Visible light is a better co-inducer of apoptosis for curcumin-treated human melanoma cells than UVA

Curcumin attracts worldwide scientific interest due to its anti-proliferative and apoptosis inducing effects on different tumor cells at concentrations ranging from 10 to 150 µM (3.7–55 µg/ml). Unfortunately, because of a low oral bioavailability, only low and pharmacologically ineffective serum levels are achievable. In this study, an alternative treatment concept consisting of low concentration curcumin (0.2–5 µg/ml) and irradiation with UVA or visible light (VL) has been tested. The experimental results show clearly that this treatment decreases the proliferation and the viability of human melanoma cells while the cell membrane integrity remains intact. We identified the onset of apoptosis characterized by typical markers such as active caspases 8, 9 and 3 as well as DNA fragmentation accompanied by the loss of cell adhesion. The mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathway is predominant due to an early activation of caspase-9. The present data indicate a higher efficacy of a combination of curcumin and VL than curcumin and UVA. Reduced effects as a result of light absorption by heavily pigmented skin are unlikely if VL is used. These results indicate that a combination of curcumin and light irradiation may be a useful additional therapy in the treatment of malignant disease

New media, familiar dynamics: academic hierarchies influence academics' following behaviour on Twitter

For what reasons do academics follow one another on Twitter? Robert Jäschke, Stephanie B. Linek and Christian P. Hoffmann analysed the Twitter activity of computer scientists and found that while the quality of information provided by a Twitter account is a key motive for following academic colleagues, there is also evidence of a career planning motive. As well as there being reciprocal following between users of the same academic status (except, remarkably, between PhD researchers), a form of strategic politeness can be observed whereby users follow those of higher academic status without necessarily being followed back. The emerging academic public sphere facilitated by Twitter is largely shaped by dynamics and hierarchies all too familiar to researchers struggling to plot their careers in academia

A formação de professores e os estudantes de TDAH no estado de Santa Catarina

TCC(graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Ciências da Educação. Pedagogia.Este trabalho tem como objetivo compreender como se dá a formação de professores para a área da educação especial, nas temáticas referentes aos estudantes com Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH), no estado de Santa Catarina. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de análise documental e balanço bibliográfico desenvolvido em bancos de dados (e-MECe SciELO). A estratégia de pesquisa para o levantamento bibliográfico foi pautada na busca de produções, no banco de dados do Scileo, com os verbetes "Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade" e “TDAH” que discutem aspectos em torno da formação continuada em educação especial. A busca documental referente a formação de professores foi realizada a partir dos registros dos cursos de formação no site do e-MEC e, posteriormente, em arquivos digitais dos cursos e capacitações oferecidos pela Fundação Catarinense de Educação Especial (FCEE). Não encontramos artigos sobre a formação de professores para trabalho com TDAH no balanço de produção acadêmica, assim como não encontramos disciplinas específicas sobre o tema nos cursos de licenciatura em educação especial ofertados em Santa Catarina. Já os cursos de especialização, cujo título indicavaesse grupo de sujeitos, nenhum deles é ofertado em SC. Quando nos determos nas propostas de formação continuada da FCEE, com conteúdo sobre o TDAH foram encontrados 12 cursos. Foi possível observar nessa formação que a inclusão escolar foi foco central das discussões sobre o TDAH. Além disso, os temas mais discutidos nos cursos foram: Serviço de Atendimento Educacional Especializado; conceito, abordagens pedagógicas, adaptações curriculares; Avaliação e diagnóstico. Como síntese dessa pesquisa podemos afirmar que temas sobre TDAH é pouco discutida na formação de professores apesar desse grupo de sujeitos fazer parte do cotidiano de trabalho de professores e gestores escolares

Alzheimer’s disease and retinal neurodegeneration share a consistent stress response of the neurovascular unit

Background: The pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by neuronal injury, activation of microglia and astrocytes, deposition of amyloid-beta and secondary vessel degeneration. In the polycystic kidney disease (PKD) rat model, we observed neuronal injury, microglial activation and vasoregression. We speculated that this neuroretinal degeneration shares important pathogenetic steps with AD. Therefore, we determined the activation of astrocytes and the accumulation of amyloid-beta in PKD retinae. Methods: Immunohistochemistry of PKD retinae for vimentin, carboxymethyllysin, beta-Amyloid 1-42, High-Mobility-Group-Protein B1 and amyloid protein precursor was performed. Results: Adjunct to astrocyte activation, accumulation of beta-Amyloid 1-42 and High-Mobility-Group-Protein B1 in astrocytes and around vessels of the superficial network was found in PKD retinae prior to the onset of vasoregression. Amyloid precursor protein was localized adjacent to the outer segment of photoreceptors in PKD and control rats. The parallel appearance of AD-related peptides indicates an alarmine based response to photoreceptor degeneration and secondary vasoregression. Conclusion: The model has broad overlap with AD and may be suitable to study beneficial pharmacological concepts. Copyright (c) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

Solidarity: For Sale? The Social Dimension of the New European Economic Governances. Europe in Dialogue 2012/01

The Europeans can be proud as they look back on fifty years of peaceful integration. Nowadays many people in the world see the European Union as a model of how states and their citizens can work together in peace and in freedom. However, this achievement does not automatically mean that the EU has the ability to deal with the problems of the future in a rapidly changing world. For this reason the European Union needs to keep developing its unity in diversity in a dynamic way, be it with regard to energy issues, the euro, climate change or new types of conflict. Self-assertion and solidarity are the fundamental concepts which will shape the forthcoming discourse. "Europe in Dialogue" wishes to make a contribution to this open debate. The analyses in this series subject political concepts, processes and institutions to critical scrutiny and suggest ways of reforming internal and external European policymaking so that it is fit for the future. However, "Europe in Dialogue" is not merely trying to encourage an intra- European debate, and makes a point of including authors from non-EU states. Looking at an issue from a different angle or from a distance often helps to facilitate the crucial change of perspective which in turn makes it possible to continue to develop Europe in a meaningful way and to engage in a critical and yet courteous discourse with other civilizations and continents

Association of regional socioeconomic deprivation and rurality with global developmental delay in early childhood: Data from mandatory school entry examinations in Germany

Background: From birth to young adulthood, health and development of young people are strongly linked to their living situation, including their family’s socioeconomic position (SEP) and living environment. The impact of regional characteristics on development in early childhood beyond family SEP has been rarely investigated. This study aimed to identify regional predictors of global developmental delay at school entry taking family SEP into consideration. Method: We used representative, population-based data from mandatory school entry examinations of the German federal state of Brandenburg in 2018/2019 with n=22,801 preschool children. By applying binary multilevel models, we hierarchically analyzed the effect of regional deprivation defined by the German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation (GISD) and rurality operationalized as inverted population density of the children’s school district on global developmental delay (GDD) while adjusting for family SEP (low, medium and high). Results: Family SEP was significantly and strongly linked to GDD. Children with the highest family SEP showed a lower odds for GDD compared to a medium SEP (female: OR=4.26, male: OR=3.46) and low SEP (female: OR=16.58, male: OR=12.79). Furthermore, we discovered a smaller, but additional and independent effect of regional socioeconomic deprivation on GDD, with a higher odds for children from a more deprived school district (female: OR=1.35, male: OR=1.20). However, rurality did not show a significant link to GDD in preschool children beyond family SEP and regional deprivation. Conclusion: Family SEP and regional deprivation are risk factors for child development and of particular interest to promote health of children in early childhood and over the life course.Peer Reviewe

DAM pilot project: Exclusion of bottom trawl fishery in marine protected areas of the German EEZ (North Sea) - DAM MPA Geo 1, Cruise No. HE588, October 24 - November 4, 2021, Bremerhaven (Germany) - Bremerhaven (Germany)

During HE588, data were collected in five research areas in the south-eastern part of the German Bight as part of the DAM Pilotmission on the exclusion of mobile bottom-contact fishing in the North Sea (www.mgf-nordsee.de). The cruise started on October 24, 2021, and had a duration of twelve days at sea. The conducted tasks consisted of seafloor mapping with hydroacoustic devices, multicoring and grab sampling from the seafloor surface, lander deployments for the study of current characteristics, and video and diving surveys of benthic fauna. Despite the unstable weather conditions, all scientific tasks could be conducted successfully within the allocated time

Archaea and Fungi of the Human Gut Microbiome: Correlations with Diet and Bacterial Residents

Diet influences health as a source of nutrients and toxins, and by shaping the composition of resident microbial populations. Previous studies have begun to map out associations between diet and the bacteria and viruses of the human gut microbiome. Here we investigate associations of diet with fungal and archaeal populations, taking advantage of samples from 98 well-characterized individuals. Diet was quantified using inventories scoring both long-term and recent diet, and archaea and fungi were characterized by deep sequencing of marker genes in DNA purified from stool. For fungi, we found 66 genera, with generally mutually exclusive presence of either the phyla Ascomycota or Basiodiomycota. For archaea, Methanobrevibacter was the most prevalent genus, present in 30% of samples. Several other archaeal genera were detected in lower abundance and frequency. Myriad associations were detected for fungi and archaea with diet, with each other, and with bacterial lineages. Methanobrevibacter and Candida were positively associated with diets high in carbohydrates, but negatively with diets high in amino acids, protein, and fatty acids. A previous study emphasized that bacterial population structure was associated primarily with long-term diet, but high Candida abundance was most strongly associated with the recent consumption of carbohydrates. Methobrevibacter abundance was associated with both long term and recent consumption of carbohydrates. These results confirm earlier targeted studies and provide a host of new associations to consider in modeling the effects of diet on the gut microbiome and human health