Creating Mindful Programming in a Virtual Setting

As a Social Justice Intern at GirlForward, I was able to be part of the community that is GirlForward by supporting the Education Program manager in her work to manage and sustain the After School Tutoring program. Given the virtual setting in which we had to hold Tutoring hours, I focused my work as an intern on fostering and building relationships within the Zoom classroom in order to make the space the most welcoming and accessible to students and tutors alike. In doing so, I found that what makes the relationships formed within GirlForward the most empowering is how they focus on the student as an asset with the potential for the development of the greater Chicago/Austin communities. In addition, I found that my work was the most empowering when everyone felt welcomed and actively involved in the community, and so I tried to integrate these two elements–asset-based focus and inclusion–into my weekly tasks

Notch3 targeting. A novel weapon against ovarian cancer stem cells

Notch signaling is frequently activated in ovarian cancer (OC) and contributes to the proliferation and survival of cultured OC cells as well as to tumor formation and angiogenesis in xenograft models. Several studies demonstrate that Notch3 expression renders cancer cells more resistant to carboplatin, contributing to chemoresistance and poor survival of OC-bearing patients. This suggests that Notch3 can represent both a biomarker and a target for therapeutic interventions in OC patients. Although it is still unclear how chemoresistance arises, different lines of evidence support a critical role of cancer stem cells (CSCs), suggesting that CSC targeting by innovative therapeutic approaches might represent a promising tool to efficiently reduce OC recurrence. To date, CSC-directed therapies in OC tumors are mainly targeted to the inhibition of CSC-related signaling pathways, including Notch. As it is increasingly evident the involvement of Notch signaling, and in particular of Notch3, in regulating stem-like cell maintenance and expansion in several tumors, here we provide an overview of the current knowledge of Notch3 role in CSC-mediated OC chemoresistance, finally exploring the potential design of innovative Notch3 inhibition-based therapies for OC treatment, aimed at eradicating tumor through the suppression of CSCs

Triptans and CGRP blockade - impact on the cranial vasculature

The trigeminovascular system plays a key role in the pathophysiology of migraine. The activation of the trigeminovascular system causes release of various neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, including serotonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which modulate pain transmission and vascular tone. Thirty years after discovery of agonists for serotonin 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D receptors (triptans) and less than fifteen after the proof of concept of the gepant class of CGRP receptor antagonists, we are still a long way from understanding their precise site and mode of action in migraine. The effect on cranial vasculature is relevant, because all specific anti-migraine drugs and migraine pharmacological triggers may act in perivascular space. This review reports the effects of triptans and CGRP blocking molecules on cranial vasculature in humans, focusing on their specific relevance to migraine treatment

DNMT3B in vitro knocking-down is able to reverse embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cell phenotype through inhibition of proliferation and induction of myogenic differentiation

Aberrant DNA methylation has been frequently observed in many human cancers, including rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. To date, the expression and function of the de novo DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 3B in RMS have not yet been investigated. Our study show for the first time a significant up-regulation of DNMT3B levels in 14 RMS tumour samples and 4 RMS cell lines in comparison to normal skeletal muscle. Transfection of RD and TE671 cells, two in vitro models of embryonal RMS (ERMS), with a synthetic DNMT3B siRNA decreased cell proliferation by arresting cell cycle at G1 phase, as demonstrated by the reduced expression of Cyclin B1, Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E2, and by the concomitant up-regulation of the checkpoint regulators p21 and p27. DNMT3B depletion also impaired RB phosphorylation status and decreased migratory capacity and clonogenic potential. Interestingly, DNMT3B knock-down was able to commit ERMS cells towards myogenic terminal differentiation, as confirmed by the acquisition of a myogenic-like phenotype and by the increased expression of the myogenic markers MYOD1, Myogenin and MyHC. Finally, inhibition of MEK/ERK signalling by U0126 resulted in a reduction of DNMT3B protein, giving evidence that DNMT3B is a down-stream molecule of this oncogenic pathway.Taken together, our data indicate that altered expression of DNMT3B plays a key role in ERMS development since its silencing is able to reverse cell cancer phenotype by rescuing myogenic program. Epigenetic therapy, by targeting the DNA methylation machinery, may represent a novel therapeutic strategy against RMS

Sharing Circulating Micro-RNAs between Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review

Background: Osteosarcopenia, a combination of osteopenia/osteoporosis and sarcopenia,is a common condition among older adults. While numerous studies and meta-analyses have beenconducted on osteoporosis biomarkers, biomarker utility in osteosarcopenia still lacks evidence. Here,we carried out a systematic review to explore and analyze the potential clinical of circulating microR-NAs (miRs) shared between osteoporosis/osteopenia and sarcopenia. Methods: We performed asystematic review on PubMed, Scopus, and Embase for differentially expressed miRs (p-value < 0.05)in (i) osteoporosis and (ii) sarcopenia. Following screening for title and abstract and deduplication,83 studies on osteoporosis and 11 on sarcopenia were identified for full-text screening. Full-textscreening identified 54 studies on osteoporosis, 4 on sarcopenia, and 1 on both osteoporosis andsarcopenia. Results: A total of 69 miRs were identified for osteoporosis and 14 for sarcopenia. Therewere 9 shared miRs, with evidence of dysregulation (up- or down-regulation), in both osteoporo-sis and sarcopenia: miR-23a-3p, miR-29a, miR-93, miR-133a and b, miR-155, miR-206, miR-208,miR-222, and miR-328, with functions and targets implicated in the pathogenesis of osteosarcopenia.However, there was little agreement in the results across studies and insufficient data for miRsin sarcopenia, and only three miRs, miR-155, miR-206, and miR-328, showed the same directionof dysregulation (down-regulation) in both osteoporosis and sarcopenia. Additionally, for mostidentified miRs there has been no replication by more than one study, and this is particularly true forall miRs analyzed in sarcopenia. The study quality was typically rated intermediate/high risk of bias.The large heterogeneity of the studies made it impossible to perform a meta-analysis. Conclusions:The findings of this review are particularly novel, as miRs have not yet been explored in the context ofosteosarcopenia. The dysregulation of miRs identified in this review may provide important clues tobetter understand the pathogenesis of osteosarcopenia, while also laying the foundations for furtherstudies to lead to effective screening, monitoring, or treatment strategies (PDF) Sharing Circulating Micro-RNAs between Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368667300_Sharing_Circulating_Micro-RNAs_between_Osteoporosis_and_Sarcopenia_A_Systematic_Review [accessed Feb 26 2023]

The first high-density sequence characterized SNP-based linkage map of olive (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea) developed using genotyping by sequencing

A number of linkage maps have been previously developed in olive; however, these are mostly composed of markers that have not been characterized at the sequence level, supplemented with smaller numbers of microsatellite markers. In this investigation, we sought to develop a saturated linkage mapping resource for olive composed entirely of sequence characterized markers. We employed genotyping by sequencing to develop a map of a F2 population derived from the selfing of the cultivar Koroneiki. The linkage map contained a total of 23 linkage groups comprised of 1,597 tagged SNP markers in 636 mapping bins spanning a genetic distance of 1189.7 cM. An additional 6,658 segregating SNPs were associated with the 23 linkage groups identified but their marker order was not determined in this investigation. The SNP markers sequences were submitted to NCBI database. The linkage map produced will be an invaluable resource for the study of tree habit and vigour traits segregating in the progeny, and will assist to anchor and orientate sequencing scaffolds from future genome sequencing efforts

An Overview of the Sustainable Recycling Processes Used for Lithium-Ion Batteries

first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessReview An Overview of the Sustainable Recycling Processes Used for Lithium-Ion Batteries by Daniele Marchese 1,*ORCID,Chiara Giosuè 2,*ORCID,Antunes Staffolani 3,4,5ORCID,Massimo Conti 6,Simone Orcioni 6,Francesca Soavi 3,4,5ORCID,Matteo Cavalletti 1 andPierluigi Stipa 2ORCID 1 MIDAC S.p.A., Via Alessandro Volta 2, Soave, 37038 Verona, Italy 2 Department of Science and Engineering of Matter, Environment and Urban Planning (SIMAU), Polytechnic University of Marche, INSTM Research Unit, 60131 Ancona, Italy 3 Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy 4 ENERCube, Centro Ricerche Energia, Ambiente e Mare, Centro Interdipartimentale per la Ricerca Industriale Fonti Rinnovabili, Ambiente, Mare ed Energia (CIRI-FRAME)—Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Viale Ciro Menotti, 48, 48122 Marina di Ravenna, Italy 5 National Reference Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage (GISEL)—INSTM, Via G. Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy 6 Department of Information Engineering (DII), Polytechnic University of Marche, INSTM Research Unit, 60131 Ancona, Italy * Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed. Batteries 2024, 10(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10010027 Submission received: 25 November 2023 / Revised: 21 December 2023 / Accepted: 6 January 2024 / Published: 11 January 2024 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Next-Generation Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries: Current Status and Future Prospects) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) can play a crucial role in the decarbonization process that is being tackled worldwide; millions of electric vehicles are already provided with or are directly powered by LIBs, and a large number of them will flood the markets within the next 8–10 years. Proper disposal strategies are required, and sustainable and environmental impacts need to be considered. Despite still finding little applicability in the industrial field, recycling could become one of the most sustainable options to handle the end of life of LIBs. This review reports on the most recent advances in sustainable processing for spent LIB recycling that is needed to improve the LIB value chain, with a special focus on green leaching technologies for Co-based cathodes. Specifically, we provide the main state of the art for sustainable LIB recycling processes, focusing on the pretreatment of spent LIBs; we report on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies on the usage of acids, including mineral as well as organic ones; and summarize the recent innovation for the green recovery of valuable metals from spent LIBs, including electrochemical methods. The advantage of using green leaching agents, such as organic acids, which represent a valuable option towards more sustainable recycling processes, is also discussed. Organic acids can, indeed, reduce the economic, chemical, and environmental impacts of LIBs since post-treatments are avoided. Furthermore, existing challenges are identified herein, and suggestions for improving the effectiveness of recycling are defined