HIGH-RESOLUTION GEOMORPHOLOGICAL MAPPING OF THE SHALLOW CONTINENTAL SHELF WEST OF THE KAVALA BAY, NORTH AEGEAN

Σημαντικές γεωμορφολογικές δομές του ρηχού τμήματος της υφαλοκρηπίδας δυτικά του Κόλπου της Καβάλας χαρτογραφήθηκαν χρησιμοποιώντας τα δεδομένα από μια υδρογραφική αποτύπωση (τον Ιούνιο 2014) 320 ναυτικών μιλίων, η οποία περιελάμβανε υψηλής διακριτικότητας πολυδεσμική βαθυμετρική καταγραφή και διασκόπηση πυθμένα με σεισμική ανάκλαση. Αναγνωρίστηκε ένα σύστημα ρηγμάτων αποτελούμενο από ένα σετ δυο κυρίων κανονικών ρηγμάτων (καταγεγραμμένο μήκος και μετρημένο κατακόρυφο άλμα αυτών: 12 χλμ, 5 χλμ και > 40 μ, 25 μ, αντίστοιχα,) με έντονη επιφανειακή εκδήλωση στο θαλάσσιο πυθμένα, καθώς και τρία δευτερεύοντα ρήγματα νότια των κύριων ρηγμάτων, τα οποία φανερώνουν συνιζηματογενή τεκτονισμό. Η εντυπωσιακή διαφορά στις υφές των ιζημάτων που καλύπτουν αφενός το υποκείμενο ρηξιτέμαχος του βορειότερου κυρίου ρήγματος και αφετέρου την οροφή του νοτιότερου κυρίου ρήγματος δείχνει τη σημαντική επίδραση του τεκτονισμού στις ιζηματολογκές διεργασίες της περιοχής μελέτης. Όσον αφορά τις υπάρχουσες γεωμορφές, οι περισσότερο ενδιαφέρουσες είναι εκείνες των αμμωδών θινών στο βορειοανατολικό τμήμα της περιοχής μελέτης, ευρισκόμενες σε βάθη από 25 μ μέχρι τουλάχιστον 65 μ. Οι μεγάλες διαστάσεις τους καθώς και ο προσανατολισμός τους ως προς την ακτογραμμή υποδηλώνουν ως μηχανισμό σχηματισμού τους την δράση ισχυρών πυθμιαίων ρευμάτωνProminent geomorphological features of the shallow continental shelf west of the Kavala Bay (Loutra Eleftheron-Nea Peramos) were mapped using the data from a hydrographic survey (June 2014) of 320 nautical miles during which high resolution multibeam bathymetry and seismic-reflection subbottom profiling were carried out simultaneously. A fault zone comprised by a set of two primary sigmoidal gravity faults (recorded lengths and measured offsets: 12 km, 5 km and > 40 m, 25 m, respectively), with distinct expression on the seabed, and three other secondary gravity faults situated southern of the major faults, revealing synsedimentary tectonics, was identified. The striking difference between the texture of the footwall block sediments of the northern major fault and the texture of the sediments occupying the deep hanging wall block of the southern major fault emphasizes the impact of local tectonics on the sedimentary evolution of the study area. Concerning the observed bedforms, the most interesting were the sand dunes occurring at depths from 25 m to 65 m at least and occupying the northeast part of the study area. Their large dimensions and orientation in relation to the coastline position imply as a mechanism for their formation intense bottom-current activity

Downregulation of ETS Rescues Diabetes-Induced Reduction of Endothelial Progenitor Cells

Transplantation of vasculogenic progenitor cells (VPC) improves neovascularization after ischemia. However, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus show a reduced VPC number and impaired functional activity. Previously, we demonstrated that p38 kinase inhibition prevents the negative effects of glucose on VPC number by increasing proliferation and differentiation towards the endothelial lineage in vitro. Moreover, the functional capacity of progenitor cells is reduced in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome including type 2 diabetes (Lepr(db)) in vivo.The aim of this study was to elucidate the underlying signalling mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, we performed DNA-protein binding arrays in the bone marrow of mice with metabolic syndrome, in blood-derived progenitor cells of diabetic patients as well as in VPC ex vivo treated with high levels of glucose. The transcriptional activation of ETS transcription factors was increased in all samples analyzed. Downregulation of ETS1 expression by siRNA abrogated the reduction of VPC number induced by high-glucose treatment. In addition, we observed a concomitant suppression of the non-endothelial ETS-target genes matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and CD115 upon short term lentiviral delivery of ETS-specific shRNAs. Long term inhibition of ETS expression by lentiviral infection increased the number of cells with the endothelial markers CD144 and CD105.These data demonstrate that diabetes leads to dysregulated activation of ETS, which blocks the functional activity of progenitor cells and their commitment towards the endothelial cell lineage

The pathology of familial breast cancer: Immunohistochemistry and molecular analysis

Extensive studies of BRCA1- and BRCA2-associated breast tumours have been carried out in the few years since the identification of these familial breast cancer predisposing genes. The morphological studies suggest that BRCA1 tumours differ from BRCA2 tumours and from sporadic breast cancers. Recent progress in immunohistochemistry and molecular biology techniques has enabled in-depth investigation of molecular pathology of these tumours. Studies to date have investigated issues such as steroid hormone receptor expression, mutation status of tumour suppressor genes TP53 and c-erbB2, and expression profiles of cell cycle proteins p21, p27 and cyclin D(1). Despite relative paucity of data, strong evidence of unique biological characteristics of BRCA1-associated breast cancer is accumulating. BRCA1-associated tumours appear to show an increased frequency of TP53 mutations, frequent p53 protein stabilization and absence of imunoreactivity for steroid hormone receptors. Further studies of larger number of samples of both BRCA1- and BRCA2-associated tumours are necessary to clarify and confirm these observations

The validation of a new measure quantifying the social quality of life of ethnically diverse older women: two cross-sectional studies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To our knowledge, the available psychometric literature does not include an instrument for the quantification of social quality of life among older women from diverse ethnic backgrounds. To address the need for a tool of this kind, we conducted two studies to assess the initial reliability and validity of a new instrument. The latter was created specifically to quantify the contribution of a) social networks and resources (e.g., family, friends, and community) as well as b) one's perceived power and respect within family and community to subjective well-being in non-clinical, ethnically diverse populations of older women.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In Study 1, we recruited a cross-sectional sample of primarily non-European-American older women (<it>N </it>= 220) at a variety of community locations. Participants were administered the following: a short screener for dementia; a demographic list; an initial pool of 50 items from which the final items of the new Older Women's Social Quality of Life Inventory (OWSQLI) were to be chosen (based on a statistical criterion to apply to the factor analysis findings); the Single Item Measure of Social Support (SIMSS); and the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (MOS SF-36). Study 2 was conducted on a second independent sample of ethnically diverse older women. The same recruitment strategies, procedures, and instruments as those of Study 1 were utilized in Study 2, whose sample was comprised of 241 older women with mostly non-European-American ethnic status.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis of the OWSQLI obtained robust findings: the total variance explained by one single factor with the final selection of 22 items was over 44%. The OWSQLI demonstrated strong internal consistency (<it>α </it>= .92, <it>p </it>< .001), adequate criterion validity with the SIMSS (<it>r </it>= .33; <it>p </it>< .01), and (as expected) moderate concurrent validity with the MOS SF-36 for both physical (<it>r </it>= .21; <it>p </it>< .01) and mental (<it>r </it>= .26; <it>p </it>< .01) quality of life. In order to confirm the validity of the 22-item OWSQLI scale that emerged from Study 1 analyses, we replicated those analyses in Study 2, although using confirmatory factor analysis. The total variance accounted for by one factor was about 42%, again quite high and indicative of a strong single-factor solution. Study 2 data analyses yielded the same strong reliability findings (i.e., <it>α </it>= .92, <it>p </it>< .001). The 22-item OWSQLI was correlated with the SIMSS (<it>r </it>= .27, <it>p </it>< .001) in the expected direction. Finally, correlations with the MOS SF- 36 demonstrated moderate concurrent validity for physical (<it>r </it>= .14; <it>p </it>< .01) and mental (<it>r </it>= .18; <it>p </it>< .01) quality of life, as expected.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The findings of these two studies highlight the potential for our new tool to provide a valid measure of older women's social quality of life, yet they require duplication in longitudinal research. Interested clinicians should consider using the OWSQLI in their assessment battery to identify older women's areas of lower versus higher social quality of life, and should establish the maximization of patients' social quality of life as an important therapeutic goal, as this variable is significantly related to both physical and mental health.</p

Key environmental factors controlling planktonic foraminiferal and pteropod community&apos;s response to late quaternary hydroclimate changes in the south aegean sea (eastern mediterranean)

A multidisciplinary study was conducted in order to investigate the environmental factors affecting the planktonic foraminiferal and pteropod communities of the south Aegean Sea. Aspects of the Late Quaternary paleoceanographic evolution were revealed by means of quantitative analyses of planktonic foraminiferal and pteropod assemblages (including multivariate statistical approach; principal component analysis (PCA), the oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotopic composition of planktonic foraminifera and related paleoceanographic (planktonic paleoclimatic curve (PPC), productivity (E-index), stratification (S-index), seasonality) indices, extracted by the gravity core KIM-2A derived from the submarine area between Kimolos and Sifnos islands. Focusing on the last ~21 calibrated thousands of years before present (ka BP), cold and eutrophicated conditions were identified during the Late Glacial period (21.1-15.7 ka BP) and were followed by warmer and wetter conditions during the deglaciation phase. The beginning of the Holocene was marked by a climatic amelioration and increased seasonality. The more pronounced environmental changes were identified during the deposition of the sapropel sublayers S1a (9.4-7.7 ka BP) and S1b (6.9-6.4 ka BP), with extremely warm and stratified conditions. Pteropod fauna during the sapropel deposition were recorded for the first time in the south Aegean Sea, suggesting arid conditions towards the end of S1a. Besides sea surface temperature (SST), which shows the highest explanatory power for the distribution of the analyzed fauna, water column stratification, primary productivity, and seasonality also control their communities during the Late Quaternary. © 2020 by the authors

Two fossil conifer species from the neogene of alonissos island (Iliodroma, Greece) [Deux espèces de conifères fossiles du Néogène de l’île d&apos;Alonissos (Liadrómia, Grèce)]

Alonissos (Iliodroma) Island is really famous to palaeobotanists because of the type locality of Glyptostrobus europaeus (Brongniart) Unger only. Since the first report of the latter holotype no palaeobotanical work has taken place in Alonissos. This is the first research of the fossiliferous locality, along with new palaeobotanical, palynological and gastropod findings, revealed after 200 years. Among the collected material, a xylitic specimen was studied and identified as Pinuxylon alonissianum Man-tzouka &amp; Sakala, sp. nov. The presence of this species points to botanical affinities with sections of Diploxylon Pines (Pinus leiophylla var. chihuahuana (Engelm.) Shaw, P. arizonica Engelm., P. arizonica var. cooperi (C.E.Blanco) Farjon, P. engelmannii Carrière and P. jeffreyi Balf.) especially from Central America (Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental of Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon and Sierra Nevada). This is the first research of this kind revealing as the Nearest Relative bioprovince of the studied Greek fossil pine wood Central America and not Himalayas or Asia. Moreover, a palynological study and an analysis of fossil molluscs were carried out for the first time, giving more data regarding the palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate of the area. Finally, the holotype of Glyptostrobus europaeus (Brongniart) Unger, housed in the collections of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris (MNHN), is found, photographed and presented for the first time. © Publications scientifiques du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris