978 research outputs found
Mediation of triple-negative breast cancer cell fate via cellular redox and Wnt signalling
Breast cancer is the most common cause of malignancy affecting women worldwide. This thesis focusses on the role of DDX20 in regulating Wnt/β-catenin signalling and its impact on cell fate in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The results of this study demonstrated a new role for DDX20-mediated Wnt signalling governing intracellular redox and mitochondrial function. Furthermore, we have determined that DDX20 is an essential regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signalling in TNBC stem cells
Alternative RNA splicing in tumour heterogeneity, plasticity and therapy
Alternative splicing is a process by which a single gene is able to encode multiple different protein isoforms. It is regulated by the inclusion or exclusion of introns and exons that are joined in different patterns prior to protein translation, thus enabling transcriptomic and proteomic diversity. It is now widely accepted that alternative splicing is dysregulated across nearly all cancer types. This widespread dysregulation means that nearly all cellular processes are affected – these include processes synonymous with the hallmarks of cancer – evasion of apoptosis, tissue invasion and metastasis, altered cellular metabolism, genome instability and drug resistance. Emerging evidence indicates that the dysregulation of alternative splicing also promotes a permissive environment for increased tumour heterogeneity and cellular plasticity. These are fundamental regulators of a patient's response to therapy. In this Review, we introduce the mechanisms of alternative splicing and the role of aberrant splicing in cancer, with particular focus on newfound evidence of alternative splicing promoting tumour heterogeneity, cellular plasticity and altered metabolism. We discuss recent in vivo models generated to study alternative splicing and the importance of these for understanding complex tumourigenic processes. Finally, we review the effects of alternative splicing on immune evasion, cell death and genome instability, and how targeting these might enhance therapeutic efficacy
Magnetic properties of single nanomagnets: EMCD on FePt nanoparticles
Energy-loss magnetic chiral dichroism (EMCD) allows for the quantification of
magnetic properties of materials at the nanometer scale. It is shown that with
the support of simulations that help to identify the optimal conditions for a
successful experiment and upon implementing measurement routines that
effectively reduce the noise floor, EMCD measurements can be pushed towards
quantitative magnetic measurements even on individual nanoparticles. With this
approach, the ratio of orbital to spin magnetic moments for the Fe atoms in a
single L ordered FePt nanoparticle is determined to be . This finding is in good quantitative agreement with the results of
XMCD ensemble measurements.Comment: 35 pages, 10 figure
Induction Mapping of the 3D-Modulated Spin Texture of Skyrmions in Thin Helimagnets
Envisaged applications of skyrmions in magnetic memory and logic devices
crucially depend on the stability and mobility of these topologically
non-trivial magnetic textures in thin films. We present for the first time
quantitative maps of the magnetic induction that provide evidence for a 3D
modulation of the skyrmionic spin texture. The projected in-plane magnetic
induction maps as determined from in-line and off-axis electron holography
carry the clear signature of Bloch skyrmions. However, the magnitude of this
induction is much smaller than the values expected for homogeneous Bloch
skyrmions that extend throughout the thickness of the film. This finding can
only be understood, if the underlying spin textures are modulated along the
out-of-plane z direction. The projection of (the in-plane magnetic induction
of) helices is further found to exhibit thickness-dependent lateral shifts,
which show that this z modulation is accompanied by an (in-plane) modulation
along the x and y directions
Photon Subtraction by Many-Body Decoherence
We experimentally and theoretically investigate the scattering of a photonic
quantum field from another stored in a strongly interacting atomic Rydberg
ensemble. Considering the many-body limit of this problem, we derive an exact
solution to the scattering-induced spatial decoherence of multiple stored
photons, allowing for a rigorous understanding of the underlying dissipative
quantum dynamics. Combined with our experiments, this analysis reveals a
correlated coherence-protection process in which the scattering from one
excitation can shield all others from spatial decoherence. We discuss how this
effect can be used to manipulate light at the quantum level, providing a robust
mechanism for single-photon subtraction, and experimentally demonstrate this
capability
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Probing magnetic properties at the nanoscale: in-situ Hall measurements in a TEM
We report on advanced in-situ magneto-transport measurements in a transmission electron microscope. The approach allows for concurrent magnetic imaging and high resolution structural and chemical characterization of the same sample. Proof-of-principle in-situ Hall measurements on presumably undemanding nickel thin films supported by micromagnetic simulations reveal that in samples with non-trivial structures and/or compositions, detailed knowledge of the latter is indispensable for a thorough understanding and reliable interpretation of the magneto-transport data. The proposed in-situ approach is thus expected to contribute to a better understanding of the Hall signatures in more complex magnetic textures
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