WNT signalling in prostate cancer

Genome sequencing and gene expression analyses of prostate tumours have highlighted the potential importance of genetic and epigenetic changes observed in WNT signalling pathway components in prostate tumours-particularly in the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer. WNT signalling is also important in the prostate tumour microenvironment, in which WNT proteins secreted by the tumour stroma promote resistance to therapy, and in prostate cancer stem or progenitor cells, in which WNT-β-catenin signals promote self-renewal or expansion. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the potential of inhibitors that target WNT receptor complexes at the cell membrane or that block the interaction of β-catenin with lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 and the androgen receptor, in preventing prostate cancer progression. Some WNT signalling inhibitors are in phase I trials, but they have yet to be tested in patients with prostate cancer

Medical Students' Exposure to and Attitudes about the Pharmaceutical Industry: A Systematic Review

A systematic review of published studies reveals that undergraduate medical students may experience substantial exposure to pharmaceutical marketing, and that this contact may be associated with positive attitudes about marketing

Architectural and urban design potentials for residential building energy saving in the Gulf region

Systematic computer simulations and energy performance studies are conducted for a typical residential building and prevalent conditions in the Gulf region. The studies systematically deal with variations of the main geometrical parameters of the building envelope, comprising plan proportion, orientation, glazing allocation and obstruction. Comparative evaluations and sensitivity analyses expose the effects of these variables and define their relative contributions to prime energy-performance indicators. The combined effectiveness and potentials of the parameters compensate for their limited individual contributions to warrant their practical consideration for passive architectural and urban design application.Gulf region Residential building Envelope parameters Energy performance

Unravel the Impact of Anchoring Groups on the Photovoltaic Performances of Diketopyrrolopyrrole Sensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Two D-pi-A dyes, one with a strong electron withdrawing cyanoacrylic acid DPP 20 and one with a weak acceptor carboxylic acid DPP 21 have been synthesized and characterized for their application in dye-sensitized solar cells. This allows us to understand the role of electron withdrawing strength of the acceptor anchoring groups on the optoelectronic properties of chromophoric pi spacer molecules, e.g., the diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) moiety. The low energy absorption maxima of DPP 20 is red-shifted by only 7 nm compared to DPP 21, implying a minimal role for the strong acceptor in the light harvesting properties of colored pi spacer molecules. Because of this small red shift, J(SC) of DPP 20 is marginally higher than that of DPP 21. However, because of the higher fill factor of DPP 21, the overall power conversion efficiency (PCE = 7.65%) is higher than that of DPP20 (7.34%). The data reveal that a weak acceptor is adequate to achieve good light harvesting as well as provide good photovoltaic efficiencies for colored pi spacer sensitizers

Influência da camada do revestimento de argamassa na penetração de cloretos em estruturas de concreto

Este trabalho estudou a influência da camada de revestimento em argamassa na penetração de cloretos no concreto. Para tanto, foram moldados corpos de prova de concreto nas dimensões 8 cm x 8 cm x 8 cm e relação água/cimento de 0,55, sobre os quais foram aplicados três tipos de argamassa de revestimento, após uma fina camada de chapisco. Vencidos os períodos de cura de 28 dias para o concreto e a argamassa de revestimento, cinco das seis faces dos CPs foram isoladas com resina epóxi para simular um fluxo unidirecional. Esses CPs foram submetidos ao ensaio de imersão e secagem por 49 dias e, após isso, foram retiradas e analisadas amostras para a obtenção dos perfis de cloretos. Os resultados indicam que as argamassas de revestimento influenciam no transporte de cloretos no concreto e que essa influência é mais pronunciada para as argamassas menos porosas e mais ricas em cimento. Também se observou um acúmulo de cloretos na região próxima à interface argamassa-concreto, o qual é explicado pelas diferenças na capacidade de transporte entre a argamassa e o concreto. Apesar de as argamassas serem mais porosas que o concreto, elas podem representar uma proteção adicional em relação ao retardamento na penetração de cloretos no concreto