Αξιολόγηση βαθμού ετοιμότητας των εργαζομένων σε κτήρια διοικητικών υπηρεσιών Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών στο κέντρο της Αθήνας στην αντιμετώπιση φυσικών καταστροφών (Αξιολόγηση γνώσεων σε θέματα αντιμετώπισης φυσικών καταστροφών στο χώρο εργασίας)

Οι καταστροφές αποτελούν όλο και πιο συχνό φαινόμενο και συνοδεύονται από πλήθος επιπτώσεων τόσο σε επίπεδο ανθρώπινων απωλειών όσο και σε ζημιές των οικονομικών, κοινωνικών και περιβαλλοντικών πόρων της κοινότητας. Ο χώρος εργασίας μπορεί να διαδραματίσει σημαντικό ρόλο τόσο στην προετοιμασία και την πρόληψη των καταστροφών όσο και στον περιορισμό των επιπτώσεών τους και στη διευκόλυνση της αποκατάστασης. Λόγω του εξαιρετικά απρόβλεπτου χαρακτήρα των καταστροφών θεωρείται υψίστης σημασίας τόσο ο έλεγχος των κινδύνων στους οποίους εκτίθενται εργαζόμενοι υπάλληλοι στο χώρο εργασίας τους, όσο και η εφαρμογή ενός καλά οργανωμένου και ολοκληρωμένου σχεδίου ετοιμότητας για διάφορες καταστροφές, με σκοπό την επιτυχή ενίσχυση της ανθεκτικότητας του οργανισμού έναντι των καταστροφών. Τόσο η διοίκηση όσο και οι εργαζόμενοι πρέπει να έχουν γνώση των καταστάσεων έκτακτης ανάγκης με τις οποίες ενδέχεται να έρθουν αντιμέτωποι αλλά και των προβλεπόμενων διαδικασιών προκειμένου να βοηθήσουν στην αντιμετώπισή τους, εάν προκύψουν στον εργασιακό χώρο. Η εκπαίδευση και κατάρτιση του προσωπικού θα πρέπει να είναι προσαρμοσμένες στους ρόλους και τις ευθύνες που αυτοί θα έχουν σε διάφορα σενάρια καταστροφών, να παρέχεται σε τακτικά χρονικά διαστήματα και να λαμβάνει υπόψη την προσωπική εμπειρία, την εμπειρογνωμοσύνη και τις φυσικές δυνατότητες των εργαζομένων. Σκοπός: Η παρούσα μελέτη αποσκοπεί στην αξιολόγηση του βαθμού ετοιμότητας και η διάγνωση των αναγκών για εκπαίδευση και κατάρτιση των εργαζομένων σε κτήρια διοικητικών υπηρεσιών Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών στο κέντρο της Αθήνας σε ζητήματα σχετιζόμενα με την αντιμετώπιση φυσικών καταστροφών καθώς και η υποβολή προτάσεων για την δημιουργία ενός σχετικού εκπαιδευτικού προγράμματος προσαρμοσμένου στις διαγνωσθείσες εκπαιδευτικές ανάγκες. Υλικό και μέθοδος: Το δείγμα της μελέτης αποτέλεσαν 80 εργαζόμενοι σε κτήρια διοικητικών υπηρεσιών του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών. Τα στοιχεία της παρούσας μελέτης προέρχονται από τη σε βάθος και λεπτομερή ανάλυση των δεδομένων που συγκεντρώθηκαν μέσω αυτοσυμπληρούμενου ερωτηματολογίου, αποτελούμενων από 21 ερωτήσεις που αναπτύχθηκε για τους σκοπούς της παρούσας εργασίας. Η ανάλυση έγινε με το στατιστικό πρόγραμμα SPSS 17.0. Αποτελέσματα: Από την παρούσα μελέτη διαπιστώθηκε σημαντικό έλλειμμα γνώσεων των εργαζομένων σε ζητήματα σχετιζόμενα με τη διαχείριση καταστάσεων που συνδέονται με καταστροφές καθώς διαπιστώθηκε πως το 87.5% των συμμετεχόντων δεν είχαν λάβει πότε κάποια σχετική ενημέρωση ή εκπαίδευση στο χώρο εργασίας τους και το 51.3% αυτών δηλώνει άγνοια για το που βρίσκονται οι έξοδοι κινδύνου. Ακόμα, διαπιστώσαμε προθυμία των εργαζόμενων να εκπαιδευτούν σε σχετικά θέματα με το 92,5% να δηλώνει πως επιθυμεί να λάβει σχετική εκπαίδευση στο χώρο εργασίας τους. Συμπεράσματα: Η εκπαίδευση είναι αναπόσπαστο μέρος της ετοιμότητας έναντι των καταστροφών καθώς η αύξηση των γνώσεων για τον σχετιζόμενο με τις φυσικές καταστροφές κίνδυνο μπορεί να συμβάλλει στην καλύτερη κατανόηση, τη βελτιωμένη διαχείριση, τη μείωση των κινδύνων και την προσαρμογή σε αυτούς.Nowadays we're seeing an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters, which have a range of negative consequences such as human and economic loss as well as social impacts and damage to agriculture, structures, infrastructure, and the natural environment of the community. Workplace can play a key role in preparing for and preventing disasters, mitigating their impact, and facilitating recovery. Given the extremely unpredictable nature of disasters, it is of utmost importance the hazard identification and risk assessment in the workplace as well as the implementation of a well-structured and comprehensive plan for preparation against various types of disasters to improve overall organizational resilience to disasters. Both management and employees need to be aware of emergencies that may occur, and of the procedures which have been decided beforehand to successfully deal with several workplace situations that may potentially arise. Training should be tailored to the specific duties, roles and responsibilities employees may have in the event of a crisis or disaster, should be provided at regular intervals and should take into consideration the employee's experience, expertise and physical abilities. Purpose: The present study aims to assess disaster preparedness and educational needs of the working population employed in office settings of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the submission of proposals for the development of a training program to meet their training needs. Material and methods: The subjects of this study consisted of 80 employees in office settings of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The data were collected by means of a self-completion questionnaire, consisting of 21 questions and which was carefully designed to for the present study. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS Version 17.0 statistic software package. Results: The present study found a significant shortage of employees’ level of knowledge and training on disaster preparedness and management as 87.5% of the participants reported that they were never provided any relevant on-the-job training from their employers and 51.3% of them are ignorant of where emergency exits in the workplace are located. Also, we found that worker are willing to participate in emergency and disaster management training, as 92.5% stated that they wish to receive such training in their workplace. Conclusions: Training is an integral part of disaster preparedness as increasing knowledge of natural hazard-related risk may contribute to better understanding, improved management, and finally to risk reduction and adaptation

DNA compaction by the higher-order assembly of PRH/Hex homeodomain protein oligomers

Protein self-organization is essential for the establishment and maintenance of nuclear architecture and for the regulation of gene expression. We have shown previously that the Proline-Rich Homeodomain protein (PRH/Hex) self-assembles to form oligomeric complexes that bind to arrays of PRH binding sites with high affinity and specificity. We have also shown that many PRH target genes contain suitably spaced arrays of PRH sites that allow this protein to bind and regulate transcription. Here, we use analytical ultracentrifugation and electron microscopy to further characterize PRH oligomers. We use the same techniques to show that PRH oligomers bound to long DNA fragments self-associate to form highly ordered assemblies. Electron microscopy and linear dichroism reveal that PRH oligomers can form protein–DNA fibres and that PRH is able to compact DNA in the absence of other proteins. Finally, we show that DNA compaction is not sufficient for the repression of PRH target genes in cells. We conclude that DNA compaction is a consequence of the binding of large PRH oligomers to arrays of binding sites and that PRH is functionally and structurally related to the Lrp/AsnC family of proteins from bacteria and archaea, a group of proteins formerly thought to be without eukaryotic equivalents

DNA compaction by the higher-order assembly of PRH/Hex homeodomain protein oligomers

Protein self-organization is essential for the establishment and maintenance of nuclear architecture and for the regulation of gene expression. We have shown previously that the Proline-Rich Homeodomain protein (PRH/Hex) self-assembles to form oligomeric complexes that bind to arrays of PRH binding sites with high affinity and specificity. We have also shown that many PRH target genes contain suitably spaced arrays of PRH sites that allow this protein to bind and regulate transcription. Here, we use analytical ultracentrifugation and electron microscopy to further characterize PRH oligomers. We use the same techniques to show that PRH oligomers bound to long DNA fragments self-associate to form highly ordered assemblies. Electron microscopy and linear dichroism reveal that PRH oligomers can form protein–DNA fibres and that PRH is able to compact DNA in the absence of other proteins. Finally, we show that DNA compaction is not sufficient for the repression of PRH target genes in cells. We conclude that DNA compaction is a consequence of the binding of large PRH oligomers to arrays of binding sites and that PRH is functionally and structurally related to the Lrp/AsnC family of proteins from bacteria and archaea, a group of proteins formerly thought to be without eukaryotic equivalents

Safe procedures despite ultra low radiation doses during catheter ablations of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias—A multicenter experience

Introduction: Despite the development of non-fluoroscopic catheter visualization options, fluoroscopy is still used in most ablation procedures. The aim of this multicenter study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new ultra-low dose radiation protocol for EP procedures in a large number of patients. Methods and results: A total of 3462 consecutive patients (male 1926 (55.6%), age 64.4 ± 14.0 years, BMI 26.65 ± 4.70) undergoing radiofrequency ablation (left atrial (n = 2316 [66.9%], right atrial (n = 675 [19.5%], or ventricular (n = 471 [13.6%]) in three German centers were included in the analysis. Procedures were performed using a new ultra-low dose protocol operating at 8nGy for fluoroscopy and 36nGy for cine-loops. Additionally a very low framerate (2-3FPS) was used. Using the new protocol very low Air kerma-area product (KAP) values were achieved for left atrial ablations (104.25 ± 84.22 μGym2 ), right atrial ablations (70.98 ± 94.79 μGym2 ) and ablations for ventricular tachycardias or PVCs (78.62 ± 66.59 μGym2 ). Acute procedural success was achieved in 3289/3388 (97.1%) while the rate of major complications was very low compared to previously published studies not using low dose settings (n = 20, 0.6%). Conclusion: The ultra-low dose, low framerate protocol leads to very low radiation doses for all EP procedures while neither procedural time, fluoroscopy time nor success or complication rates were compromised. When compared to current real-world Air KAP data the new ultra-low dose fluoroscopy protocol reduces radiation exposure by more than 90%

Spatiotemporal control of mitosis by the conserved spindle matrix protein Megator

A putative spindle matrix has been hypothesized to mediate chromosome motion, but its existence and functionality remain controversial. In this report, we show that Megator (Mtor), the Drosophila melanogaster counterpart of the human nuclear pore complex protein translocated promoter region (Tpr), and the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) protein Mad2 form a conserved complex that localizes to a nuclear derived spindle matrix in living cells. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments supports that Mtor is retained around spindle microtubules, where it shows distinct dynamic properties. Mtor/Tpr promotes the recruitment of Mad2 and Mps1 but not Mad1 to unattached kinetochores (KTs), mediating normal mitotic duration and SAC response. At anaphase, Mtor plays a role in spindle elongation, thereby affecting normal chromosome movement. We propose that Mtor/Tpr functions as a spatial regulator of the SAC, which ensures the efficient recruitment of Mad2 to unattached KTs at the onset of mitosis and proper spindle maturation, whereas enrichment of Mad2 in a spindle matrix helps confine the action of a diffusible “wait anaphase” signal to the vicinity of the spindle

Pom33, a novel transmembrane nucleoporin required for proper nuclear pore complex distribution

A previously unrecognized pore membrane protein, Pom33, stabilizes the interface between the nuclear envelope and the NPC to facilitate NPC biogenesis and spatial organization

Transcription Initiation Patterns Indicate Divergent Strategies for Gene Regulation at the Chromatin Level

The application of deep sequencing to map 5′ capped transcripts has confirmed the existence of at least two distinct promoter classes in metazoans: “focused” promoters with transcription start sites (TSSs) that occur in a narrowly defined genomic span and “dispersed” promoters with TSSs that are spread over a larger window. Previous studies have explored the presence of genomic features, such as CpG islands and sequence motifs, in these promoter classes, but virtually no studies have directly investigated the relationship with chromatin features. Here, we show that promoter classes are significantly differentiated by nucleosome organization and chromatin structure. Dispersed promoters display higher associations with well-positioned nucleosomes downstream of the TSS and a more clearly defined nucleosome free region upstream, while focused promoters have a less organized nucleosome structure, yet higher presence of RNA polymerase II. These differences extend to histone variants (H2A.Z) and marks (H3K4 methylation), as well as insulator binding (such as CTCF), independent of the expression levels of affected genes. Notably, differences are conserved across mammals and flies, and they provide for a clearer separation of promoter architectures than the presence and absence of CpG islands or the occurrence of stalled RNA polymerase. Computational models support the stronger contribution of chromatin features to the definition of dispersed promoters compared to focused start sites. Our results show that promoter classes defined from 5′ capped transcripts not only reflect differences in the initiation process at the core promoter but also are indicative of divergent transcriptional programs established within gene-proximal nucleosome organization

Repressive LTR Nucleosome Positioning by the BAF Complex Is Required for HIV Latency

The SWI/SNF BAF chromatin remodeling complex generates a repressive nucleosome structure at the HIV LTR conducive to establishment and maintenance of HIV latency, while PBAF augments HIV transcription

The Different Function of Single Phosphorylation Sites of Drosophila melanogaster Lamin Dm and Lamin C

Lamins' functions are regulated by phosphorylation at specific sites but our understanding of the role of such modifications is practically limited to the function of cdc 2 (cdk1) kinase sites in depolymerization of the nuclear lamina during mitosis. In our study we used Drosophila lamin Dm (B-type) to examine the function of particular phosphorylation sites using pseudophosphorylated mutants mimicking single phosphorylation at experimentally confirmed in vivo phosphosites (S25E, S45E, T435E, S595E). We also analyzed lamin C (A-type) and its mutant S37E representing the N-terminal cdc2 (mitotic) site as well as lamin Dm R64H mutant as a control, non-polymerizing lamin. In the polymerization assay we could observe different effects of N-terminal cdc2 site pseudophosphorylation on A- and B-type lamins: lamin Dm S45E mutant was insoluble, in contrast to lamin C S37E. Lamin Dm T435E (C-terminal cdc2 site) and R64H were soluble in vitro. We also confirmed that none of the single phosphorylation site modifications affected the chromatin binding of lamin Dm, in contrast to the lamin C N-terminal cdc2 site. In vivo, all lamin Dm mutants were incorporated efficiently into the nuclear lamina in transfected Drosophila S2 and HeLa cells, although significant amounts of S45E and T435E were also located in cytoplasm. When farnesylation incompetent mutants were expressed in HeLa cells, lamin Dm T435E was cytoplasmic and showed higher mobility in FRAP assay

Abnormal Dosage Compensation of Reporter Genes Driven by the Drosophila Glass Multiple Reporter (GMR) Enhancer-Promoter

In Drosophila melanogaster the male specific lethal (MSL) complex is required for upregulation of expression of most X-linked genes in males, thereby achieving X chromosome dosage compensation. The MSL complex is highly enriched across most active X-linked genes with a bias towards the 3′ end. Previous studies have shown that gene transcription facilitates MSL complex binding but the type of promoter did not appear to be important. We have made the surprising observation that genes driven by the glass multiple reporter (GMR) enhancer-promoter are not dosage compensated at X-linked sites. The GMR promoter is active in all cells in, and posterior to, the morphogenetic furrow of the developing eye disc. Using phiC31 integrase-mediated targeted integration, we measured expression of lacZ reporter genes driven by either the GMR or armadillo (arm) promoters at each of three X-linked sites. At all sites, the arm-lacZ reporter gene was dosage compensated but GMR-lacZ was not. We have investigated why GMR-driven genes are not dosage compensated. Earlier or constitutive expression of GMR-lacZ did not affect the level of compensation. Neither did proximity to a strong MSL binding site. However, replacement of the hsp70 minimal promoter with a minimal promoter from the X-linked 6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase gene did restore partial dosage compensation. Similarly, insertion of binding sites for the GAGA and DREF factors upstream of the GMR promoter led to significantly higher lacZ expression in males than females. GAGA and DREF have been implicated to play a role in dosage compensation. We conclude that the gene promoter can affect MSL complex-mediated upregulation and dosage compensation. Further, it appears that the nature of the basal promoter and the presence of binding sites for specific factors influence the ability of a gene promoter to respond to the MSL complex