Brief inactivation of c-Myc is not sufficient for sustained regression of c-Myc-induced tumours of pancreatic islets and skin epidermis

Background Tumour regression observed in many conditional mouse models following oncogene inactivation provides the impetus to develop, and a platform to preclinically evaluate, novel therapeutics to inactivate specific oncogenes. Inactivating single oncogenes, such as c-Myc, can reverse even advanced tumours. Intriguingly, transient c-Myc inactivation proved sufficient for sustained osteosarcoma regression; the resulting osteocyte differentiation potentially explaining loss of c-Myc's oncogenic properties. But would this apply to other tumours? Results We show that brief inactivation of c-Myc does not sustain tumour regression in two distinct tissue types; tumour cells in pancreatic islets and skin epidermis continue to avoid apoptosis after c-Myc reactivation, by virtue of Bcl-xL over-expression or a favourable microenvironment, respectively. Moreover, tumours progress despite reacquiring a differentiated phenotype and partial loss of vasculature during c-Myc inactivation. Interestingly, reactivating c-Myc in β-cell tumours appears to result not only in further growth of the tumour, but also re-expansion of the accompanying angiogenesis and more pronounced β-cell invasion (adenocarcinoma). Conclusions Given that transient c-Myc inactivation could under some circumstances produce sustained tumour regression, the possible application of this potentially less toxic strategy in treating other tumours has been suggested. We show that brief inactivation of c-Myc fails to sustain tumour regression in two distinct models of tumourigenesis: pancreatic islets and skin epidermis. These findings challenge the potential for cancer therapies aimed at transient oncogene inactivation, at least under those circumstances where tumour cell differentiation and alteration of epigenetic context fail to reinstate apoptosis. Together, these results suggest that treatment schedules will need to be informed by knowledge of the molecular basis and environmental context of any given cancer

Reading literature in schools : a comparative study of Greece and England

In this project, the discourse of literature teaching is studied as it is\ud constructed in a range of texts, different in function, that come from\ud England and Greece. Starting with the English paradigm, I make an\ud analysis of four versions of the National Curriculum and then look at a\ud series of interviews with English literature teachers of secondary\ud education. Replicating this in the Greek context, I study first a number of\ud official policy documents of the 1990s and then a set of interviews with\ud Greek teachers of secondary education. At the end of each paradigm, a\ud comparison is made between the official documents and the interviewtexts\ud from each education system. Texts from both countries are put in a\ud historical perspective, since traces of the past can be 'read' in the present.\ud Finally, the discourse of literature teaching in England is juxtaposed with\ud the one developed in Greece. Overall, the comparison is along two axes:\ud first between teachers' interviews and official policy documents, and\ud then, between the English and the Greek paradigm.\ud In my analysis of all these different texts, I focus on specific aspects of\ud the discourse of literature teaching. In particular, I look at the\ud conceptualisation of textual meaning and the relation between referent,\ud text and author, at the issue of text selection, at the aims set for this area\ud of the curriculum and how they are translated into practice, and finally, at\ud the presentation of all those who are involved in literature teaching, i.e.\ud the teachers, the students and the central authorities.\ud From the comparison, the image of a school subject as a natural process\ud that draws on neutralised and rationalised knowledge is called into\ud question. Literature teaching emerges as a discourse full of contradictory\ud trends that are constantly negotiated and reshaped in localised\ud configurations.\ud

Myocardial creatine levels do not influence response to acute oxidative stress in isolated perfused heart

Background: Multiple studies suggest creatine mediates anti-oxidant activity in addition to its established role in cellular energy metabolism. The functional significance for the heart has yet to be established, but antioxidant activity could contribute to the cardioprotective effect of creatine in ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Objectives: To determine whether intracellular creatine levels influence responses to acute reactive oxygen species (ROS) exposure in the intact beating heart. We hypothesised that mice with elevated creatine due to over-expression of the creatine transporter (CrT-OE) would be relatively protected, while mice with creatine-deficiency (GAMT KO) would fare worse. Methods and Results: CrT-OE mice were pre-selected for creatine levels 20–100% above wild-type using in vivo 1 H– MRS. Hearts were perfused in isovolumic Langendorff mode and cardiac function monitored throughout. After 20 min equilibration, hearts were perfused with either H2O2 0.5 mM (30 min), or the anti-neoplastic drug doxorubicin 15 mM (100 min). Protein carbonylation, creatine kinase isoenzyme activities and phospho-PKCd expression were quantified in perfused hearts as markers of oxidative damage and apoptotic signalling. Wild-type hearts responded to ROS challenge with a profound decline in contractile function that was ameliorated by co-administration of catalase or dexrazoxane as positive controls. In contrast, the functional deterioration in CrT-OE and GAMT KO hearts was indistinguishable from wildtype controls, as was the extent of oxidative damage and apoptosis. Exogenous creatine supplementation also failed to protect hearts from doxorubicin-induced dysfunction. Conclusions: Intracellular creatine levels do not influence the response to acute ROS challenge in the intact beating heart, arguing against creatine exerting (patho-)physiologically relevant anti-oxidant activity

Questions Posed by the Use of Genetic Information for Personalized Medicine Achievements and Promises

Personalised medicine (PM) has the potential to increase therapeutic effectiveness, reduce side effects and lower cost. The identification of biomarkers predictive of the clinical response to specific treatments in subsets of patients became reality for a variety of diseases. However, a better understanding of the benefits and limitations needs to be developed at the level of the general public as well as at the level of an individual patient. The upcoming ability to characterize each patient from the genetic point of view in a comprehensive manner is believed to have the potential to transform medicine, thus enabling accurate prognosis as well as a treatment outcome prediction. However, PM holds both promise and cause for concern. Although PM promises that an individual’s genetic information may be increasingly used to prioritize medical decision making, it raises in parallel fears and questions as to whether such use could be inequitable. Thus, there are many thoughts whether the use of individual genetic information in the delivery of health care can be a cause for concern, as it may lead to genetic discrimination and other problems such as with employers and private insurance companies. Finally, the main pitfall of predictive tests for complex disease remains the putative lack of proven medical benefit. A better understanding of the benefits PM will have to be developed at the level of the general public as well as at the level of an individual patient; which will also reassure people that their genetic data is used appropriately to choose therapeutic protocols and drugs

Fate of density waves in the presence of a higher-order van Hove singularity

Topological transitions in electronic band structures, resulting in van Hove singularities in the density of states, can considerably affect various types of orderings in quantum materials. Regular topological transitions (of neck formation or collapse) lead to a logarithmic divergence of the electronic density of states (DOS) as a function of energy in two dimensions. In addition to the regular van Hove singularities, there are higher-order van Hove singularities (HOVHS) with a power-law divergence in DOS. By employing renormalization group techniques, we study the fate of a spin-density wave phase formed by nested parts of the Fermi surface, when a HOVHS appears in parallel. We find that the phase formation can be boosted by the presence of the singularity, with the critical temperature increasing by orders of magnitude, under certain conditions. We discuss possible applications of our findings to a range of quantum materials such as Sr3Ru2O7, Sr2RuO4, and transition metal dichalcogenides

Serum alkaline phosphatase can be elevated in patients with hypophosphatasia due to liver disease

Background: Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare inherited disorder caused by pathogenic loss-of-function variants in the ALPL gene, encoding the tissue-nonspecific isoenzym of alkaline phosphatase (ALP; TNSALP). Low serum ALP is the biochemical hallmark of HPP, but it is unknown whether ALP levels can increase due to concurring liver disease, which may lead to a missed diagnose of HPP. We present a patient with genetically confirmed HPP, who showed a transient increase of serum ALP levels due to alcohol-induced hepatitis. Clinical report: A 71-year old man was seen at our Bone Center for surveillance of HPP. Serum ALP was always low (23 U/L; reference value: &lt;115 U/L). During follow-up, his serum ALP increased (156 U/L, further rising to 204 U/L), with concomitantly elevated serum gamma-glutamyl transferase and transaminases, and a rise in bone specific ALP (18.7 μg/L; reference value: 5.7–32.9 μg/L). This was attributed to alcohol-induced hepatitis. After refraining from alcohol intake, both serum ALP and bone specific ALP levels returned to initial low levels (30 U/L and 4.3 μg/L respectively). Conclusions: We demonstrated the history of a 71-year old patient with HPP, presenting during routine follow-up with an elevated serum ALP level up to 204 U/L due to alcohol-induced hepatitis. This case illustrates that the diagnosis of HPP can potentially be missed when ALP levels are normal or elevated due to a concomitant liver disease.</p

Social insurance system of Greece: A comparison with British, American and Spanish social security systems - An econometric model

Development of social security is unfortunately conditioned by restrictions of an economic nature follow principally from the inadequacy of available resources. Social insurance is therefore facing serious problems in redistributing resources and it has a need to redefine its field of action in a manner which takes into account the different economic situations. The rapid development of Greek social insurance and particularly of pension benefits, which have occurred over the last decade, cannot be maintained. The problems facing the Greek social insurance system are easy to identify, but for political reasons, nobody has been prepared to face them and take the necessary action. My aim is to contribute to the knowledge of Greek social insurance problem-solving. I find that writing about the British, American and Spanish social security systems is a good way to gain perspective on one's own and I have learned a good deal about my own country's social insurance system from these comparisons. My long standing research interest in the economics of social insurance in Greece is reflected in the last and most important part of my thesi

Τεκμηρίωση των διπλωματικών εργασιών του Διϊδρυματικού ΠΜΣ με τίτλο «Πρόληψη και διαχείριση φυσικών καταστροφών» στο Ιδρυματικό Αποθετήριο «ΠΕΡΓΑΜΟΣ» του ΕΚΠΑ

Η εργασία στηρίζεται στη Ψηφιακή Βιβλιοθήκη Γκρίζας Βιβλιογραφίας και το Ιδρυματικό Αποθετήριο του Εθνικού Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών (ΕΚΠΑ), το οποίο φέρει την ονομασία «ΠΕΡΓΑΜΟΣ» και θέτει ως στόχο την τεκμηρίωση των διπλωματικών εργασιών του Διϊδρυματικού ΠΜΣ με τίτλο «Πρόληψη και διαχείριση φυσικών καταστροφών» και την εισαγωγή των μεταδεδομένων τους και των ηλεκτρονικών αρχείων τους στο νέο αποθετήριο του ΕΚΠΑ. Στην εισαγωγή της εργασίας θα αναφερθώ στο σκοπό της εργασίας και θα γίνει μικρή αναφορά στο Διϊδρυματικό Μεταπτυχιακό Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών «Πρόληψη και Διαχείριση Φυσικών Καταστροφών». Στη συνέχεια, θα προσδιοριστούν οι έννοιες της γκρίζας βιβλιογραφίας και των ETDs (Electronic Theses and Dissertations) και θα γίνει αναφορά στην πολιτικές της ανοιχτής πρόσβασης, όσον αφορά την ηλεκτρονική κατάθεση των ETDS, καθώς και, στα πλεονεκτήματα και μειονεκτήματα που μπορεί να υπάρχουν. Το κεφάλαιο 2 αναφέρεται στα ιδρυματικά αποθετήρια, προσδιορίζοντας την έννοια του ιδρυματικού αποθετηρίου, το σκοπό λειτουργίας του και τις υπηρεσίες που προσφέρει. Στη συνέχεια, θα γίνει αναφορά στις πολιτικές διαχείρισης των ιδρυματικών αποθετηρίων, στα ιδρυματικά αποθετήρια των ελληνικών ακαδημαϊκών βιβλιοθηκών, καθώς και στην ελληνική ηλεκτρονική πύλη www.openarchives.gr που συγκεντρώνει και παρέχει πρόσβαση στα αποθετήρια της Ελλάδας. Κατόπιν θα αναφερθούν οι κυριότερες ηλεκτρονικές πύλες στο διαδίκτυο που συγκεντρώνουν και παρέχουν πρόσβαση στα αποθετήρια που λειτουργούν διεθνώς. Στο κεφάλαιο 3 ακολουθεί το παράδειγμα, της πρώην Ψηφιακής Βιβλιοθήκης Γκρίζας Βιβλιογραφίας του ΕΚΠΑ και του νέου Ιδρυματικού αποθετηρίου της ΠΕΡΓΑΜΟΥ, καθώς και η διαδικασία καταχώρησης των ETD’s στη Βιβλιοθήκη της Σχολής Θετικών Επιστημών. Στο κεφάλαιο 4 αρχικά θα προσδιορίστουν οι έννοιες της τεκμηρίωσης και των μεταδεδομένων και θα αναπτυχθεί η μεθοδολογία που ακολουθήθηκε για την τεκμηρίωση και τη θεματική επεξεργασία των διπλωματικών εργασιών και διατριβών του συγκεκριμένου ΠΜΣ καθώς και τα προβλήματα που παρουσιάστηκαν καθ’ όλη τη διάρκεια εκπόνησης της εργασίας. Στη συνέχεια θα παρατεθεί ο συνοπτικός αλφαβητικός κατάλογος ανά συγγραφέα όλων των εργασιών που εκπονήθηκαν στο αναφερθέν ΠΜΣ με τις παραπομπές τους στο ιδρυματικό αποθετήριο ΠΕΡΓΑΜΟΣ και τα ευρετήρια θεμάτων, λέξεων κλειδιών και επιβλεπόντων μελών ΔΕΠ. Ο αναλυτικός κατάλογος που δημιουργήθηκε παρουσιάζεται σε ξεχωριστό αρχείο EXCEL και περιλαμβάνει όλα τα στοιχεία που συγκεντρώθηκαν. Τέλος, θα παραθέσουμε τα συμπεράσματα που προέκυψαν καθώς και προτάσεις για την ανάδειξη και την προβολή των εργασιών, αλλά και, την εξοικείωση της ερευνητικής κοινότητας μέσα από την ενημέρωση και την εκπαίδευση στις νέες υπηρεσίες ανοικτής πρόσβασης που προσφέρει η Βιβλιοθήκη και Κέντρο Πληροφόρησης του ΕΚΠΑ.This masterthesis is based on the Digital Library of Grey Literature and the Institutional Repository of the University of Athens(UOA), which bears the name &quot;PERGAMOS&quot; and aims to document the theses of Inter – University Postgraduate Study Program entitled &quot;Prevention and management of natural disasters&quot; and the importation of their metadata and electronic files to the new Institutional repository. The introduction will cite the purpose of this study and will refer to the Postgraduate Study Program objects and the target set and implemented during the operation. Then, will be defined the meanings of gray literature and ETDs (Electronic Theses and Dissertations) and there will be a reference to the open access policies, concerning the electronic filing of ETDs and the advantages and disadvantages that may exist. Chapter 2 refers to Institutional repositories, identifying the meaning of the institutional repository, the operational purpose and the services provided. Then the management policies of the institutional repositories will be mentioned and the personalized services that can be provided to users. In Greece several higher educational institutions have gradually progressed, in recent years, to the creation of hardware and software infrastructure, that would allow them to organize their institutional repository. So in the context of the Horizontal Act &quot;Advanced headquarters of digital libraries open access Hellenic Academic Library Link&quot;, the Action of Institutional Repositories of the Hellenic Academic Library Link(HEALINK) was implemented from 2011-2015 The Greek Digital Libraries search engine www.openarchives.gr of the National Documentation Centre is the largest internet search and navigation portal in Greece as far as the reputable Greek digital science and cultural content is concerned. Each user from a single access point has access to all the Greek institutional repositories, in academic journals and magazine archives, research publications, theses, dissertations, photos, maps, etc., covering a wide range of subjects from Greece and Cyprus leading organizations, such as universities, research institutions, scientific societies, public libraries, museums, archives, libraries and institutions. Then a list is provided with links to institutional repositories of Greek academic libraries which include theses and dissertations. The main online portals that collect and enable integrated search in international and European institutional repositories are also cited. The OpenDoar international network (Index of open academic repositories) collects and provides open access to 3.203 repositories worldwide. while the European DART-Europe network provides open access to more than 715.484 e-theses from 597 Universities of 28 European countries through a single search interface and navigation. Finally the open portal Networked digital dissertations and postgraduate theses libraries (Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations- NDLTD) is an international organization dedicated to promoting the adoption, creation, use, vii dissemination and preservation of electronic dissertations (ETDs) Today it has approximately 4.545.671 postgraduate theses and dissertations. Chapter 3 refers to the former Digital Library of Grey Literature of the University of Athens and the new Institutional Repository PERGAMOS, and the ETD&apos;s e deposit procedure followed in the Library and Information Centre of the University of Athens. More specifically , a reference is made to the instructions completing the e- deposit form of masterthesis or doctoral dissertation to the library of the School of Sciences and the collections included in the Pergamos repository which from now on will be part of the single platform Institutional Repository / Digital Library of the UOA that retains the name &quot;PERGAMOS&quot; and is a service of the Library and Information Centre of the University of Athens.The senate of Athens University with a decision at the meeting of the 22-9-2016, in order to upgrade the services of the Library and Information Centre of the UOA unanimously decided the mandatory deposit of produced at UOA’s Grey Literature. The theses and dissertations entered in the Repository with self-deposit after approval and the copyright owner is the creator who signs the relevant application form which assigns to the Library and Information Centre of the UOA, the right of disposal through the Internet. The Directorate of Library and Information Center of UOA proceeded to issue detailed instructions to all involved in the process. In chapter 4, after defining the concepts of documentation and metadata, the methodology followed will be developed for the documentation and thematic processing of dissertations of that Postgraduate study program and the problems encountered throughout the course of this thesis. More specifically a file in excel format was created in which all the data collected were recorded and those necessary to create a list that would include all the theses carried out. Any reference to the list of theses includes the registration number, name of author, title of work, the supervisor, the year award, the year of deposit, the Greek and English summary, subjects, Greek and English keywords, and the link that leads to the electronic version of the thesis in the PERGAMOS digital repository for those who allow free disposal online. A brief alphabetical list by author of all theses carried out with their link to Institutional Repository PERGAMOS and the indexes of subject, keywords and supervising faculty members, are also cited. One problem that arose during the preparation of the thesis concerned the finding of authors to send their dissertations. Another issue presented, during thematic processing of the work, was the lack of subject terms, from the subject list of Pergamos Repository, which would perform better the content of some theses.Some observations are also made during the creation of index keywords, in excel file and are related to the keywords chosen by the authors, to present the content of their work, while it is noted the low rate of authors who choose open access. Finally, we will describe the conclusions and recommendations for the enhancement and promotion of these theses , but also, the familiarity of the research community through information and education in the new open access services offered by the Library and Information Centre of the University of Athens. The University of Athens seems to be actively involved in open access and the response of the research viii community to enrich the repository on a regular basis is essential. Any reluctance on be half of writers can fall back through the research community education about the importance of repositories and the benefits acquired by enhancing open access. Moreover, the authors should be more careful and more meticulous in the way of layout and the selection of keywords as well as in the English version of the terms. The application of a single uniform policy of compulsory e- deposit of the ETDs in the Digital Repository &quot;PERGAMOS&quot; from all departments of Athens University, which will replace the existing process and that interface with the inauguration and graduation of students, will contribute greatly to the enrichment of the new repository. The future integration of PERGAMOS Institutional Repository in international and European search engines will also contribute to the further promotion and development produced research project of the University of Athens

Ελλείμματα στις γλωσσικές δεξιότητες και διαταραχή στην ανάγνωση: Δυσκολίες στην αναγνωστική κατανόηση και την αποκωδικοποίηση

Θεωρητικό υπόβαθρο Οι δυσκολίες στην εκμάθηση της ανάγνωσης φαίνεται σύμφωνα με έρευνες που έχουν πραγματοποιηθεί στο παρελθόν, να οφείλονται κυρίως σε ελλείμματα της προφορικής γλώσσας. Σκοπός Η παρούσα μελέτη θα διερευνήσει αρχικά τη σχέση μεταξύ των γλωσσικών ελλειμμάτων και των δυσκολιών στην ανάγνωση. Επίσης, θα μελετηθεί η σχέση μεταξύ των γλωσσικών ελλειμμάτων και της αναγνωστικής κατανόησης και αποκωδικοποίησης. Ακόμα, θα αναζητηθεί η σχέση μεταξύ συγκεκριμένων γλωσσικών ελλειμμάτων και των δυσκολιών της ανάγνωσης. Μέθοδος Η έρευνα είναι μια αναδρομική ανάλυση 86 ιατρικών αρχείων,από την παιδοψυχιατρική κλινική Παίδων «Η Αγία Σοφία», παιδιών με μέση ηλικία 10,6 έτη (SD=2,4 έτη), τα οποία είχαν δυσκολίες στην ανάγνωση. Τα δεδομένα της έρευνας στηρίχτηκαν στα αξιολογητικά εργαλεία Τέστ –Α (Τέστ Ανάγνωσης) και WISC-III (Τέστ Νοητικών Ικανοτήτων), καθώς και στο κοινωνικό και ιατρικό ιστορικό των παιδιών. Αποτελέσματα Τα περισσότερα παιδιά (72,1%) είχαν στο παρελθόν ελλείμματα στις γλωσσικές τους δεξιότητες. Τα παιδιά με προβλήματα λόγου και ομιλίας στο παρελθόν είχαν κατά 13,61 μονάδες χαμηλότερη βαθμολογία στην αποκωδικοποίηση και κατά 13,45 μονάδες χαμηλότερη βαθμολογία στην αναγνωστική κατανόηση (p &lt; 0,05). Οι κυριότερες διαταραχές λόγου και ομιλίας, ήταν η διαταραχή στην έκφραση της γλώσσας (45,2 %) και η ειδική διαταραχή της άρθρωσης (41,9 %) . Συμπεράσματα Τα αποτελέσματά μας επιβεβαιώνουν τη συμβολή των γλωσσικών δεξιοτήτων στην ανάπτυξη της ανάγνωσης και κυρίως στην αποκωδικοποίηση και στην αναγνωστική κατανόηση. Ακόμα, αναδεικνύεται η σπουδαιότητα της πρόληψης αλλά και της έγκαιρης αντιμετώπισης των προβλημάτων του λόγου και της ομιλίας.Background Difficulties in learning to read seem to be due, in the past, to research, mainly due to deficits in spoken language. Aim This study seeks initially to explore the possible relationship amongst language skill deficits, as well as deficits in specific areas of speech and reading difficulties. It will also explore the possible relationship between language skill deficits and reading comprehension and decoding. Methodology The research is a retrospective analysis of 86 medical records, from the Child Psychiatry Clinic for Children &quot;Agia Sofia&quot;, of children with a mean age of 10.6 years (SD = 2.4 years), who had difficulty reading. The research data were based on the evaluation tools Test-A (Reading Test) and WISC-III (Mental Ability Test), as well as the social and medical history of children. Results Most of the children (72,1%) with reading difficulties had exhibited speech problems in the past. Children with speech and language problems in the past had 13.61 points lower score in decoding and 13.45 points lower score in reading comprehension (p &lt;0.05).The main speech and language disorders recorded among children who had language deficits in the past were language expression disorder (45.2%) and specific sound disorder (41.9%). Conclusions Our results confirm the role of language in developing learning skills and particularly decoding αnd reading comprehension. Also, the importance of prevention and timely treatment of speech and language problems is highlighted

Venus Prodigiosa: Αποκλίνουσα Σεξουαλικότητα και Ερωτικοί Παραβάτες στις Μεταμορφώσεις του Οβιδίου

Αντικείμενο μελέτης της παρούσας εργασίας είναι οι ερωτικές σχέσεις που παρεκκλίνουν της νόρμας, όπως τουλάχιστον αυτή ορίζεται στο περιβάλλον των Μεταμορφώσεων. Οι σεξουαλικοί παραβάτες παρουσιάζονται ως έρμαια των παθών τους, απόλυτα υπεύθυνοι και ταυτόχρονα αδύναμοι να εναντιωθούν στο παράφορο των επιθυμιών τους, ακόμη κι αν αυτές υπερβαίνουν τα όρια του φυσικού ή του νόμιμου. Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο εξετάζονται οι περιπτώσεις κοριτσιών που συνευρέθηκαν ερωτικά με ζωόμορφους θεούς, με προεξάρχουσα αυτή της Πασιφάης, η οποία συνουσιάστηκε με αληθινό ταύρο. Στη συνέχεια του κεφαλαίου, παρουσιάζονται οι υποθέσεις του Νάρκισσου και του Πυγμαλίωνα, οι οποίοι, θύματα του άμετρου εγωκεντρισμού τους, ένιωσαν έλξη για την αντανάκλασή τους, όπως αυτή αποτυπώθηκε στα νερά μιας πηγής, για τον πρώτο, και στο προσωπικό του δημιούργημα, για τον δεύτερο. Το επόμενο κεφάλαιο καταλαμβάνουν οι ιστορίες αιμομιξίας, με αντιπροσωπευτικότερες αυτές της Βυβλίδας και της Μύρρας, οι οποίες πλαισιώνονται από άλλες σχετικές, ήσσονος όμως σημασίας στο οβιδιανό κείμενο. Όλες οι περιπτώσεις αναλύονται υπό το πρίσμα των εκάστοτε αφηγητών τους και αναζητούνται οι προκαταλήψεις και τα βαθύτερα κίνητρα που θέτουν υπό αμφισβήτηση την αξιοπιστία τους. Στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο επιχειρείται μία προσπάθεια εξεύρεσης επαναλαμβανόμενων μοτίβων μεταξύ των επεισοδίων σεξουαλικής παραβατικότητας, ενώ στη συνέχεια το ενδιαφέρον εστιάζεται σε τέσσερα ζευγάρια υποδειγματικής αγάπης, των οποίων η Pietas, τα χρηστά ήθη και ο αναλλοίωτος στον χρόνο έρωτας στοιχειοθετούν τη νόρμα, με την οποία αντιπαραβάλλονται οι προαναφερθείσες ιστορίες, τοποθετώντας τους πρωταγωνιστές αυτών στο φάσμα της αποκλίνουσας σεξουαλικότητας.In my thesis, I present the erotic relationships which deviate from the norm, as it is determined in the Augustan epos of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Sexual offenders are presented as victims of their passions, absolutely responsible for and, simultaneously, incapable of resisting to their impetuous desires, even though they surpass the natural or legal boundaries. In the first chapter, I examine the cases where girls have coitus with gods in animal disguise, as well as the notorious story of Pasiphae, who engaged in sexual intercourse with a real bull. Furthermore, I study the stories of Narcissus and Pygmalion, both being victims of their exaggerated egotism, who felt attraction to their own reflection• as captured in the waters of a spring, regarding the former, and, as far as the latter is concerned, in his personal creation. The next chapter is occupied with the incestuous stories of Byblis and Myrrha, which are being accompanied with relevant stories of minor importance in the poem. All of these tales are broken down from the perspective of each narrator, and I look into the preconceptions and the deeper motivations, which question their trustworthiness. In the third chapter I attempt to encounter recurring patterns among the episodes of sexual delinquency, while afterwards, I focus on four couples of exemplary love, whose Pietas, morality and timeless love constitute the norm, with which the aforementioned stories are juxtaposed, setting their protagonists in the spectrum of deviant sexuality