Disruption of 3D MCF-12A breast cell cultures by estrogens - An in vitro model for ER-mediated changes indicative of hormonal carcinogenesis

Copyright @ 2012 The Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and 85 reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The article was made available through the Brunel University Open Access Publishing Fund.Introduction: Estrogens regulate the proliferation of normal and neoplastic breast epithelium. Although the intracellular mechanisms of estrogens in the breast are largely understood, little is known about how they induce changes in the structure of the mammary epithelium, which are characteristic of breast cancer. In vitro three dimensional (3D) cultures of immortalised breast epithelial cells recapitulate features of the breast epithelium in vivo, including formation of growth arrested acini with hollow lumen and basement membrane. This model can also reproduce features of malignant transformation and breast cancer, such as increased cellular proliferation and filling of the lumen. However, a system where a connection between estrogen receptor (ER) activation and disruption of acini formation can be studied to elucidate the role of estrogens is still missing. Methods/Principal Findings: We describe an in vitro 3D model for breast glandular structure development, using breast epithelial MCF-12A cells cultured in a reconstituted basement membrane matrix. These cells are estrogen receptor (ER)α, ERβ and G-protein coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER) competent, allowing the investigation of the effects of estrogens on mammary gland formation and disruption. Under normal conditions, MCF-12A cells formed organised acini, with deposition of basement membrane and hollow lumen. However, treatment with 17β-estradiol, and the exogenous estrogens bisphenol A and propylparaben resulted in deformed acini and filling of the acinar lumen. When these chemicals were combined with ER and GPER inhibitors (ICI 182,780 and G-15, respectively), the deformed acini recovered normal features, such as a spheroid shape, proliferative arrest and luminal clearing, suggesting a role for the ER and GPER in the estrogenic disruption of acinar formation. Conclusion: This new model offers the opportunity to better understand the role of the ER and GPER in the morphogenesis of breast glandular structure as well as the events implicated in breast cancer initiation and progression.This study was partly funded by a School of Pharmacy Studentship

Fixed-interval performance as a function of previous temporal discrimination training

This experiment assessed whether FI performance is influenced by prior exposure to a temporal discrimination procedure. Pigeons first were exposed to a two-key free-operant psychophysical procedure for two sessions per day. Each trial lasted 60 s and reinforcement was available according to a variable-interval 60-s schedule for pecking one key (Key 1) during the first part of the interval and pecking another key (Key 2) during the second part of the interval. In the Fixed session, reinforcement availability switched from Key 1 to Key 2 after 30 s; whereas, in the Variable session, reinforcement availability switched from Key 1 to Key 2 after a variable amount of time. Following stable responding during each component, identical FI schedules were introduced in both sessions. There were no consistent differences in responding under the FI schedules, suggesting that FI patterns may not be sensitive to previous exposure to temporal discrimination training

Kultivating Kultur

Institutional Repositories (IRs) within the UK have traditionally focused upon text based research and have had a low uptake within the creative arts. The Kultur Project, funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) for the period 2007-2009, was a highly successful collaboration between University of Southampton, including Winchester School of Art, University of the Arts London, University for the Creative Arts and the Visual Arts Data Service (VADS). Using EPrints software the project investigated how best to store, share and promote research in the creative arts in a way that could function as a multimedia showcase for digital versions of creative works as well documenting performances, exhibitions and installations

Kultivating Kultur

Institutional Repositories (IRs) within the UK have traditionally focused upon text based research and have had a low uptake within the creative arts. The Kultur Project, funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) for the period 2007-2009, was a highly successful collaboration between University of Southampton, including Winchester School of Art, University of the Arts London, University for the Creative Arts and the Visual Arts Data Service (VADS). Using EPrints software the project investigated how best to store, share and promote research in the creative arts in a way that could function as a multimedia showcase for digital versions of creative works as well documenting performances, exhibitions and installations

Psychology Research Design and Methodology

This Grants Collection uses the grant-supported open course Psychology Research Design and Methodology from Columbus State University: http://oer.galileo.usg.edu/psychology-ancillary/1/ This Grants Collection for Psychology Research Design and Methodology was created under a Round Two ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process. Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials: Linked Syllabus Initial Proposal Final Reporthttps://oer.galileo.usg.edu/psychology-collections/1004/thumbnail.jp

Development and Use of Open Educational Resources in Research Methods for Psychology

Research methods course(s), a standard in psychology programs, often use multiple textbooks to address conceptual and data-analytic information. This study involved transitioning from traditional textbooks to open educational resources in a research methods course. Two psychology instructors, each offering course sections, identified open-access textbooks that aligned with course learning objectives and developed instructional materials to accompany those textbooks. All materials were organized publicly in an institutional subject guide. We compared students’ grades, pretest-posttest scores, and survey reports of resource use and evaluation in a spring semester, when traditional/costly textbooks were used, to the following fall semester, when no-cost textbooks were used. Student grades and pretest-posttest growth, and reported use and ratings of course materials, were similar across semesters. Though the present findings are limited in scope, they suggest that no-cost resources can be used successfully for teaching research methods with minimal transition difficulties and without student learning deficits

The relation between college student involvement and satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between college students\u27 involvement and their overall satisfaction with their college experience. It was predicted that the more a student is involved, the more he/she will be satisfied with the college experience. The 60 male and female respondents were traditional students at Anderson University in Anderson, SC. A survey was administered to assess student involvement based on the diversity (types of activities) and amount (hours per week) of participation. Each student\u27s satisfaction with college also was assessed using a self-devised scale. A moderate positive correlation was detected, p\u3c.01, where 12% of the variance in student satisfaction was accounted for by student involvement. The implications and limitations are discussed

Implementación de huertos terapéuticos para el manejo de estrés y ansiedad como agente psicorehabilitador en pacientes internos de corta estancia en la Unidad Psiquiátrica de la clínica Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en el periodo de abril-julio del 2019.

El presente proyecto de intervención psicológica fue dirigido a pacientes de corta estancia de la unidad psiquiátrica de la Clínica Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, guiado a partir de la psicorehabilitación. El tema que abordó esta experiencia se basó en la implementación de huertos terapéuticos para el manejo de estrés y ansiedad, como agente psicorehabilitador. La sistematización de este proyecto contiene la información recolectada en 18 talleres divididos en cinco categorías: Introducción a huertos terapéuticos, manejo de estrés, manejo de ansiedad, empoderamiento y cierre, en el que se analizó los cambios significativos, resultados positivos y negativos, al igual que evaluar las limitaciones que se presentaron dentro del proceso. Esta información será presentada en la sistematización e interpretación, lo cual nos permitirá tener una conclusión de los efectos de esta herramienta alternativa de psicorehabilitación, teniendo como resultados la reducción de los niveles de estrés y ansiedad que se presentan como parte del proceso de institucionalización. También constatar que las diferentes preferencias, gustos y limitaciones personales para el trabajo con la tierra permitieron concluir que los huertos terapéuticos como agente psicorehabilitador no será completamente efectiva en todos los casos.The present psychological intervention project was aimed at short-term stay patients of the psychiatric unit of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Clinic, guided by the psycho-rehabilitation technique. The topic that this experience approached was based on the implementation of therapeutic orchards for stress and anxiety management, as a psycho-rehabilitation agent. The systematization of this project contains the information collected in 18 workshops divided into five categories: Introduction to therapeutic orchards, stress management, anxiety management, empowerment and closure, in which significant changes were analyzed, positive and negative results, as well as evaluate the limitations that arose within the process. This information will be presented in the systematization and interpretation, which will allow us to have a conclusion about the effects of this alternative psychorehabilitation tool, resulting in the reduction of stress and anxiety levels that show up as part of the institutionalization process. Also to verify that the different preferences, tastes and personal limitations for working with soil allowed us to conclude that therapeutic orchards as a psycho-rehabilitative agent will not be completely effective in all cases

Followup Observations of SDSS and CRTS Candidate Cataclysmic Variables

We present photometry of 11 and spectroscopy of 35 potential cataclysmic variables from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey and vsnet-alerts. The photometry results include quasi-periodic oscillations during the decline of V1363 Cyg, nightly accretion changes in the likely Polar (AM Herculis binary) SDSS J1344+20, eclipses in SDSS J2141+05 with an orbital period of 76+/-2 min, and possible eclipses in SDSS J2158+09 at an orbital period near 100 min. Time-resolved spectra reveal short orbital periods near 80 min for SDSS J0206+20, 85 min for SDSS J1502+33, and near 100 min for CSS J0015+26, RXS J0150+37, SDSS J1132+62, SDSS J2154+15 and SDSS J2158+09. The prominent HeII line and velocity amplitude of SDSS J2154+15 are consistent with a Polar nature for this object, while the lack of this line and a low velocity amplitude argue against this classification for RXS J0150+37. Single spectra of 10 objects were obtained near outburst and the rest near quiescence, confirming the dwarf novae nature of these objects.Comment: 34 pages, 14 figures, in press at A