Implementation of Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension. The Impulsion Study

This study assessed the effects of a pilot best practice implementation enhancement program on the control of hypertension. We enrolled 697 consecutive known hypertensive patients with other vascular risk factors but free from overt vascular disease. There was no “control” group because it was considered unethical to deprive high-risk patients from “best medical treatment”. Following a baseline visit, previously trained physicians aimed to improve adherence to lifestyle measures and drug treatment for hypertension and other vascular risk factors. Both at baseline and at study completion (after 6 months), a 1-page form was completed showing if patients achieved treatment targets. If not, the reasons why were recorded. This program enhanced compliance with lifestyle measures and increased the use of evidence-based medication. There was a substantial increase in the number of patients who achieved treatment targets for blood pressure (p<0.0001) and other vascular risk factors. In non-diabetic patients (n=585), estimated vascular risk (PROCAM risk engine) was significantly reduced by 41% (p<0.0001). There was also a 12% reduction in vascular risk according to the Framingham risk engine but this did not achieve significance (p=0.07). In conclusion, this is the first study to increase adherence to multiple interventions in hypertensive patients on an outpatient basis, both in primary care and teaching hospitals. Simple, relatively low cost measures (e.g. educating physicians and patients, distributing printed guidelines/brochures and completing a 1-page form) motivated both physicians and patients to achieve multiple treatment goals. Further work is needed to establish if the improvement observed is sustained. [ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00416611]

Cancer Evolution in Precision Medicine Era

Recent advances in our understanding of cancer, driven mainly by the emergence of new technologies have highlighted that heterogeneity shapes not only the genetic profile of tumors but also their epigenetic and gene expression profile [...

CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONFORMATIONAL STUDY OF ENKEPHALINS NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE (N.M.R.) SPECTROSCOPY OF OXYGEN-17 AND NITROGEN-14

17O-14N-NMR CHEMICAL SHIFTS AND LINEWIDTHS OF THE CARBOXYL AND AMINO TERMINAL GROUPS OF THE SELECTIVELY ENRICHED IN THE CARBOXYL OXYGENS LEU-U- ENKEPHALIN (17O)LEU-OH, PHE-(17O)LEU-OH, GLY-PHE- (170)LEU-OH AND GLY-GLY-PHE(170 WERE MEASURED IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PH RANGE. ENRICHMENT IN 17O WAS ACHIEVED BY SAPONIFICATION OF THE CORRESPONDING O-METHYL ESTERS. IONIZATION CONSTANDS AND TITRATION SHIFTS WERE OBTAINED BY NONLINEAR LEAST- SQUARES FITS TO ONE-PROTON TITRATION CURVES, (17O)LEU-OH EXHIBITS A PROFOUND PH DEPENDENT SOLVATIONCHANGES UPON DEPROTONATION OF THE CARBOXYL GROUP AS SHOWN BY 17O AND 14N NMR LINEWIDTHS. IN CONTRAST ALL THE PEPTIDES STUDIED DO NOT EXHIBIT PH DEPENDENT COMFORMATIONAL (SOLVATION) CHANGES UPON DEPROTONATION OF THE CARBOXYL GROUP AND AHEAD-TO-TAIL INTRAMOLECULAR ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE IONIC TERMINAL GROUPS SHOULDBE EXCLUDED. IT IS SHOWN THAT THE PEPTIDES DO NOT EXHIBIT ISOTROPIC OVERALL MOLECULAR MOTION AND THAT SEGMENTAL MOTION RATHER THAN INTERNAL MOTION AFFECTS THE EFFECTIVE CORRELATION TIMES AT THE SITES OF THE CARBOXYL OXYGENS AND THE AMINO NITROGEN.ΠΡΟΚΕΙΜΕΝΟΥ ΝΑ ΔΙΕΡΕΥΝΗΣΟΥΜΕ ΤΟ ΠΡΟΒΛΗΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΔΙΑΜΟΡΦΩΣΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΕΓΚΕΦΑΛΙΝΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΙΔΙΑΙΤΕΡΑ Σ'ΟΤΙ ΑΦΟΡΑ ΤΗΝ ΥΠΑΡΞΗ ΙΟΝΤΙΚΗΣ ΓΕΦΥΡΑΣ ΔΕΣΜΟΥ ΥΔΡΟΓΟΝΟΥ 'Η ΜΑΚΡΑΣ ΑΠΟΣΤΑΣΗΣ ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΣΤΑΤΙΚΩΝ ΑΛΛΗΛΕΠΙΔΡΑΣΕΩΝ ΑΝΑΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΙΣ ΤΕΛΙΚΕΣ ΟΜΑΔΕΣ ΣΕ ΥΔΑΤΙΚΟ ΔΙΑΛΥΜΑ ΠΑΡΑΣΚΕΥΑΣΑΜΕ ΤΑ ΕΞΗΣ ΠΑΡΑΓΩΓΑ: (17Ο)LEU-OH, PHE-(17O)LEU-OH, GLY -PHE-(17O)LEU-OH, GLY-GLY-PHE-(17O)LEU-OH ΚΑΙ TYR-GLY-GLY-PH ΓΙΑ ΤΟΝ ΣΥΓΚΕΚΡΙΜΕΝΟ ΣΚΟΠΟ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΣΑΜΕ ΦΑΣΜΑΤΟΣΚΟΠΙΑ NMR-17O ΚΑΙ 14Ν, ΤΗΝ ΣΥΜΠΕΡΙΦΟΡΑ ΤΟΥ ΠΥΡΗΝΑ 17Ο ΤΩΝ ΕΚΛΕΚΤΙΚΩΣ ΕΜΠΛΟΥΤΙΣΜΕΝΩΝ ΣΕ 17Ο ΚΑΙ 14Ν, ΤΗΝ ΣΥΜΠΕΡΙΦΟΡΑ ΤΟΥ ΠΥΡΗΝΑ 17Ο ΤΩΝ ΕΚΛΕΚΤΙΚΩΣ ΕΜΠΛΟΥΤΙΣΜΕΝΩΝ ΣΕ 17Ο ΚΑΡΒΟΞΥΛΙΚΩΝ ΟΞΥΓΟΝΩΝ ΚΑΘΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΠΥΡΗΝΑ ΤΟΥ 14Ν ΤΩΝ ΤΕΛΙΚΩΝ ΑΜΙΝΟΜΑΔΩΝ ΟΛΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΑΝΑΛΟΓΩΝ ΠΟΥ ΠΡΟΑΝΑΦΕΡΑΜΕ ΣΑΝ ΣΥΝΑΡΤΗΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΡΗ. Ο ΕΜΠΛΟΥΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΣΤΟ ΚΑΡΒΟΞΥΛΟ ΑΚΡΟ ΕΠΙΤΕΥΧΘΗΚΕ ΜΕ ΣΑΠΩΝΟΠΟΙΗΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΑΝΤΙΣΤΟΙΧΩΝ Ο-ΜΕΘΥΛΕΣΤΕΡΩΝ. ΟΙ ΣΤΑΘΕΡΕΣ ΙΟΝΙΣΜΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΟΙ ΜΕΤΑΤΟΠΙΣΕΙΣ ΤΙΤΛΟΠΟΙΗΣΗΣ ΕΛΗΦΘΗΣΑΝ ΜΕ ΠΡΟΣΑΡΜΟΓΗ ΣΕ ΚΑΜΠΥΛΕΣ ΤΙΤΛΟΠΟΙΗΣΗΣ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΜΕΘΟΔΟ ΤΩΝ ΜΗ ΓΡΑΜΜΙΚΩΝ ΑΝΙΣΟΒΑΡΩΝ ΤΕΛΕΙΩΝ ΤΕΤΡΑΓΩΝΩΝ. Η ΕΝΥΔΑΤΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ (17Ο)LEU -OH ΕΞΑΡΤΑΤΑΙ ΠΡΟΦΑΝΩΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΡΗ ΚΑΙ ΑΛΛΑΖΕΙ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΠΟΠΡΩΤΟΝΙΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΚΑΡΒΟΞΥΛΟΜΑΔΑΣ, ΓΕΓΟΝΟΣ ΠΟΥ ΓΙΝΕΤΑΙΦΑΝΕΡΟ ΑΠΟ ΤΑ ΕΥΡΗ ΑΠΟΡΡΟΦΗΣΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΦΑΣΜΑΤΟΣΚΟΠΙΑΣ NMR-17O KAI 14N. ΣΕ ΑΝΤΙΘΕΣΗ, ΟΛΑ ΤΑ ΠΕΠΤΙΔΙΑ ΠΟΥ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΣΑΜΕ ΔΕΝ ΕΜΦΑΝΙΖΟΥΝ ΕΞΑΡΤΩΜΕΝΕΣ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΡΗ ΑΛΛΑΓΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΔΙΑΜΟΡΦΩΣΗΣ (ΕΝΥΔΑΤΩΣΗ), ΟΙ ΔΕ ΕΝΔΟΜΟΡΙΑΚΕΣ ΑΛΛΗΛΕΠΙΔΡΑΣΕΙΣ ΚΕΦΑΛΗΣ-ΑΚΡΟΥ ΑΝΑΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΙΣ ΦΟΡΤΙΣΜΕΝΕΣ ΤΕΛΙΚΕΣ ΟΜΑΔΕΣ ΘΑ ΠΡΕΠΕΙ ΝΑ ΑΠΟΚΛΕΙΣΘΟΥΝ. ΣΥΝΕΠΩΣ ΤΑ ΠΕΠΤΙΔΙΑ ΠΟΥ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΣΑΜΕ ΔΕΝ ΕΜΦΑΝΙΖΟΥΝ ΙΣΟΤΡΟΠΗ ΟΛΙΚΗ ΜΟΡΙΑΚΗ ΚΙΝΗΣΗ. ΚΥΡΙΑ 'Η ΤΜΗΜΑΤΙΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΟΧΙ Η ΕΣΩΤΕΡΙΚΗ ΚΙΝΗΣΗ ΕΠΙΔΡΑ ΣΤΟΥΣ ΠΕΙΡΑΜΑΤΙΚΟΥΣ ΧΡΟΝΟΥΣ ΣΥΣΧΕΤΙΣΗΣΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΜΟΡΙΑΚΗ ΠΕΡΙΣΤΡΟΦΗ ΣΕ ΟΤΙ ΑΦΟΡΑ ΤΑ ΚΑΡΒΟΞΥΛΙΚΑ ΟΞΥΓΟΝΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΑ ΑΖΩΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΤΕΛΙΚΩΝ ΑΜΙΝΟΜΑΔΩΝ

HDAC Inhibitors: Dissecting Mechanisms of Action to Counter Tumor Heterogeneity

Intra-tumoral heterogeneity presents a major obstacle to cancer therapeutics, including conventional chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies. Stochastic events such as mutations, chromosomal aberrations, and epigenetic dysregulation, as well as micro-environmental selection pressures related to nutrient and oxygen availability, immune infiltration, and immunoediting processes can drive immense phenotypic variability in tumor cells. Here, we discuss how histone deacetylase inhibitors, a prominent class of epigenetic drugs, can be leveraged to counter tumor heterogeneity. We examine their effects on cellular processes that contribute to heterogeneity and provide insights on their mechanisms of action that could assist in the development of future therapeutic approaches

Αποτίμηση έκθεσης και διαχείριση /αποτίμηση διακινδύνευσης σε διεργασίες παραγωγής και διαχείρισης (Νανο)Υλικών

Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο--Μεταπτυχιακή Εργασία. Διεπιστημονικό-Διατμηματικό Πρόγραμμα Μεταπτυχιακών Σπουδών (Δ.Π.Μ.Σ.) “Επιστήμη και Τεχνολογία Υλικών

Resolving DNA Damage: Epigenetic Regulation of DNA Repair

Epigenetic research has rapidly evolved into a dynamic field of genome biology. Chromatin regulation has been proved to be an essential aspect for all genomic processes, including DNA repair. Chromatin structure is modified by enzymes and factors that deposit, erase, and interact with epigenetic marks such as DNA and histone modifications, as well as by complexes that remodel nucleosomes. In this review we discuss recent advances on how the chromatin state is modulated during this multi-step process of damage recognition, signaling, and repair. Moreover, we examine how chromatin is regulated when different pathways of DNA repair are utilized. Furthermore, we review additional modes of regulation of DNA repair, such as through the role of global and localized chromatin states in maintaining expression of DNA repair genes, as well as through the activity of epigenetic enzymes on non-nucleosome substrates. Finally, we discuss current and future applications of the mechanistic interplays between chromatin regulation and DNA repair in the context cancer treatment

Development of a Transmission Line Model for the Thickness Prediction of Thin Films via the Infrared Interference Method

An efficient transmission line model in the micrometric order is presented in this paper, to determine the thickness of thin dielectric films deposited on highly-doped substrates. In particular, the estimation of the thickness is based on multiple reflections of an incident infrared electromagnetic wave generating interference on the sensor. To this objective, the periodicity of the local maxima and minima, including the phase shift and wavelength dependence of the reflection at the layer-substrate interface, leads in the extraction of the required thickness. Moreover, a theoretical transmission line circuit is designed, in order to model the multiple interferences scenario, and an iterative method is developed to converge towards the correct coating thickness. The featured theoretical transmission line model is validated, via a direct comparison with Certified Reference Materials, to indicate its overall accuracy and reliability level. Finally, the proposed method is utilized to calculate the thickness of coated metallic samples