Dietary exposure to acrylamide (AA) has been linked with carcinogenicity in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, epidemiologic data on AA intake in relation to cancer risk are limited and contradictory, while the potential cancer-inducing molecular pathways following AA exposure remain elusive. In this study, we collected mechanistic information regarding the induction of carcinogenesis by dietary AA in the colon, using an established animal model. Male Balb/c mice received AA orally (0.1 mg/kg/day) daily for 4 weeks. RNA was extracted from colon tissue samples, followed by RNA sequencing. Comparative transcriptomic analysis between AA and mock-treated groups revealed a set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were further processed using different databases through the STRING-DB portal, to reveal deregulated protein–protein interaction networks. We found that genes implicated in RNA metabolism, processing and formation of the ribosomal subunits and protein translation and metabolism are upregulated in AA-exposed colon tissue; these genes were also overexpressed in human colon adenocarcinoma samples and were negatively correlated with patient overall survival (OS), based on publicly available datasets. Further investigation of the potential role of these genes during the early stages of colon carcinogenesis may shed light into the underlying mechanisms induced by dietary AA exposure.

Vitis vinifera extracts have been shown to possess antioxidant activity because of their polyphenol content. In addition, their therapeutic potential against several diseases, including cancer, has been reported. In this study, we produced twelve extracts from the seeds, fruit, leaves, and wood of the Vitis vinifera Airen variety using different extraction methodologies and measured their total polyphenol content (TPC). We also determined their antioxidant and antiproliferative effects against normal cells and evaluated the most potent extract against a panel of breast cancer cell lines. We found that the extracts produced by the seeds of Vitis vinifera had a higher TPC compared to the other parts of the plant. Most extracts produced from seeds had antioxidant activity and did not show cytotoxicity against normal breast cells. The extract produced from whole organic seeds of white grape showed the best correlation between the dose and the ROS inhibition at all time points compared to the other seed extracts and also had antiproliferative properties in estrogen-receptor-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Its mechanism of action involves inhibition of proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and survivin, and induction of apoptosis. Further investigation of the constituents and activity of Vitis vinifera extracts may reveal potential pharmacological applications of this plant.

Pancreatic cancer comprises different subtypes, where most cases include ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). It is one of the deadliest tumor types, with a poor prognosis. In the majority of patients, the disease has already spread by the time of diagnosis, making full recovery unlikely and increasing mortality risk. Despite developments in its detection and management, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapies as well as advances in immunotherapy, only in about 13% of PDAC patients does the overall survival exceed 5 years. This may be attributed, at least in part, to the highly desmoplastic tumor microenvironment (TME) that acts as a barrier limiting perfusion, drug delivery, and immune cell infiltration and contributes to the establishment of immunologically ‘cold’ conditions. Therefore, there is an urgent need to unravel the complexity of the TME that promotes PDAC progression and decipher the mechanisms of pancreatic tumors’ resistance to immunotherapy. In this review, we provide an overview of the major cellular and non-cellular components of PDAC TME, as well as their biological interplays. We also discuss the current state of PDAC therapeutic treatments and focus on ongoing and future immunotherapy efforts and multimodal treatments aiming at remodeling the TME to improve therapeutic efficacy.

Dr. Loucas Louca is an Associate Professor of Science Education at the European University Cyprus. His research interests focus on student abilities for inquiry in science, on modeling-based learning in scinece and on teachers’ instructional strategies for promoting student inquiry in science. He has also a longstanding interest in supporting professional teacher development in science education. He has been involved in several nationally and EU funded projects focusing on student inquiry in science, teacher professional development, professional learning communities, development of curriculum materials, promoting opportunities for gender balance in science education, STEM education, and promoting inquiry-based teaching and learning in science. He has also experiences in the development and enactment of afternoon clubs for young children in Science, and he also has designed various out-of-school STEM activities for students.

The Mediterranean and Black Sea region is an international centre of economic and commercial development and transactions. At the same time, though, it is characterised by a very volatile and dynamically changing security environment that poses severe threats and challenges on the societies and their prosperity. MEDEA aspires to contribute to the establishment of safer and more secure societies throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea region using research and innovation as a catalyst to promote collaboration between practitioners from diverse disciplines and countries. The MEDEA project, during its 60 months of implementation aims to: Establish and Operate the MEDEA network. A multi-disciplinary network of security practitioners, with active links to policy makers and users/providers of security innovations across the M&BS countries focusing on Border Protection and other Security- and Disaster-Related tasks. All MEDEA members will engage in activities towards maintaining its sustainability and longevity even after the end of the project. Engage participants in anticipatory governance on emerging security challenges that the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions would face in the coming years (present until +10 years), based on a threefold structure that forms the backbone of the project: i) understanding the unsatisfactory state of play, ii) design the desirable future and iii) define a resilient pathway on how to achieve this. Push for the “co-creation” of security technology and capabilities innovations between practitioners and innovation. Their evaluation and prioritization will be based on a multi-criteria analysis (technology, operational, cost-benefit, etc.) and it will be linked to Human Development, Policy Making and Organizational Improvements in-terms of facilitating their use by the practitioners. Establish and annually update the Mediterranean Security Research and Innovation Agenda (MSRIA), that identifies areas where security & defence research is needed (including the research needs that are not covered by civilian research) and establishes recommendations for European Security & Defence technology investments. It will constitute the common position of the Mediterranean practitioners’ for future call for proposals from European and National funding mechanisms.

GRACE aims to equip European law enforcement agencies with advanced analytical and investigative capabilities to respond to the spread of online child sexual exploitation material. The growth in online child sexual exploitation and abuse material is a significant challenge for European law enforcement agencies. Referrals of CSEM exceed the capacity of LEAs to respond in a practical and timely manner. To safeguard victims, prosecute offenders and limit the spread of CSEM, LEAs need a next-generation AI-powered investigative platform. Background The sexual exploitation and abuse of children, the production of CSEM and subsequent distribution of this material via the internet is a shocking crime. Referrals from Online Service Providers (OSPs) are crucial to fighting CSE. Growth in the number of referrals of CSEM to LEAs is driven both by increased availability and distribution of online CSEM and improved detection and reporting processes. The extent of referrals is affecting LEAs' capacity to respond promptly, leading to an inability to prevent harm to infants and children, rescue those in immediate danger, and investigate and prosecute perpetrators. Core concepts Recent improvements to the referral process have improved LEAs capabilities. However, the sheer volume of data obtained in CSE cases stretches human resources, the limits of manual analysis beyond most LEAs reach. Given there has been a 4,000% increase in referrals since 2014, a new approach to managing, processing and analysing this content is necessary. At the heart of the project, GRACE has three core concepts. Adress the volume and analyse the content of online CSEM through technological innovations; Provide genuine operational value to LEAs in their investigation of online CSEM; and Impact at the strategic and policy level in the harmonisation of EU-wide responses to CSE.

Flipped classroom (FC) is a pedagogical approach in which the conventional notion of classroom-based learning is inverted, so that students are introduced to the learning material before class, with classroom time then being used to deepen understanding through discussion with peers and problem-solving activities facilitated by teachers. Although using FC methods has multiple benefits and is growing popularity, researchers and practitioners indicate that among impediments of widespread usage of FC methods are the additional time and technological support in relation to development of flipped learning activities. The flipped approach often involves the investment of significant time and energy on the part of instructors (e.g., recording video lectures; designing additional in-class activities). It is therefore recommended for teachers flipping their courses in team. By working in team, teachers can share their experiences of implementing flipped classrooms as well as their teaching resources The “Developing Flipped Methods for Teaching” project aims at developing all the necessary flipped learning pedagogical material (out-of-class tasks, pre-assessment tools, in-class activities) for teaching a discipline (psychology) covering a whole academic year course. The project aims at overcoming the difficulties of elaborating multiple materials for teaching with flipped classroom design. By collaboration of six education institutions an entire discipline will be covered with FC materials in seven languages (English, Romanian, Hungarian, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Slovak and Greek), tackling a gap between educational research and practice. One of the project partners, The Mihai Eminescu National Pedagogical High School (Romania) is a secondary-level educational institute. Due to the particularities of the Romanian education system they offer teacher and kindergarten teacher training program, whereby graduates receive a teacher-kindergarten teacher degree. In Romania psychology is part of the secondary-level school curricula, so high schools can also benefit from educational materials translated to Romanian. Their main role in the project is to translate the developed educational methods by the higher education institutes from the partnership, to test and adapt it to the Romanian requirements. The partnership is composed from other six Higher Education Institutes with Teacher Training Faculties, who have important experience as partners or leaders Strategic Partnership projects and educational innovation. The main intellectual output of the project are the pedagogical materials for teaching an entire course of psychology with flipped classroom (FC) methods (materials for 30 courses), available in seven languages. Each pedagogical material is composed of instructional video, out-of-class work plans (online activities) associated with Low-stakes, formative assignments as well as in-class activities and assessment tools.