An Integrated Marine Observing System in the Ligurian Sea

The Ligurian-Provencal basin plays a fundamental role in the climate and in the circulation of Mediterranean regions and, consequently, it has been object of intense scientific investigations since sixties. In order to better understand the peculiarities of this basin, an integrated marine observing system, composed by two fixed buoys (one offshore and one coastal) and two sub-surface moorings is working in an operational way in the Ligurian Sea. This work aims at describing the two fixed platforms setting up the Ligurian Sea integrated marine observing system and at evaluating the need to maintain the observatory in order to guarantee continuous acquisition of data suitable for scientific and technological improvements. The different technical solutions adopted for each buoy according to their specific employment are here described. Some years of operation have proved that both systems are able to satisfactory run for long periods, thus providing reliable long term time series of marine environmental parameters. Results so far obtained and the potentialities of the joint use of the two buoys are enlightened

High-speed atomic force microscopy in slow motion-understanding cantilever behaviour at high scan velocities

Using scanning laser Doppler vibrometer we have identified sources of noise in contact mode high-speed atomic force microscope images and the cantilever dynamics that cause them. By analysing reconstructed animations of the entire cantilever passing over various surfaces, we identified higher eigenmode oscillations along the cantilever as the cause of the image artefacts. We demonstrate that these can be removed by monitoring the displacement rather than deflection of the tip of the cantilever. We compare deflection and displacement detection methods whilst imaging a calibration grid at high speed and show the significant advantage of imaging using displacement

RACK1 cooperates with NRASQ61K to promote melanoma in vivo

Notice à reprendre pas de clé UT le 30 mai 2017International audienceMelanoma is the deadliest skin cancer. RACK1 (Receptor for activated protein kinase C) protein was proposed as a biological marker of melanoma in human and domestic animal species harboring spontaneous melanomas. As a scaffold protein, RACK1 is able to coordinate the interaction of key signaling molecules implicated in both physiological cellular functions and tumorigenesis. A role for RACK1 in rewiring ERK and JNK signaling pathways in melanoma cell lines had been proposed. Here, we used a genetic approach to test this hypothesis in vivo in the mouse. We show that Rack1 knock-down in the mouse melanoma cell line B16 reduces invasiveness and induces cell differentiation. We have developed the first mouse model for RACK1 gain of function, Tyr::Rack1-HA transgenic mice, targeting RACK1 to melanocytes in vivo. RACK1 overexpression was not sufficient to initiate melanomas despite activated ERK and AKT. However, in a context of melanoma predisposition, RACK1 overexpression reduced latency and increased incidence and metastatic rate. In primary melanoma cells from Tyr::Rack1-HA, Tyr::NRasQ61K mice, activated JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) and activated STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) acted as RACK1 oncogenic partners in tumoral progression. A sequential and coordinated activation of ERK, JNK and STAT3 with RACK1 is shown to accelerate aggressive melanoma development in vivo