AKT-independent PI3-K signaling in cancer - emerging role for SGK3

The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K) signaling pathway plays an important role in a wide variety of fundamental cellular processes, largely mediated via protein kinase B/v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (PKB/AKT) signaling. Given the crucial role of PI3-K/AKT signaling in regulating processes such as cell growth, proliferation, and survival, it is not surprising that components of this pathway are frequently dysregulated in cancer, making the AKT kinase family members important therapeutic targets. The large number of clinical trials currently evaluating PI3-K pathway inhibitors as a therapeutic strategy further emphasizes this. The serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible protein kinase (SGK) family is made up of three isoforms, SGK1, 2, and 3, that are PI3-K-dependent, serine/threonine kinases, with similar substrate specificity to AKT. Consequently, the SGK family also regulates similar cell processes to the AKT kinases, including cell proliferation and survival. Importantly, there is emerging evidence demonstrating that SGK3 plays a critical role in AKT-independent oncogenic signaling. This review will focus on the role of SGK3 as a key effector of AKT-independent PI3-K oncogenic signaling

Letter on “Sharing trial results directly with trial participants and other stakeholders after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic hit the UK:experience from the ActWELL trial

Acknowledgements We would like to thank our ActWELL participants who attended the events for their interest and enthusiasm in making the events a success. We would like to thank Susan MacAskill for giving us permission to use a quote from her email to us. We are also grateful to the technical support who got us through all events, Cormac Staunton (of stauntonmedia.ie). We would also like to acknowledge and thank Dr Katie Gillies and Dr Seonaidh Cotton for their contribution to the design of the evaluation survey. HSRU is core funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. This work was supported by The Scottish Government, grant number BC/ Screening/17/01.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Short-term soil response under plastic mulching in strawberry cultivation

Plastic mulches (PM) are known for increasing soil temperature and retaining soil moisture, suppressing weeds and avoiding ground contact of on-soil growing products. Thus, the use of PM in agriculture has been significantly increased in the last years, with important economic benefits for the farmers. Most studies dealing with PM emphasize the positive effects of this management, yet recent reports have shown that the use of PM is linked to a decrease of SOM content, soil erosion, soil contamination with plastic residues and in some cases to a high mycotoxin production by soil fungi. This questions the sustainability of the intensive use of PM in agriculture. The aim of this study was to assess the short-term modification of soil physicochemical and microbial parameters under PM, compared to no-mulch (NM). The experiment was conducted in a 2016-planted strawberry field. For each management (PM vs. NM) five plots were selected. Cultivation of strawberry in both PM and NM was done in a ridge-furrow system with subsurface irrigation. Samples were collected prior to the planting (T0) and successively at two (T1) and four months (T2) after planting. Different depths were sampled in the ridges (0-10, 10-30 and 30-60 cm) and in the furrows (0-10 and 10-40 cm). The analysis of the quantity and quality of soil organic matter is ongoing and comprised soil physicochemical analysis: pH, electrical conductivity, water content, bulk density and stability, organic C and N and density fractionation. Moreover, soil microbiology was studied via soil microbial carbon and mycotoxin occurrence as indicator of fungal stress. Additionally, temperature, humidity and pH of soil were daily recorded using an in-field installed measuring station. The continuously recorded environmental data showed differences in the temperature patterns between PM and NM, with highest average temperature under plastic. As well, pH and humidity data indicated differences between the treatments

Cryogenic silicon detectors with implanted contacts for the detection of visible photons using the Neganov-Luke Effect

There is a common need in astroparticle experiments such as direct dark matter detection, 0{\nu}\b{eta}\b{eta} (double beta decay without emission of neutrinos) and Coherent Neutrino Nucleus Scattering experiments for light detectors with a very low energy threshold. By employing the Neganov-Luke Effect, the thermal signal of particle interactions in a semiconductor absorber operated at cryogenic temperatures, can be amplified by drifting the photogenerated electrons and holes in an electric field. This technology is not used in current experiments, in particular because of a reduction of the signal amplitude with time which is due to trapping of the charges within the absorber. We present here the first results of a novel type of Neganov-Luke Effect detector with an electric field configuration designed to improve the charge collection within the semiconductor.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Journal of Low Temperature Physic

X-ray radiation hardness and influence on blinking in Si and CdSe quantum dots

We study the effect of X-ray irradiation on the photoluminescence (PL) efficiency and intermittency (blinking) of single Si/SiO2 and CdSe/CdZnS quantum dots (QDs). Our results show that the PL efficiency of Si nanocrystals is not significantly altered up to a cumulative fluence of 1020 photons/m2 (corresponding to $300 kGy of absorbed dose in SiO2), while CdSe particles become completely dark already after a 17 times lower fluence. In both types of QDs, the statistical nature of blinking ON-and OFF-times remains unaltered: mono-exponential for Si and power-law for CdSe QDs. However, the evolution of the blinking parameters with absorbed dose depends on the choice of material. On average, both ON-and OFF-time constants do not vary in Si nanocrystals, highlighting their radiation hardness. Instead, the ON-time exponent increases while the OFF-time exponent decreases with the increasing dose for CdSe

Transition from Townsend to glow discharge: subcritical, mixed or supercritical

The full parameter space of the transition from Townsend to glow discharge is investigated numerically in one space dimension in the classical model: with electrons and positive ions drifting in the local electric field, impact ionization by electrons ($\alpha$ process), secondary electron emission from the cathode ($\gamma$ process) and space charge effects. We also perform a systematic analytical small current expansion about the Townsend limit up to third order in the total current that fits our numerical data very well. Depending on $\gamma$ and system size pd, the transition from Townsend to glow discharge can show the textbook subcritical behavior, but for smaller values of pd, we also find supercritical or some intermediate ``mixed'' behavior. The analysis in particular lays the basis for understanding the complex spatio-temporal patterns in planar barrier discharge systems.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Regional Societies: Fostering Competitive Research Through Virtual Infrastructures

The MidSouth Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Society (MCBIOS) describes its efforts to provide local opportunities for researchers to learn and connect with colleague

A Conceptual Aerospace Vehicle Structural System Modeling, Analysis and Design Process

A process for aerospace structural concept analysis and design is presented, with examples of a blended-wing-body fuselage, a multi-bubble fuselage concept, a notional crew exploration vehicle, and a high altitude long endurance aircraft. Aerospace vehicle structures must withstand all anticipated mission loads, yet must be designed to have optimal structural weight with the required safety margins. For a viable systems study of advanced concepts, these conflicting requirements must be imposed and analyzed early in the conceptual design cycle, preferably with a high degree of fidelity. In this design process, integrated multidisciplinary analysis tools are used in a collaborative engineering environment. First, parametric solid and surface models including the internal structural layout are developed for detailed finite element analyses. Multiple design scenarios are generated for analyzing several structural configurations and material alternatives. The structural stress, deflection, strain, and margins of safety distributions are visualized and the design is improved. Over several design cycles, the refined vehicle parts and assembly models are generated. The accumulated design data is used for the structural mass comparison and concept ranking. The present application focus on the blended-wing-body vehicle structure and advanced composite material are also discussed

Langzeitbelastung von Weinbergsböden mit Cu beeinflusst die Stressresistenz der mikrobiellen Gemeinschaft

Eine lang andauernde Bodenbelastung führt häufig zur Akklimatisierung bzw. Adaptation von Mikroorganismen, weshalb negative Wirkungen der Belastung durch übliche Toxizitätstests mit Bodenorganismen nicht angezeigt werden. Dies kann selbst bei sehr hohen Schadstoffgehalten auftreten, die bei Experimenten mit frisch zugegebenem Schadstoff eindeutig zu negativen Effekten führen. Langzeitkontaminationen durch Cu treten in Weinbergsböden verbreitet auf; seit dem späten 19. Jahrhundert und mit Applikationsmaxima in den 1920er bis 1930er Jahren sowie in den 1950er Jahren werden Cu-haltige Fungizide dort angewendet. In der Folge haben Weinbergsböden hohe Gehalte an Cu akkumuliert; Cu-Gehalte liegen in Weinbergsböden der Moselregion im Mittel bei 170 mg kg-1 Boden. Die mikrobielle Abundanz und Aktivität in Böden mit Langzeitkontamination steht jedoch meist in keinem eindeutigen Zusammenhang zu der Höhe der Belastung. Grundlage dieser Studie war die Hypothese, dass die Vorbelastung der Böden mit Cu zu einer erhöhten Empfindlichkeit gegenüber zusätzlichem Stress führt, was sich in einer verminderten Resistenz und Resilienz der mikrobiellen Gemeinschaft ausdrückt. Um dies zu untersuchen, wurden zehn Weinbergsböden des Weinbaugebietes Mosel mit Cu-Gesamtgehalten zwischen 20 und 440 mg kg‑1 ausgewählt. Die Stressresistenz der mikrobiellen Gemeinschaft in diesen Böden wurde mithilfe des relativen Bodenstabilitäts-Index (relative soil stability index - RSSI) ermittelt. Dazu wurden die Böden in Laborexperimenten einer kurzzeitigen Hitzebehandlung als zusätzlichem, zweitem Stress ausgesetzt und nachfolgend Enzymaktivitäten der Dehydrogenase und alkalischen Phosphatase als Endo- und Exoenzyme über 15 Tage gemessen. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen, dass die vorhandene, mikrobielle Aktivität in den Böden in keinem Zusammenhang zu den Gehalten an Gesamt-Cu wie auch mobilem Cu steht. Zusätzlicher Stress bewirkte weitere Verminderungen der Enzymaktivitäten, die über den beobachteten Zeitraum in unterschiedlichem Maß wieder kompensiert wurden. Diese Parameter stehen zumindest teilweise in Zusammenhang mit der Cu-Belastung. Überraschenderweise waren die Resistenz, Resilienz und der RSSI positiv mit der Cu-Belastung korreliert; eine höhere Cu-Belastung induziert eine höhere Resistenz gegen zusätzlichen Stress. Es wird vermutet, dass die Langzeit-Kontamination zur Selektion einer stressresistenteren mikrobiellen Gemeinschaft geführt hat. Dies wird durch weitere Parameter überprüft

Labeling of Biotechnology Products

labeling of biotech products in foodSpeakers t this symposium presented issues surround the issue of labeling of biotech products and the right of the consumer to know about the ingredients of the food they eat