Complex Effects of Sertraline and Citalopram on In Vitro Murine Breast Cancer Proliferation and on In Vivo Progression and Anxiety Level

Some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), primarily sertraline, demonstrate anti-proliferative activity in malignant cell-lines and in xenografted mouse models of colorectal tumor. There is, however, a paucity of comparative studies on the anti-tumor effects of SSRIs. We compared the in vitro and in vivo effects of sertraline and citalopram on murine 4T1 breast cancer. Grafted mice were used to determine the rate of tumor growth and survival as well as the impact of stress and antidepressant treatment on tumor progression and mortality and on pro-inflammatory cytokines. Sertraline, in the micromolar range, but not citalopram, induced a significant in vitro concentration-dependent inhibition of murine 4T1 cell proliferation and splenocyte viability. In contrast, sertraline (10 mg/kg/d), enhanced in vivo tumor growth. Contrary to the study’s hypothesis, chronic mild stress did not modify tumor growth in grafted mice. The in vitro effects of sertraline on tumor growth seem to be the opposite of its in vivo effects. The impact of sertraline treatment on humans with breast cancer should be further investigated.     

An Engineered Nanocomplex with Photodynamic and Photothermal Synergistic Properties for Cancer Treatment

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) are promising therapeutic methods for cancer treatment; however, as single modality therapies, either PDT or PTT is still limited in its success rate. A dual application of both PDT and PTT, in a combined protocol, has gained immense interest. In this study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were conjugated with a PDT agent, meso-tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin (mTHPC) photosensitizer, designed as nanotherapeutic agents that can activate a dual photodynamic/photothermal therapy in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. The AuNP-mTHPC complex is biocompatible, soluble, and photostable. PDT efficiency is high because of immediate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production upon mTHPC activation by the 650-nm laser, which decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (^∆ψ_m). Likewise, the AuNP-mTHPC complex is used as a photoabsorbing (PTA) agent for PTT, due to efficient plasmon absorption and excellent photothermal conversion characteristics of AuNPs under laser irradiation at 532 nm. Under the laser irradiation of a PDT/PTT combination, a twofold phototoxicity outcome follows, compared to PDT-only or PTT-only treatment. This indicates that PDT and PTT have synergistic effects together as a combined therapeutic method. Our study aimed at applying the AuNP-mTHPC approach as a potential treatment of cancer in the biomedical field.     

"Objective and subjective work monotony: Effects on job satisfaction, psychological distress, and absenteeism in blue-collar workers": Correction.

Reports an error in the original article by S. Melamed et al (Journal of Applied Psychology, 1995[Feb], Vol 80[1], 29–42). The last two numerical entries in the Long-cycle RW vs. VW row in Table 3 were incorrect. The corrected table, which also includes a clarification to Footnote a, is presented. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1995-23399-001). The relation of objective work conditions (work underload, repetitive or varied work) and subjective monotony to job satisfaction, psychological distress, and sickness absence was examined in 1,278 male and female workers. Subjective monotony was moderately related to the objective work conditions. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that the effects on all outcomes were partially mediated by subjective monotony and were also directly related to repetitive work and work underload. Job satisfaction and psychological distress were mainly related to subjective monotony, whereas sickness absence was equally related to the work conditions and subjective monotony. The highest impact was observed for short-cycle repetitive work. Testing sex interactions revealed that sickness absence was related to the work conditions in women but not in men… (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Objective and subjective work monotony: Effects on job satisfaction, psychological distress, and absenteeism in blue-collar workers.

The relation of objective work conditions (work underload, repetitive or varied work) and subjective monotony to job satisfaction, psychological distress, and sickness absence was examined in 1,278 male and female workers. Subjective monotony was moderately related to the objective work conditions. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that the effects on all outcomes were partially mediated by subjective monotony and were also directly related to repetitive work and work underload. Job satisfaction and psychological distress were mainly related to subjective monotony, whereas sickness absence was equally related to the work conditions and subjective monotony. The highest impact was observed for short-cycle repetitive work. Testing sex interactions revealed that sickness absence was related to the work conditions in women but not in men. The findings highlight the significance of noting the actual work conditions in predicting employee outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

miRNAs as Biomarkers in Diabetes: Moving towards Precision Medicine

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex metabolic disease with many specifically related complications. Early diagnosis of this disease could prevent the progression to overt disease and its related complications. There are several limitations to using existing biomarkers, and between 24% and 62% of people with diabetes remain undiagnosed and untreated, suggesting a large gap in current diagnostic practices. Early detection of the percentage of insulin-producing cells preceding loss of function would allow for effective therapeutic interventions that could delay or slow down the onset of diabetes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) could be used for early diagnosis, as well as for following the progression and the severity of the disease, due to the fact of their pancreatic specific expression and stability in various body fluids. Thus, many studies have focused on the identification and validation of such groups or “signatures of miRNAs” that may prove useful in diagnosing or treating patients. Here, we summarize the findings on miRNAs as biomarkers in diabetes and those associated with direct cellular reprogramming strategies, as well as the relevance of miRNAs that act as a bidirectional switch for cell therapy of damaged pancreatic tissue and the studies that have measured and tracked miRNAs as biomarkers in insulin resistance are addressed.     

Why and how can human-related measures support software development processes?

In this paper we discuss why and how measures related to human aspects should be incorporated into software development processes. This perspective is based on the vast evidence that human aspects are the source of the majority of problems associated with software development projects. Having said that, we do not blame the humans involved in software development processes; rather, we suggest that human-related measures might be one means by which human aspects of software development processes can be supported.     

‘The Common Camp’: temporary settlements as a spatio-political instrument in Israel-Palestine

From their emergence in the 19th century to their current global proliferation, camps have been created extensively by and for different populations under the modern state order. Whether employed by national and colonial powers as instruments of control, or constructed ad hoc by displaced populations as makeshift spaces of refuge, camps are used as a versatile instrument for the rearrangement of people in space. In Israel-Palestine, camps are part of the significant geopolitical changes related to the state-building project and to the mass displacement it caused, providing a core example of similar enterprises of territorial alternation and social engineering. While the Palestinian refugee camps are well recognised and studied, many other types of camps which have appeared in the region over the last century together form a distinctive spatial paradigm. Through its particular manifestations in Israel-Palestine, this article examines the camp as a central instrument by which modern societies and territories are administered, negotiated and reorganised. The identification, understanding and re-definition of the camp’s multifaceted spatial vocabulary allows to better understand this encompassing phenomenon which becomes increasingly relevant and urgent in today’s migration age.     

RNA labeling and immobilization for nano-displacement measurement: probing three-dimensional RNA structure

RNA molecules play essential roles in many biological processes, including the storage and transfer of information in the cell. These events are mediated via RNA-protein interactions or by catalytic RNA molecules. It is now recognized that unique RNA folds are associated with biological functions. Therefore, to study the intrinsic structural changes and dynamics which regulate the various functions of RNA, it is necessary to probe its three-dimensional structure in solution. In this respect, using single-molecule methodologies may allow study of native RNA molecules independent of their size and in real time. However, this may require the immobilization of RNA on a surface. Here, we report a novel approach to immobilize RNA on a glass. The procedures involve both chemical and enzymatic modifications of long RNA molecules. In addition, we demonstrate the application of an optical tweezers apparatus to measure the length and, hence, the dynamics of immobilized intact ribosomal RNA molecules as a function of different solution conditions.