Ionian University

In metacommunity theory, which has primarily addressed horizontal processes, vertical connectivity has received little attention despite being a primary driver of biodiversity in spatially structured environments. This conceptual blind spot limits our

Beneath the Earth's surface lies a network of interconnected caves, voids, and systems of fissures forming in rocks of sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic origin. Although largely inaccessible to humans, this hidden realm supports and regulates services critical to ecological health and human well-being. Subterranean ecosystems are integral to major biogeochemical cycles, sustain diverse surface habitats, and serve as the primary source of irrigation and drinking water. They also offer non-material benefits, including scientific discovery, education, and cultural practices. Yet, these contributions often go unrecognised, partly due to the lack of a unified synthesis of ecosystem services across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine subterranean compartments. This gap limits effective communication of their value to scientists, practitioners, and the public. Through a systematic expert-based review, we show that subterranean ecosystems contribute to up to 75% of classified ecosystem services. Notably, many of these contributions are described only qualitatively, lacking numerical or economic quantification. Next, we list examples of the main ecosystem services provided by subterranean systems to offer a global overview of their multifaceted value and vulnerability to environmental change. We believe this synthesis provides researchers and practitioners with concrete examples to communicate more effectively the importance of subterranean ecosystems to diverse audiences.

Intangible Victory" is an audiovisual installation in the form of the intangible being of the "Victory of Samothrace" that uses interactive digital media. Specifically, through this installation, we redefine the visual symbolism of the ancient sculpture, paying attention to time as a wear factor (entropy) and the special importance of the void as an absence of the sculptural form. Emptiness completes the intangible essence of the sculpture in the field of symbolism as well as in that of artistic significance for the interpretation of the work today. The function of the void and the interaction of the viewer with the work, causes the emergence of a new experience-dialogue between space and time. The use of digital media and technology reveals the absence of the sculptural form as it is visualized in the "Victory of Samothrace". The sculptural form is reconstructed from fibers in space in a cylindrical arrangement. The form is rendered with colored strings-conductive sensors, that allow the visitor to interact with the work, creating a sound environment through movement. The sound completely replaces the volume, as the void of the sculptural form together with the viewer in unison present an audiovisual symbolism of the "Victory of Samothrace".

Ghost nets are the result of fishing nets ending up at sea by fishing vessels during operations, repairs, accidental loss, and from aquaculture activities. This is a major threat to the marine environment due to the entrapment of marine species, which often leads to the mortality of important species, the alteration of the marine benthic habitat, and the release of microplastics. In the current study, the authors conducted underwater clean-up activities in the marine protected area of Sounio in Greece (NATURA2000) to identify, evaluate whether they can be removed, and remove ghost nets. A total of 1200 Kg of ghost nets was removed within one year, with 68 different species reported to have colonized the nets. The reported groups were Mollusca, Porifera, Chordata, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, Bryozoa, Ochrophyta, Tracheophyta, Rhodophyta, Cnidaria, Chlorophyta, and Annelida. The species were not listed as threatened by the IUCN conservation status, while 86% were native, and 14% were invasive in the Mediterranean Sea. The current work presents the need to expand research efforts in the field of underwater plastic pollution, implement monitoring campaigns to a greater extent in the study area, and perform an assessment before the removal of ghost nets.

Digital biomarkers are revolutionizing medicine in ways that were unimaginable a few years ago. Consequently, precision medicine approaches now realistically can promise personalization, i.e., the right treatments for the right patients at the right time, including earlier, targeted interventions which lead to a major paradigm shift in how medicine is practiced from reactive to preventive action. Although the scientific evidence is clear on the power of digital biomarkers, there is an unmet need for translating these findings into actionable insights in clinical practice. In this paper, we focus on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), and how digital biomarkers could empower clinical decision making in its preclinical stages. We argue that a new all-encompassing score is needed, akin to a BrainHealth Index linked to the established and validated risk stratifications frameworks and is directed at the prevention of ADRD. Specifically, we propose the new concept “Digital Neuro Fingerprint (DNF)”, built with simultaneous collection of multimodal digital biomarkers (speech, gait, eye movements etc.) from smartphone based augmented reality or virtual reality while an individual is immersed in activities of daily living. Fusing the captured multimodal digital biomarkers, data is automatically analyzed with custom combinations of machine- and deep-learning approaches and enhanced with explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) and uncertainty quantifications. We argue that DNF is useful for capturing ADRD progression and should supersede the biomarkers that are invasive and expensive to obtain, offering a sensitive and highly specific score that measures meaningful aspects of health for the patients in high-frequency intervals.

Καθώς η γλώσσα αποτελεί μηχανισμό έκφρασης της κυρίαρχης ιδεολογίας, αναπαριστά τις υφιστάμενες έμφυλες ανισότητες με αποτέλεσμα συχνά οι γυναίκες να υποεκπροσωπούνται ή να αποκλείονται πλήρως από τον λόγο. Το παρόν άρθρο μελετά το φαινόμενο αυτό στις διερμηνείες του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου με τη βοήθεια ενός παράλληλου σώματος κειμένων. Ειδικότερα, εξετάζει κατά πόσο οι διερμηνείς της ελληνικής καμπίνας εφαρμόζουν στρατηγικές δίκαιης ως προς το φύλο γλώσσας όταν διερμηνεύουν από τα αγγλικά και τα γερμανικά, δηλαδή από περισσότερο ουδέτερες ή συμπεριληπτικές γλώσσες, και σε ποιο βαθμό οι στρατηγικές αυτές διαφοροποιούνται από τις αντίστοιχες των διερμηνέων της γερμανικής καμπίνας.

Precision medicine leverages genomics, metabolomics, and biomedical data sciences to develop targeted treatments based on individual genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. While standardized treatments work for some conditions, many require a personalized approach to improve therapeutic outcomes. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics enhances precision medicine by enabling predictive models and individualized treatment plans. A key application of precision medicine is in rare disease diagnosis and treatment, where AI-driven methodologies improve diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic development. Multidisciplinary collaboration among researchers, healthcare professionals, and patient advocacy groups is essential to advancing care and ensuring equitable access to innovative treatments. Despite these advancements, ethical concerns regarding AI in precision medicine remain a challenge. Addressing these issues requires transdisciplinary research involving medical practitioners, ethicists, and data scientists to develop robust validation frameworks and certification methodologies. This paper explores the ethical implications of AI in precision medicine and rare disease treatment, emphasizing the need for responsible algorithm governance. The findings aim to provide a foundation for future research on integrating ethical considerations into AI-driven healthcare, ensuring safe, transparent, and equitable medical innovations.

Despite the widespread success of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in suppressing plasma viremia to undetectable levels, people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) continue to face a significantly elevated risk of chronic inflammation and Serious Non-AIDS Events (SNAEs). In this narrative review, we bridge the critical gap between molecular virology, immunometabolism, and clinical pathology by examining the complex interface of intrinsic immunity and viral persistence. We analyzed the evolutionary “arms race” between conserved host restriction factors, including TRIM5α, APOBEC3G, SAMHD1, BST-2, MX2, and SERINC, and the sophisticated viral evasion mechanisms that facilitate reservoir establishment. We further examined the role of bacterial translocation and gut barrier dysfunction in perpetuating systemic inflammation, emphasizing how HIV-1-mediated depletion of mucosal Th17 cells and disruption of tight junction proteins create a “leaky gut” that permits microbial product translocation despite suppressive therapy. Among viral proteins that may contribute to residual pathology during suppressive cART, we focused on the HIV-1 matrix protein p17, which has been proposed to function as a secreted “viral cytokine” from latent reservoirs, acting through CXCR1/CXCR2 receptors and the RACK1-JAK1-STAT1 pathway. Although primarily characterized in in vitro and ex vivo models, emerging data suggested that p17 may sustain systemic immune activation and metabolic reprogramming; however, its relative contribution compared with other viral proteins (Tat, Nef, gp120) in virologically suppressed patients remains to be fully delineated in human studies.Furthermore, we examined how HIV-1 hijacks cellular bioenergetics by shifting host cells from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis. We present an integrative model that connects restriction factor biology, p17-mediated chronic inflammation, immunometabolic dysregulation, and gut barrier dysfunction into a unified pathogenic framework, distinguishing established mechanisms from working hypotheses. Last, we assessed emerging therapeutic strategies, including CRISPR/Cas9-mediated enhancement of restriction factors, modulation of the mTOR pathway, and novel “Shock and Kill” approaches, stratified by development stage and demonstrated endpoints, offering potential pathways toward a functional cure.