Mineralogical Characterization and Firing Temperature Delineation on Minoan Pottery, Focusing on the Application of Micro-Raman Spectroscopy

Ceramic objects in whole or in fragments usually account for the majority of findings in an archaeological excavation. Thus, through examination of the values these items bear, it is possible to extract important information regarding raw materials provenance and ceramic technology. For this purpose, either traditional examination protocols could be followed, focusing on the macroscopic/morphological characteristics of the ancient object, or more sophisticated physicochemical techniques are employed. Nevertheless, there are cases where, due to the uniqueness and the significance of an object of archaeological value, sampling is impossible. Then, the available analytical tools are extremely limited, especially when molecular information and mineral phase identification is required. In this context, the results acquired from a multiphase clay ceramic dated on Early Neopalatioal period ΜΜΙΙΙΑ-LMIA (1750 B.C.E.–1490 B.C.E.), from the Minoan Bronze Age site at Philioremos (Crete, Greece) through the application of Raman confocal spectroscopy, a non-destructive/ non-invasive method are reported. The spectroscopic results are confirmed through the application of X-ray microdiffraction and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Moreover, it is demonstrated how it is made possible through the application of micro-Raman spectroscopy to examine and collect crucial information from very small inclusions in the ceramic fabric. The aim of this approach is to develop an analytical protocol based on mRaman spectroscopy, for extracting firing temperature information from other ceramic finds (figurines) where due to their uniqueness sampling and analyses through other techniques is not possible. This information can lead to dating but also to firing kiln technology extrapolations that are very significant in archaeology

Synthesis, Structure, and Antiproliferative Activity of Three Gallium(III) Azole Complexes

As part of our interest into the bioinorganic chemistry of gallium, gallium(III) complexes of the azole ligands 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (btd), 1,2,3-benzotriazole (btaH), and 1-methyl-4,5-diphenylimidazole (L) have been isolated. Reaction of btaH or btd with GaBr3 or GaCl3 resulted in the mononuclear complexes [GaBr3(btaH)2] (1) and [GaCl3(btd)2] (2), respectively, while treatment of GaCl3 with L resulted in the anionic complex (LH)2[GaCl4] (3). All three complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography and IR spectroscopy, while their antiproliferative activities were investigated against a series of human and mouse cancer cell lines

HGCA2.0: An RNA-Seq Based Webtool for Gene Coexpression Analysis in Homo sapiens

Genes with similar expression patterns in a set of diverse samples may be considered coexpressed. Human Gene Coexpression Analysis 2.0 (HGCA2.0) is a webtool which studies the global coexpression landscape of human genes. The website is based on the hierarchical clustering of 55,431 Homo sapiens genes based on a large-scale coexpression analysis of 3500 GTEx bulk RNA-Seq samples of healthy individuals, which were selected as the best representative samples of each tissue type. HGCA2.0 presents subclades of coexpressed genes to a gene of interest, and performs various built-in gene term enrichment analyses on the coexpressed genes, including gene ontologies, biological pathways, protein families, and diseases, while also being unique in revealing enriched transcription factors driving coexpression. HGCA2.0 has been successful in identifying not only genes with ubiquitous expression patterns, but also tissue-specific genes. Benchmarking showed that HGCA2.0 belongs to the top performing coexpression webtools, as shown by STRING analysis. HGCA2.0 creates working hypotheses for the discovery of gene partners or common biological processes that can be experimentally validated. It offers a simple and intuitive website design and user interface, as well as an API endpoint

Pediatric trauma and emergency surgery: an international cross-sectional survey among WSES members

Background: In contrast to adults, the situation for pediatric trauma care from an international point of view and the global management of severely injured children remain rather unclear. The current study investigates structural management of pediatric trauma in centers of different trauma levels as well as experiences with pediatric trauma management around the world. Methods: A web-survey had been distributed to the global mailing list of the World Society of Emergency Surgery from 10/2021-03/2022, investigating characteristics of respondents and affiliated hospitals, case-load of pediatric trauma patients, capacities and infrastructure for critical care in children, trauma team composition, clinical work-up and individual experiences with pediatric trauma management in response to patients´ age. The collaboration group was subdivided regarding sizes of affiliated hospitals to allow comparisons concerning hospital volumes. Comparable results were conducted to statistical analysis. Results: A total of 133 participants from 34 countries, i.e. 5 continents responded to the survey. They were most commonly affiliated with larger hospitals (> 500 beds in 72.9%) and with level I or II trauma centers (82.0%), respectively. 74.4% of hospitals offer unrestricted pediatric medical care, but only 63.2% and 42.9% of the participants had sufficient experiences with trauma care in children ≤ 10 and ≤ 5 years of age (p = 0.0014). This situation is aggravated in participants from smaller hospitals (p < 0.01). With regard to hospital size (≤ 500 versus > 500 in-hospital beds), larger hospitals were more likely affiliated with advanced trauma centers, more elaborated pediatric intensive care infrastructure (p < 0.0001), treated children at all ages more frequently (p = 0.0938) and have higher case-loads of severely injured children < 12 years of age (p = 0.0009). Therefore, the majority of larger hospitals reserve either pediatric surgery departments or board-certified pediatric surgeons (p < 0.0001) and in-hospital trauma management is conducted more multi-disciplinarily. However, the majority of respondents does not feel prepared for treatment of severe pediatric trauma and call for special educational and practical training courses (overall: 80.2% and 64.3%, respectively). Conclusions: Multi-professional management of pediatric trauma and individual experiences with severely injured children depend on volumes, level of trauma centers and infrastructure of the hospital. However, respondents from hospitals at all levels of trauma care complain about an alarming lack of knowledge on pediatric trauma management

MicroRNAs and the Diagnosis of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Re-Analysis with Novel Small RNA-Seq Tools

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) pathogenesis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of miRNA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in childhood ALL compared with healthy children, which revealed (i) that the CC genotype of rs4938723 in pri-miR-34b/c and the TT genotype of rs543412 in miR-100 confer protection against ALL occurrence in children; (ii) no significant association between rs2910164 genotypes in miR-146a and childhood ALL; and (iii) SNPs in DROSHA, miR-449b, miR-938, miR-3117 and miR-3689d-2 genes seem to be associated with susceptibility to B-ALL in childhood. A review of published literature on differential expression of miRNAs in children with ALL compared with controls revealed a significant upregulation of the miR-128 family, miR-130b, miR-155, miR-181 family, miR-210, miR-222, miR-363 and miR-708, along with significant downregulation of miR-143 and miR-148a, seem to have a definite role in childhood ALL development. MicroRNA signatures among childhood ALL subtypes, along with differential miRNA expression patterns between B-ALL and T-ALL cases, were scrutinized. With respect to T-ALL pediatric cases, we reanalyzed RNA-seq datasets with a robust and sensitive pipeline and confirmed the significant differential expression of hsa-miR-16-5p, hsa-miR-19b-3p, hsa-miR-92a-2-5p, hsa-miR-128-3p (ranked first), hsa-miR-130b-3p and -5p, hsa-miR-181a-5p, -2-3p and -3p, hsa-miR-181b-5p and -3p, hsa-miR-145-5p and hsa-miR-574-3p, as described in the literature, along with novel identified miRNAs

Inflammatory response in experimental blood vessel surgery in physiological and modified conditions: pharmacological and molecular approach

Τhis study investigated, for the first time, the potential autoregulatoryaction of histamine in the rat large peripheral vessels and the contribution ofhistamine receptors, both under physiological conditions and in systemicinflammation. The selection of the abdominal aorta and the inferior vena cavaas experimental tissues was based on their vital role in the pathophysiology ofthe cardiovascular system and on the existing indications of the putativeautoregulatory action of histamine in peripheral tissues. Therefore, variousdoses of histamine receptor antagonists were administered intraperitoneally innormal animals and in a rat model of experimental arthritis. Histamine levelswere quantified in the blood vessels and the optimum dose of histaminereceptor antagonists was determined from the resulting dose-response curve.The histamine receptor ligands were selected according to theirpharmacological properties. The H1 receptor antagonist dimethindene wasmostly used as a control agent based on the accepted, but not fully elucidatedrole of the H1 receptors in the functionality of blood vessels, as well as innumerous inflammatory processes. GSK334429 and JNJ7777120 have beenrecently developed and chatacterised as selective Η3 and Η4 antagonists/reverseagonists, respectively. Statistical analysis of the results showed that histamineexerts autoregulatory actions in the peripheral blood vessels of normal rats viabinding to the H3 and H4 receptors. In experimental arthritis, Η1 and Η3receptors seemed to underlie the autoregulatory properties of histamine in therat abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava, respectively. Considering that theendothelium regulates the vascular tone and the release of histamine and othervasoactive substances, preliminary studies were performed in the rat bloodvessels where the vascular endothelium was removed ex vivo. The resultsprovided evidence towards the implication of the endothelium in the histamineautoregulatory action in the rat large blood vessels. In conclusion, the findingsrevealed new roles of histamine in the peripheral blood vessels, with thepossible involvement of the vascular endothelium. In particular, the resultsdemonstrated that the histamine levels are regulated through the H3 and H4receptors in the peripheral blood vessels of normal rats, whereas a differentialregulation was observed in systemic inflammation that was elicited via the H1and H3 receptors in veins and arteries, respectively. Considering thecontribution of the H1 receptors in inflammation, the neuroregulatory propertiesof the H3 receptors and the immunomodulatory characteristics of the H4receptors, these results will contribute to the future evaluation of the interactionof the histamine receptors in peripheral blood vessel homeostasis and in thevascular involvement in systemic inflammation. The final aim is thepharmacological evaluation of novel and more beneficial therapeuticinterventions in systemic vascular inflammation.Στην παρούσα διατριβή διερευνήθηκε, για πρώτη φορά, η πιθανήαυτορυθμιστική δράση της ισταμίνης και η συμμετοχή των υποδοχέων της σταμεγάλα αγγεία επίμυων, υπό φυσιολογικές συνθήκες και στη συστηματικήφλεγμονή. Η επιλογή των σπλαχνικών αγγείων της κοιλιακής αορτής και τηςκάτω κοίλης φλέβας έγινε, αφενός λόγω του κομβικού τους ρόλου στοαγγειακό και κυκλοφορικό σύστημα, και κατ΄επέκταση στην παθοφυσιολογίατου οργανισμού, αφετέρου λόγω προηγούμενων ευρημάτων που υποδήλωναντην αυτορυθμιστική δράση της ισταμίνης στην περιφέρεια. Για το σκοπό αυτόχορηγήθηκαν συστηματικά ανταγωνιστές των υποδοχέων της ισταμίνης σεφυσιολογικούς επίμυες και σε επίμυες με πειραματική αρθρίτιδα καιπροσδιορίστηκαν τα επίπεδα ισταμίνης στα αγγεία, καθώς και η βέλτιστηδοσολογία των ανταγωνιστών σύμφωνα με τη σχέση δόσης-αποτελέσματος. Ηεπιλογή των ουσιών έγινε με βάση τις φαρμακολογικές τους ιδιότητες.Χρησιμοποιήθηκαν η διμεθινδένη, ανταγωνιστής των Η1 υποδοχέων, κυρίωςως μάρτυρας, αφού ο ρόλος των Η1 υποδοχέων στα αγγεία και τη φλεγμονήείναι αποδεκτός, αν και όχι πλήρως μελετημένος, και οι ουσίες GSK334429και JNJ7777120, οι οποίες αναπτύχθηκαν πρόσφατα ως εκλεκτικοίανταγωνιστές/ανάστροφοι αγωνιστές των Η3 και Η4 υποδοχέων αντίστοιχα.Μετά από στατιστική επεξεργασία και αξιολόγηση, τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαντην αυτορυθμιστική δράση της ισταμίνης στα περιφερικά αγγεία φυσιολογικώνεπίμυων, στην οποία συμμετέχουν οι Η3 και Η4 υποδοχείς. Η δράση αυτήδιαφοροποιήθηκε στην πειραματική αρθρίτιδα, όπου οι Η1 και Η3 υποδοχείςρύθμισαν αντίστοιχα τα επίπεδα ισταμίνης στις φλέβες και στις αρτηρίες τωνεπίμυων. Στη συνέχεια, επειδή το ενδοθήλιο ρυθμίζει τον αγγειακό τόνο καιτην απελευθέρωση ισταμίνης και άλλων αγγειοδραστικών ουσιών,πραγματοποιήθηκαν προκαταρκτικές μελέτες μετά από ex vivo αφαίρεση τουενδοθηλίου στα αγγεία των επίμυων. Τα ευρήματα παρείχαν ενδείξεις για τηνεμπλοκή του ενδοθηλίου στην αυτορυθμιστική δράση της ισταμίνης σταπεριφερικά αγγεία των επίμυων. Συμπερασματικά, τα αποτελέσματα τηςδιατριβής αποκάλυψαν νέους ρόλους της ισταμίνης στα περιφερικά αγγεία μετην πιθανή συμμετοχή του αγγειακού ενδοθηλίου. Συγκεκριμένα, τα ευρήματαέδειξαν ότι τα επίπεδα της ισταμίνης στα φυσιολογικά σπλαχνικά αγγείαρυθμίζονται μέσω των Η3 και Η4 υποδοχέων, ενώ κατά τη συστηματικήφλεγμονή, η ρύθμιση διαφοροποιείται και εξαρτάται από τους Η1 και Η3υποδοχείς στις φλέβες και στις αρτηρίες αντίστοιχα. Λαμβάνοντας υπόψη τησυμμετοχή των Η1 υποδοχέων στη φλεγμονή, το νευρορυθμιστικό ρόλο τωνΗ3 υποδοχέων και τις ανοσορυθμιστικές ιδιότητες των Η4 υποδοχέων, τααποτελέσματα αναμένεται να συμβάλουν στην περεταίρω αξιολόγηση τηςαλληλεπίδρασης των υποδοχέων της ισταμίνης στις ομοιοστατικές λειτουργίεςτων αγγείων και στην αγγειακή συμμετοχή στη συστηματική φλεγμονή.Απώτερος σκοπός είναι η φαρμακολογική αξιολόγηση νέωναποτελεσματικότερων θεραπευτικών προσεγγίσεων στη φλεγμονή τωναγγείων

Comparative Study of Protein Expression Levels of Five Plaque Biomarkers and Relation with Carotid Plaque Type Classification in Patients after Carotid Endarterectomy

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process resulting in local plaque deposition in the vessel wall of arteries with symptoms to various areas of vascular tree. Identification of patients with progressive advanced atherosclerotic disease is mainly based on the known characteristics of the vulnerable or recently ruptured plaque. Molecular and cellular features associated with the vulnerable plaque are considered potential diagnostic markers for plaque rupture and thrombosis. Here, protein expression levels of the metalloproteases MMP-1, MMP-9, osteopontin (OPN), and cytokines TNFα and IL-6 in tissue extracts of carotid plaques in patients after endarterectomy were estimated by Western immunoblotting, after SDS-PAGE analysis and evaluated based on the ultrasonographic plaque morphology. The gender and age effect was also examined. MMP-1, MMP-9, and IL-6 were expressed in higher levels compared to OPN and TNFa as well as in symptomatic (with type II and III carotid plaque classification) than asymptomatic (type IV) patients with differences considered statistically significant (P values <0.05). A significant positive correlation between MMP-1 and IL-6 (with Pearson correlation coefficient 0.748) is also notable. The data give further insight into the possible role of specific biomarker and enhance the need for further studies in order to clarify the proper one(s) for detection of the vulnerable plaque and help identify patients at risk for cardiovascular events

Smart city planning from a bottom-up approach: Local communities' intervention for a smarter urban environment

The aim of this paper is to explore the concept of "smart" cities from the perspective of inclusive community participation and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).The concept of a smart city is critically analyzed, focusing on the power/knowledge implications of a "bottom-up" approach in planning and how GIS could encourage community participation in smart urban planning. The paper commences with a literature review of what it means for cities to be "smart". It draws supporting definitions and critical insights into smart cities with respect to the built environment and the human factor. The second part of the paper, analyzes the "bottom-up" approach in urban planning, focusing on community participation reviewing forms and expressions through good practices from European cities. The third part of the paper includes a debate on how smart urban cities policies and community participation interact and influence each other. Finally, the paper closes with a discussion of the insights that were found and offers recommendations on how this debate could be addressed by Information and Communication Technologies and GIS in particular