IL-1β maintains the DNA hypermethylation of anti-inflammatory IL-10 gene in a human intestinal epithelial cell line

Intestinal inflammation is a natural process crucial to maintain gut integrity, but its deregulation is involved in the pathogenesis of severe intestinal disorders[1]. Intestinal epithelial cells play a crucial role in the inflammatory response, modulating the immune cell exposure to antigens and by their ability to secrete many inflammatory mediators. IL-1β represents a pivotal player: secreted by infiltrated leucocytes, it induces the expression of several pro-inflammatory genes. Also the anti-inflammatory IL-10, whose function is to terminate the inflammatory process, modulates the intestinal physiology[2]. Recent clinical reports showed that patients with ulcerative colitis in remission phase have significantly higher IL10 gene expression in mucosa compared with active patients and controls[3]. Moreover, in the latest years aberrant epigenetic mechanisms were put in binomial relationship with chronic inflammatory diseases[4]. Previously, we described a demethylation of pro-inflammatory IL6 and IL8 genes in human colonic Caco-2 cells differentiated into an enterocyte-like phenotype and exposed to the inflammatory action of IL-1β[5]. In the present study we evaluate whether the IL-1β treatment affected the methylation status of the anti-inflammatory IL10 gene, in the same in vitro model. Our results showed that IL-1β treatment did not change the hypermethylation status of the IL10 promoter. Moreover, in cell lysates from IL-1β-treated Caco-2 cells, we observed a dose-dependent increase of DNMTs activity and, surprisingly, a decrease of DNMT3b expression. These findings put in evidence the complexity of relationship between IL-1β and DNMTs, and may suggest a potential role of IL-1β as pleiotropic modulator of DNA methylation in Caco-2 cell line

Methylation decrease of BECN1 gene induced by phytochemical Indicaxantin in Caco2 cells: an epigenetic hypothesis of autophagy

Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process that degrades and recycles intracellular components through the lysosomes [1]. The role of this process in tumorigenesis and tumor progression is controversial: in the early stages, it can block tumor growth and conversely it can promote its progression in the later stages [2]. The tumor suppressor BECN1 gene, encodes the protein Beclin 1, a marker of autophagy down-regulated in several types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer [3]. There are a lot of both genetic and environmental risk factors for colorectal cancer, including diet: for this reason, in accordance with epidemiological studies, consumption of foods rich in phytochemicals is widely promoted. The betalain indicaxantin (Ind) is a phytochemical from the Opuntia Ficus-Indica fruit having several biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory. It showed antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco2) cells where was able to regulate gene expression through modulation of methylation state of DNA at CpG islands [4]. For the first time, using Methylation-Sensitive Restriction Endonuclease PCR (MSRE-PCR), we report that Ind (50 e 100 µM) decreases the methylation of BECN1 promoter in Caco2 cells, to the same extent as 5-azacytidine (Zcyd, positive control). Interestingly, colorimetric detection of DNA Methyltransferases activity, indicates that Ind reduced the activity of these enzymes, like Zcyd did. These preliminary data, indicating that Ind is able to decrease the methylation of BECN1 gene, allow us to propose an epigenetic hypothesis of autophagy regulation in Caco2 cells

'The show must go on': Event dramaturgy as consolidation of community

Event dramaturgy and cultural performance have not been examined in the literature from a strategic standpoint of fostering the social value of events. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the case of the Water Carnival, a celebratory event in a rural community of Southwest Texas, demonstrating the essence of this event as a symbolic social space, wherein event participants instantiate a shared and valued sense of community. A hermeneutical approach was employed, interpreting the event and its symbolisms as a text, combined with findings from ethnographic fieldwork, including participant observation, in-depth interviews and analysis of archival documents. The study examines the ways that dramaturgy in the Water Carnival helps frame the ongoing public discourse for community improvement and enhances social capital. The implications of the study for social leverage of events are discussed. It is suggested that a foundation for strategic social planning is the understanding of events as symbolic social spaces and their embeddedness in community development, which can be accomplished when events are pertinent to public discourse, address community issues, represent an inclusive range of stakeholders, and promote cooperation

Engaging at the science-policy interface as an early-career researcher: experiences and perceptions in biodiversity and ecosystem services research

Effective knowledge exchange at science-policy interfaces (SPIs) can foster evidence-informed policy-making through the integration of a wide range of knowledge inputs. This is especially crucial for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES), human well-being and sustainable development. Early-career researchers (ECRs) can contribute significantly to knowledge exchange at SPIs. Recognizing that, several capacity building programs focused on sustainability have been introduced recently. However, little is known about the experiences and perceptions of ECRs in relation to SPIs. Our study focused on SPI engagement of ECRs who conduct research on biodiversity and ES, as perceived and experienced. Specifically, we addressed ‘motivations’, ‘barriers’ and ‘opportunities and ‘benefits’. A total of 145 ECRs have completed the survey. Our results showed that ECRs were generally interested to engage in SPIs and believed it to be beneficial in terms of contributing to societal change, understanding policy processes and career development. Respondents perceived lack of understanding about involvement channels, engagement opportunities, funding, training, perceived credibility of ECRs by other actors and encouragement of senior colleagues as barriers to engaging in SPIs. Those who have already participated in SPIs generally saw fewer barriers and more opportunities. A key reason for dissatisfaction with experience in SPIs was a lack of impact and uptake of science-policy outputs by policymakers–an issue that likely extends beyond ECRs and implies the need for transformations in knowledge exchange within SPIs. In conclusion, based on insights from our survey, we outline several opportunities for increased and better facilitation of ECR engagement in SPIs. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

A OBJETIVAÇÃO DO TRABALHO NA ESCOLA IMPLICAÇÕES EDUCATIVAS ATUAIS

Este artigo tem o propósito de iniciar uma discussão acerca das implicações da objetivação do trabalho na escola, tomando como ponto de partida a tese de pós-doutorado de Gilberto Luiz Alves sobre “A produção da escola pública contemporânea”

A OBJETIVAÇÃO DO TRABALHO NA ESCOLA IMPLICAÇÕES EDUCATIVAS ATUAIS

Este artigo tem o propósito de iniciar uma discussão acerca das implicações da objetivação do trabalho na escola, tomando como ponto de partida a tese de pós-doutorado de Gilberto Luiz Alves sobre “A produção da escola pública contemporânea”

Similaridade genética em casais, variáveis culturais e personalidade

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Measurements of Higgs boson production and couplings in diboson final states with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements are presented of production properties and couplings of the recently discovered Higgs boson using the decays into boson pairs, H →γ γ, H → Z Z∗ →4l and H →W W∗ →lνlν. The results are based on the complete pp collision data sample recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 25 fb−1. Evidence for Higgs boson production through vector-boson fusion is reported. Results of combined fits probing Higgs boson couplings to fermions and bosons, as well as anomalous contributions to loop-induced production and decay modes, are presented. All measurements are consistent with expectations for the Standard Model Higgs boson

Standalone vertex finding in the ATLAS muon spectrometer

A dedicated reconstruction algorithm to find decay vertices in the ATLAS muon spectrometer is presented. The algorithm searches the region just upstream of or inside the muon spectrometer volume for multi-particle vertices that originate from the decay of particles with long decay paths. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated using both a sample of simulated Higgs boson events, in which the Higgs boson decays to long-lived neutral particles that in turn decay to bbar b final states, and pp collision data at √s = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2011