The Cyprus Institute

About: The Cyprus Institute is a other organization based out in Nicosia, Cyprus. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Aerosol & Environmental science. The organization has 418 authors who have published 1252 publications receiving 32586 citations.

Risk factors for carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children.

Abstract: During the past decades Streptococcus pneumoniae has developed significant resistance to many classes of antimicrobial drugs. Potential risk factors for colonization of the nasopharynx by Streptococcus pneumoniae in children and for carriage of drug resistant strains were examined. Between 2007 and 2008 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 402 children 6 months to 5 years old visiting the public sector immunization centers and outpatient departments as well as offices of paediatricians from private practice in Nicosia district in Cyprus. Information on demographic characteristics and potential risk factors of participating children were collected using a standardized questionnaire distributed to parents. In multivariable analyses we found that attendance at day care center, having siblings in the family and having both parents originating from Cyprus, statistically increased the risk of pneumococcal colonization. Full immunization with PCV7 appears to be a protective factor against colonization by pneumococcus. Previous administration of antimicrobials during the last month prior to specimen collection appeared to be the most consistent risk factor for carrying a non susceptible strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae to either penicillin or erythromycin. Factors such as age, nationality, previous or current breastfeeding, passive exposure to cigarette smoke and attendance in a day care center do not appear as independent risk factors for colonization by non susceptible strains. Prudent use of antibiotics especially for upper respiratory tract infections in children as well as increased vaccination coverage by the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines could prove effective in reducing levels of colonization by drug resistant pneumococcal strains.

Downscaling CHIRPS precipitation data: an artificial neural network modelling approach

Abstract: The Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Station data CHIRPS is a high-resolution climatic database of precipitation embracing monthly precipitation climatology, quasi-global geostationary thermal infrared satellite observations from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission TRMM 3B42 product, atmospheric model rainfall fields from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Climate Forecast System NOAA CFS, and precipitation observations from various sources. The key difference with all other existing precipitation databases is the high-resolution of the available data, since the inherent 0.05° resolution is a rather unique threshold. Monthly data for the period from January 1999 to December 2012 were processed in the present research. The main aim of this article is to propose a novel downscaling method in order to attain high resolution 1 km × 1 km precipitation datasets, by correlating the CHIRPS dataset with altitude information and the normalized difference vegetation index from satellite images at 1 km × 1 km, utilizing artificial neural network models. The final result was validated with precipitation measurements from the rain gauge network of the Cyprus Department of Meteorology.

Primary sources control the variability of aerosol optical properties in the Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract: Aerosol particle optical properties were measured continuously between years 2013–2015 at the Marambio station in the Antarctic Peninsula. Annual cycles of particle scattering and absorption were s...

Neonatal Nav1.5 protein expression in normal adult human tissues and breast cancer.

Abstract: Expression of the neonatal splice variant of the voltage-gated sodium channel α-subunit (VGSC) subtype Nav1.5 (nNav1.5), encoded by the gene SCN5A, was shown earlier to be upregulated in human breast cancer (BCa), both in vitro and in vivo. Channel activity promoted BCa invasion of Matrigel®in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Consequently, expression of nNav1.5 has been proposed as a functional biomarker of BCa cells with metastatic potential. Here, we have determined immunohistochemically both nNav1.5 and total VGSC (tVGSC) protein expression in a range of adult human tissues. Some VGSC protein was expressed in normal colon, small intestine, stomach, prostate, bladder and breast. As expected, high levels of VGSC protein were expressed in brain, skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle. On the other hand, nNav1.5 protein was not expressed in any of the normal tissues tested except breast where a low-level of protein was present. In comparison to normal breast, nNav1.5 protein expression in BCa was consistently widespread and occurred at a significantly higher level. We also questioned whether there was any relationship between the nNav1.5 protein expression and the estrogen receptor (ERα) status of BCa and obtained the following results. First, all cases lacking nNav1.5 were positive for ERα. Second, in all ERα-negative tissues, nNav1.5 protein was expressed in plasma membrane. Third, however, in ERα-positive cases, nNav1.5 protein expression was observed in both plasma membrane and cytoplasm. In conclusion, nNav1.5 protein has a restricted expression pattern among human tissues. High level expression occurs in BCa and associates with ERα status. These results further support the proposition that nNav1.5 is a novel biomarker of metastatic BCa.