Η διαμόρφωση των έμφυλων στερεοτύπων και ο ρόλος της Προσχολικής Αγωγής σε ένα Κοινωνιοπαιδαγωγικό πλαίσιο.

Κατά τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες παρατηρείται αυξημένο ενδιαφέρον για την ταυτότητα φύλου, λόγω της επικράτησης της θεώρησης πως το βιολογικό και το κοινωνικό φύλο δεν συνιστούν ταυτόσημες έννοιες. Η εκπαίδευση έχει κεντρικό ρόλο στην αντιμετώπιση αυτών των στερεοτύπων με βάση τα οποία οι δύο αυτές ταυτότητες είναι απαραίτητα ταυτόσημες. Η παρούσα εργασία εξέτασε συγκριτικά τον Οδηγού του Νηπιαγωγού του 2005 και του 2014. Μέσα από Ανάλυση Περιεχομένου προκύπτει ότι ο οδηγός του 2005 προήγαγε, κυρίως μέσω εικόνων, την ανάπτυξη της ταυτότητας φύλου σε σύμπλευση με το βιολογικό φύλο των παιδιών. Για παράδειγμα, μέσω εικόνων παρουσιάζεται η σαφής διάκριση των εργασιακών ρόλων αντρών και γυναικών και παρακινείται η ανάπτυξη αντίστοιχων προτύπων στους μαθητές. Αντίθετα, στον οδηγό του 2014 το σχετικό περιεχόμενο έχει αφαιρεθεί και οι εκπαιδευτικοί ενθαρρύνονται να πραγματεύονται ζητήματα σεξουαλικής διαπαιδαγωγησης που πιθανώς να αφορούν τους μαθητές. Ωστόσο, η απαλοιφή του στερεοτυπικού περιεχομένου από τον οδηγό αυτό δεν οδήγησε σε ένταξη σχετικού με το κοινωνικό φύλο περιεχομένου. Περαιτέρω βελτιώσεις είναι αναγκαίες προκειμένου στα προγράμματα σπουδών να μην ταυτίζεται το κοινωνικό με το βιολογικό φύλο.During the last decades, there is an increased interest on gender identity, due to the massive acceptance of the fact that biological and social identity are two distinct parts of human identity. Education has a vital role in the reduction of the stereotypes caused by the parallel investigation of biological and social identity. In that context, this study compared two different versions of the preschool teachers’ guidebook, the one published in 2005 and the one published in 2014. As indicated by the comparison of the content, the 2005 guidebook leads to several stereotypes, due to the reproduction of images presenting children playing in a stereotypical way. For example, boys are involved with “male occupations” and girls with “female occupations”. This content has been removed from the 2014 guidebook. In addition, teachers are encouraged to cover their students’ informational needs on sexuality. Yet, removing the stereotypical content from the 2014 guidebook does not necessarily mean that the teachers are encouraged to deal with social identity in the classroom. Further improvements are essential so that the guidebook will not lead to identical biological and social gender identities

Novel Variant (bla(VIM-4)) of the Metallo-β-Lactamase Gene bla(VIM-1) in a Clinical Strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate highly resistant to carbapenems was collected from a patient with postsurgical cerebrospinal infection in Greece. The isolate carried a class 1 integron that contained as a sole cassette the gene bla(VIM-4), a novel variant of bla(VIM-1), with one nucleotide difference resulting in a Ser-to-Arg change at amino acid position 175 of the VIM-1 enzyme. This is the first detection of a VIM-1 variant after its appearance in Italy

Lysosomal Alterations in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Parkinson's Disease Patients

Background: Reduced expression of lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2a and heatshock-cognate 70 proteins, involved in chaperone-mediated autophagy and of glucocerebrosidase, is reported in PD brains. The aim of this study was to identify systemic alterations in lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2a, heatshock cognate-70, and glucocerebrosidase levels/activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from PD patients. Methods: Protein/mRNA levels were assessed in PD patients from genetically undetermined background, alpha-synuclein (G209A/A53T), or glucocerebrosidase mutation carriers and age-/sex-matched controls. Results: Heatshock cognate 70 protein levels were reduced in all PD groups, whereas its mRNA levels were decreased only in the genetically undetermined group. Glucocerebrosidase protein levels were decreased only in the genetic PD groups, whereas increased mRNA levels and decreased activity were detected only in the glucocerebrosidase mutation group. Conclusions: Reduced heatshock cognate-70 levels are suggestive of an apparent systemic chaperone-mediated autophagy dysfunction irrespective of genetic background. Glucocerebrosidase activity may serve as a screening tool to identify glucocerebrosidase mutation carriers with PD. (C) 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Societ

Selective neuroprotective effects of the S18Y polymorphic variant of UCH-L1 in the dopaminergic system

Genetic studies have implicated the neuronal ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (UCH) protein UCH-L1 in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. Moreover, the function of UCH-L1 may be lost in the brains of PD and Alzheimer's disease patients. We have previously reported that the UCH-L1 polymorphic variant S18Y, potentially protective against PD in population studies, demonstrates specific antioxidant functions in cell culture. Albeit genetic, biochemical and neuropathological data support an association between UCH-L1, PD, synaptic degeneration and oxidative stress, the relationship between the dopaminergic system and UCH-L1 status remains obscure. In the current study, we have examined the dopaminergic system of mice lacking endogenous UCH-L1 protein (gracile axonal dystrophy mice). Our findings show that the lack of wild-type (WT) UCH-L1 does not influence to any significant degree the dopaminergic system at baseline or following injections of the neurotoxin methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Furthermore, using a novel intrastriatal adenoviral injection protocol, we have found that mouse nigral neurons retrogradely transduced with S18Y UCH-L1, but not the WT protein, are significantly protected against MPTP toxicity. Overall, these data provide evidence for an antioxidant and neuroprotective effect of the S18Y variant of UCH-L1, but not of the WT protein, in the dopaminergic system, and may have implications for the pathogenesis of PD or related neurodegenerative conditions, in which oxidative stress might play a role

Basement membrane stiffness determines metastases formation

The basement membrane stiffness is shown to be a more dominant determinant than pore size in regulating cancer cell invasion, metastasis formation and patient survival. This stiffness is now known to be affected by the ratio of netrin-4 to laminin, with more netrin-4 leading to softer basement membranes. The basement membrane (BM) is a special type of extracellular matrix and presents the major barrier cancer cells have to overcome multiple times to form metastases. Here we show that BM stiffness is a major determinant of metastases formation in several tissues and identify netrin-4 (Net4) as a key regulator of BM stiffness. Mechanistically, our biophysical and functional analyses in combination with mathematical simulations show that Net4 softens the mechanical properties of native BMs by opening laminin node complexes, decreasing cancer cell potential to transmigrate this barrier despite creating bigger pores. Our results therefore reveal that BM stiffness is dominant over pore size, and that the mechanical properties of 'normal' BMs determine metastases formation and patient survival independent of cancer-mediated alterations. Thus, identifying individual Net4 protein levels within native BMs in major metastatic organs may have the potential to define patient survival even before tumour formation. The ratio of Net4 to laminin molecules determines BM stiffness, such that the more Net4, the softer the BM, thereby decreasing cancer cell invasion activity