Report from a krill focused survey with RV Kronprins Haakon and land-based predator work in Antarctica during 2018/2019

The primary objective for this krill research activity was twofold 1) to conduct a survey that provides updated estimates of the biomass and distribution of krill which are used in models to estimate sustainable yield in CCAMLR Area 48 and 2) to develop knowledge on the marine environment essential for the implementation of a Feed-Back Management (FBM) system. The survey follows a similar design as a survey initiated by CCAMLR in year 2000 for comparative purposes, but in addition focuses on high krill-density areas, contains state-of-the art methods and employs modern technology for the research topics currently in focus. In terms of FBM, Marine Protected Area (MPA) development in CCAMLR Planning Domain 1 encompasses the major krill fishing grounds. Thus, data supporting FBM are critical if the fishery is to be managed by an empirical understanding of krill density, distribution, availability and predator needs as opposed to purely conservation-based measures. A future developed FBM system, requires acoustic data to be collected, processed and reported continuously during the fishing season as a measure of the available prey field. This information can be integrated with finer-scale knowledge of krill predator feeding strategies and updated through specific scientific studies at regular (multiyear) intervals. The survey and coupled FBM process studies took place during the Austral summer 2018-2019. The work was coordinated by Norway and involved collaborative international efforts as well as vessels from Norway, Association of Responsible Krill fishing companies (ARK) and the Norwegian fishing company Aker BioMarine AS, China, Korea, Ukraine and United Kingdom. This report presents preliminary results from the survey performed with the Norwegian RV Kronprins Haakon during 08th January – 24th February 2019 and the land-based predator research carried out between 21st November 2018 and 20th February 2019.publishedVersio

Synergies between ground-based and space-based observations in the solar system and beyond

The goal of this white paper is to provide examples where ground-based and space-based observations are combined, and used to obtain understanding or constrain parameters beyond what the separate measurements could yield

PPARδ Activation Acts Cooperatively with 3-Phosphoinositide-Dependent Protein Kinase-1 to Enhance Mammary Tumorigenesis

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorδ (PPARδ) is a transcription factor that is associated with metabolic gene regulation and inflammation. It has been implicated in tumor promotion and in the regulation of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1). PDK1 is a key regulator of the AGC protein kinase family, which includes the proto-oncogene AKT/PKB implicated in several malignancies, including breast cancer. To assess the role of PDK1 in mammary tumorigenesis and its interaction with PPARδ, transgenic mice were generated in which PDK1 was expressed in mammary epithelium under the control of the MMTV enhancer/promoter region. Transgene expression increased pT308AKT and pS9GSK3β, but did not alter phosphorylation of mTOR, 4EBP1, ribosomal protein S6 and PKCα. The transgenic mammary gland also expressed higher levels of PPARδ and a gene expression profile resembling wild-type mice maintained on a diet containing the PPARδ agonist, GW501516. Both wild-type and transgenic mice treated with GW501516 exhibited accelerated rates of tumor formation that were more pronounced in transgenic animals. GW501516 treatment was accompanied by a distinct metabolic gene expression and metabolomic signature that was not present in untreated animals. GW501516-treated transgenic mice expressed higher levels of fatty acid and phospholipid metabolites than treated wild-type mice, suggesting the involvement of PDK1 in enhancing PPARδ-driven energy metabolism. These results reveal that PPARδ activation elicits a distinct metabolic and metabolomic profile in tumors that is in part related to PDK1 and AKT signaling

Democracia vs. eficiência: como alcançar equilíbrio em tempo de crise financeira

Resumo A administração pública é forçada a encontrar um equilíbrio entre eficiência e democracia na definição da sua agenda e curso de ação. Uma das características da administração pública é que todas as decisões devem refletir valores democráticos, para além de serem eficientes. No entanto, a reforma administrativa, motivada por dificuldades financeiras, tende a destacar a importância do desempenho financeiro, em detrimento dos aspetos democráticos nas políticas de gestão pública. Esta pesquisa visa analisar a relação e tensão entre a eficiência e a democracia à luz da mais recente crise financeira global. O trabalho utiliza uma abordagem quantitativa e recolhe dados de governos locais portugueses para testar o argumento de uma relação linear inversa de desempenho financeiro e procedimentos democráticos. Os resultados confirmam o argumento de uma relação inversa, definida por Waldo (1948). Adicionalmente, os resultados também permitem concluir que a crise financeira evidenciou o efeito negativo dos procedimentos democráticos no desempenho financeiro

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure