Modelling the impact of decidual senescence on embryo implantation in human endometrial assembloids.

Decidual remodelling of midluteal endometrium leads to a short implantation window after which the uterine mucosa either breaks down or is transformed into a robust matrix that accommodates the placenta throughout pregnancy. To gain insights into the underlying mechanisms, we established and characterized endometrial assembloids, consisting of gland-like organoids and primary stromal cells. Single-cell transcriptomics revealed that decidualized assembloids closely resemble midluteal endometrium, harbouring differentiated and senescent subpopulations in both glands and stroma. We show that acute senescence in glandular epithelium drives secretion of multiple canonical implantation factors, whereas in the stroma it calibrates the emergence of anti-inflammatory decidual cells and pro-inflammatory senescent decidual cells. Pharmacological inhibition of stress responses in pre-decidual cells accelerated decidualization by eliminating the emergence of senescent decidual cells. In co-culture experiments, accelerated decidualization resulted in entrapment of collapsed human blastocysts in a robust, static decidual matrix. By contrast, the presence of senescent decidual cells created a dynamic implantation environment, enabling embryo expansion and attachment, although their persistence led to gradual disintegration of assembloids. Our findings suggest that decidual senescence controls endometrial fate decisions at implantation and highlight how endometrial assembloids may accelerate the discovery of new treatments to prevent reproductive failure

HBIM for cultural heritage: the case study of Panayia Karmiotissa church

The authors acknowledge the support from EU ERA Chair MNEMOSYNE project, which received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 810857. The authors acknowledge the support from EU MSCA CHANGE project, which received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 813789. The authors thank the Bishopric of Limassol, the Karmiotissa Church Committee and the Department of Antiquities for permitting all rights and access to the Church of Panayia Karmiotissa.HBIM (Heritage Building Information Modelling) is used for the documentation of the Church of Panayia Karmiotissa, near Limassol, Cyprus. The HBIM model is based on the geometric information obtained by digital documentation of the monument. Using laser scanning and Structure for Motion photogrammetric techniques, exterior images were collected using a drone with a 20MP camera and the interior images were taken using an SLR 20 MP camera. Ground control points were used both externally and internally to geo-reference the images using SfM photogrammetry. A Z+F latest technology 3D laser scanner was utilized to scan both the exterior and interior of the church. The images were used in order to create a 3D reconstruction of the Church and used photogrammetry to generate a point cloud of the church and a 3D surface texture model with ortho-images. Following, the data generated by the laser scanner and photogrammetry was processed to create a 3D model to document the church using Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM). The main objective of this case study was to create an HBIM model of the Church of Panayia Karmiotissa to digitally register and holistically to document the monument. HBIM is an important tool for the multidisciplinary area of conservators, architects and in general engineer activities, as it provides virtual details that are useful for monitoring, preservation and restoration.The authors acknowledge the ‘EXCELSIOR’: ERATOSTHENES: EΧcellence Research Centre for Earth Surveillance and Space-Based Monitoring of the Environment H2020 Widespread Teaming project (www.excelsior2020.eu). The ‘EXCELSIOR’ project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 857510, from the Government of the Republic of Cyprus through the Directorate General for the European Programmes, Coordination and Development and the Cyprus University of Technology

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

Wine: An Aspiring Agent in Promoting Longevity and Preventing Chronic Diseases

Introduction: Moderate wine consumption is a characteristic of the Mediterranean diet. Studies around the world have shown a beneficial effect of moderate alcohol intake, especially wine, on health. This review aims to critically summarise the most recent studies that investigate the beneficial effects of moderate wine intake on human health. Methods: The PubMed database was comprehensively searched to identify trials published from 2013 to 2018 that investigated the association between moderate wine consumption and health. Results: The most recent studies confirm the valuable role of moderate wine consumption, especially red wine, in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, cognitive decline, depression, and cancer. In the meantime, recent studies also highlight the beneficial role of red wine against oxidative stress and in favour of desirable gut bacteria. The beneficial role of red wine has been attributed to its phytochemical compounds, as highlighted by clinical trials, where the effect of red wine has been compared to white wine, non-alcoholic wine, other alcoholic drinks, and water. Conclusions: Moderate wine intake, at 1–2 glasses per day as part of the Mediterranean diet, has been positively associated with human health promotion, disease prevention, and disease prognosis

Expression of tissue remodelling, inflammation- and angiogenesis-related factors after eccentric exercise in humans

Eccentric exercise has been extensively used as a model to study the contraction-induced muscle damage and its consequent processes. This study aimed at examining molecular responses associated with tissue remodelling, inflammation and angiogenesis in skeletal muscle during the recovery period after eccentric exercise in humans. Ten healthy men performed 50 maximal eccentric muscle actions with the knee extensors and muscle biopsies were collected from the vastus lateralis before and 6 h, 48 h and 120 h post eccentric exercise. Real Time-PCR was utilized to investigate alterations in gene expression of various tissue remodelling-, inflammation- and angiogenesis-related factors: uPA, uPA-R, TGF-beta 1, MMP-9, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8, VEGF, VEGFR-2, HIF-1a, Ang-1, Ang-2 and Tie-2. The uPA/uPA-R system exhibited a similar time-expression pattern increasing 6 h post exercise (p < 0.05), while the other tissue remodelling factors TGF-beta 1 and MMP-9 did not change significantly over time. Transcriptional responses of inflammatory factors TNF-alpha and IL-8 increased significantly and peaked 6 h post eccentric exercise (p < 0.05), while IL-6 exhibited a similar, though not statistically significant, expression profile (p > 0.05). Similarly, the expression of angiopoietin receptor Tie-2 showed an early increase only at 6 h after the completion of exercise (p < 0.05), while the other angiogenic factors failed to reach statistical significance due a high interindividual variability in the gene expression responses. The early transcriptional upregulation of tissue remodelling, inflammation- and angiogenesis-related factors post eccentric exercise may indicate the acute intramuscular activation of these processes functionally related to muscle damage-induced adaptation

Endometrial assembloids to model human embryo implantation in vitro

Understanding the process of human embryo implantation is impeded by the inability to study this phenomenon in vivo, thus limiting opportunities to gain knowledge to in vitro modeling. Previous models have relied on monolayer co-cultures, which do not replicate the complexity of endometrial tissue. Here, we detail the establishment of three-dimensional endometrial assembloids, comprising gland-like epithelial organoids in a stromal matrix. Endometrial assembloids mimic endometrial tissue structure more faithfully and can be used to study human embryo-endometrial interactions. Co-cultures of human embryos and endometrial assembloids will enhance our fundamental understanding of these processes as well as allowing us to study the mechanisms of persistent reproductive failure

Aetiology of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Hospitalised Children in Cyprus.

In order to improve clinical management and prevention of viral infections in hospitalised children improved etiological insight is needed. The aim of the present study was to assess the spectrum of respiratory viral pathogens in children admitted to hospital with acute respiratory tract infections in Cyprus. For this purpose nasopharyngeal swab samples from 424 children less than 12 years of age with acute respiratory tract infections were collected over three epidemic seasons and were analysed for the presence of the most common 15 respiratory viruses. A viral pathogen was identified in 86% of the samples, with multiple infections being observed in almost 20% of the samples. The most frequently detected viruses were RSV (30.4%) and Rhinovirus (27.4%). RSV exhibited a clear seasonality with marked peaks in January/February, while rhinovirus infections did not exhibit a pronounced seasonality being detected almost throughout the year. While RSV and PIV3 incidence decreased significantly with age, the opposite was observed for influenza A and B as well as adenovirus infections. The data presented expand our understanding of the epidemiology of viral respiratory tract infections in Cypriot children and will be helpful to the clinicians and researchers interested in the treatment and control of viral respiratory tract infections

HBIM for cultural heritage: The case study of Panayia Karmiotissa church

HBIM (Heritage Building Information Modelling) is used for the documentation of the Church of Panayia Karmiotissa, near Limassol, Cyprus. The HBIM model is based on the geometric information obtained by digital documentation of the monument. Using laser scanning and Structure for Motion photogrammetric techniques, exterior images were collected using a drone with a 20MP camera and the interior images were taken using an SLR 20 MP camera. Ground control points were used both externally and internally to geo-reference the images using SfM photogrammetry. A Z+F latest technology 3D laser scanner was utilized to scan both the exterior and interior of the church. The images were used in order to create a 3D reconstruction of the Church and used photogrammetry to generate a point cloud of the church and a 3D surface texture model with ortho-images. Following, the data generated by the laser scanner and photogrammetry was processed to create a 3D model to document the church using Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM). The main objective of this case study was to create an HBIM model of the Church of Panayia Karmiotissa to digitally register and holistically to document the monument. HBIM is an important tool for the multidisciplinary area of conservators, architects and in general engineer activities, as it provides virtual details that are useful for monitoring, preservation and restoration

Associations between Mediterranean Diet Adherence, Quality of Life, and Mental Health in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is well-known as a diet which may exert a protective effect against neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). To date, only a few clinical surveys have assessed the potential effects of the MD in patients with MS. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the potential effects of MD compliance on disease disability, quality of life, physical activity, depressive symptomatology, and blood biochemical parameters related to nutritional status in MS patients, considering several socio-demographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle characteristics. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 558 adults with MS aged 18–64 years. Relevant questionnaires were utilized to evaluate socio-demographic and anthropometric parameters, disease disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale, EDSS), multidimensional health-related quality (MS Quality of Life-54, MSQOL-54), physical activity levels (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, IPAQ), depression (Beck Depression Inventory II, BDI-II), and MD adherence (MedDietScore), while several blood biochemical parameters were retrieved from the patients’ medical records. Results: Enhanced MD compliance was independently associated with a decreased frequency of overweight/obesity, as well as abdominal obesity, in patients suffering from MS. Elevated MD compliance was also independently associated with a decreased incidence of advanced disease disability, a higher prevalence of elevated physical activity, an improved quality of life, and lower depressive symptoms, as well as higher levels of certain blood biochemical parameters, which are effective indicators of iron deficiency and malnutrition. Conclusions: The present study found that higher MD adherence may slow down disease disability, promoting a better quality of life and mental health in adults with MS. Future prospective surveys are required to obtain conclusive results

Characterization of IgG Antibody Response against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in the Cypriot Population

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has hit its second year and continues to damage lives and livelihoods across the globe. There continues to be a global effort to present serological data on SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in different individuals. As such, this study aimed to characterize the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the Cypriot population for the first time since the pandemic started. Our results show that a majority of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 developed IgG antibodies against the virus, whether anti-NP, anti-S1RBD, or both, at least 20 days after their infection. Additionally, the percentage of people with at least one antibody against SARS-CoV-2 in the group of volunteers deemed SARS-CoV-2 negative via RT-PCR or who remain untested/undetermined (14.43%) is comparable to other reported percentages worldwide, ranging anywhere from 0.2% to 24%. We postulate that these percentages reflect the underreporting of true infections in the population, and also show the steady increase of herd immunity. Additionally, we showed a significantly marked decrease in anti-NP IgG antibodies in contrast to relatively stable levels of anti-S1RBD IgG antibodies in previously infected individuals across time