Uso de las redes sociales y su relación con la autoestima y la percepción de autoeficacia en adolescentes

Las redes sociales constituyen las herramientas más recientes de comunicación, que permiten a los usuarios interactuar en tiempo real con otras personas (Boyd y Ellison, 2007). La autoestima es entendida como los sentimientos de valía personal y de respeto a sí mismo de una persona (Rosenberg, 1965). La autoeficacia hace referencia a los juicios de cada individuo sobre sus capacidades, en base a los cuales organizará y ejecutará sus actos de modo que le permitan alcanzar el rendimiento deseado (Bandura, 1987). El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivos caracterizar el uso que los adolescentes realizan de las redes sociales, estimar su percepción sobre cómo influye en sus vidas el uso de éstas, evaluar sus niveles de autoestima y autoeficacia y estudiar la relación que existe entre las mencionadas variables. Se trabajó con un enfoque cuantitativo, con diseño no experimental, correlacional. La muestra utilizada fue no probabilística intencional, conformada por 50 estudiantes de entre 15 y 19 años, de la provincia de Mendoza, Argentina. Los resultados obtenidos señalan la existencia de una relación altamente significativa entre un mayor tiempo de uso de redes sociales y niveles bajos de autoestima y autoeficacia. También se obtuvo una correlación positiva altamente significativa entre las variables autoestima y autoeficacia.Social networks are the latest communication tools that allow users interact in real time with other people (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Self-esteem is understood as feelings of self-worth and self-respect itself of a person (Rosenberg, 1965). Self-efficacy refers to each individual judgments about their capabilities, based on which they will organize and execute their actions so as to enable it to achieve the desired performance (Bandura, 1987). This study aimed to characterize the use that teenagers perform of social networks, estimate their perception of how it affects their lives using these, assess their levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy and study the relationship between the aforementioned variables. Worked with a quantitative approach, with correlational no experimental design. The sample used was no probabilistic intentional, consisting of 50 students between 15 and 19 years, of Mendoza, Argentina. The results obtained indicate the existence of a highly significant relationship between a longer use of social networks and low self-esteem and self-efficacy levels in teenagers. Also was obtained a highly significant positive correlation between self-esteem and self-efficacy variables.Fil: Di Cesare, Antonell

The possible prognostic role of histone deacetylase and transforming growth factor β/Smad signaling in high grade gliomas treated by radio-chemotherapy: a preliminary immunohistochemical study

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive tumor of the central nervous system. Unfortunately, patients affected by this disease have a very poor prognosis, due to high level of invasiveness and resistance to standard therapies. Although the molecular profile of GBM has been extensively investigated, the events responsible for its pathogenesis and progression remain largely unknown. Histone Deacetylases (HDAC) dependent epigenetic modifications and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad pathway seem to play an important role in GBM tumorigenesis, resistance to common therapies and poor clinical outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the involvement and the possible interaction between these two molecular cascades in the pathogenesis and prognosis of GBM. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on microdissected GBM samples, collected from 14 patients (6 men and 8 women) ranging in age from 43 to 74 years. The patients were previously divided, on the basis of their overall survival (OS), into two groups: short and long OS. Patients with poor prognosis showed hyperexpression of HDAC4 and HDAC6, an activation of the TGF-β/Smad pathway, with high levels of IL-13, Smad2, PDGF and MMP3 expression, compared to the long survivors. The short OS group exhibits a decrease in Smad 7 expression and also low levels of p21 immunostaining, which represents a common target of the two pathways. The IHC data was confirmed by quantitative analysis and Immunoblotting. Our preliminary results suggest that both HDAC4 and HDAC6 together with the TGF-β/Smad pathway may be involved in progression of GBM and this cross talking could be a useful prognostic marker in this deadly disease

Enhancement of radiosensitivity by the novel anticancer quinolone derivative vosaroxin in preclinical glioblastoma models

Purpose: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive brain tumor. The activity of vosaroxin, a first-in-class anticancer quinolone derivative that intercalates DNA and inhibits topoisomerase II, was investigated in GBM preclinical models as a single agent and combined with radiotherapy (RT). Results: Vosaroxin showed antitumor activity in clonogenic survival assays, with IC50 of 10-100 nM, and demonstrated radiosensitization. Combined treatments exhibited significantly higher γH2Ax levels compared with controls. In xenograft models, vosaroxin reduced tumor growth and showed enhanced activity with RT; vosaroxin/RT combined was more effective than temozolomide/RT. Vosaroxin/ RT triggered rapid and massive cell death with characteristics of necrosis. A minor proportion of treated cells underwent caspase-dependent apoptosis, in agreement with in vitro results. Vosaroxin/RT inhibited RT-induced autophagy, increasing necrosis. This was associated with increased recruitment of granulocytes, monocytes, and undifferentiated bone marrow-derived lymphoid cells. Pharmacokinetic analyses revealed adequate blood-brain penetration of vosaroxin. Vosaroxin/RT increased disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) significantly compared with RT, vosaroxin alone, temozolomide, and temozolomide/RT in the U251-luciferase orthotopic model. Materials and Methods: Cellular, molecular, and antiproliferative effects of vosaroxin alone or combined with RT were evaluated in 13 GBM cell lines. Tumor growth delay was determined in U87MG, U251, and T98G xenograft mouse models. (DFS) and (OS) were assessed in orthotopic intrabrain models using luciferasetransfected U251 cells by bioluminescence and magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusions: Vosaroxin demonstrated significant activity in vitro and in vivo in GBM models, and showed additive/synergistic activity when combined with RT in O6- methylguanine methyltransferase-negative and -positive cell lines

Cheetah:a computational toolkit for cybergenetic control

Abstract Advances in microscopy, microfluidics, and optogenetics enable single-cell monitoring and environmental regulation and offer the means to control cellular phenotypes. The development of such systems is challenging and often results in bespoke setups that hinder reproducibility. To address this, we introduce Cheetah, a flexible computational toolkit that simplifies the integration of real-time microscopy analysis with algorithms for cellular control. Central to the platform is an image segmentation system based on the versatile U-Net convolutional neural network. This is supplemented with functionality to robustly count, characterize, and control cells over time. We demonstrate Cheetah’s core capabilities by analyzing long-term bacterial and mammalian cell growth and by dynamically controlling protein expression in mammalian cells. In all cases, Cheetah’s segmentation accuracy exceeds that of a commonly used thresholding-based method, allowing for more accurate control signals to be generated. Availability of this easy-to-use platform will make control engineering techniques more accessible and offer new ways to probe and manipulate living cells

L'impatto psicologico dell'amianto, killer invisibile del corpo e della mente.

Introduction: Exposure to asbestos causes the onset of various diseases, including lung plaques, asbestosis and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Living in a Contaminated Site can therefore represent for the entire community a real cumulative trauma that brings into the field disease and death due to a kind of "invisible killer": asbestos. In such circumstances, it is necessary to implement multidisciplinary protocols that can offer an integrated approach to care for both patients and their caregivers. Methodology: There is now a large body of scientific evidence in the literature substantiating the importance of the role that clinical psychology can play in oncology. The objective of this work is to describe specifically the situation in Casale Monferrato, the research carried out in the area and to outline the psychological-clinical intervention proposed there to respond to the quality of needs highlighted in patients suffering from asbestos-related diseases, including mainly MPM, and their caregivers. Results: The results of the research carried out in Casale Monferrato highlight what emerges in the international literature, namely that patients with asbestocorrelated diseases frequently manifest anxiety, depression, somatic disorders and a certain tendency to social withdrawal. The psychological-clinical work within the intervention of short-term group psychotherapy offers them a setting in which they can historicize the disease and process the many facets of pain that an inauspicious diagnosis brings to the field: from the one more related to the body, to the more purely psychic. Conclusion: The role of clinical psychology in oncology is of fundamental importance both for the patient and for his family, as it can facilitate the processing of suffering and anger related to the diagnosis of cancer disease or having to take care of a loved one who has been given an inauspicious diagnosis. Psychological intervention also allows to give name and meaning to the fear related to exposure to asbestos: a silent and invisible killer, which otherwise risks remaining unthought of and unthinkable

Expression of IL-23/Th17-related cytokines in basal cell carcinoma and in the response to medical treatments

Several immune-related markers have been implicated in basal cell carcinoma (BCC) pathogenesis. The BCC inflammatory infiltrate is dominated by Th2 cytokines, suggesting a specific state of immunosuppression. In contrast, regressing BCC are characterized by a Th1 immune response with IFN-γ promoting a tumor suppressive activity. IL-23/Th17-related cytokines, as interleukin (IL)-17, IL-23 and IL-22, play a significant role in cutaneous inflammatory diseases, but their involvement in skin carcinogenesis is controversial and is poorly investigated in BCC. In this study we investigated the expression of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-23 and IL-22 cytokines in BCC at the protein and mRNA level and their modulation during imiquimod (IMQ) treatment or photodynamic therapy (PDT). IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-23 and IL-22 levels were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and quantitative Real Time PCR in 41 histopatho-logically-proven BCCs (28 superficial and 13 nodular) from 39 patients. All BCC samples were analyzed at baseline and 19 of 41 also during medical treatment (9 with IMQ 5% cream and 10 with MAL-PDT). Association between cytokines expression and clinico-pathological variables was evaluated. Higher levels of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-23 and IL-22 were found in BCCs, mainly in the peritumoral infiltrate, compared to normal skin, with the expression being correlated to the severity of the inflammatory infiltrate. IFN-γ production was higher in superficial BCCs compared to nodular BCCs, while IL-17 was increased in nodular BCCs. A significant correlation was found between IFN-γ and IL-17 expression with both cytokines expressed by CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. An increase of all cytokines occurred during the inflammatory phase induced by IMQ and at the early time point of PDT treatment, with significant evidence for IFN-γ, IL-23, and IL-22. Our results confirm the role of IFN-γ and support the involvement of IL-23/Th17-related cytokines in BCC pathogenesis and in the inflammatory response during IMQ and MAL-PDT treatments