Proteome alterations induced in human white blood cells by consumption of Brussels sprouts: Results of a pilot intervention study

Epidemiological studies indicate a correlation of cruciferous vegetables consumption with reduced incidence of cancer. This study was designed to investigate molecular mechanisms, which may help to understand the beneficial effects of Brussels sprout consumption. In order to avoid the limitations of in vitro model systems, we performed a dietary intervention study with five participants. We investigated, whether sprout consumption affects the proteome profile of primary white blood cells. In order to achieve maximal sensitivity in detecting specific adaptive proteome alterations, we metabolically labelled freshly isolated cells in the presence of ³⁵S‐methionine/cysteine and performed autoradiographic quantification of protein synthesis. Proteins were separated by 2‐DE and spots of interest were cut out, digested and identified by MS. After the intervention, we found a significant up‐regulation of the synthesis of manganese superoxide dismutase (1.56‐fold) and significant down‐regulation of the synthesis of heat shock 70 kDa protein (hsp70; 2.27‐fold). Both proteins play a role in malignant transformation of cells. Hsp‐70 is involved in the regulation of apoptosis, which leads to elimination of cancer cells, while SOD plays a key role in protection against reactive oxygen species mediated effects. Our findings indicate that the alteration of the synthesis of these proteins may be involved in the anticarcinogenic effects of cruciferous vegetables, which was observed in earlier laboratory studies with animals.     

Science and technology in the region: The output of regional science and technology, its strengths and its leading institutions

Summary We operationalize scientific output in a region by means of the number of articles (as in the SciSearch database) per year and technology output by means of the number of patent applications (as in the database of the European Patent Office) per priority year. All informetric analyses were done using the DIALOG online-system. The main research questions are the following: Which scientific and technological fields or topics are most influent within a region and which institutions or companies are mainly publishing articles or holding patents? Do the distributions of regional science and technology fields and of publishing institutions follow the well-known informetric function? Are there - as it is expected - only few fields and few institutions which dominate the region? Is there a connection between the economic power of a region and the regional publication and patent output? Examples studied in detail are seven German regions: Aachen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Köln (Cologne), Leipzig - Halle - Dessau, München (Munich), and Stuttgart. Three different indicators were used, science and technology attraction of a region (number of scientific articles and patents), science and technology intensity (articles and patents per 1,000 inhabitants), and science and technology density (articles and patents per 1 billion EURO gross value added). Top region concerning both attraction and intensity is Munich, concerning density it is Aachen.     

Science and Technology of High Dielectric Constant Thin Films and Materials Integration for Application to High Frequency Devices

Thin films of Ba_1?x Sr _x Ti_1+y O_3+z (BST), were fabricated using both by RF-magnetron sputtering and MOCVD to demonstrate application to high frequency devices. Precise control of composition and microstructure is critical for the production of (Ba _x Sr_1?x )Ti_1+y O_3+z (BST) dielectric thin films with the large dependence of permittivity on electric field, low losses, and high electrical breakdown fields that are required for successful integration of BST into tunable high frequency devices. Here we review results on composition-microstructure-electrical property relationships of polycrystalline BST films produced by magnetron sputter deposition that are appropriate for microwave devices such as phase shifters. BST films with a multilayer structure were also developed with different Ti-elemental ratio in each layer to minimize losses and leakage current. Interfacial contamination from C and H species was studied and implications on electrical properties are highlighted. Finally, York's group at the University of California-Santa Barbara successfully integrated our BST films onto phase shifter arrays. The results show potential of BST films in such applications. Results from initial work on the integration of Cu-electrodes with BST films are also presented.     

Value creation through project risk management

Risk management is a common and widely adopted project practice. Practitioners use risk management based on a common assumption that risk management adds value to projects. Yet, in the complex and ambiguous environment of a project, value is often subjective. If this is the case, then how do stakeholders perceive project risk management to create value? This paper presents a literature review and an empirical study of project risk management as a means of creating value. The empirical study is based on interviews, analyzed through qualitative analysis, to unravel the subjective value of project risk management. Specifically, we addressed how practitioners perceived the connection between project risk management practices and value creation. We found that stakeholders' perceptions of value played an important role in how value was created through project risk management. What a stakeholder perceives to be important, such as the prospective outcomes of a project, influences the perceived value of a given project risk management practice. The empirical findings indicate the need for a contextualized understanding of the value of project risk management, and thereby provide a more nuanced view of the variety of forms through which project risk management can create value. The findings question the “universal ideal” of PRM value creation portrayed in the academic and practitioner literature.     

Electrically Tunable Nanoporous Carbon Hybrid Actuators

A novel nanoporous carbon/electrolyte hybrid material is reported for use in actuation. The nanoporous carbon matrix provides a 3D network that combines mechanical strength, light weight, and low cost with an extremely high surface area. In contrast to lower dimensional nanomaterials, the nanoporous carbon matrix can be prepared in the form of macroscopic monolithic samples that can be loaded in compression. The hybrid material is formed by infiltrating the free internal pore volume of the carbon with an electrolyte. Actuation is prompted by polarizing the internal interfaces via an applied electric bias. It is found that the strain amplitude is proportional to the Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) mass specific surface area, with reversible volume strain amplitudes up to the exceptionally high value of 6.6%. The mass‐specific strain energy density compares favorably to reported values for piezoceramics and for nanoporous metal actuators.     

Mathematical models of the transitions between endocrine therapy responsive and resistant states in breast cancer

Endocrine therapy, targeting the oestrogen receptor pathway, is the most common treatment for oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancers. Unfortunately, these tumours frequently develop resistance to endocrine therapies. Among the strategies to treat resistant tumours are sequential treatment (in which second-line drugs are used to gain additional responses) and intermittent treatment (in which a ‘drug holiday’ is imposed between treatments). To gain a more rigorous understanding of the mechanisms underlying these strategies, we present a mathematical model that captures the transitions among three different, experimentally observed, oestrogen-sensitivity phenotypes in breast cancer (sensitive, hypersensitive and independent). To provide a global view of the transitions between these phenotypes, we compute the potential landscape associated with the model. We show how this oestrogen response landscape can be reshaped by population selection, which is a crucial force in promoting acquired resistance. Techniques from statistical physics are used to create a population-level state-transition model from the cellular-level model. We then illustrate how this population-level model can be used to analyse and optimize sequential and intermittent oestrogen-deprivation protocols for breast cancer. The approach used in this study is general and can also be applied to investigate treatment strategies for other types of cancer.