Inducing apoptosis of human colon cancer cells by an IGF-I D domain analogue peptide

Background: The resistance of tumour cells to apoptosis is a major contributor to the limited effectiveness of chemotherapies. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has potential to protect cancer cells from variety of apoptotic challenges. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of a novel IGF-I receptor antagonist on apoptosis in colon cancer cells.Results: We have designed and synthesised a novel antagonist of IGF-I receptor. The effect of this antagonist on human colon cancer cell proliferation was examined by a non-radioactive assay; the apoptosis was revealed by determining the activities of cellular caspases3/7, 8 and 9. The apoptosis pathways were investigated by examining the levels of pro-apoptosis proteins with Western blotting. Following 40 hours treatment with the novel antagonist peptide, colon cancer cell Caspase 3/7 activities increased 2-7 times; Caspase 8 activities increased 2-5 times and Caspase 9 increased 1.2-1.6 times. The proliferation of cancer cell was inhibited by 14-15%. The data showed that the antagonist induced colon cancer cell apoptosis and inhibited cancer cell proliferation. The different changes of Caspase 3/7, 8 and 9 activities suggested that the extrinsic pathways may play a major role in the antagonist peptide-induced apoptosis.Conclusion: This is the first report on this novel antagonist to induce human colon cancer cell apoptosis and inhibit cancer cell proliferation. These results suggest that IGF-I receptor antagonists may have the potential to be developed as a novel therapy for colon cancers in the future

NASA's Evolution to K(sub a)- Band Space Communications for Near-Earth Spacecraft

Over the next several years, NASA plans to launch multiple earth-science missions which will send data from low-Earth orbits to ground stations at 1-3 Gbps, to achieve data throughputs of 5-40 terabits per day. These transmission rates exceed the capabilities of S-band and X-band frequency allocations used for science probe downlinks in the past. Accordingly, NASA is exploring enhancements to its space communication capabilities to provide the Agency's first Ka-band architecture solution for next generation missions in the near-earth regime. This paper describes the proposed Ka-band solution's drivers and concept, constraints and analyses which shaped that concept, and expansibility for future need

Ionic liquids for enzymatic sensing

The key challenges currently faced in lab-on-a-chip biochemical sensor developments are device reliability and power consumption. The major issues faced in terms of device reliability are liquid handling over extended periods of time, as the micro-dimensioned fluidic channels are prone to blockage, and unreliable micro pumps/valves. The overall aim of this proposal is to develop a biocompatible molecular sensor that will address these key issues which are holding back biocompatible sensors technologies, and thus to develop an innovative class of sensing technology at the forefront of molecular sensing. [1] Over the past decade conducting polymer electrodes have played an important role in bio-sensing and actuation. [2] Recent developments in the field of organic electronics have made available a variety of devices that bring unique capabilities at the interface with biology. [3,4] One example is organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) that are being developed for a variety of bio-sensing applications, including the detection of ions, [5] and metabolites, such as glucose [6] and lactate [7]. Room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are organic salts, which are liquid at ambient temperature. Their non-volatile character and thermal stability makes them an attractive alternative to conventional organic solvents. [8] To this end, we propose to exploit enzymatic doped ionogels - new materials for inherently biocompatible molecular sensors. These particular sensors are hybrid materials that consist of monomeric components polymerised within biocompatible ionic liquids, thus allowing various platforms for modification. Further investigation shows that these sensing platforms can be incorporated into flexible materials such as carbon cloth and can be utilised for bio-sensing. Furthermore, we envisage that the proposed sensing devices can be incorporated into fabrics for “wearable” health care devices thus providing clear benefits the public health service. Long term ambitions are to build a research career with a focus on academia and industrial research collaborations. The proposed time in DCU would allow myself to demonstrate adaptability and diversity and to highlight the transferable nature of my skills through the publication of peer review articles and the securing of patents. It is hoped that the research and project management experience gained through collaborations and contacts will allow me to further my career through more senior positions and grants. Through current collaborations, engineering and chemistry support from members of the Adaptive Sensor Group has already been secured for the proposed project. Expanding my research profile through further publications and both domestic and international presentations of the research. Existing collaborations held by myself (Doug MacFarlane’s / Ekaterina Izgorodina’s group, Monash University, Gloria Elliott’s group, UNCC, North Carolina and George Malliaras & Róisín Owens at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint Etienne) will be of considerable benefit to the project

The dark side of political marketing

Purpose This article discusses exploratory research into the perceptions of British Muslims towards Islamist ideological messaging to contribute to the general debate on ‘radicalisation'. The article discusses the findings of discussion groups in the light of research previously undertaken in the propaganda/psychology fields, from the perspective of Reversal Theory. Methodology/approach Four focus groups were undertaken with a mixture of Bangladeshi and Pakistani British Muslims who were shown a selection of Islamist propaganda media clips, garnered from the internet. The research is intended to provide exploratory indications of how British Muslims receive Islamist communication messages in order to provoke further research in this critical field. Findings We propose that Islamist communications focus on eliciting change in emotional states, specifically inducing the paratelic-excitement mode, by focusing around a meta-narrative of Muslims as a unitary grouping self- defined as victim to Western aggression. Early indicators are that some genres of Islamist propaganda may be more effective than others in generating these emotional change states (e.g. cartoons) and some groupings appear to be more susceptible than others. We conclude that our British Muslim respondents were unsympathetic to the Islamist ideological messaging contained in our sample of propaganda clips. Research limitations/implications The research highlights the difficulties in undertaking research in such a sensitive field. We propose a series of four testable propositions to guide future research looking specifically at whether those subjects who are more likely to be excited by Islamist communication include those with weakly held identities, younger males, those feeling contempt for Western culture, and the use of specific media genre formats. Originality/value of paper The article provides an insight into how British Muslims might respond to Islamist communications, indicating that whilst most are not susceptible to inducement of paratelic-excitement, others are likely to be, dependent on which genre of clip is used, the messages contained therein, and who that clip is targeted at

Missouri National Recreational River, Natural Resource Condition Assessment

Executive Summary As a unit in the National Park Service (NPS), Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) is responsible for the management and conservation of natural resources within its boundaries. This mandate is supported by the National Park Service Organic Act of 1916, which directs the NPS to: conserve the scenery and natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such a manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. In 2003, NPS Water Resources Division received funding through the Natural Resource Challenge Program to systematically assess watershed resource conditions in NPS units, establishing the Watershed Condition Assessment Program. This program, now titled the Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program, aims to provide documentation about the current conditions of important park resources through a spatially explicit, multi-disciplinary synthesis of existing scientific data and knowledge. Findings from the NRCA, including the report and accompanying map products, will help MNRR managers to: develop near-term management priorities, engage in watershed or landscape scale partnership and education efforts, conduct park planning (e.g. Resource Stewardship Strategy), report program performance (e.g. Department of the Interior’s Strategic Plan ―land health goals, Government Performance and Results Act). Specific project expectations and outcomes for the MNRR NRCA are listed in Chapter 3. For the purpose of this NRCA, NPS staff identified key resources that are referred to as ―components‖ in the project framework and throughout the assessment. The components selected include natural resources and processes that are currently of the greatest concern to park management at MNRR. The final project framework contains nine resource components, along with measures, stressors, and reference conditions for each. This study involved reviewing existing literature and data for each of the components in the framework and, where appropriate, analyzing the data in order to provide summaries or to create new spatial or statistical representations. After gathering data regarding current condition of component measures, those data were compared to reference conditions (when possible) and a qualitative statement of condition was developed. The discussions in Chapter 4 represent a comprehensive summary of available information regarding the current condition of these resources. These discussions represent not only the most current published literature, but also unpublished park information and, most importantly, the perspectives of park experts. Nearly every component in MNRR is affected by the altered flow regime from the post-dam Missouri River and, with that, the conditions of most park resources (as indicated by the measures defined in the project framework) are of moderate or significant concern. These condition designations are largely a product of the ―pre-dam‖ reference condition assigned to nearly every MNRR component. When comparing the current condition of a resource that has been drastically altered by damming to its pre-dam condition, it is almost always worse off today. However, while the Missouri River ecosystem has endured large changes since dam construction, there are several individual components that are recovering and doing well with the given circumstances. Differing uses and interests of the Missouri River (e.g. preservation, recreation, electricity generation, navigation, etc.) further complicate MNRR’s ability to restore the Missouri River to its pre-dam condition. However, several components ( e.g. flow regime, aquatic and terrestrial habitats, erosional and depositional processes) are drivers of the entire ecosystem, and restoration of these components would have a cascading effect on the entire ecosystem. Overall, the Missouri River ecosystem is complex and while several components are considered to be of moderate or significant concern, their actual condition (when considering the the condition of the Missouri River ecosystem) is often times of lower concern