Christos Anagnostou

Rhodes is the largest island of Dodecanese island complex in the SE Aegean Sea. Due to its geological structure it is characterized by a relatively high percentage of depositional coasts. The depositional northwest coasts of Rhodes Island have experienced strong erosion during the last few decades, due to a progressive decrease in sediment supply, resulting mainly from human activities along the coastline and in the hinterland. The extensive erosion has significant environmental and socioeconomic impacts, since considerable recreational infrastructure has been developed at the coastal zone. Coastal geomorphological observations were conducted and the coastal and sediment dynamics at certain locations of the northwest coasts were studied. To protect eroding coasts, the engineers suggest usually ‘hard works’, such as constructions parallel or normal to the shore, stabilization works, etc. We consider that the selection of the most suitable method is subject to environmental, technical...

Human beta-defensin-3 (HBD-3) is an antimicrobial peptide with bactericidal effects on many gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and some yeast species and, if radiolabeled, might be used to distinguish bacterial infection from sterile inflammation. The goals of the present study were to develop methods for radiolabeling HBD-3 with (99m)Tc and to perform preliminary investigations on (99m)Tc-labeled HBD-3 as a means to evaluate induced infection in an animal model. To this purpose, Staphylococcus aureus-induced infection was used to evaluate the capability of (99m)Tc-HBD-3 to distinguish infection from aseptic inflammation in rats. Twenty to 40 microg of recombinant HBD-3 were labeled with (99m)Tc(+) hexa-coordinated with 3 molecules of CO and H(2)O and separated by a column from free (99m)Tc. (99m)Tc-HBD-3 was added to cultures of a bacterial suspension of S. aureus and Escherichia coli to evaluate in vitro antibacterial activity. A bacterial suspension of S. aureus and a carrageenan solution were used to induce infection and sterile inflammation, respectively, in opposite thighs of 9 adult rats. Three separate experiments were performed on groups of 3 rats each. The animals received different doses of (99m)Tc-HBD-3 injected through a cannula into the jugular vein. After sacrifice of the animals, tissue samples were obtained from sites of infection, inflammation, and control muscle (left foreleg) at 1, 3, and 5 h after (99m)Tc-HBD-3 administration. Tissue samples were weighed and then counted in a well-counter. Simultaneously, 1 mL of a standard solution of (99m)Tc-HBD-3 corresponding to each administered dose was counted. (99m)Tc-HBD-3 retained antibacterial activity. Radioactivity in tissue samples from the infected sites was significantly higher than that in samples of either induced inflammation or normal control muscle (ratio, approximately 3:1) at 3 and 5 h after injection, whereas similar radioactivity counts were observed for tissue samples from aseptic inflammation sites and normal control muscle. In this investigation, (99m)Tc-HBD-3 retained antibacterial activity and successfully distinguished infection from aseptic inflammation in adult rats.

Observations from two comprehensive oceanographic surveys on the northwestern Black Sea are analyzed to reveal the hydrological characteristics of the shelf area around the Danube delta in relation to particulate matter dynamics. These processes have broader implications on flows through the adjacent complex strait system. The surveys cover both a period of high (September 2002) and low (September 2004) discharge

... of Rhode Island, South Ferry Rd., Narragansett, RI 02882 United States AU: Alexandri, M AF: Hellenic Center for Marine Research, 19013 Anavissos, Attika, 19013 Greece AU: Vougioukalakis, G AF: Institute for Geology and Mineral Exploration, 70 Messoghion St., Athens ...