Preclinical and clinical aspects of P2X receptors as a common route in different diseases: A meeting report.

PRESTO was established in 2022 and is a concerted effort by leading European experts in the field of P2XRs and extracellular ATP to promote and advance the transition to the clinic of P2XR-targeting therapies. Following the inaugural meeting in Ferrara which set the foundations of the action and generated interest from many groups and institutes, the second meeting covered the preclinical and clinical aspects of P2XRs as a common route in different diseases, recognising the multidisciplinary and collaborative approach required for a number of medical conditions.

EU COST Action CA21130 PRESTO 'P2X receptors as therapeutic targets' inaugural meeting report.

The inaugural meeting of the EU COST Action CA21130 PRESTO was held in February 2023, at the University of Ferrara, Italy. Our meeting report provides an overview of PRESTO, a tribute to Professor Jim Wiley, overviews of the talk, and a speaker synopsis that discusses the resources, models, equipment, and techniques available in different lab groups throughout Europe, increasing the prospect of collaborative research.

The INDEPTH (Impact of Nuclear Domains on Gene Expression and Plant Traits) Academy: a community resource for plant science.

This Community Resource paper introduces the range of materials developed by the INDEPTH (Impact of Nuclear Domains on Gene Expression and Plant Traits) COST Action made available through the INDEPTH Academy. Recent rapid growth in understanding of the significance of epigenetic controls in plant and crop science has led to a need for shared, high-quality resources, standardization of protocols, and repositories for open access data. The INDEPTH Academy provides a range of masterclass tutorials, standardized protocols, and teaching webinars, together with a rapidly developing repository to support imaging and spatial analysis of the nucleus and deep learning for automated analysis. These resources were developed partly as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also driven by needs and opportunities identified by the INDEPTH community of ~200 researchers in 80 laboratories from 32 countries. This community report outlines the resources produced and how they will be extended beyond the INDEPTH project, but also aims to encourage the wider community to engage with epigenetics and nuclear structure by accessing these resources.

GliMR: Cross-Border Collaborations to Promote Advanced MRI Biomarkers for Glioma.

Purpose: There is an annual incidence of 50,000 glioma cases in Europe. The optimal treatment strategy is highly personalised, depending on tumour type, grade, spatial localization, and the degree of tissue infiltration. In research settings, advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown great promise as a tool to inform personalised treatment decisions. However, the use of advanced MRI in clinical practice remains scarce due to the downstream effects of siloed glioma imaging research with limited representation of MRI specialists in established consortia; and the associated lack of available tools and expertise in clinical settings. These shortcomings delay the translation of scientific breakthroughs into novel treatment strategy. As a response we have developed the network "Glioma MR Imaging 2.0" (GliMR) which we present in this article. Methods: GliMR aims to build a pan-European and multidisciplinary network of experts and accelerate the use of advanced MRI in glioma beyond the current "state-of-the-art" in glioma imaging. The Action Glioma MR Imaging 2.0 (GliMR) was granted funding by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) in June 2019. Results: GliMR's first grant period ran from September 2019 to April 2020, during which several meetings were held and projects were initiated, such as reviewing the current knowledge on advanced MRI; developing a General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant consent form; and setting up the website. Conclusion: The Action overcomes the pre-existing limitations of glioma research and is funded until September 2023. New members will be accepted during its entire duration.

Why we need a European focus on foodborne parasites.

Foodborne parasites (FBP) are recognized as being a neglected pathogen group, often associated with marginalized or disadvantaged populations, especially those living in regions where water supply or sanitation are inadequate. Nevertheless, we are also increasingly recognising that FBP are not just restricted to such places, and even those that do have a circumscribed endemic area may also travel further in our globalised world; FBP are relevant everywhere, including Europe. Against this background, COST Action Euro-FBP (FA1408) was established and ran for a period of 4 years, addressing a number of different questions related to FBP, particularly in the European setting. In this special issue (SI), some of the issues and outputs associated with Euro-FBP are considered in greater depth, as an output also of the final Euro-FBP meeting. As well as more general issues regarding, for example, globalization and climate change, use of economic models, and the value of risk-based surveillance that puts the topic in perspective, individual articles are included that address specific parasites. These include protozoan parasites, such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Toxoplasma, as contaminants of water, shellfish, and fresh produce, fishborne parasites such as Anisakid nematodes, and meatborne parasites, such as Trichinella. Some of the works provide specific data on occurrence or outbreaks, whilst others are concerned with techniques. In addition, implementation of some of the educational and collaborative tools that are unique to COST Actions are described. COST Actions are not generally intended to deliver a scientific endpoint, and Euro-FBP does not do so. However, the articles in this SI, along with other articles published elsewhere during and subsequent to the course of the Action, as direct outputs of the Euro-FBP activities, indicate that FBP are indeed a relevant topic for European scientists.

Report of the International Society for Zinc Biology 5th Meeting, in Collaboration with Zinc-Net (COST Action TD1304)-UCLan Campus, Pyla, Cyprus.

From 18 to 22 June 2017, the fifth biennial meeting of the International Society for Zinc Biology was held in conjunction with the final dissemination meeting of the Network for the Biology of Zinc (Zinc-Net) at the University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus campus. The meeting attracted over 160 participants, had 17 scientific symposia, 4 plenary speakers and 2 poster discussion sessions. In this report, we give an overview of the key themes of the meeting and some of the highlights from the scientific programme.

Atomic force microscope, molecular imaging, and analysis.

Image visibility is a central issue in analyzing all kinds of microscopic images. An increase of intensity contrast helps to raise the image visibility, thereby to reveal fine image features. Accordingly, a proper evaluation of results with current imaging parameters can be used for feedback on future imaging experiments. In this work, we have applied the Laplacian function of image intensity as either an additive component (Laplacian mask) or a multiplying factor (Laplacian weight) for enhancing image contrast of high-resolution AFM images of two molecular systems, an unknown protein imaged in air, provided by AFM COST Action TD1002 (http://www.afm4nanomedbio.eu/), and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) particles imaged in liquid. Based on both visual inspection and quantitative representation of contrast measurements, we found that the Laplacian weight is more effective than the Laplacian mask for the unknown protein, whereas for the TMV system the strengthened Laplacian mask is superior to the Laplacian weight. The present results indicate that a mathematical function, as exemplified by the Laplacian function, may yield varied processing effects with different operations. To interpret the diversity of molecular structure and topology in images, an explicit expression for processing procedures should be included in scientific reports alongside instrumental setups.

COST ACTION BM 1105 "GNRH DEFICIENCY: ELUCIDATION OF THE NEUROENDOCRINE CONTROL OF HUMAN REPRODUCTION".

COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is an intergovernmental organization established to fund research networks known as "COST Actions" across the sciences. COST enables break-through scientific developments leading to new concepts and products and thereby contributes to strengthen Europe's research and innovation capacities. The Action BM1105 investigated the neuroendocrine mechanisms that are integrated at the hypothalamic level and regulate the complex organ network controlling reproduction. Through the development of a networking platform, the Action advanced the field of neuroendocrinology via: guidelines for the best clinical care of GnRH deficient patients, translating scientific understanding into improved patient care and creating a lasting European tradition of excellence in the field of reproductive medicine.

ProteoCure: A European network to fine-tune the proteome.

Proteins are essential molecular actors in every cellular process. From their synthesis to their degradation, they are subject to continuous quality control mechanisms to ensure that they fulfil cellular needs in proper and timely fashion. Proteostasis is a key process allowing cells or organisms to maintain an appropriate but dynamic equilibrium of their proteome (the ensemble of all their proteins). It relies on multiple mechanisms that together control the level, fate and function of individual proteins, and ensure elimination of abnormal ones. The proteostasis network is essential for development and adaptation to environmental changes or challenges. Its dysfunctions can lead to accumulation of deleterious proteins or, conversely, to excessive degradation of beneficial ones, and are implicated in many diseases such as cancers, neurodegeneration, or developmental and aging disorders. Manipulating this network to control abundance of selected target proteins is therefore a strategy with enormous therapeutic or biotechnological potential. The ProteoCure COST Action gathers more than 350 researchers and their teams (31 countries represented) from the academic, clinical, and industrial sectors, who share the conviction that our understanding of proteostasis is mature enough to develop novel and highly specific therapies based on selective tuning of protein levels. Towards this objective, the Action organizes community-building activities to foster synergies among its participants and reinforce training of the next generation of European researchers. Its ambition is to function as a knowledge-based network and a creative exchange hub on normal and pathologic proteostasis, focusing on developing innovative tools modulating the level of specific protein(s).

The Wildlife Malaria Research network (WIMANET): Meeting report on the 1st WIMANET workshop.

The Wildlife Malaria Network (WIMANET) is a groundbreaking multinational collaboration focused on studying vector-borne haemosporidian parasites in wildlife. Unlike human malaria, wildlife malaria is found on all continents except Antarctica, with parasites being transmitted by a range of vectors. The complexity and diversity of these parasites makes it necessary to have an interdisciplinary approach to understand and mitigate their impacts. Established in 2023 within the framework of COST-Action (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), WIMANET unites researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds to tackle critical questions about wildlife malaria on a global scale. This meeting report summarises the activities and plans resulting from the 1st meeting of WIMANET's six working groups, spanning the genetic and morphological identification of parasites to understanding the drivers of host-parasite-vector associations from individual to community levels. WIMANET's collaborative efforts aim to fill the knowledge gaps and foster large-scale research initiatives transcending local and regional boundaries.

Large Language Models and OpenLogos: An Educational Case Scenario.

Large Language Models (LLMs) offer advanced text generation capabilities, sometimes surpassing human abilities. However, their use without proper expertise poses significant challenges, particularly in educational contexts. This article explores different facets of natural language generation (NLG) within the educational realm, assessing its advantages and disadvantages, particularly concerning LLMs. It addresses concerns regarding the opacity of LLMs and the potential bias in their generated content, advocating for transparent solutions. Therefore, it examines the feasibility of integrating OpenLogos expert-crafted resources into language generation tools used for paraphrasing and translation. In the context of the Multi3Generation COST Action (CA18231), we have been emphasizing the significance of incorporating OpenLogos into language generation processes, and the need for clear guidelines and ethical standards in generative models involving multilingual, multimodal, and multitasking capabilities. The Multi3Generation initiative strives to progress NLG research for societal welfare, including its educational applications. It promotes inclusive models inspired by the Logos Model, prioritizing transparency, human control, preservation of language principles and meaning, and acknowledgment of the expertise of resource creators. We envision a scenario where OpenLogos can contribute significantly to inclusive AI-supported education. Ethical considerations and limitations related to AI implementation in education are explored, highlighting the importance of maintaining a balanced approach consistent with traditional educational principles. Ultimately, the article advocates for educators to adopt innovative tools and methodologies to foster dynamic learning environments that facilitate linguistic development and growth.

Large Language Models boast advanced text generation quality and capabilities, often surpassing those of humans. However, they also pose significant challenges when used without proper expertise or care. In an educational context, the examination of language generation tools and their use by students is vital for establishing guidelines and a shared understanding of their ethical usage. This article explores several aspects of language generation within an educational context, and showcases the potential use of OpenLogos resources, provided within the framework of the Multi3Generation COST Action (CA18231) in language study and their integration into language learning tools, such as paraphrasing (monolingual) and translation (bilingual or multilingual). This article emphasizes the importance of leveraging OpenLogos in education, especially in language learning or language enhancement contexts. By embracing innovative tools and methodologies, educators can nurture a dynamic and enriching learning environment conducive to linguistic growth and development.

Improving biomedical research by automated behaviour monitoring in the animal home cage - action needed for networking.

The key goal in biomedical research is a better understanding of disease aetiologies, which ideally results in strategies and recommendations for the prevention of diseases before they arise, and in the development of effective therapies. However, many concerns have been expressed about the reproducibility and the translational validity of preclinical research in animal models to inform clinical trials in humans. It has been proposed that improving internal, external and construct validity of animal studies will lead to improved translatability. Automated behaviour monitoring in the animal's home cage, which allows for longitudinal assessment of individual trajectories over sufficiently long intervals for (chronic) drug treatment or phenotype progression, is a promising solution to these problems.

Evaluation Survey on Agreement with Existing Definitions of Biosecurity with a Focus on Livestock.

Disease prevention, including biosecurity, surveillance, and traceability are key aspects to minimize the risk of animal diseases causing harm to society. Diseases for which biosecurity are needed depend on species of interest, e.g., African swine fever, avian influenza, or foot-and-mouth disease. However, several definitions of biosecurity co-exist in the literature. Under the new COST Action "Biosecurity Enhanced Through Training Evaluation and Raising Awareness" (BETTER) CA20103, we launched an initial survey on the agreement with eight existing definitions of (livestock) biosecurity, to rank keywords to consider before attempting a more consolidated definition, and to select the desirable qualities of a definition of livestock biosecurity. Respondents (N = 316) had a male-female gender ratio close to one, were mostly between 25 and 54 years old, and had animal health as the main field of expertise (30% were government officials). The significant most popular biosecurity definition was the one that conceptualized the rules of 5B's (bio-exclusion, bio-containment, bio-compartmentation, bio-prevention, and bio-preservation). The top two keywords to consider for the consolidation of the biosecurity definition were "prevention" and "measures". The optimal biosecurity definition needs to be operational and related to animal health but also comprehensible, simple, and related to public health. The survey results highlight the need for the integration of more aspects in the existing definitions of livestock biosecurity (prevention of zoonoses and preservation of the environment and diversity).

An evaluation of an open access iPSC training course: "How to model interstitial lung disease using patient-derived iPSCs".

BACKGROUND: Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a group of rare lung diseases with severe outcomes. The COST Innovator Grant aims to establish a first-of-a-kind open-access Biorepository of patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and to train researchers in the skills required to generate a robust preclinical model of ILD using these cells. This study aims to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of a training course designed to train researchers in iPSC techniques to model ILD. METHODS: 74 researchers, physicians and stakeholders attended the training course in Dublin in May 2022 with 31 trainees receiving teaching in practical iPSC culturing skills. The training course learners were divided into the Hands-on (16 trainees) and Observer groups (15 trainees), with the Observers attending a supervised live-streamed experience of the laboratories skills directly delivered to the Hands-on group. All participants were asked to participate in an evaluation to analyse their satisfaction and knowledge gained during the Training Course, with means compared using t-tests. RESULTS: The gender balance in both groups was predominantly females (77.4%). The Hands-on group consisted mainly of researchers (75%), whereas all participants of the Observer group described themselves as clinicians. All participants in the Hands-on group were at least very satisfied with the training course compared to 70% of the participants in the Observer group. The knowledge assessment showed that the Hands-on group retained significantly more knowledge of iPSC characteristics and culturing techniques compared to the Observers (* < 0.05; p = 0.0457). A comprehensive learning video detailing iPSC culturing techniques was produced and is included with this manuscript. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of participants were highly or very satisfied with the training course and retained significant knowledge about iPSC characteristics and culturing techniques after attending the training course. Overall, our findings demonstrate the feasibility of running hybrid Hands-on and Observer teaching events and underscore the importance of this type of training programme to appeal to a broad spectrum of interested clinicians and researchers particularly in rare disease. The long-term implications of this type of training event requires further study to determine its efficacy and impact on adoption of iPSC disease modelling techniques in participants' laboratories.

A COST Action on microbial responses to low pH: Developing links and sharing resources across the academic-industrial divide.

We present work of our COST Action on "Understanding and exploiting the impacts of low pH on micro-organisms". First, we summarise a workshop held at the European Federation of Biotechnology meeting on Microbial Stress Responses (online in 2020) on "Industrial applications of low pH stress on microbial bio-based production", as an example of an initiative fostering links between pure and applied research. We report the outcomes of a small survey on the challenging topic of developing links between researchers working in academia and industry that show that, while people in different sectors strongly support such links, barriers remain that obstruct this process. We present the thoughts of an expert panel held as part of the workshop above, where people with experience of collaboration between academia and industry shared ideas on how to develop and maintain links. Access to relevant information is essential for research in all sectors, and because of this we have developed, as part of our COST Action goals, two resources for the free use of all researchers with interests in any aspects of microbial responses to low pH. These are (1) a comprehensive database of references in the literature on different aspects of acid stress responses in different bacterial and fungal species, and (2) a database of research expertise across our network. We invite the community of researchers working in this field to take advantage of these resources to identify relevant literature and opportunities for establishing collaborations.

Tubular glassy carbon microneedles with fullerene-like tips for biomedical applications.

Glassy carbon, in general, is made by the pyrolysis of polymeric materials and has been the subject of research for at least fifty years. However, as understanding its microstructure is far from straightforward, it continues to be an area of active research. Glassy carbon adopts different allotropes depending on the hybridizations of the C-C bond, that is, sp, sp2, or sp3 . Furthermore, a variety of short-range ordering effects can interact with each other and this, along with the effects of microporosity, grain boundaries, and defects, render this a fascinating material. Following the nanoarchitectonics concept of bottom-up creation of functional materials, we use methane rather than a polymer to form glassy carbon. Here we show that tubular glassy carbon microneedles with fullerene-like tips form when methane undergoes pyrolysis on a curved alumina surface. X-ray diffraction of these glassy carbon tubules shows long-range order with a d-spacing of 4.89 Å, which is indicative of glassy carbon. Raman spectroscopy shows the material to be graphitic in nature, and SEM shows the fullerene-like structure of the material. This work provides new insights into the structure of glassy carbons relevant to the application of glassy carbons as a biomaterial, for example, as a new form of carbon-based microneedles. Since metallic needles can introduce toxic/allergenic species into susceptible subjects, this alternative carbon-based microneedle form has great potential as a replacement biomedical material for metallic needles in the field of neural engineering and as acupuncture needles.

European Network for blood pressure research in children and adolescents (COST Action CA 19115).

High blood pressure is a clearly established modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular and renal disease. Although most of its adverse effects develop in adulthood, it has become clear that high BP is a lifelong problem that can manifest early in life. While few would dispute the importance of taking effective steps to identify and manage this condition in middle-aged and elderly individuals, relatively little attention has been paid to the problem of high BP in children and adolescents. Therefore, the development of actions focused on early childhood, childhood and adolescence and the investigation of the underlying causes of this epidemic are of utmost importance. There is a pressing need for comprehensive pan-European action to increase the knowledge on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure in children and adolescents, the current scarcity of which impedes the development of consensus across different research fields and hinders efforts to introduce changes in clinical practice. There are some aspects that demand urgent action: the definition of hypertension, the prevalence of high BP in Europe, accurate measurement for early identification, the assessment of hypertension-mediated organ damage and the development and implementation of prevention strategies. In order to provide answers to all of these unanswered questions and challenges, a multidisciplinary network was established, maintained and funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Association. COST is a funding organization for the creation of research networks known as COST Actions. In this case, the network will promote coordinated and collaborative activities on personalized preventive measures for children and adolescents across Europe.

European Network to Advance Best Practices and Technology on Medication Adherence: Mission Statement.

Medication non-adherence is associated with almost 200,000 deaths annually and €80-125 billion in the European Union. Novel technological advances (smart pill bottles, digital inhalers and spacers, electronic pill blisters, e-injection pens, e-Health applications, big data) could help managing non-adherence. Healthcare professionals seem however inadequately informed about non-adherence, availability of technological solutions in daily practice is limited, and collaborative efforts to push forward their implementation are scarce. The European Network to Advance Best practices and technoLogy on medication adherencE (ENABLE, COST Action 19132) aims to 1) raise awareness of adherence enhancing solutions, 2) foster knowledge on medication adherence, 3) accelerate clinical application of novel technologies and 4) work collaboratively towards economically viable policy, and implementation of adherence enhancing technology across healthcare systems.

Growth, Properties, and Applications of Branched Carbon Nanostructures.

Nanomaterials featuring branched carbon nanotubes (b-CNTs), nanofibers (b-CNFs), or other types of carbon nanostructures (CNSs) are of great interest due to their outstanding mechanical and electronic properties. They are promising components of nanodevices for a wide variety of advanced applications spanning from batteries and fuel cells to conductive-tissue regeneration in medicine. In this concise review, we describe the methods to produce branched CNSs, with particular emphasis on the most widely used b-CNTs, the experimental and theoretical studies on their properties, and the wide range of demonstrated and proposed applications, highlighting the branching structural features that ultimately allow for enhanced performance relative to traditional, unbranched CNSs.

A Year in the Life of the EU-CardioRNA COST Action: CA17129 Catalysing Transcriptomics Research in Cardiovascular Disease.

The EU-CardioRNA Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action is a European-wide consortium established in 2018 with 31 European country members and four associate member countries to build bridges between translational researchers from academia and industry who conduct research on non-coding RNAs, cardiovascular diseases and similar research areas. EU-CardioRNA comprises four core working groups (WG1-4). In the first year since its launch, EU-CardioRNA met biannually to exchange and discuss recent findings in related fields of scientific research, with scientific sessions broadly divided up according to WG. These meetings are also an opportunity to establish interdisciplinary discussion groups, brainstorm ideas and make plans to apply for joint research grants and conduct other scientific activities, including knowledge transfer. Following its launch in Brussels in 2018, three WG meetings have taken place. The first of these in Lisbon, Portugal, the second in Istanbul, Turkey, and the most recent in Maastricht, The Netherlands. Each meeting includes a scientific session from each WG. This meeting report briefly describes the highlights and key take-home messages from each WG session in this first successful year of the EU-CardioRNA COST Action.