This open access book traces the evolution of the European media landscape in the last 30 years, from 1990 to 2020. It is based on the theoretical classical hypotheses of regional media systems provided by Hallin and Mancini and at the same time puts them to test. The book further defines the proportions between geocultural patterns – national, regional, European, and global – to outline evolutionary trends in media landscapes. It analyzes to which degree European media have become more European, in the historical course of administrative unification and breaks the results down into concrete indexes and indicators.  The book discusses the media systems of the member states of the European Union through a regional perspective, identifying similarities, differences, as well as their convergence in the digital age. It sheds light on the evolution of media systems in Europe, introduces existing relevant theoretical perspectives, and offers an overview of the new developments in European media. The book will appeal to students, researchers, and scholars of political science, communication, media, cultural, and policy studies, as well as practitioners and professionals interested in a better understanding of the European media landscape's evolution.

Microbial desulfurization has been extensively studied as a promising alternative to the widely applied chemical desulfurization process. Sulfur removal from petroleum and its products becomes essential, as the environmental regulations become increasingly stringent. Rhodococcus qingshengii IGTS8 has gained ground as a naturally occurring model biocatalyst, due to its superior specific activity for desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT). Recalcitrant organic sulfur compounds—DBT included—are preferentially removed by selective carbon-sulfur bond cleavage to avoid a reduction in the calorific value of the fuel. The process, however, still has not reached economically sustainable levels, as certain limitations have been identified. One of those bottlenecks is the repression of catalytic activity caused by ubiquitous sulfur sources such as inorganic sulfate, methionine, or cysteine. Herein, we report an optimized culture medium for wild-type stain IGTS8 that completely alleviates the sulfate-mediated repression of biodesulfurization activity without modification of the natural biocatalyst. Medium C not only promotes growth in the presence of several sulfur sources, including DBT, but also enhances biodesulfurization of resting cells grown in the presence of up to 5 mM sulfate. Based on the above, the present work can be considered as a step towards the development of a more viable commercial biodesulfurization process.

Research shows that, while exposure to English as a lingua franca (ELF) discourse and to discussion of ELF-related interactional strategies – such as rephrasing, paraphrasing and translanguaging – can help raise English language teachers’ and learners’ ELF awareness, this is often not enough nor is the value of such exposure adequately monitored. In this paper, following the principles of ELF awareness (Sifakis, Nicos. 2019. ELF awareness in English language teaching: Processes and practices. Applied Linguistics 40(2). 288–306), I suggest that raising teachers’ and learners’ awareness of and attitudes towards their own experience as users of English inside and outside of the classroom needs to be prioritised, especially in Expanding Circle teaching and learning contexts. Together with this awareness, teachers and learners need to be made fully conscious of their deeper perceptions about key ELF concerns, such as the role of the native speaker in ELF interactions, the nature of intercultural communication, etc. Such awareness can be raised through metalinguistic and metacognitive activities and questions added to existing activities/materials. To this end, I propose a framework and a series of specific step-by-step scenarios and tools for raising teachers’ and learners’ ELF awareness along these lines and present four examples of integrating such metacognitive and metalinguistic activities with those of a specific textbook.

Doped lanthanum manganite compounds exhibit a range of conducting, electronic and magnetic phases, and, in the case of the Ca-doped series, a phase transition from a ferromagnetic metal to an antiferromagnetic insulator occurs. Here, the authors use ultrahigh-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction to track the complex structural behavior of La1-xCaxMnO3 below the charge-ordering temperatures. In the model manganese perovskites La1-xCaxMnO3, several important phenomena have been observed, including ferromagnetic metallic/insulating states, colossal magnetoresistance effects, and charge- and orbital-ordered states. In the past, only compounds with x = 1/2, 2/3 and 3/4 and an insulating ground/antiferromagnetic state have been studied. To fully understand the crystal and electronic structures of these materials, it is important to study compounds with doping levels in the range of 0.5 < x < 2/3. Here we study the crystal structure in a series of compounds with 0.5 < x & LE; 0.6 using ultrahigh-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The experimental results reveal that all compounds undergo a structural transition at T < T-CO(x) & AP; 200 - 220 K with the concomitant emergence of superlattice Bragg peaks, which can be indexed assuming a superstructure with a modulation propagation vector, & tau;. At the base temperature of 5 K, the modulation vector of the superstructure & tau; = [& tau;(a), 0, 0] is parallel to the a-axis, with & tau;(a) varying linearly with x, as & tau;(a) & AP; 1 - x. Our results may aid attempts to understand more deeply phenomena related to spin, charge, and orbital ordering, as well as colossal magnetoresistance and symmetry breaking and emergent order in quantum states.

The main aim of this study is to model the Nature-based solution of Green Roofs (GRs) in order to assess their efficiency as a mitigation strategy for UHI effects and extreme summertime temperatures over Attica in Greece. The area of study is a region that encompasses Athens, the largest Metropolitan area of Greece, and the suburbs. The analysis has been performed with the use of an advanced modeling system that consists of the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) and the advanced multilayer urban canopy scheme building energy parameter and building energy model (BEP/BEM). The two modules are fully coupled, forming WRF urban. For a better description of the urban environment and in order to use the full capabilities of the urban canopy scheme, 11 urban classes corresponding to the WUDAPT Local Climate Zones (LCZ) were used instead of the 3 traditional urban classes that the default version uses. Sensitivity tests for a major heatwave that affected the area of study have been performed in order to evaluate the impact of GRs on the UHI structure. Results indicate that the modification of the roof energy budget decreased the maximum temperature during heatwaves and altered the spatio-temporal pattern of the effect.

In the present paper, a manufacturing cell in the presence of faults, coming from the devices of the process, is considered. The modular modeling of the subsystems of the cell is accomplished using of appropriate finite deterministic automata. The desired functionality of the cell as well as appropriate safety specifications are formulated as eleven desired languages. The desired languages are expressed as regular expressions in analytic forms. The languages are realized in the form of appropriate general type supervisor forms. Using these forms, a modular supervisory design scheme is accomplished providing satisfactory performance in the presence of faults as well guaranteeing the safety requirements. The aim of the present supervisor control scheme is to achieve tolerance of basic characteristics of the process coordination to upper-level faults, despite the presence of low-level faults in the devices of the process. The complexity of the supervisor scheme is computed.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) can be beneficial to help human communities build resilience to climate change by managing and mitigating related hydro-meteorological hazards (HMHs). Substantial research has been carried out in the past on the detection and assessment of HMHs and their derived risks. Yet, knowledge on the performance and functioning of NbS to address these hazards is severely lacking. The latter is exacerbated by the lack of practical and viable approaches that would help identify and select NbS for specific problems. The EU-funded OPERANDUM project established seven Open-Air Laboratories (OALs) across Europe to co-develop, test, and generate an evidence base from innovative NbS deployed to address HMHs such as flooding, droughts, landslides, erosion, and eutrophication. Herein, we detail the original approaches that each OAL followed in the process of identifying and selecting NbS for specific hazards with the aim of proposing a novel, generic framework for selecting NbS. We found that the process of selecting NBS was overall complex and context-specific in all the OALs, and it comprised 26 steps distributed across three stages: (i) Problem recognition, (ii) NbS identification, and (iii) NbS selection. We also identified over 20 selection criteria which, in most cases, were shared across OALs and were chiefly related to sustainability aspects. All the identified NbS were related to the regulation of the water cycle, and they were mostly chosen according to three main factors: (i) hazard type, (ii) hazard scale, and (iii) OAL size. We noticed that OALs exposed to landslides and erosion selected NbS capable to manage water budgets within the soil compartment at the local or landscape scale, while OALs exposed to floods, droughts, and eutrophication selected approaches to managing water transport and storage at the catchment scale. We successfully portrayed a synthesis of the stages and steps followed in the OALs’ NbS selection process in a framework. The framework, which reflects the experiences of the stakeholders involved, is inclusive and integrated, and it can serve as a basis to inform NbS selection processes whilst facilitating the organisation of diverse stakeholders working towards finding solutions to natural hazards. We animate the future development of the proposed framework by integrating financial viability steps. We also encourage studies looking into the implementation of the proposed framework through quantitative approaches integrating multi-criteria analyses.

Background Multiple HIV outbreaks have been recorded among people who inject drugs (PWID) since 2010. During an intervention for PWID in 2019–2021 in Thessaloniki, Greece, an increasing number of HIV cases was documented. Here, we provide an analysis of this new outbreak. Methods ALEXANDROS was a community-based program and participation included interviewing, rapid HIV/HCV tests, counselling and linkage to care. PWID were recruited through Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) in five sampling rounds. Crude and RDS-weighted HIV prevalence estimates were obtained. HIV incidence was estimated from data on 380 initially seronegative PWID with at least two tests. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess risk factors for HIV seroconversion. Results In total, 1,101 PWID were recruited. At first participation, 53.7% were current PWID, 20.1% homeless, 20.3% on opioid substitution treatment and 4.8% had received syringes in the past 12 months. HIV prevalence (95% CI) was 7.0% (5.6–8.7%) and an increasing trend was observed over 2019–2021 (p = 0.002). Two-thirds of the cases (67.5%) were new diagnoses. HIV incidence was 7.0 new infections/100 person-years (95% CI:4.8–10.2). Homelessness in the past 12 months (HR:2.68; 95% CI:1.24–5.81) and receptive syringe sharing (HR:3.86; 95% CI:1.75–8.51) were independently associated with increased risk of seroconversion. By the end of the program, 67.3% of the newly diagnosed cases initiated antiretroviral treatment. Conclusions A new HIV outbreak among PWID was documented in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic with homelessness and syringe sharing being associated with increased risk of HIV acquisition. Peer-driven programs targeting the population of high-risk underserved PWID can be used to early identify emerging outbreaks and to improve linkage to HIV care.

Disruption in neurogenesis and neuronal migration can influence the assembly of cortical circuits, affecting the excitatory-inhibitory balance and resulting in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Using ventral cerebral organoids and dorsoventral cerebral assembloids with mutations in the extracellular matrix gene LGALS3BP, we show that extracellular vesicles released into the extracellular environment regulate the molecular differentiation of neurons, resulting in alterations in migratory dynamics. To investigate how extracellular vesicles affect neuronal specification and migration dynamics, we collected extracellular vesicles from ventral cerebral organoids carrying a mutation in LGALS3BP, previously identified in individuals with cortical malformations and neuropsychiatric disorders. These results revealed differences in protein composition and changes in dorsoventral patterning. Proteins associated with cell fate decision, neuronal migration, and extracellular matrix composition were altered in mutant extracellular vesicles. Moreover, we show that treatment with extracellular vesicles changes the transcriptomic profile in neural progenitor cells. Our results indicate that neuronal molecular differentiation can be influenced by extracellular vesicles.

An improved activation function, termed extended sign-bi-power (Esbp), is proposed. An extension of the Li zeroing neural network (ELi-ZNN) based on the Esbp activation is derived to obtain the online solution of the time-varying inversion problem. A detailed theoretical analysis confirms that the new activation function accomplishes fast convergence in calculating the time-varying matrix inversion. At the same time, illustrative numerical experiments substantiate the excellent performance of the proposed activation function over the Li and tunable activation functions. Convergence properties and numerical behaviors of the proposed ELi-ZNN model are examined.

Due to its significance in science and engineering, time-varying linear matrix equation (LME) problems have received a lot of attention from scholars. It is for this reason that the issue of finding the minimum-norm least-squares solution of the time-varying quaternion LME (ML-TQ-LME) is addressed in this study. This is accomplished using the zeroing neural network (ZNN) technique, which has achieved considerable success in tackling time-varying issues. In light of that, two new ZNN models are introduced to solve the ML-TQ-LME problem for time-varying quaternion matrices of arbitrary dimension. Two simulation experiments and two practical acoustic source tracking applications show that the models function superbly.

The Markowitz model, a Nobel Prize winning model for portfolio analysis, paves the theoretical foundation in finance for modern investment. However, it remains a challenging problem in the high frequency trading (HFT) era to find a more time efficient solution for portfolio analysis, especially when considering circumstances with the dynamic fluctuation of stock prices and the desire to pursue contradictory objectives for less risk but more return. In this paper, we establish a recurrent neural network model to address this challenging problem in runtime. Rigorous theoretical analysis on the convergence and the optimality of portfolio optimization are presented. Numerical experiments are conducted based on real data from Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) components and the results reveal that the proposed solution is superior to DJIA index in terms of higher investment returns and lower risks.

Importance sampling, a variant of online sampling, is often used in neural network training to improve the learning process, and, in particular, the convergence speed of the model. We study, here, the performance of a set of batch selection algorithms, namely, online sampling algorithms that process small parts of the dataset at each iteration. Convergence is accelerated through the creation of a bias towards the learning of hard samples. We first consider the baseline algorithm and investigate its performance in terms of convergence speed and generalization efficiency. The latter, however, is limited in case of poor balancing of data sets. To alleviate this shortcoming, we propose two variations of the algorithm that achieve better generalization and also manage to not undermine the convergence speed boost offered by the original algorithm. Various data transformation techniques were tested in conjunction with the proposed scheme to develop an overall training method of the model and to ensure robustness in different training environments. An experimental framework was constructed using three naturally imbalanced datasets and one artificially imbalanced one. The results assess the advantage in convergence of the extended algorithm over the vanilla one, but, mostly, show better generalization performance in imbalanced data environments.

An extension of the photonic layer multiple scattering methodology to dynamic spherical scatterers, which exhibit a periodic time-varying response, is presented. The applicability of the method is demonstrated on specific examples of single- and bi-layers of periodically modulated high-refractive-index spherical particles arranged on a square lattice. The results provide compelling evidence for strong and tunable inelastic scattering effects under the triple resonance condition, fulfilled for optical transitions between neighboring high-Q lattice modes of the appropriate symmetry, which originate from multipolar Mie resonances. A consistent interpretation of the underlying mechanisms is provided and potential applications in the design of nonreciprocal devices are discussed.

DNA sequences of ideal and natural geometries are examined, studying their charge transport properties as mutation detectors. Ideal means textbook geometry. Natural means naturally distorted sequences; geometry taken from available databases. A tight-binding (TB) wire model at the base-pair level is recruited, together with a transfer matrix technique. The relevant TB parameters are obtained using a linear combination of all valence orbitals of all atoms, using geometry, either ideal or natural, as the only input. The investigated DNA sequences contain: (i) point substitution mutations – specifically, the transitions guanine (G) 2 adenine (A) – and (ii) sequences extracted from human chromosomes, modified by expanding the cytosine–adenine–guanine triplet [(CAG)n repeats] to mimic the following diseases: (a) Huntington’s disease, (b) Kennedy’s disease, (c) Spinocerebellar ataxia 6, (d) Spinocerebellar ataxia 7. Quantities such as eigenspectra, density of states, transmission coefficients, and the – more experimentally relevant – current–voltage (I–V) curves are studied, intending to find adequate features to recognize mutations. To this end, the normalised deviation of the I–V curve from the origin (NDIV) is also defined. The features of the NDIV seem to provide a clearer picture, being sensitive to the number of point mutations and allowing to characterise the degree of danger of developing the aforementioned diseases.

Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) are machine learning models that integrate data-based learning with partial differential equations (PDEs). In this work, for the first time we extend PINNs to model the numerically challenging case of astrophysical shock waves in the presence of a stellar gravitational field. Notably, PINNs suffer from competing losses during gradient descent that can lead to poor performance especially in physical setups involving multiple scales, which is the case for shocks in the gravitationally stratified solar atmosphere. We applied PINNs in three different setups ranging from modeling astrophysical shocks in cases with no or little data to data-intensive cases. Namely, we used PINNs (a) to determine the effective polytropic index controlling the heating mechanism of the space plasma within 1% error, (b) to quantitatively show that data assimilation is seamless in PINNs and small amounts of data can significantly increase the model's accuracy, and (c) to solve the forward time-dependent problem for different temporal horizons. We addressed the poor performance of PINNs through an effective normalization approach by reformulating the fluid dynamics PDE system to absorb the gravity-caused variability. This led to a huge improvement in the overall model performance with the density accuracy improving between 2 and 16 times. Finally, we present a detailed critique on the strengths and drawbacks of PINNs in tackling realistic physical problems in astrophysics and conclude that PINNs can be a powerful complimentary modeling approach to classical fluid dynamics solvers.

To date, mechanistic modeling of oral drug absorption has been achieved via the use of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling, and more specifically, physiologically based biopharmaceutics model (PBBM). The concept of finite absorption time (FAT) has been developed recently and the application of the relevant physiologically based finite time pharmacokinetic (PBFTPK) models to experimental data provides explicit evidence that drug absorption terminates at a specific time point. In this manuscript, we explored how PBBM and PBFTPK models compare when applied to the same dataset. A set of six compounds with clinical data from immediate-release formulation were selected. Both models resulted in absorption time estimates within the small intestinal transit time, with PBFTPK models generally providing shorter time estimates. A clear relationship between the absorption rate and the product of permeability and luminal concentration was observed, in concurrence with the fundamental assumptions of PBFTPK models. We propose that future research on the synergy between the two modeling approaches can lead to both improvements in the initial parameterization of PBPK/PBBM models but to also expand mechanistic oral absorption concepts to more traditional pharmacometrics applications.

The study looks at how environmental concerns were gradually elevated inside the CAP's policy-making framework and how they helped towards the “greening” transition of  European agriculture. Within the context of multilevel governance, the analysis is based ontheories of policy change, primarily neo-institutionalism and historical institutionalism. Theanalysis reveals that the historical trajectory of the previous era inside the EU and the global  setting is being redefined by policy change

The present study aimed to analyse the associations between spatiotemporal characteristics of the setting and the origin of the ball in terms of the game complexes for junior female volleyball teams. Multinomial logistic regression and multiple correspondence analysis were applied to analyse 3.675 setting actions (Complex I = 1.593, Complex II = 2.082) in the final phase of the Greek Junior Championship. Results showed that the origin of the ball from the left lane of the court eases the setter for an accurate setting during CI while passing from the right lane incommodes the setter during CII. Regarding setting zone, for accurate setting, odds are increased by 3.2 for zone 4 during CI while decreased by 23.8 for zone 3 during CII. The junior setters' distribution of setting is predictable and creates favourable conditions for the opponent to deal with it. The improvement of junior female setters' ability to follow the team's offensive tactic regardless of the ball's origin, to manipulate passes received from the right lane of the court during CII and the acceleration of setting tempo for the wing hitters could be training goals for coaches.

The cave of Alistrati, is located in the Prefecture of Serres, Northern Greece near the foothills of Mount Menoikio, in the area of Petroto. This area is structured by crystalline limestones, where the development of a complex and multilevel karst system is favored. An extensive geomorphological survey was carried out for the accurate mapping of the karst surface above the cave, using UAS. For the investigation of a possible lateral extension of the existing karstic conduit, a detailed surface geophysical investigation was carried out. More specifically, three geophysical techniques were implemented: a) the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), b) the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technique and c) the Very-Low Frequency (VLF) method. These 13 lines of the three geophysical techniques are fully matched at 4 locations and were join-interpreted, yielding remarkable findings. The comparative results of the above geophysical techniques, as well as their 3D presentation, highlight similar geophysical anomalies, evaluated as different types of karst system structures. Therefore, the combined geophysical survey has indicated the existence and interconnection of the first two karst levels of the area, up to a depth of 50m, as well as the possible extension of the Alistrati karstic conduit to the northeast.

The cave of Alistrati, is located in the Prefecture of Serres, Northern Greece near the foothills ofMount Menoikio, in the area of Petroto. This area is structured by crystalline limestones, where thedevelopment of a complex and multilevel karst system is favored. An extensive geomorphologicalsurvey was carried out for the accurate mapping of the karst surface above the cave, using UAS. Forthe investigation of a possible lateral extension of the existing karstic conduit, a detailed surfacegeophysical investigation was carried out. More specifically, three geophysical techniques wereimplemented: a) the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), b) the Ground Penetrating Radar(GPR) technique and c) the Very-Low Frequency (VLF) method. These 13 lines of the threegeophysical techniques are fully matched at 4 locations and were join-interpreted, yielding remarkablefindings. The comparative results of the above geophysical techniques, as well as their 3Dpresentation, highlight similar geophysical anomalies, evaluated as different types of karst systemstructures. Therefore, the combined geophysical survey has indicated the existence andinterconnection of the first two karst levels of the area, up to a depth of 50m, as well as the possibleextension of the Alistrati karstic conduit to the northeast.

During the last decades, the utilization of imaging modalities such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in every day clinical practice has enabled clinicians to diagnose diseases accurately at early stages. Radiolabeled iron oxide nanoparticles (RIONs) combine their intrinsic magnetic behavior with the extrinsic character of the radionuclide additive, so that they constitute a platform of multifaceted physical properties. Thus, at a practical level, RIONs serve as the physical parent of the so-called dual-modality contrast agents (DMCAs) utilized in SPECT/MRI and PET/MRI applications due to their ability to combine, at real time, the high sensitivity of SPECT or PET together with the high spatial resolution of MRI. This review focuses on the synthesis and in vivo investigation of both biodistribution and imaging efficacy of RIONs as potential SPECT/MRI or PET/MRI DMCAs.

L’adoption d’une approche apaisante similaire, indistinctement et surtout de manière déraisonnable, constitue à la fois une erreur méthodologique et scientifique inhérente, mais aussi un choix diplomatique et national, à fortiori, malheureux qui, je le crains, conduira avec une précision mathématique dans une atteinte, sans  précédent et en tout cas irréversible, aux intérêts de notre « commettant » nationalcommun (j’imagine)...Du peuple grec...De l’hellénisme, en général, en Grèce, à Chypre, mais aussi de la diaspora dans son ensemble !!! (qui a récemment acquis le droit de vote, elle est donc désormais légitimée d’avoir son mot à dire dans les affaires publiques!!!

Greece is a country structured by land, several islands and sea. A regional gravity model of such a country demands the involvement of several types of gravity data in order to cover all its territory. In this paper, we present the development of a regional combined gravity model of Greece and its surroundingarea, by integrating terrestrial, marine (shipborne and altimetry-derived gravity data) and satellite data (GOCE and GRACE data). These kinds of data, especially the terrestrial and marine ones, have passed quality and validation control since they were collected from different organizations, which means that they probably have been acquired and processed with different parametersand formulas. Following that, their integration was accomplished with the application of the least-squares collocation (LSC). Therefore, a newly combined regional gravity model of Greece and its surrounding areas has been developed. This gravity model can be valuable for regional geological and geophysical studies of Greece, since it provides homogeneously the distribution of Complete Bouguer anomaly (CBA) all over Greece, with updated gravity data and in good agreement with the initial gravity datasets that have been used. 

Based on fresh archival research this article examines the exchange of Romanizing statuary between Italy and Spain during the ventennio fascista. Between 1933 and 1943, Italy and Spain exchanged copies of Roman statues as symbolic gestures, to substantiate their claims to a shared classical heritage of ‘imperial greatness’. Using press reports and documentary film excerpts the article reconstructs public events that took place in Merida, Tarragona, Palma, and Zaragoza and assesses their impact. Behind these exchanges, and public ceremonies staged on their occasion, lay the Fascist concept of romanità: an archaeologically and aesthetically charged discourse placing Late-Republican and Early-Imperial Roman heritage in the epicentre of Fascist identity politics. Through improvised public performances of romanità, classical materialities, monumental as well as spatial, were imbued with Fascist dynamics, as the past turned into the present and projected into the future. Through individual and collective performance these ceremonies embodied a primeval Fascist ideal that appeared at once spectacular and modern.

Accumulation of DNA damage resulting from reactive oxygen species was proposed to cause neurological and degenerative disease in patients, deficient in nucleotide excision repair (NER) or its transcription-coupled subpathway (TC-NER). Here, we assessed the requirement of TC-NER for the repair of specific types of oxidatively generated DNA modifications. We incorporated synthetic 5′,8-cyclo-2′-deoxypurine nucleotides (cyclo-dA, cyclo-dG) and thymine glycol (Tg) into an EGFP reporter gene to measure transcription-blocking potentials of these modifications in human cells. Using null mutants, we further identified the relevant DNA repair components by a host cell reactivation approach. The results indicated that NTHL1-initiated base excision repair is by far the most efficient pathway for Tg. Moreover, Tg was efficiently bypassed during transcription, which effectively rules out TC-NER as an alternative repair mechanism. In a sharp contrast, both cyclopurine lesions robustly blocked transcription and were repaired by NER, wherein the specific TC-NER components CSB/ERCC6 and CSA/ERCC8 were as essential as XPA. Instead, repair of classical NER substrates, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer and N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-acetylaminofluorene, occurred even when TC-NER was disrupted. The strict requirement of TC-NER highlights cyclo-dA and cyclo-dG as candidate damage types, accountable for cytotoxic and degenerative responses in individuals affected by genetic defects in this pathway.

Research impact 1321 citations  (updated January 18, 2024): see last attachment.

Summary Mixed-phase clouds are ubiquitous in the Arctic and play a critical role in Earth's energy budget at the surface and top-of-the-atmosphere. These clouds typically occupy the lower and mid-level troposphere and are composed of purely supercooled liquid droplets or mixtures of supercooled liquid water droplets and ice crystals. Here, we review progress in our understanding of the factors that control the formation and dissipation of Arctic mixed-phase clouds, including the thermodynamic structure of the lower troposphere, warm and moist air intrusions into the Arctic, large-scale subsidence, and aerosol particles. We then provide a brief survey of numerous Arctic field campaigns that targeted local cloud-controlling factors and follow this with specific examples of how the Arctic Cloud Observations Using airborne measurements during polar Day (ACLOUD)/ Physical feedback of Arctic PBL, Sea ice, Cloud And AerosoL (PASCAL) and Airborne measurements of radiative and turbulent FLUXes of energy and momentum in the Arctic boundary layer (AFLUX) field campaigns that took place in the vicinity of Svalbard in 2019 were able to advance our understanding on this topic to demonstrate the value of field campaigns. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the outlook of future research in the study of Arctic cloud-controlling factors and provide several recommendations for the observational and modeling community to advance our understanding of the role of Arctic mixed-phase clouds in a rapidly changing climate.

Die Französische Revolution wurde als Epochenwende in der europäischen Geschichte gefeiert. Doch bald stellte sich heraus, dass die Revolution keine Institutionalisierung einer neuen, humaneren Gesellschaft darstellte, sondern einen bloßen Herrschaftsabtausch. In Der Auftrag führt Heiner Müller ein „Gespräch mit den Toten”.  Das Stück thematisiert das Verhältnis von Individuum und Geschichte. Seine Figuren sind zwischen den Polen „Verrat“ und Erfüllung des historischen „Auftrags“ angesiedelt. Die Revolution wird als gescheitert deklariert. Der Versuch, die Geschichte revolutionär zu verändern, beseitigte nicht die alte, gewalttätige Ordnung, sondern ließ sie unter einer Maske wieder entstehen. Dieses kulturphilosophische Erklärungsmodell für das Scheitern der Revolution mündet in eine Fundamentalkritik an der europäisch-westlichen Zivilisation, in eine Nekrologie auf das bürgerliche, aber auch das sozialistische Revolutionsmodell. Müller ist jedoch kein Geschichtspessimist. Revolution ist zwingende Aufgabe jeder Generation, aber ihr Ort wird außergeschichtlich, in fernster Zukunft und im „ausgeschlossenen Anderen“ situiert. In Marat/Sade führt Peter Weiss einen ähnlichen Dialog mit den Toten. De Sade und Marat führen eine Art Totengespräch miteinander, aber auch mit dem Autor und dem Zuschauer. Im Sinne eines Spiels im Spiel vergleicht Weiss die historische Situation 1793, 1808 und 1964. Weiss’ de Sade ist eine Nietzschische Figur, während Marat eine idealistische Figur darstellt, die auf soziale Veränderung abzielt.  Das Stück thematisiert die Extremen „Revolte“ und „Bekenntnis zur Verlorenheit“ als die beiden (nicht lebbaren) Alternativen, zwischen denen das moderne Individuum zu wählen hat. 

The core components of both traditional and contemporary control systems are the proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control systems, which have established themselves as standards for technical and industrial applications. Therefore, the tuning of the PID controllers is of high importance. Utilizing optimization algorithms to reduce the mean square error of the controller’s output is one approach of tuning PID controllers. In this paper, an appropriately modified metaheuristic optimization algorithm dubbed beetle antennae search (BAS) is employed for robust tuning of PID controllers. The findings of three simulated experiments on stabilizing feedback control systems show that BAS produces comparable or higher performance than three other well-known optimization algorithms while only consuming a tenth of their time.

The role of emotions in higher education is recently recognised as significant for quality teaching and students’ learning (Mendzheritskaya & Hansen, 2019). Emotions affect the learning climate and outcomes, attendance rates and the quality of classroom relationships and interplays. However, emotions are often overlooked in tertiary education. On the contrary, in primary education they have received significant attention and in Adult Education they have been recognized as an important driving learning force (Tennant, 2019). Nonetheless, emotions and often negative emotions, prevail in higher education and concern the relationships that develop within the classroom setting where transference and countertransference are also present. Emotions, concern both, university teachers and students. This paper suggests that group dynamics can be employed to alleviate negative emotions and support sharing of knowledge and experience in a facilitating environment. Furthermore, reducing dropout rates is another challenge. However, the question remains to what extent this is possible to happen in large audiences and classrooms where facilities for group learning are not provided in most higher education institutions in Greece.

In this paper, I explore the role of knowledge in the RE curriculum. Based on research I attempt to answer the question regarding the knowledge that constitutes RE as a subject, using philosophical, theological, and educational (derived from psychology and neurosciences) argumentation. I discuss the differences between the Greek ideas of paideia (αγωγή/παιδεία) and education (εκπαίδευση)from which the English word education is conceptually beholden. The discussion relies on Biesta’s distinction between ‘cultivation humanity’ and ‘educating the human’. Above all, the key point is that Dewey’s theory of knowing works hand in hand with substantive knowledge and its transformative power in individual’s life where the other is more than significant. RE’s what of education is as important as the how of education. Content and process are perceived here as an educational experience (thinking, reflection, and action) which provides, within the curriculum context the ‘language game’ of the religion(s) and worldviews facilitating students’ knowledge processes and therefore communication with self and others and their cosmopolitanism. In practice, experiential learning applies within the classroom the RE’s content in ‘events with meaning’ from which contributions to knowledge-based teaching are made possible.

Mitochondria are cellular organelles that play an essential role in generating the chemical energy needed for the biochemical reactions in cells. Mitochondrial biogenesis, i.e., de novo mitochondria formation, results in enhanced cellular respiration, metabolic processes, and ATP generation, while autophagic clearance of mitochondria (mitophagy) is required to remove damaged or useless mitochondria. The balance between the opposing processes of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy is highly regulated and crucial for the maintenance of the number and function of mitochondria as well as for the cellular homeostasis and adaptations to metabolic demands and extracellular stimuli. In skeletal muscle, mitochondria are essential for maintaining energy homeostasis, and the mitochondrial network exhibits complex behaviors and undergoes dynamic remodeling in response to various conditions and pathologies characterized by changes in muscle cell structure and metabolism, such as exercise, muscle damage, and myopathies. In particular, the involvement of mitochondrial remodeling in mediating skeletal muscle regeneration following damage has received increased attention, as modifications in mitophagy-related signals arise from exercise, while variations in mitochondrial restructuring pathways can lead to partial regeneration and impaired muscle function. Muscle regeneration (through myogenesis) following exercise-induced damage is characterized by a highly regulated, rapid turnover of poor-functioning mitochondria, permitting the synthesis of better-functioning mitochondria to occur. Nevertheless, essential aspects of mitochondrial remodeling during muscle regeneration remain poorly understood and warrant further characterization. In this review, we focus on the critical role of mitophagy for proper muscle cell regeneration following damage, highlighting the molecular mechanisms of the mitophagy-associated mitochondrial dynamics and network reformation.

Sitting volleyball (SV) is a dynamic with short actions sport in the paralympic programme. The purpose of the study was to identify the volleyball skills that best discriminate between winning and losing an SV set, for both the genders. The data were collected from all sets played (N = 224) on the 2019 European men and women SV Championship. Cluster analysis established three types of sets according to the final score difference: 2–4 points (balanced), 5–11 points (semi-balanced) and over 11 points (unbalanced). Three-way MANOVAs were conducted to analyse gender, type of set and type of result differences for selected performance indicators. The analyses revealed significant multivariate differences across gender (p <.001), types of set (p =.014) and result (p <.001) and significant interaction effect of result with gender (p =.025) and type of set (p <.001). A follow-up discriminant analysis showed that setting and attacking were the most important skills for all sets. The results showed that in SV the attack is the most important factor, which determines winners and losers, even in balanced sets. In SV, the importance of skills across gender was similar to volleyball, while there were differences in the structure of the game compared to the sequential order of skills in volleyball.

Glutathione and malondialdehyde are two compounds commonly used to evaluate the oxidative stress status of an organism. Although their determination is usually performed in blood serum, saliva is gaining ground as the biological fluid of choice for oxidative stress determination at the point of need. For this purpose, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), which is a highly sensitive method for the detection of biomolecules, could offer additional advantages regarding the analysis of biological fluids at the point of need. In this work, silicon nanowires decorated with silver nanoparticles made by metal-assisted chemical etching were evaluated as substrates for the SERS determination of glutathione and malondialdehyde in water and saliva. In particular, glutathione was determined by monitoring the reduction in the Raman signal obtained from substrates modified with crystal violet upon incubation with aqueous glutathione solutions. On the other hand, malondialdehyde was detected after a reaction with thiobarbituric acid to produce a derivative with a strong Raman signal. The detection limits achieved after optimization of several assay parameters were 50 and 3.2 nM for aqueous solutions of glutathione and malondialdehyde, respectively. In artificial saliva, however, the detection limits were 2.0 and 0.32 μM for glutathione and malondialdehyde, respectively, which are, nonetheless, adequate for the determination of these two markers in saliva.

Early diagnosis and monitoring are essential for the effective treatment and survival of patients with different types of malignancy. To this end, the accurate and sensitive determination of substances in human biological fluids related to cancer diagnosis and/or prognosis, i.e., cancer biomarkers, is of ultimate importance. Advancements in the field of immunodetection and nanomaterials have enabled the application of new transduction approaches for the sensitive detection of single or multiple cancer biomarkers in biological fluids. Immunosensors based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are examples where the special properties of nanostructured materials and immunoreagents are combined to develop analytical tools that hold promise for point-of-care applications. In this frame, the subject of this review article is to present the advancements made so far regarding the immunochemical determination of cancer biomarkers by SERS. Thus, after a short introduction about the principles of both immunoassays and SERS, an extended presentation of up-to-date works regarding both single and multi-analyte determination of cancer biomarkers is presented. Finally, future perspectives on the field of SERS immunosensors for cancer markers detection are briefly discussed.

Depression and anxiety disorders carry a tremendous worldwide burden and emerge as a significant cause of disability among western societies. Both disorders are known to disproportionally affect women, as they are twice more likely to be diagnosed and moreover, they are also prone to suffer from female-specific mood disorders. Importantly, the prevalence of these affective disorders has notably risen after the COVID pandemic, especially in women. In this chapter, we describe factors that are possibly contributing to the expression of such sex differences in depression and anxiety. For this, we overview the effect of transcriptomic and genetic factors, the immune system, neuroendocrine aspects, and cognition. Furthermore, we also provide evidence of sex differences in antidepressant response and their causes. Finally, we emphasize the importance to consider sex as a biological variable in preclinical and clinical research, which may facilitate the discovery and development of new and more efficacious antidepressant and anxiolytic pharmacotherapies for both women and men.

The simultaneous determination of two inflammatory diseases biomarkers, namely procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), in human serum samples employing a Point-of-Care device based on Multi Area Reflectance Spectroscopy is presented. Dual-analyte detection was achieved using silicon chips with two silicon dioxide areas of different thickness, one functionalized with an antibody specific for PCT and the other with an antibody specific for IL-6. The assay included reaction of immobilized capture antibodies with mixtures of PCT and IL-6 calibrators with the biotinylated detection antibodies, streptavidin and biotinylated-BSA. The reader provided for the automated execution of the assay procedure, as well as for the collection and processing of the reflected light spectrum, the shift of which is correlated to analytes concentration in the sample. The assay was completed in 35 min and the detection limits for PCT and IL-6 were 2.0 and 0.01 ng/mL respectively. The dual-analyte assay was characterized by high reproducibility (the intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were less than 10% for both analytes) and accuracy (the percent recovery values ranged from 80 to 113% for both analytes). Moreover, the values determined for the two analytes in human serum samples with the assay developed were in good agreement with the values determined for the same samples by clinical laboratory methods. These results support the potential of the proposed biosensing device application for inflammatory biomarkers determination at the Point-of-Need

Harnessing the potential beneficial effects of kinase signalling through the generation of direct kinase activators remains an underexplored area of drug development(1-5). This also applies to the PI3K signalling pathway, which has been extensively targeted by inhibitors for conditions with PI3K overactivation, such as cancer and immune dysregulation. Here we report the discovery of UCL-TRO-1938 (referred to as 1938 hereon), a small-molecule activator of the PI3Kalpha isoform, a crucial effector of growth factor signalling. 1938 allosterically activates PI3Kalpha through a distinct mechanism by enhancing multiple steps of the PI3Kalpha catalytic cycle and causes both local and global conformational changes in the PI3Kalpha structure. This compound is selective for PI3Kalpha over other PI3K isoforms and multiple protein and lipid kinases. It transiently activates PI3K signalling in all rodent and human cells tested, resulting in cellular responses such as proliferation and neurite outgrowth. In rodent models, acute treatment with 1938 provides cardioprotection from ischaemia-reperfusion injury and, after local administration, enhances nerve regeneration following nerve crush. This study identifies a chemical tool to directly probe the PI3Kalpha signalling pathway and a new approach to modulate PI3K activity, widening the therapeutic potential of targeting these enzymes through short-term activation for tissue protection and regeneration. Our findings illustrate the potential of activating kinases for therapeutic benefit, a currently largely untapped area of drug development.

Many issues arise from the recession of sea cliffs, including threats to coastal communities and infrastructure. The best proxy to study cliff instability processes is the cliff face evolution. Unfortunately, due to its verticality, this proxy is difficult to observe and measure. This study proposed and compared three remote sensing methods based on structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry or stereorestitution: boat-based SfM photogrammetry with smartphones, unmanned aerial system (UAS) or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry with centimetric positioning and Pléiades tri-stereo imagery. An inter-comparison showed that the mean distance between the point clouds produced by the different methods was about 2 m. The satellite approach had the advantage of covering greater distances. The SfM photogrammetry approach from a boat allowed for a better reconstruction of the cliff foot (especially in the case of overhangs). However, over long distances, significant geometric distortions affected the method. The UAS with centimetric positioning offered a good compromise, but flight autonomy limited the extent of the monitored area. SfM photogrammetry from a boat can be used as an initial estimate for risk management services following a localized emergency. For long-term monitoring of the coastline and its evolution, satellite photogrammetry is recommended.

This study aimed to investigate the ways subtypes of social withdrawal and dimensions of solitude are related to existential concerns in emerging adulthood. The links between social withdrawal/solitude and existential well-being are a highly neglected research issue. Participants were 774 emerging adults (50.4% males) aged 18?25 (M = 20.07) from Greece. They completed measures on social withdrawal, solitude, authenticity, meaning in life, existential anxiety, and existential loneliness. We used structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Results indicated that shyness, avoidance, and isolation were associated with more existential concerns, whereas unsociability was associated with less existential concerns. The solitude dimensions - enlightenment, freedom, intimacy, and loneliness - were differentially associated with existential concerns, with enlightenment exhibiting the most existential benefits. Findings showed that existential well-being is dependent on emerging adults? quality of withdrawal experiences and ability to make constructive use of solitude.

The goal of the paper is the design of soft sensors for single input single output (SISO) nonlinear processes. This goal is of essential importance for process monitoring, fault detection and fault isolation. The observer‐based technique, being a fruitful direction in soft sensor design, is followed to develop soft sensors for nonlinear processes with known dynamics and unknown physical parameters. A new and general approach, based on the identified I/O linear approximant system descriptions, around prespecified operating points, and a bank of switching linear observers, will be developed. The system property of the I/O reconstructability of the state space linear approximant of a nonlinear model is presented. The design of each observer is based on the I/O measurements and structural characteristics of the nonlinear process. Observer‐oriented target areas are introduced, and the respective dense web principle is formulated. The design is completed by the design of a data‐driven rule‐based system, providing stepwise switching among the observers of the bank. The number of observers of the bank is equal to the number of the linear approximants of the nonlinear process model and is equal to the number of the respective target operating areas. The target operating areas are required to satisfy the dense web principle. The information provided by the soft sensor is the estimation of the non‐measured variables of the process. The information used by the soft sensor is the identified I/O approximants of the process as well as the real time values of the measurement variables. The efficiency of the design scheme is illustrated through symbolic and numerical simulation results for a chemostat. The nonlinear model of the chemostat is initially approximated by a set of ten linear approximants. After, the I/O approximants are identified, the respective observers are designed and the target operating areas are determined, where several cases of the satisfaction of the dense web principle are investigated. The soft sensor is composed in terms of the designed observers. Simulation results illustrate the satisfactory performance of the designed soft sensor.

Workplace mobbing, bullying and sexual harassment are not new phenomena. There were always there. Nonetheless, the recent few years more studies have highlighted their significance for the well-being of the employees and the workplace. First and foremost, it is apparent to clarify the differences between mobbing, bullying and sexual harassment. In the first part of this paper, we are going to focus on workplace mobbing and bullying and in the second part on sexual harassment. The term workplace bullying is usually encountered more often than mobbing. The differences between the two, mainly represent the differences between two schools of thought: a) the British School, where the term workplace bullying prevails and b) the Scandinavian countries and Germany, where the term mobbing is more commonly used. Workplace bullying includes mobbing, that is the moral and emotional violation of another person, but it also expands to include the physical and sexual violation that derives from abuse of power. Workplace bullying refers to direct repeated aggressive behavior towards a person. This behavior results in the victim suffering psychological, physical, financial and/or sexual harassment. Mobbing is a more passive aggressive form of moral and emotional harassment that offends the dignity of an individual and may cause him/her emotional damage. Mobbing, or else, moral, and emotional harassment, has several consequences for the person exposed to this experience but furthermore for the workplace as well.

“What is Byzantium” in Greek school textbooks. From the “Greek Empire” to the caging between late antiquity and early modernity .“Byzantium”, as a technical term, was coined in France of Louis XIV to describe the based in Constantinople eastern region of the Roman state, which was gradually transformed into the initially Greek-speaking and gradually Greek medieval empire. As a historical period but also as an object of scientific research, Byzantium was a problem or raised concerns for the transition from the world of antiquity to the modern Hellenism and the new Greek state. Therefore, it caused embarrassment as to how it was displayed and examined in school textbooks. Along with the development of historiography but often with epistemological ambivalence, the Byzantine Empire was treated with reservations, fabricated prejudices and expediencies. At other times, an attempt was made to elevate the imperial grandeur, referring to Greek glory and splendour. At other times, its history was squeezed between the “overemphasized” late antiquity and the changes and achievements of Western European modernity, depriving Byzantinology of its independence as a scientific field and Byzantium of its characteristics as a distinct historical era. The study outlines this multifaceted approach in Greek school textbooks, and highlights its points, compatible or incompatible with the evolution of Byzantine studies at international and national level.

Extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) is a hallmark of surface plasmons and a precursor to nanoplasmonics and metamaterials. However, to the best of our knowledge, this effect has never been topologically protected in three dimensions, leaving it vulnerable to structural imperfections, nonlocal effects, and backreflections. We report broadband, three-dimensional unidirectional structures that allow for EOT (normalized transmission > 1) through deep-subdiffractional single holes, immune to these deleterious effects. These structures avoid unnecessary propagation losses and achieve maximum transmission through a single hole, limited only by unavoidable dissipative losses. In the limit of vanishing losses, the transmission through a deep-subdiffractional hole can approach unity, significantly surpassing existing devices, and rivaling the performance of negative-index ‘perfect’ lenses. The topological stability of these structures renders them robust against surface roughness, defects, and nonlocality, without the need for elaborate meta-structures or tapering.

All-optical logic gates have been studied intensively owing to their potential to enable broadband, low-loss and high-speed communications. However, poor tunability has remained a key challenge in this field. In this work, we propose a Y-shaped structure composed of Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) layers that can serve as tunable all-optical logic gates, including, but not limited to, OR, AND and NOT gates, by applying external magnetic fields to magnetize the YIG layers. Our findings reveal that these logic gates are founded on protected one-way edge modes, where by tuning the wavenumber k of the operating mode to a sufficiently small (or even zero) value, the gates can become nearly immune to nonlocal effects. This not only enhances their reliability but also allows for maintaining extremely high precision in their operations. Furthermore, the operating band itself of the logic gates is also shown to be tunable. We introduce a straightforward and practical method for controlling and switching these gates between "work", "skip", and "stop" modes. These findings have potentially significant implications for the design of high-performance and robust all-optical microwave communication systems.

Standard electronic computing based on nanoelectronics and logic gates has upended our lives in a profound way. However, suffering from, both, Moore’s law and Joule’s law, further development of logic devices based solely on elec-tricity has gradually stuck in the mire. All-optical logic devices are believed to be a potential solution for such a problem. This work proposes an all-optical digital logical system (AODLS) based on unidirectional (one-way propagation) modes in the microwave regime. In a Y-shaped module of the AODLS, the basic seven logic gates, including OR, AND, NOT, NOR, NAND, XOR, and XNOR gates, are achieved for continuous broadband operation relying on the existence of unidi-rectional electromagnetic signals. Extremely large extinction and contrast ratios are found in these logic gates. The idea of “negative logic” is used in designing the AODLS. Moreover, the authors further demonstrate that the AODLS can be assembled to multi-input and/or multi-output logical functionalities, which is promising for parallel computation. Besides, numerical simulations perfectly fit with and corroborate the theoretical analyses presented here. The low-loss, broadband, and robust characteristics of this system are outlined and studied in some detail. The AODLS consisting of unidirectional structures may open a new route for all-optical calculation and integrated optical circuits.

A number of observations of astrophysical jets, at different scales, have shown that jets are often non-uniform outflows in their cross-section. Their structure is believed to play an important role in their overall stability. In this work, we combine analytical methods and numerical simulations to investigate the stability of non-uniform jets originating from active galactic nuclei. We adopt a standard 'spine and sheath' model, using a fast, light inner spine and a heavier, slower outer sheath. In the first part of this work, we conduct a linear stability analysis, finding the time-scales for the growth of the instabilities and the corresponding eigenfunctions. We focus on the nature of the physical processes that dominate and drive the destabilization of configurations. In the second part, we examine the evolution of the perturbed jets through relativistic 3D numerical simulations using the PLUTO code. Starting with the eigenfunctions found in the first part as initial conditions, we derive instability growth times and evolution which are in good agreement with the linear analysis.

The potential distribution in a MEMS capacitor with a thin dielectric film on the bottom electrode and under the presence of field emission leakage current is presented for the first time. The paper also demonstrated the build-up of dielectric charging during this process. The investigation is based on obtaining current-voltage characteristics in clockwise and counter clockwise loops and analyzing the transport mechanisms in MIM capacitors. Same procedure is applied to monitor the dielectric charging build-up during field emission in MEMS capacitors. The data of pristine current-voltage characteristics in both MIM and MEMS are used to determine the Voltage drops across the dielectric film and the gap as well as their dependence on the flowing current.

We study the interactions over 22 years between one mathematics teacher and his resources for teaching, especially digital ones, with a dual focus on the teacher’s documentational and identity trajectories and professional development. We combined a theoretical framework on teachers’ work with resources  —documentational approach to didactics (DAD)— with a framework based on social practice theory—patterns of participation (PoP). The DAD analysis provided rich descriptions of which digital resources the teacher interacted with and of the transformative evolution of these interactions over time. The PoP analysis offered explanations of how and why the teacher transformed his interactions with the resources through foregrounding affective and contextual factors as significant for the teacher’s formation of identity. We conclude that the combination of the two frameworks provided deeper and complementary insights into the teacher’s long-term professional development with digital resources, and that such networking is needed to develop balanced understandings of teachers’ long-term interactions with digital resources.

We provide a first principles derivation of the supersymmetric Casimir energy of N=1 SCFTs in four dimensions using the supercharge algebra on general conformal supergravity backgrounds that admit Killing spinors. The superconformal Ward identities imply that there exists a continuous family of conserved R-currents on supersymmetric backgrounds, as well as a continuous family of conserved currents for each conformal Killing vector. These continuous families interpolate between the consistent and covariant R-current and energy-momentum tensor. The resulting Casimir energy, therefore, depends on two continuous parameters corresponding to the choice of conserved currents used to define the energy and R-charge. This ambiguity is in addition to any possible scheme dependence due to local terms in the effective action. As an application, we evaluate the general expression for the supersymmetric Casimir energy we obtain on a family of backgrounds with the cylinder topology R×S3R×S3 and admitting two supercharges of opposite R-charge. Our result is a direct consequence of the supersymmetry algebra, yet it resembles more known expressions for the non-supersymmetric Casimir energy on such backgrounds and differs from the supersymmetric Casimir energy obtained from the zero temperature limit of supersymmetric partition functions. We defer a thorough analysis of the relation between these results to future work.

Open laboratories (OpenLabs) in Cultural Heritage institutions are an effective way to provide visibility into the behind-the-scenes processes and promote documentation data collected and produced by domain specialists. However, presenting these processes without proper explanation or communication with specialists may cause issues in terms of visitors’ understanding. To support OpenLabs and disseminate information, digital media and efficient data management can be utilized. The CAnTi (Conservation of Ancient Tiryns) project seeks to design and implement virtual and mixed reality applications that visualize conservation and restoration data, supporting OpenLab operations at the Acropolis of Ancient Tiryns. Semantic Web technologies will be used to model the digital content, facilitating organization and interoperability with external sources in the future. These applications will be part of the OpenLab activities on the site, enhancing visitors’ experiences and understanding of current and past conservation and restoration practices.

The research field of digital storytelling is cross-disciplinary and extremely wide. In this paper, methods, frameworks, and tools that have been created for authoring and presenting digital narratives, are selected and examined among hundreds of works. The basic criterion for selecting these works has been their ability to create content by computational, emergent methods. By delving into the work of many researchers, the objective is to study current trends in this research field and discuss possible future directions. Most of the relevant tools and methods have been designed with a specific purpose in mind, but their use could be expanded to other areas of interest or could at least be the steppingstone for other ideas. Therefore, the following works show elements of computational and emergent narrative creation and a classification is proposed according to their purpose of existence. Finally, new potential research directions in the field are identified and possible future research steps are discussed.

Using techniques from TRO equivalence of masa bimodules we prove various transference results: We show that when α is a group homomorphism which pushes forward the Haar measure of G to a measure absolutely continuous with respect to the Haar measure on H, then (α×α)−1 preserves sets of compact operator synthesis, and conversely when α is onto. We also prove similar preservation results for operator Ditkin sets and operator M-sets, obtaining preservation results for M-sets as corollaries. Some of these results extend or complement existing results of Ludwig, Shulman, Todorov and Turowska.

 ©       Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2023). Οι μαρτυρίες μιας Γαλλίδας εθελόντριας στην προκυμαία της Σμύρνης: «Το τέλος ενός πολιτισμού ή ο θάνατος της Σμύρνης». Εισήγηση στο Διεθνές Συνέδριο “Η Σμύρνη ως σύμβολο: από τον 19ο αιώνα έως τον Σεπτέμβριο του 1922”,   12/5/2023. Διοργάνωση: Τμήμα Τουρκικών Σπουδών και Σύγχρονων Ασιατικών Σπουδών του Εθνικού και Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου, Αθήνα, 12-14 Μαΐου 2023. https://hub.uoa.gr/smyrna-as-a-symbol-international-conference/-----------------------------------------------------------------Watch on YouTube/ παρακολουθήστε στο YouTube/ του ΕΚΠΑ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziV28Va5FwI&list=PLPzInO4nqiMvnS3InhxUvb0tO2BTEE3fY&index=4&t=2067s  Η μελέτη αυτή επικεντρώνεται στις μαρτυρίες της Γαλλίδας εθελόντριας Mme Jean Antoniades (1925) η οποία προσέφερε τις υπηρεσίες της σε πέντε νοσοκομεία της Σμύρνης. Στο έργο της "La fin d'une civilisation ou la mort de Smyrne" περιγράφει με παραστατικό τρόπο την καταστροφή της πόλης. Στην πρώτη ενότητα ακολουθώντας τις γυναικείες μαρτυρίες του 19ου αιώνα στην Οθωμανική επικράτεια, διαπιστώνουμε τον εκρηκτικό και ανεξέλεγκτο τρόπο που εκδηλώνονται τα φαινόμενα βίας και κοινωνικού ρατσισμού. Η σφαγή της Σμύρνης και η πυρπόληση της πόλης, δεν ήταν αποτέλεσμα μιας απροσδόκητης πολιτικής του 20ου αιώνα. Αυτό τεκμηριώνεται ήδη από τις μαρτυρίες μεγάλου αριθμού δυτικών περιηγητριών του 19ου αιώνα, οι οποίες έζησαν, εργάστηκαν ή επισκέφτηκαν τη Σμύρνη. Στις περιγραφές τους επισημαίνεται ο κοσμοπολίτικος και πολυπολιτισμικός χαρακτήρας της πόλης και εκθειάζεται η ευμάρεια και το εμπορικό πνεύμα των Ελλήνων, των Εβραίων και των Αρμενίων. Αναφέρονται στα χαρέμια, τα  γυναικεία επαγγέλματα, τα παζάρια, το εμπόριο του καφέ, το φορολογικό σύστημα, τις θρησκευτικές-πολιτιστικές συγκρούσεις και το σκλαβοπάζαρο και διαπιστώνουν ότι επωλούντο  γυναίκες διαφόρων εθνικοτήτων. Όπως επισημαίνουν η πλειονότητα των γυναικών στο σκλαβοπάζαρο της Σμύρνης, ειδικά το 1816 και το 1822, ήταν Ελληνίδες, ορισμένες από τις οποίες, είχαν προσφερθεί ως δώρα στον σουλτάνο Μαχμούτ Β'. Αποκαλυπτικές είναι επίσης και οι γυναικείες μαρτυρίες των αρχών του 20ου αιώνα, που εξετάζονται στη δεύτερη ενότητα, όπως εκείνες για την καταστροφή της Σμύρνης, και ειδικά της Γαλλίδας εθελόντριας Mme Jean Antoniades, η οποία επιβιβάστηκε στο πλωτό-νοσοκομείο Αμφιτρίτη, στο οποίο είχαν βρει καταφύγιο 900 άτομα ενώ η χωρητικότητα ήταν μόνο για 200.------------------------------------------------------------------------Επίσης, βλ.: Χιλιάδες φιλελληνίδες και λόγιες γυναίκες στην επαναστατημένη Ελλάδα: Οι περι ελληνισμού αντιλήψεις των περιηγητριών https://hub.uoa.gr/interview-kamberidou/  

Auf der Grundlage aktueller Erkenntnisse der Identitäts- und Erinnerungsforschung soll in dieser Studie die Rolle von Erinnerung und Identität im dramatischen Spätwerk Thomas Bernhards am Beispiel des Stücks Vor dem Ruhestand diskutiert werden. In Vor dem Ruhestand tritt Bernhard in einen provokanten Dialog mit den Erinnerungen seines Publikums. Er untersucht die deutsche Erinnerungskultur und entdeckt das Fortbestehen des nationalsozialistischen Gedankenguts in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Auf groteske oder tragikomische Weise thematisiert das Stück die fehlende Vergangenheitsbewältigung und die Amnesie großer Teile der Bevölkerung sowie die identitätsstiftende Rolle von verzerrten und selektiven Bildern der Vergangenheit, die von Generation zu Generation transportiert werden. Bernhards Auseinandersetzung mit den Erinnerungspathologien der "deutschen Seele" hat einen eminent politischen Tenor, dennoch geht es ihm nicht um eine Veränderung der Gesellschaft, um das Aufzeigen von Alternativen. Es geht ihm um die Wahrheit, um die Aufdeckung der Wahrheit als Schock, als Akt des Widerstands und als mögliche Quelle der Hoffnung, aber auch als conditio sine qua non der Vergangenheitsbewältigung und damit der Subjektwerdung des Menschen.

It is well known that minimum-cost portfolio insurance (MPI) is an essential investment strategy. This article presents a time-varying version of the original static MPI problem, which is thus more realistic. Then, to solve it efficiently, we propose a powerful recurrent neural network called the linear-variational-inequality primal-dual neural network (LVI-PDNN). By doing so, we overcome the drawbacks of the static approach and propose an online solution. In order to improve the performance of the standard LVI-PDNN model, an adaptive fuzzy-power LVI-PDNN (F-LVI-PDNN) model is also introduced and studied. This model combines the fuzzy control technique with LVI-PDNN. Numerical experiments and computer simulations confirm the F-LVI-PDNN model’s superiority over the LVI-PDNN model and show that our approach is a splendid option to accustomed MATLAB procedures.

The computation of the time-varying matrix pseudoinverse has become crucial in recent years for solving time-varying problems in engineering and science domains. This paper investigates the issue of calculating the time-varying pseudoinverse based on full-rank decomposition (FRD) using the zeroing neural network (ZNN) method, which is currently considered to be a cutting edge method for calculating the time-varying matrix pseudoinverse. As a consequence, for the first time in the literature, a new ZNN model called ZNNFRDP is introduced for time-varying pseudoinversion and it is based on FRD. FourFive numerical experiments investigate and confirm that the ZNNFRDP model performs as well as, if not better than, other well-performing ZNN models in the calculation of the time-varying pseudoinverse. Additionally, theoretical analysis and numerical findings have both supported the effectiveness of the proposed model.

The efficient solution of the time-varying quaternion matrix inverse (TVQ-INV) is a challenging but crucial topic due to the significance of quaternions in many disciplines, including physics, engineering, and computer science. The main goal of this research is to employ the higher-order zeroing neural network (HZNN) strategy to address the TVQ-INV problem. HZNN is a family of zeroing neural network models that correlates to the hyperpower family of iterative methods with adjustable convergence order. Particularly, three novel HZNN models are created in order to solve the TVQ-INV both directly in the quaternion domain and indirectly in the complex and real domains. The noise-handling version of these models is also presented, and the performance of these models under various types of noises is theoretically and numerically tested. The effectiveness and practicality of these models are further supported by their use in robotic motion tracking. According to the principal results, each of these six models can solve the TVQ-INV effectively, and the HZNN strategy offers a faster convergence rate than the conventional zeroing neural network strategy.

In this work we demonstrate a two-pixel solid-state photoluminescent device able to emit white light covering the entire visible spectrum from 380nm up to 800nm. The device is based on a combination of porous Si, hydrothermally grown ZnO and carbon quantum dots, in a two-pixel formation, with porous Si and ZnO acting independently while the carbon quantum dots are deposited on top of the entire device. All processing is done using standard Si processing techniques. Moreover, the device design allows for tunability of the emitted spectrum simply by choosing the desired combination of the materials. Overall, the demonstrated device is low cost, environmentally safe and biocompatible.&#xD;

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases in men, and it contributes significantly to the increased mortality rate in men worldwide. This study aimed to review the roles of p300 and TMPRSS2 (transmembrane protease, serine 2) in the AR (androgen receptor) pathway as they are closely related to the development and progression of prostate cancer. This paper represents a library-based study conducted by selecting the most suitable, up-to-date scientific published articles from online journals. We focused on articles that use similar techniques, particularly those that use prostate cancer cell lines and immunohistochemical staining to study the molecular impact of p300 and TMPRSS2 in prostate cancer specimens. The TMPRSS2:ERG fusion is considered relevant to prostate cancer, but its association with the development and progression as well as its clinical significance have not been fully elucidated. On the other hand, high p300 levels in prostate cancer biopsies predict larger tumor volumes, extraprostatic extension of disease, and seminal vesicle involvement at prostatectomy, and may be associated with prostate cancer progression after surgery. The inhibition of p300 has been shown to reduce the proliferation of prostate cancer cells with TMPRSS2:ETS (E26 transformation-specific) fusions, and combining p300 inhibitors with other targeted therapies may increase their efficacy. Overall, the interplay between the p300 and TMPRSS2 pathways is an active area of research

Transporters mediate the uptake of solutes, metabolites and drugs across the cell membrane. The eukaryotic FurE nucleobase/H symporter of Aspergillus nidulans has been used as a model protein to address structure-function relationships in the APC transporter superfamily, members of which are characterized by the LeuT-fold and seem to operate by the so-called 'rocking-bundle' mechanism. In this study, we reveal the binding mode, translocation and release pathway of uracil/H by FurE using path collective variable, funnel metadynamics and rational mutational analysis. Our study reveals a stepwise, induced-fit, mechanism of ordered sequential transport of proton and uracil, which in turn suggests that FurE, functions as a multi-step gated pore, rather than employing 'rocking' of compact domains, as often proposed for APC transporters. Finally, our work supports that specific residues of the cytoplasmic N-tail are involved in substrate translocation, in line with their essentiality for FurE function.

Extreme weather events can trigger various hydrogeomorphic phenomena and processes including slope failures. These shallow instabilities are difficult to monitor and measure due to the spatial and temporal scales in which they occur. New technologies such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS), photogrammetry and the structure-from-motion (SfM) technique have recently demonstrated capabilities useful in performing accurate terrain observations that have the potential to provide insights into these geomorphic processes. This study explores the use of UAS-aided photogrammetry and change detection, using specialized techniques such as the digital elevation model (DEM) of differences (DoD) and cloud-to-cloud distance (C2C) to monitor and quantify geomorphic changes before and after an extreme medicane event in Myrtos, a highly visited touristic site on Cephalonia Island, Greece. The application demonstrates that the combination of UAS with photogrammetry allows accurate delineation of instabilities, volumetric estimates of morphometric changes, insights into erosion and deposition processes and the delineation of higher-risk areas in a rapid, safe and practical way. Overall, the study illustrates that the combination of tools facilitates continuous monitoring and provides key insights into geomorphic processes that are otherwise difficult to observe. Through this deeper understanding, this approach can be a stepping stone to risk management of this type of highly-visited sites, which in turn is a key ingredient to sustainable development in high-risk areas.

The Gulf of Corinth is a semi-isolated basin in central Greece interrupting the Pindus Mountain Range, which nowadays is a biodiversity hotspot. Considering its key location, deep drilling was carried out within the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP; Expedition 381: Corinth Active Rift Development) aiming to improve our understanding of climatic and environmental evolution in the region. Here, we present a new long pollen record from a Mediterranean setting in the southernmost tip of the Balkan Peninsula recording the vegetation succession within the Quaternary. The Corinth pollen record shows no major shifts in arboreal pollen between glacial and interglacial intervals, while Mediterranean and mesophilous taxa remain abundant throughout the study interval. During interglacials, the most frequent reconstructed biomes are cool mixed evergreen needleleaf (CMIX) and deciduous broadleaf forests (DBWB), while graminoid with forb (GRAM) and xerophytic shrubs (XSHB) dominate within glacials. Our findings support the hypothesis that the study area was a significant refugium, providing suitable habitats for Mediterranean, mesophilous and montane trees during successive Quaternary climate cycles.

Although the scientific community, particularly academic publishing, claims to be gender-neutral and based on meritocracy, it mirrors other parts of modern society, wherein residual gender imbalances and implicit and explicit gender biases are reproduced. In this report, we address gender imbalances (in particular, the overrepresentation of men) in the editorial workforce of academic journals as barriers to women's promotion and career progression in addiction science. We also consider potential gender-related elements and biases in the peer-review and editorial decision-making processes, which may result in women's lower publication rates, thereby creating another gender-related barrier to women's promotion, career progression and academic recognition. Establishing a more balanced gender representation in addiction publishing will require the adoption of the SAGER guidelines and the development of Gender Equality Plans for addiction specialty journals. Finally, although our focus concerns gender, the organisational mechanisms identified here also affect other types of heterogeneity and intersectional thinking.

Research has shown that teachers’ autonomy support and provision of structure relate to students’ agentic and behavioral engagement. Moreover, agentic engagement elicits higher teacher autonomy support. In the present 5-week diary study, we investigated the dynamic nature of this interplay between teachers and students through their cross-assessment of students’ agentic and behavioral engagement. We also considered the week-to-week student-reported teacher autonomy support and provision of structure as well as two student personal characteristics — proactive personality and situational autonomous versus controlled motivation. Two hundred fifty-seven Turkish middle school students and their teachers from 13 classes participated in the study. Multilevel analyses showed that students’ week-to-week perceived autonomy support and initial level of autonomous motivation positively predicted week-to-week agentic engagement (teacher- and student-reported). Students’ week-to-week perceived structure positively predicted week-to-week agentic and behavioral engagement (student-, but not teacher-, reported). These findings indicate the interplay between students’ situational engagement and teachers’ situational motivating style (i.e., autonomy support and provision of structure). They also suggest greater predictive power for students’ situational motivation over the personal trait of proactive personality. © 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

CONTENT & KEYWORDS: Gender; Visibility; Agency; Philhellenic movement; Greek revolution; Ottoman society; Osmanli society; Ottoman Empire; Orientalism; Multiethnic-multiracial harem slavery institution; Children’s harem; Women’s travel literature; Female accounts; Women travelers of the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries; Travel writing; Multiethnic synthesis of the Ottoman household; Military slavery; Child slavery; Islamization;  Obesity – fat considered beautiful; Deviations from Islamic traditions-sultans dancing; Greek music and songs in the harems; the Sultan’s Harem; Women and children of different nations; Eunuchs; Spaces for interacting, sharing  and bonding; Identification with the ‘OTHER’; Muslim women (free and slave);  Islamized slaves: Muslim women’s  legal and social rights; Divorce; Marriage, Adoption; Dance and physical activity, a symbol of social inferiority; The Body in Ottoman society; Discourse on Orientalism and the Greek Element; Womanity in the yoke of the harem: European women travel writers, authors and journalists of the 17th, 18th , 19th and early 20th centuries; the East in the eyes of women travelers; Women as agents of change; Harem inmates escape the harems;  Gender, Volunteerism and Military Hospitals: War Nurses, Educators and Philanthropists of the Nineteenth-Century, and so forth.

This paper presents a dynamic model based on neutrosophic numbers and a neutrosophic logic engine. The introduced neutrosophic logic/fuzzy adaptive Zeroing Neural Network dynamic is termed NSFZNN and represents an improvement over the traditional Zeroing Neural Network (ZNN) design. The model aims to calculate the matrix pseudo-inverse and the minimum-norm least-squares solutions of time-varying linear systems. The improvement of the proposed model emerges from the advantages of neutrosophic logic over fuzzy and intuitionistic fuzzy logic in solving complex problems associated with predictions, vagueness, uncertainty, and imprecision. We use neutrosphication, de-fuzzification, and de-neutrosophication instead of fuzzification and de-fuzzification exploited so far. The basic idea is based on the known advantages of neutrosophic systems compared to fuzzy systems. Simulation examples and engineering applications on localization problems and electrical networks are presented to test the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed dynamical system.

Εισαγωγή: Tο διδακτικό αντικείμενο της Φυσικής Αγωγής στο σχολείο αποτελεί σημαντικό τομέα ενός πλήρους και σφαιρικού εκπαιδευτικού προγράμματος και, ταυτόχρονα, επιδρά θετικά στη δια βίου προαγωγή της καλής υγείας και ευεξίας των μαθητών και των μαθητριών. Ωστόσο, από την παγκόσμια βιβλιογραφία έχει τεκμηριωθεί η μικρότερη συμμετοχή των έφηβων μαθητριών στο μάθημα της ΦΑ σε σχέση με τους έφηβους μαθητές (1) και η μείωση αυτή παρατηρείται ήδη με την έναρξη της εφηβείας. Σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας, η οποία αποτελεί μέρος μεταπτυχιακής έρευνας και διατριβής, είναι να διερευνήσει και να αναδείξει τους παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν θετικά ή αρνητικά τη συμμετοχή των μαθητριών Γ΄ Γυμνασίου στο διδακτικό αντικείμενο της Φυσικής Αγωγής, σύμφωνα με τις ίδιες τις μαθήτριες. Μέθοδος: Στην έρευνα συμμετείχαν, μεταξύ άλλων, δεκαεννέα μαθήτριες Γ΄ Γυμνασίου που φοίτησαν σε Γυμνάσιο της Ανατολικής Αττικής, κατά τα σχολικά έτη 2021-22 και 2022-23. Η συλλογή των δεδομένων πραγματοποιήθηκε μέσω συνεντεύξεων σε ομάδες εστιασμένης συζήτησης (focus groups). Σχηματίστηκαν τρεις ομάδες των πέντε μαθητριών και μία ομάδα των τεσσάρων. Πραγματοποιήθηκαν δύο συνεντεύξεις με κάθε ομάδα διάρκειας περίπου 30΄ η κάθε μία. Αποτελέσματα: Οι παράγοντες που περιορίζουν ή αναστέλλουν τη συμμετοχή των έφηβων μαθητριών μπορεί να είναι ατομικοί (μεταβολή προτεραιοτήτων, έλλειψη δεξιοτήτων, ανταγωνιστικό κλίμα, εικόνα σώματος), κοινωνικοί [οικογένεια, φίλοι, συνομήλικοι/έμφυλα στερεότυπα (2)] ή περιβαλλοντικοί (είδος δραστηριοτήτων, αθλητικές εγκαταστάσεις, εκπαιδευτική πολιτική). Ως υποστηρικτικοί παράγοντες θεωρούνται (μεταξύ άλλων) η ποικιλία δραστηριοτήτων και η δυνατότητα επιλογής, η άσκηση με φίλους, η απουσία ανταγωνισμού. Συζήτηση/Συμπεράσματα: Ο εντοπισμός και η ιεράρχηση των παραγόντων που επηρεάζουν θετικά ή αρνητικά τη συμμετοχή των έφηβων κοριτσιών στη Φυσική Αγωγή καθίσταται αναγκαίος και επιτακτικός προκειμένου να σχεδιαστούν κατάλληλες παρεμβάσεις για την αύξηση της συμμετοχής και την προώθηση της υγιούς ανάπτυξής τους.   Βιβλιογραφία

1. Gruno, J., & Gibbons, S. L. (2021). Using discussion to inform action: Formative research on nature-based physical activity as a means of fostering relatedness for girls in physical and health education. European Physical Education Review, 27(4), 743-760.
2. Καμπερίδου, Ε. (2012). Κοινωνικό Φύλο, Κοινωνικό Κεφάλαιο, Πολυπολιτισμικότητα και Αθλητισμός. Εκδόσεις Τελέθριο, Α. Πιπέρης & ΣΙΑ ΕΕ. 

 

Στο κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζεται η έρευνα που έγινε στο πλαίσιο της συγκέντρωσης δεδομένων σχετικά με την επιμόρφωση των Συντονιστών Εκπαιδευτικού Έργου (ΣΕΕ) Νηπιαγωγών και Εκπαιδευτικών Αγγλικής Γλώσσας κατά την εφαρμογή του Προγράμματος «Εισαγωγή της Αγγλικής γλώσσας στο Νηπιαγωγείο» (ΕΑΝ). Για τη συγκεκριμένη επιμόρφωση υπεύθυνη ήταν η ομάδα του Εθνικού και Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών (ΕΚΠΑ). Πιο συγκεκριμένα, εστιάζουμε στην παρουσίασητων απόψεων και των στάσεων των ΣΕΕ όπως αυτές προέκυψαν μέσα από τη διενέργεια δύο ομάδων εστίασης (focus groups). Το κεφάλαιο κλείνει με τη συζήτηση των δεδομένων αυτών, με ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στα συμπεράσματα που προκύπτουν σε σχέση με την αξιολόγηση της επιμόρφωσής των ΣΕΕ στο πλαίσιο του ΕΑΝ, αλλά και στον ευρύτερο αντίκτυπο της συγκεκριμένης επιμόρφωσης για τον σχεδιασμό αντίστοιχων προγραμμάτων επιμόρφωσης στο μέλλον.

Το σώμα κατανοείται στις κοινωνικές επιστήμες σαν αναπόσπαστο μέρος, σαν θεμελιώδης βάση συγκρότησης εαυτού και ταυτότητας. Συλλαμβάνεται σαν επιφάνεια, σαν ‘πεδίο’ και ‘μέσον’ συγκρότησης, κατασκευής, συμβολισμού και έκφρασης του εαυτού. Ενίοτε σαν βάση και άλλοτε σαν αναπόσπαστος διαμεσολαβητικός παράγοντας κατασκευής και ανα-κατασκευής ταυτοτήτων. Οι έννοιες ωστόσο εαυτός και ταυτότητα μπορούν να προσεγγισθούν  ακολουθώντας ποικίλες γνωστικές διαδρομές. Στο πλαίσιο ετούτης της μελέτης η έννοια του εαυτού και των ταυτοτήτων κατανοούνται ως πολλαπλότητες των οποίων τα στοιχεία που τις συγκροτούν βρίσκονται σε διαρκή αλληλεπίδραση και αλληλοδιείσδυση. Όταν επομένως αναφερόμαστε σε όρους ‘εαυτός’ και ‘ταυτότητα’ κατ’ ουσία αναφερόμαστε σε περίπλοκα και πολυσύνθετα συστήματα τα οποία ιδιαίτερα στα ψηφιακά επίπεδα δραστηριοποίησης μας όταν μάλιστα διαδρούμε με τη διαμεσολάβηση εικονικών σωματικών αναπαραστάσεων (Avatars) άλλοτε σχετίζονται ευθέως και άμεσα με το φυσικό, το βιολογικό μας σώμα και άλλοτε όχι. Σήμερα, πολλά εικονικά περιβάλλοντα, προσομοιωμένα περιβάλλοντα πολυμέσων βασισμένα στον υπολογιστή, δημιουργώντας μια τρισδιάστατη εικόνα που φαίνεται να περιβάλλει τον χρήστη, προσφέρουν πολλές ευκαιρίες για να ζήσει μέσω εικονικών σωματικών αναπαραστάσεων, προσομοιωμένες εμπειρίες που σχετίζονται με τον αθλητισμό, όπως σκι, ποδηλασία, ιππασία κ.λπ.. Αυτό δείχνει ότι το ‘αθλητικό σώμα’, σε μια άλλη διάσταση, είναι επίσης παρόν στον εικονικό κόσμο. Ο ψηφιακός χώρος είναι ένας κατασκευασμένος με ψηφιακά-διαδικτυακά μέσα χώρος. Ένας χώρος που ταυτόχρονα παριστά  και αναπαριστά. Ένας χώρος αίσθησης και (ψευδ-)αίσθησης στο πλαίσιο του οποίου διαμορφώνονται χωρικές σχέσεις, έννοιες, διαδράσεις, γεγονότα και συμβολισμοί κατ’ αναλογία και μιμητικά προς τον ‘φυσικό’ χώρο! Ένας χώρος δυνητικών εμπειριών μέσω μιας ποικιλότητας αισθητηριακών προσλήψεων δια των οποίων ο ‘άυλος’ ψηφιακός χώρος, μετασχηματίζεται σε ‘εμπειρικό’ χώρο. Αυτή η μελέτη χρησιμοποιώντας επιλεκτικά σε μια διεπιστημονική προοπτική σχετικά ερευνητικά δεδομένα από τις κοινωνικές και γνωστικές επιστήμες, αλλά και δεδομένα από τις επιστήμες των υπολογιστών τα οποία και συσχετίζει με θεμελιώδεις σκέψεις του Merleau-Ponty και του Allen Badiou, επιδιώκει να διερευνήσει  το ακόλουθο ζήτημα: Εάν και πώς μπορεί να συγκροτηθεί μια εικονική αθλητική ταυτότητα σε έναν εικονικό αθλητικό χώρο, για παράδειγμα σε ένα εικονικό γυμναστήριο! Πως βιώνεται ο ψηφιακός χώρος σωματικής άσκησης ως εμπειρικός χώρος; ΒΙΒΛΙΟΓΡΑΦΙΚΗ ΑΝΑΦΟΡΑ: Patsantaras N. Virtual bodies (avatars) and sport exercises: some important thoughts, European Journal for Sport and Society 2020 17(4), 339-356  

Στη μα­κρά πα­ρά­δο­ση της ένο­πλης εθε­λού­σι­ας στρά­τευ­σης στην ευρω­πα­ϊ­κή ήπει­ρο, η δε­κα­ε­τία του 1910, στην οποία επι­κε­ντρώ­νο­νται οι με­λέ­τες του πα­ρό­ντος τό­μου, κα­τέ­χει ξε­χω­ρι­στή θέ­ση. Την πε­ρί­ο­δο αυτή ο ένο­πλος εθε­λο­ντι­σμός γνώ­ρι­σε την κο­ρύ­φω­σή του, δεί­χνο­ντας πα­ράλ­λη­λα και τα πρώ­τα ση­μά­δια κάμ­ψης, κα­θώς η πρα­κτι­κή της ένο­πλης στρά­τευ­σης με­ταλ­λά­χθη­κε με την εμ­φά­νι­ση, αρ­χι­κά στα Βαλ­κά­νια, και αρ­γό­τε­ρα και στην υπό­λοι­πη Ευρώ­πη, εμπό­λε­μων συρ­ρά­ξε­ων νέου, «βι­ο­μη­χα­νι­κού» τύ­που. Η μα­ζι­κή αν­θρω­πο­σφα­γή με μη­χα­νι­κά μέ­σα απο­δυ­νά­μω­σε τον ρο­μα­ντι­κό χα­ρα­κτή­ρα της ένο­πλης προ­σω­πι­κής συμ­με­το­χής, που έθρε­ψε τα εθε­λο­ντι­κά κι­νή­μα­τα του 19ου αιώ­να. Η δε­κα­ε­τία του 1910 συ­νι­στά, απ’ αυτήν την άπο­ψη, βα­θειά το­μή στη μα­κρά ιστο­ρία του ένο­πλου εθε­λο­ντι­σμού, τό­σο του ελ­λη­νι­κού, όσο και ευρύ­τε­ρα του ευρω­πα­ϊ­κού, με κύ­ρι­ους σταθ­μούς τους Βαλ­κα­νι­κούς πο­λέ­μους και τον Α΄ Πα­γκό­σμιο πό­λε­μο. Στη δι­άρ­κεια αυτών των χρό­νων το εθε­λο­ντι­κό κί­νη­μα από την Ήπει­ρο, την Κρή­τη και την Κύ­προ γι­γα­ντώ­θη­κε, ενώ χι­λι­ά­δες από­δη­μοι από τις Η.Π.Α. και την Αίγυ­πτο έσπευ­σαν επί­σης να κα­τα­τα­χθούν στον ελ­λη­νι­κό στρα­τό, μα­ζί με την τε­λευ­ταία γε­νιά των Ιτα­λών Γα­ρι­βαλ­δι­νών. Σε μια πα­ράλ­λη­λη κα­τεύ­θυν­ση, στον Με­γά­λο πό­λε­μο με­ρι­κές εκα­το­ντά­δες Έλ­λη­νες εντά­χθη­καν στις γραμ­μές του γαλ­λι­κού στρα­τού και πολ­λα­πλά­σιοι Κύ­πριοι (Έλ­λη­νες και Τούρ­κοι) στο «Μα­κε­δο­νι­κό Με­τα­γω­γι­κό Σώ­μα» του βρε­τα­νι­κού στρα­τού. Σε αυτή την πε­ρί­ο­δο εστι­ά­ζει το ανά χεί­ρας βι­βλίο, προ­κει­μέ­νου, μέ­σα από μια συ­νο­λι­κή προ­σέγ­γι­ση και πο­λυ­πρι­σμα­τι­κή θε­ώ­ρη­ση, να ανα­δει­χθούν οι ρι­ζι­κές με­τα­μορ­φώ­σεις και τα ιδι­αί­τε­ρα χα­ρα­κτη­ρι­στι­κά της εθε­λο­ντι­κής πρα­κτι­κής.

Πρωταρχικός στόχος αυτού του βιβλίου είναι η παρουσίαση βασικών θεμάτων της Οικονομικής Επιστήμης με όσο το δυνατόν απλό αλλά ακριβή και επιστημονικό τρόπο. Είναι γραμμένο σε εισαγωγικό επίπεδο και είναι προϊόν εμπειρίας πολλών ετών διδασκαλίας σε προπτυχιακούς φοιτητές που δεν είχαν διδαχθεί οικονομικά σε αυτό το επίπεδο. Τα πρώτα επτά κεφάλαια (κεφάλαιο 1 μέχρι και κεφάλαιο 7) εξετάζουν θεμελιώδη ζητήματα Μικροοικονομικής και τα επόμενα έξι κεφάλαια εξετάζουν θεμελιώδη ζητήματα Μακροοικονομικής (κεφάλαιο 8 μέχρι και κεφάλαιο 13). Σε κάθε κεφάλαιο περιγράφονται οι μαθησιακοί στόχοι και παρουσιάζονται οι έννοιες-κλειδιά. Το επίπεδο ανάλυσης δεν προϋποθέτει γνώσεις οικονομικών, αλλά εισάγει τον οικονομικό τρόπο σκέψης με χρήση συγκεκριμένων παραδειγμάτων και διαγραμμάτων τα οποία διευκολύνουν την κατανόηση των οικονομικών φαινομένων. Η δε μαθηματική ανάλυση περιορίζεται εκεί όπου είναι απολύτως αναγκαία. Σε αρκετές περιπτώσεις υπάρχουν αριθμητικά παραδείγματα-ασκήσεις που δείχνουν τον τρόπο εφαρμογής των θεωρητικών εννοιών. Με τα δεδομένα αυτά το βιβλίο δεν προορίζεται μόνο για φοιτητές οικονομικών σχολών, αλλά απευθύνεται και σε φοιτητές άλλων συγγενών ή λιγότερο συγγενών πεδίων, όπου τα εισαγωγικά οικονομικά θεωρούνται χρήσιμες γνώσεις. Προφανώς, μπορεί να χρησιμεύσει και σε κάθε ενδιαφερόμενο αναγνώστη που επιθυμεί να κατανοήσει βασικές οικονομικές έννοιες και επίκαιρες οικονομικές συζητήσεις.

Κατά το πρώτο τέταρτο του 21ου αιώνα παρατηρείται μια πολύ έντονη στροφή της ελληνικής λογοτεχνίας και τέχνης εν γένει προς το έργο του Franz Kafka. Βασιζόμενη σε θεωρίες των Marcuse, Adorno, Foucault και Deleuze & Guattari η παρούσα μελέτη θέτει ως στόχο της να αποδείξει ότι ο βασικός λόγος για τον οποίο ο Kafka είναι απολύτως επίκαιρος για τη σύγχρονη ελληνική τέχνη είναι το γεγονός ότι υπήρξε πρωτίστως ένας πολιτικός συγγραφέας, ο οποίος επιχείρησε να φωτίσει από διάφορες πλευρές τον πολυσύνθετο χαρακτήρα και τους παράλογους μηχανισμούς της εξουσίας. Μέσα από ένα πραγματικά ευρύ φάσμα έργων στα οποία είναι εμφανής η επίδραση του Kafka επιλέχθηκαν το αφήγημα Ο Φλογοκρύπτης (2003) του Αριστείδη Αντονά και η ταινία Αστακός (2015) του Γιώργου Λάνθιμου ως ιδιαίτερα αντιπροσωπευτικά. Η συγκριτολογική μελέτη των εν λόγω έργων με κείμενα του Kafka όπως η Δίκη, η Κρίση και η Μεταμόρφωση αποσκοπεί στην αναγνώριση καφκικών διακειμένων καθώς και στην ανάδειξη συνεχειών και ασυνεχειών, τόσο αισθητικών όσο και θεματικών, μέσα σε έναν «ανοιχτό» δυναμικό διάλογο.

Περίληψη: Η φτώχεια και ο κοινωνικός αποκλεισμούς έχουν απασχολήσει αρκετές δεκαε- τίες την επιστημονική κοινότητα, η οποία έχει δώσει ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στη διερεύνηση των παραγόντων και συνθηκών που οδηγούν ορισμένες πληθυσμιακές ομάδες στο κοινωνικό περιθώριο. Η ευαλωτότητα συχνά ορίζεται ως ο βαθμός στον οποίο ένας πληθυσμός, ένα άτομο ή ένας οργανισμός αδυνατεί να έχει προσδοκίες, να αντιμετωπίσει, να αντισταθεί και να ανακάμψει από τις επιπτώσεις μιας καταστροφής. Ωστόσο, η ευαλωτότητα δεν είναι μόνο αποτέλεσμα καταστροφών. Αφορά κυρίως τις κοινωνικοοικονομικές συνθήκες που δημιουργούν το υπόβαθρο για την ανάπτυξη της φτώχειας και της αποστέρησης. Η παρούσα εργασία, εστιάζει στη διερεύνηση του φαινομένου, σύμφωνα με τα νέα δεδομένα και τους σύγχρονους ευρωπαϊκούς δείκτες που αναδεικνύουν τους κινδύνους της φτώχειας και του κοινωνικού αποκλεισμού για σημαντική μερίδα του πληθυσμού. Επιπλέον, διερευνά το ρόλο της Δια βίου μάθησης και της Συμβουλευτικής στην ενδυνάμωση των ατόμων και των ομάδων που βιώνουν τη φτώχεια και τον αποκλεισμό που γεννούν οι δομικές ανισότητες.

© Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2023).  Ο ξεριζωμός στα μάτια των περιηγητριών: «Η Κυριαρχία της Τρομοκρατίας» (1881-1922)  και   «η Μεγάλη Σφαγή» του 1896. Βιβλίο Πρακτικών του Συνεδρίου Ο ρόλος των γυναικών της καθ’ ημάς Ανατολής στην διαμόρφωση της σύγχρονης Ελληνικής κοινωνίας του Συνδέσμου Ελληνίδων Επιστημόνων (ΣΕΕ): 24-25 Σεπτεμβρίου 2022, Αθήνα, σελ. 1-9.  Επίσης, βλ. εισήγηση στο YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXuT_9Xx7Z0&t=8306s και πλήρες κείμενο/άρθρο στην Πέργαμο, σελίδες 1-28: https://pergamos.lib.uoa.gr/uoa/dl/object/3223206#contents ή https://pergamos.lib.uoa.gr/uoa/dl/object/3223206#fields

Η μελέτη αυτή επικεντρώνεται στις μαρτυρίες της Γαλλίδας εθελόντριας Mme Jean Antoniades (1925) η οποία προσέφερε τις υπηρεσίες της σε πέντε νοσοκομεία της Σμύρνης. Στο έργο της "La fin d'une civilisation ou la mort de Smyrne" περιγράφει με παραστατικό τρόπο την καταστροφή της πόλης. Στην πρώτη ενότητα ακολουθώντας τις γυναικείες μαρτυρίες του 19ου αιώνα στην Οθωμανική επικράτεια, διαπιστώνουμε τον εκρηκτικό και ανεξέλεγκτο τρόπο που εκδηλώνονται τα φαινόμενα βίας και κοινωνικού ρατσισμού. Η σφαγή της Σμύρνης και η πυρπόληση της πόλης, δεν ήταν αποτέλεσμα μιας απροσδόκητης πολιτικής του 20ου αιώνα. Αυτό τεκμηριώνεται ήδη από τις μαρτυρίες μεγάλου αριθμού δυτικών περιηγητριών του 19ου αιώνα, οι οποίες έζησαν, εργάστηκαν ή επισκέφτηκαν τη Σμύρνη. Στις περιγραφές τους επισημαίνεται ο κοσμοπολίτικος και πολυπολιτισμικός χαρακτήρας της πόλης και εκθειάζεται η ευμάρεια και το εμπορικό πνεύμα των Ελλήνων, των Εβραίων και των Αρμενίων. Αναφέρονται στα χαρέμια, τα γυναικεία επαγγέλματα, τα παζάρια, το εμπόριο του καφέ, το φορολογικό σύστημα, τις θρησκευτικές-πολιτιστικές συγκρούσεις και το σκλαβοπάζαρο και διαπιστώνουν ότι επωλούντο γυναίκες διαφόρων εθνικοτήτων. Όπως επισημαίνουν η πλειονότητα των γυναικών στο σκλαβοπάζαρο της Σμύρνης, ειδικά το 1816 και το 1822, ήταν Ελληνίδες, ορισμένες από τις οποίες, είχαν προσφερθεί ως δώρα στον σουλτάνο Μαχμούτ Β'. Αποκαλυπτικές είναι επίσης και οι γυναικείες μαρτυρίες των αρχών του 20ου αιώνα, που εξετάζονται στη δεύτερη ενότητα, όπως εκείνες για την καταστροφή της Σμύρνης, και ειδικά της Γαλλίδας εθελόντριας Mme Jean Antoniades, η οποία επιβιβάστηκε στο πλωτό-νοσοκομείο Αμφιτρίτη, στο οποίο είχαν βρει καταφύγιο 900 άτομα ενώ η χωρητικότητα ήταν μόνο για 200.

The Arkalochori village in central Crete was hit by a large earthquake (Mw = 6.0) on 27 September 2021, causing casualties, injuries, and severe damage to the infrastructure. Due to the absence of apparent surface rupture and the initial focal mechanism solution of the seismic event, we initiated complementary, multi-disciplinary research by combining seismological and remote sensing data processing, followed by extensive field validation. Detailed geological mapping, fault surface measuring accompanied with tectonic analysis, fault photorealistic model creation by unmanned aerial system data processing, post-seismic surface deformation analysis by DInSAR image interpretation coupled with accurately relocated epicenters recorded by locally established seismographs have been carried out. The combination of the results obtained from these techniques led to the determination of the contemporary tectonic stress regime that caused the earthquake in central Crete, which was found compatible with extensional processes parallel to the Hellenic arc.

The Arkalochori village in central Crete was hit by a large earthquake (Mw = 6.0) on 27 September 2021, causing casualties, injuries, and severe damage to the infrastructure. Due to the absence of apparent surface rupture and the initial focal mechanism solution of the seismic event, we initiated complementary, multi-disciplinary research by combining seismological and remote sensing data processing, followed by extensive field validation. Detailed geological mapping, fault surface measuring accompanied with tectonic analysis, fault photorealistic model creation by unmanned aerial system data processing, post-seismic surface deformation analysis by DInSAR image interpretation coupled with accurately relocated epicenters recorded by locally established seismographs have been carried out. The combination of the results obtained from these techniques led to the determination of the contemporary tectonic stress regime that caused the earthquake in central Crete, which was found compatible with extensional processes parallel to the Hellenic arc.

The coastal area of Myrtos beach, is a very popular Natura protected area at the Northern part of Cephalonia Island, in W. Greece, which suffered severe damages during the Medicane named after “Ianos”, that affected the Greek territory in September 2020. Most of the steep slope area, which hosts the road that leads to the the beach area itself were extensively covered by debris due to mudflows, interrupting aggressively the road connection with the inland network. The use of Unmanned Aerial Systems proved to be an ideal way of mapping quite small areas, with limited access to road networks. The generation of ultra-high resolution spatial products seems to be optimal for mapping and quantifying mass movements that cover areas ranging from less than one square kilometer up to few square kilometers. The aim of such a multi-temporal study, which is described herein, contains aerial image data collection and analysis, before and after the catastrophic event. It is leading to the quantification of the surface topographic changes, by generating a time series of point clouds, after creating several terrain models along with ortho-photo-mosaics, based on Structure-from-Motion photogrammetric techniques. The digital comparison of the co-registered photogrammetric products showed that significant surface alterations have taken place due to the 2020 Medicane. The diachronic point clouds led to the detection and quantification of elevation changes, mainly at the central part of the area of interest, whereas the elevation values of the point clouds were found rather altered, before and after “Ianos”, either positively (deposition) or negatively (erosion), delineating the areas that suffered surface changes.

This paper investigates accounts justifying the closures of businesses found on public signs in Athens and London during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data for the study was drawn from a corpus of COVID-19-related public signage collected in the two cities during the first lockdown. The accounts used on these signs are analysed as acts of identity and, specifically, as discursive means deployed by the authors of the signs to project themselves and their businesses favourably. It is shown that the accounts used at the micro-level of discourse align to various degrees with the dominant discourses surrounding the pandemic at the macro-level and with the values these discourses draw upon. It is also shown that the accounts are used to reframe the public’s understanding of the closures and to construct identities congruent with the interests of the business owners, ensuring post-pandemic continuity.

The main goal of the present paper is to discuss how and under what circumstances, active labor market policies and adult education could assist staff to cope with stress and enhance skills and abilities to achieve employment. The high numbers of unemployed in Greece together with the long-term ineffective austerity measures and policies imposed in the country and the reduction of the social welfare state, created many multiple and complex issues that deteriorated after the pandemic. The present paper suggests that specific active labor market policies must be employed together with lifelong learning policies and programmes to ensure future developments. Greece, more than any other modern European country, was faced for several years with extreme austerity measures that affected the social, economic, and personal level. The working population and especially young people had to cope with prolonged unemployment, limited options for reentering the job market and the associated stress that follows exposure to adverse experiences. The phenomena of brain drain and brain waste, are well documented in Greek research and literature. Covid-19 pandemic was another stroke in an already unbalance economy. Lifelong learning programmes, that are meant to assist not only the working but also the general population to increase social and other skills, as a way of ensuring access to the labour market, are addressed to only a small portion of the population and usually to those who need them the least. The current paper presents the challenges that Active labor market and Lifelong policies in Greece must face in the process of coping with prolonged unemployment, brain drain and brain waste.

A reduced removal of dysfunctional mitochondria is common to aging and age-related neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Strategies for treating such impaired mitophagy would benefit from the identification of mitophagy modulators. Here we report the combined use of unsupervised machine learning (involving vector representations of molecular structures, pharmacophore fingerprinting and conformer fingerprinting) and a cross-species approach for the screening and experimental validation of new mitophagy-inducing compounds. From a library of naturally occurring compounds, the workflow allowed us to identify 18 small molecules, and among them two potent mitophagy inducers (Kaempferol and Rhapontigenin). In nematode and rodent models of AD, we show that both mitophagy inducers increased the survival and functionality of glutamatergic and cholinergic neurons, abrogated amyloid-beta and tau pathologies, and improved the animals' memory. Our findings suggest the existence of a conserved mechanism of memory loss across the AD models, this mechanism being mediated by defective mitophagy. The computational-experimental screening and validation workflow might help uncover potent mitophagy modulators that stimulate neuronal health and brain homeostasis.

We comprehensively review several general methods and analytical tools used for causality evaluation of photonic materials. Our objective is to call to mind and then formulate, on a mathematically rigorous basis, a set of theorems which can answer the question whether a considered material model is causal or not. For this purpose, a set of various distributional theorems presented in literature is collected as the distributional version of the Titchmarsh theorem, allowing for evaluation of causality in complicated electromagnetic systems. Furthermore, we correct the existing material models with the use of distribution theory in order to obtain their causal formulations. In addition to the well-known Kramers–Krönig (K–K) relations, we overview four further methods which can be used to assess causality of given dispersion relations, when calculations of integrals involved in the K–K relations are challenging or even impossible. Depending on the given problem, optimal approaches allowing us to prove either the causality or lack thereof are pointed out. These methodologies should be useful for scientists and engineers analyzing causality problems in electrodynamics and optics, particularly with regard to photonic materials, when the involved mathematical distributions have to be invoked.

Accumulating data has shown a contribution of the renin-angiotensin system in COVID-19 pathogenesis. The role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism as a risk factor in developing COVID-19 disease comes from epidemiological data and is controversially discussed. We conducted a retrospective case-control study and assessed the impact of ACE I/D genotype in COVID-19 disease prevalence and severity. In 81 COVID-19 patients explicitly characterized and 316 controls, recruited during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic, ACE I/D genotype, and ACE activity were determined. A generalized linear model was used and Poisson regression analysis estimated the risk ratios (RRs) of alleles and genotypes for disease severity. DD patients had almost 2.0-fold increased risk (RR: 1.886, confidence limit [CL] 95%: 1.266-2.810, p = 0.0018) of developing a more severe disease when contrasted to ID and II individuals, as did D allele carriers compared to I carriers (RR: 1.372; CL 95%: 1.051-1.791; p = 0.0201). ACE activity (expressed as arbitrary units, AU/L) was lower in patients (3.62 +/- 0.26) than in controls (4.65 +/- 0.13) (p < 0.0001), and this reduction was observed mainly among DD patients compared to DD controls (3.97 +/- 0.29 vs. 5.38 +/- 0.21; p = 0.0014). Our results demonstrate that ACE DD genotype may predispose to COVID-19 increased disease severity via a mechanism associated, at least in part, with the significant fall in their ACE activity. Our findings suggest a more complex pattern of synergy between this polymorphism and ACE activity in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy individuals and set the grounds for large-scale studies assessing ACE genotype-based optimized therapies with ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers

BACKGROUND: the apolipoprotein e4 allele (APOE4) constitutes an established genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease Dementia (ADD). We aimed to explore the frequency of the APOE isoforms in the Greek population of Southern Greece. METHODS: peripheral blood from 175 Greek AD patients, 113 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 75 healthy individuals. DNA isolation was performed with a High Pure PCR Template Kit (Roche), followed by amplification with a real-time qPCR kit (TIB MolBiol) in Roche's Light Cycler PCR platform. RESULTS: APOE4 allele frequency was 20.57% in the ADD group, 17.69% in the MCI group, and 6.67% in the control group. APOE3/3 homozygosity was the most common genotype, while the frequency of APOE4/4 homozygosity was higher in the AD group (8.60%). APOE4 carrier status was associated with higher odds for ADD and MCI (OR: 4.49, 95% CI: [1.90-10.61] and OR: 3.82, 95% CI: [1.59-9.17], respectively). CONCLUSION: this study examines the APOE isoforms and is the first to report a higher APOE frequency in MCI compared with healthy controls in southern Greece. Importantly, we report the occurrence of the APOE4 allele, related to ADD, as amongst the lowest globally reported, even within the nation, thus enhancing the theory of ethnicity and latitude contribution

Clinicians trust medical laboratories to provide reliable results on which they rely for clinical decisions. Laboratories fulfil their responsibility for accurate and consistent results by utilizing an arsenal of approaches, ranging from validation and verification experiments to daily quality control procedures. All these procedures verify, on different moments, that the results of a certain examination procedure have analytical performance characteristics (APC) that meet analytical performance specifications (APS) set for a particular intended use. The APC can in part be determined by estimating the measurement uncertainty component under conditions of within-laboratory precision (u(Rw)), which comprises all components influencing the measurement uncertainty of random sources. To maintain the adequacy of their measurement procedures, laboratories need to distinguish aspects that are manageable vs. those that are not. One of the aspects that may influence u(Rw) is the momentary significant bias caused by shifts in reagent and/or calibrator lots, which, when accepted or unnoticed, become a factor of the APC. In this paper, we postulate a model for allocating a part of allowable u(Rw) to between-reagent lot variation, based on the need for long-term consistency of the measurement variability for that specific measurand. The allocation manages the ratio between short-term and long-term variation and indicates laboratories when to reject or correct certain variations due to reagent lots

A strong, shallow earthquake occurred near Heraklion (Crete, Greece) on 27 September 2021. The earthquake produced significant ground deformation in the vicinity of Arkalochori village but without any evidence for surface ruptures of primary origin. We used geodetic (InSAR and GNSS) data to map motions of the Earth’s surface that occurred during and shortly after the earthquake. A 14 cm subsidence of the GNSS station ARKL and a maximum of 19 cm distance from the SAR satellite were recorded. The measured surface displacements were used to constrain the rupture geometry and slip distribution at depth. Our best-fitting inversion model suggests that the rupture occurred on a 13 km-long planar normal fault striking N195° E dipping 55° to the northwest, with major slip occurring to the east and updip of the hypocentre. The fault tip is located 1.2 km beneath the surface. The maximum coseismic slip occurred in the uppermost crust, in the depth interval of 4–6 km. A decrease in the fault offsets toward the Earth’s surface is likely caused by an increased frictional resistance of the shallow layers to rapid coseismic slip. Satellite observations made in the first month after the earthquake detected no post-seismic deformation (i.e., below one fringe or 2.8 cm). The seismic fault may be identified with the Avli (Lagouta) segment of the NNE-SSW striking, west-dipping, 23 km-long neotectonic Kastelli Fault Zone (KFZ). Part of the rupture occurred along the Kastelli segment, indicating a fault segment linkage and a history of overlapping ruptures along KFZ. Based on geological data and footwall topography we estimate an average slip rate between 0.17–0.26 mm/yr for the KFZ. The Arkalochori earthquake is a paradigm example for the on-going extension of Heraklion basin (central Crete) in the WNW-ESE direction, which is almost orthogonal to the E-W Messara graben and other active faults along the south coast of Crete.

The wildfires of summer 2021 in Greece were among the most severe forest fire events that have occurred in the country over the past decade. The conflagration period lasted for 20 days (i.e., from 27 July to 16 August 2021) and resulted in the devastation of an area of more than 3600 Km2. Forest fire events of similar severity also struck other Mediterranean countries during this period. Apart from their direct impacts, forest fires also render an area more susceptible to runoff erosion by massively removing its vegetation, among other factors. It is clear that immediately after a forest fire, most areas are much more susceptible to erosion. In this paper, we evaluate the erosion hazard of Attica, Northern Euboea, and the Peloponnese that were devastated by forest fires during the summer of 2021 in Greece, in comparison with their geological and geomorphological structures, as well as land cover and management. Given that a very significant part of these areas were burnt during the major conflagrations of this summer, erosion risk, as well as flood risk, are expected to be very high, especially for the coming autumn and winter. For the evaluation of erosion risk, the burnt areas were mapped, and the final erosion-risk maps were constructed through GIS software. The final maps suggest that most of the burnt areas are highly susceptible to future surface runoff erosion events. View Full-Text

Transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans that expresses the full-length wild-type human alpha-synuclein in dopaminergic neurons provides a well-established Parkinson's disease (PD) nematode model. Here, we present a detailed protocol to monitor and dissect the molecular underpinnings of age-associated neurodegeneration using this PD nematode model. This protocol includes preparation of nematode growth media and bacterial food sources, as well as procedures for nematode growth, synchronization, and treatment. We then describe procedures to assess dopaminergic neuronal death in vivo using fluorescence imaging. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to SenGupta et al. (2021).

Geological heritage or geoheritage refers to the total of geosites, i.e., areas of high geological interest in a given area. Geosites have a high potential of attracting geotourists, thus contributing to the development of the local economy. Assessing sites of geological interest can contribute to their promotion, as well as their preservation and protection. Greece’s geotectonic position in the convergent zone between the African and Eurasian plates has contributed to the existence of a considerable wealth of geosites, with the particularly active geotectonic region of the Ionian Sea characterized as a geoheritage hotspot. The purpose of this study is the selection of several such sites from the islands of Lefkas, Meganisi, Kefalonia and Ithaki and their assessment regarding their scientific, environmental, cultural, economic and aesthetic value. The most representative sites for the individual disciplines of geology (e.g., geomorphology, tectonics, stratigraphy and palaeontology) have been chosen, mapped and assessed, while indicative georoutes are proposed, which could aid the island’s geotouristic promotion to geologist and non-geologist future visitors.

The article investigates the impact of the issuance of Tier 1 and Tier 2 regulatory capital by Greek banks for the period 2002-2020 on the return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), leverage ratios (SLR) and liquidity and funding ratios (NSFR), by taking also into account the changes in the macroeconomic environment with variables such as GDP and unemployment. In this context, we perform data analysis on 14 systemic and non-systemic Greek banks and we find that capital ratios of banking institutions affect profitability, asset quality and earnings, liquidity and leverage. Bank size, loan-to-deposit ratio and NPLs ratio are important determinants of banks’ profitability. Finally, unemployment is an important exogenous determinant of profitability ratios.

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been investigated over the past years with the aim of identifying any association with the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, information regarding the potential association of VDR SNP haplotypes with AD is limited. The aim of the present study was to provide additional knowledge on the effects of VDR haplotypes on the development of late-onset AD in a cohort of Southeastern European Caucasians (SECs). The study sample included 78 patients with late-onset AD and 103 healthy subjects as the control group. VDR SNPs that were analyzed were TaqI (rs731236), BsmI (rs1544410) and FokI (rs2228570). The CAC (TaqI, BsmI and FokI) haplotype was found to be associated with a 53% lower risk of developing the disease (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.23-0.96; P=0.04) and the TAC (TaqI, BsmI and FokI) haplotype was associated with an ~6-fold greater risk of developing AD (OR, 6.19; 95% CI, 1.91-20.13; P=0.0028). Female subjects carrying the TAC haplotype had a ~9-fold greater risk of developing AD in comparison to female control subjects (OR, 9.27; 95% CI, 1.86-46.28; P<0.05). The TaqI and BsmI polymorphisms were in high linkage disequilibrium (D'=0.9717, r=0.8467) and produced a haplotype with a statistically significant different frequency between the control and AD group. The TA (TaqI and BsmI) haplotype was associated with an ~8-fold greater risk of developing AD (OR, 8.27; 95% CI, 2.70-25.28; P<0.05). Female TA carriers had an ~14-fold greater risk of developing the disease in comparison to female control subjects (OR, 13.93; 95% CI, 2.95-65.87; P<0.05). On the whole, the present study demonstrates that in the SEC population, TAC and TA are risk haplotypes for AD, while the CAC haplotype may act protectively. SEC women carrying the TAC or TA haplotype are at a greater risk of developing AD, thus suggesting that women are markedly affected by the poor utilization of vitamin D induced by the VDR haplotype

The role of vitamin D in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) has been studied over the past years. The results from numerous studies have indicated that the molecular pathways involved in the development of AD are closely related to the molecular pathways of the mechanisms of action of vitamin D. However, only a limited number of studies have described the key role of vitamin D receptor (VDR) in the regulation of the functions of vitamin D and the potential effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the VDR gene. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the VDR TaqI polymorphism in relation to AD in a Southeastern European Caucasian (SEC) cohort. Further, the present study aimed to compare the results obtained with those of other AD populations. For this purpose, blood samples from 90 confirmed patients with AD [median age, 74 years; median mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score of 21; median frontal assessment battery (FAB) score of 10] and 103 healthy controls (median age, 57 years) were analyzed to determine the genotypes of TaqI (rs731236) using quantitative PCR. The frequencies (%) of the TaqI TT, TC and CC genotypes in the controls/patients were 34/48.9, 47.6/41.1 and 18.4/10.0, respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed for the TaqI C allele [odds ratio (OR). 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.30-0.96; P=0.035], the TaqI TT genotype (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.04-3.32; P=0.035) and the TaqI CC genotype (OR, 0.119; 95% CI, 0.014-0.995; P=0.032,) in relation to the MMSE score <21 in the patient's group. The TaqI TT allele was found to increase the risk of developing AD by 1.86-fold in the SEC population, while the TaqI C allele may act protectively, with a 46% lower risk of developing the disease. Patients with the TaqI CC genotype were found to have an 88% less likelihood of developing severe cognitive impairment based on the MMSE score. On the whole, the present study did not confirm the results of previous studies on the VDR TaqI C allele in patients with AD

X-Ray pulsars are systems powered by accretion, the majority of which is found in Be X-ray binaries (BeXRBs). The study of Giant outbursts (L$_{X}$ > 10$^{38}$ erg s$ ^{-1}$) in such systems becomes very relevant in the advent of the recent discoveries of pulsating ultra-luminous X-ray sources (PULXs) with an apparent isotropic luminosity above the Eddington limit for a typical neutron star (NS) demonstrating that stable accretion onto NSs is possible at super - Eddington rates. Given that PULXs host magnetized NSs, several attempts have been made to estimate the magnetic field of the NS using standard torque models. At the same time theoretical studies have demonstrated that it is required to adjust these models due to changes in the accretion disc structure when exceeding the Eddington limit. Motivated by these findings we studied torque models during Giant outbursts of BeXRBs monitored by Fermi/GBM and Swift/BAT. We developed a code to estimate posterior distributions for the parameters of standard accretion models and binary orbital parameters using a nested sampling algorithm for Bayesian Parameter Estimation. Most notably we applied our method to the recently discovered Swift J0243.6+6124 (i.e., the only known Galactic PULX) and we illustrate that the standard torque models need adjustment to explain the observed spin evolution of the NS. Finally, we discuss the implications the newest GAIA distances have on the NS equation of state.

Beachrocks are a window to the past environmental, geological, sedimentological and morphological conditions that were dominant in the coastal zone during their formation. Furthermore, beachrocks have the ability to reduce coastal erosion impact on sandy beaches. This study focuses on the beachrock formation mechanism through the comparison of cement characteristics, mineral chemistry and sedimentology of beachrock occurrences from two different geological and geographical localities: Diolkos, Corinth, Greece and Sumuide, Okinawa, Japan. In addition, in order to investigate a potential soft engineering method to protect coasts from erosion, artificial beachrock samples were created in vitro using sand samples and ureolytic bacteria from both areas under accelerating conditions. For Okinawa artificial beachrock experiments, the bacteria Pararhodobacter sp. was used, and for Diolkos, it was the bacteria Micrococcus yunnainensis sp. For the natural beachrocks, a multi-analytical approach was accomplished with the use of microscopic investigation, a scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence. Correlations were made between natural and artificial beachrocks. Results have shown that Diolkos beachrock was formed in the upper part of the intertidal zone, consisting of detrital material originating from the local bedrock, while Sumuide beachrock formed in the low intertidal–upper subtidal zone, consisting of coral sand and foraminifera fragments. For the artificial beachrocks, three samples were created using the microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) method, one from Diolkos (Corinth, Greece) and two from Sumuide (Okinawa, Japan). Diolkos artificial beachrock was better consolidated in comparison to Sumuide. Our investigation has shown that bacterial density was the key factor for the creation of the artificial beachrocks, while the samples’ granulometry played a secondary role in the process. The laboratory artificial beachrocks show encouraging results for a new soft engineering method to encounter beach erosion while keeping an ecofriendly character by saving energy, material resources and gas emissions. Artificial beachrocks can share the same properties of a natural beachrock and can contribute positively to marine biodiversity as a natural rocky habitat.

Blazar hadronic models have been developed in the past decades as an alternative to leptonic ones. In hadronic models the gamma-ray emission is associated with synchrotron emission by protons, and/or secondary leptons produced in proton-photon interactions. Together with photons, hadronic emission models predict the emission of neutrinos that are therefore the smoking gun for acceleration of relativistic hadrons in blazar jets. The simulation of proton-photon interactions and all associated radiative processes is a complex numerical task, and different approaches to the problem have been adopted in the literature. So far, no systematic comparison between the different codes has been performed, preventing a clear understanding of the underlying uncertainties in the numerical simulations. To fill this gap, we have undertaken the first comprehensive comparison of blazar hadronic codes, and the results from this effort will be presented in this contribution.

Using the example of the Raymond Duncan family this article will explore the human body as an object of self-determination, a means of overcoming social boundaries, a field of racist shooting and phobic enforcement, a reference point of public outrage and the complex between sociality and corporality, but also as a tool of political vigilance and social intervention. Does a body dressed in a tunic resist the western way of life? Or is it a stereotypical outpouring of people unable to modernize? Is the body instrumentalized as a means of narrating exoticism? The bodies of the Duncan family members are an occasion for discussion in the public sphere, even today.

This monograph is a detailed introduction to the nascent and ever-evolving fields of metamaterials and nanophotonics, with key techniques and applications needed for a comprehensive understanding of these fields all detailed. These include the 'standard' and high-accuracy 'nonstandard' FDTD techniques, finite-difference frequency-domain mode solvers, the transfer matrix method, analytic calculations for dielectric and plasmonic waveguides, dispersion, Maxwell-Bloch and density functional theory, as well as design methods for constructing metamaterials and nanolasers, and quantum plasmonics. The book is intended for final-year undergraduates, as well as postgraduates or active researchers who wish to understand and enter these fields in a 'user-friendly' manner, and who have a basic understanding of and familiarity with electromagnetic theory.

This study examined the connection between two prominent deficits in schizophrenia: the deficit in parasympathetic regulation and the deficit in cognitive inhibitory control, within the framework of the Neurovisceral Integration Model (NIM).Thirty healthy controls and 30 patients with schizophrenia performed the internationally standardized antisaccade protocol while their electrocardiographic data were recorded. The interaction between the group, the cognitive inhibitory control as measured with error rate (ER) in the antisaccade task and parasympathetic activity as measured with the High Frequency power component of Heart Rate Variability (HF-HRV) was tested.Findings confirmed that decreased HF-HRV was specifically related to increased ER in patients with schizophrenia. In contrast, patient deficits in other oculomotor function measures such as reaction time and reaction time variability related to volitional movement control and cognitive stability respectively were not linked to the deficit in parasympathetic regulation.Our study validates the theory behind NIM proposing that cognitive inhibition has common physiological substrate with parasympathetic regulation. Future research could test this brain-heart link in other mental disorders especially those with a prominent deficit in inhibitory cognitive function.

Αn isotype heterojunction n+-ZnO/n-Si photodetector is developed, demonstrating wavelength-selective or broadband operation, depending on the applied bias voltage. Additionally, at self-powered (zero bias) operation, it distinguishes between UV, visible, and near IR (NIR) photons by polarity control of the photocurrent. The photodetector is developed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZnO on n-Si, followed by electric contact deposition and annealing. Photoluminescence measurements reveal high optical quality and improved crystallinity of annealed ZnO on silicon. Photocurrent measurements as a function of illumination wavelength and bias voltage show small negative values in the UV–visible spectral range at zero and positive bias voltage and high positive values in the NIR spectral range. For these measurements, we consider the electric contact to ZnO as the anode and the electric contact to silicon as the cathode. At negative bias voltage, the device shows broadband operation with high photocurrent values across the UV–vis-NIR.

Objective: A fine-tuned balance of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation is essential for organ formation, with disturbances influencing many health outcomes. In utero, glucocorticoids have been linked to brain-related negative outcomes, with unclear underlying mechanisms, especially regarding cell-type-specific effects. An in vitro model of fetal human brain development, induced human pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cerebral organoids, was used to test whether cerebral organoids are suitable for studying the impact of prenatal glucocorticoid exposure on the developing brain. Methods: The GR was activated with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone, and the effects were mapped using single-cell transcriptomics across development. Results: The GR was expressed in all cell types, with increasing expression levels through development. Not only did its activation elicit translocation to the nucleus and the expected effects on known GR-regulated pathways, but also neurons and progenitor cells showed targeted regulation of differentiation- and maturation-related transcripts. Uniquely in neurons, differentially expressed transcripts were significantly enriched for genes associated with behavior-related phenotypes and disorders. This human neuronal glucocorticoid response profile was validated across organoids from three independent hiPSC lines reprogrammed from different source tissues from both male and female donors. Conclusions: These findings suggest that excessive glucocorticoid exposure could interfere with neuronal maturation in utero, leading to increased disease susceptibility through neurodevelopmental processes at the interface of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure. Cerebral organoids are a valuable translational resource for exploring the effects of glucocorticoids on early human brain development. Keywords: Biology; Brain; Child/Adolescent Psychiatry; Development; Glucocorticoid Receptor; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Pre/Peri/Postnatal Issues; Stress; Translational Research.     

PLCgamma enzymes are autoinhibited in resting cells and form key components of intracellular signaling that are also linked to disease development. Insights into physiological and aberrant activation of PLCgamma require understanding of an active, membrane-bound form, which can hydrolyze inositol-lipid substrates. Here, we demonstrate that PLCgamma1 cannot bind membranes unless the autoinhibition is disrupted. Through extensive molecular dynamics simulations and experimental evidence, we characterize membrane binding by the catalytic core domains and reveal previously unknown sites of lipid interaction. The identified sites act in synergy, overlap with autoinhibitory interfaces, and are shown to be critical for the phospholipase activity in cells. This work provides direct evidence that PLCgamma1 is inhibited through obstruction of its membrane-binding surfaces by the regulatory region and that activation must shift PLCgamma1 to a conformation competent for membrane binding. Knowledge of the critical sites of membrane interaction extends the mechanistic framework for activation, dysregulation, and therapeutic intervention.

Undisputedly, the 61st round of Greek-Turkish exploratory talks has not comeas something totally unexpected. Several signs at the level either of Greece’s internal policy-making processes or the one of international alliances have indicated that Ankara sought persistently for a lifeline and finally, this was given by Athens. The current paper describes analytically the evolutions before the “Greek-Turkish dialogue”, makes an extensive analysis of the content of recent agreements of EEZ delineation and proceeds into policy proposals with regard to how Greek geostrategy has to be formed while it stands critical against current strategic decisions. For this reason and on the eve of the “dialogue”, relevant questions are posed: Under what conditions will it take place? With what correlations of power at operational level? How far does Turkey intend to go in order to shape these correlations to its benefit and to what extent does Greece intend to continue to back down, given that making concessions all the time gives rise to new demands? Citing maps and law texts, this paper gives emphasis on the pathogenies of Greek foreign policy and how these are reflected onto current policies.

The broad high-energy spectral component in blazars is usually attributed to various inverse Compton scattering processes in the relativistic jet, but has not been clearly identified in most cases due to degeneracies in physical models. AP Librae, a low-synchrotron-peaking BL Lac object (LBL) detected in 2015 by H.E.S.S. at very high energies (VHE; >0.5 TeV), has an extremely broad high-energy spectrum, covering ~9 decades in energy. Standard synchrotron self-Compton models generally fail to reproduce the VHE emission, which has led to the suggestion that it might arise not from the blazar core, but on kiloparsec scales from inverse Compton (IC) scattering of cosmic microwave background (CMB) photons by a still-relativistic jet (IC/CMB). IC/CMB models for the TeV emission of AP Librae in prior works have implied a high level of infrared emission from the kiloparsec-scale jet. With newly obtained Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging, we obtain a deep upper limit on the kiloparsec-scale jet emission at 1.6 μm, well below the expected level. High-resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array imaging in bands 3-9 reveals a residual dust-disk signature after core subtraction, with a clearly thermal spectrum, and an extent (~500 pc) that matches with a nonjet residual emission seen after point-spread function subtraction in our 1.6 μm HST imaging. We find that the unusually broad GeV and VHE emission in AP Librae can be reproduced through the combined IC scattering of photons from the CMB and the dust disk, respectively, by electrons in both the blazar core and subkiloparsec jet.

BACKGROUND: Burn injury (BI) is one of the most serious causes of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. BI triggers an initial stage of hyperinflammation, followed by hypersecretion of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. IL- 18 is a vital pro-inflammatory cytokine, the effect of which has been investigated not only in animal models but also in adult patients. No study has yet examined the association of serum IL- 18 levels and the clinical significance in the course of pediatric BI. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study including all children with burn injuries who were hospitalized from December 2015 to December 2018 in a tertiary Children's Hospital. RESULTS: A total of 55 children with BI were included. In the present study, we found a strong positive correlation between total body surface area (TBSA) and the levels of IL-18 at admission and on the third day postburn, respectively. The WBC count, the number of lymphocytes and the CRP levels at admission revealed a strong, positive correlation with IL-18 levels. The correlation between IL-18 levels at admission and the length of stay (LOS) was moderate. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that the levels of IL-18 collected at admission correlate positively with the extent of TBSA and inflammatory indices in pediatric patients. Moreover, IL-18 levels at admission may not be the most accurate prognostic factor regarding the LOS. However, further research is needed in order to establish more accurate predictive factors for the outcome of BIs in pediatric patients

The infinite time of oral drug absorption was conceived from the first day of the birth of pharmacokinetics when H. Dost introduced the term pharmacokinetics in his book published in 1953. He adopted the function developed by H. Bateman back in 1908 for the decay of the nuclei isotopes to describe oral drug absorption as a first-order process. We unveiled this false hypothesis relying on common wisdom i.e. drugs are absorbed in finite time. This false assumption had dramatic effects on the evolution of oral pharmacokinetics but most importantly on the bioavailability and bioequivalence concepts and metrics. This work focuses on the finite absorption time (FAT) concept, the relevant Physiologically Based Finite Time (PBFTPK) models developed and their applications in oral pharmacokinetics, bioavailability and bioequivalence. The crux of the matter is that drug absorption from the gastrointestinal tract takes place under sink conditions because of the high blood flow rate in the vena cava. The termination of oral, pulmonary and intranasal drug absorption at a specific time point, calls for regulatory changes in bioavailability and bioequivalence studies in terms of the study design and metrics used for the bioequivalence assessment.

Motivated by the control problem of a robot tracked vehicle, the problem of common noninteracting control with simultaneous partial output zeroing is introduced and solved for the case of multi model normal linear time invariant systems, using a regular and static measurement output feedback controller. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the solvability of the problem are established, and the general solution of the controllers is derived. The present design results are successfully applied to the two-model description of the robot tracked vehicle, through a common controller, using only measurements of the motor currents and the orientation of the vehicle. Additionally, approximate asymptotic command following is achieved. Finally, using a metaheuristic algorithm the transient behavior of the independently controlled outputs, is improved.

In this study, the geoeducational value of five geosites, located in the aspiring geopark of the volcanic island of Nisyros, SE Aegean Sea, was assessed by means of two methods: the G-P method of Brilha (2016) and the M-GAM method. The first method takes into account 12 criteria belonging to the educational potential. The M-GAM method, on the other hand, takes into account the opinions of visitors who, as non-experts, express a different point of view that is rarely calculated or evaluated in different geosite assessment methods. For the better and more objective comparison of the two methods of evaluation of the educational potential of the study areas, the results were converted to a percentage scale (%). The first G-P method clearly highlights the high geological value of the studied geosites, which have a relatively high score and can be used for geotourism and geoeducation. The second method, on the other hand, yields a moderate score in areas with objectively high geological value. This is clearly evident, as this method considers the opinions of visitors who lack the necessary cognitive geological background, thereby underestimating the significance and potential of certain geological features due to lack of formal training.

The maintenance of a healthy mitochondrial network and the ability to adjust organelle population in response to internal or external stimuli are essential for the function and the survival of eukaryotic cells. Over the last two decades several studies have demonstrated the paramount importance of mitophagy, a selective form of autophagy that removes damaged and/or superfluous organelles, in organismal physiology. Post-mitotic neuronal cells are particularly vulnerable to mitochondrial damage, and mitophagy impairment has emerged as a causative factor in multiple neurodegenerative pathologies, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease among others. Although mitochondrial turnover is a multifaceted process, neurons have to tackle additional complications, arising from their pronounced bioenergetic demands and their unique architecture and cellular polarisation that render the degradation of distal organelles challenging. Mounting evidence indicates that despite the functional conservation of mitophagy pathways, the unique features of neuronal physiology have led to the adaptation of compartmentalised solutions, which serve to ensure seamless mitochondrial removal in every part of the cell. In this review, we summarise the current knowledge concerning the molecular mechanisms that mediate mitophagy compartmentalisation and discuss their implications in various human pathologies.

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated complete blood count-derived inflammation indices in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO). METHODS: Participants in this case-control study were 54 patients with RVO and 54 age- and sex-matched control subjects. All participants underwent a thorough ophthalmic examination, as well as blood sample testing for complete blood count. Comparison of all parameters derived from complete blood count as well as calculation of specific indices was performed between patients with RVO and controls. RESULTS: Patients with RVO presented significantly higher white blood cell count (p = 0.033), neutrophil count (p = 0.003), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR, p = 0.002), red cell distribution width (RDW, p = 0.009), mean platelet volume (MPV, p = 0.023), and systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII, p = 0.007) compared to controls. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that NLR was superior to other inflammatory indices, having the greatest area under the curve. The optimal cutoff value for NLR to predict RVO was 2.29 with 46.2% sensitivity and 77.8% specificity. CONCLUSION: Patients with RVO presented increased NLR, RDW, MPV, and SII, providing evidence that inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of RVO. Complete blood cell count-derived indices can be easily calculated and may serve as an easy, simple, and cost-effective tool to evaluate the degree of systemic inflammation in patients with RVO, so as to potentially guide treatment

Complex time-dependent Lyapunov equation (CTDLE), as an important means of stability analysis of control systems, has been extensively employed in mathematics and engineering application fields. Recursive neural networks (RNNs) have been reported as an effective method for solving CTDLE. In the previous work, zeroing neural networks (ZNNs) have been established to find the accurate solution of time-dependent Lyapunov equation (TDLE) in the noise-free conditions. However, noises are inevitable in the actual implementation process. In order to suppress the interference of various noises in practical applications, in this paper, a complex noise-resistant ZNN (CNRZNN) model is proposed and employed for the CTDLE solution. Additionally, the convergence and robustness of the CNRZNN model are analyzed and proved theoretically. For verification and comparison, three experiments and the existing noise-tolerant ZNN (NTZNN) model are introduced to investigate the effectiveness, convergence and robustness of the CNRZNN model. Compared with the NTZNN model, the CNRZNN model has more generality and stronger robustness. Specifically, the NTZNN model is a special form of the CNRZNN model, and the residual error of CNRZNN can converge rapidly and stably to order 10−5 when solving CTDLE under complex linear noises, which is much lower than order 10−1 of the NTZNN model. Analogously, under complex quadratic noises, the residual error of the CNRZNN model can converge to 2∥A∥F/ζ3 quickly and stably, while the residual error of the NTZNN model is divergent.

The game analysis is known as a useful tool for understanding the level of technical-tactical performance of volleyball. As one of the main characteristics of volleyball is defined as the intense relationship between its skills and concluded performance, the present study aimed to perform a comprehensive analysis of the serve reception zone, set zone and attack quality of the top-level volleyball players. The analysis process included reviewing the videos of the games by an experienced scout man who was an expert analyst and specialist in the knowledge of volleyball skills. Initially, during each game video checking, data were collected, and irrelevant/invalid outputs were deleted. Data were exported to the Data Volley special volleyball analysis software. Bivariate associations were assessed for pairs of variables with Pearson’s chi-squared tests. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Moreover, the effect size was calculated in terms of Crammer’s V, with values of <0.1, 0.1-0.3 and > 0.5 for small, medium, and large effects respectively. The results showed that there were significant relationships between reception zone with setting zone, setting zone with attack quality as well as reception zone with attack quality. Coaches may consider the relationship between critical skills of volleyball to promote their team performance.

This paper investigates the problem of computing the time-varying {2,3}- and {2,4}-inverses through the zeroing neural network (ZNN) method, which is presently regarded as a state-of-the-art method for computing the time-varying matrix Moore–Penrose inverse. As a result, two new ZNN models, dubbed ZNN23I and ZNN24I, for the computation of the time-varying {2,3}- and {2,4}-inverses, respectively, are introduced, and the effectiveness of these models is evaluated. Numerical experiments investigate and confirm the efficiency of the proposed ZNN models for computing the time-varying {2,3}- and {2,4}-inverses.

In this paper we use learning trajectories to study 11th grade students’ conceptualization of function as a covariational relationship between two quantities while they engaged in modeling tasks to support their experimentation and conceptualizations. Pairs of students used digital tools that offer integrated representations of functions while working on an instructional sequence of modeling tasks in their mathematics classrooms. The analysis shows students’ progressive conceptualization of functional relationships starting from quantitative and covariational relationships using learning trajectories. The findings indicate the potential of upper secondary students to conceptualize function as a covariational relationship involving the rate of change, as well as the role of the available tools and the role of models and their connections in students’ conceptualizations.

Several models have been suggested to explain the fast gamma-ray variability observed in blazars, but its origin is still debated. One scenario is magnetic reconnection, a process that can efficiently convert magnetic energy to energy of relativistic particles accelerated in the reconnection layer. In our study, we compare results from state-of-the-art particle-in-cell simulations with observations of blazars at Very High Energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma-rays. Our goal is to test our model predictions on fast gamma-ray variability with data and to constrain the parameter space of the model, such as the magnetic field strength of the unreconnected plasma and the reconnection layer orientation in the blazar jet. For this first comparison, we used the remarkably well-sampled VHE gamma-ray light curve of Mrk 421 observed with the MAGIC and VERITAS telescopes in 2013.The simulated VHE light curves were generated using the observable parameters of Mrk 421, such as the jet power, bulk Lorentz factor, and the jet viewing angle, and sampled as real data. Our results pave the way for future model-to-data comparison with next-generation Cherenkov telescopes, which will help further constrain the different variability models.

A stellar occultation by Neptune's main satellite, Triton, was observed on 5 October 2017 from Europe, North Africa, and the USA. We derived 90 light curves from this event, 42 of which yielded a central flash detection. We aimed at constraining Triton's atmospheric structure and the seasonal variations of its atmospheric pressure since the Voyager 2 epoch (1989). We also derived the shape of the lower atmosphere from central flash analysis. We used Abel inversions and direct ray-tracing code to provide the density, pressure, and temperature profiles in the altitude range $\sim$8 km to $\sim$190 km, corresponding to pressure levels from 9 {\mu}bar down to a few nanobars. Results. (i) A pressure of 1.18$\pm$0.03 {\mu}bar is found at a reference radius of 1400 km (47 km altitude). (ii) A new analysis of the Voyager 2 radio science occultation shows that this is consistent with an extrapolation of pressure down to the surface pressure obtained in 1989. (iii) A survey of occultations obtained between 1989 and 2017 suggests that an enhancement in surface pressure as reported during the 1990s might be real, but debatable, due to very few high S/N light curves and data accessible for reanalysis. The volatile transport model analysed supports a moderate increase in surface pressure, with a maximum value around 2005-2015 no higher than 23 {\mu}bar. The pressures observed in 1995-1997 and 2017 appear mutually inconsistent with the volatile transport model presented here. (iv) The central flash structure does not show evidence of an atmospheric distortion. We find an upper limit of 0.0011 for the apparent oblateness of the atmosphere near the 8 km altitude.

Psychiatric disorders that are characterized by impairments in sustained attention, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and major depression are also sensitive to exacerbation by stress. Sustained attention relies on cholinergic and non-cholinergic projections from the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) in the basal forebrain to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We have previously shown that central administration of the stress neuropeptide corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) impairs performance on the sustained attention task (SAT) in adult male and female rats. The present study investigated whether this effect was mediated by CRF's action in the NBM. Rats were administered CRF in the NBM and subsequent SAT performance was measured. A high dose of CRF (100 ng) significantly impaired performance on non-signaled events across sex. Because performance on non-signaled events is believed to depend on non-cholinergic (i.e., GABA and glutamate) signaling, high performance liquid chromatography was used to quantify amino acid levels in the NBM and mPFC. We found females have higher levels of glutamate, glutamine, GABA glycine, and alanine in the NBM than males. Importantly, CRF in the NBM led to a local decrease of taurine and several amino acids involved in glutamate synthesis in males and females, changes which may mediate the CRF-induced SAT performance deficit. Together these studies suggest that CRF regulation of amino acids in the NMB contributes to stress-induced attention deficits.

In mitochondria, complex IV (CIV) can be found as a monomer, a dimer or in association with other respiratory complexes. The atomic structure of the yeast S. cerevisiae CIV in a supercomplex (SC) with complex III (CIII) pointed to a region of significant conformational changes compared to the homologous mammalian CIV structures. These changes involved the matrix side domain of Cox5A at the CIII-CIV interface, and it was suggested that it could be required for SC formation. To investigate this, we solved the structure of the isolated monomeric CIV from S. cerevisiae stabilised in amphipol A8-35 at 3.9 A using cryo-electron microscopy. Only a minor change in flexibility was seen in this Cox5A region, ruling out large CIV conformational shift for interaction with CIII and confirming the different fold of the yeast Cox5A subunit compared to mammalian homologues. Other differences in structure were the absence of two canonical subunits, Cox12 and Cox13, as well as Cox26, which is unique to the yeast CIV. Their absence is most likely due to the protein purification protocol used to isolate CIV from the III-IV SC.

Recent synthesis of cyclo[18]carbon has spurred increasing interest in carbon rings. We focus on a comparative inspection of ground and excited states{,} as well as of hole transfer properties of cumulenic and polyynic cyclo[18]carbon via Density Functional Theory (DFT){,} time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) and real-time time-dependent DFT (RT-TDDFT). Zero-point vibrations are also accounted for{,} using a Monte Carlo sampling technique and a less exact{,} yet mode-resolved{,} quadratic approximation. The inclusion of zero-point vibrations leads to a red-shift on the HOMO–LUMO gap and the first singlet and triplet excitation energies of both conformations{,} correcting the values of the ‘static’ configurations by 9% to 24%. Next{,} we oxidize the molecule{,} creating a hole at one carbon atom. Hole transfer along polyynic cyclo[18]carbon is decreased in magnitude compared to its cumulenic counterpart and lacks the symmetric features the latter displays. Contributions by each mode to energy changes and hole transfer between diametrically opposed atoms vary{,} with specific bond-stretching modes being dominant.

For the class of general neutral multi delay systems with measurable and non-measurable (unknown) disturbances, the problem of triangular decoupling with simultaneous disturbance rejection, is studied via delayless dynamic and/or static controllers, feeding back the measurement outputs and the measurable disturbances. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the problem to have a solution via delayless dynamic controllers are established and the general form of the delayless dynamic controller matrices solving the problem are derived. For the delayless static controller case, the respective solvability conditions and general controller solutions are derived.

The paper presents the background, design, implementation and impact of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme of the EU-funded ENRICH Project, which ran from 2018 to 2021. The programme, which has been freely available online since January 2022 (http://enrichproject.eu), aims at implementing the principles and processes of ELF awareness in empowering English language teachers to integrate the role of English as a Lingua Franca in their multilingual classrooms. We begin by justifying the development of the ENRICH Project with reference to the policies of the European Union supporting multilingualism and go on to discuss the principles of ELF awareness that informed the ENRICH CPD programme. We also present the priorities, target groups, key objectives and innovative practices of the ENRICH CPD programme. The paper is rounded up with a sample of participants’ responses to certain CPD activities and with an appreciation of the impact of the programme on participant teachers and their learners.

The paper presents four premises and two principles guiding the ENRICH Project, an EU-funded (Erasmus+) project that ran from 2018 to 2021 and developed an innovative online continuous professional development programme aimed at educating teachers of English as a foreign language in raising their own and their learners’ ELF awareness. I further discuss my own observations from the extensive training programme with regard to implications of ELF aware teacher education and pedagogy and present the essential ingredients of what I call the “ELF state of mind”.

Purpose The development of health literacy skills is of paramount importance especially for students, as it is associated with their wellbeing and academic success. Assessing students' health literacy is necessary for its advancement. This study comes to fill the need for a valid multidimensional health literacy assessment instrument for secondary school students. Design/methodology/approach Initially, the authors defined the conceptual framework within which the items of this instrument were generated. Its final form was obtained through three pilot studies. A test-retest followed and, finally, a nationwide survey was conducted on Greek seventh-, ninth- and tenth-grade students (N = 2,800). Findings A 37-item instrument, the Health Literacy Assessment for Secondary School Students (HeLiASeSS), was developed which includes the following nine dimensions/skills of health literacy: “access to”, “understand” and “evaluate” (health information), “functional communication”, “interactive communication” and “critical communication”, “relying on health information”, “self-efficacy regarding health matters” and “intention for active citizenship regarding health matters”. HeLiASeSS proved to have good stability (ICC = 0.943) and high internal consistency reliability (a = 0.903). Originality/value HeLiASeSS offers the possibility of a reliable and valid assessment of secondary school students' health literacy skills providing a multidimensional evaluation of this construct and is expected to be useful in interventions aiming at promoting this type of literacy.

This article examines the different registers of music interaction between Greek Orthodox and Jewish communities of Istanbul in the late Ottoman period. Intercommunal interaction is approached within the broader framework of modernization of music and in relation to the degree in which this interaction was implicated in the modernization process. New forms of music sociality related to music print and entertainment in which musicians and other agents from the two com- munities participated are analyzed in terms of their spatial dimension and as knots in a network of important locales within the city. This spatial approach challenges the centralized narratives concerning the modernization of Ottoman music and highlights the important role of local intermediaries and new economic patterns in shaping Otto- man musical modernity. KEYWORDS: Greek Orthodox, Jews, Istanbul, music print, sociality, Ottoman modernity

Purpose - The purpose of this study is twofold: To provide a general overview of the existing literature circulating the Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) in the European Banking System and to provide evidence of the future of European NPL developments, from the prism of the recent Covid-19 pandemic and the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) factors, placing the focus on the Greek banking sector. Design/methodology/approach - The research methodology implemented is a critical overview of the existing literature regarding NPLs, comprising of officially published papers. Due to the fact that both the Covid-19 pandemic & and the ESG factors are very recent, the papers included are mainly of theoretical nature. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the NPL literature, placing the focus on the implications that the recent worldwide developments will have on NPL flows. Findings - The findings showed that Covid -19 is expected to negative impact the European NPLs. Moreover, the alterations due to the implementation of ESG factors will cause major effects to the European banking system, which are expected to withhold the upcoming the NPL level increase. Originality/value - This paper offers the first attempt, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, by analyzing the existing literature regarding Covid-19 & ESG, expected to have a profound impact on the NPLs stocks. It also provides a general overview of the expected impact of the two prementioned factors in the European NPLs, driven by the relative shortage of relevant research, while offering useful insights which contribute to a deeper understanding.

Recent observations of supermassive black holes have brought us new information on their magnetospheres. In this study, we attempt a theoretical modelling of the coupling of black holes with their jets and discs, via three innovations. First, we propose a semi-analytical MHD description of a steady relativistic inflow-outflow structure characteristic to the extraction of the hole rotational energy. The mass-loading is ensured in a thin layer, the stagnation surface, by a two-photon pair production originating to a gamma-ray emission from the surrounding disc. The double flow is described near the polar axis by an axisymmetric meridionally self-similar MHD model. Secondly, the inflow and outflow solutions are crossing the MHD critical points and are matched at the stagnation surface. Knowledge of the MHD field on the horizon gives us the angular momentum and energy extracted from the black hole. Finally, we illustrate the model with three specific examples of double-flow solutions by varying the energetic interaction between the MHD field and the rotating black hole. When the isorotation frequency is half of the black hole one, the extracted Poynting flux is comparable to the one obtained using the force-free assumption. In two of the presented solutions, the Penrose process dominates at large colatitudes, while the third is Poynting flux dominated at mid-colatitudes. Mass injection rate estimations, from disc luminosity and inner radius, give an upper limit just above the values obtained for two solutions. This model is pertinent to describe the flows near the polar axis, where pair production is more efficient.

Soil improvement via MICP (microbially induced carbonate precipitation) technologies has recently received widespread attention in the geoenvironmental and geotechnical fields. The durability of MICP-treated samples remains a critical concern in this novel method. In this work, fiber (jute)-reinforced MICP-treated samples were investigated to evaluate their durability under exposure to distilled water (DW) and artificial seawater (ASW), so as to advance the understanding of long-term performance mimicking real field conditions, along with improvement of the MICP-treated samples for use in coastal erosion protection. Primarily, the results showed that the addition of fiber (jute) improved the durability of the MICP-treated samples by more than 50%. Results also showed that the wet–dry (WD) cyclic process resulted in adverse effects on the mechanical and physical characteristics of fiber-reinforced MICP-treated samples in both DW and ASW. The breakdown of calcium carbonates and bonding effects in between the sand particles was discovered to be involved in the deterioration of MICP samples caused by WD cycles, and this occurs in two stages. The findings of this study would be extremely beneficial to extend the insight and understanding of improvement and durability responses for significant and effective MICP treatments and/or re-treatments.

The vortex matter properties of a Ba1-xKxFe2As2 single crystal (T-c = 38.2 K) were studied, by employing both isofield and isothermal ac-susceptibility measurements, chi(n)(f, H-0) = chi(n)' (f, H-0) - i chi(n)'' (f, H-0), in a wide range of frequencies and amplitudes of the applied ac magnetic field. The irreversibility line (H-irr(T, theta)), formally defined by the onset of the third harmonic, is recorded for both H parallel to c-axis and H parallel to ab-plane. It can be reproduced from the empirical equation, H-irr(T) = H-0(1 - T/T-c)(n), with n(c) = n(ab) = 1.24 and mu H-0(0)c = 210 Tesla, torro mu H-0(0)ab = 540 Tesla. The isofield measurements of the first harmonic revealed a narrow diamagnetic peak, related to a local peak of the critical current below the irreversibility line for both H parallel to c-axis and H parallel to ab-plane. The local peak for mu H-0 < 0.2 Tesla is transformed to a sudden drop before it completely disappears. Detailed ac-susceptibility measurements were conducted for frequencies ranging within f = 0.1 10 kHz. From these data, the pinning potential, U, is deduced both as function of temperature and dc magnetic field. These results revealed that the ac response of vortex matter exhibits three distinct dynamic behaviors. By employing a model proposed by Mikitik and Brandt (2001 Phys. Rev. B 64 184514), that is based on a Lindemann type criterion and the collective pinning theory, we reproduced the experimentally recorded vortex matter phase diagram by taking into account both thermal fluctuations and random point disorder. To this effect, we adopted a delta T-c, pinning mechanism, c(L) = 0.25, D-0/c(L) = 1.1-1.5 and a Ginzburg number Gi = 10(-3).

The pyroclastic rocks of the Lesvos Petrified Forest in the North Aegean comprise one of the early Miocene's most imposing megaflora assemblage. In this area, the new outcrop of Akrocheiras yielded numerous leaf compressions. Based on their macroscopic characteristics, we identified a total of sixteen different taxa, most of them of palaeotropical origin. Dominant species are Daphnogene polymorpha, Pungiphyllum cruciatum and Phoenicites sp., represented by more than 50% of the specimens. Several taxa are new for the Neogene palaeobotanical record of Lesvos Island, such as Laurophyllum sp. 1, Smilax weberi, Celtis japeti, div. Juglandaceae, Ilex miodipyrena, cf. Ilex sp. and Apocynophyllum sp., and provide new floristic data for the area. According to the vegetation analysis, the plant assemblage of Akrocheiras site assigned to lowland/riparian and mesophytic forests on well drained soils. The palaeoclimatic analysis for the new flora revealed a humid warm-temperate climate with seasonal alternations from wetter to drier conditions. The floristic characteristics are outlined, and the record is compared to other ones of the early Miocene period.

In recent years, the interest of society in the geoenvironment is constantly increasing [...]

OBJECTIVE: There have been concerns about the long term safety of paclitaxel coated devices in the lower limbs. A formal systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was performed to examine the long term risk of major amputation using paclitaxel coated balloons in peripheral arterial disease (PAD). METHOD: This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (ID 227761). A broad bibliographic search was performed for RCTs investigating paclitaxel coated balloons in the peripheral arteries (femoropopliteal and infrapopliteal) for treatment of intermittent claudication or critical limb ischaemia (CLI). The literature search was last updated on 20 February 2021 without any restrictions on publication language, date, or status. Major amputations were analysed with time to event methods employing one and two stage models. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses, combinatorial meta-analysis, and a multivariable dose response meta-analysis to examine presence of a biological gradient were also performed. RESULTS: In all, 21 RCTs with 3 760 lower limbs were analysed (52% intermittent claudication and 48% CLI; median follow up two years). There were 87 major amputations of 2 216 limbs in the paclitaxel arms (4.0% crude risk) compared with 41 major amputations in 1 544 limbs in the control arms (2.7% crude risk). The risk of major amputation was significantly higher for paclitaxel coated balloons with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.66 (95% CI 1.14 - 2.42; p = .008, one stage stratified Cox model). The prediction interval was 95% CI 1.10 - 2.46 (two stage model). The observed amputation risk was consistent for both femoropopliteal (p = .055) and infrapopliteal (p = .055) vessels. Number needed to harm was 35 for CLI. There was good evidence of a significant non-linear dose response relationship with accelerated risk per cumulative paclitaxel dose (chi square model p = .007). There was no evidence of publication bias (p = .80) and no significant statistical heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 0%, p = .77). Results were stable across sensitivity analyses (different models and subgroups based on anatomy and clinical indication and excluding unpublished trials). There were no influential single trials. Level of certainty in evidence was downrated from high to moderate because of sparse events in some studies. CONCLUSION: There appears to be heightened risk of major amputation after use of paclitaxel coated balloons in the peripheral arteries. Further investigations are warranted urgently.

{A skilled control of postural stability is fundamental in many of the actions performed by volleyball athletes. The effectiveness in serving, forearm passing or setting the ball is affected by the athlete’s ability to control their dynamic balance. When referring to team sports, earlier studies have shown that balance and proprioception training have the potential to induce performance enhancement in selected components of physical fitness and some technical skills but only few of them focus on the field of volleyball. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a balance and proprioception training program on dynamic balance and volleyball skills of female volleyball players aged 13-15 years. The sample is consisted by 18 participants who were divided into an experimental group (EG

The impact of ambient on the field emission and the resulting breakdown induced damage of rigid MEMS capacitive structure are investigated. The effect of asperities burning due to Joule heating and the resulting explosive breakdown are presented. The breakdown gives rise to almost mirror craters formation on the cathode and anode electrodes. A linear relation between crater diameter and the breakdown current is found when breakdown occurs in vacuum. In ambient atmosphere the breakdown leads to large amplitude current oscillations and the formation of extended damage on both electrodes.

The representation of boundary layer clouds during marine Cold-Air Outbreaks (CAO) remains a great challenge for weather prediction models. Recent studies have shown that the representation of the transition from closed stratocumulus clouds to convective cumulus open cells largely depends on microphysical and precipitation processes, which secondary ice production (SIP) may strongly modulate. In this study we use the Weather Research and Forecasting model to investigate the impact of the most well-known SIP mechanisms (Hallett-Mossop, mechanical break-up upon collisions between ice particles and drop-shattering) on a CAO case observed north of the United Kingdom in 2013. While Hallett-Mossop is the only SIP process extensively implemented in atmospheric models, our results indicate that the other two SIP mechanisms are also favored in the examined conditions. Activation of drop-shattering and especially collisional break-up can result in enhanced riming, ice depositional growth and/or ice aggregation. The first two processes quicken liquid depletion in the stratocumulus cloud, while along with aggregation, they enhance precipitation. The increased precipitation results in enhanced evaporation/sublimation in the sub-cloud layer, promoting boundary-layer decoupling, which further accelerates the onset of the stratocumulus break-up. However, the strong sensitivity to the expression of terminal velocity of the precipitating particles and the rimed fraction of cloud ice/snow suggests that the robust implementation of SIP to improve CAO predictions requires data from a large number of CAO events.

BACKGROUND: A clear patency benefit of a drug-eluting stent (DES) over bare metal stents (BMSs) for treating peripheral artery disease of the femoropopliteal segment has not been definitively demonstrated. The EMINENT study (Trial Comparing Eluvia Versus Bare Metal Stent in Treatment of Superficial Femoral and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery) was designed to evaluate the patency of the Eluvia DES (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA), a polymer-coated paclitaxel-eluting stent, compared with BMSs for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions. METHODS: EMINENT is a prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter European study with blinded participants and outcome assessment. Patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (Rutherford category 2, 3, or 4) of the native superficial femoral artery or proximal popliteal artery with stenosis ≥70%, vessel diameter of 4 to 6 mm, and total lesion length of 30 to 210 mm were randomly assigned 2:1 to treatment with DES or BMS. The primary effectiveness outcome was primary patency at 12 months, defined as independent core laboratory-assessed duplex ultrasound peak systolic velocity ratio ≤2.4 in the absence of clinically driven target lesion revascularization or surgical bypass of the target lesion. Primary sustained clinical improvement was a secondary outcome defined as a decrease in Rutherford classification of ≥1 categories compared with baseline without a repeat target lesion revascularization. Health-related quality of life and walking function were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 775 patients were randomly assigned to treatment with DES (n=508) or commercially available BMSs (n=267). Baseline clinical, demographic, and lesion characteristics were similar between the study groups. Mean lesion length was 75.6±50.3 and 72.2±47.0 mm in the DES and BMS groups, respectively. The 12-month incidence of primary patency for DES treatment (83.2% [337 of 405]) was significantly greater than for BMS (74.3% [165 of 222]; P<0.01). Incidence of primary sustained clinical improvement was greater among patients treated with the DES than among those who received a BMS (83.0% versus 76.6%; P=0.045). The health-related quality of life dimensions of mobility and pain/discomfort improved for the majority of patients in both groups (for 66.4% and 53.6% of DES-treated and for 64.2% and 58.1% of BMS-treated patients, respectively) but did not differ significantly. At 12 months, no statistical difference was observed in all-cause mortality between patients treated with the DES or BMS (2.7% [13 of 474] versus 1.1% [3 of 263]; relative risk, 2.4 [95% CI, 0.69-8.36]; P=0.15). CONCLUSIONS: By demonstrating superior 1-year primary patency, the results of the EMINENT randomized study support the benefit of using a polymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stent as a first-line stent-based intervention for patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease attributable to femoropopliteal lesions. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; Unique identifier: NCT02921230.

Resumen: Federico Gamboa en su novela Santa, mediante una crítica sutil del sistema político positivista, retrata varios aspectos de la sociedad mexicana durante el gobierno de Porfirio Díaz. Sin embargo, con el apoyo del Porfiriato y de las inversiones extranjeras, México conoce un período de prosperidad económica y de florecimiento tecnológico que atrae a inmigrantes europeos y norteamericanos. El autor mexicano, a través de la vida trágica de la protagonista en la capital mexicana, presenta el mosaico de la sociedad mexicana, cuya parte importante son los inmigrantes. En el presente estudio se analiza el perfil y la posición del inmigrante en el ambiente histórico social del Porfiriato con el objetivo de revelar tanto la mentalidad y la conducta de los mexicanos hacia los inmigrantes, como la de los inmigrantes hacia los mexicanos. Palabras clave: México, naturalismo, porfirismo, positivismo, inmigrante Abstract: Federico Gamboa, in his novel Santa, on the one hand criticizes the political system of positivism and on the other presents various aspects of the Mexican society during the Porfirio Díaz´ government. During this period, Mexico is experiencing an amazing economic growth and technological development that attract European and North American immigrants. In order to describe the protagonist´s life in the Mexican capital, Gamboa depicts the mosaic of the Mexican society whose major part are immigrants. In the present conference we analyze the profile and the position of the immigrant in the social environment of Porfirio Diaz time, in order to reveal the mentality and the behavior of both parties: the immigrants and the Mexicans. Keywords: México, naturalism, porfirismo, positivism, immigrant.

This book examines theoretical and applied terminology issues in the light of the translation process. In particular, it aims at introducing students to the basic principles of terminological science and its different applications in translation practice. This subject field, being interdisciplinary by nature, as it combines linguistics, translation, language technology as well as various other subject fields through the study of their terminology, has been an independent subject field for more than five decades. In today’s globalised and constantly changing technological environment, the need for appropriate multilingual communication makes the role of terminology even more crucial and directly related to translation studies. The book is structured in ten chapters, in which key issues related to terminology are studied. The discussion focuses inter alia on special languages and their particular characteristics, basic theoretical principles of terminology, the place of terminology in translation, terminology management, terminology products and data, as well as terminology management tools. Special emphasis is placed on language technologies that support terminological work in translation, such as termbases, terminological mining tools or corpus management tools, etc. Then the cases of specific types of texts, such as for example legal, medical, financial or EU texts, are studied and the particularities presented from a terminological point of view are analysed. The study is supported by extensive use of examples and authentic texts in various language pairs.

Background: The regenerative efficacy of platelet-derived products has been recently investigated in the treatment of pelvic floor disorders (PFDs). We aimed to synthesize the current evidence of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) products used in urogynaecological disorders including vaginal atrophy, pelvic organ prolapse (POP), urinary incontinence, vaginal fistulas and vaginal mesh exposure. Methods: A meticulous search of the currently available literature on the use of PRP for the management of PFDs was performed using 3 electronic databases. Results: PRP could be a feasible alternative modality for the management of vaginal atrophy with favourable outcomes in vaginal atrophy parameters and patients' satisfaction, especially when hormone therapy is contraindicated. In patients with POP, an increase in collagen concentration after PRP application was observed while the use of PRP resulted in improvement of stress urinary incontinence symptoms. A considerable proportion of vesicovaginal fistulas were treated after application of PRP-based injections. Conclusions: There is only limited evidence of the use of PRP for PFDs. Platelet-rich plasma appears to be a promising, easy to apply, cost-effective and feasible alternative therapeutic modality for the management of various urogynaecological disorders. Future randomized trials are needed to confirm the efficacy of PRP in the treatment of urogynaecological disorders.

Τη διάλεξη μπορείτε να παρακολουθήσετε κάνοντας «κλικ» στον παρακάτω σύνδεσμο του YouTube: https://youtu.be/fuYH96ayNTU CITE AS:Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2022). Ο Κινητικός Πολιτισμός των Ελλήνων: Ο χορός, η εκμάθηση μουσικών οργάνων και η εκγύμναση  ως "σύμβολα κατωτερότητας" στην οθωμανική κοινωνία. Εισήγηση/παρουσίαση στον κύκλο διαλέξεων «1922-2022, 100 χρόνια από τη Μικρασιατική καταστροφή. Ιστορική αποτίμηση, εθνικός αναστοχασμός». Διαδικτυακή ενότητα «Πολιτισμός και Τέχνες στη Μ. Ασία και τον Πόντο», 21 Φεβρουαρίου 2022, ώρα 20.00. Διοργάνωση: το «Λαϊκό  Πανεπιστήμιο» της Ευξείνου Λέσχης Θεσσαλονίκης (Βραβείο Ακαδημίας Αθηνών  (https://pergamos.lib.uoa.gr/uoa/dl/object/2970118).------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΕΧΝΕΣ ΣΤΗ Μ. ΑΣΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΝ ΠΟΝΤΟ (Ειρήνη Καμπερίδου και Βασίλης Καρφής) https://www.uoa.gr/anakoinoseis_kai_ekdiloseis/proboli_ekdilosis/politismos_kai_technes_sti_m_asia_kai_ton_ponto/

Energy transport within biological systems is critical for biological functions in living cells and for technological applications in molecular motors. Biological systems have very complex dynamics supporting a large number of biochemical and biophysical processes. In the current work, we study the energy transport along protein chains. We examine the influence of different factors such as temperature, salt concentration, and external mechanical drive on the energy flux through protein chains. We obtain that energy fluctuations around the average value for short chains are greater than for longer chains. In addition, the external mechanical load is the most effective agent on bioenergy transport along the studied protein systems. Our results can help design a functional nano-scaled molecular motor based on energy transport along protein chains.

Owing to its highly heterogeneous molecular landscape, bladder cancer (BlCa) is still characterized by non-personalized treatment and lifelong surveillance. Motivated by our previous findings on miR-143/145 value in disease prognosis, we have studied the underlying epigenetic regulation of the miR-143/145 cluster in BlCa. Expression and DNA methylation of miR-143/145 cluster were analyzed in our screening (n = 162) and The Cancer Genome Atlas Urothelial Bladder Carcinoma (TCGA-BLCA; n = 412) cohorts. Survival analysis was performed using tumor relapse and progression as clinical endpoints for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC; TaT1), while disease progression and patients' death were used for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC; T2-T4). TCGA-BLCA served as validation cohort. Bootstrap analysis was carried out for internal validation, while decision curve analysis was used to evaluate clinical benefit. TCGA-BLCA and screening cohorts highlighted MIR145 core promoter as the pivotal, epigenetic regulatory region on cluster's expression. Lower methylation of MIR145 core promoter was associated with aggressive disease phenotype, higher risk for NMIBC short-term progression, and poor MIBC survival. MIR145 methylation-fitted multivariate models with established disease markers clearly enhanced patients' risk stratification and prediction of treatment outcome. MIR145 core promoter methylation was identified as a potent epigenetic regulator of miR-143/145 cluster, supporting modern personalized risk stratification and management in BlCa.

Methylation of the fundamental macromolecules, DNA/RNA, and proteins, is remarkably abundant, evolutionarily conserved, and functionally significant in cellular homeostasis and normal tissue/organism development. Disrupted methylation imprinting is strongly linked to loss of the physiological equilibrium and numerous human pathologies, and most importantly to carcinogenesis, tumor heterogeneity, and cancer progression. Mounting recent evidence has documented the active implication of miRNAs in the orchestration of the multicomponent cellular methylation machineries and the deregulation of methylation profile in the epigenetic, epitranscriptomic, and epiproteomic levels during cancer onset and progression. The elucidation of such regulatory networks between the miRNome and the cellular methylation machineries has led to the emergence of a novel subclass of miRNAs, namely "epi-miRNAs" or "epi-miRs." Herein, we have summarized the existing knowledge on the functional role of epi-miRs in the methylation dynamic landscape of human cancers and their clinical utility in modern cancer diagnostics and tailored therapeutics.

Wearable technologies and digital phenotyping foster unique opportunities for designing novel intelligent electronic services that can address various well-being issues in patients with mental disorders (i.e., schizophrenia and bipolar disorder), thus having the potential to revolutionize psychiatry and its clinical practice. In this paper, we present e-Prevention, an innovative integrated system for medical support that facilitates effective monitoring and relapse prevention in patients with mental disorders. The technologies offered through e-Prevention include: (i) long-term continuous recording of biometric and behavioral indices through a smartwatch; (ii) video recordings of patients while being interviewed by a clinician, using a tablet; (iii) automatic and systematic storage of these data in a dedicated Cloud server and; (iv) the ability of relapse detection and prediction. This paper focuses on the description of the e-Prevention system and the methodologies developed for the identification of feature representations that correlate with and can predict psychopathology and relapses in patients with mental disorders. Specifically, we tackle the problem of relapse detection and prediction using Machine and Deep Learning techniques on all collected data. The results are promising, indicating that such predictions could be made and leading eventually to the prediction of psychopathology and the prevention of relapses.

A number of Nature Based Solutions (NBS) are being used around the world in order to address various hydrometeorological hazards as a more environmentally friendly alternative to hard structures. Such a solution has been created in the Spercheios river basin in Central Greece, which is susceptible to heavy rainfall and river bank overflow due to flood water from upstream, in order to mitigate flood and drought impacts under current and future climate conditions. Here a first attempt is made to use actual measurements taken from various sources in the river, including in-situ and satellite data, in order to establish early experimental evidence of the NBS efficiency in the area. The measurements include data from automated hydrological stations from the OpenHi network, satellite remote sensing data and field measurements performed along the Spercheios River basin. For each measurement used, different analysis has been performed based on data availability and pertinence to the NBS efficiency. Preliminary results presented here show that the NBS functions as designed and provides protection against flooding in the area, and can potentially diminish the risk of drought. The results are in agreement with the numerical outputs already presented in our previous work.

This study examines the forecasting performance of the professional analysts participating in the Blue Chip Economic Indicators Survey using an alternative methodological research design. Specifically, we employ a panel specification, which takes into consideration both the time dimension and the forecast horizon, and a quantile regression technique, which evaluates the hidden non-monotonic relations between the forecasts and the target variables being forecasted. Evaluating the accuracy of economic forecasts is critical since they are widely used in financial, investment and policy decision making. Our empirical findings show that survey-based forecasts of interest rates and certain key macroeconomic variables are generally biased, but still efficient predictors of target variables. In particular, we find that survey participants are more efficient in predicting long-term interest rates in the long-run and short-term interest rates in the short-run, while the predictability of medium-term interest rates is the least accurate. Finally, our empirical analysis suggests that currency fluctuations are very hard to predict in the short-run, while we show that survey-based forecasts are among the most accurate predictors of key macroeconomic variables.

Of the 13 known independent zoonoses of simian immunodeficiency viruses to humans, only one, leading to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1(M) has become pandemic, causing over 80 million human infections. To understand the specific features associated with pandemic human-to-human HIV spread, we compared replication of HIV-1(M) with non-pandemic HIV-(O) and HIV-2 strains in myeloid cell models. We found that non-pandemic HIV lineages replicate less well than HIV-1(M) owing to activation of cGAS and TRIM5-mediated antiviral responses. We applied phylogenetic and X-ray crystallography structural analyses to identify differences between pandemic and non-pandemic HIV capsids. We found that genetic reversal of two specific amino acid adaptations in HIV-1(M) enables activation of TRIM5, cGAS and innate immune responses. We propose a model in which the parental lineage of pandemic HIV-1(M) evolved a capsid that prevents cGAS and TRIM5 triggering, thereby allowing silent replication in myeloid cells. We hypothesize that this capsid adaptation promotes human-to-human spread through avoidance of innate immune response activation.

Degradation of coastal environments is an issue that many areas in Europe are facing. In the present work, an ancient coastal lake wetland is investigated, the so-called Lake Lerna in NE Peloponnese, Greece. The area hosted early agricultural populations of modern Greece that started modifying their environment as early as the early–middle Neolithic. Two drill cores in the area of the ancient lake were analysed to establish the sedimentological succession and the depositional environments using sub-fossil assemblages (molluscs and ostracods). Three lithological and faunal units were recovered, the latter being confirmed by the statistical ordination method (non-metric multidimensional scaling). The usage of sub-fossil mollusc species for the first time in the region enriched the dataset and contributed significantly to the delimitation of the faunas. These consist of environments characterised by various levels of humidity (from stagnant waters to freshwater lake) and salinity, with ephemeral intrusions of salt water to the lake, documented by mollusc and ostracod populations. We conclude that the lake and its included fauna and flora were mostly affected by climatic fluctuations rather than human intervention in the area.

A correlation between high-energy cosmic neutrinos and active galaxies with relativistic jets, known as blazars, has been remarked by several authors in the past few years. It has also been suggested that blazar flares (i.e. significant changes in flux) are ideal candidates for enhanced neutrino emission. So far, several works have discussed the connection between the X-ray and γ-ray flares with the neutrino signal, while many blazars that are positionally associated with high energy neutrinos detected by IceCube exhibit strong parsec-scale radio emission. In this work, we discuss the connection between the X-ray and radio frequencies during periods of enhanced neutrino emission. In our model, injection of relativistic hadrons into a compact region of the jet produces an X-ray and high-energy neutrino flare. At the same time, relativistic electron and positrons are produced through photo-hadronic interactions and photon-photon pair production (secondary pairs). We investigate the evolution of the electromagnetic cascade by following the secondary pairs upon their injection into an expanding spherical blob. Initially, the radio part of the cascade spectrum is self-absorbed, but the source becomes transparent to GHz frequencies as the blob expands, producing a delayed "radio flare". We investigate how the time lags between the X-ray and the radio flares are formed and what is the effect of physical parameters, such as the expansion velocity V$ _{exp}$ and the magnetic field strength B.

This article explores the influence that an unexpected athletic success can have on the construction of national identity while attempting to answer the question on how such a success can be used as a means to overcome national crises. Using a reflective analysis, this study examines the impact of the Euro 2004 Championship on Greece’s national identity, highlighting the correlation between two events associated with Greekness, to wit national pride and Hellenic identity in the sport, economic and social contexts. The first event was the unpredicted victory of the Greek football team in 2004, thanks to their German coach Otto Rehhagel, and the second Rehhagel’s visit to Athens in March 2013, in his informal role of political mediator, in an attempt to contribute to restoring Greek-German friendship which had been shattered during the country’s period of economic memorandums. This conceptual paper uses a qualitative discourse analysis to explain and understand human action through an examination of media texts and symbolic narratives: the headlines and narratives on the Euro 2004 victory in the Greek and foreign press and media, along with the slogans used by football fans after each victory, voicing the ‘superiority’ of Greekness.   Keywords: Greekness, national identity, media, gender, hegemonic masculinity, sport, Euro 2004, Rehhagel, economic crisis, historical memory,  the closest other      

The Black-Litterman (BL) model is a particularly essential analytical tool for effective portfolio management in financial services sector since it enables investment analysts to integrate investor views into market equilibrium returns. In this research, we define and study the continuous-time BL portfolio optimization (CTBLPO) problem as a time-varying quadratic programming (TVQP) problem. The investor’s views in the CTBLPO problem are regarded as a forecasting problem, and they are generated by a novel neural network (NN) model. More precisely, employing a novel multi-function activated by a weights-and-structure-determination for time-series (MAWTS) algorithm, a 3-layer feed-forward NN model, called MAWTSNN, is proposed for handling time-series modeling and forecasting problems. Then, using real-world datasets, the CTBLPO problem is approached by two different TVQP NN solvers. These solvers are the zeroing NN (ZNN) and the linear-variational-inequality primal–dual NN (LVI-PDNN). The experiment findings illustrate and compare the performances of the ZNN and LVI-PDNN in three various portfolio configurations, as well as indicating that the MAWTSNN is an excellent alternative to the traditional approaches. To promote and contend the outcomes of this research, we created two MATLAB repositories for the interested user, that are publicly accessible on GitHub.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Aetiology and significance of exercise-induced troponin release remains a contentious issue. We investigated the effect of a 28 km mountain run on cardiac troponin I (cTnI), in relation to training, performance, nutritional, biochemical and echocardiography variables, in a group of 25 recreational male master athletes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comprehensive list of variables related with nutrition, training, performance and echocardiography, was collected pre- and post-race. Twenty-four months later, outcomes regarding cardiovascular events were obtained. RESULTS: Serum cTnI values were increased after the race, with mean values rising from 7.2 +/- 2.2 (before) to 80.0 +/- 33.2 ng/L (post race), (p < 0.001) and 23/25(92%) exceeding Upper Reference limit (50 ng/L). Echocardiography did not reveal significant alterations, or correlations with cTnI values. The percentage difference in hs-cTnI concentrations pre- and post-race correlated positively with age, race-induced changes of selected muscle damage indices, resistance training volume and negatively with endurance capacity and training volume (r: -0.727 to 0.725, p < 0.05). All athletes reported no cardiovascular event during the 24-month period post-race. CONCLUSION: cTnI elevation induced by a 28 km mountain running race was not correlated with echocardiographic, nutritional parameters and was less pronounced in athletes with larger endurance training history, in contrast with resistance training and age

In the most powerful astrophysical sources, reconnection and turbulence operate in the "relativistic" regime, where the magnetic field energy exceeds even the rest mass energy of the plasma. Here, reconnection and turbulence can lead to fast dissipation rates and efficient particle acceleration, thus being prime candidates for powering the observed fast and bright flares of high-energy non-thermal emission. With fully-kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations and analytical theory, we investigate the physics of relativistic reconnection and turbulence, and demonstrate that they can be the "engines" behind: (1) high-energy flares in blazar jets; and (2) the hard-state spectra of black hole X-ray binaries and Active Galactic Nuclei.

Various forms of the algebraic Riccati equation (ARE) have been widely used to investigate the stability of nonlinear systems in the control field. In this paper, the time-varying ARE (TV-ARE) and linear time-varying (LTV) systems stabilization problems are investigated by employing the zeroing neural networks (ZNNs). In order to solve the TV-ARE problem, two models are developed, the ZNNTV-ARE model which follows the principles of the original ZNN method, and the FTZNNTV-ARE model which follows the finite-time ZNN (FTZNN) dynamical evolution. In addition, two hybrid ZNN models are proposed for the LTV systems stabilization, which combines the ZNNTV-ARE and FTZNNTV-ARE design rules. Note that instead of the infinite exponential convergence specific to the ZNNTV-ARE design, the structure of the proposed FTZNNTV-ARE dynamic is based on a new evolution formula which is able to converge to a theoretical solution in finite time. Furthermore, we are only interested in real symmetric solutions of TV-ARE, so the ZNNTV-ARE and FTZNNTV-ARE models are designed to produce such solutions. Numerical findings, one of which includes an application to LTV systems stabilization, confirm the effectiveness of the introduced dynamical evolutions.

In this paper, we present a fraud detection framework for publicly traded firms using an optimization approach integrated with a meta-heuristic algorithm known as Beetle Antennae Search (BAS). Existing techniques include human resources, like financial experts and audit teams, to determine the ambiguities or financial frauds in the companies based on financial and non-financial ratios. It is a laborious task, time-consuming, and prone to errors. We designed an optimization problem to minimize the loss function based on a non-linear decision function combined with the maximization of recall (Sensitivity and Specificity). We solved the optimization problem iteratively using the BAS. It is a nature-inspired algorithm and mimics the beetle’s food-searching nature. It includes a single searching particle to find an optimal solution to the optimization problem in n-dimensional space. We used a benchmark dataset collected from SEC’s Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases (AAERs) for the simulation. It includes 28 raw financial variables and the data collected between 1991–2008. For the comparison, we evaluated the performance of BAS with the recently proposed approach using RUSBoost. We also compared it with some additional algorithms, i.e., Logit and SVM-FK. The results showed that BAS is comparable with these algorithms and outperformed them in time consumption.

In order to create a cultural landscape, the number of different types of ecomuseums around the world, covering many sites, has recently increased. Their establishment aims at the protection of natural and cultural resources. The north area of Syros Island offers significant opportunities for the development of a museum model that promotes the sustainable development of the local community. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of developing a museum model that promotes the sustainable development of the local community in Apano Meria, Syros Island, which is a representative site with natural, geological, and archaeological heritage. For this purpose, the engagement and participation of the local inhabitants was evaluated through various activities, the basic principles of which are based on the concepts of New Museology and, more specifically, those of ecomuseums. Qualitative research was carried out through on-site observations, including discussions, participant observation, documentation, and in-depth interviews with local people. This research revealed that, so far, the conservation of the Apano Meria landscape is mainly due to the action of local people, who have repeatedly been called upon to show strong resistance to external factors that threatened to alter it. In their long-term effort to preserve and protect the area, but also to develop it in terms of sustainable development, the idea of its possible future inclusion in the UNESCO Global Network of Geoparks was proposed.

Moscow managed to "diplomatically" contain the Baku-Yerevan-Stepanakert explosion since Russia reemerged in a dominant and decisive way as a peacekeeping military and economic actor in the Armenia-Azerbaijan dipole. In fact, Russia stopped more bloodshed, might drive it away from its "regular" ally, Turkey, and cut all ties with Azerbaijan handing it over to the West. Therefore, this explains Moscow's initiative to propose solutions to the Pashinyan government inclusive of a peaceful return of Azeri refugees from areas of Sushi, before its eventual handover to the Azeris, under the guarantee of Russia's own military presence in order to "ensure cohabitation between Armenian residents and Azeri repatriates". However, these proposals, which would have meant Artsakh's "losing" of a single province (Sushi), were not accepted by Pashinyan, precisely because of his effort to avoid all Russian presence in the region. After all, his Government's members also pushed in this direction. His mistake, however, proved to be huge and the price was paid by the unfortunate Armenians of Artsakh.

Geoscience courses, such as geology and geomorphology, require not only classroom lessons and laboratory exercises, but field trips as well. However, the COVID-19 restrictions did not allow the execution of most planned field trips, and an alternative needed to be developed. The use of virtual field trips is one such alternative. Through this research, we evaluate the usefulness of virtual field trips as tools for preparatory activities before an actual field trip takes place in the same area, and their contribution in providing a better understanding of geomorphological processes and landscape evolution. We performed a virtual navigation on the island of Naxos, Cyclades (Aegean Sea, Greece) for a series of virtual field trips, which took place during webinars in the framework of Erasmus+ CIVIS. The virtual field trip was also presented to the third-year students of the Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, in the framework of the obligatory course of Geomorphology. Upon completion, all participating students were asked to fill in a questionnaire in order to evaluate the contribution of virtual field trips to their education regarding geomorphology and state their opinion as to whether they can supplement and/or substitute actual field trips. According to the results, virtual field trips can aid, but not substitute, the actual field trip. Most students mentioned that they would attend another virtual field trip in the future, both as an alternative to classroom lessons and as a means of preparation for an actual field trip, but not in order replace the actual one. Virtual field trips can significantly support the realization of actual ones, by introducing the necessary tectonic, geological and geomorphological background of a particular study area and offering more time for practical activities or field methodologies during the actual field trip.

Synthesis and study of RotA, an inhibitor of glycogen phosphorylase (GP), which when bound at the active site of GP, produces a strong fluorescence signal, allowing utilization of RotA as a probe that brings GP “to light” in the cellular milieu.

Nutrient transporters have been shown to translocate to the plasma membrane (PM) of the filamentous fungus an unconventional trafficking route that bypasses the Golgi. This finding strongly suggests the existence of distinct COPII vesicle subpopulations, one following Golgi-dependent conventional secretion and the other directed towards the PM. Here, we address whether Golgi-bypass concerns cargoes other than nutrient transporters and whether Golgi-bypass is related to cargo structure, size, abundance, physiological function, or polar vs. non-polar distribution in the PM. To address these questions, we followed the dynamic subcellular localization of two selected membrane cargoes differing in several of the aforementioned aspects. These are the proton-pump ATPase PmaA and the PalI pH signaling component. Our results show that neosynthesized PmaA and PalI are translocated to the PM Golgi-bypass, similar to nutrient transporters. In addition, we showed that the COPII-dependent exit of PmaA from the ER requires the alternative COPII coat subunit LstA, rather than Sec24, whereas PalI requires the ER cargo adaptor Erv14. These findings strengthen the evidence of distinct cargo-specific COPII subpopulations and extend the concept of Golgi-independent biogenesis to essential transmembrane proteins, other than nutrient transporters. Overall, our findings point to the idea that Golgi-bypass might not constitute a fungal-specific peculiarity, but rather a novel major and cargo-specific sorting route in eukaryotic cells that has been largely ignored.

Adopting an innovative and theoretical approach, Greek Tragedy and the Digital is an original study of the encounter between Greek tragedy and digital media in contemporary performance. It challenges Greek tragedy conventions through the contemporary arsenal of sound masks, avatars, live code poetry, new media art and digital cognitive experimentations. These technological innovations in performances of Greek tragedy shed new light on contemporary transformations and adaptations of classical myths, while raising emerging questions about how augmented reality works within interactive and immersive environments.Drawing on cutting-edge productions and theoretical debates on performance and the digital, this collection considers issues including performativity, liveness, immersion, intermediality, aesthetics, technological fragmentation, conventions of the chorus, theatre as hypermedia and reception theory in relation to Greek tragedy.Case studies include Kzryztof Warlikowski, Jan Fabre, Romeo Castellucci, Katie Mitchell, Georges Lavaudant, The Wooster Group, Labex Arts-H2H, Akram Khan, Urland & Crew, Medea Electronique, Robert Wilson, Klaus Obermaier, Guy Cassiers, Luca di Fusco, Ivo Van Hove, Avra Sidiropoulou and Jay Scheib. This is an incisive, interdisciplinary study that serves as a practice model for conceptualizing the ways in which Greek tragedy encounters digital culture in contemporary performance.

Relativistic hadronic plasmas can become under certain conditions supercritical, abruptly and efficiently releasing the energy stored in protons through photon outbursts. Past studies have tried to relate the features of such hadronic supercriticalities (HSC) to the phenomenology of Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) prompt emission. In this work we investigate, for the first time, HSC in adiabatically expanding sources. We examine the conditions required to trigger HSC, study the role of expansion velocity, and discuss our results in relation to GRB prompt emission. We find multi-pulse light curves from slowly expanding regions ($u_{\rm exp}\lesssim 0.01 c)$ that are a manifestation of the natural HSC quasi-periodicity, while single-pulse light curves with a fast rise and slow decay are found for higher velocities. The formation of the photon spectrum is governed by an in-source electromagnetic cascade. The peak photon energy is $\sim 1$ MeV ($\sim 1$ GeV) for maximum proton energies $\sim 1-10$ PeV ($1-10$ EeV) assuming a jet Lorentz factor 100. Peak $\gamma$-ray luminosities are in the range $10^{49}-10^{52}$ erg s$^{-1}$, with the MeV-peaked spectra being $\sim 100-300$ times more luminous than their GeV-peaked analogues. HSC bursts peaking in the MeV are also copious $\sim 10$ TeV neutrino emitters, with an all-flavour fluence $\sim 10\%$ of the $\gamma$-ray one. The hypothesis that typical long-duration GRBs are powered by HSC could be tested in the near future with more sensitive neutrino telescopes like IceCube-Gen2.

The dynamics of plasmas produced by low current X-pinch devices are explored. This comprehensive computational study is the first step in the preparation of an experimental campaign aiming to understand the formation of plasma jets in table-top pulsed power X-pinch devices. Two state-of-the-art magneto-hydro-dynamic codes, GORGON and PLUTO, are used to simulate the evolution of the plasma and describe its key dynamic features. GORGON and PLUTO are built on different approximation schemes and the simulation results obtained are discussed and analyzed in relation to the physics adopted by each code. Both codes manage to accurately handle the numerical demands of the X-pinch plasma evolution and provide precise details on the mechanisms of the plasma expansion, the jet-formation, and the pinch generation. Furthermore, the influence of electrical resistivity, radiation transport and optically thin losses on the dynamic behaviour of the simulated X-pinch produced plasma is studied in PLUTO. Our findings highlight the capabilities of the GORGON and PLUTO codes in simulating the wide range of plasma conditions found in X-pinch experiments, enabling a direct comparison to the scheduled experiments.

Blazar flares have been suggested as ideal candidates for enhanced neutrino production. While the neutrino signal of γ-ray flares has been widely discussed, the neutrino yield of X-ray flares has received less attention. Here, we compute the predicted neutrino signal from X-ray flares detected in 66 blazars observed more than 50 times with the X-ray Telescope (XRT) on board the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. We consider a scenario where X-ray flares are powered by synchrotron radiation of relativistic protons, and neutrinos are produced through photomeson interactions between protons with their own synchrotron X-ray photons. Using the 1 keV X-ray light curves for flare identification, the 0.5-10 keV fluence of each flare as a proxy for the all-flavour neutrino fluence, and the IceCube point-source effective area for different detector configurations, we calculate the number of muon and antimuon neutrinos above 100 TeV expected for IceCube from each flaring source. The bulk of the neutrino events from the sample originates from flares with durations ~1-10 d. Accounting for the X-ray flare duty cycle of the sources in the sample, which ranges between ~2 and 24 per cent, we compute an average yearly neutrino rate for each source. The median of the distribution (in logarithm) is ~0.03 yr-1, with Mkn 421 having the highest predicted rate 1.2 ± 0.3 yr-1, followed by 3C 273 (0.33 ± 0.03 yr-1) and PG 1553+113 (0.25 ± 0.02 yr-1). Next-generation neutrino detectors together with regular X-ray monitoring of blazars could constrain the duty cycle of hadronic X-ray flares.

The hyperpower family of iterative methods with arbitrary convergence order is one of the most used methods for estimating matrix inverses and generalized inverses, whereas the zeroing neural network (ZNN) is a type of neural dynamics developed to solve time-varying problems in science and engineering. Since the discretization of ZNN dynamics leads to the Newton iterative method for solving the matrix inversion and generalized inversion, this study proposes and investigates a family of ZNN dynamical models known as higher-order ZNN (HOZNN) models, which are defined on the basis of correlation with hyperpower iterations of arbitrary order. Because the HOZNN dynamical system requires error function powers, it is only applicable to square error functions. In this paper, we extend the original HOZNN dynamic flows to arbitrary time-dependent real matrices, both square and rectangular, and sign-bi-power activation is used to investigate the finite-time convergence of arbitrary order HOZNN dynamics. The proposed models are theoretically and numerically tested under three activation functions, and an application in solving the angle-of-arrival (AoA) localization problem demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed design.

In order to design a geoeducation program in the context of the possibilities given to the Experimental Schools of Greece of Lower Secondary Education, teachers identified the need for diagnostically assess students’ understanding of basic concepts of the geoenvironment and particularly the concepts of geodiversity, geoheritage, geoethics and geotourism. In addition, there was a need to apply the educational technique of creating cognitive conflicts in order to promote the scientific perceptions of these concepts. Thus, research questions were identified which led the research to assess the current latent state of students’ perceptions regarding the thematic areas of the concepts and to identify concepts whose perceptions can be used in the educational process in order to achieve effective cognitive conflicts in order to promote scientific perceptions of them. The students briefly answered a four-question questionnaire, wherein each question examined their perceptions regarding the four concepts of geoenvironment: geodiversity, geoheritage, geoethics and geotourism. All 45 students of the geoeducation program that took part in the survey were aged between 12 and 15 years old. The qualitative research strategy approach was selected and specifically the hybrid technique of semiotics content analysis in combination with thematic analysis. This technique was selected due to the need to identify, code, categorize and count both obvious and latent meanings in the students’ written answers; these meanings were related to the four concepts under examination. The results of the research show that the current latent state of students’ perceptions regarding the thematic fields of the four concepts of the geoenvironment can be considered as particularly confused since the majority of students did not understand the concepts as they are employed in the international literature. The research also highlighted concepts that can be used by teachers in their efforts to develop students’ clear or even scientifically acceptable perceptions for the concepts of geodiversity, geoheritage, geoethics and geotourism in the thematic field of the geoenvironment.

The origin of Petaelectronvolt (PeV) astrophysical neutrinos is fundamental to our understanding of the high-energy Universe. Apart from the technical challenges of operating detectors deep below ice, oceans, and lakes, the phenomenological challenges are even greater than those of gravitational waves; the sources are unknown, hard to predict, and we lack clear signatures. Neutrino astronomy therefore represents the greatest challenge faced by the astronomy and physics communities thus far. The possible neutrino sources range from accretion disks and tidal disruption events, to relativistic jets and galaxy clusters with blazar TXS~0506+056 the most compelling association thus far. Since that association, immense effort has been put into proving or disproving that jets are indeed neutrino emitters, but to no avail. By generating simulated neutrino counterpart samples, we explore the potential of detecting a significant correlation of neutrinos with jets from active galactic nuclei. We find that, given the existing challenges, even our best experiments could not have produced a $>3\sigma$ result. Larger programs over the next few years will be able to detect a significant correlation only if the brightest radio sources, rather than all jetted active galactic nuclei, are neutrino emitters. We discuss the necessary strategies required to steer future efforts into successful experiments.

We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of idempotents of arbitrarily large norms in the Fourier algebra A(G) and the Fourier-Stieltjes algebra B(G) of a locally compact group G. We prove that the existence of idempotents of arbitrarily large norm in B(G) implies the existence of homomorphisms of arbitrarily large norm from A(H) into B(G) for every locally compact group H. A partial converse is also obtained: the existence of homomorphisms of arbitrarily large norm from A(H) into B(G) for some amenable locally compact group H implies the existence of idempotents of arbitrarily large norm in B(G).

Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is a congenital condition characterizing females with absence of the uterus and part of the vagina. Several genetic defects have been correlated with the presence of MRKH; however, the exact etiology is still unknown due to the complexity of the genetic pathways implicated during the embryogenetic development of the Müllerian ducts. A systematic review (SR) of the literature was conducted to investigate the genetic causes associated with MRKH syndrome and Congenital Uterine Anomalies (CUAs). This study aimed to identify the most affected chromosomal areas and genes along with their associated clinical features in order to aid clinicians in distinguishing and identifying the possible genetic cause in each patient offering better genetic counseling. We identified 76 studies describing multiple genetic defects potentially contributing to the pathogenetic mechanism of MRKH syndrome. The most reported chromosomal regions and the possible genes implicated were: 1q21.1 (RBM8A gene), 1p31-1p35 (WNT4 gene), 7p15.3 (HOXA gene), 16p11 (TBX6 gene), 17q12 (LHX1 and HNF1B genes), 22q11.21, and Xp22. Although the etiology of MRKH syndrome is complex, associated clinical features can aid in the identification of a specific genetic defect.

This study presents experimental evidence of field emission in MEMS capacitive switches. Devices with dielectric layers of silicon nitride of different thicknesses between 50 and 200 nm were investigated by current-voltage (I-V) measurements. These measurements were performed at room temperature and under a controlled atmosphere pressure of 3 × 10−2 mbar at bias levels below breakdown and corresponding electric fields encountered in MEMS capacitive switches during pull-in (1-2 × 106 V/cm). Field emission although was not always clearly observed, it occurred in all devices and clearly manifested at electric fields larger than 106 V/cm.

AIMS: To investigate potential laboratory and imaging biomarkers as treatment response predictors to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO). METHODS: Participants in this prospective study were 53 patients with treatment naive macular edema secondary to RVO, treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF agents and followed-up for 12 months. At baseline, all participants underwent best-corrected visual acuity measurement, dilated fundoscopy, optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography (FFA), while full blood count and biochemical analysis of various parameters was also performed. At month 12, treatment response was examined and classified as "favorable" or "non-response". Potential associations between laboratory/imaging biomarkers and treatment response were assessed. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that "favorable" response at month 12 after initiation of anti-VEGF treatment was correlated with baseline central subfield thickness (CST) < 464 mum (p < 0.001), absence of subretinal fluid (p = 0.004), absence of hyperreflective foci (HF) (p = 0.004), intact ellipsoid zone (EZ) and external limiting membrane (ELM) (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively), absence of epiretinal membrane (ERM) (p = 0.020) and absence of macular ischemia on FFA (p < 0.001), while increased monocytes-to-lymphocytes ratio was also associated with "favorable" treatment response (p = 0.010). All other laboratory parameters did not reach statistical significance. However, at the multivariate analysis, EZ and ELM status, HF, macular ischemia and monocytes-to-lymphocytes ratio were found to be independent predictors of treatment response. CONCLUSIONS: Intact EZ and ELM, absence of HF, absence of macular ischemia and increased monocytes-to-lymphocytes ratio at baseline can predict "favorable" treatment response in patients with treatment naive macular edema secondary to RVO

On September 27, 2021, an Mw=6.0 earthquake struck the central part of Crete Island (southern Greece) and in particular the Heraklion Region. This event was preceded by an extended foreshock sequence started on early July 2021 and it was followed by an Mw=5.3 aftershock on the following day. Taking into account the spatial distribution of foreshocks and aftershocks and the focal mechanism of mainshock as well as the active faults of the earthquake-affected area, it is evident that the seismic activity is strongly related to the NNE-SSW striking W-dipping faults of the Kasteli fault zone located along the eastern margin of the Neogene to Quaternary Heraklion Basin. The latter has been filled with Miocene to Holocene post-alpine deposits. A field reconnaissance conducted by the authors in the earthquake-affected area shortly after the mainshock revealed that the earthquake-triggered effects comprised mainly rockfalls and slides, as well as ground cracks within or close to landslide zones. These effects were located within the hanging-wall of the KFZ. The affected sites are mainly composed of Miocene deposits and they are characterized by pre-existing instability conditions and high susceptibility to landslides. Far field effects were also observed south of the earthquake-affected area and in particular in the southern coastal part of Heraklion Region. In regards to the spatial distribution of the earthquake-induced building damage, the vast majority was caused in villages and towns founded on Miocene and Holocene deposits of the hanging-wall. Damage was not reported in settlements located in the footwall, which is composed of alpine formations. The dominant building types of the earthquake-affected area comprise: (i) buildings with load-bearing masonry walls made of stones and bricks with clay or lime mortar, mainly constructed without any anti-seismic provisions and (ii) buildings with reinforced-concrete frame and infill walls constructed according to the applicable seismic codes. The former suffered the most severe structural damage including partial or total collapse in many villages founded on post-alpine deposits of the hanging-wall of KFZ. The latter responded satisfactory during the mainshock and were less affected with only non-structural damage including cracking, detachment of infill walls from the surrounding reinforced concrete frame, peeling of concrete and short-column failures. From the abovementioned, it is concluded that the impact of the 2021 Arkalochori earthquake was limited to the hanging-wall of the causative fault zone and in particular to residential areas founded on post-alpine deposits and to slopes highly susceptible to failure within the Heraklion Basin.

Imperatorin, a naturally derived furanocoumarin, exerts promising neuropharmacological properties. Therefore, it might be applicable in the treatment of brain diseases such as depression. In the present project, we aimed to investigate the sex-dependent effects of imperatorin (1, 5, and 10 mg/kg) on behavior and neurochemistry associated with antidepressant effects. The depressive-like behaviors of male and female Swiss mice were investigated in a forced swim test (FST). Subsequently, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to evaluate the level of serotonin, its metabolite, 5-HIAA, and noradrenaline, in mouse brains. The study revealed that only males responded to imperatorin (1 and 5 mg/kg) treatment and caused an antidepressant effect, such as with respect to depressive-like behaviors, lowering immobility time and increasing immobility latency. The HPLC analysis demonstrated that serotonin levels in the prefrontal cortex of females decreased with the middle dose of imperatorin (5 mg/kg), while in the male prefrontal cortex, the lower dose (1 mg/kg) boosted serotonin levels. There were no evident changes observed with respect to noradrenaline and serotonin metabolite levels in the male hippocampus. To conclude, we propose that imperatorin has antidepressant potential, seemingly only in males, influencing brain serotonin level, but the direct mechanism of action requires further investigation.

This work reports on light scattering by a homogeneous dielectric sphere with a periodically time-varying radius. The off-shell inelastic scattering T matrix, which describes the dynamically changing particle, is evaluated using the Floquet method, and some remarkable phenomena, emerging in the strong- and weak-coupling regimes, are discussed. In particular, the limits of validity of the approximate quasistatic solution are established through comparison with the results of fully dynamic calculations, and the scattering in the strong-coupling regime is analyzed in terms of the general behavior of parametrically driven oscillators. Additionally, the influence of damping of the sphere vibrations on the optical spectra is also investigated.

Mediterranean tectonically-active coastal areas are a highly-dynamic environment balancing internal tectonic dynamics with external geomorphic processes, as well as manmade influences. Especially in touristic areas characterized by high built-up pressure and land value, where these dynamics are even more concentrated, the evolution of coastal environments needs careful and high-resolution study to identify localized risk and the processes they derive from.Recently, new advanced remote sensing techniques such as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)- and Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS)-aided monitoring have improved our capabilities in understanding the natural processes and the geomorphic risks (i.e. mass movement phenomena).An integrated study comprising Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) sensors was conducted in coastal areas of the southern Ionian Islands (Western Greece) aiming to the mitigation of earthquake-triggered landslide risk and to responsible coastal development. Located at the northwesternmost part of the Hellenic Arc, this area is characterized by high seismicity and has been affected by destructive earthquakes mainly due to the Cephalonia Transform Fault Zone (CTFZ), which constitutes one of the most seismic active structures in the Eastern Mediterranean region. One of the most common environmental effect triggered by these earthquakes are landslides distributed along fault scarps in developed and highly visited coastal areas. Furthermore, this area is highly susceptible to hydrometeorological hazards inducing intense geomorphic processes, including Medicanes among others.These technologies allow a highly-detailed view of landslide processes, providing insights on the structures and factors controlling and triggering failures along coastal scarps as well as highlighting susceptible zones and high-risk areas with accuracy and mitigating adverse effects with precision and clarity. Overall, by providing a better understanding of the risks the approach used allows a more sustainable development of these coastal segments enhanced by risk mitigation.The study was conducted in the framework of the project “Telemachus - Innovative Operational Seismic Risk Management System of the Ionian Islands”, co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) in Priority Axis “Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development” of the Operational Programme “Ionian Islands 2014–2020”.

Plasma membrane (PM) transporters of the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) are essential for cell metabolism, growth and response to stress or drugs. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Jen1 is a monocarboxylate/H+ symporter that provides a model to dissect the molecular details underlying cellular expression, transport mechanism and turnover of MFS transporters. Here, we present evidence revealing novel roles of the cytosolic N- and C-termini of Jen1 in its biogenesis, PM stability and transport activity, using functional analyses of Jen1 truncations and chimeric constructs with UapA, an endocytosis-insensitive transporter of Aspergillus nidulans. Our results show that both N- and C-termini are critical for Jen1 trafficking to the PM, transport activity and endocytosis. Importantly, we provide evidence that Jen1 N- and C-termini undergo transport-dependent dynamic intramolecular interactions, which affect the transport activity and turnover of Jen1. Our results support an emerging concept where the cytoplasmic termini of PM transporters control transporter cell surface stability and function through flexible intramolecular interactions with each other. These findings might be extended to other MFS members to understand conserved and evolving mechanisms underlying transporter structure-function relationships. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first authors of the paper.

Biodesulfurization is a process that selectively removes sulfur from dibenzothiophene and its derivatives. Several natural biocatalysts harboring the highly conserved desulfurization operon dszABC, which is significantly repressed by methionine, cysteine, and inorganic sulfate, have been isolated. However, the available information on the metabolic regulation of gene expression is still limited. In this study, scarless knockouts of the reverse transsulfuration pathway enzyme genes cbs and metB were constructed in the desulfurizing strain Rhodococcus sp. strain IGTS8. We provide sequence analyses and report the enzymes' involvement in the sulfate- and methionine-dependent repression of biodesulfurization activity. Sulfate addition in the bacterial culture did not repress the desulfurization activity of the Deltacbs strain, whereas deletion of metB promoted a significant biodesulfurization activity for sulfate-based growth and an even higher desulfurization activity for methionine-grown cells. In contrast, growth on cysteine completely repressed the desulfurization activity of all strains. Transcript level comparison uncovered a positive effect of cbs and metB gene deletions on dsz gene expression in the presence of sulfate and methionine, but not cysteine, offering insights into a critical role of cystathionine beta-synthase (CbetaS) and MetB in desulfurization activity regulation. IMPORTANCE Precise genome editing of the model biocatalyst Rhodococcus qingshengii IGTS8 was performed for the first time, more than 3 decades after its initial discovery. We thus gained insight into the regulation of dsz gene expression and biocatalyst activity, depending on the presence of two reverse transsulfuration enzymes, CbetaS and MetB. Moreover, we observed an enhancement of biodesulfurization capability in the presence of otherwise repressive sulfur sources, such as sulfate and l-methionine. The interconnection of cellular sulfur assimilation strategies was revealed and validated.

Protein phosphorylation is a major regulatory mechanism of cellular signalling. The c-JUN proto-oncoprotein is phosphorylated at four residues within its transactivation domain (TAD) by the JNK family kinases, but the functional significance of c-JUN multisite phosphorylation has remained elusive. Here we show that c-JUN phosphorylation by JNK exhibits defined temporal kinetics, with serine63 and serine73 being phosphorylated more rapidly than threonine91 and threonine93. We identify the positioning of the phosphorylation sites relative to the kinase docking motif, and their primary sequence, as the main factors controlling phosphorylation kinetics. Functional analysis reveals three c-JUN phosphorylation states: unphosphorylated c-JUN recruits the MBD3 repressor, serine63/73 doubly-phosphorylated c-JUN binds to the TCF4 co-activator, whereas the fully phosphorylated form disfavours TCF4 binding attenuating JNK signalling. Thus, c-JUN phosphorylation encodes multiple functional states that drive a complex signalling response from a single JNK input.

Cephalonia, located in the middle of the central Ionian Islands, has been affected by destructive earthquakes during both the instrumental and the historical period. Despite the fact that it is widely studied from several scientific viewpoints, limited research has been conducted so far regarding the earthquake-triggered landslides (ETL) and the related susceptibility. In the context of the present study, an inventory with 67 ETL from 11 earthquakes that occurred from 1636 to 2014 is presented. Given this record, the study further examines the ETL susceptibility exploiting 10 landslide causal factors in the frame of a GIS-based Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Four factors (i.e., slope, PGA, tectonic structures and lithology) were associated in a higher degree to the locations where ETL occurred on the island. Based on the comparison of the ETL inventory and the landslide susceptibility index (LSI) map, the distribution of ETL in Cephalonia is not random, as their majority (82%) were generated within high to critically high susceptible zones. This fact, along with the AUC values of 80.3%, reveals a fair-to-good accuracy of the landslide susceptibility assessment and indicate that the contribution of the studied variables to the generation of ETL was effectively determined

The aim of the research is the awakening, participation and alertness of educators and students of Primary Education schools in Greece when it comes to rapid onset Natural Disasters pre-emption. The aim is the alertness of educators, as well as students of school units, so that they are able to face rapid onset natural disasters with prudence and composure, both during them, by putting themselves in the minimum possible danger, and after their finish, by taking part in the rehabilitation of “damages” of any kind. At an early stage, through the distribution of two questionnaires, one for educators and one for students, we invited the participants to answer questions relevant to their status and knowledge, when it comes to rapid onset natural disasters and their safe living in their school environment. In total, the participants exceeded two thousand (2,000) persons. One thousand twenty seven (1,027) educators, serving the Primary Education, and nine hundred eighty four (984) random students from all over the country, answered the digital questionnaires created through the application ArcGIS Survey123 (part of Geospatial Cloud by Esri), which is an integrated solution to the creation, distribution and analysis of survey data. From the statistical analysis of their answers, their beliefs regarding the subject examined arose and the proposed means of action is profiled, so that persons participating on the educational procedure can achieve their meaningful training, in order for them to feel safer and more aware, imparting their knowledge regarding rapid onset natural disasters. Their considering training programs about natural disasters necessary is clear, as the majority of them accept that any natural disaster is liable to occur while they are at school. The conducted research showed that the knowledge of educators and students regarding their responsibilities, as well as the necessary items and services which are essential during the occurrence of the natural phenomenon, as well as after its finish, seem to be inadequate.