Pedagogical Orientations and Evolving Responsibilities of Technological Universities: A Literature Review of the History of Engineering Education.

Current societal changes and challenges demand a broader role of technological universities, thus opening the question of how their role evolved over time and how to frame their current responsibility. In response to urgent calls for debating and redefining the identity of contemporary technological universities, this paper has two aims. The first aim is to identify the key characteristics and orientations marking the development of technological universities, as recorded in the history of engineering education. The second aim is to articulate the responsibility of contemporary technological universities given their different orientations and characteristics. For this, we first provide a non-systematic literature review of the key pedagogical orientations of technological universities, grounded in the history of engineering education. The five major orientations of technological universities presented in the paper are technical, economic, social, political, and ecological. We then use this historical survey to articulate the responsibilities of contemporary technological universities reflecting the different orientations. Technological universities can promote and foster the development of scientific, professional, civic, legal, or intra- and inter- generational responsibility. We argue that responsibility is not specific to any particular orientation, such that the concept is broadened to complement each orientation or mix of orientations of a technological university. Our contribution thus serves as a call for technological universities to self-reflect on their mission and identity, by offering a lens for identifying the orientations they currently foster and making explicit the responsibility arising from their current orientation or the ones they strive to cultivate.

Follicle inhibition at the primordial stage without increasing apoptosis, with a combination of everolimus, verapamil.

The aim of the present study was to test whether inhibition of ovarian primordial follicles and subsequent activation can be achieved by transient mTOR inhibition. In this preclinical investigation, forty-five female immature Wistar rats were randomized in 5 groups. The control group received subcutaneous saline injections. The other groups received Everolimus, Everolimus plus Verapamil, Everolimus plus Fisetin, and Fisetin alone. Primary and secondary outcomes were measured in the left ovary after a treatment period of 8 weeks. Ten days later, animals received 35 IU FSH for 4 days and 35 IU of hCG on the 5th day. The same parameters were examined in the right ovary. AMH, estradiol, and progesterone levels were assessed at the end of both interventions. Significantly, more primordial and less atretic follicles were observed in the Everolimus plus Verapamil group. AMH and progesterone levels were substantially lower in the Everolimus group. Interestingly, after ovarian stimulation higher levels of AMH and progesterone were observed in the Everolimus plus Verapamil group. Immunoblot analysis of ovarian extracts revealed that the administration of Everolimus led to a significant reduction in the mTORC1-mediated phosphorylation of the 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1. This decrease was reversed in the presence of FSH after stopping drug administration. The expression of the anti-apoptotic molecule Bcl2 as well as of LC3-II and ATG12 was increased after removal of the Everolimus plus Verapamil combination, indicating reduced apoptosis and increased autophagy, whereas the levels of the proliferation marker PCNA in the granulosa cells were elevated, consistent with initiation of follicular growth.Thus, the combination of Everolimus plus Verapamil is capable of increasing the number of competent primordial follicles while reducing atresia.

Poor stroke risk perception despite moderate public stroke awareness: insight from a cross-sectional national survey in Greece.

BACKGROUND: Although stroke is the fourth cause of death in Western societies, public stroke awareness remains suboptimal. The aim of this study was to estimate stroke risk perception and stroke awareness in Greece through a cross-sectional telephone survey. METHODS: A trained interview team conducted this cross-sectional telephone survey between February and April 2014 using an online structured questionnaire. Participants were selected using random digit dialing of landline and mobile telephone numbers with quota sampling weighted for geographical region based on the most recent General Population Census (2011). RESULTS: Between February and April 2014, 723 individuals (418 women [58%], 47.4 ± 17.8 years) agreed to respond. Among all respondents, 642 (88.8%) were able to provide at least 1 stroke risk factor; 673 respondents (93.08%) were able to provide correctly at least 1 stroke symptom or sign. When asked what would they do in case of acute onset of stroke symptoms, 497 (68.7%) responded that they would either call the ambulance or visit the closest emergency department. Only 35.3%, 18.9%, 17.2%, 20.7%, and 15.0% of respondents with atrial fibrillation, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and current smoking, respectively, considered themselves as being in high risk for stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Stroke risk perception in Greece is low despite moderate public stroke awareness.

The Ratio of cf-mtDNA vs. cf-nDNA in the Follicular Fluid of Women Undergoing IVF Is Positively Correlated with Age.

Age-related mitochondrial markers may facilitate the prognosis of artificial reproductive technology outcomes. In this report, we present our study concerning the ratio of cf-mtDNA/cf-nDNA, namely the amount of cell-free mitochondrial DNA relative to cell-free nuclear DNA, in the follicular fluid (FF) of women undergoing IVF, aiming to generate a molecular fingerprint of oocyte quality. The values of this ratio were measured and compared among three groups of women (101 in total): (A) 31 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), (B) 34 women younger than 36 years, and (C) 36 women older than 35 years of age. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed to quantify the ratio by using nuclear- and mitochondrial-specific primers and analyzed for potential correlation with age and pregnancy rate. Our analysis showed that the level of FF-cf-mtDNA was lower in the group of advanced-age women than in the groups of PCOS and non-PCOS women. Moreover, a significant positive correlation between FF-cf-mtDNA and the number of mature (MII) oocytes was observed. Collectively, the data show that the relative ratio of cf- mtDNA to cf-nDNA content in human FF can be an effective predictor for assessing the corresponding oocyte's age-related performance in IVF.

The politics of scaling.

A fixation on 'scaling up' has captured current innovation discourses and, with it, political and economic life at large. Perhaps most visible in the rise of platform technologies, big data and concerns about a new era of monopolies, scalability thinking has also permeated public policy in the search for solutions to 'grand societal challenges', 'mission-oriented innovation' or transformations through experimental 'living labs'. In this paper, we explore this scalability zeitgeist as a key ordering logic of current initiatives in innovation and public policy. We are interested in how the explicit preoccupation with scalability reconfigures political and economic power by invading problem diagnoses and normative understandings of how society and social change function. The paper explores three empirical sites - platform technologies, living labs and experimental development economics - to analyze how scalability thinking is rationalized and operationalized. We suggest that social analysis of science and technology needs to come to terms with the 'politics of scaling' as a powerful corollary of the 'politics of technology', lest we accept the permanent absence from key sites where decisions about the future are made. We focus in on three constitutive elements of the politics of scaling: solutionism, experimentalism and future-oriented valuation. Our analysis seeks to expand our vocabulary for understanding and questioning current modes of innovation that increasingly value scaling as an end in itself, and to open up new spaces for alternative trajectories of social transformation.

Expression of Retroelements in Mammalian Gametes and Embryos.

Retroelements are genetic mobile elements, expressed during male and female gamete differentiation. Retrotransposons are normally regulated by the methylation machinery, chromatin modifications, non-coding RNAs, and transcription factors, while retrotransposition control is of vital importance in cellular proliferation and differentiation process. Retrotransposition requires a transcription step, by a cellular RNA polymerase, followed by reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate to cDNA and its integration into a new genomic locus. Long interspersed elements (LINEs), human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), short interspersed elements (SINEs) and SINE-VNTR-Alu elements (SVAs) constitute about half of the human genome, play a crucial role in genome organization, structure and function and interfere with several biological procedures. In this mini review, we discuss recent data regarding retroelement expression (LINE-1, HERVK-10, SVA and VL30) and retrotransposition events in mammalian oocytes and spermatozoa, as well as the importance of their impact on human and mouse preimplantation embryo development.

Interplay Between mTOR and Hippo Signaling in the Ovary: Clinical Choice Guidance Between Different Gonadotropin Preparations for Better IVF.

One of the most widely used types of assisted reproduction technology is the in vitro fertilization (IVF), in which women undergo controlled ovarian stimulation through the administration of the appropriate hormones to produce as many mature follicles, as possible. The most common hormone combination is the co-administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues with recombinant or urinary-derived follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). In the last few years, scientists have begun to explore the effect that different gonadotropin preparations have on granulosa cells' maturation and apoptosis, aiming to identify new predictive markers of oocyte quality and successful fertilization. Two major pathways that control the ovarian development, as well as the oocyte-granulosa cell communication and the follicular growth, are the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and the Hippo signaling. The purpose of this article is to briefly review the current knowledge about the effects that the different gonadotropins, used for ovulation induction, may exert in the biology of granulosa cells, focusing on the importance of these two pathways, which are crucial for follicular maturation. We believe that a better understanding of the influence that the various ovarian stimulation protocols have on these critical molecular cascades will be invaluable in choosing the best approach for a given patient, thereby avoiding cancelled cycles, reducing frustration and potential treatment-related complications, and increasing the pregnancy rate. Moreover, individualizing the treatment plan will help clinicians to better coordinate assisted reproductive technology (ART) programs, discuss the specific options with the couples undergoing IVF, and alleviate stress, thus making the IVF experience easier.

Linking Early Life Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Functioning, Brain Asymmetries, and Personality Traits in Dyslexia: An Informative Case Study.

Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a multi-system disorder, combining influences of susceptibility genes and environmental factors. The causative interaction between specific genetic factors, brain regions, and personality/mental disorders, as well as specific learning disabilities, has been thoroughly investigated with regard to the approach of developing a multifaceted diagnostic procedure with an intervention strategy potential. In an attempt to add new translational evidence to the interconnection of the above factors in the occurrence of DD, we performed a combinatorial analysis of brain asymmetries, personality traits, cognitive and learning skills, and expression profiles of selected genes in an adult, early diagnosed with DD, and in his son of typical development. We focused on the expression of genes, based on the assumption that the regulation of transcription may be affected by genetic and epigenetic factors. The results highlighted a potential chain link between neuroplasticity-related as well as stress-related genes, such as BDNF, Sox4, mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), and GILZ, leftward asymmetries in the amygdala and selective cerebellum lobules, and tendencies for personality disorders and dyslexia. This correlation may reflect the presence of a specific neuro-epigenetic component of DD, ensuing from the continuous, multifaceted difficulties in the acquisition of cognitive and learning skills, which in turn may act as a fostering mechanism for the onset of long-term disorders. This is in line with recent findings demonstrating a dysfunction in processes supported by rapid neural adaptation in children and adults with dyslexia. Accordingly, the co-evaluation of all the above parameters may indicate a stress-related dyslexia endophenotype that should be carefully considered for a more integrated diagnosis and effective intervention.