Inhibition of CYP27B1 and CYP24 Increases the Anti-proliferative Effects of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3in LNCaP Cells

Background/Aim: Growing evidence suggests that vitamin D3 exerts anticancer effects. The present study aimed to evaluate 25-hydroxyvitamin D3(25(OH)D3) as a potential endocrine factor regulating proliferation and vitamin D receptor expression in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Materials and Methods: Cell counting after treatment was utilized to assess the effect of 25(OH)D3on cell proliferation. Changes in mRNA expression of the vitamin D receptors, VDR and PDIA3, were evaluated using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR). Results: 25(OH)D3inhibited cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect of 25(OH)D3on cell proliferation was potentiated after inhibition of CYP17B1 and CYP24 by genistein, preventing further metabolism of 25(OH)D3to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3(1,25(OH)2D3) and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3(24,25(OH)2D3). Expression of PDIA3 and VDR mRNA increased after treatment with 25(OH)D3, whereas the ratio between PDIA3 and VDR mRNA remained unchanged. Conclusion: 25(OH)D3has a direct inhibitory effect on cell proliferation, which is enhanced and accelerated when the metabolism of 25(OH)D3to 1,25(OH)2D3and 24,25(OH)2D3was inhibited by the CYP17B1 and CYP24 inhibitor genistein. Furthermore, treatment with 25(OH)D3increased receptor transcript expression, suggesting an increased VDR stability and sensibility of the treated cells

EUSTEPs administrative staff teaching module

Enhancing Universities’ Sustainability TEaching and Practices – EUSTEPs – is a project financed by ERASMUS+ program that features the collaboration among four European Universities and one Non-Governmental Organization. The team is coordinated by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), and is comprised of members from University of Siena (UNISI), Italy, University of Aveiro (UAv) and Universidade Aberta (UAb), both in Portugal, and Global Footprint Network (GFN), California, USA. The project aims to introduce a broader and holistic approach to sustainability within universities, having developed already one module dedicated to students and another for educators. In addition to this purpose, the project also envisions the development of a Footprint Calculator for Universities’ campus, allowing Institutions to acknowledge the environmental dimension of sustainability and connect it to their everyday functioning. All the actors whitin HEIs (students, academic staff, administrative staff and management bodies) are called to embrace a more sustainable campus, developing a set of multidisciplinary skills and a necessary shift in attitudes. This module is dedicated to the Administrative Staff of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and embraces a hands-on, experiential approach to sustainability understanding and Ecological Footprint concept. By presenting sustainability within the context of everyday life rather than through mere abstract theories and concepts around sustainability and, bridging with the 2030 UN Agenda Sustainable Development Goals, the administrative staff will be able to grasp how sustainability relates to not only the whole spectrum of daily life but also with their workplace and the administration of HEIs. The core aspect of the EUSTEPs Module to HEIs Administrative Staff is: 1. To make the administrative staff aware of sustainability and Ecological Footprint concepts. 2. To empower them to affect the sustainability of their workspace, as well as their community, bringing sustainability knowledge and its associated skills (usually limited to academics, researchers and students). Throughout this module, the administrative staff will not only be able to learn about sustainability and the human-environment relationship but also track their own individual Footprints; through discussing their results and behavior decisions with peers to shape a “learning by group discussion” process.ERASMUS+, KA203 2019-2022, Agreement No. 2019-1-ELO1-KA203-062941info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

“EUSTEPs Educators teaching module: sustainability around us: from theory to practice...and back”

This module, developed by the ERASMUS+ project EUSTEPs (Enhancing Universities’ Sustainability TEaching and Practices), uses a “learning-by-doing” approach to equip EU university students with science-based knowledge, multidisciplinary skills, and the transdisciplinary mindset needed to play a critical role in our societal effort towards sustainability, thus allowing students to be best prepared for the future labour market. The module is made highly effective by the adoption of the concept of Ecological Footprint (EF), a well-known and widespread quantitative approach to study, assess and understand sustainability concept. The EF is an ecology-based environmental accounting method, but we propose it not as a technical tool but as a medium to transfer important aspects of sustainability from a wide range of teachers to a wide range of students. This is possible by virtue of the verified ability of the EF method and related accessories to communicate, inform, visualize, and represent sustainability in its variegated forms. The module embraces a hands-on, experiential approach to sustainability teaching: by presenting sustainability within the context of everyday life rather than through a mere abstract teaching of intangible theories and concepts, the goal of the module is to allow students to understand, realize, and learn the full complexity of the economy-society-environment relationships, and help them grasp how sustainability relates to the whole spectrum of daily life. A series of universal, community and environmental education pedagogical approaches (PA) are employed in this module for the development of sustainability competencies. More specifically, seven out of the ten literature suggested education for sustainable development (ESD) pedagogical approaches are commissioned in this EUSTEPs teaching module, including the universal PAs of Case studies, Interdisciplinary team teaching/planning, Lecturing, Concept maps, Project or problem based learning, along with the community PA of Participatory Action Research, and the environmental education PA of Place-based environmental education.“EUSTEPs: Enhancing Universities’ Sustainability Teaching and Practices through Ecological Footprint”, KA 203, Strategic Partnership in Higher Education 2019-2022, Agreement No. 2019-1-EL01-KA203-062941.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Guidelines for setting-up transdisciplinary sustainability courses

This report, developed by the ERASMUS+ project EUSTEPs (Enhancing Universities’ Sustainability TEaching and Practices), presents Guidelines for the creation of a Sustainability Course. It proposes a transdisciplinary curricular unit that can be included within all University degree programs (both bachelor and master). The document includes possible reasons, procedures, contents, and opportunities connected to such didactic initiative, with the aim of creating an approach that can be replicated in many Universities around the world interested in its implementation. It builds on the multi-year experience of the University of Siena (Italy) as a reference point, and the positive feedback from the EUSTEPs’ academic consortium members (namely Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Aveiro and Universidade Aberta). Thanks to its flexibility, every University can interpret the proposal presented in this report in a different way and proceed according to its own preferences, conditions, knowledge, and rules.ERASMUS+, KA203 2019-2022, Agreement No. 2019-1-ELO1-KA203-062941info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Porencephaly and psychosis: a case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malformations of the cerebral cortex are often associated with developmental delay and psychoses. Porencephaly is a rare congenital disorder of central nervous system involving a cyst or a cavity filled with cerebrospinal fluid, in brain's parenchyma.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present a 25 years old woman with her first psychotic episode. She also suffers from porencephaly in the frontotemporal lobes region. It is emphasized that the two consistently abnormal brain regions in schizophrenia research had significant damage in this patient since birth. There is a total of only five cases of schizencephaly or porencephaly associated with psychosis in the scientific literature. Their clinical characteristics as well as the imaging results are described.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is unclear if porencephaly and psychosis concur by chance or are causally related. The area where the porencephalic cysts appear seems to be of relevance. This case highlights the need for further research.</p

Extrapyramidal side effects and suicidal ideation under fluoxetine treatment: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We present the case of a 52-year-old woman with depression who developed extrapyramidal symptoms (mainly parkinsonism) and suicidal ideation while on fluoxetine.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The patient underwent neurological and neuroimaging examination.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The patient's neurological and neuroimaging examinations were normal and there was no other cause of extrapyramidal symptoms. The patient showed remission of the aforementioned symptomatology when fluoxetine was discontinued.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This case shows that fluoxetine can be associated with extrapyramidal symptoms, and this may have an aggravating affect on clinical depression progress and the emergence of suicidal ideation.</p

Ecological footprint reduction recommendations for higher education Iistitutions

Obra editada por: Sara Moreno Pires, Federico Maria Pulselli, George Malandrakis, Sandra Caeiro e Alessandro GalliERASMUS+, KA203 2019-2022, Agreement No. 2019-1-ELO1-KA203-062941info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genetic prediction of ICU hospitalization and mortality in COVID-19 patients using artificial neural networks

There is an unmet need of models for early prediction of morbidity and mortality of Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). We aimed to a) identify complement-related genetic variants associated with the clinical outcomes of ICU hospitalization and death, b) develop an artificial neural network (ANN) predicting these outcomes and c) validate whether complement-related variants are associated with an impaired complement phenotype. We prospectively recruited consecutive adult patients of Caucasian origin, hospitalized due to COVID-19. Through targeted next-generation sequencing, we identified variants in complement factor H/CFH, CFB, CFH-related, CFD, CD55, C3, C5, CFI, CD46, thrombomodulin/THBD, and A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS13). Among 381 variants in 133 patients, we identified 5 critical variants associated with severe COVID-19: rs2547438 (C3), rs2250656 (C3), rs1042580 (THBD), rs800292 (CFH) and rs414628 (CFHR1). Using age, gender and presence or absence of each variant, we developed an ANN predicting morbidity and mortality in 89.47% of the examined population. Furthermore, THBD and C3a levels were significantly increased in severe COVID-19 patients and those harbouring relevant variants. Thus, we reveal for the first time an ANN accurately predicting ICU hospitalization and death in COVID-19 patients, based on genetic variants in complement genes, age and gender. Importantly, we confirm that genetic dysregulation is associated with impaired complement phenotype.- Pfizer Pharmaceuticals(undefined

Recomendações de redução da pegada ecológica para instituições de ensino superior

Sem resumo disponível.publishe

Συστάσεις μείωσης του Οικολογικού Αποτυπώματος για τα Ιδρύματα Τριτοβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης

Sem resumo disponível.publishe