Preface [Proceedings of the 25th ECA European Congress of Arachnology, 16 – 21 August 2009, Alexandroupoli, Greece]

The 25th European Congress of Arachnology was held in the city of Alexandroupolis, from 16 to 21 August 2009. It was jointly organised by the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Democritus University of Thrace and the Natural History Museum of the University of Crete. Arachnologists from all over the world arrived to this little point at the north-eastern border of Greece to attend this meeting, the 25th in a series which started in 1972 in Strasburg. The arachnological meeting has passed through many countries of Europe, but this was the first time that has taken place in Greece. 90 participants, including 30 students, from 28 representative countries from all five continents and 17 accompanying persons attended this meeting. The scientific programme comprised 51 oral presentations and 34 posters from various thematic fields such as taxonomy and faunistics, phylogenetics, biogeography, phylogeography, physiology, behaviour, ecology and others. 18 papers were submitted for evaluation for the proceedings volume and of these, 11 were selected for publication after peer review by two referees each

Chronic Stress, Inflammation, and Colon Cancer: A CRH System-Driven Molecular Crosstalk.

Chronic stress is thought to be involved in the occurrence and progression of multiple diseases, via mechanisms that still remain largely unknown. Interestingly, key regulators of the stress response, such as members of the corticotropin-releasing-hormone (CRH) family of neuropeptides and receptors, are now known to be implicated in the regulation of chronic inflammation, one of the predisposing factors for oncogenesis and disease progression. However, an interrelationship between stress, inflammation, and malignancy, at least at the molecular level, still remains unclear. Here, we attempt to summarize the current knowledge that supports the inseparable link between chronic stress, inflammation, and colorectal cancer (CRC), by modulation of a cascade of molecular signaling pathways, which are under the regulation of CRH-family members expressed in the brain and periphery. The understanding of the molecular basis of the link among these processes may provide a step forward towards personalized medicine in terms of CRC diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic targeting

Anaplasis of a coastal horizon

LAUREA MAGISTRALEANAPLASIS OF A COASTAL HORIZON LA CITTÀ DI HERAKLION LUOGO Situato tra le prefetture di Rethymno e Lassithi, sul versante orientale di Creta, Heraklion è il più grande centro urbano di Creta, capitale della regione e centro economico dell'isola. Secondo il censimento nel 2011 la popolazione di heraklion ha raggiunto 173.993 abitanti. La sua importanza geografica si basa sul fatto che si trova nel crocevia dei 3 continenti: Europa, Africa, Medio Oriente (Asia). Grazie a questo, la città è riuscita nel commercio e nel turismo che è la principale fonte della sua economia al giorno d'oggi. CARATTERE Heraklion ha una storia di circa 3.000 anni e gli edifici ei suoi monumenti illustrano questa storia. Una storia che si affaccia sugli edifici, sui monumenti, sulla tradizione e sullo spirito romano, arabo, bizantino, veneziano, turco, neoclassico e moderno, strutturalmente ed esteticamente ammirevoli. Oggi, il cosiddetto "centro storico" o la città vecchia, che è fondamentalmente l'area all'interno delle mura veneziane, è sempre il nucleo intorno a cui si sta espandendo Heraklion. Infatti, all'interno delle mura cittadine si sviluppa la maggior parte delle attività amministrative, commerciali e culturali. Per ottenere una migliore lettura della città, è diviso in quattro settori in base al carattere di ciascuno: ALICARNASSOS COAST PORTO COMMERCIALE PORTO VENETIANO COSTA INDUSTRIALE PROBLEMI URBANI Uno dei maggiori problemi che la città sta affrontando al giorno d'oggi è il fatto che ha perso il suo contatto con il mare. A causa delle enormi mura che circondavano la città, dopo gli anni '30 Heraklion ha continuato a sviluppare internamente il suo territorio urbano, costringendo ancora più funzioni alla città principale. Quasi tutti i servizi privati ​​e pubblici, il commercio, la ricreazione, il turismo e il business si trovano nelle mura della città. Di conseguenza, è diventato un ambiente urbano sconnesso che non offre né spazi aperti né verdi per i cittadini che camminano in un ambiente frenetico che è diventato confisca come sono passati gli anni. Il problema dello spazio appare anche nelle modalità urbane di circolazione sia dei cittadini che dei veicoli. Su questa nota, generalmente insistendo sull'utilizzo delle automobili in connessione con le dimensioni strette delle strade, c'è una inevitabile mancanza di passaggi pedonali, percorsi ciclabili, strutture per la mobilità dei disabili e persino marciapiedi su strade. In ogni modo, a causa della distanza e dei percorsi e dei punti di accesso accessibili per i pedoni, è molto difficile per coloro che arrivano a heraklion per navigare. Il traffico pesante che si verifica sulla strada principale che separa la città dal lungomare e dagli altri viali centrali che conducono al centro è anche un altro ostacolo alla navigazione. Tutto ciò si traduce in un modo anarchico di vivere in un ambito di inquinamento del traffico e del rumore urbano, per cui la necessità di uno spazio di tranquillità e di contatto con la natura è in costante aumento. Inoltre, la distorsione del tessuto tradizionale del centro storico, derivante dall'attuazione del piano urbanistico del 1936. Inevitabilmente ciò ha portato alla distruzione di vari edifici tradizionali e notevoli, monumenti storici della città o punti di riferimento come gli 'Arsenali Antichi 'costruiti durante l'occupazione veneziana, divenuti molto danneggiati dopo le grandi guerre, furono demolite per ospitare i servizi e gli edifici comunali e anche in alcuni casi abitazioni arbitrarie. Il problema della negligenza si peggiora, mentre la mancanza di rispetto per le dimensioni dei vecchi edifici storici da quelli alti di più piani sono stati creati e cambiato la vecchia rete urbana. In altre parole, gli spazi trascurati tra i monumenti fanno un'ombra sulla loro qualità e non possono ricevere la quantità di apprezzamento, attenzione e rispetto che meritano. Pertanto, una ragionevole preoccupazione è come recuperare queste questioni, dando ai cittadini e ai visitatori che navigano le forze per esplorare in un ambiente sicuro una delle città più antiche della storia europea. Una città piena di punti di riferimento nascosti nell'ombra della trascuratezza, incapace di essere apprezzata nel disordine urbano di Heraklion. Questo è un impulso ad avere le modalità e le infrastrutture per esplorare l'autenticità e lo spazio di qualità per la tranquillità negli angoli di una città industriale contemporanea. Tutto quanto sopra, parallelamente allo scopo di riportare nuovamente i litorali con il centro storico della città che sono impudentemente sconnessi da un grande viale. STRATEGIA URBANA Il progetto si basa su una serie di interventi urbani che sono collegati a una passeggiata che è un collegamento urbano continuo di tre aree principali.A) Promanade - il collegamento "orizzontale" La passeggiata è un navigatore lineare urbano che darà una soluzione al problema dei punti di riferimento disconnessi. In particolare si tratta di un percorso che parte dal porto commerciale sul settore degli arrivi delle navi passeggeri e dei traghetti turistici, e dà la direzione giusta per i vari siti a coloro che si imbarcano sulla terra. Ha tre stazioni principali che differiscono per funzione e carattere: AREA_01 - RICREAZIONE E CULTURA AREA_02 - ALIMENTO MARINO E MARE AREA_03- PRODUZIONE & ATMOSFERA Questo connettore urbano insieme alle sue stazioni, è sviluppato lungo il lungomare per rilanciare questa parte essenziale della città in modo continuo e dare l'opportunità di godersi sempre la passeggiata e trascorrere del tempo di qualità accanto all'acqua. B) Percorsi urbani - I collegamenti "verticali" Questi sentieri derivano dalla passeggiata e collegano il lungomare con zone specifiche della città specificatamente selezionate dal comune per il futuro restauro a causa del loro interesse architettonico. Possono essere considerati come fermate particolari del viaggio che in circostanze abituale passerebbero facilmente inosservate a causa della loro qualità trascurata. In particolare: 'Sami-Bey Mansion' (Memoriale culturale dell'architettura ottomana) 'Porta Dermata' (porta veneziana al Golf Dermata del XVII secolo) Palazzo Chronaki (Ministero della Cultura - Tipica Dimora dell'Architettura Balcanica) Tempio di San Trinità (tipico tempio ortodosso) Villaggio urbano di Santa Trinità (Comunità locale che funge da villaggio nascosto di interesse architettonico) Vecchie macine della farina (costruzione selezionata degli inizi degli anni '20 per il restauro) I collegamenti urbani che collegano principalmente la passeggiata con punti focali specifici e per estendere ulteriormente la città con i lungomari variano in funzione e carattere (sotterranei, esistenti, ponti, nuovi percorsi, coerenza architettonica) sempre seguendo la forma organica della città. IOULIETA CHATZAKI (MATRICOLA: 840705)(CODICE PRSONA : 10516285)ANAPLASIS OF A COASTAL HORIZON THE TOWN OF HERAKLION LOCATION Located between the prefectures of Rethymno and Lassithi, on the eastern side of Crete, Heraklion is the largest urban centre in Crete, the capital of the region and the economic centre of the island. According to the census in 2011 the popolation of heraklion reached to 173,993 inhabitants. Its geographical importance is based on the fact that is located in the crossroad of the 3 continents : Europe, Africa, Middle East (Asia). Thanks to this, the town succeeded in trade and tourism which is the main source of its economy nowadays. CHARACTER Heraklion has a history of approximately 3.000 years and the buildings and its monuments illustrate this history. A history teeming with structurally and aesthetically admirable buildings, monuments, tradition and the spirit of Roman, Arabic, Byzantine, Venetian and Turkish as well as neoclassic and modern period. Nowadays, the so-called "historic center" or the old city, that is basically the area within the Venetian walls, is always the core around which Heraklion is expanding. In fact, within the city walls the majority of its administrative, business and cultural activities are developed. In order to achieve a better reading of the town, it is divided in four sectors according to the character of each: ALICARNASSOS COAST COMMERCIAL PORT VENETIAN PORT INDUSTRIAL COAST URBAN ISSUES One of the major problems that the town is facing nowadays it the fact that it lost its contact with the sea. Due to the huge walls surrounding the town, after the 1930s Heraklion carried on developing its urban realm internally, forcing even more functions on the main city. Almost all private and public services, commerce, recreation, tourism, and business are located in the inner city walls. As a result, it has become quite of a crumped urban environment that offers neither open nor green space for the citizens that walk in a hectic ambiance that became confiscating as the years passed. The problem of space appears also in the urban modes of circulation both by the citizens and vehicles. On that note, by generally insisting on the use of cars in conjunction with the tight size of the streets there is an inevitable lack of pedestrian walkways, cycle paths, facilities for the mobility of disabled people, and even sidewalks on roads. By all means, due to the distance and the limited routes and points of accesse for the pedestrians it is quite difficult for one that arrives to heraklion to navigate. The heavy traffic that occurs on the main road that separates the city from the waterfront as well as the other central boulevards that lead to the centre is also another barrier to navigation. All this results in an anarchic way of living in a realm of traffic and urban noise pollution , thus, the need for a space of tranquillity and contact with nature is constantly increasing. Furthermore, the distortion of the traditional fabric of the old town, which stemmed from the implementation of the urban plan of 1936. Inevitably this lead to the destruction of various traditional and remarkable buildings, historical monuments of the city or landmarks such as the ‘Arsenali Antichi ‘ constructed during Venetian occupation that became quite damaged after the Great Wars, were demolished to host services and municipality administration buildings and even in some cases arbitrary housing. The problem of neglection deteriorates while the lack of respect for the size of the old historical buildings since tall multi-storey ones were created and changed the old urban grid. In other words, the neglected spaces among the monuments cast a shadow on their quality and cannot receive the amount of appreciation, attention and respect that they deserve . Thus, a reasonable concern is how to recover these issues by giving to the citizens and visitors those navigating forces to explore in a safe environment one of the oldest towns of European history. A town full of landmarks that are hidden in the shadow of neglection, unable to be appreciated in the crumped urban pattern of Heraklion. This is an urge to have the modes and infrastructures to explore authenticity and quality space for tranquility in the corners of a contemporary industrial town. All the above, in parallel with the purpose of bringing in contact again the waterfronts with the historical centre of the town that are impudently disconnected by a big boulevard. URBAN STRATEGY The project is based on series of urban interventions that are connected with a promenade which is a continuous urban link of three main areas. A) Promanade – The ‘Horizontal’ Link The promenade is an urban linear navigator that will give a solution to the problem of the disconnected landmarks. In particular it is a route that begins from the commercial port on the sector of the arrivals of the passenger ships and touristic ferries, and gives the proper direction to the various sites to those who embark on the land. It has three main stations that differ in function and character : AREA_01 – RECREATION AND CULTURE AREA_02 – SEA FOOD & MARKET AREA_03- PRODUCTION& ATMOSPHERE This urban connector along with its stations, is developed across the waterfront in order to revitalise this essential part of the town in a continuous manner and give the opportunity to always enjoy strolling and spending quality time next to the water. B) Urban Paths- The ‘Vertical’ Links These paths stem from the promenade and link the waterfront with specific areas of the city that are specifically selected by the municipality for future restoration due to their architectural interest. They can be considered as particular stops of the journey that under usual circomstances they would pass easily unnoticed because of their neglected quality. Specifically: ‘Sami-Bey Mansion’ (Cultural Memorial of Ottoman Architecture) ‘Dermata Gate’ (Venetian gate to the Dermata Golf of the 17th century) ‘Chronaki’ Mansion (Ministry of Culture- Typical Mansion of Balkan Architectue) St. Trinity Temple (typical Orthodox Temple) Urban Village of St. Trinity (Local Community that functions as a hidden village of architectural interest) Old Flour Mills (Selected Building of the early 1920s for restoration) The urban links that connect primarily the promenade with specific focal points and to a further extend the city with the waterfronts vary in function and character (underground, existing, bridging, new paths , architectural consistency) always following the organic form of the town. Following the routes the project unlocks the qualities of the 3 Areas of revitalisation that act like basic stations of the journey. IOULIETA CHATZAKI (MATRICOLA: 840705)(CODICE PRSONA : 10516285

Circulating cell-free DNA in breast cancer: searching for hidden information towards precision medicine

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of death between women. Mortality is significantly raised due to drug resistance and metastasis, while personalized treatment options are obstructed by the limitations of conventional biopsy follow-up. Lately, research is focusing on circulating biomarkers as minimally invasive choices for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring. Circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) is a promising liquid biopsy biomaterial of great potential as it is thought to mirror the tumor's lifespan; however, its clinical exploitation is burdened mainly by gaps in knowledge of its biology and specific characteristics. The current review aims to gather latest findings about the nature of ccfDNA and its multiple molecular and biological characteristics in breast cancer, covering basic and translational research and giving insights about its validity in a clinical setting

Η αξιοπιστία του κατακόρυφου άλματος στην καλλιτεχνική κολύμβηση

«Μία βασική κίνηση στην καλλιτεχνική κολύμβηση (ΚΚ) εκτελείται με ένα απότομο κατακόρυφο πέταγμα-άλμα και τα δύο χέρια επάνω από το κεφάλι» (boost, FINA 2017- 2021). Τόσο σε ατομικές όσο και ομαδικές χορογραφίες, το ύψος του boost στο νερό είναι σημαντικό και θεωρείται βασικό κριτήριο αξιολόγησης. Σκοπός της έρευνας ήταν να εξεταστεί η αξιοπιστία του boost σε διαφορετικές προπονητικές συνθήκες σε αθλήτριες ΚΚ υψηλού επιπέδου. Το δείγμα αποτελείται από 12 αθλήτριες ΚΚ, ηλικίας 20±5 ετών, με προπονητική εμπειρία 10±5 έτη. Οι δοκιμασίες της έρευνας περιλάμβαναν τρία boost με ενδιάμεσο διάλειμμα δέκα δευτερολέπτων, πριν και μετά από χορογραφία διάρκειας τεσσάρων λεπτών η οποία επαναλήφθηκε τέσσερις φορές με διάλλειμα δύο λεπτά ανάμεσα σε κάθε τετράλεπτο (4x4 min). Σκοπός ήταν η εξέταση της αξιοπιστίας των πεταγμάτων σε συνθήκες έντασης και ηρεμίας αντίστοιχα. Υπήρξε βιντεοσκόπηση των πεταγμάτων με κάμερα (Fs= 60Hz, Casio Ex-F1, Japan) που τοποθετήθηκε σταθερά απέναντι από τις αθλήτριες. Δύο ανεξάρτητοι κριτές υπολόγισαν το ύψος του boost, με τη βοήθεια του προγράμματος ανάλυσης εικόνας Kinovea (KINOVEA-manual 09). Χρησιμοποιήθηκαν Ttest για εξαρτημένα δείγματα καθώς και ο συντελεστής συσχέτισης r Pearson με σκοπό την εξέταση στη μεταβολή τους ύψους των πεταγμάτων. Επιπλέον, χρησιμοποιήθηκε ανάλυση διακύμανσης για να εξεταστεί η μεταβολή στο ύψος μεταξύ των πεταγμάτων πριν και μετά τη χορογραφία. Τα πετάγματα πριν, παρουσίασαν σταδιακή πτώση με Μ.Ο (73,1±6,0,και 73,0±6,1) από το πρώτο μέχρι το τελευταίο παρά τις μικρές διαφορές, σε αντίθεση με τα πετάγματα μετά, τα οποία παρουσίασαν σημαντική άνοδο με Μ.Ο (70,2. ± 5,6 και 70,4±5,6) ανάμεσα στους δύο κριτές αντίστοιχα. Συμπερασματικά, δεν παρουσιάστηκαν διαφορές ανάμεσα στις τιμές των δύο κριτών για τα πετάγματα πριν και μετά τη χορογραφία. Οι μικρές πτώσεις ίσως να οφείλονται στο δείκτη κόπωσης των αθλητριών μετά τη χορογραφία, χωρίς όμως να επηρεάζουν τα αποτελέσματα αξιοπιστίας που εμφάνισαν τα πετάγματα. Λέξεις κλειδιά: Καλλιτεχνική κολύμβηση, αξιοπιστία, boost, KinoveaΟΧ

Characterisation of the differential expression of marker antigens by normal and malignant endometrial epithelium

In order to examine the production of marker proteins, a reproducible method has been established for culturing purified epithelial cells from normal and malignant endometrium. We have examined the differential expression of secretory proteins using immunohistochemistry in frozen tissue sections, immunocytochemistry in cell cultures derived from the same specimens and protein assays on the culture supernatants. Placental protein 14 (PP14) was produced by normal premenopausal epithelium but not by the post-menopausal or malignant endometrial epithelium. In contrast, placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) was produced by endometrial cancers and the endometrial adenocarcinoma-derived cell line Ishikawa, but not by the normal endometrial epithelium. Other markers such as CA-125, which was produced by both normal and malignant endometrium but not by the cell line, and human chorionic gonadotrophin (beta-hCG), which was produced by Ishikawa cells but not by any of the fresh tissues, were less cancer specific. Placental alkaline phosphatase is a direct product of endometrial cancers that can be readily assayed in serum using this two-site assay to test its clinical usefulness in monitoring patients at risk for endometrial cancer

Induced Periodontitis in Rats With Three Ligature Types: An Exploratory Study.

BACKGROUND The placement of ligatures in the cervical area of rat molars is considered as a predictable model to induce periodontitis. OBJECTIVES The present explorative study aimed to compare the efficacy of metal wires (MWs), without or with sandblasting, versus silk ligatures (SLs) in inducing periodontal bone loss in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-four Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups of eight rats that received three different types of ligatures (MW, sandblasted wire [SMW], and SL) around their first right mandibular molar, while the contralateral tooth was left without the ligature and served as a control. Bone loss was assessed by measuring the distance from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) to the bone crest at the distal aspect of the first molar on central mesiodistal sections generated from micro-CT scans taken 24 and 35 days after ligature placement. RESULTS In the SL group, only in two rats the ligatures were retained until the end of the 24-day period; in all other animals, the ligatures were lost at some time point. In the SMW, the ligatures were retained only for the 24-day period. In the MW group, no ligatures were lost. Irrespective of the group or experimental period, the difference in the crestal bone level between ligated and control teeth was in most cases z < 0.20 mm, that is, in 19 out of 25 pairs of teeth. In a few cases, the bone crest was more apically located at the control teeth compared to the ligated ones (four cases each, during both 24- and 35-day experimental periods). CONCLUSIONS Bone loss was minimal during the experimental period, with no significant differences between the test and control teeth, or among the three types of ligatures. MWs, not even roughened, do not seem to be a better alternative to SLs for inducing bone loss in the experimental periodontitis model in the rat. This assumption, however, has to be confirmed in a larger, well-powered study

Automated machine learning optimizes and accelerates predictive modeling from COVID-19 high throughput datasets

COVID-19 outbreak brings intense pressure on healthcare systems, with an urgent demand for effective diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic procedures. Here, we employed Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) to analyze three publicly available high throughput COVID-19 datasets, including proteomic, metabolomic and transcriptomic measurements. Pathway analysis of the selected features was also performed. Analysis of a combined proteomic and metabolomic dataset led to 10 equivalent signatures of two features each, with AUC 0.840 (CI 0.723–0.941) in discriminating severe from non-severe COVID-19 patients. A transcriptomic dataset led to two equivalent signatures of eight features each, with AUC 0.914 (CI 0.865–0.955) in identifying COVID-19 patients from those with a different acute respiratory illness. Another transcriptomic dataset led to two equivalent signatures of nine features each, with AUC 0.967 (CI 0.899–0.996) in identifying COVID-19 patients from virus-free individuals. Signature predictive performance remained high upon validation. Multiple new features emerged and pathway analysis revealed biological relevance by implication in Viral mRNA Translation, Interferon gamma signaling and Innate Immune System pathways. In conclusion, AutoML analysis led to multiple biosignatures of high predictive performance, with reduced features and large choice of alternative predictors. These favorable characteristics are eminent for development of cost-effective assays to contribute to better disease management