Photographing the “Other”: Immigration and New Images of the Greek Ethnic “Self”

ABSTRACT

Significant transformations in the ways the ethnic “self” and its relationship to the “other” are perceived have led to the transgression of the two traditional poles (East and West) that were prevalent in the definition of Greekness since the creation of the Greek nation-state. By placing the photographs of immigrants published in the most popular local newspaper in Central Greece within their wider social and historical context, we can “see” that immigrants (a group that is perceived to be homogeneous and transcendental) constitute a new axis around which the negotiation of ethnic identity and otherness in Greece is now conducted.     

Interplay between oncogenic K-Ras and wild-type H-Ras in Caco2 cell transformation

Mutation of RAS genes is one of the most common oncogenic alterations in cancer and acquisition of activating RAS mutations has been demonstrated to cause progression of colorectal adenoma to cancer. The aim of this study was to identify changes in the proteome of the intermediate-stage colorectal cancer cell line Caco2, induced by ectopic expression of two distinct RAS proteins, KRAS(V12) and HRAS(V12), in their mutated, constitutively active form. Using 2D-gel electrophoresis, followed by LC-MS/MS we identified almost 200 differentially expressed proteins in pair-wise comparisons of Caco2 vs Caco2-KRAS(V12) and Caco2 vs Caco2-HRAS(V12). Although many of the affected proteins were unique for each pair, there were also substantial similarities. Interestingly, transformation by the mutant KRAS(V12) gene resulted in elevated expression levels and activity of endogenous H-ras protein. Silencing the latter with a specific RNAi reversed several proteomic changes observed in KRAS(V12)-transformed cells, suggesting that oncogenic K-ras partly exerts its effects through endogenous H-ras activation. Alterations in the expression of cytoskeletal and cell adhesion proteins, caused by HRAS siRNA treatment, correlated with a reduction in the invasive properties of Caco2-KRAS(V12) cells. Our data suggest a novel interplay between K-ras and H-ras, with possible implications for colorectal carcinogenesis.     

DEVELOPMENTAL MUTANTS OF VOLVOX: DOES MUTATION RECREATE THE PATTERNS OF PHYLOGENETIC DIVERSITY?

The nature of the variation which is created by mutation can show how the direction of evolution is constrained by internal biases arising from development and pre-existing design. We have attempted to quantify these biases by measuring eight life history characters in developmental mutants of Volvox carteri. Most of the mutants in our sample were inferior to the wild type, but deviated by less than tenfold from the wild-type mean. Characters differed in mutability, suggesting different levels of canalisation. Most correlations between life history characters among strains were positive, but there was a significant negative correlation between the size and the number of reproductive cells, suggesting an upper limit to the total quantity of germ produced by individuals. The most extreme phenotypes in our sample were very vigorous, showing that not all mutations of large effect are unconditionally deleterious. We investigated the effect of developmental constraints on the course of evolution by comparing the variance and covariance patterns among mutant strains with those among species in the family Volvocaceae. A close correspondence between patterns at these two levels would suggest that pre-existing design has a strong influence on evolution, while little or no correspondence shows the action of selection. The variance generated by mutation was equal to that generated by speciation in the family Volvocaceae, the genus Volvox, or the section Merillosphaera, depending on the character considered. We found that mutation changes the volume of somatic tissue independently of the quantity of germ tissue, so that the interspecific correlation between soma and germ can be attributed to selection. The negative correlation between size and number of germ cells among mutants of V. carteri is also seen among the larger members of the family (Volvox spp.), but not among the smaller members, suggesting a powerful design constraint that may be responsible for the absence of larger forms in the entire group.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">CER1</Emphasis>gene variations associated with bone mineral density,bone markers,and early menopause in postmenopausal women

Background

Osteoporosis has a multifactorial pathogenesis characterized by a combination of low bone mass and increased fragility. In our study, we focused on the effects of polymorphisms in CER1 and DKK1 genes, recently reported as important susceptibility genes for osteoporosis, on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone markers in osteoporotic women. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of CER1 and DKK1 variations in 607 postmenopausal women. The entire DKK1 gene sequence and five selected CER1 SNPs were amplified and resequenced to assess whether there is a correlation between these genes and BMD, early menopause, and bone turnover markers in osteoporotic patients.

Results

Osteoporotic women seem to suffer menopause 2 years earlier than the control group. The entire DKK1 gene sequence analysis revealed six variations. There was no correlation between the six DKK1 variations and osteoporosis, in contrast to the five common CER1 variations that were significantly associated with BMD. Additionally, osteoporotic patients with rs3747532 and rs7022304 CER1 variations had significantly higher serum levels of parathyroid hormone and calcitonin and lower serum levels of osteocalcin and IGF-1.

Conclusions

No significant association between the studied DKK1 variations and osteoporosis was found, while CER1 variations seem to play a significant role in the determination of osteoporosis and a potential predictive role, combined with bone markers, in postmenopausal osteoporotic women.

     

Diversity of spiders and orthopterans respond to intra-seasonal and spatial environmental changes

Our understanding of arthropod responses to environmental pressures is limited, especially for the poorly studied Mediterranean region. In the light of likely further environmental change and the need for protocols for rapid biodiversity assessment, we measured how the abundance and species richness of two taxa, ground spiders and Orthoptera, belonging to different functional groups, fluctuates intra- seasonally (early-mid-late summer) and across habitat types (grasslands, maquis, forests). We also tested their surrogate value. Spiders were found to have higher species richness and abundance almost throughout the investigation. Orthoptera had lower species richness and abundance in forests compared to grasslands and maquis, while no significant difference between habitats was revealed for spiders. Early-summer was the richest period for spiders while mid-summer was the richest for Orthoptera. Canopy cover was found to significantly influence community composition of both groups, while herb height and cover of stones was a determinant factor for Orthoptera only. There was a significant congruence between the two groups and Orthoptera provided the best complementary network. Our results show that diversity patterns of both spiders and Orthoptera are sensitive to environmental changes even over short time-scales (e.g. within the summer period) and space (e.g. across different habitat types), suggesting that small inexpensive experimental designs may still reveal community dynamics. For conservation purposes, we advise a focus on variables regulating habitat heterogeneity and microhabitat characteristics. We provide a list of the most influential species and propose the most effective network for obtaining information on the local fauna.     

Double-strand break DNA repair genotype predictive of later mortality and cancer incidence in a cohort of non-smokers

We followed-up for mortality and cancer incidence 1088 healthy non-smokers from a population-based study, who were characterized for 22 variants in 16 genes involved in DNA repair pathways. Follow-up was 100% complete. The association between polymorphism and mortality or cancer incidence was analyzed using Cox Proportional Hazard regression models. Ninety-five subjects had died in a median follow-up time of 78 months (inter-quartile range 59-93 months). None of the genotypes was clearly associated with total mortality, except variants for two Double-Strand Break DNA repair genes, XRCC3 18067 C>T (rs#861539) and XRCC2 31479 G>A (rs#3218536). Adjusted hazard ratios were 2.25 (1.32-3.83) for the XRCC3 C/T genotype and 2.04 (1.00-4.13) for the T/T genotype (reference C/C), and 2.12 (1.14-3.97) for the XRCC2 G/A genotype (reference G/G). For total cancer mortality, the adjusted hazard ratios were 3.29 (1.23-7.82) for XRCC3 C/T, 2.84 (0.81-9.90) for XRCC3 T/T and 3.17 (1.21-8.30) for XRCC2 G/A. With combinations of three or more adverse alleles, the adjusted hazard ratio for all cause mortality was 17.29 (95% C.I. 8.13-36.74), and for all incident cancers the HR was 5.28 (95% C.I. 2.17-12.85). Observations from this prospective study suggest that polymorphisms of genes involved in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks significantly influence the risk of cancer and non-cancer disease, and can influence mortality.     

Detection of the TNFSF members BAFF, APRIL, TWEAK and their receptors in normal kidney and renal cell carcinomas

In advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), surgery combined with systemic chemotherapy and immunotherapy have had limited effectiveness. Therapeutic modalities targeting VEGF, PDGF, and c-kit using tyrosine kinase inhibitors and m-TOR using specific biologic factors are in development. Therapeutic approaches targeting TNF-alpha have shown limited efficacy, while anti-TRAIL (TNFSF10) antibodies have shown enhanced activity. The presence and potential significance of other members of the TNFSF has not been investigated. Here, we assayed the TNFSF members APRIL, BAFF, TWEAK and their receptors (BCMA, TACI, BAFFR, Fn14) in 86 conventional type clear cell RCC, using immunohistochemistry and correlated our findings with histological data and, in a limited series, follow-up of patients. We observed a differential expression of these TNFSF ligands and receptors in cancerous and non-cancerous structures. BAFF was found in all RCC; APRIL expression is associated with an aggressive phenotype, correlating negatively with patients' disease-free survival, while TWEAK and its receptor Fn14 are heterogeneously expressed, correlating negatively with the grade and survival of RCC patients. This is the first study, presenting together the TNFSF members APRIL, BAFF, TWEAK and their receptors in different areas of normal renal tissue and RCC, suggesting a potential role of these TNFSF members in renal tumor biology.     

Synthesis of a protected trihydroxyindolizidine 3-carboxylate via a hetero-Diels-Alder addition of ethyl 2-nitrosoacrylate to a D-ribose-derived exo-glycal

A protected trihydroxyindolizidine 3-carboxylate was prepared by a 6-endo epoxide cleavage, which in turn was intermediately formed from the hetero-Diels-Alder adduct of ethyl 2-nitrosoacrylate to a D-ribose-derived exo-glycal.     

A High Mobility Group Protein from the Dipteran Insects Ceratitis capitata and Bactrocera oleae

Nuclei from Bactrocera oleae and Ceratitis capitata larvae contain a major protein that shares most of the characteristics of vertebrate high mobility group (HMG) proteins. Proteins are extracted from nuclei with 0.35 M NaCl, are soluble in 5% perchloric acid, are relatively small (molecular weight in the range of 10–16 kDa), and have both a high basic and a high acidic amino acid content. The amino acid constitution of these proteins is similar to that of the HMGB protein family of vertebrates. The proteins cross-react with antibodies raised against the HMGD chromosomal protein of Drosophila melanogaster. The possible relatedness of these proteins to high mobility group proteins is discussed.