Detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Chlamydophila pneumoniae) DNA in atherosclerotic plaques and its molecular analysis in northern Greece

Objectives: C. pneumoniae responsible for respiratory tract infections has also been assocciated with chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis.The aim of the present study is the detection of C. pneumoniae DNA in various atherosclerotic arteries by a sensitive and specific PCR. In order to investigate whether there is a relation between a specific type and atherosclerosis, genotyping was performed. Methods: The study group consisted of 122 atherosclerotic plaques from patients (mean age 68.4, range 50-89 years old, 95 males and 25 females) with severe atherosclerosis. C. pneumoniae DNA was detected in atherosclerotic plaques by nested «Touchdown» PCR. A second PCR targeting the ygeD-urk intergenic region was performed and PCR products were sequenced.Results: 12.3% of the specimens were positive for C. pneumoniae. Detection rates in specimens of carotid, abdominal, and femoral arteries were 12%, 15.6%, and 10%, respectively. (p = NS). 14 strains were found to have 100% homology with J138, AR39 and TW-183, while one strain had a 23 bp invertible region and revealed 100% homology with the CWL029.Conclusion: Overall, 15/122 (12.3%) atherosclerotic specimens from patients were positive for C. pneumoniae. The strains detected belong to two different types designated as genotype I and II. Genotype I was the prevalent and only one strain had the reverse orientation of the 23bp region in northern Greece

STUDY : Questionnaire for the State of the Art in educating sustainability and heritage

O2 INTELECTUAL OUTPUT Output type: Studies / analysis – Questionnaire development and survey implementation PARTNERS: The University of Belgrade - Faculty of Architecture // Serbia Universita Iuav di Venezia // Italy The University of Cyprus // Cyprus The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki // Greece The University of Seville // Spain Enhancing of Heritage Awareness and Sustainability of Built Environment in Architectural and Urban Design Higher Education Erasmus+ Hersus Proje

HERSUS Project and Digital sharing platform [1st prize, 31. International Urban Planners' Exhibition]

ХЕРСУС (Јачање свести о наслеђу и одрживости грађене средине у високошколском образовању у домену архитектонског и урбанистичког пројектовања) је Еразмус+ стратешко партнерство за високо образовање које окупља пет универзитета из Србије, Италије, Кипра, Грчке и Шпаније који заједно раде на дизајну и развоју курсева уз дисеминацију знања кроз семинаре, радионице и заједнички изграђену платформу дељења. ХЕРСУС платформа дељења је дигитална платформа за истраживаче и студенте замишљена као образовно средство и архива ресурса о темама одрживости и свести о наслеђу у архитектури и урбанизму. Платформа је дизајнирана и развијена као извор референци и инспирације када се ради о истраживањима у областима које пројекат ХЕРСУС има за циљ да истражи. У платформи се стварају везе између наизглед удаљених тема, показујући основне наративе, везе и преклапања која спајају садржаје на различитим просторним и друштвеним нивоима.HERSUS (Enhancing of Heritage Awareness and SustainaЬility of Built Environment in Architectural and Urban Design Higher Education) is Erasmus + Strategic Partnerships for higher education which brings together five Universities from SerЬia, ltaly, Cyprus, Greece, and Spain working together оп the design and development of the courses while disseminating knowledge through international training courses, workshops, and а jointly built Sharing Platform. The HERSUS Sharing Platform is а digital platform for researchers and students conceived as ап educational tool and archive of resources around the topics of sustainaЬility and heritage awareness in architecture and urban design. The platform has been designed and developed as а source of reference and inspiration to refer to when doi ng research in the fields that the HERSUS project aims to investigate. ln the platform, links аге created between apparently distant subjects, showing underlying narratives, connections and overlappings that bring contents together оп different levels.ПРВА НАГРАДА 31. Међународног Салона Урбанизма у категорији Дигиталне технике, дизајн и продукција у урбанизму и архитектури / 1st prize at the 31st International Urban Planners Exhibition in category Digital techniques, design and production in architecture and urbanis

Geographical and temporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 clades in the WHO European Region, January to June 2020

We show the distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) genetic clades over time and between countries and outline potential genomic surveillance objectives. We applied three genomic nomenclature systems to all sequence data from the World Health Organization European Region available until 10 July 2020. We highlight the importance of real-time sequencing and data dissemination in a pandemic situation, compare the nomenclatures and lay a foundation for future European genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2

Evaluation of design parameters’ effects on urban open spaces’ microclimate development and on thermal comfort conditions, during the summer period in Mediterranean climate

The thesis attempts a research on the interaction of various design parameters affecting the microclimate and thermal comfort in open urban spaces as well as the relative effect of each parameter, and aims on generating an evaluation tool of design options and practices for improving microclimate conditions in urban areas. The research begun with literature review continued with on site observations and microclimate monitoring in selected urban spaces and was supplemented by a parametric analysis through simulations. The on site research aimed on detection of microclimate variations in real urban environments and on data collection for validating simulation software. Monitoring was followed by modelling and simulations of the examined urban microclimates by specialized software which were evaluated based on the simulation results convergence with real conditions. Simulations by the appropriate software were used for examining isolated design parameters aiming to a comparative evaluation and hierarchy of their effects on the urban microclimate and thermal comfort. The major contribution of the present study is twofold and consists in the hierarchy of several basic design parameters’ influence on specific open space typologies on the one hand, and in an urban design evaluation methodology based on microclimate and comfort on the other. Moreover, the on site research and parametric analysis results confirm the negative effect of high albedo ground surfaces on thermal comfort during daytime, a finding that contradicts the common impressions, and has never been clearly stated in previous studies. Finally, the on site monitoring method which was based on successive improvements and resulted in a detailed and complete microclimate and comfort data record, in terms of space and time, in the examined spaces as well as the combination and the selective use of the different software has not been presented before. In conclusion, the present thesis revealed the measurable influence of design on open urban spaces microclimate, the possibility of its evaluation and its utilization for forming the thermal conditions in the urban environment.Η διατριβή επιχειρεί να διερευνήσει την αλληλεπίδραση διαφόρων παραμέτρων σχεδιασμού που επηρεάζουν το μικρόκλιμα των υπαίθριων αστικών χώρων και τη θερμική άνεση των πεζών , και τη σχετική επιρροή της κάθε παραμέτρου, με στόχο τον καθορισμό ενός εργαλείου αξιολόγησης και ιεράρχησης σχεδιαστικών επιλογών και πρακτικών για τη ρύθμιση και βελτίωση των μικροκλιματικών συνθηκών στον αστικό χώρο. Η έρευνα ξεκίνησε με βιβλιογραφική επισκόπηση, συνεχίστηκε με επιτόπια παρατήρηση και καταγραφή πραγματικών μικροκλιματικών δεδομένων σε επιλεγμένους υπαίθριους χώρους και συμπληρώθηκε με παραμετρική ανάλυση μέσω προσομοίωσης. Η επιτόπια έρευνα έγινε με στόχο τον εντοπισμό των διαφορών του μικροκλίματος σε πραγματικούς αστικούς χώρους και τη συλλογή στοιχείων για τη ρύθμιση προγραμμάτων προσομοίωσης. Ακολούθησε μοντελοποίηση και προσομοίωση του μικροκλίματος των υπαίθριων χώρων με διαφορετικά εξειδικευμένα προγράμματα, τα οποία αξιολογήθηκαν ως προς τη δυνατότητα προσέγγισης των πραγματικών συνθηκών. Η προσομοίωση χρησιμοποιήθηκε ως εργαλείο, για την ανάλυση μεμονωμένων παραμέτρων σχεδιασμού, με στόχο τη συγκριτική αξιολόγηση και την ιεράρχηση της επίδρασής τους στο μικρόκλιμα αστικών χώρων και στις θερμικές συνθήκες. Η κυριότερη συνεισφορά της παρούσας μελέτης, είναι διττή και συνίσταται αφενός στην ιεράρχηση της επίδρασης ορισμένων βασικών παραμέτρων σχεδιασμού σε συγκεκριμένους χώρους και αφετέρου στην παρουσίαση μιας μεθοδολογίας αξιολόγησης του αστικού σχεδιασμού ως προς το μικρόκλιμα και τη θερμική άνεση. Ακόμη, τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας πεδίου και της παραμετρικής ανάλυσης επιβεβαιώνουν την αρνητική επίδραση της υψηλής ανακλαστικότητας των επιφανειών των δαπέδων των υπαίθριων χώρων στις συνθήκες άνεσης κατά τη διάρκεια της ημέρας, μια διαπίστωση, που έρχεται σε αντίθεση με διεθνώς εδραιωμένες εντυπώσεις, και δεν έχει διατυπωθεί με σαφήνεια στο παρελθόν. Τέλος, η μέθοδος μετρήσεων πεδίου, που βασίστηκε σε διαδοχικές βελτιώσεις και κατέληξε σε μια πλήρη και λεπτομερή καταγραφή του μικροκλίματος, χωρικά και χρονικά στους υπό εξέταση υπαίθριους χώρους και ο συνδυασμός και η επιλεκτική αξιοποίηση των συγκεκριμένων προγραμμάτων προσομοίωσης δεν έχει επαναληφθεί. Συνοψίζοντας, η παρούσα διατριβή ανέδειξε τη μετρήσιμη επίδραση του σχεδιασμού στο μικρόκλιμα των υπαίθριων αστικών χώρων, τη δυνατότητα αξιολόγησής της και αξιοποίησής της στη διαμόρφωση των θερμικών συνθηκών στο αστικό περιβάλλον

Multifactorial Evaluation of Spatial Suitability and Economic Viability of Light Green Bridges Using Remote Sensing Data and Spatial Urban Planning Criteria

Multi-faceted stresses of social, environmental, and economic nature are increasingly challenging the existence and sustainability of our societies. Cities in particular are disproportionately threatened by global issues such as climate change, urbanization, population growth, air pollution, etc. In addition, urban space is often too limited to effectively develop sustainable, nature-based solutions while accommodating growing populations. This research aims to provide new methodologies by proposing lightweight green bridges in inner-city areas as an effective land value capture mechanism. Geometry analysis was performed using geospatial and remote sensing data to provide geometrically feasible locations of green bridges. A multi-criteria decision analysis was applied to identify suitable locations for green bridges investigating Central European urban centers with a focus on German cities as representative examples. A cost-benefit analysis was performed to assess the economic feasibility using a case study. The results of the geometry analysis identified 3249 locations that were geometrically feasible to implement a green bridge in German cities. The sample locations from the geometry analysis were proved to be validated for their implementation potential. Multi-criteria decision analysis was used to select 287 sites that fall under the highest suitable class based on several criteria. The cost-benefit analysis of the case study showed that the market value of the property alone can easily outweigh the capital and maintenance costs of a green bridge, while the indirect (monetary) benefits of the green space continue to increase the overall value of the green bridge property including its neighborhood over time. Hence, we strongly recommend light green bridges as financially sustainable and nature-based solutions in cities worldwide

Study : Questionnaire for the state of art in educating sustainability and heritage

Intellectual Output 2: Questionnaire for the State of Art is the product of a survey design, dissemination and analysis strategy, managed by the AUTH HERSUS Team and undertaken by all HERSUS Participating institutions. The survey consisted of a two-pronged approach focusing on two target groups, experts and students in the Hersus respective countries, aiming at creating an argumentative and critically analyzed report on the state of learning of sustainability and heritage in the field of the urban and architectural design of higher education. Part 1 of this report presents the overall scope, the various stages of the creation of the two concurrent Surveys: background review, consultation process, the Questionnaires dissemination/monitoring strategy, analysis methodology. Moreover, this part also outlines the structure of the remaining sections of the report