Showing papers by "University of Patras published in 2013"
Joint Genome Institute1, Bielefeld University2, University of Technology, Sydney3, University of California, Davis4, Bigelow Laboratory For Ocean Sciences5, University of British Columbia6, University of Nevada, Las Vegas7, University of Patras8, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution9, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign10, University of Queensland11
TL;DR: This study applies single-cell genomics to target and sequence 201 archaeal and bacterial cells from nine diverse habitats belonging to 29 major mostly uncharted branches of the tree of life and provides a systematic step towards a better understanding of biological evolution on the authors' planet.
Abstract: Genome sequencing enhances our understanding of the biological world by providing blueprints for the evolutionary and functional diversity that shapes the biosphere. However, microbial genomes that are currently available are of limited phylogenetic breadth, owing to our historical inability to cultivate most microorganisms in the laboratory. We apply single-cell genomics to target and sequence 201 uncultivated archaeal and bacterial cells from nine diverse habitats belonging to 29 major mostly uncharted branches of the tree of life, so-called 'microbial dark matter'. With this additional genomic information, we are able to resolve many intra- and inter-phylum-level relationships and to propose two new superphyla. We uncover unexpected metabolic features that extend our understanding of biology and challenge established boundaries between the three domains of life. These include a novel amino acid use for the opal stop codon, an archaeal-type purine synthesis in Bacteria and complete sigma factors in Archaea similar to those in Bacteria. The single-cell genomes also served to phylogenetically anchor up to 20% of metagenomic reads in some habitats, facilitating organism-level interpretation of ecosystem function. This study greatly expands the genomic representation of the tree of life and provides a systematic step towards a better understanding of biological evolution on our planet.
1,856 citations
TL;DR: Policies for managing plastic debris are outdated and threaten the health of people and wildlife, say Chelsea M Rochman, Mark Anthony Browne and colleagues.
Abstract: Policies for managing plastic debris are outdated and threaten the health of people and wildlife, say Chelsea M. Rochman, Mark Anthony Browne and colleagues.
1,130 citations
Aix-Marseille University1, Scripps Health2, Gyeongsang National University3, University of Florida4, Columbia University5, National Health Service6, University of Tübingen7, Medical University of Vienna8, Medical University of Graz9, Duke University10, Harvard University11, MedStar Washington Hospital Center12, University of Patras13, University of Florence14, University of Geneva15, University of Freiburg16, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich17
TL;DR: An updated consensus document reviews the available evidence and proposes cutoff values for high and low on-treatment platelet reactivity to ADP that might be used in future investigations of personalized antiplatelet therapy and proposes a therapeutic window concept for P2Y12 inhibitor therapy.
817 citations
TL;DR: Basic decision tree issues and current research points are described, guiding the researcher in interesting research directions and suggesting possible bias combinations that have yet to be explored.
Abstract: Decision tree techniques have been widely used to build classification models as such models closely resemble human reasoning and are easy to understand. This paper describes basic decision tree issues and current research points. Of course, a single article cannot be a complete review of all algorithms (also known induction classification trees), yet we hope that the references cited will cover the major theoretical issues, guiding the researcher in interesting research directions and suggesting possible bias combinations that have yet to be explored.
694 citations
University of Pavia1, Karolinska University Hospital2, University of Paris3, University of Düsseldorf4, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre5, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center6, University of Cambridge7, Dresden University of Technology8, Aarhus University Hospital9, Innsbruck Medical University10, University of Patras11, VU University Amsterdam12
TL;DR: Within the myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) work package of the European LeukemiaNet, an Expert Panel was selected according to the framework elements of the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Program and Guidelines were developed on the basis of a list of patient- and therapy-oriented questions.
537 citations
TL;DR: This study examined the selectivity of commonly used pharmacological inhibitors of H2S biosynthesis towards CSE and CBS.
Abstract: Background and Purpose
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a signalling molecule that belongs to the gasotransmitter family. Two major sources for endogenous enzymatic production of H2S are cystathionine β synthase (CBS) and cystathionine γ lyase (CSE). In the present study, we examined the selectivity of commonly used pharmacological inhibitors of H2S biosynthesis towards CSE and CBS.
Experimental Approach
To address this question, human CSE or CBS enzymes were expressed and purified from Escherichia coli as fusion proteins with GSH-S-transferase. After purification, the activity of the recombinant enzymes was tested using the methylene blue method.
Key Results
β-cyanoalanine (BCA) was more potent in inhibiting CSE than propargylglycine (PAG) (IC50 14 ± 0.2 μM vs. 40 ± 8 μM respectively). Similar to PAG, L-aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) only inhibited CSE, but did so at much lower concentrations. On the other hand, aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA), a frequently used CBS inhibitor, was more potent in inhibiting CSE compared with BCA and PAG (IC50 1.1 ± 0.1 μM); the IC50 for AOAA for inhibiting CBS was 8.5 ± 0.7 μM. In line with our biochemical observations, relaxation to L-cysteine was blocked by AOAA in aortic rings that lacked CBS expression. Trifluoroalanine and hydroxylamine, two compounds that have also been used to block H2S biosynthesis, blocked the activity of CBS and CSE. Trifluoroalanine had a fourfold lower IC50 for CBS versus CSE, while hydroxylamine was 60-fold more selective against CSE.
Conclusions and Implications
In conclusion, although PAG, AVG and BCA exhibit selectivity in inhibiting CSE versus CBS, no selective pharmacological CBS inhibitor is currently available.
332 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present extensive first-principles calculations on the inverse full-Heusler compounds having the chemical formula X2 YZ,w hereX = Sc, Ti, V, Cr, or Mn; Z = Al, Si, or As; and the Y ranges from Ti to Zn.
Abstract: We present extensive first-principles calculations on the inverse full-Heusler compounds having the chemical formula X2 YZ ,w hereX = Sc, Ti, V, Cr, or Mn; Z = Al, Si, or As; and the Y ranges from Ti to Zn. Several of these compounds are identified to be half-metallic magnets. We show that the appearance of half-metallicity is associated in all cases with a Slater-Pauling behavior of the total spin-magnetic moment. There are three different variants of this rule for the inverse Heusler compounds depending on the chemical type of the constituent transition-metal atoms. Simple arguments regarding the hybridization of the d orbitals of neighboring atoms can explain these rules. We expect our results to trigger further experimental interest in these types of half-metallic Heusler compounds.
308 citations
TL;DR: The coal type refers solely to coals' depositional origin and the maceral-mineral admixture resulting from that origin, whereas coal rank refers to the changes in geochemistry and resultant changes in reflectance caused by increasing thermal maturity of the coal.
250 citations
University of Milan1, Johns Hopkins University2, Maastricht University3, VU University Amsterdam4, University of Patras5, University of Paris6, University of Padua7, Netherlands Cancer Institute8, University of Duisburg-Essen9, University of Edinburgh10, University of Genoa11, University of Messina12, Complutense University of Madrid13, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart14, University of Maryland, Baltimore15
TL;DR: Good validity and reliability scores were demonstrated for the set of selected impairment and quality-of-life outcome measures in CIPN and future studies are planned to investigate the responsiveness aspects of these measures.
241 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of chloride-induced corrosion, in terms of mechanical properties and pit depths, are evaluated on B500c steel bars embedded in concrete (embedded samples) and directly exposed (bare samples), immersed in a salt spray chamber.
228 citations
TL;DR: A data-driven approach for the remaining useful life (RUL) estimation of rolling element bearings based on ε-Support Vector Regression, with Wiener entropy utilized for the first time in the condition monitoring of rolling bearings.
Abstract: We report on a data-driven approach for the remaining useful life (RUL) estimation of rolling element bearings based on e-Support Vector Regression ( e-SVR). Lifetime data are analyzed and evaluated. The occurrence of critical faults in every test is located, and a critical operational threshold is established. Multiple statistical features from the time-domain, frequency domain, and time-scale domain through a wavelet transform are extracted from the recordings of two accelerometers, and assessed for their diagnostic performance. Among those features, Wiener entropy is utilized for the first time in the condition monitoring of rolling bearings. A SVR model is trained and tested for the prediction of RUL on unseen data. Special attention is given in the tuning and the optimization of the user-defined hyper-parameters of the e-SVR model. Error bounds are estimated at each prediction point through a Bayesian treatment of the classical SVR model. The results are in good agreement to the actual RUL curve for all the tested cases. Prognostic performance metrics are also provided, and the discussion on the test results concludes with the generic character of the proposed methodology and its applicability in any prognostic task.
TL;DR: A remarkable stabilization of Z-azobenzene was achieved by CB[8] complexation, allowing for structural characterization in the solid state, and these host-guest complexes can be reversibly switched between highly thermostable photostationary states.
Abstract: Herein we report the photocontrol of cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8])-mediated supramolecular polymerization of azobenzene-containing monomers. The CB[8] polymers were characterized both in solution and in the solid state. These host–guest complexes can be reversibly switched between highly thermostable photostationary states. Moreover, a remarkable stabilization of Z-azobenzene was achieved by CB[8] complexation, allowing for structural characterization in the solid state.
University Hospital of Lausanne1, Harvard University2, University of Patras3, University of Colorado Boulder4, New York University5, University of California, San Francisco6, Broad Institute7, Technical University of Denmark8, Boston Children's Hospital9, Poznan University of Medical Sciences10, Helsinki University Central Hospital11, Newcastle University12, Sofia Medical University13, Brigham and Women's Hospital14, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine15, University of British Columbia16
TL;DR: It is hypothesized that mutations in genes encoding a broader range of modulators of the FGFR1 pathway might contribute to the genetics of CHH as causal or modifier mutations and validate the ability of a bioinformatics algorithm on the basis of protein-protein interactome data (interactome-based affiliation scoring [IBAS]) to identify high-quality candidate genes.
Abstract: Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) and its anosmia-associated form (Kallmann syndrome [KS]) are genetically heterogeneous. Among the >15 genes implicated in these conditions, mutations in FGF8 and FGFR1 account for ∼12% of cases; notably, KAL1 and HS6ST1 are also involved in FGFR1 signaling and can be mutated in CHH. We therefore hypothesized that mutations in genes encoding a broader range of modulators of the FGFR1 pathway might contribute to the genetics of CHH as causal or modifier mutations. Thus, we aimed to (1) investigate whether CHH individuals harbor mutations in members of the so-called "FGF8 synexpression" group and (2) validate the ability of a bioinformatics algorithm on the basis of protein-protein interactome data (interactome-based affiliation scoring [IBAS]) to identify high-quality candidate genes. On the basis of sequence homology, expression, and structural and functional data, seven genes were selected and sequenced in 386 unrelated CHH individuals and 155 controls. Except for FGF18 and SPRY2, all other genes were found to be mutated in CHH individuals: FGF17 (n = 3 individuals), IL17RD (n = 8), DUSP6 (n = 5), SPRY4 (n = 14), and FLRT3 (n = 3). Independently, IBAS predicted FGF17 and IL17RD as the two top candidates in the entire proteome on the basis of a statistical test of their protein-protein interaction patterns to proteins known to be altered in CHH. Most of the FGF17 and IL17RD mutations altered protein function in vitro. IL17RD mutations were found only in KS individuals and were strongly linked to hearing loss (6/8 individuals). Mutations in genes encoding components of the FGF pathway are associated with complex modes of CHH inheritance and act primarily as contributors to an oligogenic genetic architecture underlying CHH.
TL;DR: The clinical trials that are currently conducted to evaluate the efficacy of anti-inflammatory agents in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases may additionally reveal potential (beneficial) effects of these therapeutics on lipid metabolism in the general population at risk for CVD.
TL;DR: This solution is the result of a non-Abelian T duality on the known supersymmetric AdS(6) solution of massive IIA, leading to sixteen supercharges and preserved supersymmetry.
Abstract: We present a new supersymmetric ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{6}$ solution of type IIB supergravity with $SU(2)$ isometry. Through the AdS/CFT correspondence, this has potentially very interesting implications for 5D fixed point theories. This solution is the result of a non-Abelian $T$ duality on the known supersymmetric ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{6}$ solution of massive IIA. The $SU(2)$ $R$ symmetry is untouched, leading to sixteen supercharges and preserved supersymmetry.
TL;DR: The fabrication and characterization of fiber Bragg gratings in an endlessly single-mode microstructured polymer optical fiber (mPOF) made of humidity-insensitive high-Tg TOPAS cyclic olefin copolymer is presented.
Abstract: We present the fabrication and characterization of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) in an endlessly single-mode microstructured polymer optical fiber (mPOF) made of humidity-insensitive high-Tg TOPAS cyclic olefin copolymer. The mPOF is the first made from grade 5013 TOPAS with a glass transition temperature of Tg = 135°C and we experimentally demonstrate high strain operation (2.5%) of the FBG at 98°C and stable operation up to a record high temperature of 110°C. The Bragg wavelengths of the FBGs are around 860 nm, where the propagation loss is 5.1 dB/m, close to the fiber loss minimum of 3.67 dB/m at 787 nm.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors carried out an analysis of small-scale fisheries (SSFs) in Europe based on a selection of nine case studies and found that the most significant competitors are large-scale fleets, and recreational fisheries.
TL;DR: Treatment with UV and US reduced the numbers of selected inoculated bacteria on lettuce and strawberries, which could be good alternatives to other traditional and commonly used technologies such as chlorine and hydrogen peroxide solutions for fresh produce industry.
TL;DR: This review study explores the available data relating to the impact of financial crisis and subsequently applied austerity measures on the health care, social services and health promotion policies in Greece, finding that the health system is particularly affected by the severe austerity measures.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider non-Abelian T-duality on N = 1 supergravity backgrounds possessing well understood field theory duals and show that the central charge and the entanglement entropy are left invariant by this dualisation.
TL;DR: A critical review on the energy efficiency of important manufacturing processes is presented in this article, where relevant conventional and non-conventional processes, utilized in the three major industrial sectors of aeronautics, automotive and white goods are briefly discussed.
TL;DR: The high ATP:CL activity observed in algal cells, combined with low or zero ICDH activity, indicated the algae ability to generate acetyl-CoA from sugar via citrate, however, the lipogenic capacity of the strains under investigation seemed to be restricted by the low ME activity resulting to limited NADPH synthesis.
TL;DR: A systematic review of shellfish-borne viral outbreaks found the majority of reported outbreaks were located in East Asia, followed by Europe, America, Oceania, Australia and Africa, and differences in reporting of outbreaks were seen.
Abstract: Investigations of disease outbreaks linked to shellfish consumption have been reported in the scientific literature; however, only few countries systematically collate and report such data through a disease surveillance system. We conducted a systematic review to investigate shellfish-borne viral outbreaks and to explore their distribution in different countries, and to determine if different types of shellfish and viruses are implicated. Six databases (Medline, Embase, Scopus, PubMed, Eurosurveillance Journal and Spingerlink electronic Journal) and a global electronic reporting system (ProMED) were searched from 1980 to July 2012. About 359 shellfish-borne viral outbreaks, alongside with nine ProMED reports, involving shellfish consumption, were identified. The majority of the reported outbreaks were located in East Asia, followed by Europe, America, Oceania, Australia and Africa. More than half of the outbreaks (63.6 %) were reported from Japan. The most common viral pathogens involved were norovirus (83.7 %) and hepatitis A virus (12.8 %). The most frequent type of consumed shellfish which was involved in outbreaks was oysters (58.4 %). Outbreaks following shellfish consumption were often attributed to water contamination by sewage and/or undercooking. Differences in reporting of outbreaks were seen between the scientific literature and ProMED. Consumption of contaminated shellfish represents a risk to public health in both developed and developing countries, but impact will be disproportionate and likely to compound existing health disparities.
TL;DR: The results clearly indicate that the availability of multivariable data and their effective combination can significantly increase the accuracy of both short-term and long-term predictions.
Abstract: Data-driven techniques have recently drawn significant interest in the predictive modeling of subcutaneous (s.c.) glucose concentration in type 1 diabetes. In this study, the s.c. glucose prediction is treated as a multivariate regression problem, which is addressed using support vector regression (SVR). The proposed method is based on variables concerning: 1) the s.c. glucose profile; 2) the plasma insulin concentration; 3) the appearance of meal-derived glucose in the systemic circulation; and 4) the energy expenditure during physical activities. Six cases corresponding to different combinations of the aforementioned variables are used to investigate the influence of the input on the daily glucose prediction. The proposed method is evaluated using a dataset of 27 patients in free-living conditions. Tenfold cross validation is applied to each dataset individually to both optimize and test the SVR model. In the case, where all the input variables are considered, the average prediction errors are 5.21, 6.03, 7.14, and 7.62 mg/dl for 15-, 30-, 60-, and 120-min prediction horizons, respectively. The results clearly indicate that the availability of multivariable data and their effective combination can significantly increase the accuracy of both short-term and long-term predictions.
University of Windsor1, Université de Montréal2, Teesside University3, Western New England University4, Durham University5, Central European University6, National Taiwan University7, University of Alabama at Birmingham8, University College Dublin9, University of Western Australia10, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education11, Hong Kong Polytechnic University12, Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India13, Nova Southeastern University14, Clarion University of Pennsylvania15, University of Patras16, University of Sheffield17, University of the Andes18, Nnamdi Azikiwe University19
TL;DR: This article explored the impact of culture on the acceptability of workplace bullying and to do so across a wide range of countries and found that physically intimidating bullying is less acceptable than work related bullying both within groups of similar cultures and globally.
TL;DR: In this paper, aqueous graphene oxide (GO) dispersions and their nonlinear optical response under visible (532 nm) and infrared (1064 nm), picosecond and nanosecond laser excitation were investigated.
Abstract: In this work we report on the preparation of some aqueous graphene oxide (GO) dispersions and the investigation of their nonlinear optical response under visible (532 nm) and infrared (1064 nm), picosecond and nanosecond laser excitation. The GO colloids were prepared under specific and well-defined conditions resulting in finely dispersed heavily oxidized large GO sheets. In all cases, GO colloids were found to present large nonlinear absorption and negligible nonlinear refraction. The physical mechanisms responsible for their nonlinear optical response are discussed. In addition, the so-prepared GO dispersions were found to exhibit large broadband optical power limiting action for both pulse durations, comparable to that of C60 for visible laser pulses and much superior for infrared ones.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the planar rocking response of an array of free-standing columns capped with a freely supported rigid beam in an effort to explain the appreciable seismic stability of ancient freestanding columns that support heavy epistyles together with the even heavier frieze atop, concluding that top-heavy rocking frames are more stable than when they are top light.
Abstract: SUMMARY
This paper investigates the planar rocking response of an array of free-standing columns capped with a freely supported rigid beam in an effort to explain the appreciable seismic stability of ancient free-standing columns that support heavy epistyles together with the even heavier frieze atop. Following a variational formulation, the paper concludes to the remarkable result that the dynamic rocking response of an array of free-standing columns capped with a rigid beam is identical to the rocking response of a single free-standing column with the same slenderness yet with larger size, that is a more stable configuration. Most importantly, the study shows that the heavier the freely supported cap beam is (epistyles with frieze atop), the more stable is the rocking frame regardless of the rise of the center of gravity of the cap beam, concluding that top-heavy rocking frames are more stable than when they are top light. This ‘counter intuitive’ finding renders rocking isolation a most attractive alternative for the seismic protection of bridges with tall piers, whereas its potential implementation shall remove several of the concerns associated with the seismic connections of prefabricated bridges. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of composting operational factors (bulking agent, additives, and aeration strategy) on the physicochemical characteristics of the final compost, and the production of a good quality soil amender or fertilizer are highlighted.
TL;DR: An overview of techniques used for determining which parameters of a model should be estimated and recent developments regarding the design of nonlinear Luenberger observers are discussed, with special emphasis on exact error linearization techniques.
TL;DR: The authors systematically evaluated published evidence in these fields and concluded that robotic assisted surgery is possible and safe for most urologic operations.