University of Crete

About: University of Crete is a education organization based out in Rethymno, Greece. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Galaxy. The organization has 8681 authors who have published 21684 publications receiving 709078 citations. The organization is also known as: Panepistimio Kritis.

Attosecond phase locking of harmonics emitted from laser-produced plasmas

Abstract: An experiment demonstrating the generation of subfemtosecond pulses of light through the interaction of laser light with a solid target underlines the potential of this approach to lead to a new generation of intense sources of attosecond pulses.

The Gcn5 bromodomain co-ordinates nucleosome remodelling

Abstract: The access of transcription factors to eukaryotic promoters often requires modification of their chromatin structure, which is accomplished by the action of two general classes of multiprotein complexes1. One class contains histone acetyltransferases (HATs), such as Gcn5 in the SAGA complex2, which acetylate nucleosomal histones. The second class contains ATPases, such as Swi2 in the Swi/Snf complex3, which provide the energy for nucleosome remodelling. In several promoters these two complexes cooperate but their functional linkage is unknown4,5,6,7,8. A protein module that is present in all nuclear HATs, the bromodomain, could provide such a link9. The recently reported in vitro binding of a HAT bromodomain with acetylated lysines within H3 and H4 amino-terminal peptides10 indicates that this interaction may constitute a targeting step for events that follow histone acetylation. Here we use a suitable promoter to show that bromodomain residues essential for acetyl-lysine binding are not required in vivo for Gcn5-mediated histone acetylation but are fundamental for the subsequent Swi2-dependent nucleosome remodelling and consequent transcriptional activation. We show that the Gcn5 bromodomain stabilizes the Swi/Snf complex on this promoter.

Mesenchymal stem cells derived from Wharton's Jelly of the umbilical cord: biological properties and emerging clinical applications.

Abstract: In recent years there seems to be an unbounded interest concerning mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This is mainly attributed to their exciting characteristics including long-term ex vivo proliferation, multilineage potential and immunomodulatory properties. In this regard MSCs emerge as attractive candidates for various therapeutic applications. MSCs were originally isolated from the bone marrow (BM) and this population is still considered as the gold standard for MSC applications. Nevertheless the BM has several limitations as source of MSCs, including MSC low frequency in this compartment, the painful isolation procedure and the decline in MSC characteristics with donor's age. Thus, there is accumulating interest in identifying alternative sources for MSCs. To this end MSCs obtained from the Wharton's Jelly (WJ) of umbilical cords (UC) have gained much attention over the last years since they can be easily isolated, without any ethical concerns, from a tissue which is discarded after birth. Furthermore WJ-derived MSCs represent a more primitive population than their adult counterparts, opening new perspectives for cell-based therapies. In this review we will at first give an overview of the biology of WJ-derived UC-MSCs. Then their potential application for the treatment of cancer and immune mediated disorders, such graft versus host disease (GVHD) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) will be discussed, and finally their putative role as feeder layer for ex vivo hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) expansion will be pointed out.

The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome using the National Cholesterol Educational Program and International Diabetes Federation definitions

Abstract: Objective: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definitions, was compared in 9669 subjects, representing the Greek population.Results: The age-adjusted prevalence of NCEP ATP III-defined MetS was 24.5% whereas that of IDF-defined MetS was 43.4% (+77%, p < 0.0001). The majority (up to 69%) of older age groups had IDF-defined MetS. The calculated vascular event risk was low (6.1% and 7.2% using the Framingham and PROCAM calculation, respectively) in those with IDF-defined MetS when compared with those with NCEP ATP III MetS (11.3% and 13.7%, respectively) ( p < 0.0001 for both comparisons).Conclusion: MetS could be considered as a ‘normal’ variant if it was present in the majority of the population. Moreover, the vascular risk associated with IDF-defined MetS could be low, raising cost-effectiveness issues. Alternatively, the new IDF definition may realistical...