vacuum chamber will be removable in order to test different geometries and materials. This will allow the installation of the cryostat in different synchrotron light sources. COLDDIAG will be built to fit in a short straight section at ANKA. A first installation at the synchrotron light source Diamond is foreseen in June 2011. Here we describe the technical design report of this device and the planned measurements with beam.Comment: Presented at First International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC'10, Kyoto, Japan, from 23 to 28 May 201

po 349 akt3 but not akt1 and akt2 confers a longer survival rate to less aggressive breast cancers

Introduction Breast carcinoma (BC) encompasses a heterogeneous group of tumours with a great variability at the molecular and morphological levels and clinical outcome. Material and methods In this retrospective study we investigated the potential prognostic role of 9 candidate biomarkers in a cohort of 305 breast cancer (BC) patients, both lymph node negative (151) and lymph node positive (154). The analysed genes belonged to the RAS pathway (RAF1, ERBB2, PIK3B, AKT1, AKT2, AKT3), RB pathway (RB1 and CDK2) and cellular differentiation (K8). The expression profiles were investigated by real-time qPCR in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues, and correlated to immunohistochemical-based molecular classes, namely luminal A, luminal B, Her2 +and TN. The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the University of Trieste. Results and discussions In our cohort lymph node involvement resulted to be related to the contribution of several genes at the primary tumour tissue level. Some of those genes resulted to be more expressed in LN negative BC, such as PIK3B, RB1 and AKT3, while some others were more expressed in LN positive BC, such as HER2 and AKT1. Our results show higher expression levels of PIK3B and AKT3 in less aggressive BC and higher expression levels of AKT1 in more aggressive BC highlighting the complex regulation of that pathway in BC. Shorter cancer specific survival was recorded in patients expressing higher levels of AKT1 and AKT2. Furthermore, better cancer specific survival was recorded in luminal A BC patients expressing higher levels of AKT3 (p=0.005 in LN- and p=0.01 in LN+). Conclusion By comparing gene expression in lymph node negative and lymph node positive breast cancers, we found that AKT3 is an independent favourable prognostic factor for luminal A BC patients. Our results showed that a high expression level of AKT3, but not AKT1 and AKT2 was associated to better outcome and longer cancer specific patients' survival in those patients who display the luminal A molecular class irrespective of lymph node involvement