engine Start Your Engines: AMSD Flex – Your Instant Access to Latest Spectre Features! By community.cadence.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 06:59:00 GMT Cadence ® Spectre ® AMS Designer is a high-performance mixed-signal simulation system. The ability to use multiple engines, and drive from a variety of platforms enables you to "rev... [[ Click on the title to access the full blog on the Cadence Community site. ]] Full Article
engine Start Your Engines: AMSD Flex—Take your Pick! By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 22:16:00 GMT Introduction to AMSD Flex mode and its benefits.(read more) Full Article mixed signal design AMS Designer AMSD AMSD Flex Mode mixed-signal verification
engine Start Your Engines: AMSD Flex – Your Instant Access to Latest Spectre Features! By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 06:59:00 GMT This blog talks about how to enable the AMS Designer flex mode.(read more) Full Article mixed signal design AMS Designer AMSD AMSD Flex Mode mixed-signal verification
engine Inout PPC Engine Cross Site Request Forgery By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:22:22 GMT Inout PPC Engine suffers from a cross site request forgery vulnerability. Full Article
engine Lockheed Martin Selects Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform to Support Digital Engineering Initiatives By www.3ds.com Published On :: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 17:23:32 +0200 •Lockheed Martin deploys the 3DEXPERIENCE platform as an engineering and manufacturing planning toolset •Multi-year collaboration aims to speed timelines and improve efficiencies of next generation products •Digital experience platform approach drives advances in complex, sophisticated aircraft innovation Full Article 3DEXPERIENCE Aerospace & Defense Customers
engine Amazon Engineer Leaks Encryption Keys To Public GitHub Repo By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Thu, 23 Jan 2020 16:22:30 GMT Full Article headline hacker amazon data loss password
engine Reverse Engineer Extracts Skype Crypto Secret Recipe By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:54:59 GMT Full Article voip skype
engine Intel Finds Critical Holes In Secret Management Engine By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Nov 2017 18:50:10 GMT Full Article headline flaw mcafee backdoor intel
engine ManageEngine DataSecurity Plus Authentication Bypass By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 19:50:07 GMT ManageEngine DataSecurity Plus versions prior to 6.0.1 and ADAudit Plus versions prior to 6.0.3 suffer from an authentication bypass vulnerability. Full Article
engine Phrack - Attacking JavaScript Engines By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Tue, 26 Sep 2017 03:33:33 GMT Phrack: Attacking JavaScript Engines: A case study of JavaScriptCore and CVE-2016-4622. Full Article
engine ManageEngine 14 Remote Code Execution By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Wed, 08 Apr 2020 16:39:26 GMT This is a whitepaper tutorial that describes steps taken to identify post-authentication remote code execution vulnerabilities in ManageEngine version 14. Full Article
engine Source Engine CS:GO Build 4937372 Arbitrary Code Execution By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 22:22:22 GMT Source Engine CS:GO BuildID: 4937372 arbitrary code execution exploit. Full Article
engine ManageEngine DataSecurity Plus Path Traversal / Code Execution By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 19:40:45 GMT ManageEngine DataSecurity Plus versions prior to 6.0.1 and ADAudit Plus versions prior to 6.0.3 suffers from a path traversal vulnerability that can lead to remote code execution. Full Article
engine ManageEngine Asset Explorer Windows Agent Remote Code Execution By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 19:56:17 GMT The ManageEngine Asset Explorer windows agent suffers form a remote code execution vulnerability. All versions prior to 1.0.29 are affected. Full Article
engine ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer 10.0 Information Disclosure By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Mon, 24 Feb 2020 01:32:22 GMT ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer version 10.0 suffers from an information disclosure vulnerability. Full Article
engine Search Engine For Japanese Sex Hotels Announces Security Breach By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Mon, 06 Jan 2020 16:01:25 GMT Full Article headline privacy data loss japan
engine Microsoft's Bing Search Engine Inaccessible In China By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Thu, 24 Jan 2019 15:33:05 GMT Full Article headline government microsoft china censorship
engine Ex-Yahoo Engineer Hacked Accounts Seeking Porn By packetstormsecurity.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 13:49:58 GMT Full Article headline hacker privacy email cybercrime fraud password yahoo
engine Clean energy engineering experts share blueprints for zero-emission buildings By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2019-04-30T13:51:59Z Buildings account for nearly four-tenths of U.S. energy consumption through heating, cooling and other electricity use, according to the Energy Information Administration. And if that energy comes from fossil fuels, it releases more greenhouse gases that drive human-caused climate change. Full Article Energy Efficiency News Wind Power Solar Infrastructure Geothermal
engine Clean energy engineering experts share blueprints for zero-emission buildings By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2019-04-30T13:51:59Z Buildings account for nearly four-tenths of U.S. energy consumption through heating, cooling and other electricity use, according to the Energy Information Administration. And if that energy comes from fossil fuels, it releases more greenhouse gases that drive human-caused climate change. Full Article Energy Efficiency News Wind Power Solar Infrastructure Geothermal
engine Navantia Australia opens naval design and engineering centre in Melbourne By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 05 Jul 2019 02:22:00 GMT Naval shipbuilder Navantia Australia, a subsidiary of Spain-based Navantia S.A., has opened a new design and engineering centre in Melbourne. Full Article 2018
engine Clean energy engineering experts share blueprints for zero-emission buildings By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2019-04-30T13:51:59Z Buildings account for nearly four-tenths of U.S. energy consumption through heating, cooling and other electricity use, according to the Energy Information Administration. And if that energy comes from fossil fuels, it releases more greenhouse gases that drive human-caused climate change. Full Article Energy Efficiency News Wind Power Solar Infrastructure Geothermal
engine Engineering Possibilities Versus Practical Implementation: Utility Portfolios and Business Models By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2015-04-30T11:40:00Z Europe’s utilities are re-evaluating their business models due to the energy transition. Members of POWER-GEN Europe’s Advisory Board consider how a reliance on fossil fuels is no longer politically desirable, forcing utilities to transform their portfolios to adapt to radical change. Full Article Microgrids Energy Efficiency Hydropower Baseload Storage Energy Efficiency Bioenergy Wind Power Solar Project Development Geothermal
engine Women Engineers Still Desperately Needed By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2015-12-09T14:49:00Z In 1984, when this year’s POWER-GEN 2015 Woman of the Year Kim Greene started engineering school, about 16 percent of her class was made up of women. Today, more than 30 years later, that number has jumped to just 18 percent. Greene, the Chief Operating Office of Southern Company was one of three finalists for the 2015 Woman of the Year award during Power Generation Week and on Tuesday December 8, she took part in a panel discussion with her co-finalists: Terry Jester, CEO and Chairman of Silicor Materials and Roxann Laird, Director of the National Carbon Capture Center, during the Women in Power luncheon. The fact that women only make up 18 percent of engineering students is an alarming statistic and was the topic of discussion for much of the panel. To combat it, Greene believes that everyone should be encouraging young women to study engineering. “Fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, school teachers,” she said, explaining that it should be important to all of us to encourage girls to pursue education in technical fields that will (hopefully) ultimately lead to careers in the energy industry. Laird explained that she does simple things in her household, such as conducting science experiments at birthday parties for her daughter. Also important is persistence, said Greene. Girls may need a bit of extra encouragement when they do poorly on a test or fail a class. If a mentor can offer words of encouragement like “keep your chin up” and “you can do this,” that may be all that is needed to keep a girl motivated who may otherwise have become discouraged. As far as rising through the ranks of an organization, Jester believes it isn’t about being the smartest person in the room or always making the right decisions. Women just need to believe that they are capable of being charge. If you make a mistake, own it and move on, said Greene. It’s ok to admit you are wrong, don’t dig in your heels. Panelists were also asked for tips on how to re-enter the workplace after a hiatus or after switching careers and all agreed on one thing: “don’t apologize for the gap.” Jester believes that someone who has re-dedicated herself to the workplace makes for an excellent employee. At the end of the day “engineers solve problems,” said Laird adding, “it’s a fun industry.” Jester said that there are misperceptions in the industry that engineers are stuck in a cube or an office doing very boring jobs but it is not like that. Those of us in the industry know its fun. Robynn Andracsek, an engineer with Burns & McDonnell and member of the Women in Power committee led the panel discussion during the luncheon. The purpose of the Women in Power committee is to provide role models to inspire young women to pursue careers in energy. Anyone in the energy industry can nominate a woman for the Woman of the year award. Nominations are open from April to August each year. Full Article News Hydropower Baseload Storage Bioenergy Solar Geothermal
engine Interview with Kate Stees – An Emerging Engineer By blog.ipc.org Published On :: Fri, 24 Apr 2020 19:13:43 +0000 What better way to learn about the electronics industry than from real people successfully pursuing their careers in great companies? Charlene Gunter du Plessis, Senior Director of the IPC Education Foundation talked to Kate Stees, a Materials and Process Engineer at Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control in Ocala, Florida. Kate currently works in the […] Full Article education electronics IPC IPC Education Foundation Membership Workforce Development IPC Emerging Engineer program IPC-A-610 Task Group IPCEF J-STD-001 Task Group
engine Clean energy engineering experts share blueprints for zero-emission buildings By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2019-04-30T13:51:59Z Buildings account for nearly four-tenths of U.S. energy consumption through heating, cooling and other electricity use, according to the Energy Information Administration. And if that energy comes from fossil fuels, it releases more greenhouse gases that drive human-caused climate change. Full Article Energy Efficiency News Wind Power Solar Infrastructure Geothermal
engine Banking on AI: NerdWallet’s Recommendation Engine Matches Customers with Relevant Financial Products By blogs.nvidia.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 15:00:29 GMT Dating apps may get all the press, but NerdWallet has been refining the art of financial matchmaking for more than a decade. The company provides its members with sound financial advice generated by machine learning algorithms. But as computing has advanced, so has NerdWallet’s ambition. Now the company is using AI to better match casual Read article > The post Banking on AI: NerdWallet’s Recommendation Engine Matches Customers with Relevant Financial Products appeared first on The Official NVIDIA Blog. Full Article
engine Samsung Engineering Hits 550 Bil. Won Jackpot in Thailand By english.hankyung.com Published On :: 2017-08-17 08:47 Samsung Engineering said on August 16 that it won two petrochemical power generation projects worth 550 billion won jointly with PTT Public Company Ltd., a Thai state-run oil company. This has been less than a week since the Korean company announced a large-scale oil refinery building project in Oman worth more than 1 trillion won. The project calls for building a petrochemical plant and an electricity generation plant in Rayong, Thailand's largest industrial city 150 kilometers southeast of ... Full Article
engine Boeing Engineering Plan Collapses By seekingalpha.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 13:30:12 -0400 Full Article ERJ BA Dhierin Bechai
engine Wild ride: Kitten survives trip from south to west Auckland stuck in car engine By www.nzherald.co.nz Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 15:04:30 +1200 A stray kitten climbed into the engine of a car in Otara, south Auckland, and ended up hitching a ride all the way to West Harbour, in west Auckland, where it was rescued and adopted by a loving family.It was early on Saturday morning... Full Article
engine Autonomous Resourcing: the Engine Room of Feminist Work Amid a Global Pandemic By www.ipsnews.net Published On :: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 17:52:49 +0000 Feminist responses to COVID-19 have been swift, insightful, and numerous. There have been webinars (so.many.webinars), twitter threads, illustrations, press releases and policy recommendations, and online house parties. Analysis pieces cover everything from the gendered impacts of COVID-19 to how to work remotely to the role of neoliberal capitalism. Most strikingly, feminists have mobilized on a […] The post Autonomous Resourcing: the Engine Room of Feminist Work Amid a Global Pandemic appeared first on Inter Press Service. Full Article Featured Gender Global Headlines Health TerraViva United Nations
engine Asia’s growth engines need a tune up -- by Glenita Amoranto, Liming Chen, Eugenia Co Go By blogs.adb.org Published On :: Tue, 18 Feb 2020 15:24:09 +0800 Asian cities act as engines of economic growth, providing jobs, expertise, and the sharing of resources. But in some cases, these powerful engines are sputtering due to insufficient infrastructure, inadequate planning, and poor governance. Full Article
engine Will General Budget Fuel the Real Growth Engine? By www.indianrealtynews.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 04:03:28 +0000 The intuitive habit of drawing macroeconomic conclusions (about India) from the corporate feedback (and vice versa) is fraught with risk. After all, only half of India’s GDP and 10% of India’s employment are in the formal sector. Further, only a fraction of the formal sector is listed.†This is not any Swadeshi ideologue speaking. This is what the Asia Pacific/India Equity Research paper of Credit Suisse titled “India’s better half: The Informal Economy†says about the most unique aspect of Indian economy. The paper points out that corporate sector accounts for only one-fourth of the national capital formed – the share of listed corporates in it is even less, just […] Full Article Banking and Finance Real Estate Companies Real Estate India
engine 3358-PRC: Qingdao Smart Low-Carbon District Energy Project [Supply of Gas Engines, Boilers, Heat Pumps, and Attachment #1] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Full Article
engine Engineers Week 2020: Developing Tomorrow’s STEM Leaders By news.harman.com Published On :: Tue, 18 Feb 2020 15:40:00 GMT Comprising 50% of our global employee population, engineers are behind many of HARMAN’s market-leading connected technologies and innovations. Our engineers work hard each and every day to connect the world through state-of-the-art products and... Full Article
engine NASA engineer's 'helical engine' may violate the laws of physics By www.newscientist.com Published On :: Fri, 11 Oct 2019 13:10:13 +0000 A NASA engineer has published plans for an engine that could accelerate a rocket without using propellant. But there are questions over whether it could work Full Article
engine HARMAN Ingenuity to take Center Stage at 2014 Audio Engineering Society Convention By news.harman.com Published On :: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 13:00:00 GMT LOS ANGELES, CA – HARMAN International Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HAR), the premium audio and infotainment group, will have a major presence at the 137th Audio Engineering Society Convention as it returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center Thursday, October 9 through Sunday, October 12 for the first time in twelve years. HARMAN, the premiere sponsor of both the annual AES President’s Reception and the AES Student Zone, will present several research papers, highlight new Professional audio equipment, and demonstrate the company’s latest innovative music restoration technology, Clari-Fi, throughout the week. Full Article
engine Could geoengineering really help us solve the climate crisis? By www.newscientist.com Published On :: Thu, 16 May 2019 14:44:48 +0000 With increasing public concern over climate change, interest is turning to geoengineering again. Is it time to take a serious look at engineering our climate? Full Article
engine Engineering Leaders & Innovators at HARMAN’s Novi Headquarters By news.harman.com Published On :: Wed, 17 Apr 2019 15:30:00 GMT As a leading technology company with applications across a range of industries including automotive, audio and enterprise technology, HARMAN has a strong focus on recognizing our talented in-house engineers, developers and designers who help bring ... Full Article
engine What does it take to become a good reverse engineer? By securelist.com Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 10:00:09 +0000 While we are all working from home, why not tear some binary code apart and pick up some reverse engineering skills? Within one hour, we will outline the typical workflow that we follow when analyzing malware. Full Article Events Opinion Security conference
engine Multiplex Genetic Engineering Exploiting Pyrimidine Salvage Pathway-Based Endogenous Counterselectable Markers By mbio.asm.org Published On :: 2020-04-07T01:31:16-07:00 ABSTRACT Selectable markers are indispensable for genetic engineering, yet their number and variety are limited. Most selection procedures for prototrophic cells rely on the introduction of antibiotic resistance genes. New minimally invasive tools are needed to facilitate sophisticated genetic manipulations. Here, we characterized three endogenous genes in the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus for their potential as markers for targeted genomic insertions of DNAs of interest (DOIs). Since these genes are involved in uptake and metabolization of pyrimidines, resistance to the toxic effects of prodrugs 5-fluorocytosine and 5-fluorouracil can be used to select successfully integrated DOIs. We show that DOI integration, resulting in the inactivation of these genes, caused no adverse effects with respect to nutrient requirements, stress resistance, or virulence. Beside the individual use of markers for site-directed integration of reporter cassettes, including the 17-kb penicillin biosynthetic cluster, we demonstrate their sequential use by inserting three genes encoding fluorescent proteins into a single strain for simultaneous multicolor localization microscopy. In addition to A. fumigatus, we validated the applicability of this novel toolbox in Penicillium chrysogenum and Fusarium oxysporum. Enabling multiple targeted insertions of DOIs without the necessity for exogenous markers, this technology has the potential to significantly advance genetic engineering. IMPORTANCE This work reports the discovery of a novel genetic toolbox comprising multiple, endogenous selectable markers for targeted genomic insertions of DNAs of interest (DOIs). Marker genes encode proteins involved in 5-fluorocytosine uptake and pyrimidine salvage activities mediating 5-fluorocytosine deamination as well as 5-fluorouracil phosphoribosylation. The requirement for their genomic replacement by DOIs to confer 5-fluorocytosine or 5-fluorouracil resistance for transformation selection enforces site-specific integrations. Due to the fact that the described markers are endogenously encoded, there is no necessity for the exogenous introduction of commonly employed markers such as auxotrophy-complementing genes or antibiotic resistance cassettes. Importantly, inactivation of the described marker genes had no adverse effects on nutrient requirements, growth, or virulence of the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Given the limited number and distinct types of selectable markers available for the genetic manipulation of prototrophic strains such as wild-type strains, we anticipate that the proposed methodology will significantly advance genetic as well as metabolic engineering of fungal species. Full Article
engine Induction of Protective Antiplague Immune Responses by Self-Adjuvanting Bionanoparticles Derived from Engineered Yersinia pestis [Microbial Immunity and Vaccines] By iai.asm.org Published On :: 2020-04-20T08:00:38-07:00 A Yersinia pestis mutant synthesizing an adjuvant form of lipid A (monophosphoryl lipid A, MPLA) displayed increased biogenesis of bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). To enhance the immunogenicity of the OMVs, we constructed an Asd-based balanced-lethal host-vector system that oversynthesized the LcrV antigen of Y. pestis, raised the amounts of LcrV enclosed in OMVs by the type II secretion system, and eliminated harmful factors like plasminogen activator (Pla) and murine toxin from the OMVs. Vaccination with OMVs containing MPLA and increased amounts of LcrV with diminished toxicity afforded complete protection in mice against subcutaneous challenge with 8 x 105 CFU (80,000 50% lethal dose [LD50]) and intranasal challenge with 5 x 103 CFU (50 LD50) of virulent Y. pestis. This protection was significantly superior to that resulting from vaccination with LcrV/alhydrogel or rF1-V/alhydrogel. At week 4 postimmunization, the OMV-immunized mice showed more robust titers of antibodies against LcrV, Y. pestis whole-cell lysate (YPL), and F1 antigen and more balanced IgG1:IgG2a/IgG2b-derived Th1 and Th2 responses than LcrV-immunized mice. Moreover, potent adaptive and innate immune responses were stimulated in the OMV-immunized mice. Our findings demonstrate that self-adjuvanting Y. pestis OMVs provide a novel plague vaccine candidate and that the rational design of OMVs could serve as a robust approach for vaccine development. Full Article
engine A New Gorilla Adenoviral Vector with Natural Lung Tropism Avoids Liver Toxicity and Is Amenable to Capsid Engineering and Vector Retargeting [Gene Delivery] By jvi.asm.org Published On :: 2020-05-04T08:00:46-07:00 Human adenoviruses have many attractive features for gene therapy applications. However, the high prevalence of preexisting immunity against these viruses in general populations worldwide has greatly limited their clinical utility. In addition, the most commonly used human adenovirus, human adenovirus subgroup C serotype 5 (HAd5), when systemically administered, triggers systemic inflammation and toxicity, with the liver being the most severely affected organ. Here, we evaluated the utility and safety of a new low-seroprevalence gorilla adenovirus (GAd; GC46) as a gene transfer vector in mice. Biodistribution studies revealed that systemically administered GAd had a selective and robust lung endothelial cell (EC) tropism with minimal vector expression throughout many other organs and tissues. Administration of a high dose of GAd accomplished extensive transgene expression in the lung yet elicited no detectable inflammatory histopathology in this organ. Furthermore, GAd, unlike HAd5, did not exhibit hepatotropism or induce liver inflammatory toxicity in mice, demonstrating the exceptional safety profile of the vector vis-à-vis systemic utility. We further demonstrated that the GAd capsid fiber shared the flexibility of the HAd5 equivalent for permitting genetic modification; GAd with the pan-EC-targeting ligand myeloid cell-binding peptide (MBP) incorporated in the capsid displayed a reduced lung tropism and efficiently retargeted gene expression to vascular beds in other organs. IMPORTANCE In the aggregate, our mouse studies suggest that GAd is a promising gene therapy vector that utilizes lung ECs as a source of therapeutic payload production and a highly desirable toxicity profile. Further genetic engineering of the GAd capsid holds the promise of in vivo vector tropism modification and targeting. Full Article
engine A nonlinear beam model of photomotile structures [Engineering] By www.pnas.org Published On :: 2020-05-05T10:31:24-07:00 Actuation remains a significant challenge in soft robotics. Actuation by light has important advantages: Objects can be actuated from a distance, distinct frequencies can be used to actuate and control distinct modes with minimal interference, and significant power can be transmitted over long distances through corrosion-free, lightweight fiber optic cables.... Full Article
engine The identification and mitigation of geohazards using shallow airborne engineering geophysics and land-based geophysics for brown- and greenfield road investigations By qjegh.lyellcollection.org Published On :: 2020-05-01T00:46:18-07:00 South Africa is a mineral-rich country with a diverse geology and a long history of mining. The rich history of mining activities includes the extraction of coal from the Ecca Group Sediments of the Karoo Supergroup (250 Ma), gold and uranium from the Witwatersrand Supergroup (2900 Ma), as well as platinum, uranium, tin and lead from the layered Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC) (2150 Ma). The extraction of gold, copper, tin, lead and rare earth minerals also took place in the Archean rocks of Swazium age (3500–3000 Ma). The historical mining records have either not been accurately recorded or have been lost over time. This has resulted in significant geohazard risk during infrastructure development, especially in and around historical mining towns, such as Johannesburg and Ermelo. These geohazard risks require careful appraisal and quantification prior to any infrastructure design or construction. This case study aims to set out the development aspects of the Multi-Faceted Geophysical Modelling Systems approach, which was used by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) during an investigation of undermined ground for the historical coal-mining town of Ermelo in South Africa. The N11/N2 ring road was planned to go around Ermelo to ensure mobility between major routes, whilst still maintaining town access. The systems approach used a combination of airborne geophysics (Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic System (VTEMTM) and magnetics), generally used in mining exploration, land-based and borehole geophysics, borehole water testing, and ground-truthing. The approach was continuous and iterative, building on the data at hand and reducing unnecessary investigations while eliminating the possibility of anomalies being missed, as in the case of conventional discrete drilling. The investigation ensured that 100% of the route was comprehensively investigated with a high confidence in the geological and geophysical data, and concomitant mitigation of infrastructure risk. The Multi-Faceted Geophysical Modelling Systems approach was successfully used to identify a previously unknown 1 x 1 m mining stope cavity at 90 m depth and a 3 x 5 m access tunnel at 24 m depth in a timely and cost-effective manner. Seven reverse-circulation percussion boreholes confirmed the structural integrity of these underground cavities, as well as the structural geology along the centreline. Based on the great success achieved in identifying shallow anomalies, this Multi-Faceted Geophysical Modelling Systems approach is now being considered for field trails on the dolomitic formations and the Wild Coast greenfields road project where there are large historical slumps and many fault lines. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Ground-related risk to transportation infrastructure collection available at https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/Ground-related-risk-to-transportation-infrastructure Full Article
engine Protein Engineering in the Ubiquitin System: Tools for Discovery and Beyond [Review Articles] By pharmrev.aspetjournals.org Published On :: 2020-02-27T12:11:24-08:00 Ubiquitin (UB) transfer cascades consisting of E1, E2, and E3 enzymes constitute a complex network that regulates a myriad of biologic processes by modifying protein substrates. Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) reverse UB modifications or trim UB chains of diverse linkages. Additionally, many cellular proteins carry UB-binding domains (UBDs) that translate the signals encoded in UB chains to target proteins for degradation by proteasomes or in autophagosomes, as well as affect nonproteolytic outcomes such as kinase activation, DNA repair, and transcriptional regulation. Dysregulation of the UB transfer pathways and malfunctions of DUBs and UBDs play causative roles in the development of many diseases. A greater understanding of the mechanism of UB chain assembly and the signals encoded in UB chains should aid in our understanding of disease pathogenesis and guide the development of novel therapeutics. The recent flourish of protein-engineering approaches such as unnatural amino acid incorporation, protein semisynthesis by expressed protein ligation, and high throughput selection by phage and yeast cell surface display has generated designer proteins as powerful tools to interrogate cell signaling mediated by protein ubiquitination. In this study, we highlight recent achievements of protein engineering on mapping, probing, and manipulating UB transfer in the cell. Significance Statement The post-translational modification of proteins with ubiquitin alters the fate and function of proteins in diverse ways. Protein engineering is fundamentally transforming research in this area, providing new mechanistic insights and allowing for the exploration of concepts that can potentially be applied to therapeutic intervention. Full Article
engine Vib-PT, an Aromatic Prenyltransferase Involved in the Biosynthesis of Vibralactone from Stereum vibrans [Enzymology and Protein Engineering] By aem.asm.org Published On :: 2020-05-05T08:00:35-07:00 Vibralactone, a hybrid compound derived from phenols and a prenyl group, is a strong pancreatic lipase inhibitor with a rare fused bicyclic β-lactone skeleton. Recently, a researcher reported a vibralactone derivative (compound C1) that caused inhibition of pancreatic lipase with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 14 nM determined by structure-based optimization, suggesting a potential candidate as a new antiobesity treatment. In the present study, we sought to identify the main gene encoding prenyltransferase in Stereum vibrans, which is responsible for the prenylation of phenol leading to vibralactone synthesis. Two RNA silencing transformants of the identified gene (vib-PT) were obtained through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Compared to wild-type strains, the transformants showed a decrease in vib-PT expression ranging from 11.0 to 56.0% at 5, 10, and 15 days in reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis, along with a reduction in primary vibralactone production of 37 to 64% at 15 and 21 days, respectively, as determined using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. A soluble and enzymatically active fusion Vib-PT protein was obtained by expressing vib-PT in Escherichia coli, and the enzyme’s optimal reaction conditions and catalytic efficiency (Km/kcat) were determined. In vitro experiments established that Vib-PT catalyzed the C-prenylation at C-3 of 4-hydroxy-benzaldehyde and the O-prenylation at the 4-hydroxy of 4-hydroxy-benzenemethanol in the presence of dimethylallyl diphosphate. Moreover, Vib-PT shows promiscuity toward aromatic compounds and prenyl donors. IMPORTANCE Vibralactone is a lead compound with a novel skeleton structure that shows strong inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase. Vibralactone is not encoded by the genome directly but rather is synthesized from phenol, followed by prenylation and other enzyme reactions. Here, we used an RNA silencing approach to identify and characterize a prenyltransferase in a basidiomycete species that is responsible for the synthesis of vibralactone. The identified gene, vib-PT, was expressed in Escherichia coli to obtain a soluble and enzymatically active fusion Vib-PT protein. In vitro characterization of the enzyme demonstrated the catalytic mechanism of prenylation and broad substrate range for different aromatic acceptors and prenyl donors. These characteristics highlight the possibility of Vib-PT to generate prenylated derivatives of aromatics and other compounds as improved bioactive agents or potential prodrugs. Full Article
engine CAR Engineering Comes to Macrophages [News in Brief] By cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org Published On :: 2020-05-01T00:05:26-07:00 Human macrophages equipped with chimeric antigen receptor constructs infiltrate solid tumors, ingest malignant tissue, and stimulate adaptive immunity in mouse models. Several new biotech companies are racing to bring the technology into clinical trials. Full Article
engine Cyborg grasshoppers have been engineered to sniff out explosives By www.newscientist.com Published On :: Mon, 17 Feb 2020 10:41:19 +0000 The super-sensitive smelling ability of American grasshoppers has been used to create biological bomb sniffers, which could prove useful for security purposes Full Article