11 research outputs found
Meat quality assessment of raw meat from two Mediterranean autochthonous pig breeds reared in sustainable conditions
No full textThe sustainability of livestock farming in relation to global anxiety about climate change and the quality of agro-ecosystem services has become a fundamental issue for the world and the scientific community. Many aspects of meat quality are related to genotype, sex, and age of the animals as well as the production system. In Mediterranean countries, farmers in marginal areas engage in environmentally friendly production systems using native genotypes that are well adapted to the environment and are able to exploit the feed resources available on the territory. The black pig
breeds are autochthonous in many countries and reared in the interior of the Mediterranean region. Although in Italy, the black pig breeds have been studied and analysed for years, and have been divided in different populations, in Greece, there is a lack of information about the productive performance of black pigs. The current study, funded by the GREEN FUND GREECE no.003141, aimed to evaluate the effect of genotype on the quality parameters, the chemical composition and fatty acid profile on the Longissisum lumborum muscle in pig slaughtered at 9 and 12 months of age. For this purpose, 20 piglets were selected from 2 pig farms (1 Greek and 1 Italian) and divided into 4 experimental groups (5 animals per group): E9-Greek breed, slaughtered at the age of 9 months, E12- Greek breed, slaughtered at 12 months of age, I9 Italian breed, slaughtered at 9 months of age, and I12 Italian breed, slaughtered at 12 months of age. Pigs were slaughtered at a licensed abattoir in their country of birth and meat quality analyses were carried out at the University of Bari. The preliminary results show that the E12 meat is less dark with better values of tenderness than I12. The genotype did not influence the chemical composition of 9 months pigs, but on the other hand the I12 have lower protein content and intramuscular fat than E12. As far as the meat fatty acid composition is concerned, the results show a higher percentage of SFA but a lower of MUFA in Italian groups. The concentration of n-3 and n-6 was higher in E9 and E12 than the Italian groups. The meat health indexes were not influenced by genotype but were influenced by age of slaughter. This trial could be a first step to evaluate meat characteristics of Greek black pigs and, therefore, a tool to exploit the diversity of production systems and to raise awareness of the relevance and value of this animal genotype
Corrigendum to “Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant is entirely substituted by the omicron variant during the fifth COVID-19 wave in Attica region” [Sci. Total Environ., 856(Pt 1) (2023)/159062] (Science of the Total Environment (2023) 856(P1), (S0048969722061617), (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159062))
No full textThe authors state that the printed version of the above article missed the contribution of an author, which was that the third author had contributed to the writing of the original draft in addition to methodology. The correct and final version follows. CRediT authorship contribution statement Aikaterini Galani: Methodology, Validation, Writing – original draft. Athina Markou: Supervision, Writing – review & editing, Project administration. Lampros Dimitrakopoulos: Methodology, Writing – original draft. Aikaterini Kontou: Validation. Marios Kostakis: Validation. Vasileios Kapes: Methodology. Marios A. Diamantopoulos: Formal analysis, Software. Panagiotis G. Adamopoulos: Formal analysis. Margaritis Avgeris: Formal analysis, Writing– review & editing. Evi Lianidou: Writing – review & editing. Andreas Scorilas: Formal analysis. Dimitrios Paraskevis: Writing – review & editing. Sotirios Tsiodras: Writing – review & editing. Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos: Funding acquisition, Writing – review & editing. Nikolaos Thomaidis: Conceptualization, Project administration, Visualization, Resources. © 2022 Elsevier B.V
Final phase-resolving Boussinesq-type models (D42)
No full textThe design of structures to be built in the nearshore region generally involves the evaluation of different possible layouts, under the effects of local wave and cunents conditions, with the aim of minimizing costs and maximizing the desired results. In particular the design of lowcrested structures involves optimisation of several parameters, which influence both the position, and the shape of the structures. The possible layout of the structures to be designed can be tested experimentally in wave tanks and wave flumes using adequate scale models. An alternative and attractive procedure is to employ suitable numerical and mathematical models. In principle, a very advanced numerical model, able to conectly simulate all the nearshore phenomena (turbulence, waves, currents, sediment transport, etc.) could be equivalent or even superior to a physical model. In practice, the numerical models currently employed in engineering activities, use several assumptions and simplifications: the phenomena that can be simulated strictly depend on the governing equations solved by the model. Indeed, the great advantage of numerical and mathematica! models is that their application is usually much less expensive than physical ones: it is certainly more economie to modify a computer file describing the bathymetry of the area under investigation than rebuild a physical model layout. This report is structured into two discrete sections, the first one contributed by AUTh and the second one by UR3. In the first section a 2DH higher-order Boussinesq-type model combined with a porous flow model, developed tor simulating flow around porous submerged structures is presented. On the other hand, in the second section enhancements on the applicability of Boussinesq-type equations (BTE) into the surf and swash zone are described.Delo
Blood-based analysis of type-2 diabetes mellitus susceptibility genes identifies specific transcript variants with deregulated expression and association with disease risk
No full textDespite significant progress by genome-wide association studies, the ability of genetic variants to conduce to the prediction or prognosis of type-2 diabetes (T2D) is weak. Expression analysis of the corresponding genes may suggest possible links between single-nucleotide polymorphisms and T2D phenotype and/or risk. Herein, we investigated the expression patterns of 24 T2D-susceptibility genes, and their individual transcript variants (tv), in peripheral blood of T2D patients and controls (CTs), applying RNA-seq and real-time qPCR methodologies, and explore possible associations with disease features. Our data revealed the deregulation of certain transcripts in T2D patients. Among them, the down-regulation of CAPN10 tv3 was confirmed as an independent predictor for T2D. In patients, increased expression of CDK5 tv2, CDKN2A tv3 or THADA tv5 correlated positively with serum insulin levels, of CDK5 tv1 positively with % HbA1c levels, while in controls, elevated levels of TSPAN8 were associated positively with the presence of T2D family history. Herein, a T2D-specific expression profile of specific transcripts of disease-susceptibility genes is for the first time described in human peripheral blood. Large-scale studies are needed to evaluate the potential of these molecules to serve as disease biomarkers
Blood-based analysis of type-2 diabetes mellitus susceptibility genes identifies specific transcript variants with deregulated expression and association with disease risk
No full textFirst trimester maternal plasma proteomic changes predictive of spontaneous moderate/late preterm delivery
No full textObjective: Identification of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in first trimester maternal plasma between pregnant women with a subsequent spontaneous moderate/late Preterm Delivery (sPTD) and women who delivered at term. The sPTD group consisted of women who delivered between 32°/7 and 366/7weeks of gestation. Methods: Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) coupled with LC–MS/MS was used for the analysis of five first trimester maternal plasma samples obtained from women with a subsequent moderate/late preterm sPTD and five women with term deliveries. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was further applied in an independent cohort of 29 sPTD cases and 29 controls to verify the expression levels of selected proteins. Results: 236 DEPs, mainly linked to coagulation and complement cascade, were identified in first trimester maternal plasma obtained from the sPTD group. Decreased levels of selected proteins, namely, VCAM-1, SAA, and Talin-1, were further confirmed using ELISA, highlighting their potential as candidate predictive biomarkers for sPTD at32°/7 and 366/7weeks of gestation. Conclusion: First trimester maternal plasma proteomic analysis revealed protein changes associated with subsequent moderate/late preterm sPTD. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Epigenetic regulation of MIR145 core promoter controls miR-143/145 cluster in bladder cancer progression and treatment outcome
No full textOwing to its highly heterogeneous molecular landscape, bladder cancer (BlCa) is still characterized by non-personalized treatment and lifelong surveillance. Motivated by our previous findings on miR-143/145 value in disease prognosis, we have studied the underlying epigenetic regulation of the miR-143/145 cluster in BlCa. Expression and DNA methylation of miR-143/145 cluster were analyzed in our screening (n = 162) and The Cancer Genome Atlas Urothelial Bladder Carcinoma (TCGA-BLCA; n = 412) cohorts. Survival analysis was performed using tumor relapse and progression as clinical endpoints for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC; TaT1), while disease progression and patients’ death were used for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC; T2-T4). TCGA-BLCA served as validation cohort. Bootstrap analysis was carried out for internal validation, while decision curve analysis was used to evaluate clinical benefit. TCGA-BLCA and screening cohorts highlighted MIR145 core promoter as the pivotal, epigenetic regulatory region on cluster's expression. Lower methylation of MIR145 core promoter was associated with aggressive disease phenotype, higher risk for NMIBC short-term progression, and poor MIBC survival. MIR145 methylation-fitted multivariate models with established disease markers clearly enhanced patients’ risk stratification and prediction of treatment outcome. MIR145 core promoter methylation was identified as a potent epigenetic regulator of miR-143/145 cluster, supporting modern personalized risk stratification and management in BlCa. © 2022 The Author
Mutational analysis of TSC1 and TSC2 genes in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex patients from Greece
No full textTuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder causing benign tumors in the brain and other vital organs. The genes implicated in disease development are TSC1 and TSC2. Here, we have performed mutational analysis followed by a genotype-phenotype correlation study based on the clinical characteristics of the affected individuals. Twenty unrelated probands or families from Greece have been analyzed, of whom 13 had definite TSC, whereas another 7 had a possible TSC diagnosis. Using direct sequencing, we have identified pathogenic mutations in 13 patients/families (6 in TSC1 and 7 in TSC2), 5 of which were novel. The mutation identification rate for patients with definite TSC was 85%, but only 29% for the ones with a possible TSC diagnosis. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) did not reveal any genomic rearrangements in TSC1 and TSC2 in the samples with no mutations identified. In general, TSC2 disease was more severe than TSC1, with more subependymal giant cell astrocytomas and angiomyolipomas, higher incidence of pharmacoresistant epileptic seizures, and more severe neuropsychiatric disorders. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive TSC1 and TSC2 mutational analysis carried out in TSC patients in Greece. © 2017 The Author(s)
The association of vasomotor symptoms with fracture risk and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
No full textBackground/Aims: Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) adversely affect postmenopausal quality of life. However, their association with bone health has not been elucidated. This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the evidence regarding the association of VMS with fracture risk and bone mineral density (BMD) in peri- and postmenopausal women. Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane databases until 31 August 2023. Fracture, low BMD (osteoporosis/osteopenia) and mean change in lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) BMD were assessed. The results are presented as odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD), respectively, with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The I2 index quantified heterogeneity. Results: Twenty studies were included in the qualitative and 12 in the quantitative analysis (n=49,659). No difference in fractures between women with and without VMS was found (n=5, OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.93–1.16, I2 16%). However, VMS were associated with low BMD (n=5, OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.42–1.67, I2 0%). This difference was evident for LS (MD -0.019 g/cm2, 95% CI -0.03 to -0.008, I2 85.2%), but not for FN BMD (MD -0.010 g/cm2, 95% CI -0.021 to 0.001, I2 78.2%). These results were independent of VMS severity, age and study design. When the analysis was confined to studies that excluded menopausal hormone therapy use, the association with BMD remained significant. Conclusions: The presence of VMS is associated with low BMD in postmenopausal women, although it does not seem to increase fracture risk. © The Author(s) 2024
miRNA-seq identification and clinical validation of CD138+ and circulating miR-25 in treatment response of multiple myeloma
No full textBackground: Despite significant advancements in multiple myeloma (MM) therapy, the highly heterogenous treatment response hinders reliable prognosis and tailored therapeutics. Herein, we have studied the clinical utility of miRNAs in ameliorating patients’ management. Methods: miRNA-seq was performed in bone marrow CD138+ plasma cells (PCs) of 24 MM and smoldering MM (sMM) patients to analyze miRNAs profile. CD138+ and circulating miR-25 levels were quantified using in house RT-qPCR assays in our screening MM/sMM cohort (CD138+ plasma cells n = 167; subcohort of MM peripheral plasma samples n = 69). Two external datasets (Kryukov et al. cohort n = 149; MMRF CoMMpass study n = 760) served as institutional-independent validation cohorts. Patients’ mortality and disease progression were assessed as clinical endpoints. Internal validation was performed by bootstrap analysis. Clinical benefit was estimated by decision curve analysis. Results: miRNA-seq highlighted miR-25 of CD138+ plasma cells to be upregulated in MM vs. sMM, R-ISS II/III vs. R-ISS I, and in progressed compared to progression-free patients. The analysis of our screening cohort highlighted that CD138+ miR-25 levels were correlated with short-term progression (HR = 2.729; p = 0.009) and poor survival (HR = 4.581; p = 0.004) of the patients; which was confirmed by Kryukov et al. cohort (HR = 1.878; p = 0.005) and MMRF CoMMpass study (HR = 1.414; p = 0.039) validation cohorts. Moreover, multivariate miR-25-fitted models contributed to superior risk-stratification and clinical benefit in MM prognostication. Finally, elevated miR-25 circulating levels were correlated with poor survival of MM patients (HR = 5.435; p = 0.021), serving as a potent non-invasive molecular prognostic tool. Conclusions: Our study identified miR-25 overexpression as a powerful independent predictor of poor treatment outcome and post-treatment progression, aiding towards modern non-invasive disease prognosis and personalized treatment decisions. © 2023, The Author(s)
