Downregulation of lung mitochondrial prohibitin in COPD

Summary Prohibitins (PHB1 and PHB2) are versatile proteins located at the inner mitochondrial membrane, maintaining normal mitochondrial function and morphology. They interact with the NADH dehydrogenase protein complex, which is essential for oxidoreductase activity within cells. However, their expression in lung epithelium, especially in smokers and patients with inflammatory lung diseases associated with increased oxidative stress, such as COPD, is unknown. Lung tissue specimens from 45 male subjects were studied: 20 COPD patients [age: 65.7 AE 5.8 years, smoking: 84.6 AE 33.6 pack-years, FEV 1 (%pred.): 58.7 AE 14.6, FEV 1 /FVC (%): 63.8 AE 9.4], 15 non-COPD smokers [age: 59.0 AE 12.1 years, smoking: 52.5 AE 20.8 pack-years, FEV 1 (%pred.): 85.5 AE 14.2, FEV 1 /FVC (%): 78.5 AE 4.7] and 10 non-smokers. Quantitative real-time PCR experiments were carried out for PHB1 and PHB2, using b-actin as internal control. Non-COPD smokers exhibited lower PHB1 mRNA levels when compared to non-smokers (0.55 AE 0.06 vs. 0.90 AE 0.06, P Z 0.043), while PHB1 expression was even further decreased in COPD patients (0.32 AE 0.02), a statistically significant finding vs. both non-COPD smokers (P Z 0.040) and non-smokers (P < 0.001). By contrast, PHB2 levels were similar among the three study groups. Western blot analysis for the PHB1 protein verified the qPCR results (non-smokers: 1.77 AE 0.13; non-COPD smokers: 0.97 AE 0.08; COPD patients: 0.59 AE 0.10, P Z 0.007). Further analysis revealed that PHB1 downregulation in COPD patients cannot be attributed solely to smoking, and that PHB1 expression levels are associated with the degree of airway obstruction [FEV 1 (P mRNA Z 0.004, P protein Z 0.014)]. The significant downregulation of PHB1 in COPD and non-COPD smokers in comparison to non-smokers possibly reflects a distorted mitochondrial function due to decreased mitochondrial stability, especially in the mitochondria of COPD patients.

Study of the ontogenesis of the behaviour in sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax, (Linnaeus, 1758)

The study of behaviour and its ontogenesis can reveal the relationships between an animal and its environment and also can lead humans to better choices concerning the rearing conditions in order to ensure welfare for fish in captivity. The present study was focused in the comparative description of the ontogenesis of behaviour and feeding behaviour of European sea bass reared with two different techniques: intensive and mesocosm. The study of ontogenesis was conducted from the prelarval stages of sea bass to the stage of early juveniles (Chapter 2). Later on, during nursery phase, several acute stressors were applied in order to study their effect on the swimming activity and behaviour in general (Chapter 3). The rearing conditions of fish under captivity can be variable and the levels of these variables can on many occasions affect fish´s welfare. They may lead fish to negative situations and to adopt abnormal behavioural patterns. So, sea bass juveniles were subjected to a series of potentially stressful rearing conditions in order to study the effect of these conditions on the distribution of sea bass and on their behaviour in general. The working goal of the latter study was to evaluate the impact of these parameters on the welfare of sea bass during this ontogenetic stage in captivity (Chapter 4).Η μελέτη της συμπεριφοράς και η οντογένεση της μπορεί να αποκαλύψει τις σχέσεις μεταξύ του ζώου και του περιβάλλοντος του, και να κατευθύνει τον άνθρωπο στην επιλογή των καταλληλότερων συνθηκών διαβίωσης και εκτροφής προκειμένου να εξασφαλιστεί η ευζωία των «αιχμάλωτων» ψαριών. Η παρούσα μελέτη επικεντρώθηκε στην συγκριτική περιγραφή της οντογένεσης της συμπεριφοράς κολύμβησης και διατροφής του εκτρεφόμενου λαυρακιού υπό δύο διαφορετικές συνθήκες εκτροφής: εντατική μέθοδος και μέθοδος μεσοκόσμου. Η μελέτη της οντογένεσης πραγματοποιήθηκε από τα προνυμφικά στάδια του λαυρακιού μέχρι και την φάση των μεταμορφωμένων ιχθυδίων (γόνου: Κεφάλαιο 2). Στη συνέχεια, έγιναν διάφορες παρεμβάσεις στο περιβάλλον κολύμβησης των ιχθυδίων, στο στάδιο της προπάχυνσης (γόνου), προκειμένου να εκτιμηθεί η επίδραση τους στην κολύμβηση και γενικότερα στην συμπεριφορά τους. Οι παρεμβάσεις αυτές αφορούσαν σε αιφνίδιες (acute) αλλαγές μέσα στο μέσο κολύμβησης που πιθανόν να λειτουργούσαν ως διαταραχές (Κεφάλαιο 3). Οι συνθήκες διαβίωσης των ψαριών στην αιχμαλωσία είναι μεταβλητές και οι τιμές αυτών των μεταβλητών μπορεί να επηρεάσουν σε πολλές περιπτώσεις την ευζωία των ψαριών. Μπορεί να τα οδηγήσουν σε αρνητικές καταστάσεις και υιοθέτηση προτύπων μη φυσιολογικής συμπεριφοράς. Έτσι, ιχθύδια λαυρακιού υποβλήθηκαν σε μία σειρά στρεσογόνων συνθηκών διαβίωσης προκειμένου να διαπιστωθεί η επίδραση αυτών στην κατανομή τους στον χώρο αλλά και στην συμπεριφορά τους γενικότερα με απώτερο στόχο την εκτίμηση των παραμέτρων αυτών ως προς την ευζωία του λαυρακιού στο αναπτυξιακό αυτό στάδιο κατά την αιχμαλωσία του (Κεφάλαιο 4)

Simulation of Colloidal Stability and Aggregation Tendency of Magnetic Nanoflowers in Biofluids

A population balance model for the aggregation of iron oxide nanoflowers (IONfs) is presented. The model is based on the fixed pivot technique and is validated successfully for four kinds of aggregation kernels. The extended Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek (xDLVO) theory is also employed for assessing the collision efficiency of the particles, which is pertinent to the total energy of the interaction. Colloidal stability experiments were conducted on IONfs for two dispersant cases—aqueous phosphate buffered saline solution (PBS) and simulated body fluid (SBF). Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements after 24-h of incubation show a significant size increase in plain PBS, whereas the presence of proteins in SBF prevents aggregation by protein corona formation on the IONfs. Subsequent simulations tend to overpredict the aggregation rate, and this can be attributed to the flower-like shape of IONfs, thus allowing patchiness on the surface of the particles that promotes an uneven energy potential and aggregation hindering. In silico parametric study on the effects of the ionic strength shows a prominent dependency of the aggregation rate on the salinity of the dispersant underlying the effect of repulsion forces, which are almost absent in the PBS case, promoting aggregation. In addition, the parametric study on the van der Waals potential energy effect—within common Hamaker-constant values for iron oxides—shows that this is almost absent for high salinity dispersants, whereas low salinity gives a wide range of results, thus underlying the high sensitivity of the model on the potential energy parameters

Isolated Jejunal Perforation Following Bicycle Handlebar Injury in Adults: A Case Report

The small intestine is the third in frequency intraperitoneal organ which is injured after blunt trauma of the abdomen. In most of the cases, this type of injuries is accompanied by other injuries, which make it more difficult to diagnose. Failure of diagnosis and delay in treating these injuries significantly increase the morbidity and mortality of these patients. Abdominal visceral injuries after flipping the handlebar of the bike are common in children. Such injuries can cause injury to both solid and hollow abdominal viscera. Unlike children, adults’ abdominal visceral injuries after flipping the bike’s handlebar are extremely rare. A 25-year-old man was admitted to our department due to progressively abdominal pain after an accident with the handlebar of his bike. The subsequent CT scan after per os administration of contrast medium revealed the presence of free intraperitoneal contrast. It is a rare case of jejunal perforation after flipping the handlebar of the bicycle which was treated by partial removal of the injured part of jejunum and end-to-end anastomosis. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time we describe such an injury with this mechanism to an adult

Polymorphisms of fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 gene in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis

Aim: The chemokine fractalikine is expresses in vascular endothelium, exerting a pro-atherogenic effect. Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the CX3CR1 gene (T280M and V2491) affect fractalkine receptor expression and function. We aimed to assess the prevalence of CX3CR1 polymorphisms and the asociation with ischemic cerebrovascular attacts in a cohort of carotid atheromatous disease patients and age-matched controls. Methods: Using PCR-RFLP, we analyzed allelotypes for T280M and V249I in 150 patients with and 151 controls without carotid atherosclerosis assessed using carotid duplex ultrasound; the sugjects were patients admitted for any reason to a tertiary hospital. Genotype data were compared with modifiable risk factors for cerebrovascular disease and the reason for admission, using ischemic stroke as an endpoint. Stroke types associated with carotid atherosclerosis were analysed separately. Results: The M280 allelic frequency was lower among carotid atherosclerosis patients than controls (0.15 versus 0.23, adjusted OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.30-0.74). Absence of M280 allele was an independent factor associated with carotid atherosclerosis (OR 3.70, 95% CI 1.92-7.14), strongers than hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes and cigarette smoking. The I249 allele was also under-represented in carotid atherosclerosis; this was not statistically significant. T280M and V249I genotypes were not associated with admission due to ischemic stroke of the large vessel subtype (TOAST classification, 73 episodes), whereas carotid atherosclerosis, previous ischemic event, age, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and cigarette smoking were all independently associated. Conclusions: The M280 fractalkine receptor gene allele is associated with a lower risk of carotid atheromatous disease, independent from the modifiable cerebrovascular risk factors

CYanoTech: A sustainable and innovative management system for toxic cyanobacteria blooming of surface waters with combined energy production, sustainable agriculture, and food safety

The blooming of toxic cyanobacteria in surface waters worldwide has become more persistent and prevalent, thus affecting a number of economic sectors including the tourism industry, fishery and food industry, water treatment and monitoring industry, and health sector with annual loses in the range of millions of dollars. With so many diverse sectors of modern living being affected by the same problem, it is crucial to develop and apply innovative and sustainable management systems for toxic cyanobacteria that can be easily adapted into current infrastructures. CYanoTech is a two-year project that proposes a novel, sustainable, and innovative management system for mitigating the effects of toxic cyanobacteria blooming in surface waters while combining energy production and promoting sustainable agriculture, and food safety. The CYanoTech system comprises of removal of the excess aquatic biomass (cyanobacteria cells and algae) from water with a low energy non-mechanical separation technology, the treatment of the aquatic biomass for the production of energy and marketable products (fertilizers), and the application of treated and untreated surface water in hydroponic cultures that produces safe for consumptions crops (cyanotoxins-free crops). The energy produced will compensate the total energy needs of the applied treatment processes, further reducing the system’s overall carbon footprint, making it self-sustainable. Life-Cycle-Analysis will be used to prove the system’s sustainability and market accessibility. To achieve all the project aims, the Water Treatment Laboratory- Aqua of the Cyprus University of Technology has partnered up with research groups from the Ionian University in Greece and the University of Gdansk in Poland