Publications

Four sampling sites were selected in the area of Velouhi mountain, Greece in order to screen for Pseudomonas syringae isolates with high ice nucleation activity from a ski resort environment. Bacterial isolates (n=147) were obtained from soil and phyllosphere samples. Seven isolates exhibited morphological, biochemical and physiological profile similar to P. syringae. Phylogenetic relationships of the seven isolates were determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Two isolates were phylogenetically affiliated to P. syringae, three to P. viridiflava, one to P. avellanae, and one Pseudomonas strain could not be assigned to a known species. The seven isolates were examined for their ice-nucleation activity properties. Three out of the seven studied isolates exhibited ice nucleation activity from –4.67 to –4.35 ice nuclei per cell, values similar to those obtained from a known ice-nucleation protein producer P. syringae strain and therefore could be used for the production of artificial snow in ski resort areas with short snow periods.

Phospholamban (PLN), the reversible inhibitor of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA2a), is a key regulator of myocyte Ca(2+) cycling with a significant role in heart failure. We previously showed that the single amino acid difference between human and mouse PLN results in increased inhibition of Ca(2+) cycling and cardiac remodeling and attenuated stress responses in transgenic mice expressing the human PLN (hPLN) in the null background. Here we dissect the molecular and electrophysiological processes triggered by the superinhibitory hPLN in the mouse. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we performed global gene expression analysis, electrophysiology, and mathematical simulations on hPLN mice. We identified significant changes in a series of Na(+) and K(+) homeostasis genes/proteins (including Kcnd2, Scn9a, Slc8a1) and ionic conductance (including L-type Ca(2+) current, Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger, transient outward K(+) current). Simulation analysis suggests that this electrical remodeling has a critical role in rescuing cardiac function by improving sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) load and overall Ca(2+) dynamics. Furthermore, multiple structural and transcription factor gene expression changes indicate an ongoing structural remodeling process, favoring hypertrophy and myogenesis while suppressing apoptosis and progression to heart failure. Our findings expand current understanding of the hPLN function and provide additional insights into the downstream implications of SERCA2a superinhibition in the mammalian heart.

Conditions resulting in insulin resistance, as well as metabolic, immune, and angiogenic perturbations, have been associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia (PE). Our purpose was to assess whether the adipose tissue-secreted hormones adiponectin, which has immune-modulating, metabolic, and angiogenic properties, and leptin, which reflects overall fat mass, are associated with PE risk. We performed a case-control design study within a hospital-based cohort of 368 pregnant women (106 with PE and 262 controls; mean age, 26.6 ± 6.8 years; mean gestational age at admission, 38.2 ± 2.8 weeks) between March 2005 and August 2007 at the Hospital of Pennsylvania University. Serum adiponectin and leptin were measured by radioimmunoassay. Statistical analysis of data was performed using simple and multiple regression analyses. No significant differences in adiponectin or leptin levels between preeclamptic and control pregnant women emerged in univariate analyses (P = .57 and P = .15, respectively). Among preeclamptic women, there were also no differences in adipokines between those with mild and severe disease. Serum adiponectin and leptin were not associated with higher risk of PE before and after adjustment for maternal age, race, primigravida, smoking status, body mass index at screening, gestational age at admission, history of PE, chronic hypertension, and gestational diabetes (odds ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.83-1.04 and odds ratio, 1; 95% confidence interval, 0.97-1.03, respectively). Maternal serum adiponectin and leptin levels, drawn at the time of PE diagnosis, were not associated with PE.

OBJECTIVE: Menopause is associated with weight gain and an increase of cardiovascular risk. The aim of the present study was to estimate serum ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels in postmenopausal women and evaluate their association with body mass index (BMI) and coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: The study included 130 non-smoker postmenopausal women aged 43-80: 40 with BMI 26-32 kg/m(2) (Group A), 60 with BMI 21-25 kg/m(2) (Group B), and 30 with documented CAD and BMI 23-29 kg/m(2) (Group C). Serum IMA, albumin, hsCRP and NT-proBNP, glucose and insulin were measured. Homeostasis assessment model score (HOMA) and Quantitative insulin sensitivity index (QUICKI) were co-estimated. RESULTS: Serum IMA and IMA to albumin ratio were significantly elevated in Group A as compared to Group B (p<0.001) and similar to those of Group C. hsCRP and NT-proBNP did not differ between Groups A and B while they were lower in comparison to Group C (p<0.001). Glucose, insulin and HOMA were elevated in Group A compared to Group B (p<0.001) while QUICKI was lower (p<0.001). In Group A, IMA was positively correlated with BMI, hsCRP, insulin, HOMA and negatively with QUICKI. In postmenopausal women, multivariable regression analysis revealed that obesity was the strongest significant determinant of circulating IMA levels (p<0.001) contributing, therefore, to the elevated serum IMA concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Postmenopausal obesity is associated with elevated serum IMA possibly due to obesity associated oxidative stress. IMA measurement could provide an assessment of atherosclerotic burden in postmenopausal women. Further clinical evaluation is under investigation.

INTRODUCTION: Sex differences have been identified in antidepressant treatment; however, it remains unclear to what extent pharmacokinetics contributes to these differences. As current antidepressant pharmacotherapy is less than optimal, understanding the role of sex in pharmacokinetics may substantially contribute to a gender-based optimized treatment. AREAS COVERED: An unrestricted PubMed literature search on antidepressant pharmacokinetics and sex was performed. Sex differences in absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of antidepressants, as well as the interaction of sex with age, genetic polymorphisms and gonadal hormones are discussed. We also provide an overview of how each antidepressant presents a particular sex-differentiated pharmacokinetic profile. Most antidepressants present to some extent pharmacokinetic sex differences, which often are further accentuated by gonadal hormones. In most cases, women, particularly elderly women, are expected to have higher exposure to antidepressants when dosed in a similar way as men. EXPERT OPINION: Although the available pharmacokinetic evidence indicates that women should receive lower doses of antidepressants and men should receive higher doses, current guidelines do not recommend dose adjustment, because these sex differences are considered to be clinically insignificant. Unless we understand the link between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antidepressants, it will be difficult to determine whether sex differences are of clinical importance or not. Thus, further systematic and particularly focused research is needed on sex differences in pharmacokinetics.

INTRODUCTION: Sex differences have been identified in antidepressant treatment; however, it remains unclear to what extent pharmacokinetics contributes to these differences. As current antidepressant pharmacotherapy is less than optimal, understanding the role of sex in pharmacokinetics may substantially contribute to a gender-based optimized treatment. AREAS COVERED: An unrestricted PubMed literature search on antidepressant pharmacokinetics and sex was performed. Sex differences in absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of antidepressants, as well as the interaction of sex with age, genetic polymorphisms and gonadal hormones are discussed. We also provide an overview of how each antidepressant presents a particular sex-differentiated pharmacokinetic profile. Most antidepressants present to some extent pharmacokinetic sex differences, which often are further accentuated by gonadal hormones. In most cases, women, particularly elderly women, are expected to have higher exposure to antidepressants when dosed in a similar way as men. EXPERT OPINION: Although the available pharmacokinetic evidence indicates that women should receive lower doses of antidepressants and men should receive higher doses, current guidelines do not recommend dose adjustment, because these sex differences are considered to be clinically insignificant. Unless we understand the link between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antidepressants, it will be difficult to determine whether sex differences are of clinical importance or not. Thus, further systematic and particularly focused research is needed on sex differences in pharmacokinetics.

Women are more susceptible than men to certain stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as depression. Preclinical studies aim to understand these sex differences by studying male and female rats in stress models. In this chapter, we review sex differences in behavioural aspects, as well as neurochemical and neurobiological findings derived from acute, repeated and chronic stress models. In particular, we focus on sex differences in depressive-like symptomatology expressed in the forced swim test, the chronic mild stress (CMS) and the learned helplessness models, the Flinders Sensitive Line rats (FSL), which is a genetic model of depression and in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sickness behaviour, a putative inflammatory model of depression. Also, sex differences in stress effects on learning and memory parameters are discussed, because cognitive alterations are often seen in sex-differentiated psychiatric disorders. The observed behavioural alterations are often linked with abnormalities in the endophenotype, such as in hormonal, neurochemical, immune and neuroplasticity indices. From these data, it is clear that all stress models have strengths and limitations that need to be recognized in order to use them effectively in the investigation of sex differences in affective disorders.

Women are more susceptible than men to certain stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as depression. Preclinical studies aim to understand these sex differences by studying male and female rats in stress models. In this chapter, we review sex differences in behavioural aspects, as well as neurochemical and neurobiological findings derived from acute, repeated and chronic stress models. In particular, we focus on sex differences in depressive-like symptomatology expressed in the forced swim test, the chronic mild stress (CMS) and the learned helplessness models, the Flinders Sensitive Line rats (FSL), which is a genetic model of depression and in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sickness behaviour, a putative inflammatory model of depression. Also, sex differences in stress effects on learning and memory parameters are discussed, because cognitive alterations are often seen in sex-differentiated psychiatric disorders. The observed behavioural alterations are often linked with abnormalities in the endophenotype, such as in hormonal, neurochemical, immune and neuroplasticity indices. From these data, it is clear that all stress models have strengths and limitations that need to be recognized in order to use them effectively in the investigation of sex differences in affective disorders.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of BMI on the change in circulating sex hormone in postmenopausal women during 6 months of oral continuous combined low-dose hormone therapy (HT). Fifty postmenopausal women were allocated to receive daily one tablet containing combination of 17Β-estradiol (1mg)/norethindrone acetate (0.5mg) for 6 months. Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, total testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index (FAI), free estrogen index (FEI), Δ4-androstendione (Δ4A), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were assessed at baseline and at the end of 6 months. Mean absolute values and percent changes from baseline were compared between lean and overweight women. Mean FSH decreased and mean 17Β-estradiol increased significantly in both groups (FSH lean: 82.3 26.7 decreased to 45.0±17.0mIU/ml, P = 0.0001; FSH overweight: 85.5±22.1 decreased to 52.3±23.8mIU/ml, P = 0.003; P between groups = 0.661; E2 lean: 23.24±12.55 increased to 53.62±28.29pg/ml, P = 0.006; E2 overweight: 24.17±10.88 increased to 68.36± 53.99pg/ml, P = 0.0001; P between groups = 0.619). Lean individuals had statistically significant higher increments of FAI and specifically FEI compared to overweight (FEI lean; 0.14±0.09 increased to 0.29±0.14, P = 0.009; overweight 0.23±0.18 increased to 0.52±0.40, P = 0.126; P between groups = 0.034). Although BMI does not affect total 17Β-estradiol changes, free sex steroid concentrations increase more steeply in lean compared to overweight women receiving oral low-dose HT. © 2011 The Obesity Society.

The present study investigates whether the human mandible is sexually dimorphic during early postnatal development and whether early dimorphic features persist during subsequent ontogeny. We also examine whether mandibular dimorphism is linked to dimorphism of dental development. Dense CT-derived mandibular meshes of 84 females and 75 males, ranging from birth to adulthood, were analyzed using geometric morphometric methods. On the basis of the specimen's chronological ages and mineralization stages of the deciduous and permanent teeth, we compute dental age as proxy for dental development by the additive conjoint measurement method. By birth, males have, on average, more advanced age-specific shapes than females. However, sex differences decrease quickly as females catch up via a different association between shape and size. This leads to an almost complete reduction of sexual dimorphism between the ages of 4 and 14. From puberty to adulthood, males are characterized by allometric shape changes while the shape of the female mandible continues to change even after size has ceased to increase. Dimorphism of dental maturation becomes visible only at puberty. Sexual dimorphism, concentrated at the ramus and the mental region during the earliest ontogenetic stages and again at adulthood, is not associated with the development of the teeth. At puberty there is a simultaneous peak in size increase, shape development, and dental maturation likely controlled by the surge of sex hormones with a dimorphic onset age. We argue that the infant and adult dimorphism of the mental region may be associated with the development of supralaryngeal structures.

To assess the importance of the quality of response and of early relapse in unselected elderly patients with myeloma treated upfront with novel agents. Methods: We analyzed 135 unselected transplant-ineligible patients older than 65yr who were treated upfront with novel agent-based regimens in a single center. Results: On intent to treat, 81% of patients achieved a response (28% sCR/CR, 23% VGPR, and 30% PR). Median progression-free survival (PFS) for patients who achieved sCR/CR was 31 vs. 20months for VGPR and 23months for PR (P=0.048). Median overall survival (OS) for patients with sCR/CR was 62months, 53months for VGPR and 38months for patients with PR (P=0.028). Early relapse (PFS<12months) was more common in patients with PR (39% vs. 21% for VGPR vs. 3% for sCR/CR). Patients who relapsed or progressed <12months from initiation of treatment had a median OS of 15.4months compared with 53months (P<0.001) for patients who had a PFS>12months despite the fact that after relapse or progression most patients were treated again with novel agents. In multivariate analysis, short PFS was the most significant adverse prognostic factor affecting OS, associated with a 7.25-fold (P<0.0001) increase in the risk of death. Conclusion: In newly diagnosed patients over 65yr, treated upfront with novel agents achievement of CR and a PFS ≥12months is associated with improved outcome. Patients who fail to respond or experience early relapse after primary therapy with novel agent-based regimens should be encouraged to participate in clinical trials of novel agents and combinations. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Par le biais de l’étude du cas de la professeure de philosophie Simone Weil (1931-1940), cet article s’intéresse à faire émerger un aspect du versant féminin de la transgression des normes au sein de l’Université de l’entre-deux-guerres. Il prend appui sur le point de vue des autorités universitaires tel qu’il se dessine surtout à travers la lecture des documents conservés dans le dossier de carrière de la fonctionnaire. Le présent travail tente aussi d’interpréter, sous un éclairage différent, les faits relatés par ses biographes.L’analyse prend tout d’abord en considération le double registre de la langue utilisée par l’administration : discrétion dans notices annuelles, libération du langage dans la correspondance. La deuxième partie du travail enregistre les griefs les plus graves formulés contre la philosophe. L'administration fustige, en premier lieu, les rapports que Weil entretient avec ses collègues et sa conduite irrespectueuse à l’égard de sa directrice. On lui reproche en outre de ne pas respecter les programmes officiels et de transformer sa chaire en tribune où elle défend ses idées politiques et sociales : elle viole ainsi le principe de neutralité scolaire. La troisième partie de l’étude nous entraîne sur le terrain des activités militantes de la professeure. Les rapports de police, la correspondance de ses chefs administratifs, des articles de presse, enfin, se réfèrent surtout à sa participation aux grèves ouvrières organisées à la ville du Puy. L’examen du discours déployé dans ces documents révèle que le sexe de la militante gêne davantage que sa fonction : Weil provoque en premier lieu parce qu’elle est femme, donc non citoyenne, et ensuite parce qu’elle est professeure de l’enseignement public.Dans la dernière partie sont mis en évidence les « silences » du dossier de Weil après 1933, ce qui laisse supposer qu’il fut systématiquement dépouillé après cette date. Malgré les vides dans la documentation, les documents repérés laissent percevoir clairement le point de vue de l’administration au sujet de la place de Simone Weil dans l’Université : celle-ci est, à tout moment, présentée comme une intruse, comme une déplacée, une « indésirable ».

The Hellenic subduction zone displays well-defined temporal and spatial variations in subduction rate and offers an excellent natural laboratory for studying the interaction among slab buoyancy, subduction rate, and tectonic deformation. In space, the active Hellenic subduction front is dextrally offset by 100–120 km across the Kephalonia Transform Zone, coinciding with the junction of a slowly subducting Adriatic continental lithosphere in the north (5–10 mm/yr) and a rapidly subducting Ionian oceanic lithosphere in the south (∼35 mm/yr). Subduction rates can be shown to have decreased from late Eocene time onward, reaching 5–12 mm/yr by late Miocene time, before increasing again along the southern portion of the subduction system. Geodynamic modeling demonstrates that the differing rates of subduction and the resultant trench offset arise naturally from subduction of oceanic (Pindos) lithosphere until late Eocene time, followed by subduction of a broad tract of continental or transitional lithosphere (Hellenic external carbonate platform) and then by Miocene entry of high-density oceanic (Ionian) lithosphere into the southern Hellenic trench. Model results yield an initiation age for the Kephalonia Transform of 6–8 Ma, in good agreement with observations. Consistency between geodynamic model results and geologic observations suggest that the middle Miocene and younger deformation of the Hellenic upper plate, including formation of the Central Hellenic Shear Zone, can be quantitatively understood as the result of spatial variations in the buoyancy of the subducting slab. Using this assumption, we make late Eocene, middle Miocene, and Pliocene reconstructions of the Hellenic system that include quantitative constraints from subduction modeling and geologic constraints on the timing and mode of upper plate deformation.

We establish the theory of light amplification and lasing in optical metamaterials. We show how loss compensation in slow-light metamaterial heterostructures becomes possible, and elucidate light amplification and lasing in active nanoplasmonic double-fishnet metamaterials. © 2011 Optical Society of America.

BACKGROUND: Heat shock proteins (Hsp) are known to enhance cell survival under various stress conditions. In the heart, the small Hsp20 has emerged as a key mediator of protection against apoptosis, remodeling, and ischemia/reperfusion injury. Moreover, Hsp20 has been implicated in modulation of cardiac contractility ex vivo. The objective of this study was to determine the in vivo role of Hsp20 in the heart and the mechanisms underlying its regulatory effects in calcium (Ca) cycling. METHODS AND RESULTS: Hsp20 overexpression in intact animals resulted in significant enhancement of cardiac function, coupled with augmented Ca cycling and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca load in isolated cardiomyocytes. This was associated with specific increases in phosphorylation of phospholamban (PLN) at both Ser16 and Thr17, relieving its inhibition of the apparent Ca affinity of SERCA2a. Accordingly, the inotropic effects of Hsp20 were abrogated in cardiomyocytes expressing nonphosphorylatable PLN (S16A/T17A). Interestingly, the activity of type 1 protein phosphatase (PP1), a known regulator of PLN signaling, was significantly reduced by Hsp20 overexpression, suggesting that the Hsp20 stimulatory effects are partially mediated through the PP1-PLN axis. This hypothesis was supported by cell fractionation, coimmunoprecipitation, and coimmunolocalization studies, which revealed an association between Hsp20, PP1, and PLN. Furthermore, recombinant protein studies confirmed a physical interaction between AA 73 to 160 in Hsp20 and AA 163 to 330 in PP1. CONCLUSIONS: Hsp20 is a novel regulator of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca cycling by targeting the PP1-PLN axis. These findings, coupled with the well-recognized cardioprotective role of Hsp20, suggest a dual benefit of targeting Hsp20 in heart disease.

Paros Island is part of the complex of Cyclades Islands, situated in the central Aegean Sea, Greece. The climate of Paros Island is representative of the Mediterranean type, with abrupt rainfalls and lower temperatures during winters and long term sunshine accompanied by dry periods during the summer, conditions able to cause severe problems on the land. The island's low vegetation leaves the ground exposed to erosion. Also, the recent change from the local's people agricultural activities to touristic ones-especially the abandonment of the agricultural terraces during the last 50 years-has influenced the soil cover of the island in an unfavorable way, leading to total soil loss and exposure of the bedrock in many areas. Aggravating this fact, the island's steep slopes render soil regeneration almost impossible. The transferred soil is either moving towards the small alluvial plains or, in most cases, is being deposited directly to the sea. In the following paper an effort is being made to depict the currently existing situation on the island by delineating the areas still appearing to be at a high risk for erosion and to estimate the average amount of soil loss. For the later, the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) was tested on the data of the island. The application of the USLE was implemented via MapInfo and ArcGIS Tools Software. The main result of the present study is that it outlines the areas where severe erosion might occur and also gives a good example for land users what is the best scenario o protect their land against erosion and which plant they should use or avoid to protect their soil from erosion.

The behavior of organic solvents typically used in redox electrolyte media for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) has been systematically investigated by resonance Raman spectroscopy in combination with electrochemical impedance (EIS), intensity modulated photovoltage (IMVS), and photocurrent (IMPS) spectroscopies. Resonance Raman spectra reveal appreciable shifts in the vibrational frequency of the dye carboxyl anchoring groups as well as intensity variations of high- and low-frequency modes of dye-redox species by varying the electrolyte solvent and the polarization bias. These results are related to the variable surface coverage of the dye-TiO2 photoelectrode by solvent molecules determined by their donor number, the concomitant change on the concentration of dye-redox couple intermediate adducts, and the dye-TiO 2 electronic coupling. EIS and IMVS reveal a marked variation of the recombination kinetics and chemical capacitance of the corresponding DSCs, providing direct evidence for the shift of the TiO2 conduction band edge and deceleration of back-reaction kinetics. This accounts well for the solvent dependence of the device opencircuit voltage, whereas more complicated effects underlie the variation of the short-circuit current density that depends on electron injection. Tuning the solvents' function in DSCs may thus result in significant improvement of the DSC photovoltaic efficiency by effectively controlling electron energetics and injected photoelectron-triiodide recombination. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Ο Αριστείδης Παρίσης, ψευδώνυμο του ηθοποιού Αριστείδη Σακκά, γεννήθηκε και μεγάλωσε στο Ληξούρι της Κεφαλλονιάς στα τέλη του 19ου αι. Παντρεύτηκε τη Δέσποινα Παρίση και απέκτησε δύο κόρες : την Κατίνα και την Ευαγγελία. Ως έφεδρος αξιωματικός υπηρέτησε στην Εθνική Άμυνα της Θεσσαλονίκης. Λόγω των πολιτικών αντιβασιλικών φρονημάτων του καταδιώχθηκε, τόσο από τη Θεσσαλονίκη, όσο και από τη Λάρισα όπου είχε καταφύγει. Παράλληλα δρούσε ως ηθοποιός σε θιάσους, όπως στο θίασο Σαμαρτζή, αλλά και ως θιασάρχης. Τα μέλη της οικογένειάς του συγκροτούσαν, κατά κύριο λόγο, το θίασο. Οι κόρες του έπαιζαν στην σκηνή, τραγουδούσαν και χόρευαν από πολύ μικρή ηλικία. Στη Λάρισα, παρουσία αξιωματικών, τον πυροβόλησαν την ώρα όπου βρισκόταν επί σκηνής και παιζόταν μια αντιβασιλική επιθεώρηση, την οποία μάλιστα είχε γράψει ο ίδιος. Έπειτα από τα δραματικά γεγονότα στη Θεσσαλία, η οικογένεια Παρίση ξεκίνησε περιοδεία σε ολόκληρη την Ελλάδα και ακολούθησε μια συγκλονιστική θεατρική περιπέτεια με σταθμούς την Κωνσταντινούπολη, τη Σερβία, την Ιταλία, την Αίγυπτο, τη Ρουμανία, το Παρίσι, τη Μασσαλία, τις Βρυξέλλες και την Αμερική. Οι περιοδείες του Παρίση διήρκεσαν δεκαετίες, προσφέροντας αποφασιστικά στις εστίες του ελληνισμού της διασποράς. Το ρεπερτόριο του θιάσου αποτελείτο από κωμωδίες, πολύπρακτες και μονόπρακτες, επιθεωρήσεις, οπερέτες, κωμειδύλλια, δραματικά ειδύλλια και πατριωτικά δράματα. Ο Παρίσης επιδίωκε να ικανοποιεί τα γούστα του κοινού, προσκολλημένος στα έργα της σίγουρης σκηνικής επιτυχίας, χαρίζοντας γενναιόδωρα άλλοτε γέλιο και άλλοτε συγκίνηση. Ο Αριστείδης Παρίσης υπήρξε πολυσχιδής προσωπικότητα και η δράση του εκτείνεται σχεδόν σε όλους τους κλάδους του θεάτρου: σκηνοθέτης, ηθοποιός, δάσκαλος θεάτρου, θεατρικός επιχειρηματίας, σκηνογράφος, ενδυματολόγος, συγγραφέας αλλά και μεταφραστής θεατρικών έργων.

Αντικείμενο του άρθρου αποτελεί η ιστορία και η διαδρομή των Επτανήσιων Γεράσιμου Κουρούκλη και Παναγή Σβορώνου, άγνωστων ή λιγότερο γνωστών καλλιτεχνών του μουσικού θεάτρου αλλά και της νεοελληνικής σκηνής του πρώτου μισού του 20ου αι. Γεννήθηκαν στην Κεφαλονιά στα τέλη του 19ου αι. και εν συνεχεία βρέθηκαν στην πρωτεύουσα όπου εντάχθηκαν σε αθηναϊκούς θιάσους παίζοντας μικρούς ρόλους, κυρίως σε επιθεωρήσεις και οπερέτες. Σύντομα ο Κουρούκλης εγκατέλειψε την Ελλάδα και περιπλανήθηκε σε όλο τον κόσμο (Αφρική, Αυστραλία, Αμερική κ.α.) αρχικά συμπράττοντας με περιοδεύονται θιάσους και αργότερα ως θιασάρχης, όπως και ο Σβορώνος, ο οποίος είχε μια αντίστοιχη περιπετειώδη καλλιτεχνική πορεία. Στις αρχές της δεκαετίας του 1930 οι δύο Κεφαλλονίτες κατάφεραν να γίνουν οι κυρίαρχοι των ελληνοαμερικανικών σκηνών της Αμερικής ως επικεφαλής οπερετικών θιάσων. Ο Κουρούκλης παρέμεινε στην Νέα Υόρκη, όπου έλαβε και την αμερικανική υπηκοότητα ενώ ο Σβορώνος επέστρεψε στην Ελλάδα, όπου όχι μόνο συνέχισε την θεατρική του πορεία αλλά δραστηριοποιήθηκε και στον κινηματογράφο. Οι δύο ηθοποιοί, έχουν πολλά κοινά σημεία επαφής, καθώς οι διαδρομές τους διασταυρώνονται στην Κεφαλονιά, σε αθηναϊκούς θιάσους, στην Αίγυπτο, στις αμερικανικές πολιτείες κ.α. δίνοντας μια ιδιότυπη συνοχή στην καλλιτεχνική τους πορεία.

Έλληνες μετανάστες στην Αμερική των αρχών του 20ου αι., όντας αυτοδίδακτοι, επιδόθηκαν στην συγγραφή αυτοσχέδιων θεατρικών έργων: κωμικών, ιστορικών, ηθικοπλαστικών αλλά κυρίως νοσταλγικών ή αλλιώς μεταναστευτικών δραμάτων. Οι δημιουργοί, αν και διαφορετικοί ως ιδιοσυγκρασίες, έχουν πολλά σημεία επαφής, καθώς εσωτερικές σχέσεις και διαδρομές διασταυρώνονται στις αμερικανικές πολιτείες δίνοντας μια ιδιότυπη συνοχή στην εργογραφία τους. Απ’ τη μια οι συνθήκες στέρησης και απ’ την άλλη η ανάγκη διατήρησης της ελληνικότητας τους οδήγησαν στη νοσταλγική δραματουργία. Το ύφος των έργων σε πολλά σημεία συγκλίνει διατηρώντας το ίδιο μοτίβο ως προς το σχήμα και το περιεχόμενο, ενώ ο αναγνώστης εύκολα αισθάνεται την αμηχανία συναισθηματολογίας και τον άκαιρο ρομαντισμό, την εσωστρέφεια και την αδυναμία προσαρμογής. Τα χρόνια που ακολούθησαν, όταν πλέον οι συνθήκες διαβίωσης των μεταναστών είχαν βελτιωθεί, παραμόνευε η παγίδα της επανάληψης, η μανιέρα. Η νέα γενιά δραματουργών της δεκαετίας του 30’, μετατοπίζουν την θεματολογία απομακρύνοντάς την από τις τραυματικές μεταναστευτικές εμπειρίες και εστιάζοντας στην ανάγκη απόκτησης μιας νέας ταυτότητας. Απ’ την μια λοιπόν διαιωνίζεται η νοσταλγική δραματουργία, «της μνήμης», από μερίδα παλαίμαχων δραματουργών και από την άλλη καλλιεργείται η γραφή της νέας εποχής, όπου συγκεράζει την ελληνική παράδοση με τον αμερικανικό τρόπο ζωής. Ωστόσο ούτε η νέα οπτική είναι ψύχραιμη αφού σχεδόν πάντα διαφαίνεται η ανοικτή πληγή της ξενιτιάς.

Η εποποιία του 1940 συγκλόνισε τους Έλληνες της Αμερικής, οι οποίοι παρακολουθούσαν αγωνιωδώς τις δραματικές εξελίξεις μέσα από τον ελληνοαμερικανικό τύπο, τις αφηγήσεις των μεταναστών εθελοντών και τις προκηρύξεις που διέρρεαν στις ελληνοαμερικανικές κοινότητες. Η ελληνοαμερικανική δραματουργία στο διάστημα του Β΄ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου κατόρθωσε να υπερβεί τις ιδεολογικές της αντιφάσεις και να ακολουθήσει μια κοινή δραματουργική γραμμή. Κυριαρχεί ο ρομαντισμός και οι έννοιες της αυτοθυσίας και της ελευθερίας. Θεματολογικά τα έργα πραγματεύονται τον ελληνοαλβανικό πόλεμο και τα χρόνια της Κατοχής, εμπλουτισμένα με στομφώδη ρητορεία και υπερβολική συναισθηματολογία, βρίθουν από συγκινησιακά στοιχεία φορτισμένα από πατριωτισμό. Στον τομέα της θεατρικής πρακτικής τη δεκαετία του 1940 επικρατούν οι ερασιτεχνικοί θίασοι έναντι των επαγγελματικών, οι οποίοι επιλέγουν το πατριωτικό ρεπερτόριο και τις διάσημες αθηναϊκές πολεμικές οπερέτες. Έλληνες ηθοποιοί, οι οποίοι προπολεμικά συμμετείχαν ενεργά στους γηγενείς ελληνοαμερικανικούς θιάσους, είτε καταξιώνονται σε νευραλγικές θέσεις των ελληνικών κοινοτήτων, είτε επιστρέφουν στην Ελλάδα, στηρίζοντας τον Αγώνα της Αντίστασης.

We measured a spin polarization above a Pt(111) surface in the vicinity of a Co nanostripe by spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy. The spin polarization exponentially decays away from the Pt-Co interface and is detectable at distances larger than 1 nm. By performing self-consistent ab initio calculations of the electronic structure for a related model system we reveal the interplay between the induced magnetic moments within the Pt surface and the spin-resolved electronic density of states above the surface.

By employing the layer-multiple-scattering method, properly extended to periodic assemblies of arbitrarily oriented axis-symmetric particles, we investigate the optical response of a three-dimensional spiral-staircase structure of metallic nanorods. We show that the combination of plasmonic modes and helical arrangement of the nanorods results in the formation of collective optical eigenmodes with a specific predominant circular polarization character, sizable polarization gaps, and negative group velocity bands that lead to negative refraction. Moreover, we demonstrate that multilayer slabs of the given crystal exhibit strong optical activity and circular dichroism combined with reduced dissipative losses, which make the proposed structure potentially useful for polarization control applications in miniaturized optoelectronic devices.

The complexes [Ru(Tai)Cl{=C(H)Ph}(PCy3)] (4) and [Ru( PhBai)Cl{=C(H)Ph}(PCy3)] (5) [where Tai = HB(7-azaindolyl)3 and PhBai = Ph(H)B(7-azaindolyl) 2] have been prepared and structurally characterised. The borohydride unit is located in the coordination site trans to the chloride ligand in both complexes. The degree of interaction between the borohydride group and the metal centre was found to be significantly large in both cases. Thermolysis reactions involving complex 4 led to a dehydrogenation reaction forming [Ru(Tai)Cl{PCy2(η2-C6H9)}] (6) where the benzylidene group acts as a hydrogen acceptor. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011.

ISSN1986-2377. Μετά από πρόσκληση του Καθ. Κανονικού Δικαίου Α.Π.Θ. κ. Θεόδωρου Γιάγκου υπεύθυνου της συντακτικής ομάδος του εν λόγω περιοδικού να συμμετέχω στο αφιέρωμα για τα θέματα της βιοηθικής συνέγραψα με βάση τη διδακτορική μου διατριβή τα κυριότερα ζητήματα και διλήμματα που εγείρονται από την εφραμογή των μεθόδων της υποβοηθούμενης αναπαραγωγής.

The possibility of Holocene subsidence along the northern coast of the Corinth Gulf is often mentioned in the literature; however, systematic detailed evidence that submergence (e.g. of archaeological remains) does not simply depend from eustatic sea-level rise is most often missing. In this paper, a new detailed study of submerged tidal-notch profiles along the limestone coast has shown that periods of sea-level stability are intercalated with periods of rapid subsidence or gradual relative sea-level rise. It appears that most of the sites considered, seem to have been affected by a relatively recent co-seismic subsidence of about half a meter, whereas during the longer period, by stages of relative sea-level stability and/or gradual relative sea-level rise. This evidence of subsidence is confirmed by radiocarbon dating in doline sediments, suggesting that during certain periods, a relative sea-level rise was much faster than the raising suggested by glacio-eustatic or hydro-isostatic estimations. Juxtaposing a list of known earthquakes occurred in the area shows that several earthquakes (e.g. the 1981 one for the easternmost sites considered) are potential candidates for the recent co-seismic displacements and thus supporting the geomorphological interpretations.

Objectives This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of d-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (vitamin E TPGS) on the dissolution of carbamazepine (CBZ) commercial tablets (Tegretol (R)) as a function of temperature and to modify the reaction-limited model of dissolution for the description of classical supersaturated dissolution data. Methods Solubility studies were performed using various concentrations of (i) TPGS and (ii) silicon dioxide and microcrystalline cellulose, which are excipients of Tegretol (R) at 10, 25 and 37 degrees C. Dissolution studies were carried out using Tegretol (R) tablets, 200 mg/tab. Key findings The solubility of CBZ in the presence of TPGS was found to increase in a concentration-dependent manner at all temperatures studied. Classical supersaturated dissolution curves with concentration maxima higher than the corresponding solubility values in the presence of TPGS were observed only at 10 degrees C. The model developed was based on a time-dependant expression for the forward microconstant of the CBZ-TPGS reaction at the solid-liquid interface and it was fitted successfully to the dissolution data of CBZ in the presence of TPGS at 10 degrees C. Conclusions Vitamin E TPGS increased the solubility of CBZ at all temperatures studied. The modification of the reaction-limited model of dissolution allowed us to describe classical supersaturated dissolution curves.

AIM: To investigate three isoforms of survivin in colorectal adenocarcinomas. METHODS: We used the LightCycler Technology (Roche), along with a common forward primer and reverse primers specific for the splice variants and two common hybridization probes labeled with fluorescein and LightCycler-Red fluorophore (LC-Red 640). Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on cDNAs from 52 tumor specimens from colorectal cancer patients and 10 unrelated normal colorectal tissues. In the patients group, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA19-9 tumor markers were also measured immunochemically. RESULTS: Wild type survivin mRNA isoform was expressed in 48% of the 52 tumor samples, survivin-2b in 38% and survivin-ΔΕx3 in 29%, while no expression was found in normal tissues. The mRNA expression of wild type survivin presented a significant correlation with the expression of the ratio of survivin-2b, survivin-ΔΕx3, survivin-2b/wild type survivin and survivin-ΔΕx3/wild type survivin (P < 0.001). The mRNA expression of wild-survivin and survivin-ΔΕx3 was related with tumor size and invasion (P = 0.006 and P < 0.005, respectively). A significant difference was found between survivin-2b and morphologic cancer type. Also, the ratio of survivin-ΔEx3/wild-survivin was significantly associated with prognosis. No association was observed between the three isoforms and grade, metastasis, Dukes stage and gender. The three isoforms were not correlated with CEA and CA19-9. CONCLUSION: Survivin isoforms may play a role in cell apoptosis and their quantification could provide information about clinical management of patients suffering from colorectal cancer.

AIM: To investigate three isoforms of survivin in colorectal adenocarcinomas. METHODS: We used the LightCycler Technology (Roche), along with a common forward primer and reverse primers specific for the splice variants and two common hybridization probes labeled with fluorescein and LightCycler-Red fluorophore (LC-Red 640). Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on cDNAs from 52 tumor specimens from colorectal cancer patients and 10 unrelated normal colorectal tissues. In the patients group, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA19-9 tumor markers were also measured immunochemically. RESULTS: Wild type survivin mRNA isoform was expressed in 48% of the 52 tumor samples, survivin-2b in 38% and survivin-DeltaEpsilonx3 in 29%, while no expression was found in normal tissues. The mRNA expression of wild type survivin presented a significant correlation with the expression of the ratio of survivin-2b, survivin-DeltaEpsilonx3, survivin-2b/wild type survivin and survivin-DeltaEpsilonx3/wild type survivin (P < 0.001). The mRNA expression of wild-survivin and survivin-DeltaEpsilonx3 was related with tumor size and invasion (P = 0.006 and P < 0.005, respectively). A significant difference was found between survivin-2b and morphologic cancer type. Also, the ratio of survivin-DeltaEx3/wild-survivin was significantly associated with prognosis. No association was observed between the three isoforms and grade, metastasis, Dukes stage and gender. The three isoforms were not correlated with CEA and CA19-9. CONCLUSION: Survivin isoforms may play a role in cell apoptosis and their quantification could provide information about clinical management of patients suffering from colorectal cancer

Two novel boron-based flexible scorpionate ligands based on 7-azaindole, Li[HB(azaindolyl)2(1-naphthyl)] and Li[HB(azaindolyl) 2(mesityl)] {Li[NaphthBai] and Li[MesBai] respectively}, have been prepared (mesityl = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl). These salts have been isolated in two forms, either as dimeric structures which contain bridging hydride interactions with the lithium centres or as crystalline material containing mono nuclear bis-acetonitrile solvates. The newly formed ligands have been utilised to prepare a range of group nine transition metal complexes with the general formula [M(COD){κ3-NNH-HB (azaindolyl)2(Ar)}] (where M = rhodium, iridium; Ar = 1-naphthyl, mesityl; COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) and [Rh(NBD){κ3-NNH-HB (azaindolyl)2(Ar)}] (where NBD = 2,5-norbornadiene; Ar = 1-naphthyl, mesityl). These new complexes have been compared to the previously reported compounds which contain the related scorpionate ligands Li[HB(azaindolyl) 2(phenyl)] and K[HB(azaindolyl)3] {Li[PhBai] and K[Tai] respectively}. Structural characterisation of the complexes [Rh(COD){κ3-NNH-HB (azaindolyl)2(mesityl)}], [Ir(COD){κ3-NNH-HB (azaindolyl)2(mesityl)}] and [Rh(NBD){κ3-NNH-HB (azaindolyl)2(naphthyl)}] confirm the expected κ3-NNH coordination mode for these new ligands. Spectroscopic analysis suggests strong interactions of the B-H functional group with the metal centres in all cases. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Zirconium dioxide nanomaterials, including nanoparticles and their derived films, were synthesized using a new surfactant self-assembling sol-gel route, which involves complexation of zirconium alkoxide precursor with acetylacetone as a chelating agent and Tween 20 as a structural directing agent. The properties of the synthesized material were studied using XRD, SEM, SAXS, HRTEM and N2 adsorption and desorption analysis. It was found that Tween 20 can greatly increase the BET surface area and pore volume, inhibit crack formation in the derived film and retard particle growth at some extent. There exists tetragonal crystalline network with narrow pore size distribution in the ZrO2 nano-materials prepared with Tween 20 in the sol. Furthermore, a mechanism on the formation of mesopore ZrO2 structure via the Tween 20 self-assembling sol-gel process is presented. With the selection of the sono-gel carbon electrode modified by the mesoporous ZrO2 film (M-ZrO2 film) prepared with 1.10g Tween 20/ml zirconia sol, enhanced electrochemical responses (i.e., enhanced peak currents) to catechol and ascorbic acid were confirmed using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Moreover, the modified electrode demonstrated additional improved electrochemical properties, such as good reversibility (ipc/ipa≈1) and high selectivity (exceptionally resolved oxidation peaks between catechol and ascorbic acid), good stability and repeatability. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.

The reactions of 2-, 3- and 4-aminopyridines with 4,5-dichloro-1,2,3-dithiazolium chloride (Appel salt) 4 to give N-(4-chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylidene)pyridin-X-amines 1a (X = 2), 1g (X = 3) and 1k (X = 4) were optimized with respect to base, temperature and reaction time. Based on these conditions a total of thirteen [(dithiazolylidene) amino]azines 1a-m were prepared and fully characterized.

Background and aims. Primary malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare malignancy with an unfavorable prognosis. Pemetrexed has proven effective in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma, alone or in combination with platinum agents. In the present study, chemo-naïve patients were evaluated for the efficacy and safety of the pemetrexed-cisplatin combination. Methods. Six patients with diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma were treated with 6 cycles of pemetrexed (500 mg/m2) and cisplatin (75 mg/m2). Chemotherapy was administered on an outpatient basis every 3 weeks. Results. Complete response was observed in 2 patients (33%) and partial response was observed in 3 patients (50%). The estimated median overall survival was 24 months and the estimated median time to disease progression was 9.5 months. The regimen was well tolerated. Conclusions. Though our data reflect a small sample size, pemetrexed plus cisplatin accomplished a particularly high clinical benefit rate on chemo-naïve patients. Free full text available at www.tumorionline.it.

Background: The 90 kDa heat shock protein (HSP90), which facilitates proper folding and stability of numerous signaling molecules involved in growth control, cell survival, and development, has been implicated in malignant processes. Like its parent compound geldanamycin, tanespimycin binds to HSP90 and causes antineoplastic effects in vitro and in vivo. Materials and Methods: All relevant published papers identified through searches of PubMed and abstracts from major recent hematology and oncology meetings were reviewed as of October 2009. Results: Different formulations and schedules of tanespimycin monotherapy and combination therapy have been tested in several phase I studies in patients with solid tumors or multiple myeloma (MM). No responses have been reported in studies of tanespimycin monotherapy in patients with metastatic melanoma. Tanespimycin given in combination with trastuzumab in patients with metastatic breast cancer induced a partial response in 24% of patients. Single-agent tanespimycin showed activity in MM and in combination with bortezomib, 27% of patients achieved minor response or better (48% bortezomib-naive patients, 22% bortezomib-pretreated patients, 13% bortezomib-refractory patients). Conclusion: Tanespimycin represents a promising new agent for the treatment of relapsed/refractory MM. Results of ongoing and future trials will determine the role of tanespimycin both in MM and other malignancies, including breast cancer. © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Global models of glacio-isostatic adjustment (GIA) depend critically on assumptions about the rheology of the mantle and the history of ice melting since the Last Glacial Maximum. Here we employ different viscosity profiles in the range of 0.4 x 10^21 Pa.s for upper mantle and 4 x 10^21Pa.s for lower mantle and several late- Pleistocene ice sheets chronologies to interpret relative sea level (RSL) observations collected along the Tyrrhenian coasts. Neglecting the tectonic contributions to sea level variations and supposing a laterally uniform rheology, in these regions, RSL curves depart from eustasy mainly because of the effects of melt water loading, responsible for a widespread subsidence reaching its largest amplitude in the bulk of the basin. We reassess the importance of archaeological sea level indicators along the Tyrrhenian coasts of Italy (Lazio, Italy), recently revisited within the European COST Action ES0701. It appears that the local sea level rise since 2000 y ears ago can be estimated of the order of about half a meter, that agrees with the classical literature about this topic, rather than ~1.35 m, as recently proposed. The mismatch between observations from field data and model predictions can be partly attributed to the poor knowledge of the visco-elastic property of the mantle and to uncertainties of the details of the melting history. By forward modelling based on a modified ICE5G chronology, and using data from Tyrrhenian coast of Italy and SE Tunisia, we also evaluate the effects of a melt water pulse of the history of RSL, according to distinct assumptions about its origin (Antarctic or Northern Hemispheric).

We establish a theory that traces light amplification in an active double-fishnet metamaterial back to its microscopic origins. Based on ab initio calculations of the light and plasmon fields we extract energy rates and conversion efficiencies associated with gain and loss channels directly from Poynting's theorem. We find that for the negative refractive index mode both radiative loss and gain outweigh resistive loss by more than a factor of 2, opening a broad window of steady-state amplification (free of instabilities) accessible even when a gain reduction close to the metal is taken into account. © 2011 American Physical Society.

We analyse the spontaneous magnetization reversal of supported monatomic chains of finite length due to thermal fluctuations via atomistic spin-dynamics simulations. Our approach is based on the integration of the Landau-Lifshitz equation of motion of a classical spin Hamiltonian in the presence of stochastic forces. The associated magnetization lifetime is found to obey an Arrhenius law with an activation barrier equal to the domain wall energy in the chain. For chains longer than one domain wall width, the reversal is initiated by nucleation of a reversed magnetization domain primarily at the chain edge followed by a subsequent propagation of the domain wall to the other edge in a random-walk fashion. This results in a linear dependence of the lifetime on the chain length, if the magnetization correlation length is not exceeded. We studied chains of uniaxial and triaxial anisotropy and found that a triaxial anisotropy leads to a reduction of the magnetization lifetime due to a higher reversal attempt rate, even though the activation barrier is not changed.

Typical red–brown (Fe-rich) and high-quality white–grey (Fe-depleted) bauxite samples from active mines of the Parnassos-Ghiona area, central Greece, were investigated. According to \{XRF\} and ICP-MS analyses their actinide content, and particularly of Th, is relatively increased. Fe-depleted samples contain up to 62.75 ppm Th corresponding to 220 Bq/kg due to 228Ac (232Th-series), whereas Fe-rich samples are less Th-radioactive (up to 58.25 ppm Th, 180 Bq/kg due to 228Ac). Powder-XRD patterns showed that Th-enriched (Fe-depleted) bauxite consists mostly of diaspore (AlOOH polymorph), anatase and rutile (TiO2 polymorphs). SEM-EDS indicated the presence of Ti–Fe–containing phases (e.g. ilmenite, FeTiO3), chromite (Cr-spinel) and besides LREE-minerals (mostly bastnäsite/parisite-group) and zircon (ZrSiO4) hosting a part of the bulk Th. The presence of Th in diaspore and in Ti-containing phases (not detected by SEM-EDS as in the case of REE-minerals and zircon) was investigated, into distinct pisoliths of Fe-depleted bauxite, using μ-XRF and μ-XAFS in the SUL-X beamline of the \{ANKA\} Synchrotron facility (KIT, Germany). \{XAFS\} spectra of Th salts and Th-containing reference materials were obtained as well. Accordingly it was revealed, for the first time in the literature, that Ti-phases, and particularly anatase, host significant amounts of Th. This novel conclusion was complementary supported by LA-ICP-MS analyses indicated an average of 73 ppm Th in anatase grains together with abundant Nb (3356 ppm), Ta (247 ppm) and U (33 ppm). The Th LIII-edge \{XAFS\} spectra as compared to reference materials, give also evidence that Th4+ may not replace Ti4+ in distorted [TiO6] fundamental octahedral units of anatase and ilmenite lattice (CN = 6). The occupation of either extraframework sites of higher coordination (CN = 6.9 or even CN = 7.4), according to \{EXAFS\} signals evaluation, or of defected/vacant (**) sites is more probable. This is likely explained by the difficulty of Th4+ to replace directly Ti4+ in [6]-coordinated (octahedral) sites due to the large difference in the relevant ionic radii (0.940 and 0.605 Å respectively).

Objective: This study investigated whether changes in thyroid hormone (TH) in plasma are associated with the recovery of cardiac function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Previous experimental studies have provided evidence of potential implication of TH signaling in post-ischemic recovery of cardiac function. Methods: A total of 47 patients with AMI and early reperfusion therapy were included in this study. Myocardial injurywas analyzed by peak creatinine kinase-MB(CKMB) and cardiac function was assessed by echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF%). Recovery of function (ΔEF%) was estimated as the difference of LVEF% between 48 h and 6 months (6 mo) after AMI. Total triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and TSH were measured in plasma at different time points (24 h, 48 h, 5 d, and 6 mo). Results: A significant correlation between LVEF% and T3 (r=0.5, P=0.0004) was found early after AMI (48 h), whereas no correlation was observed between CKMB and T3 (r=-0.04, P=0.81). A strong correlation was found between ΔEF% and total T3 (r=0.64, P=10-6) at 6 mo after AMI. Furthermore, multivariate regression analysis revealed that T3 at 6 mo (r=0.64, r2=0.41, P=10-6) was an independent determinant of DEF%. Conclusion: Changes in T3 levels in plasma are closely correlated with the early and late recovery of cardiac function after AMI. T3 levels at 6 mo appear to be an independent predictor of late functional recovery. © 2011 European Society of Endocrinology.

Background/Aim: Easily assessable clinical predictors of response to chemotherapy in advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are few. The objective of this retrospective study was to search for and identify such candidate predictors of outcome. Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical data of CRPC patients entered in the Clinical Therapeutics' departmental prostate cancer database from 1996-2009 was performed. Univariate and multivariate analyses for progression-free survival and overall survival included patients receiving both docetaxel- and non-docetaxel-containing regimens. Results: From 1996 until June 2009, 286 out of 313 patients in our database were treated with chemotherapy. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) reduction >30% correlated with improved survival irrespective of treatment. Beyond previously reported predictors, i.e. baseline PSA>30 ng/dl, hemoglobin below 10 mg/dl, weight loss, poor performance status, elevated lactic dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase, and time to CRPC of less than or equal to two years was associated with a poor overall survival and shorter progression-free survival upon univariate analysis. Pain was associated with shorter survival. Multivariate analysis confirmed time to CRPC, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase as independent predictors of overall and progression-free survival. Conclusion: Time to castration resistance is an important predictor of outcome in CRPC. PSA reduction >30% predicts survival improvement following chemotherapy for CRPC regardless of chemotherapy applied.

Thromboembolic disease remains one of the most devastating and potentially lethal complications after elective total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. Studies have shown that 40-85% of patients undergoing TKR will develop venographically confirmed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) if they are not given any type of post-operative thromboprophylaxis and approximately 0.1 to 1.7% will suffer fatal pulmonary embolism (PE). Consequently, there is a general consensus that patients undergoing elective TKR require adequate antithrombotic prophylaxis. The following article reviews current evidence regarding chemical thromboprophylaxis after total knee replacement. Clinical guidelines as described by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are summarized along with the differences between the recommendations. The results of the new oral anticoagulants are reviewed as well as the most recent developments in the search for the most effective venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis after TKR surgery.

The introduction of the Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) and proteasome inhibitors, used either as a single-agent or combined with classic anti-myeloma therapies, has improved the outcome for patients with relapsed myeloma. However, there is currently no generally accepted standard treatment for relapsed/refractory myeloma patients, partly because of the absence of trials comparing the efficacy of the novel agents in relapsed/refractory myeloma. Choice of a new treatment regimen depends on both patient and disease-specific characteristics. A lenalidomide-based regimen is the first choice in patients with neuropathy, while bortezomib has the highest efficacy in patients with renal insufficiency and is not associated with increased risk of thromboembolism. A second autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT) can be applied in patients with a progression-free period of ≥18-24. months after the first auto-SCT. In high-risk relapse such as occurring early after auto-SCT consolidation with allogeneic SCT can be considered. In this review we provide an overview of the various salvage regimens and give recommendations for treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma in different clinical settings. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

INTRODUCTION: The dilemma of extraction vs nonextraction treatment, along with the uncertain potential of orthodontic treatment to control vertical dimensions, still remains among the most controversial issues in orthodontics. The aim of this study was to evaluate 2 contradictory treatment protocols for hyperdivergent Class II Division 1 malocclusion regarding their effectiveness in controlling vertical dimensions. METHODS: The subjects were retrospectively selected from 2 orthodontic offices that used contrasting treatment protocols. The patients had similar hyperdivergent skeletal patterns, malocclusion patterns, skeletal ages, and sexes. Group A (29 patients) was treated with 4 first premolar extractions and "intrusive" mechanics (eg, high-pull headgear), whereas group B (28 patients) was treated nonextraction with no regard to vertical control (eg, cervical headgear, Class II elastics). Twenty-seven landmarks were digitized on lateral cephalometric radiographs before and after treatment, and 14 measurements were assessed. Geometric morphometric methods were also implemented to evaluate size and shape differences. RESULTS: As expected, the maxillary and mandibular molars translated mesially and the mandibular incisors uprighted in group A but remained approximately unchanged in group B. The vertical positions of the molars and the incisors were similar between groups before and after treatment, although they were altered by treatment or growth. No significant differences were observed in the posttreatment skeletal measurements between the 2 groups, including vertical variables, which remained unaltered. Permutation tests on Procrustes distances between skeletal shapes confirmed these results. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the limitations of conventional orthodontics to significantly alter skeletal vertical dimensions. More important factors are probably responsible for the development and establishment of the vertical skeletal pattern, such as neuromuscular balance and function.

New period of the third body in the system of the eclipsing HgMn binary star AR Aur was derived based on new photoelectric and CCD observations.

The aim of this study was to compare craniofacial morphology and soft tissue profiles in patients with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate at 9 years of age, treated in two European cleft centres with delayed hard palate closure but different treatment protocols. The cephalometric data of 83 consecutively treated patients were compared (Gothenburg, N=44; Nijmegen, N=39). In total, 18 hard tissue and 10 soft tissue landmarks were digitized by one operator. To determine the intra-observer reliability 20 cephalograms were digitized twice with a monthly interval. Paired t-test, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression models were applied for statistical analysis. Hard and soft tissue data were superimposed using the Generalized Procrustes Analysis. In Nijmegen, the maxilla was protrusive for hard and soft tissue values (P=0.001, P=0.030, respectively) and the maxillary incisors were retroclined (P<0.001), influencing the nasolabial angle, which was increased in comparison with Gothenburg (P=0.004). In conclusion, both centres showed a favourable craniofacial form at 9-10 years of age, although there were significant differences in the maxillary prominence, the incisor inclination and soft tissue cephalometric values. Follow-up of these patients until facial growth has ceased, may elucidate components for outcome improvement.

Aim: Hypertension (HT) complicates treatment with antiangiogenic agents, including the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) sunitinib. To prospectively evaluate the prevalence and management of HT in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) receiving sunitinib we used 24-h ABPM and we treated HT according to guidelines of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection and Evaluation and the Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC7). Patients and methods: Normal 24-h ABPM at the baseline and at 2, 4 and 6 weeks of the first cycle was ensured with the successive use of hydrochlorothiazide + irbesartan, nebivolol and amlodipine. Office BP measurements were used in subsequent cycles to monitor HT. Sunitinib dose was modified only if BP was not controlled with four anti-hypertensive agents. Results: Forty patients were included in this analysis. Twenty-one patients (53%) had baseline HT, while 12 of 14 (84%) normotensive patients required anti-HT treatment during the 1st cycle of sunitinib. HT was infrequent in subsequent cycles and increase of anti-HT medication was required in only 2 cases. Two patients permanently discontinued sunitinib due to HT. The remaining 34 (94%) required no dose modifications for HT. One cardiac event (2.8%) was observed. There was no correlation of HT with sunitinib efficacy. Conclusion: Sunitinib-associated HT is more frequent than previously reported. The use of 24-h ABPM for diagnosis and tailoring of HT according to JNC7 guidelines may achieve uninterrupted, full dose therapy in most patients. The substitution of such protocols for currently used Toxicity Criteria may be warranted. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparable international data on food and nutrient intake is often hindered by the lack of a common instrument to assess food intake. The objective of this study was within the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network of Excellence (GA(2)LEN), we developed and piloted a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess its validity in Europe.|Five countries participating in GA(2)LEN took part in the pilot study. A total of 200 adults aged 31-75 years were invited to complete a FFQ in two occasions and to give a blood sample. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess repeatability of the FFQ. Plasma phospholipid fatty acids (FAs) were analysed by gas chromatography. Pearson correlation was used to analyse the correlation between estimated dietary FA intake and plasma phospholipid FA levels.|A total of 177 participants (89%) had complete data on FFQ(1) and plasma phospholipid FAs. In all, 152 participants (76%) completed both FFQs. ICCs between macronutrients ranged from 0.70 (saturated FAs) to 0.78 (proteins) and between 0.70 (retinol) and 0.81 (vitamin D) for micronutrients. Dietary n-3 FAs showed a good correlation with total plasma phospholipid n-3 FAs and with docosahexaenoic acid in the whole sample (0.40) and in individual countries. Poor correlations were observed for other FAs.|The GA(2)LEN FFQ is an appropriate tool to estimate dietary intake for a range of nutrients across Europe regardless of cultural and linguistic differences. The FFQ seems to be useful to estimate the intake of n-3 FAs but not other FAs.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the hypothesis that specific fracture patterns in patients with femoral shaft fractures can predict the likelihood of associated injuries. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Level I trauma center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive patients treated because of a traumatic diaphyseal femoral fracture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: We studied the association between the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) fracture classification (derived from initial radiographs) and concomitant injuries of the head, spine, chest, abdomen, and pelvis with a severity of two or more points according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: One hundred forty-three of 203 patients (80 men, 63 women; mean age 54 ± 26 years) met the inclusion criteria. All patients had unilateral diaphyseal fractures, 64 OTA 32.A (45%), 46 OTA 32.B (32%), and 33 OTA 32.C (23%). In addition, 134 associated injuries were identified in 52 patients. Increasing fracture severity, as expressed by the OTA classification (ie, A, B, C), was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of thoracic (odds ratio [OR], 5.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.59-13.40), pelvic (OR, 4.55; 95% CI, 2.01-10.28), upper (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.27-4.48), and lower extremity injuries (OR, 3.12; 95% CI, 1.78-5.46). Fracture severity explained between 70% and 86% of the probability of having accompanying injuries. CONCLUSION: Radiographic grading of the severity of a femoral shaft fracture may signal the presence of accompanying injuries and should contribute to the clinical decision-making process in severe trauma.

This study explores the longitudinal relationship between patient characteristics and use of 4 drug classes (antihypertensives, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and hormones) that showed significant changes in use rates over time in patients with Alzheimer disease. Patient/caregiver-reported prescription medication usage was categorized by drug class for 201 patients from the Predictors Study. Patient characteristics included use of cholinesterase inhibitors and/or memantine, function, cognition, living situation, baseline age, and sex. Assessment interval, year of study entry, and site were controlled for. Before adjusting for covariates, useage increased for antihypertensives (47.8% to 62.2%), antipsychotics (3.5% to 27.0%), and antidepressants (32.3% to 40.5%); use of hormones decreased (19.4% to 5.4%). After controlling for patient characteristics, effects of time on the use of antidepressants were no longer significant. Antihypertensive use was associated with poorer functioning, concurrent use of memantine, and older age. Antipsychotic use was associated with poorer functioning and poorer cognition. Antidepressant use was associated with younger age, poorer functioning, and concurrent use of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine. Hormone use was associated with being female and younger age. Findings suggest accurate modeling of the Alzheimer disease treatment paradigm for certain subgroups of patients should include antihypertensives and antipsychotics in addition to cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine.

In this study, the variability and trends of the mean annual and seasonal maximum and minimum surface air temperature in Greece are examined, using monthly data sets of 26 meteorological stations from the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS) and gridded data from the National Center for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP-NCAR) Reanalysis project for the period 1955-2001. NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data sets are created by assimilating climate observations from different sources, including ships, satellites, ground stations, radiosonde observations and radar. The general purpose of conducting reanalyses is to produce multi-year global state-of-the-art gridded representations of atmospheric states, generated by a constant model and a constant data-assimilation system. The trends of the mean extreme air temperatures were evaluated, using the Mann-Kendall criterion, and, in the process, factor analysis was applied to both the stations' and the NCEP-NCAR grid points time series. Regarding the mean maximum air temperature, the first main factor, which explains a high percentage of the total variance, presents a statistically significant (CL = 95%) negative trend only during the winter. The first main factor of the mean minimum air temperature manifests a statistically significant (CL = 95%) positive trend during the summer and the year, and a statistically significant (CL = 95%) negative trend in autumn and winter. These findings were compared to the respective ones of the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data and significant differences in the spatial distribution and temporal variability of the extracted new factors were found. These differences between the two examined data sets could be attributed to topographical factors such orography and land-sea distribution, which could not be represented properly by the reanalysis model. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.

A major part of the burden of asthma is caused by acute exacerbations. Exacerbations have been strongly and consistently associated with respiratory infections. Respiratory viruses and bacteria are therefore possible treatment targets. To have a reasonable estimate of the burden of disease induced by such infectious agents on asthmatic patients, it is necessary to understand their nature and be able to identify them in clinical samples by employing accurate and sensitive methodologies. This systematic review summarizes current knowledge and developments in infection epidemiology of acute asthma in children and adults, describing the known impact for each individual agent and highlighting knowledge gaps. Among infectious agents, human rhinoviruses are the most prevalent in regard to asthma exacerbations. The newly identified type-C rhinoviruses may prove to be particularly relevant. Respiratory syncytial virus and metapneumovirus are important in infants, while influenza viruses seem to induce severe exacerbations mostly in adults. Other agents are relatively less or not clearly associated. Mycoplasma and Chlamydophila pneumoniae seem to be involved more with asthma persistence rather than with disease exacerbations. Recent data suggest that common bacteria may also be involved, but this should be confirmed. Although current information is considerable, improvements in detection methodologies, as well as the wide variation in respect to location, time and populations, underline the need for additional studies that should also take into account interacting factors.

Nitrogen and fluorine co-doped TiO2 films have been prepared by dip coating of a modified titania sol-gel based on a nitrogen precursor and a nonionic fluorosurfactant as pore template and fluorine source. The modified NF-TiO2 films absorb in the visible spectral range, between 400-510 nm and undergo reversible hydrophilic conversion under visible light to a final contact angle of 8°, in contrast to the UV limited optical response of their undoped anatase TiO2 analogues. The phenomenon takes place at a rate slower than the corresponding one observed for the UV stimulated superhydrophilic effect. The wetting response of the N-F doped TiO2 films correlates well with the variation of their optical properties and surface morphological characteristics and most importantly with their photocatalytic activity, rendering these materials very promising for self-cleaning applications under visible light. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry and Owner Societies.

In 2 quasi-experimental field studies in a real-life physical education (PE) setting, the authors investigated whether the interest-enjoyment and vitality of Greek pupils (age range, 10-12 years) varied from class-to-class as a function of the class-to-class variation in the manipulated motivational environment (Studies 1 and 2) and pupils' relative autonomous motivation (Study 2). In Study 1, multilevel analyses showed at the within-student level that students (N = 138, 48.6% boys and 51.4% girls) reported, on average, more interest-enjoyment and vitality after a need-supportive, relative to a typical (i.e., control group), PE class. This main effect was replicated in Study 2 (N = 155, 53.6% boys and 46.4% girls), and Study 2 findings further showed at the between-student level that interest-enjoyment was somewhat higher among pupils scoring higher in relative autonomous motivation. Moreover, Study 2 provided evidence for an interaction effect such that pupils with high, as compared with those with low, relative autonomous motivation benefited significantly more from a need-supportive class. Perceived need support was found to fully explain the effects of manipulated need support on interest-enjoyment and vitality. Results are discussed within the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000).

The largest Local Group spiral galaxy, M31, has been completely imaged for the first time, obtaining a luminosity lower limit about 1035erg/s in the 0.2-4.5keV band. Our XMM-Newton EPIC survey combines archival observations along the major axis, from June 2000 to July 2004, with observations taken between June 2006 and February 2008 that cover the remainder of the D25 ellipse. The main goal of the paper is to study X-ray source populations of M31. An X-ray catalogue of 1897(*) sources was created with 914 detected for the first time. Source classification and identification were based on X-ray hardness ratios, spatial extent of the sources, and cross correlation with catalogues in the X-ray, optical, infrared and radio wavelengths. We also analysed the long-term variability of the X-ray sources and this variability allows us to distinguish between X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei (AGN). Furthermore, supernova remnant classifications of previous studies that did not use long-term variability as a classification criterion could be validated. Including previous Chandra and ROSAT observations in the long-term variability study allowed us to detect additional transient or at least highly variable sources, which are good candidate X-ray binaries. (*) the final catalog of table5 icludes 1948 sources. (2 data files).

Context. Classical novae (CNe) represent the major class of supersoft X-ray sources (SSSs) in the central region of the galaxy M31. We performed a dedicated monitoring of the M31 central region with XMM-Newton and Chandra between Nov 2007 and Feb 2008 and between Nov 2008 and Feb 2009, respectively, to find SSS counterparts of CNe, determine the duration of their SSS phase, and derive physical outburst parameters. We systematically searched our data for X-ray counterparts of CNe, determined their X-ray light curves and characterised their spectra using blackbody fits and white dwarf (WD) atmosphere models. Additionally, we determined luminosity upper limits for all previously known X-ray emitting novae that are not detected any more and for all CNe in our field of view with optical outbursts between one year before the start of the X-ray monitoring (Oct 2006) and its end (Feb 2009). (2 data files).

BACKGROUND: Osteonecrosis has been associated with the presence of white matter lesions. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between macro- and micro- vascular disease and white matter lesions. METHODS: Sixty-four patients with femoral head osteonecrosis were assessed during a cross sectional study in our university-based hospital. A vascular 'profile' was obtained for each patient and included measurement of plasma lipids, fundoscopic examination and common carotid artery triplex ultrasonography. All patients had brain MRI to assess for presence of white matter lesions. The two groups formed, with and without white matter lesions, were compared in order to define the association between white matter lesions and vascular disease. RESULTS: Patients without white matter lesions had more frequently corticosteroid induced osteonecrosis. There was no difference in the two groups with respect to intima media thickness and ApoB/ApoA1 ratio. Only one of our patients demonstrated retinopathy. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence of concurrent macro- and micro- vascular pathology in young patients with white matter lesions and femoral head osteonecrosis. Cortisone appears to have a 'protective' effect against occurrence of white matter lesions.

This paper explores the role of meso- and macro-context in the interpretation of text, on the basis of our research on the text of Greek laws. The use of the grammatical categories of tense, aspect and modality in these texts deviates from everyday use (Panaretou 2005, Moser and Panaretou 2009).The study is based on a comparison of native speakers’ judgements (elicited through questionnaires and interviews and subjected to qualitative analysis) on law texts and everyday contexts containing the performance of the same type of speech act as the law: a mother setting a rule for her children and delineating the consequences of breaking this rule. Uses judged unanimously as ungram- matical and unacceptable in the latter context went unnoticed in law texts.Our conclusion is that what licenses deviant uses is not the type of speech act, but the genre of law texts; it is argued that, as a form of meso-context, the genre of law texts, by virtue of being highly institutionalized within the cognitive and socio-cultural context in which it is embedded (Fetzer 2004, 2007), creates a cognitive frame so powerful as to impose specific interpretations even to grammatical forms which would be unacceptable in different (con)texts. 

Aims: One of the goals of the XMM-Newton survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud is to study the Be/X-ray binary population. During one of our first survey observations, a bright new transient - XMMU J004814.0-732204 - was discovered. Methods: We present the analysis of the EPIC X-ray data, together with optical observations, to investigate the spectral and temporal characteristics of XMMU J004814.0-732204. Results: We found coherent X-ray pulsations in the EPIC data with a period of (11.86642 ± 0.00017) s. The X-ray spectrum can be modelled by an absorbed power law with an indication for a soft excess. Depending on the modelling of the soft X-ray spectrum, the photon index ranges between 0.53 and 0.66. We identify the optical counterpart as a B = 14.9 mag star that was monitored during the MACHO and OGLE-III projects. The optical light curves show regular outbursts by ~0.5 mag in B and R and up to 0.9 mag in I, which repeat on a time scale of about 1000 days. The OGLE-III optical colours of the star are consistent with an early B spectral type. An optical spectrum obtained at the 1.9 m telescope of the South African Astronomical Observatory in December 2009 shows Hα emission with an equivalent width of 3.5 ± 0.6 Å. Conclusions: The X-ray spectrum and the detection of pulsations suggest that XMMU J004814.0-732204is a new high-mass X-ray binary pulsar in the SMC. The long term variability and the Hα emission line in the spectrum of the optical counterpart identify it as a Be/X-ray binary system.

Context. Classical novae (CNe) represent the major class of supersoft X-ray sources (SSSs) in the central region of the galaxy M 31. Aims: We performed a dedicated monitoring of the M 31 central region with XMM-Newton and Chandra between Nov. 2007 and Feb. 2008 and between Nov. 2008 and Feb. 2009, respectively, to find SSS counterparts of CNe, determine the duration of their SSS phase, and derive physical outburst parameters. Methods: We systematically searched our data for X-ray counterparts of CNe, determined their X-ray light curves and characterised their spectra using blackbody fits and white dwarf (WD) atmosphere models. Additionally, we determined luminosity upper limits for all previously known X-ray emitting novae that are not detected any more and for all CNe in our field of view with optical outbursts between one year before the start of the X-ray monitoring (Oct. 2006) and its end (Feb. 2009). Results: We detected 17 X-ray counterparts of CNe in M 31, only four of which were previously known. These latter sources are still active 12.5, 11.0, 7.4 and 4.8 years after the optical outburst. In addition, we detected three known SSSs without a nova counterpart. Four novae displayed short SSS phases (<100 d). Based on these results and previous studies we compiled a catalogue of all novae with SSS counterparts in M 31 known so far. We used this catalogue to derive correlations between the following X-ray and optical nova parameters: turn-on time, turn-off time, blackbody temperature (X-ray), t2 decay time and expansion velocity of the ejected envelope (optical). Temperatures derived from blackbody fits and WD atmosphere models were found to characterise the effective SSS temperatures almost equally well. Furthermore, we found a first hint for the existence of a difference between SSS parameters of novae associated with the stellar populations of the M 31 bulge and disk. Additionally, we conducted a Monte Carlo Markov chain simulation on the intrinsic fraction of novae with SSS phase. This simulation showed that the high fraction of novae without detected SSS emission might be explained by the inevitably incomplete coverage with X-ray observations in combination with a large part of novae with short SSS states, as expected from the WD mass distribution. Conclusions: Our results confirm that novae are the major class of SSSs in the central region of M 31. The catalogue of novae with X-ray counterpart, mainly based on our X-ray monitoring, contains valuable insight into the physics of the nova process. In order to verify our results with an increased sample, more monitoring observations are needed. Partly based on observations with XMM-Newton, an ESA Science Mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and NASA.All tables are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgTable 9 is also available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/533/A52

Aims: We study the expected variability patterns of blazars within the two-zone acceleration model, putting special emphasis on flare shapes and spectral lags. Methods: We semi-analytically solve the kinetic equations that describe the particle evolution in the acceleration and radiation zone. We then perturb the solutions by introducing Lorentzian variations in its key parameters and examine the flaring behavior of the system. We apply the above to the X-ray observations of blazar 1ES 1218+304, which exhibited a hard lag behavior during a flaring episode and discuss possibilities of producing it within the context of our model. Results: The steady-state radio to X-rays emission of 1ES 1218+304 can be reproduced with parameters that lie well within the ones generally accepted from blazar modeling. Additionally, we find that the best way to explain its flaring behavior is by varying the rate of particles injected in the acceleration zone.

In this essay, we study the relationship between psychoanalysis and education, a relationship that is as old as the history of psychoanalysis itself. Freud’s views on this issue, which appear scattered in his various writings, are identified and synthesized. More specifically, we discuss Freud’s views on the importance of applying psychoanalysis in education, the significance of the educator’s personality, his/her difficulties in understanding children, the “prophylactic” (preventive) role of education, the necessity to adopt an optimum stance between the two poles of permissiveness and frustration, the links of education with sublimation and culture, the limits of education as compared to the individual’s development, etc. These views are discussed in relation to Anna Freud’s systematic elaboration on the relationship between psychoanalysis and education, as well as to various views of contemporary psychoanalysts on the same issue.

In this theoretical paper, we search and integrate historical information about Sigmund Freud’s, the founder of psychoanalysis, attendance of the classic Gymnasium in Vienna (1865‐1873). Drawing from Freud’s essay “Some reflections on schoolboy psychology” (1914), which he wrote for the fiftieth anniversary of his school, some of his letters, his biographer Ernest Jones, as well as the testimony of one of his sisters and the son of one of his classmates, we attempt to reconstruct Freud’s attendance in the Gymnasium. We also attempt a historical interpretation of psychoanalysis, according to which Freud’s years in the classic Gymnasium – mainly his relationships with his masters – are associated with the Oedipus complex, ambivalence, and of course the educational philosophy of that time.

Η απόφαση 2533/2011 του Δ Τμήματος του ΣτΕ παραπέμπει το ζήτημα της συνταγματικότητας της θέσπισης πληθυσμιακών κριτηρίων για την έκδοση άδειας λειτουργίας φαρμακείου στην Ολομέλεια. Η απόφαση ΣτΕ (Ολ.) 3665/2005 είχε κρίνει ότι τα πληθυσμιακά κριτήρια αντίκεινται στο άρθρο 5 παρ. 1 του Συντάγματος που καθιερώνει την επαγγελματική ελευθερία. Από την ανάγνωση των αποφάσεων αυτών δεν προκύπτει κανένα νεότερο νομικό στοιχείο. Υποστηρίζω ότι τα πληθυσμιακά κριτήρια όπως ισχύουν δεν συνάδουν ούτε με το άρθρο 5 παρ. 1 του Συντάγματος ούτε με όσα το ευρωπαϊκό δίκαιο κάνει δεκτά. Δεν αποτελεί λόγο δημοσίου συμφέροντος η εξασφάλιση της βιωσιμότητας των υφιστάμενων φαρμακείων ενώ η πρόσβαση του πληθυσμού της υπαίθρου στο φάρμακο μπορεί να επιτευχθεί με προσφορότερα και λιγότερο περιοριστικά μέτρα. 

Το άρθρο αυτό αφορά τον καιρό

Στόχος της εργασίας αυτής είναι να συνοψίσει και να παρουσιάσει τα ευρήματα των πιο πρόσφατων μετα-αναλύσεων και ανασκοπήσεων για την αποτελεσματικότητα των προληπτικών και παρεμβατικών προγραμμάτων κατά του σχολικού εκφοβισμού. Γίνονται αναφορές στα ερευνητικά σχέδια με τα οποία έχει αξιολογηθεί η αποτελεσματικότητα των προγραμμάτων, καθώς και στους τρόπους αξιολόγησης του εκφοβισμού και της θυματοποίησης στα προγράμματα αυτά. Με δεδομένη την ελάχιστη έως μέτρια επιτυχία των περισσότερων παρεμβάσεων, διατυπώνονται ερμηνείες για την περιορισμένη αυτή αποτελεσματικότητα. Η ερευνητικά τεκμηριωμένη γνώση των αρχών, των συστατικών και των επιπέδων παρέμβασης που επιφέρουν τη μεγαλύτερη μείωση του σχολικού εκφοβισμού είναι απολύτως απαραίτητη για τη διαμόρφωση της αντι-εκφοβιστικής πολιτικής και στην Ελλάδα.

The aim of my participation in the Round Table entitled “Victimization and bullying in school (kindergarten, primary school, secondary school)” is to present a number of dysfunctional beliefs of educators about school bullying, which impede the implementation of preventive and interventive anti-bullying programs. Data are drawn from empirical research in various countries, and from recent Greek studies. Identifying and challenging these dysfunctional beliefs is a necessary first step before anti-bullying intervention, as it is well documented that the effectiveness of this intervention depends largely on the educator.

• Η άποψη των φοιτητών/τριών ΤΕΦΑΑ Αθηνών σχετικά με την πρόθεση χρήσης αναβολικών ουσιών στον αθλητισμό, Παναγιώτης Μαυροδάκος, Κωνσταντίνα Γογγάκη. Είναι βέβαιο, ότι η χρήση απαγορευμένων ουσιών υποκρύπτει πολλά κοινωνικά προβλήματα. Ο αθλητισμός, ιδιαίτερα όταν λαμβάνει χώρα σε μια υλιστική κοινωνία που έχει καταστήσει ως προτεραιότητά της την οικονομική επιτυχία, καλείται να ανταποκριθεί σε παρόμοιο ρόλο. Εξάλλου, τα μέσα μαζικής ενημέρωσης διογκώνουν πολλές φορές υπέρμετρα την οικονομική διάσταση μιας επιλογής, προβάλλοντας συχνά κάθε περίπτωση τέτοιας επιτυχίας. Τα ίδια εστιάζονται με ζήλο, τόσο σε περιπτώσεις προσώπων οικονομικής επιφάνειας, όσο και σε πρόσωπα του επαγγελματικού αθλητισμού. Ακόμη χειρότερα, σπεύδουν να προβάλλουν πολύ πέρα από το δέον περιπτώσεις αθλητών και πρωταθλητών που έχουν κάνει χρήση απαγορευμένων ουσιών, με αποτέλεσμα να έχει εθιστεί το μεγαλύτερο μέρος της κοινωνίας, στην αποδοχή τέτοιου είδους ενεργειών. Το αθλητικό μάρκετινγκ, εξάλλου, τείνει να πείσει ολόκληρη την κοινωνία, ότι η χρήση ναρκωτικών και αναβολικών ουσιών είναι απαραίτητη για την επίτευξη οποιασδήποτε επιτυχίας, κάτι, όμως, το οποίο πλάθει μια χαλαρή ηθική συνείδηση. Όσο, όμως κι αν ευθύνονται στη χρήση των αναβολικών ουσιών τα μέσα μαζικής ενημέρωσης και το αθλητικό μάρκετινγκ, δεν μπορεί ν’ αποσείσει κανείς την κύρια ευθύνη από την ίδια την κοινωνία και τις διαμορφωμένες αξίες της. Εάν οι αξίες αυτές δεν είναι ικανές να θωρακίσουν το άτομο με άμυνες και αντιστάσεις, τότε η ηθική του υπόσταση είναι διάτρητη, επιτρέποντας την είσοδο πολλών παράσιτων. Τα παράσιτα που ως ‘απαγορευμένες ουσίες’ εισχωρούν στο σώμα του αθλητισμού, μπορεί κατά καιρούς να του προσφέρουν μια ψεύτικη χαρά, αλλά σταδιακά το κατατρώνε. Οι ουσίες αυτές διατίθενται σε μεγάλη γκάμα, που εκτείνεται από τα ορμονικά πεπτίδια και τα ανάλογά τους, τα διεγερτικά, τα ναρκωτικά διεγερτικά, τους β-αναστολείς, τα διουρητικά, τα ανδρογόνα αναβολικά στεροειδή και τις απαγορευμένες μεθόδους. Η ποικιλία τους έχει ξεπεράσει προ πολλού την όποια «ερασιτεχνικού τύπου» παραγωγή, έχοντας φτάσει σε σφαίρες ψυχρού επαγγελματισμού και αισχροκέρδειας. Ακόμη και από τα Γυμναστήρια της γειτονιάς οι νέοι προμηθεύονται ανεξέλεγκτης παραγωγής ουσίες, προκειμένου να «φουσκώσουν» τους μύες τους.
• ***
• Απόσπασμα του Ερευνητικού Προγράμματος που διεξήχθη στο πλαίσιο της Γραμματείας Επιτροπής Ερευνών του Εθνικού και Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών με Επιστημονική Υπεύθυνη την Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια Κων/να Γογγάκη και με θέμα: «Οι απόψεις των φοιτητών/τριών του ΤΕΦΑΑ Αθηνών σχετικά με τη χρήση, την πρόθεση χρήσης και τις ηθικές διαστάσεις της χρήσης των αναβολικών ουσιών στον αθλητισμό».

http://www.pepfa.gr/periodiko/144-2011-06-21-13-56-29.html http://www.pepfa.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=34:teyxos-2012&Itemid=54&layout=default&limitstart=20 (Τεύχος 2012) http://www.pepfa.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=144:2011-06-21-13-56-29&catid=34:teyxos-2012&Itemid=54

Σκοπός αυτής της έρευνας ήταν να εξετάσει το κλίμα της σχολικής τάξης όπως το αντιλαμβάνονται τα παιδιά που έχουν προβλήματα συμπεριφοράς. Η συμβολή της έρευνας είναι ότι συμπεριέλαβε μια μεγάλη ποικιλία διαστάσεων του κλίματος της σχολικής τάξης και μια μεγάλη ποικιλία προβλημάτων συμπεριφοράς. Σε 221 μαθητές Ε΄ και Στ΄ τάξης από σχολεία της Αθήνας δόθηκε το Ερωτηματολόγιο της Ζωής στη Σχολική Τάξη (Johnson & Johnson, 1983). Από αυτούς, 46 μαθητές παρουσίαζαν προβλήματα συμπεριφοράς, σύμφωνα με το Achenbach Ερωτηματολόγιο για Εκπαιδευτικούς (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) και συγκρίθηκαν, ως προς το αντιληπτό κλίμα της σχολικής τάξης, με 50 μαθητές ίδιας ηλικίας και φύλου χωρίς προβλήματα συμπεριφοράς. Τα ευρήματα έδειξαν ότι οι μαθητές με προβλήματα συμπεριφοράς είχαν χαμηλότερη σχολική αυτοεκτίμηση, την τάση να βιώνουν αποξένωση, να έχουν εξωγενές κίνητρο και να βιώνουν ανταγωνισμό περισσότερο από τους συμμαθητές τους χωρίς προβλήματα συμπεριφοράς. Για κάθε σύνδρομο προβλημάτων συμπεριφοράς προέκυψαν διαφορετικές συνδέσεις με τη σχολική προσαρμογή και το αντιληπτό κλίμα της σχολικής τάξης. Συζητούνται και οι εκπαιδευτικές υποδηλώσεις των ευρημάτων.

The moral evaluation of the use of illegal substances according to The students of the Sport Physical Education Department of the University of Athens. Panagiotis Mavrodakos, Konstantina Goggaki, and Polydoropoulos Konstantinos. In modern Olympic Games, the first substances used as reinforcement of the athlete for the coveted performance were heroin in racing and morphine on fights. Since then, there is a long history of doping in sport. In competitive sports, where main objective is the maximum athletic performance and, at all costs victory, growing number of athletes recourse to doping for strengthening capabilities, supplanting both moral inhibitions and the effects of this selection in their natural health and life achievements. This study just shows the moral evaluation of the use of illicit substances through the students 'views in the Sport Physical Education Department of the University of Athens. Students' views were recorded on a questionnaire. Their view is particularly important because of its modern and their future position in sport and education. The sample consisted of 200 students in Sport Physical Education Department of Athens, randomly selected. According to the survey results, the majority of the surveyed population had been suffering from the phenomenon of doping in sport. Men, in a small percentage, it seems to have more relaxed moral conscience regarding the use of doping substances by women. This may be due to the fact that in this sample, the men who are engaged to a greater extent with the high level championship.   Keywords: competitive sport, banned substances, ethics, use, questionnaire students.***

• Απόσπασμα Έρευνας που διεξήχθη στο πλαίσιο της Γραμματείας Επιτροπής Ερευνών του Εθνικού και Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών με Επιστημονική Υπεύθυνη την Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια Κων/να Γογγάκη και με θέμα: «Οι απόψεις των φοιτητών/τριών του ΤΕΦΑΑ Αθηνών σχετικά με τη χρήση, την πρόθεση χρήσης και τις ηθικές διαστάσεις της χρήσης των αναβολικών ουσιών στον αθλητισμό».

Ηλεκτρονικό Περιοδικό ΠΕΠΦΑhttp://www.pepfa.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=162:panagiotis-mavrodakos-konstantina-goggaki-polydoropoulos-konstantinos&catid=56:teyxos-2013&Itemid=54 http://archive-gr.com/gr/p/pepfa.gr/2013-09-16_2866954-titles_6

(2011). H μεταστροφή του Αχιλλέα στα ‘επί Πατρόκλω άθλα’ της ραψωδίας Ψ της Ιλιάδος. Ο βαθύτατος πόνος ως αφορμή για αναδιαμόρφωση της προσωπικότητας του ανθρώπου Κωνσταντίνα Γογγάκη, Ελισάβετ Στραβάκου               Στους αγώνες προς τιμήν του Πατρόκλου, τους επικήδειους αγώνες της ραψωδίας Ψ της Ιλιάδος οι οποίοι διεξάγονται ενώ το δέμας του νεκρού είναι ακόμη ζεστό (Γογγάκη, 2003), ο Αχιλλέας και οι άλλοι Έλληνες επιδεικνύουν την πιο πολιτισμένη συμπεριφορά τους. Ειδικότερα ο Αχιλλέας μετά το θάνατο του Πατρόκλου εξωτερικεύει το μεγάλο του πόνο και το θυμό του με ακραίες αντιδράσεις, μη μπορώντας να αποδεχθεί τον ξαφνικό και άδικο χαμό του αγαπημένου του συντρόφου. Το ξέσπασμα αυτό  λειτουργεί λυτρωτικά για τον ήρωα, ώστε να εισέλθει στη φάση της συνειδητοποίησης του θανάτου, ξαναβρίσκοντας και τα ευγενικά χαρακτηριστικά του. Ο Αχιλλέας εξέρχεται από την οδυνηρή εμπειρία του θανάτου περισσότερο «εξανθρωπισμένος» από πριν, με νέα ποιοτικά δεδομένα στην προσωπικότητά του (Krook, 1969). Ο απαρηγόρητος και γεμάτος μίσος ήρωας των προηγούμενων ραψωδιών μεταστρέφεται σε έναν σπλαχνικό ήρωα, ο οποίος δείχνει μια ελεγχόμενη και κάπως απόμακρη κοινωνικότητα (Whitman, 1958, Edwards, 2001).             Στην κατάληξη των επικήδειων αγώνων ο Αχιλλέας είναι ο πιο αγνώριστος απ’ όλους. Ο ήρωας αυτός, με σταθερό γνώρισμά του ως τώρα την αδιαλλαξία, γίνεται στην ενότητα αυτή ο διαλλακτικότερος όλων, ακτινοβολώντας τέτοια καλοσύνη που χαρακτηρίζει τους υψηλόφρονες (Scadewaldt, 1982) . Αξίζει να επισημανθεί ότι στους αθλητικούς αυτούς αγώνες ο απαρηγόρητος για τον θάνατο του Πατρόκλου χαμογελάει, για πρώτη και μοναδική φορά σε ολόκληρη την Ιλιάδα (Ψ 155-157). Ο Αχιλλέας χαμογελάει γνωρίζοντας ότι το αγώνισμα της αρματοδρομίας όσο διαρκεί αναστέλλει και απωθεί το θανάσιμο βάρος του πολέμου. Η ραψωδία Ψ της Ιλιάδος αποτελεί, εν προκειμένω, τη ραψωδία της ψυχικής μεταστροφής. Ο πόνος που επιφέρει στην ανθρώπινη ψυχή ο θάνατος ενός αγαπημένου προσώπου είναι οξύτατος, και η εμπειρία αυτή προξενεί βαθύ ρήγμα στην προσωπικότητα του ανθρώπου, ενώ στη συνέχεια ο πόνος αυτός αρχίζει να μεταστρέφεται σε εμπειρία ζωής και σε γνώση. Η οδύνη της απώλειας σταδιακά ενισχύει την επίγνωση σχετικά με τον φθαρτό χαρακτήρα του ανθρώπινου βίου. Κάποια στιγμή θάρθει και η σειρά του ζωντανού να ακολουθήσει την αναπόδραστη πορεία. Η συνείδηση αυτή τον κάνει πιο ανθρώπινο, διαμορφώνοντας, εν τέλει, μέσα από τη διαδικασία του πόνου, τη νέα ποιότητά του.   

Εισαγωγή. Στηv Πετοσφαίριση είναι απαραίτητο από πλευράς τεχνικής και τακτικής να γνωρίζουμε ποιες τεχνικές δεξιότητες επηρεάζουν την απόδοση (Eom & Schutz, 1992). Ειδικά στα σετ με μικρή διαφορά πόντων μεταξύ των αντιπάλων ομάδων ανδρών υψηλού επιπέδου η επίθεση είναι η σημαντικότερη τεχνική δεξιότητα (Drikos & Vagenas, 2011). Η παρούσα έρευνα αξιολόγησε τις διαφορές επίδρασης βασικών δεξιοτήτων συγκρίνοντας την αγωνιστική απόδοση νικητριών και ηττημένων ομάδων σε όλους τους τύπους των σετ. Μέθοδος. Τα δεδομένα προήλθαν από 175 σετ του Πανευρωπαϊκού Πρωταθλήματος Ανδρών (2009). Αναλύθηκαν 12 δείκτες απόδοσης (%) από τέσσερις δεξιότητες: επίθεση, σερβίς, υποδοχή, μπλοκ. Η ανάλυση cluster εξήγαγε τρεις τύπους σετ (διαφορά): αμφίρροπα (2 πόντοι), ισορροπημένα (3-5 πόντοι), άνισα (>5 πόντοι). Λόγω των ακραίων κατανομικών λοξοτήτων σε 11 από τις 12 μεταβλητές (K-S, p<0,05) η στατιστική ανάλυση έγινε με τoν απαραμετρκό έλεγχο σύγκρισης διάμεσων τιμών (Wilcoxon) Αποτελέσματα. Οι έλεγχοι Wilcoxon έδειξαν ότι 9 δείκτες βγήκαν σημαντικοί (p<0,05) για όλα το σύνολο των δεδομένων και για τα άνισα σετ, 6 δείκτες για τα ισορροπημένα σετ και ένας δείκτης για τα αμφίρροπα σετ. Οι νικήτριες ομάδες είχαν σημαντικά μεγαλύτερο ποσοστό άμεσων πόντων από την επίθεση από ότι οι ηττημένες (p<0,001). Συμπεράσματα. Επιβεβαιώνεται η προπονητική προτεραιότητα ανάπτυξης των επιθετικών ικανοτήτων των αθλητών ανδρικών ομάδων υψηλού επιπέδου .

• (2011). Doping as a major problem in modern sport and the views of the Sport Physical Education Department of the University of Athens students.

Polydoropoulos Konstantinos, Konstantina Goggaki, and Panagiotis Mavrodakos. The championship has now become professional and high ideals sometimes replaced by an effort to maximize profit. Throughout the world, doping is an illegal act, which is treated with sentences. However, the problem, can not be limited to repression and criminalization of doping, but mainly on prevention. This study presents the students’ views in relation to doping in modern sport. Their view seems to be of great value as they are in majority, modern athletes and future physical education teachers, both in education and in training sessions clubs.  Students' views recorded through questionnaire. The results appear to be quite encouraging as only a small percentage of students   have used anabolic substances. Quite interesting is the emergence of the fact of doping without a scientific supervision. The survey reveals that most of those who use anabolic substances have been supplied either by themselves or by a shop selling sportswear, either through a gym, either via the internet, or by their coach while few seem to have been supplied through their Sports Doctor.   Keywords: competitive sport, banned substances, use, questionnaire studen ***Απόσπασμα Έρευνας που διεξήχθη στο πλαίσιο της Γραμματείας Επιτροπής Ερευνών του Εθνικού και Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών με Επιστημονική Υπεύθυνη την Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια Κων/να Γογγάκη και με θέμα: «Οι απόψεις των φοιτητών/τριών του ΤΕΦΑΑ Αθηνών σχετικά με τη χρήση, την πρόθεση χρήσης και τις ηθικές διαστάσεις της χρήσης των αναβολικών ουσιών στον αθλητισμό».  http://archive-gr.com/gr/p/pepfa.gr/2013-09-16_2866954-titles_6 http://www.pepfa.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=163:polydoropoulos-konstantinos-konstantina-goggaki-and-panagiotis-mavrodakos&catid=56:teyxos-2013&Itemid=54

Το κοινωνικό κεφάλαιο, πρωτεύων και απαραίτητος συντελεστής ανάπτυξης, αποτελεί σήμερα πηγή δυναμικής επιστημονικής έρευνας. Θεωρείται πυρηνική έννοια στην κοινωνιολογία, στην πολιτική επιστήμη, στην επιστήμη της συμπεριφοράς, στην οικονομία, στους τομείς της διοίκησης και της οικονομικής επιχειρηματικότητας αλλά αποτελεί σχετικά καινούργια έννοια στον αθλητισμό, στην αθλητική διοίκηση και ηγεσία. Η εργασία αυτή προβαίνει σε μία συστηματική ανασκόπηση των θεωρητικών προσεγγίσεων και εμπειρικών ερευνών περί κοινωνικού κεφαλαίου με στόχο την προσέγγιση της κοινωνικής περιοχής του αθλητισμού υπό την οπτική της ανάλυσης του κοινωνικού κεφαλαίου. Η διεθνής βιβλιογραφία στο θέμα Αθλητισμός ως Κοινωνικό Κεφάλαιο (Walseth 2008, Nicholson & Hoye 2008, Tonts 2005), μολονότι περιορισμένη, αναδεικνύει ότι όσο ισχυρότερο είναι το κοινωνικό κεφάλαιο που αποκτάται στο πεδίο του αθλητισμού τόσο διευκολύνεται-προωθείται η κοινωνική ενσωμάτωση. Με επίκεντρο τη θεωρητική προσέγγιση και τα τεκμηριωμένα στοιχεία του Robert Putnam (2000, 2004) - και ιδιαίτερα η διάκριση μεταξύ των δύο διαστάσεων του κοινωνικού κεφαλαίου: «γεφυροποιό-έμμεσο» και «περιοριστικό-αποκλειστικό» - πραγματευόμαστε την κοινωνική περιοχή του αθλητισμού. Οι θεωρητικές προσεγγίσεις του Putnam - που διαφέρουν από εκείνες του Bourdieu (1983,1986) - έχουν δεχτεί έντονη κριτική (Adkins 2005, Misztal 2005, Morrow 2003, 2004, Etzioni 2001). Ωστόσο έχουν συμβάλλει δυναμικά στην έρευνα και αποτελούν χρήσιμο εργαλείο ανάλυσης, ειδικά στις έρευνες που εξετάζουν το κοινωνικό κεφάλαιο του αθλητισμού (Walseth 2008, et al). Εξερευνώντας τη συνάφεια του αθλητισμού και του κοινωνικού κεφαλαίου, διακρίνουμε ότι θεωρητικά και πρακτικά ο αθλητισμός είναι δυνατόν να προσδιοριστεί ως «γεφυροποιό- έμμεσο» κοινωνικό κεφάλαιο που προωθεί κοινωνική ενσωμάτωση, αλληλεγγύη, ισότητα, κτλ., όπως δείχνει και η ανασκόπηση των δραστηριοτήτων μη-κυβερνητικών οργανώσεων, όπως οι PeaceFirst (Peace Games) και Sport in Society (SIS), που αγωνίζονται για την εισαγωγή μιας παιδαγωγικής ειρήνης (peace education) στη δημόσια εκπαίδευση. Ταυτόχρονα, ο αθλητισμός μπορεί να προσεγγιστεί και ως κοινωνική περιοχή που αναπαράγει «περιοριστικό-αποκλειστικό» κοινωνικό κεφάλαιο ή ακόμα και σκοτεινό κοινωνικό κεφάλαιο, δεδομένου ότι η πολιτική του αθλητισμού δεν συντελεί πάντα στην πρόοδο - αν λάβουμε υπόψη την εμπορευματοποίηση, το ντόπινγκ, τη φυλετική βία στα γήπεδα, τις περιβαλλοντικές επιπτώσεις των Ολυμπιακών έργων, την κραυγαλέα υποεκπροσώπηση των γυναικών στους αθλητικούς θεσμούς, την «αθλητική μετανάστευση», το «αθλητικό εργατικό δυναμικό», την αφαίρεση της εθνικής ταυτότητας του «παγκόσμιου αθλητή-μετανάστη» (Takahashi & Horne, 2006) και ειδικά την απώλεια αυτού του αθλητικού δυναμικού στη χώρα προέλευσης (social capital drain). Ο αθλητισμός-ανεκμετάλλευτη πηγή κοινωνικής ενέργειας—έχει τη δυνατότητα να εξελιχθεί σε μια μορφή «γεφυροποιού» κοινωνικού κεφαλαίου. Στη λογική αυτή, δεδομένου ότι ο αθλητισμός αποτελεί παγκόσμιο φαινόμενο και πολιτιστικό θεσμό, προτείνεται ο επαναπροσδιορισμός των ηθικών του πλαισίων: διαμόρφωση εναλλακτικών προτάσεων, αθλητικών μοντέλων και προτύπων, επανενεργοποίηση των Ολυμπιακών αξιών. Βιβλιογραφία: Walseth, Kristin (2008) 'Bridging and bonding social capital in sport-experiences of young women with an immigrant background', Sport, Education and Society, 13:1, 1-17. * Nicholson, Matthew & Hoye, Russell (eds) (2008) Sport and Social Capital. Elsevier Butterworth-Hinemann. * Tonts, Matthew (2005) ‘Competitive sport and social capital in rural Australia’, Journal of Rural Studies, 21:2, 137-149. * Kamberidou, Irene & Patsantaras, Nikolaos (2007) ‘A New Concept in European Sport Governance: Sport as Social Capital’, Biology of Exercise, 3, 21-34. * Kamberidou, Irene (2008).‘Promoting a Culture of Peacemaking: Peace Games and Peace Education’, International Journal of Physical Education, 4, 176-188. [in proceedings: http://www.tefaacongress.gr/2011/Proceedings.html] Κοινωνικό Φύλο, Κοινωνικό Κεφάλαιο & Αθλητισμός (Gender, Social Capital & Sport). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274959340_______(Gender_Social_Capital__Sport)?fulltextDialog=true [accessed Apr 15, 2015].

The purpose of this case study is the presentation of the adverse long-term consequences of school bullying. This case study concerns a 22-year-old female who sought out therapy in order to cope with her intense negative feelings of stress and depression. During the therapeutic process, it became clear that the patient's current problems were related to having been the victim of systematic bullying during her school years. Her self-image in the period she sought out help deteriorated, as shown in her negative cognitions regarding her abilities and capacities, which had been shaped under the influence of the bullying experience. According to a number of empirical investigations (Hawker & Boulton, 2000; Nansei, Craig, & Overpeck, 2004; Kochenderfer & Ladd, 1996; Kochenderfer & Wardrop, 2001; and in Greece: Galanaki & Vogiatzoglou, 2007; Galanaki, Amanaki, & Noikokiri, 2009), some of the consequences of school bullying - such as relationship problems, low self-esteem, limited social contacts, stress, depression, feelings of loneliness - are likely to be maintained for an extended period of time, especially when the individual has failed to form a network of social support (Newman, Holden, & Delville, 2004). Thus, adults who as pupils suffered from bullying experience more feelings of loneliness, depression, and inadequacy and they encounter difficulties in their interpersonal relations (Gilmartin, 1987; Hugh-Jones & Smith, 1999; Isaacs, Hodges, & Salmivalli, 2008; Newman et al., 2005; Olweus, 1994; Storch, Roth, Cales, Heimberg, Bravata, & Moser, 2004). In this case study, the ongoing presence and lasting influence of these negative consequences in adult life become obvious.

Μὲ εὐκαιρία τὶς πολλὲς συζητήσεις ποὺ ἠκολούθησαν τὴν ἐπίσκεψη τοῦ κ. Νταβούτογλου στὴν Ἑλλάδα κατὰ τὶς ἀρχὲς τοῦ δευτέρου δεκαημέρου τοῦ Μαρτίου 2011 ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕνα πολὺ ἐνδιαφέρον σημερινὸ ἄρθρο τοῦ κ. Ἰορδανίδου (Ὁ κ. Νταβούτογλου ρεμβάζων) μὲ τὸ ὁποῖον διαφωνῶ στὰ σημεῖα ποὺ ἀναφέρει ὅτι ἦταν : «Φιλότιμη ἡ προσπάθεια τοῦ Τούρκου ὑπουργοῦ Ἐξωτερικῶν κ. Ἀχμὲτ Νταβούτογλου νὰ ἀναθεωρήσει τὴν διαχωριστικὴ γραμμὴ Ἀνατολῆς καὶ ∆ύσεως ἐντάσσοντας τὴν χώρα του καὶ τήν Ἑλλάδα στὴν ἴδια γεωπολιτικὴ καὶ πολιτιστικὴν ἑνότητα, στὸ ἐνδιαφέρον ἄρθρο του ποὺ δημοσιεύθηκε στὴν «Κ» τὴν Πέμπτη...» καὶ ὅτι: «...Ὑποστηρίζουν ὡρισμένοι ὅτι ὁ κ. Νταβούτογλου ἐμφορεῖται ἀπὸ ὀθωμανικὲς ἀντιλήψεις. Ἀλλὰ ὀθωμανικὴ αὐτοκρατορία —παλιὰ ἢ νέα— προϋποθέτει κράτος πολυεθνικὸ καὶ φυσικὰ σουλτᾶνο, ποὺ ἀκόμη καὶ στὴν φάση τῆς πλέον οἰκτρᾶς παρακμῆς ἦταν τὸ σημεῖο ἀναφορᾶς τῶν ὑπηκόων του. Πιθανὸν ὁ κ. Νταβούτογλου νὰ ὁραματίζεται μία κοινοπολιτεία μὲ κεντρικὸ ρόλο στὴν Τουρκία καὶ σὲ αὐτὸ τὸ πλαίσιο ἀπευθύνει πρόσκληση πρὸς τὴν Ἑλλάδα. ∆ὲν θὰ ἀντιδράσουμε ἀγενῶς καὶ ἐσπευσμένα. Ἂς διατυπώσει πρόταση λεπτομερῆ καὶ περιεκτική. Πρὸς τὸ παρὸν διαπιστώνουμε ὅτι ἁπλῶς ζητεῖ ἀπὸ τὴν Ἑλλάδα νὰ ἀποδεχθεῖ τὶς πάγιες ἀπαιτήσεις τῆς Τουρκίας».

Πρόκειται για το κείμενο της ανακοίνωσης στην διεπιστημονική ημερίδα με θέμα «Ελληνογερμανικές σχέσεις: αλληλοεπιδράσεις στον πολιτισμό και την τέχνη», που διοργάνωσε το Εργαστήριο Συγκριτικής Γραμματολογίας του Τμήματος Γαλλικής Γλώσσας και Φιλολογίας του Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλονίκης στη Θεσσαλονίκη και έλαβε χώρα την 6η Απριλίου 2011 (http://www.del.auth.gr/de/forschung/weitere-veranstaltungen/145-8-4-2011). Το άρθρο αναφέρεται σε ορισμένες θέσεις της έρευνας, σχετικά με τα χαρακτηριστικά και τις παραλείψεις της πρόσληψης του έργου του Χάινριχ Χάινε στην Ελλάδα, θέσεις που αναπτύσσονται διεξοδικά στην μονογραφία της γράφουσας. Αναφέρεται εδώ και συζητείται ακροθιγώς η άποψη σχετικά με τον αποφασιστικό ρόλο που έπαιξε ο ποιητικός λόγος του Χάινε κατά τη διαδικασία υπέρβασης του αθηναϊκού ρομαντισμού εκ μέρους των ποιητών της γενιάς του 1880, όπως και κατά την πρόσληψη ενός ειρωνικού, κριτικού και παιγνιώδους τρόπου έκφρασης, που εμπεριέχεται μεν εξαρχής στο γερμανικό ρομαντικό παράδειγμα (ρομαντική ειρωνεία), πλην όμως εισήλθε στον νεοελληνικό λογοτεχνικό λόγο κυρίως ως συνέπεια της επαφής, μεταξύ άλλων, με το έργο του Χάινε. Παρουσιάζεται με αδρές γραμμές η ιδιαίτερα ενδιαφέρουσα περίπτωση της πρόσληψης του ποιητή Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) στην Ελλάδα, που ξεκινά τον 19ο αιώνα και συνεχίζεται με διακυμάνσεις ως τις μέρες μας. Στο άρθρο δίνεται πάντως έμφαση στην παρουσίαση του ποιητή και των ιδιοτήτων του έργου του, που τον καθιστούν αντιπροσωπευτικό συγγραφέα της αρχόμενης νεωτερικότητας, με την έννοια της μετάβασης από τον κλασικορομαντικό ποιητή μιας αισθητικής-ηθικής κοσμοθέασης στον μοντέρνο συγγραφέα και διανοούμενο μιας νεότερης εποχής, ο οποίος παρακολουθεί και σχολιάζει στο έργο του, θεωρητικό και λογοτεχνικό, την ρέουσα πραγματικότητα. Σημαντική θέση στο έργο του Χάινε έχουν οι αναφορές σε μορφές της ελληνικής μυθολογίας και αρχαιότητας που διατρέχουν το σύνολο του έργου του και συνθέτουν την ιδιότυπη προσωπική μυθολογία του ποιητή, η οποία κινείται στο μεταίχμιο ανάμεσα στην ελεγειακή αναπόληση μιας χαμένης αισθησιακής χαράς της ζωής και στην σπινθηροβόλα ειρωνική διάθεση του σχολιασμού της επικαιρότητας με το ένδυμα του μύθου. Προκύπτει το ερώτημα του τρόπου πρόσληψης στην Ελλάδα τόσο αυτής της διάστασης του έργου του Χάινε, όσο και των ιδιαίτερων υφολογικών και ρητορικών δομών των κειμένων του, ερώτημα, το οποίο αντιμετωπίζεται διεξοδικά στη μονογραφία της γράφουσας.

Το παρόν κείμενο αποτελεί πρόλογο του Καθηγητή Ιωάννη Θ. Μάζη στο έργο του Κυριακοῦ Θ. Νικολάου-Πατραγᾶ, για το κομμουνιστικὸν κίνημα Αἰγύπτου.

Το παρόν κείμενο αποτελεί πρόλογο του Καθηγητή Ιωάννη Θ. Μάζη στο έργο του Κυριακοῦ Θ. Νικολάου-Πατραγᾶ, "Τὸ μέλλον τῆς δημοκρατίας στὴν Αἴγυπτο: Ἡ συμβολὴ τοῦ ἱππότου Χάλεντ Μόχη ἀλ-Ντήν".

   

By means of full electrodynamic and elastodynamic multiple-scattering calculations we study the optical and acoustic properties of three-dimensional lattices of metallic nanospheres implanted in a dielectric host. Our results show that such structures exhibit omnidirectional spectral gaps for both telecom infrared light and hypersound, with relatively low absorptive losses. This class of dual (phoxonic) band-gap materials is an essential step toward the hypersonic modulation of light and could lead to the development of efficient acousto-optical devices.

OBJECTIVE: In obese postmenopausal women we assessed leptin and adiponectin, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), serum lipids and lipoxidative stress products: oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and malondialdehyde (MDA), in relation to impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). METHODS: Thirty-eight overweight/obese postmenopausal women were included in the study. Eighteen with normal glucose metabolism (NGT) and twenty with IGT, as it is diagnosed by OGTT. Serum leptin, adiponectin, hsCRP and MDA were measured at time 0 and 120 min of OGTT while total-cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, oxLDL and anti-oxLDL autoantibodies at time 0. Insulin resistance (HOMA)/sensitivity (QUICKI) indexes were estimated. RESULTS: In subjects with NGT, hsCRP was positively correlated with fasting leptin and HOMA, while in subjects with IGT negatively with QUICKI. In both groups, hsCRP was positively correlated with fasting insulin, body mass index and waist circumference. Fasting adiponectin was positively associated with HDL in both groups and negatively with triglycerides in subjects with NGT as well as with serum glucose levels at time 120 min of OGTT in subjects with IGT. No association was observed between oxLDL and adipokines. A significant positive association was found between oxLDL and HOMA in subjects with IGT. During OGTT there was a significant increase of leptin and MDA levels in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: A relationship exists between obesity, insulin and sub-clinical inflammation. Leptin and lipid peroxidation are linked to hyperglycaemic state while oxLDL might be considered as a predictor of insulin resistance. Adiponectin could exert its antiatherogenic effect through HDL independently of the presence of IGT.

The present study provides additional data on the distributional range of six alien foraminiferal species in living assemblages from Greek coastal areas (Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean). Amphistegina lobifera LARSEN 1976, Sorites orbiculus (FORSK L 1775) and Coscinospira hemprichii EHRENBERG 1839 are well established in Greek coastal areas, whereas Triloculina fichteliana D'ORBIGNY 1839, Planogypsina acervalis (BRADY 1884) and Cymbaloporetta plana (CUSHMAN 1924), are recorded for the first time in this paper. The occurrence of these species in a number of sites in the Aegean Sea establishes their presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Although extensively studied for its pharmaceutical properties, Teucrium polium has yet to disclose its leaf structure and the chemical nature of the accumulated or secreted products. Therefore, light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy along with histochemical tests were employed to investigate the leaf of this perennial dwarf Mediterranean shrub. Structural characteristics include large cells with cutinized walls, creating cavities of obscured function in contact to a vessel element of the conductive tissue and different types of glandular hairs. A variety of secreted materials was identified by certain histochemical stains within the mesophyll cells and the glandular hairs. A dense indumentum of non-glandular hairs protects the secretory apparatus and the leaf surface from the stressful conditions of the Mediterranean climate.

Dietary shifts have played a major role in the evolution of many vertebrates. The idea that the evolution of herbivory is physiologically constrained in squamates is challenged by a number of observations that suggest that at least some lizards can overcome the putative physiological difficulties of herbivory on evolutionary and even ecological timescales. We compared a number of morphological and physiological traits purportedly associated with plant consumption between two island populations of the lacertid lizard Podarcis sicula. Previous studies revealed considerable differences in the amount of plant material consumed between those populations. We continued the investigation of this study system and explored the degree of divergence in morphology (dentition, gut morphology), digestive performance (gut passage time, digestive efficiency), and ecology (endosymbiont density). In addition, we also performed a preliminary analysis of the plasticity of some of these modifications. Our results confirm and expand earlier findings concerning divergence in the morphology of feeding structures between two island populations of P. sicula lizards. In addition to the differences in skull dimensions and the prevalence of cecal valves previously reported, these two recently diverged populations also differ in aspects of their dentition (teeth width) and the lengths of the stomach and small intestine. The plasticity experiment suggests that at least some of the changes associated with a dietary shift toward a higher proportion of plant material may be plastic. Our results also show that these morphological changes effectively translate into differences in digestive performance: the population with the longer digestive tract exhibits longer gut passage time and improved digestive efficiency. © 2010 by The University of Chicago.

Objective: Anorexia nervosa (AN) affects a large number of women, usually in their adolescence. One of the primary manifestations of the disease is menstrual irregularity, and the presence of a menstrual cycle is often used as a sign of recovery among patients. Women with AN are likely to seek medical advice from a gynecologist with regards to their period problems. The role of the gynecologist is therefore crucial in identifying and referring these patients promptly to specialised centers. Study design: A brief anonymous questionnaire was completed by 94 gynecologists practising in Athens. Results: Approximately half of the responders felt that the conditions were rarer than it really is, and 25{%} thought that the disease primarily affects women in their early twenties. Although 56{%} of gynecologists would not prescribe the combined oral contraceptive in women with AN in order to restore their periods, the remainder of gynecologists were in favour of prescribing hormone replacement with a view to reducing the risk of osteopenia. This is despite the fact that emerging evidence shows there is no benefit. Ten percent of gynecologists never weigh their patients during evaluation of amenorrhoea and 72{%} felt that their level of knowledge as far as anorexia nervosa is concerned is inadequate. Conclusion: More education is required among gynecologists on the subject of anorexia nervosa, in order to identify and refer patients in the early stages of the disease process. © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Pietsch, Henze, and Burwitz -- together with A. Liakos (Department of Physics, University of Athens), D. Hatzidimitriou (Department of Physics, University of Crete), and P. Niarchos (Department of Physics, University of Athens) -- add that confirmation of M31N 2010-06c at mag 18.0 was obtained with a stack of ten 60-s unfiltered CCD images obtained with a 40-cm Cassegrain telescope (+ f/5.1 focal reducer + 2184x1472-pixel ST-10XME CCD camera; pixel size 6.8 microns square) at the Athens University Observatory on June 27.028 UT; they provide position end figures 04s.48, 33".8.

W. Pietsch, M. Henze, and V. Burwitz, Max-Planck-Institut fuer Extraterrestrische Physik; A. Liakos, Department of Physics, University of Athens; D. Hatzidimitriou, Department of Physics, University of Crete; and P. Niarchos, Department of Physics, University of Athens, report the detection of an apparent nova in M31 using observations with the UltraViolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) onboard the Swift satellite. The object was serendipitously detected in the UVW1 filter (range 181-321 nm; UVOT observation number 31255018 with 4333-s exposure) starting on June 24.02 UT with a magnitude of 19.5 +/- 0.2. The position for the nova candidate, designated M31N 2010-06d, is R.A. = 0h42m55s.56, Decl. = +41d19'25".5 (equinox 2000.0; uncertainty 1".0), which is 127" east and 197" north of the core of M31. The source is clearly detected in the individual images. In the UVW1 filter, Swift observation number 31255014, starting on June 12.04 (4161-s exposure), and in the U filter, Swift observation number 31255017, starting on June 21.29 (1330-s exposure), no object was detected at the position of M31N 2010-06d, with limiting magnitudes of 20.5 and 19.7 (3 sigma), respectively. (All magnitudes are on the UVOT photometric system of Poole et al. 2008, MNRAS 383, 627, and have not been corrected for extinction.) M31N 2010-06d was confirmed on a stacked unfiltered CCD image composed of ten 60-s frames obtained at a 40-cm Cassegrain telescope with a focal reducer (f/5.1) equipped with a 2184x1472-pixel ST-10XME CCD camera (pixel size 6.8 microns square) at the Athens University Observatory on July 1.082 UT, yielding magnitude 17.8 (obtained from a photometric solution using R magnitudes of the Local Group Survey M31 catalogue of Massey et al. 2006) and position end figures 55s.62, 25".7 (uncertainty 0".5), fully consistent with the position of the Swift source. M31N 2010-06d is visible in the UV filter already several days before the detection in the optical (similar to novae M31N 2009-08a and M31N 2010-01b). Public data from the Swift data archive was used. Kamil Hornoch, Ondrejov Observatory, reports the independent discovery of M31N 2010-06d by Marek Wolf and himself on co-added 1620-s and co-added 1350-s R-band CCD frames taken by Hornoch on June 30.003 UT and by Wolf on July 1.022, respectively, with the 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov. M31N 2010-06d is marginally visible on single images used for the co-added frames. Also, the new object is visible on pre-discovery co-added R-band frames taken with the same instrumentation during three previous nights, but is not present on numerous archive images taken at Ondrejov. M31N 2010-06d is located at R.A. = 0h42m55s.53, Decl. = +41o19'25".0 (equinox 2000.0), which is 126" east and 196" north of the center of M31. Available R-band magnitudes for M31N 2010-06d, measured by Hornoch: June 9.459 UT, [21.7 (P. Garnavich, C. Littlefield, N. Paul, and S. Bouzid, 1.83-m Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope); 18.152, [21.1 (P. Kubanek, J. Gorosabel, O. Lara-Gil, and M. Jelinek, 1.23-m telescope at Calar Alto); 27.034, 20.1 +/- 0.3 (K. Hornoch, 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov); 28.014, 19.7 +/- 0.2 (Hornoch and P. Hornochova, 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov); 28.040, 19.7 +/- 0.2 (Hornoch and Hornochova); 29.022, 19.2 +/- 0.2 (P. Zasche, 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov); 29.034, 19.0 +/- 0.2 (Zasche); 30.003, 18.6 +/- 0.15 (Hornoch); 30.022, 18.65 +/- 0.1 (Hornoch); July 1.022, 18.3 +/- 0.1 (M. Wolf, 0.65-m telescope at Ondrejov).

The high quality stellar spectra, recorded with the stellar spectrograph constructed at the Laboratory of Astronomy and Applied Optics of the University of Athens, allows the spectral classification of stars brighter than 9 mag, as well as the measurement of radial velocities of binary systems. The primary application of the spectrograph will be the study of eclipsing binaries, where the lack of spectroscopic observations limits the theoretical models. The spectrograph can be also used for observations of transient phenomena, such as novae, supernovae, comets and cataclysmic variable stars, but also for support observations of larger telescopes around the world.

Are Eccentric Strength Asymmetries Connected with Increased Risk for Muscle Injuries in the Thigh Muscles of Professional Soccer Players? Konstantinos Fousekis, Elias Τsepis, George Vagenas Introduction. The purpose of this prospective study was to statistically evaluate the relation between isokinetic strength asymmetries and risk of non-contact muscle strains in soccer. Methods. One hundred professional soccer players (age 23.4±4.8 years, height 178±6.7 cm, body mass 74.2±7.6 kg) were tested for isokinetic concentric and eccentric strength during the extension and flexion of the knee and ankle joint. Isokinetic testing was carried-out concentrically at 60o /sec. 180o/sec & 300o/sec and eccentrically at 60o/sec & 180o/sec for the knee joint. The ankle joint was tested at 60o/sec for both the concentric and eccentric mode of action. Each players? non-contact muscle strains resulting in missing at least one practise session or game were recorded during one competition season. Results. Analysis of the composite muscle strength asymmetries showed a significantly high relative risk of injury for players with eccentric strength asymmetries greater than 15% (RR=5.10; 95% CI: 1.29-20.17). Τhe majority of muscle strains involved 16% the hamstrings and 7% the quadriceps. The relative risk for strains in knee extensors strains was significantly increased in players with eccentric muscle asymmetries >15% (RR=1.93, 95% CI: 0.81- 4.56) and approximated statistical significance in the case of knee flexors strains (RR=1.82, 95% CI: 0.86-3.87). No significant relationship was found between concentric muscle strength asymmetries and muscle strains. Conclusions. Players with eccentric isokinetic strength asymmetries higher than 15% were more prone to injure their lower extremities. Preseason eccentric isokinetic assessment is required for the identification of soccer players being at high risk of thigh muscle strain and for the prevention of potential muscle strains via individualized exercise protocols.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to study the technical and scale efficiency of a set of tax offices (Inland Revenue) in Greece during the period 2001‐2006. Design/methodology/approachThe methodology used to estimate efficiency scores and Greek tax office ranking was the data envelopment analysis. In addition window analysis was used to detect efficiency trends and stability over time. Tobit analysis was applied to explain whether non‐discretionary factors play a role in tax office's performance. FindingsThe results underline that “scale size” and the structure of regional economy where tax offices operate are important factors affecting their efficiency. Research limitations/implicationsDespite the limitations related to the data set, the empirical work suggests that future research may need to concentrate on the dynamic factors i.e. characteristics of the regional where the tax office is situated which could play a significant role in a tax office performance. Practical implicationsThe analysis provides information on tailor‐made political and administrative measures that can lead to improvements in the general infrastructure behind the tax office system in Greece. Originality/valueConsidering that the emerging results needed to be evaluated and considered with a sceptical eye, the present study simply highlights the importance of the information (without sensationalizing it) from the policymakers' perspective and in so doing perhaps provide an additional information resource on which they can base their decisions and policies. © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

INTRODUCTION: the FcγRIIa receptor is responsible for the clearance of large immune complexes and recently has been proved to be a C-reactive protein (CRP) receptor as well. A polymorphism in the corresponding FCG2RA gene resulting in an amino acid change (R131H) has been implicated, with conflicting results in the pathogenesis of various autoimmune or inflammatory disorders (e.g., atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease [CAD]). METHODS: we recently developed a real-time polymerase chain reaction and melting curve analysis method for the genotyping of the above polymorphism. We further looked at its validity with bioinformatics study and DNA sequencing. Then we genotyped 134 CAD patients and 45 angiographically normal controls and determined serum high-sensitivity CRP by nephelometry (Dade-Behring). Also, we used apparently healthy platelet donors (n = 206) as a larger control group. RESULTS: our method is accurate and devoid of problems with homologs and copy number variants. The need for reference materials is stressed. There were statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between the CAD patients and each of the two other control groups, with the percentage of RR genotype rising from 6.5% and 11% in the control groups to an average of 19% in all CAD patients (17%, 24%, and 18.5% in stable angina, unstable angina, and myocardial infarction, respectively). In a logistic regression model that included known risk factors for CAD including CRP, the RR genotype remained a significant predictor for CAD (odds ratio: 6.3 [1.1-36.3]). Also after linear regression analysis, CRP levels were reduced in the RR carriers (vs. HH + HR), controlling for age, sex, and disease (marginal p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: with our accurate genotyping method, the RR genotype was correlated with atherothrombotic CAD events. The inverse correlation found between CRP levels and genotype supports the in vitro data of RR cells binding CRP stronger than HH.

INTRODUCTION: the FcgammaRIIa receptor is responsible for the clearance of large immune complexes and recently has been proved to be a C-reactive protein (CRP) receptor as well. A polymorphism in the corresponding FCG2RA gene resulting in an amino acid change (R131H) has been implicated, with conflicting results in the pathogenesis of various autoimmune or inflammatory disorders (e.g., atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease [CAD]). METHODS: we recently developed a real-time polymerase chain reaction and melting curve analysis method for the genotyping of the above polymorphism. We further looked at its validity with bioinformatics study and DNA sequencing. Then we genotyped 134 CAD patients and 45 angiographically normal controls and determined serum high-sensitivity CRP by nephelometry (Dade-Behring). Also, we used apparently healthy platelet donors (n = 206) as a larger control group. RESULTS: our method is accurate and devoid of problems with homologs and copy number variants. The need for reference materials is stressed. There were statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between the CAD patients and each of the two other control groups, with the percentage of RR genotype rising from 6.5% and 11% in the control groups to an average of 19% in all CAD patients (17%, 24%, and 18.5% in stable angina, unstable angina, and myocardial infarction, respectively). In a logistic regression model that included known risk factors for CAD including CRP, the RR genotype remained a significant predictor for CAD (odds ratio: 6.3 [1.1-36.3]). Also after linear regression analysis, CRP levels were reduced in the RR carriers (vs. HH + HR), controlling for age, sex, and disease (marginal p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: with our accurate genotyping method, the RR genotype was correlated with atherothrombotic CAD events. The inverse correlation found between CRP levels and genotype supports the in vitro data of RR cells binding CRP stronger than HH

Studies have suggested that dental development substantially influences the variation of mandibular morphology and growth in primates. As a contribution to the methodology of such studies, we introduce a novel approach to quantifying the covariation between teeth and mandible. This was done showing fluctuations in the magnitude of this covariation within a sample of modern human mandibles at different postnatal ages. Dense CT- derived mandibular surface meshes of 73 females and 71 males, ranging in age from birth to adulthood, were processed by methods of geometric morphometrics. Each specimen's deciduous and permanent teeth were rated for mineralization stage. Form-space principal component analysis of the morphometric data was used to produce a single metric variable that best explains mandibular-form variation. This variable was then used to quantify the developing teeth, all together, through the use of the additive conjoint measurement method. This new metric variable corresponds to the dental prediction of the mandibular-form variation. Finally, we examine the covariation of the two over the full range of mineralization stages. We found a strikingly tight association between mandibular form and dental maturation up through the full emergence of the deciduous dentition (about age 2 years), followed by an equally striking decline in that association in later developmental stages, particularly for girls. The onset of the decline of the teeth-mandible relationship coincides with the onset time of the adult-like pattern of mastication and speech. The increasingly functional diversity may lead to more independence between dental development and mandibular growth than during the first two years.

The Aerosol Index (AI) observations derived from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on board the Dutch-Finnish Aura satellite are analyzed over Greece covering the period from September 2004 to August 2008. The AI data cover the whole Greek territory (34°-42°N, 20°-28°E) with a spatial resolution of 0.25° × 0.25° The results show significant spatial and temporal variabilities of the seasonal and monthly-mean AI, with higher values at the southern parts and lower values over northern Greece. On the other hand, the AI values do not show significant differences between the western and eastern parts and, therefore, the longitude-averaged AI values can be utilized to reveal the strong south-to-north gradient. This gradient significantly changes from season to season being more intense in spring and summer, while it is minimized in winter. Another significant remark is the dominance of negative AI values over northern Greece in the summer months, indicating the presence of non-UV-absorbing aerosols, such as sulfate and sea-salt particles. The great geographical extent of the negative AI values in the summer months is indicative of long-range transport of such aerosols. In contrast, the high positive AI values over southern Greece, mainly in spring, clearly reveal the UV-absorbing nature of desert-dust particles affecting the area during Saharan dust events. The annual variation of spatial-averaged AI values shows a predominant spring maximum (0.424 ± 0.329, in April) due to dust particles, which dominate this average and a summer minimum due to the negative AI values observed over northern Greece. In the cold period of the year (November to February) the AI values are higher over northern Greece compared to those in south, while in the rest of the year the opposite is true. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.

AIM: Leptin and adiponectin are two well-studied adipokines in relation to malignancies. In this study, we examined the association between leptin/adiponectin and risk of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), as well as the relationships between adipokines and several established prognostic factors of B-CLL. METHODS: Ninety-five patients with incident B-CLL and 95 hospital controls matched on age and gender were studied between 2001 and 2007, and blood samples were collected. Leptin, total and high molecular weight adiponectin, and prognostic markers of B-CLL were determined. RESULTS: Cases had a higher body mass index (BMI) than controls (p = 0.01) and lower levels of leptin (p < 0.01). Significantly more cases than controls presented a family history of lymphohematopoietic cancer (LHC) (p = 0.01). Higher serum leptin levels were associated with lower risk of B-CLL adjusting for age, gender, family history of LHC, BMI and serum adiponectin; the multivariate odds ratio comparing highest to lowest tertile was 0.05 (95% CI 0.01-0.29, p trend < 0.001); Adiponectin was not significantly different between cases and controls. CONCLUSION: Leptin was found to be inversely associated with risk of CLL but in contrast to prior studies of CLL and hematologic malignancies, this study found no significant association between CLL and adiponectin.

Information and computer security are gaining continuous attention in the context of modern organizations across all domains of human activities. Emphasizing on behavioral factors toward the applicability of security measures and practices is an area under research, aiming to look beyond the strict technical peculiarities and investigate human attitudes in regards to security consciousness and familiarity. The aim of this chapter is to shed light on those aspects in relation with healthcare, by empirically assessing the intention of undergraduate nursing students to apply security concepts and practices. A research theoretical framework is proposed based on an empirical synthesis of constructs adopted from well established theories as the Health Belief Model and the Protection Motivation Theory along with a variety of previous research works. The model is then empirically tested and validated against a sample of 149 undergraduate nursing students. Data analysis was performed using partial least squares. The research findings highlighted the significant effects of perceived benefits, general security orientation and selfefficacy to behavioral intention along with the positive effect of general controllability to self-efficacy of nursing students in applying security concepts and practices, whereas a series of other constructs did not prove to be significant. The study outcomes contribute to further observations related with behavioral security. Despite the fact that the current empirical study was conducted under a specific context and settings, implications are discussed, regarding the security readiness of nursing students prior their engagement to a real healthcare environment. © 2011, IGI Global.

(2010). Beijing 2008: Οι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες στη «Χώρα του Δράκου» και το γεωπολιτικό παιχνίδι στη «στέγη του κόσμου». Το Πεκίνο, η καρδιά της Κίνας, της πολυπληθέστερης χώρας του πλανήτη, υποδέχτηκε τους 29ους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες το 2008. Ποια είναι τα βασικά χαρακτηριστικά της ιδιαίτερης αυτής χώρας από απόψεως ιστορίας, φιλοσοφίας και πολιτικής; Μέσα από ποιες διεργασίες το κομμουνιστικό κόμμα διαδέχτηκε το αυτοκρατορικό σύστημα; Η χώρα του Κομφούκιου και του Μάο Τσε Τούνγκ συνιστά σήμερα ένα εξαιρετικά πολύπλοκο κράτος, όπου η τυραννία και η ελευθερία συνυπάρχουν, μαζί με την πρόοδο και την ελπίδα. Η χώρα του «κόκκινου καπιταλισμού» με αφορμή τους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες θα εκμεταλλευόταν την ευκαιρία να δείξει σε όλο τον πλανήτη πόσο μεγάλη και ισχυρή έχει γίνει. Ποιο είναι, όμως, σήμερα το γεωπολιτικό παιχνίδι στη «στέγη του κόσμου»; Ποιες οι αρχές του λαμαϊσμού (του θιβετιανής εκδοχής βουδισμού), όπως τις εκφράζει με τη στάση και τη φιλοσοφία του ο σημερινός 14ος Δαλάι Λάμα; Ο εξόριστος ηγέτης των Θιβετιανών και τιμημένος με το βραβείο Νόμπελ Ειρήνης, ο μοναχός που λατρεύεται ως θεός από τους βουδιστές του κόσμου, έχει επιδιώξει το συγκερασμό μεταξύ πολιτικής και πνευματικότητας, σήμερα τάσσεται υπέρ της παγκοσμιοποίησης και υποστηρίζει την αυτονομία του Θιβέτ. Κατά τη διάρκεια των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων του Πεκίνου η πολιτική εξουσία δεν έμεινε μακράν των αγώνων, με αφορμή την ανελευθερία και την καταπάτηση των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων στην Κίνα. Στο μεταξύ, η κρίση στον Καύκασο τίναξε την οποιαδήποτε συζήτηση περί «ολυμπιακής εκεχειρίας» στον αέρα. Στη συνέχεια, πάντως, η όλη διοργάνωση υπήρξε ανάλογη ενός ανερχόμενου γίγαντα όπως είναι σήμερα η Κίνα. Με την αισθητική του σκηνοθέτη Ζανγκ Γιμού συναντήθηκε ο αρχαίος πολιτισμός της με τη σύγχρονη αισθητική, σαν ταινία μυστηρίου και φαντασμαγορίας.  Η Κίνα του 21ου αιώνα είναι αναμφισβήτητα μια από τις ηγέτιδες δυνάμεις του σύγχρονου κόσμου. Παρά την γιγαντιαία διοργάνωση, ωστόσο, σημειώθηκαν και ευτράπελα στην Made in China κινεζική τελειότητα. 

Background This retrospective pooled analysis of two phase III trials (MM-009/MM-010) compared clinical outcomes of patients who achieved a complete response or very good partial response to treatment with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone with the outcomes of those who only achieved a partial response. Design and Methods Patients (n=353) received lenalidomide (25 mg/day for 21 days of each 28-day cycle) plus dexamethasone (40 mg on days 1-4, 9-12, and 17-20 for four cycles, and only on days 1-4 after the first four cycles). Time to response, duration of response, time-to-progression, overall survival, and adverse events were investigated for patients who had a complete or very good partial response and compared with those of patients who had a partial response. Results At the time of unblinding, 32% of patients had achieved a complete or very good partial response and 28% had a partial response. Half (50.5%) of the patients who had a partial response as their initial response achieved a complete or very good partial response with further treatment. The probability of achieving a complete or very good partial response with continued lenalidomide treatment decreased with delayed achievement of a partial response (by cycle 4 versus later); however, it remained clinically significant. With an extended follow-up of 48 months, the median response duration, time-to-progression, and overall survival were longer in patients with a complete or very good partial response than in those with a partial response (24.0 versus 8.3 months, P<0.001; 27.7 versus 12.0 months, P<0.001; not reached versus 44.2 months, P=0.021, respectively). The benefit of a complete or very good partial response was independent of when it was achieved. Conclusions Continuing treatment with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone to achieve best response, in the absence of disease progression and toxicity, provided deeper remissions and greater clinical benefit over time for patients in this study. © 2010 Ferrata Storti Foundation.

Magnetic particles are currently applied to special biomedical and environmental applications owing to their unique magnetic, morphological and substance-carrying capabilities. Very recently we introduced Magnetically Assisted Hemodialysis (MAHD), an innovative therapeutic application of Ferromagnetic Nanoparticles (FNs) for the treatment of End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). MAHD can be employed for the selective and efficient removal of toxins that, although of high biological importance, they cannot be handled by current Hemodialysis strategies. This work is focused on evaluating the biocompatibility of Fe3O4 FNs with cells of donated human blood, namely Red Blood Cells (RBCs), White Blood Cells (WBCs) and Platelets (Pits). To that end, optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy were employed for the morphological examination of blood cells that were maturated under the presence of Fe3O4 FNs by means of mild incubation up to 120 min at T = 20 degrees C. As a conclusion we have not detected noticeable interference between RBCs, WBCs and Pits with FNs for the maturation conditions and the extreme FNs concentrations examined in this work.

The diffusion layer model of drug dissolution is used for the simulation of oral drug absorption as well as for the analysis of experimental data. The governing role of saturation solubility in the rate of dissolution makes this parameter predominant for biopharmaceutical classification purposes. The hypothesis models and criteria associated with the use of solubility and dissolution for the biopharmaceutical classification of compounds and marketed drugs are reviewed in this article. The complex hydrodynamics in the in vitro dissolution apparatuses as well as the motility in the gastrointestinal tract do not allow the application of the diffusion layer model in these systems, as this has been built and verified in the rotating disk device. The solubilizing capacity of gastrointestinal fluids media is higher than the aqueous saturation solubility usually reported and used for biopharmaceutical purposes. Emphasis is given on the reaction-limited model of dissolution which provides a useful alternative not based on diffusion principles. Model independent dissolution parameters are more useful for regulators as our knowledge for the dissolution mechanism(s) under in vivo conditions is limited.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between fat-free mass and shot put performance at the beginning of the winter preparation cycle and at the first peak of the season (12 wk later) in well-trained shot-putters using the rotational style. METHODS: Eight national-level shot put athletes followed their individual training programs for a period of 12 wk aiming at the national indoor championship. Shot put performance with the rotational style as well as from the power position was determined before and after this 12 wk period. Body composition was determined before and after the training period with dual x-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: Shot put from the power position was increased by 3% (P = .03) while shot put with the rotational style was increased by 6.5% (P < .01). Fat-free mass, body fat and bone mineral density were not altered after the training period. The correlation coefficient between fat-free mass and shot put performance from the power position was significant (r = .76 preseason vs r = .66, competition; P < .05). The correlation coefficient between fat-free mass and shot put performance with the rotational style was significant at the beginning of the training period (r = .70, P < .05) but it was decreased to moderate and nonsignificant levels at competition (r = .55, ns). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the increase of fat-free mass might not be the most essential element for competition when the rotational shot put style is involved.

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a B-Cell lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by lymphoplasmacytic bone marrow infiltration and immunoglobulin M (IgM) monoclonal gammopathy. It remains incurable, with a median survival of 5-10 years in symptomatic WM. Current first-line treatment options include alkylating agents, nucleoside analogues, and rituximab-based therapies. However, primary or secondary resistance invariably develops. Thus, new treatment options are needed. Preclinical studies have shown that the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib targets signaling pathways of relevance in WM. Bortezomib, alone and in combination with rituximab, has demonstrated notable activity in clinical studies in patients with WM, predominantly in phase II trials in the relapsed or refractory setting. In newly diagnosed patients, bortezomib plus rituximab and dexamethasone is highly active (complete response/near-complete response = 22%). Bortezomib-based therapies result in rapid responses, potentially making them suitable treatment options for patients with hyperviscosity-related symptoms who require a rapid reduction in IgM level. In addition, bortezomib appears unique in reducing rituximab-associated IgM flares. Bortezomib is generally well tolerated in WM. However, neurotoxicity is common and might be the cause of dose reduction or treatment discontinuation. Bortezomib has no adverse effect on stem cell harvesting and engraftment, making it a feasible treatment option in transplantation-eligible patients. These encouraging data have led to the inclusion of bortezomib as a salvage treatment option in the recently updated Fourth International Workshop on Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia treatment recommendations.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to confirm overall survival (OS) and other clinical benefits with bortezomib, melphalan, and prednisone (VMP) versus melphalan and prednisone (MP) in the phase III VISTA (Velcade as Initial Standard Therapy in Multiple Myeloma) trial after prolonged follow-up, and evaluate the impact of subsequent therapies. Patients and Methods: Previously untreated symptomatic patients with myeloma ineligible for high-dose therapy received up to nine 6-week cycles of VMP (n = 344) or MP (n = 338). Results: With a median follow-up of 36.7 months, there was a 35% reduced risk of death with VMP versus MP (hazard ratio, 0.653; P < .001); median OS was not reached with VMP versus 43 months with MP; 3-year OS rates were 68.5% versus 54.0%. Response rates to subsequent thalidomide-(41% v 53%) and lenalidomide-based therapies (59% v 52%) appeared similar after VMP or MP; response rates to subsequent bortezomib-based therapy were 47% versus 59%. Among patients treated with VMP (n = 178) and MP (n = 233), median survival from start of subsequent therapy was 30.2 and 21.9 months, respectively, and there was no difference in survival from salvage among patients who received subsequent bortezomib, thalidomide, or lenalidomide. Rates of adverse events were higher with VMP versus MP during cycles 1 to 4, but similar during cycles 5 to 9. With VMP, 79% of peripheral neuropathy events improved within a median of 1.9 months; 60% completely resolved within a median of 5.7 months. Conclusion: VMP significantly prolongs OS versus MP after lengthy follow-up and extensive subsequent antimyeloma therapy. First-line bortezomib use does not induce more resistant relapse. VMP used upfront appears more beneficial than first treating with conventional agents and saving bortezomib- and other novel agent-based treatment until relapse. © 2010 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of bortezomib with or without dexamethasone and to define prognostic factors for patients with primary systemic light chain (AL) amyloidosis treated with bortezomib or both. Patients and Methods: Ninety-four patients from three centers were analyzed: 19% received the combination as first-line treatment, 81% had a median of two previous therapies, and 69% had refractory disease, while most patients had symptomatic heart involvement or elevated serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Results: A hematologic response was achieved in 71% within a median of 52 days, including 25% complete responses (CRs). Previously untreated patients had a 47% CR rate. Age 65 years or younger (P = .043) and twice weekly administration of bortezomib (P = .041) were associated with higher response rates. A cardiac response was documented in 29% of patients, in most as sustained improvement of functional class and less often as a decrease in wall thickness. Hematologic responses were associated with a cardiac response and NT-proBNP reduction. After a median follow-up of 12 months, 29% of patients had organ progression and 27% had hematologic progression. Median survival has not been reached and the 1-year survival rate is 76%. Baseline NT-proBNP was independently associated with survival (P = .001), while in a landmark analysis, survival was associated with NT-proBNP reduction of ≥ 30% (P = .006) and achievement of hematologic response (P = .001). Toxicity was manageable and mostly consisted of neuropathy, orthostasis, peripheral edema, and constipation or diarrhea. Conclusion: Bortezomib with or without dexamethasone is active in AL amyloidosis and induces rapid responses and high rates of hematologic and organ responses. Serial measurement of cardiac biomarkers is a powerful predictor of outcome. © 2010 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

In this paper we examined whether the recorded precipitation changes cause erosion in Naxos Island, Greece using precipitation indices derived from daily precipitation totals, during the period 1955–2007, in order to develop an erosion risk model. Although the mean annual precipitation appear to be low (~360.0 mm), the erosion processes of the area are very intense, because of the intensive character of precipitation, the high slope relief, the differential lithology and the absence of important land cover The results of the analysis showed that the climatic changes in precipitation and the changes in land cover and land use are the main drivers for the erosion. This is why the 2nd (1971–1985) and 3rd (1986–2007) studied sub-periods may be called of high erosion risk, and especially the second one mainly because of the increased frequency of extreme precipitation events.

In this paper we examined whether the recorded precipitation changes cause erosion in Naxos Island, Greece using precipitation indices derived from daily precipitation totals, during the period 1955-2007, in order to develop an erosion risk model. Although the mean annual precipitation appear to be low (∼360.0 mm), the erosion processes of the area are very intense, because of the intensive character of precipitation, the high slope relief, the differential lithology and the absence of important land cover The results of the analysis showed that the climatic changes in precipitation and the changes in land cover and land use are the main drivers for the erosion. This is why the 2nd (1971-1985) and 3rd (1986-2007) studied sub-periods may be called of high erosion risk, and especially the second one mainly because of the increased frequency of extreme precipitation events. © 2010 Author(s).

Extreme precipitation events have significant environmental consequences because they may cause considerable damages to urban as well as rural areas. The aim of this work is to construct a threshold model which will describe the exceedances over a threshold for the daily precipitation totals over Athens, Greece. The data used are daily precipitation totals recorded at the National Observatory of Athens, for a 115-year period (1891-2005). The generalized Pareto distribution is considered as the proper distribution for the study of the exceedances. The threshold of u=15.8 mm (10% upper limit) is used for the construction of the optimal return level function. © Author(s) 2010.

Background: Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) in pregnancy presenting with breast involvement is a rare clinical entity, and only 13 cases have been reported so far. Case Report: We describe the case of a 28-year-old postpartum woman who presented with markedly enlarged breasts caused by BL. She was treated with 8 cycles of the CALGB 10002 regimen, as well as with irradiation to both breasts. After achieving a complete objective response, the patient received consolidation with high dose BEAM followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. 20 months after the initial diagnosis, our patient remains alive and relapse-free. Data extracted from the published case reports include information regarding demographic details, type of treatment, sites of disease, and survival. The clinical outcome of the reviewed cases was very unfavorable. Conclusions: BL affecting breasts during pregnancy or lactation is a rare entity that requires a prompt diagnosis and an aggressive therapeutic approach. © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

In core ADE3-23 collected in the Libyan Sea, the nannofossil species Coccolithus pelagicus, Coronosphaera spp., Helicosphaera spp., Syracosphaera spp., Calcidiscus spp., small Gephyrocapsa spp., and the planktonic foraminifers Globigerina bulloides, Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, Globorotalia scitula, Turborotalita quinqueloba and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei prevail in sapropel S6 (midpoint at 172 ka B.P.), indicative of cold and highly productive surface conditions. Warm and highly stratified water-column conditions are recorded by the characteristic assemblage of Globigerinoides ruber, Globoturborotalita rubescens, Florisphaera profunda, Rhabdosphaera spp. during the sapropel S5 depositional interval (midpoint at 124 ka B.P.). Compared with S5, Globigerinita glutinata, Globorotalia inflata, Globigerinella siphonifera, Globorotalia truncatulinoides and the calcareous nannofossil Emiliania huxleyi characterise less stratified conditions within sapropel S1 (midpoint at 8.5 ka B.P.). Multivariate statistical analyses of calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminifers in core ADE3-23 identify planktonic assemblages which typify sapropels S6, S5 and S1 in the Libyan Sea. A warmer interval is recognised in the middle part of the cold S6, and can beassociated with an influx of less saline waters and the occurrence of a faint, temporary deep chlorophyll maximum. Evidence for enhanced surface productivity and breakdown of stratification is observed in the middle–upper part of the warm S5, associated with climatic deterioration. Moreover, an increase in surface productivity in the upper S1 implies weak stratification. Our combined calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminiferal data add to the evidence that climate variability was more pronounced than commonly considered to date for all the three studied Eastern Mediterranean sapropel depositional intervals. 

In core ADE3-23 collected in the Libyan Sea, the nannofossil species Coccolithus pelagicus, Coronosphaera spp., Helicosphaera spp., Syracosphaera spp., Calcidiscus spp., small Gephyrocapsa spp., and the planktonic foraminifers Globigerina bulloides, Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, Globorotalia scitula, Turborotalita quinqueloba and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei prevail in sapropel S6 (midpoint at 172 ka B.P.), indicative of cold and highly productive surface conditions. Warm and highly stratified water-column conditions are recorded by the characteristic assemblage of Globigerinoides ruber, Globoturborotalita rubescens, Florisphaera profunda, Rhabdosphaera spp. during the sapropel S5 depositional interval (midpoint at 124 ka B.P.). Compared with S5, Globigerinita glutinata, Globorotalia inflata, Globigerinella siphonifera, Globorotalia truncatulinoides and the calcareous nannofossil Emiliania huxleyi characterise less stratified conditions within sapropel S1 (midpoint at 8.5 ka B.P.). Multivariate statistical analyses of calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminifers in core ADE3-23 identify planktonic assemblages which typify sapropels S6, S5 and S1 in the Libyan Sea. A warmer interval is recognised in the middle part of the cold S6, and can beassociated with an influx of less saline waters and the occurrence of a faint, temporary deep chlorophyll maximum. Evidence for enhanced surface productivity and breakdown of stratification is observed in the middle–upper part of the warm S5, associated with climatic deterioration. Moreover, an increase in surface productivity in the upper S1 implies weak stratification. Our combined calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminiferal data add to the evidence that climate variability was more pronounced than commonly considered to date for all the three studied Eastern Mediterranean sapropel depositional intervals. 

We present the mathematical formulation and numerical results for the beam-wave interaction in a coaxial waveguide with rectangular slots filled with a lossy dielectric material. The formalism is based on a full-wave analysis and the linearized Vlasov equation. Numerical results are given for all kinds of modes in simplified gyrotron beam tunnels, and the effect of the losses to the parasitic oscillations is examined and discussed.

Caloric restriction and autophagy-inducing pharmacological agents can prolong lifespan in model organisms including mice, flies, and nematodes. In this study, we show that transgenic expression of Sirtuin-1 induces autophagy in human cells in vitro and in Caenorhabditis elegans in vivo. The knockdown or knockout of Sirtuin-1 prevented the induction of autophagy by resveratrol and by nutrient deprivation in human cells as well as by dietary restriction in C. elegans. Conversely, Sirtuin-1 was not required for the induction of autophagy by rapamycin or p53 inhibition, neither in human cells nor in C. elegans. The knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of Sirtuin-1 enhanced the vulnerability of human cells to metabolic stress, unless they were stimulated to undergo autophagy by treatment with rapamycin or p53 inhibition. Along similar lines, resveratrol and dietary restriction only prolonged the lifespan of autophagy-proficient nematodes, whereas these beneficial effects on longevity were abolished by the knockdown of the essential autophagic modulator Beclin-1. We conclude that autophagy is universally required for the lifespan-prolonging effects of caloric restriction and pharmacological Sirtuin-1 activators.

The effect of resistance exercise on blood lipids is not clear yet. The purpose of this study was to examine the cholesterol responses to a heavy resistance leg press exercise emphasizing on the eccentric movement 24 and 48 hours following exercise and to quantify the cardiorespiratory responses of the exercise bout in an attempt to clarify the exercise characteristics that may be responsible for the effects of heavy resistance exercise on blood lipids. Nine healthy, untrained male volunteers aged 27.2 ± 1.1 yrs (76.2 ± 2.5 kg, 1.79 ± 0.02 m) performed a session of heavy RE emphasizing on the eccentric movement consisting of eight sets of inclined leg presses at six repetition maximum with 3-min rest intervals. Venous blood samples were obtained at rest (control) and 24 and 48 hours following exercise. Average VO2 at rest was 4.0 ± 0.4 ml·min-1·kg-1, during exercise 19.6 ± 0.2 ml·min-1·kg-1 and during the 180 sec recovery period between sets 12.5 ± 0.2 ml·min-1·kg-1. RER values decreased with the progression of the exercise and were significantly lower during the last four sets compared with the first four sets of the exercise session. Resting heart rate was 67 ± 2 bpm, and maximum heart rate during exercise was 168 ± 1 bspm. Serum creatine kinase was significantly elevated on day 1 (1090 ± 272 U·L-1, p < 0.03) and peaked on day 2 (1230 ± 440 U·L-1 p < 0.01). Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and calculated LDL cholesterol concentration did not change significantly following with exercise. This protocol of heavy resistance exercise has no effect on TC or cholesterol sub-fraction concentration 24 and 48 hours following exercise which may be due to the low energy expenditure of the exercise and/or to the gender of the participants. © Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.

The effect of resistance exercise on blood lipids is not clear yet. The purpose of this study was to examine the cholesterol responses to a heavy resistance leg press exercise emphasizing on the eccentric movement 24 and 48 hours following exercise and to quantify the cardiorespiratory responses of the exercise bout in an attempt to clarify the exercise characteristics that may be responsible for the effects of heavy resistance exercise on blood lipids. Nine healthy, untrained male volunteers aged 27.2 ± 1.1 yrs (76.2 ± 2.5 kg, 1.79 ± 0.02 m) performed a session of heavy RE emphasizing on the eccentric movement consisting of eight sets of inclined leg presses at six repetition maximum with 3-min rest intervals. Venous blood samples were obtained at rest (control) and 24 and 48 hours following exercise. Average VO2 at rest was 4.0 ± 0.4 ml·min-1·kg-1, during exercise 19.6 ± 0.2 ml·min-1·kg-1 and during the 180 sec recovery period between sets 12.5 ± 0.2 ml·min-1·kg-1. RER values decreased with the progression of the exercise and were significantly lower during the last four sets compared with the first four sets of the exercise session. Resting heart rate was 67 ± 2 bpm, and maximum heart rate during exercise was 168 ± 1 bspm. Serum creatine kinase was significantly elevated on day 1 (1090 ± 272 U·L-1, p < 0.03) and peaked on day 2 (1230 ± 440 U·L-1 p < 0.01). Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and calculated LDL cholesterol concentration did not change significantly following with exercise. This protocol of heavy resistance exercise has no effect on TC or cholesterol sub-fraction concentration 24 and 48 hours following exercise which may be due to the low energy expenditure of the exercise and/or to the gender of the participants. © Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.

The effect of resistance exercise on blood lipids is not clear yet. The purpose of this study was to examine the cholesterol responses to a heavy resistance leg press exercise emphasizing on the eccentric movement 24 and 48 hours following exercise and to quantify the cardiorespiratory responses of the exercise bout in an attempt to clarify the exercise characteristics that may be responsible for the effects of heavy resistance exercise on blood lipids. Nine healthy, untrained male volunteers aged 27.2 ± 1.1 yrs (76.2 ± 2.5 kg, 1.79 ± 0.02 m) performed a session of heavy RE emphasizing on the eccentric movement consisting of eight sets of inclined leg presses at six repetition maximum with 3-min rest intervals. Venous blood samples were obtained at rest (control) and 24 and 48 hours following exercise. Average VO2 at rest was 4.0 ± 0.4 ml·min-1·kg-1, during exercise 19.6 ± 0.2 ml·min-1·kg-1 and during the 180 sec recovery period between sets 12.5 ± 0.2 ml·min-1·kg-1. RER values decreased with the progression of the exercise and were significantly lower during the last four sets compared with the first four sets of the exercise session. Resting heart rate was 67 ± 2 bpm, and maximum heart rate during exercise was 168 ± 1 bspm. Serum creatine kinase was significantly elevated on day 1 (1090 ± 272 U·L-1, p < 0.03) and peaked on day 2 (1230 ± 440 U·L-1 p < 0.01). Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and calculated LDL cholesterol concentration did not change significantly following with exercise. This protocol of heavy resistance exercise has no effect on TC or cholesterol sub-fraction concentration 24 and 48 hours following exercise which may be due to the low energy expenditure of the exercise and/or to the gender of the participants. © Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.

A case of abrupt and significant increase of surface ozone was examined, which is recorded during the night of October 9th, 2003, over the area of the Thriassion Plain - Greece, being accompanied by the occurrence of a wind outbreak during the same period. As this increase cannot be explained by the ordinary diurnal evolution of tropospheric ozone concentration, the possibility of downward stratospheric ozone transport was investigated. It was indeed found that the case is associated with tropopause folding and subsequent stratospheric air intrusion in the upper troposphere over Greece. With the aid of mesoscale modeling, being also supported by the hydraulic theory, it was found that the intense wind outbreak is associated with the development of disturbances in the lee side of the neighbouring mountain ranges. These disturbances contribute to the free troposphere - atmospheric boundary layer interaction, facilitating the transportation of stratospheric air close to the surface, thus resulting to the observed tropospheric ozone increase. © 2010 Gebrüder Borntraeger, Berlin, Stuttgart.

The purpose of this study was to propose a growth-based structural superimposition method for assessment of cervical vertebral fusion and evaluate variations and abnormalities of the upper cervical vertebrae. Standardized lateral cephalograms of 156 patients (69 males and 87 females, age range 6-20 years), representing a skeletally heterogeneous orthodontic population, were used. Primary criterion for sample selection was the existence of at least two lateral cephalograms, one taken before orthodontic treatment, which depicted the first four cervical vertebrae. The abnormalities of the vertebrae were estimated by visual assessment and structural superimposition. Lateral cephalometric analysis was conducted in order to correlate vertebral anomalies to skeletal pattern. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables and interobserver agreement was evaluated using the kappa statistic. Four patients (2.6 per cent) were found to have secondary ossicles in close relationship to the first cervical vertebra, while in 7.4 per cent, the vertebral arteries of the atlas were surrounded by a complete ring-shaped osseous structure. Three cephalograms showed atlas posterior arch dehiscence. After visual examination, 14 patients were provisionally identified as presenting fusion between the second and third cervical vertebrae. However, growth-based superimposition of the radiographs disclosed that no patient showed actual fusion, even though the lateral cephalometric analysis revealed sufficient extreme skeletal patterns, which have been previously related to vertebral fusion. The findings of this study demonstrated a low percentage of atlas anomalies. It was not possible to correlate skeletal pattern to fusion of cervical vertebrae because no fusions were found. Subjective visual examination of a single cephalogram may result in false-positive findings of fusion and growth-based superimposition is recommended.

Respiratory infections have been implicated in the origin and exacerbation of asthma in a variety of ways; however, systemisation of this knowledge in a way helpful for disease management remains suboptimal. Several conceptual issues need to be taken into account: the fact that the effects of an infection may vary according to genetic background, the current immune status of the host, and parallel environmental stimuli, in addition to the particular infectious agent itself. Moreover, childhood is a very special period because of the continuous processes taking place, such as neural, immune and respiratory maturation. Epidemiological studies have convincingly demonstrated that the majority of asthma exacerbations, in both adults and children, follow viral upper respiratory tract infections. Asthma exacerbations are still often unresponsive to current asthma treatment, and new therapeutic approaches are required. This review presents current knowledge on the associations between infection and exacerbation of established asthma with respect to definitions, epidemiology, mechanisms and treatment.

The distribution of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars and Neisseria gonorrhoeae coinfection was studied in a group of 100 C. trachomatis-positive males with urethritis in Greece. The serovar distribution revealed that apart from the predominant worldwide types E and F, the relatively uncommon type G is also prevalent. Gonococcal coinfection was frequent (30%) and was associated with genovariant Ja (75%, P = 0.008).

A case of a neonate with congenital chylous ascites resulting from primary lymphatic dysplasia is described. The baby also presented with a sludge ball in the gallbladder that eventually progressed to gallstones. The association of chylous ascites with cholelithiasis in this neonate is discussed.

{BACKGROUND: Adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (a-FABP) has been suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. Preterm infants are at risk for the later development of insulin resistance, and, possibly, other components of metabolic syndrome. AIM: To determine circulating levels of a-FABP in preterm infants and examine possible associations of a-FABP with metabolic indices (serum lipids, glucose, and insulin levels, and homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]), levels of leptin and adiponectin, anthropometric parameters and weight gain. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SUBJECTS: 55 healthy preterm (mean [SD] gestational age 32.8 [1.8] weeks) and 23 fullterm infants (reference group). OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum a-FABP, lipids, glucose, insulin, leptin and adiponectin levels at 31.9 [10.4] days of life. RESULTS: Serum a-FABP levels did not differ significantly between preterm and fullterm infants. A-FABP levels correlated positively with total-cholesterol [total-C] in both preterm and fullterm infants (beta=0.33; p=0.01 and beta=0.33; p=0.04, respectively). In addition to total-C, weight gain correlated independently with a-FABP levels in preterm infants (beta=0.36

Uterine agenesis is one of the differential diagnoses in adolescent girls with delayed menstruation. It may also be suspected earlier in childhood during investigations for other genitourinary conditions. However, accurate confirmation that the uterus is absent can be extremely difficult before puberty because of its small size. We describe ten girls referred to a specialist centre with a presumed diagnosis of an absent uterus which was later found to be incorrect. We conclude that imaging should be undertaken by clinicians with experience in management of this age group and in some girls it may be necessary to delay final diagnosis until after puberty. © 2009 RCOG BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

A deep XMM survey has identified hundreds of bright X-ray sources from the direction of Andromeda. These sources are mostly comprised of supernova remnants, X-ray Binaries and background Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). We have obtained 35 optical spectra of their candidate counterparts using the 3.5-meter telescope at the Apache Point Observatory. After calibrating and extracting the objects' spectra from the sky background, we've been able to classify 8 as background AGN with red shifts (1.15< z <2.11). Preliminary classifications of the 27 others include 9 stars in Andromeda and 1 supernova remnant in Andromeda. With these results we are beginning to constrain the background contamination in the XMM survey and to find good high-mass X-ray binary candidates in Andromeda. Furthermore, future high-resolution spectroscopy of the background AGN may allow detailed absorption studies of the Andromeda interstellar medium. Support for this work has been provided by NASA grant NNX06AF58G, through the XMM-Newton Guest Observer Facility.

Environmental pollution abatement and especially the growing demand for clean water pose one of the most severe challenges worldwide. Besides the scarcity of water resources, the presence of hazardous chemicals with serious adverse health effects, even at extremely low concentrations, impose serious considerations for the quality of drinking water. The rapid evolution of nanoscale science and technology has dramatically expanded the materials' application potential towards radically new or multifunctional properties rendering nanotechnology an indispensable component in shaping modern environmental science. The nanoscale-perspective maintaining the integrity of the environment is currently the stimulus for the development of innovative and cost-effective functional materials and sustainable processes for water treatment and purification. The CLEAN WATER (EU FP7 collaborative project) aims at the development of an innovative and efficient water detoxification technology exploiting solar energy and nano-engineered titania photocatalysts in combination with nanofiltration membranes. In this approach, nanostructured titania with high UV-visible response will be synthesized and stabilized on nanotubular membranes of controlled pore size and retention efficiency as well as on carbon nanotubes exploiting their high surface area to achieve photocatalytically active nanocomposite membranes. Comparative evaluation of the UV-visible and solar light efficiency of the modified titania photocatalysts for water detoxification will be intensively investigated on various target pollutants ranging from classical water contaminants such us phenols, pesticides and azo-dyes to the extremely hazardous cyanobacterial toxins and emerging endocrine disrupting compounds in order to evaluate/optimize the materials performance and validate their competence on water treatment. Particular efforts will be devoted to the analysis and quantification of degradation products as well as their toxicity. All these will be the crucial components for the fabrication of innovative continuous flow photocatalytic-disinfection-membrane reactors for the implementation of sustainable and cost effective water treatment technologies based on nano-engineered materials. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010.

Background: Primary systemic light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is characterized by the deposition of immunoglobulin light chain-derived amyloid fibrils in various tissues leading to multiorgan dysfunction. Patients and Methods: In order to define characteristics, treatment, and outcome of Greek patients with AL amyloidosis, we analyzed 112 unselected patients with AL from several hospitals. Results: The heart was involved in 59% of patients and kidneys in 71%. Patients were treated with several different treatment regimens; high-dose dexamethasone-based regimens were used as primary treatment in 43% and melphalan-based regimens in 37%, while 12% received up-front bortezomib with dexamethasone. A hematologic response to first-line therapy was documented in 50% (complete response, 14.5%), and organ responses were observed in 25% of patients, the latter being strongly associated with achievement of hematologic response. Median overall survival was 34.2 months and was independently affected by heart involvement, creatinine, age, involvement of ≥2 organs, and bone marrow plasmacytosis > 30%. In patients with cardiac involvement, advanced age and extended bone marrow plasmacytosis were associated with an even worse outcome, while for patients without heart involvement, only bone marrow plasmacytosis was independently associated with survival. Hematologic response was associated with improved survival in patients with heart involvement but mostly in patients with less bone marrow infiltration. Conclusion: In this first series of patients from Greece with AL amyloidosis, disease features and outcome appeared similar to those reported from tertiary centers. Heart involvement and bone marrow plasma cell infiltration comprise adverse prognostic factors but also indicate the heterogeneity of the disease and the need for individual treatment approaches.

Even though treatment of several types of solid tumors has improved in the past few years with the introduction of molecular targeted agents in the therapeutic armamentarium of the medical oncologist, response rates to these agents are generally modest. Increasing evidence is now revealing that genetic factors are affecting patients' response to these therapeutic agents as well as the frequency and intensity of toxic reactions. Importantly, pharmacogenetic analysis is now required for the administration of several molecular targeted agents in clinical practice. For the vast majority of these agents, however, data remain purely experimental. Herein, we provide an overview of the genetic changes (mutations and polymorphisms) that have been associated with response to treatment with anticancer molecular targeted agents. Special emphasis is given on molecules (monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors) that target critical mediators in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/ERBB2/NEU) and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) pathways. The true clinical utility of these applications remains to be proven in future prospective, randomized clinical trials in large patient cohorts of all different ethnic backgrounds.

Although hollow nanostructures, such as nanotubes, represent a major portion of nanoscaled materials with a tremendously large application range, a detailed evaluation of their internal characteristics still remains elusive. Transmission electron microscopy is the most common analytical technique to examine the internal configuration of these structures, yet it can only provide evidence of a minimal portion of the overall material, thus, it cannot be accurately generalized. In the present paper, in addition to electron microscopy and other spot-size analysis methods (X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, etc.), a combination of techniques including adsorption, permeability, and relative permeability are employed in order to provide important insights into various crucial details of the overall internal surface and hollow-space characteristics of carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays and membranes. The CNT arrays are fabricated using anodized alumina as a template in a flow-through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor. This is the first systematic approach for investigating the internal configuration of template-based CNT arrays in detail. Key findings are made fiar the customized optimization of the resulting nanotube membranes for a variety of applications, including separations, nanofluidics and nanoreactors, biological capturing and purification, and controlled drug delivery and release. © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinhelm.

Living coccolithophores were collected in February 2008, in surface waters from seven stations over the western Cretan Straits (South Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean). The coccolithophore distribution was quantitatively documented through Scanning Electron Microscopy in terms of density, diversity and community structure. In the study period, the most abundant species was Emiliania huxleyi, followed by Rhabdosphaera clavigera and Syracosphaera pulchra, while additional important component of the winter assemblages were Helicosphaera carteri, Algirosphaera robusta and Syracosphaera molischii. The studied coccolithophore communities indicate a close relationship between coccosphere densities and surface water circulation, with the surface temperature gradient affecting species composition. 

Phenotypic variation in CHARGE syndrome remains unexplained. A subcategory of CHARGE patients show overlapping phenotypic characteristics with DiGeorge syndrome (thymic hypo/aplasia, hypocalcemia, T-cell immunodeficiency). Very few have been tested or reported to carry a mutation of the CHD7 (chromodomain helicase DNA-binding domain) gene detected in two-thirds of CHARGE patients. In an attempt to explore the genetic background of a severe CHARGE/DiGeorge phenotype, we performed comparative genomic array hybridization in an infant carrier of a CHD7 mutation. The high-resolution comparative genomic array hybridization revealed interesting findings, including a deletion distal to the DiGeorge region and disruptions in other chromosomal regions of genes implicated in immunological and other functions possibly contributing to the patient’s severe phenotype and early death.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable disease characterized by the accumulation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. Recently, an improved understanding of the biology of the disease has led to the development of targeted agents such as the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and the immunomodulatory agents thalidomide and lenalidomide; however, MM remains incurable. The combination of bortezomib and an HDAC inhibitor synergistically induces MM cell apoptosis and may be of value in the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory MM. This review examines the potential of combined proteasome and HDAC inhibition in the treatment of relapsed/refractory MM. © 2010.

This study focused on Saharan dust (SD) events over Athens, Greece, based on measurements of the daily aerosol optical depth at 550 nm (AOD550) and the fine-mode fraction (FM) derived from Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations. Back-trajectories ending at Athens at altitudes of 500, 1000 and 4000 m were calculated by means of the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model. Several criteria were taken into account to identify the SD events. According to these criteria and the altitudes of the air masses, three dust transport mechanisms were identified: (1) vertical transport (VT), including the whole atmospheric column, (2) upper atmosphere transport (UAT), above the atmospheric boundary layer, and (3) boundary layer transport (BLT), only within the lower atmospheric levels. The Aerosol Index (AI) derived from Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data was found to be adequate for characterization of the dust load over Athens, while higher values of the AI were found in cases where the dust was transported in the upper atmosphere. The predictions of the Dust Regional Atmospheric Model (DREAM) were consistent with the satellite observations and back trajectories, indicating the suitability of the model for monitoring dust transport over the Mediterranean. The analysis presents three case studies, one for each transport mechanism, where the aerosol field deduced from satellites and models is presented over the Eastern Mediterranean. In conclusion, this study shows that the combination of remote sensing measurements and back-trajectory calculations constitutes a powerful tool for the identification of SD events over Athens, while modelling can monitor the spread of the dust. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.

The business session for Commission 37 was held on 11 August 2009 at the IAU General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro. The meeting was attended by about a dozen members of our Comission, including President Elmegreen, VP Carraro and several committee members. We introduced ourselves and then went through a powerpoint presentation first prepared by outgoing President Hatzidimitriou and revised by incoming President Elmegreen. The contents of the powerpoint presentation are given in this summary.

In part due to the increased demand for higher education, typical evaluation frameworks for universities often address the key issue of available resource utilisation. This study seeks to estimate the efficiency of 20 public universities in Greece through quantitative analysis (including performance indicators, data envelopment analysis (DEA) and econometric procedures). The findings show inefficiency in terms of human resources management while also identifying a clear opportunity to increase research activity and hence research income. In addition to the immediate findings, this paper more broadly discusses the methodology behind the evaluation process used in this investigation and its potential to more consistently and reliably evaluate the efficiency of resource management by public universities. This paper is set against, and hopes to contribute to, the broader debate on reforming the management and administration system of Greek universities. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Detailed quantitative analyses of coccolithophores performed on the shallow deposits of the southeastern Aegean region (core NS-14, 505 m depth), evidenced that the distribution of calcareous nannoplankton assemblages during the last 13 ka BP reflects paleoenvironmental changes which are directly related to parameters such as temperature, salinity, productivity and nutrient flux in the water column. Analysis enabled the separation of the assemblages in four groups. Group A consists of Emiliania huxleyi and the subtropical species Syracosphaera spp. and Rhabdosphaera clavigera, Group B is composed of Helicospaera spp. and Florisphaera profunda, typical species for high productivity conditions in the middle-lower photic zone, Group C consists of Gephyrocapsa oceanica and Braarudosphaera bigelowii, that characterise low salinity conditions and Group D includes Umbilicosphaera spp. and Calcidiscus spp. which are described as relatively eutrophic species. The Holocene assemblages differ distinctly from the living coccolithophore communities in the coastal ecosystems of the Aegean Sea, where only Group A coccolithophores are thriving in the seasonally controlled marine environment.

Batch effects are the systematic non-biological differences between batches (groups) of samples in microarray experiments due to various causes such as differences in sample preparation and hybridization protocols. Previous work focused mainly on the development of methods for effective batch effects removal. However, their impact on cross-batch prediction performance, which is one of the most important goals in microarray-based applications, has not been addressed. This paper uses a broad selection of data sets from the Microarray Quality Control Phase II (MAQC-II) effort, generated on three microarray platforms with different causes of batch effects to assess the efficacy of their removal. Two data sets from cross-tissue and cross-platform experiments are also included. Of the 120 cases studied using Support vector machines (SVM) and K nearest neighbors (KNN) as classifiers and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) as performance metric, we find that Ratio-G, Ratio-A, EJLR, mean-centering and standardization methods perform better or equivalent to no batch effect removal in 89, 85, 83, 79 and 75% of the cases, respectively, suggesting that the application of these methods is generally advisable and ratio-based methods are preferred.

Context. Significant progress has been made in the last years in the understanding of the jet formation mechanism through a combination of numerical simulations and analytical MHD models for outflows characterized by the symmetry of self-similarity. Analytical radially self-similar models successfully describe disk-winds, but need several improvements. In a previous article we introduced models of truncated jets from disks, i.e. evolved in time numerical simulations based on a radially self-similar MHD solution, but including the effects of a finite radius of the jet-emitting disk and thus the outflow. Aims: These models need now to be compared with available observational data. A direct comparison of the results of combined analytical theoretical models and numerical simulations with observations has not been performed as yet. This is our main goal. Methods: In order to compare our models with observed jet widths inferred from recent optical images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based adaptive optics (AO) observations, we use a new set of tools to create emission maps in different forbidden lines, from which we determine the jet width as the full-width half-maximum of the emission. Results: It is shown that the untruncated analytical disk outflow solution considered here cannot fit the small jet widths inferred by observations of several jets. Furthermore, various truncated disk-wind models are examined, whose extracted jet widths range from higher to lower values compared to the observations. Thus, we can fit the observed range of jet widths by tuning our models. Conclusions: We conclude that truncation is necessary to reproduce the observed jet widths and our simulations limit the possible range of truncation radii. We infer that the truncation radius, which is the radius on the disk mid-plane where the jet-emitting disk switches to a standard disk, must be between around 0.1 up to about 1 AU in the observed sample for the considered disk-wind solution. One disk-wind simulation with an inner truncation radius at about 0.11 AU also shows potential for reproducing the observations, but a parameter study is needed.

Using full-wave simulations we show how the incorporation of thin layers made of an active medium adjacently to the core layer of a negative-index slow-light waveguide can completely remove dissipative optical losses. © 2010 Optical Society of America.

We confirm a nova candidate in M 31 reported to us by K. Nishiyama and F. Kabashima and present a pre-discovery detection and upper limit that allows us to tightly constrain the time of outburst for this object. New observations show that the source is still increasing in brightness. The nova candidate was discovered by Nishiyama and Kabashima (Miyaki-Argenteus observatory, Japan) on 2010 September 30.566 UT, with no object visible at its position on September 28.606 UT (private communication).

The Spatial Harmonics Method has been used to study TE modes in a coaxial corrugated cavity. A numerical code has been developed to calculate eigenvalues, fields and ohmic losses on the walls. Numerical results are presented to clarify the influence of the higher-order spatial harmonics to these calculations.

We study the interaction of chirped electromagnetic pulses with intersubband transitions of a double semiconductor quantum well. We consider the ground and first excited subbands and give emphasis to controlled intersubband population transfer. The system dynamics is described by the nonlinear density matrix equations that include the effects of electron-electron interactions. These equations are solved numerically for various values of the electron sheet density for a realistic double GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well, and the efficiency of population transfer is discussed.

The aim of this study was to examine coping with loneliness during early, middle, and late childhood, which is a highly neglected research issue. Children's perceptions of coping with loneliness and coping with real loneliness experiences in the past were investigated. Interviews were conducted with 180 second, fourth, and sixth graders from Athens, Greece. Qualitative analyses of children's responses were done on the basis of a recent conceptualization of coping with stress in childhood and adolescence (Skinner & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2007), which was supported by the data. Statistically significant age and gender differences were found. Results are discussed from the viewpoint of the two literatures—coping and loneliness—that this study attempted to bring together, and suggestions for future research are made.

The treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) has undergone significant developments in recent years. The availability of the novel agents thalidomide, bortezomib, and lenalidomide has expanded treatment options and has improved the outcome of patients with MM. Following the introduction of these agents in the relapsed/refractory setting, they are also undergoing investigation in the initial treatment of MM. A number of phase III trials have demonstrated the efficacy of novel agent combinations in the transplant and nontransplant settings, and based on these results standard induction regimens are being challenged and replaced. In the transplant setting, a number of newer induction regimens are now available that have been shown to be superior to the vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone regimen. Similarly, in the front-line treatment of patients not eligible for transplantation, regimens incorporating novel agents have been found to be superior to the traditional melphalan plus prednisone regimen. Importantly, some of the novel agents appear to be active in patients with high-risk disease, such as adverse cytogenetic features, and certain comorbidities, such as renal impairment. This review presents an overview of the most recent data with these novel agents and summarizes European treatment practices incorporating the novel agents. ©AlphaMed Press.

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin's nodal peripheral T-cell lymphoma characterized by general lymphadenopathy, night sweats, fever, hepatosplenomegaly, polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia, and cutaneous involvement. We present a rare case of AITL cutaneous involvement mimicking toxic erythema recurring with AITL relapse and suggesting a precursor of disease progression.

The application of harmonic analysis to the annual variability of precipitation is the object of this study, so that the modes, which compose the annual variability, be elicited. For this purpose, monthly precipitation totals from 30 meteorological stations of the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS), for the period 1950-2000, were used. The initial target is to reduce the number of variables and to detect structure in the relationships between the variables. The most commonly used technique for this purpose is the application of Factor Analysis (FA) resulted in five main factors (sub-regions) with common precipitation characteristics, explaining 77% of the total variance. For each sub-region, a representative station is selected for the analyses, mainly, as the station within the sub-region with the highest factor loading. In the process, the Fourier Analysis is applied to the mean monthly precipitation, so that 2 harmonic components are derived, which explain more than 90% of the total variability of each station, and are due to different synoptic and thermodynamic processes associated with Greece's precipitation regime. Finally the calculation of the time of the maximum precipitation, for each harmonic component, gives the spatial distribution of the appearance of the maximum precipitation in the Greek region.

In this study, an updated and extended climatology of cyclonic tracks affecting the eastern Mediterranean region is presented, in order to better understand the Mediterranean climate and its changes. This climatology includes intermonthly variations, classification of tracks according to their origin domain, dynamic and kinematic characteristics, and trend analysis. The dataset used is the 1962–2001, 2.58 3 2.58, 40-yr European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis (ERA-40). The identification and tracking of the cyclones was performed with the aid of the Melbourne University algorithm. It was verified that considerable intermonthly variations of track density occur in the eastern Mediterranean, consistent with previous studies for the entire Mediterranean, while further interesting new features have been revealed. The classification of the tracks according to their origin domain reveals that the vast majority originate within the examined area itself, mainly in the Cyprus area and the southeastern Aegean Sea, while the tracks that originate elsewhere most frequently enter from the west. Deeper cyclones follow the southwest track originating from the area between Algeria and the Atlas Mountains. A greater size characterizes the westerly tracks (southwest, northwest, and west), while the northwest tracks propagate faster over the study area. A negative trend of the track frequency was found on an annual basis that can be mostly attributed to the winter months, being associated with variations in the baroclinicity. This negative trend is more prominent for the westerly and northeasterly tracks, as well as for those originating in the northern part of the examined area.

In this study, an updated and extended climatology of cyclonic tracks affecting the eastern Mediterranean region is presented, in order to better understand the Mediterranean climate and its changes. This climatology includes intermonthly variations, classification of tracks according to their origin domain, dynamic and kinematic characteristics, and trend analysis. The dataset used is the 1962-2001, 2.5° × 2.5°, 40-yr European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis (ERA-40). The identification and tracking of the cyclones was performed with the aid of the Melbourne University algorithm. It was verified that considerable intermonthly variations of track density occur in the eastern Mediterranean, consistent with previous studies for the entire Mediterranean, while further interesting new features have been revealed. The classification of the tracks according to their origin domain reveals that the vast majority originate within the examined area itself, mainly in the Cyprus area and the southeastern Aegean Sea, while the tracks that originate elsewhere most frequently enter from the west. Deeper cyclones follow the southwest track originating from the area between Algeria and the Atlas Mountains. A greater size characterizes the westerly tracks (southwest, northwest, and west), while the northwest tracks propagate faster over the study area. A negative trend of the track frequency was found on an annual basis that can be mostly attributed to the winter months, being associated with variations in the baroclinicity. This negative trend is more prominent for the westerly and northeasterly tracks, as well as for those originating in the northern part of the examined area. © 2010 American Meteorological Society.

We present our ground-based CCD observations of the close binary systems DD Mon and XY UMa in B, V, R and I bands. The light curves are analyzed using the Wilson-Devinney code (W-D) for the derivation of the geometric and photometric elements of the systems. We compare the methods of photometric and spectroscopic mass ratio determination in these binaries, as a function of all typical difficulties, which arise during the analysis of such systems (light curve asymmetries, third light etc). Finally, a new spot model is suggested for the eclipsing system XY UMa, which belongs to the RS CVn type of active binaries.

Regular performance of resistance exercise induces an increase in skeletal muscle mass, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect are not yet fully understood. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine acute changes in molecular signalling in response to resistance exercise involving different training volumes. Eight untrained male subjects carried out one, three and five sets of 6 repetition maximum (RM) in leg press exercise in a random order. Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis both prior to and 30 min after each training session and the effect on protein signalling was studied. Phosphorylation of Akt was not altered significantly after any of the training protocols, whereas that of the mammalian target of rapamycin was enhanced to a similar extent by training at all three volumes. The phosphorylation of p70S6 kinase (p70(S6k)) was elevated threefold after 3 × 6 RM and sixfold after 5 × 6 RM, while the phosphorylation of S6 was increased 30- and 55-fold following the 3 × 6 RM and 5 × 6 RM exercises, respectively. Moreover, the level of the phosphorylated form of the gamma isoform of p38 MAPK was enhanced three to fourfold following each of the three protocols, whereas phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was unchanged 30 min following exercise. These findings indicate that when exercise is performed in a fasted state, the increase in phosphorylation of signalling molecules such as p70(S6k) and the S6 ribosomal protein in human muscle depends on the exercise volume.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play a central role in antiviral immunity, detecting viruses via Toll-like receptors (TLR) and producing in response vast amounts of type I interferons (IFNs). Hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes chronic infection after vertical transmission. This study investigated whether an HBV-infected maternal environment might influence DC numbers and pDC function in uninfected infants. Blood was collected from inactive HBsAg carrier and control mothers and their infants at birth and 1 and 6 months of age. HBV DNA was measured in maternal and neonatal perinatal sera using real-time PCR. The circulating frequencies of myeloid DCs (mDCs) and pDCs were determined in the babies by flow cytometry. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and cord blood pDCs were stimulated with resiquimod, and alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) production and the pDC phenotype were assessed. The effect of the common-cold virus, rhinovirus (RV), on resiquimod stimulation was also determined. HBV DNA was detected in 62.3% of the mothers and 41% of their infants. DC numbers and pDC functions were similar between subjects and controls and were not correlated with maternal or neonatal viremia. RV infection did not induce pDC maturation until the age of 6 months, and it reduced TLR7-dependent resiquimod-induced IFN-alpha production similarly in both groups. Although the DC system is immature at birth, DCs of uninfected neonates of HBV-positive mothers are competent to initiate and maintain T-cell responses. RV is a weak inducer of IFN-alpha production until the age of 6 months and inhibits IFN-alpha responses triggered by the TLR7 pathway.

In two cross-sectional studies we investigated whether soccer players' well-being (Study 1) and moral functioning (Studies 1 and 2) is related to performance-approach goals and to the autonomous and controlling reasons underlying their pursuit. In support of our hypotheses, we found in Study 1 that autonomous reasons were positively associated with vitality and positive affect, whereas controlling reasons were positively related to negative affect and mostly unrelated to indicators of morality. To investigate the lack of systematic association with moral outcomes, we explored in Study 2 whether performance-approach goals or their underlying reasons would yield an indirect relation to moral outcomes through their association with players' objectifying attitude-their tendency to depersonalize their opponents. Structural equation modeling showed that controlling reasons for performance-approach goals were positively associated with an objectifying attitude, which in turn was positively associated to unfair functioning. Results are discussed within the achievement goal perspective (Elliot, 2005) and self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000). © 2010 Human Kinetics, Inc.

BACKGROUND: Improved sensitivity of HBV-DNA tests is of critical importance for the management of HBV infection. Our aim was to develop and assess a new ultra sensitive in-house real-time PCR assay for HBV-DNA quantification (ultra sensitive RTQ-PCR). RESULTS: Previously used HBV-DNA standards were calibrated against the WHO 1st International Standard for HBV-DNA (OptiQuant(R) HBV-DNA Quantification Panel, Accrometrix Europe B.V.). The 95% and 50% HBV-DNA detection end-point of the assay were 22.2 and 8.4 IU/mL. According to the calibration results, 1 IU/mL equals 2.8 copies/mL. Importantly the clinical performance of the ultra sensitive real-time PCR was tested similar (67%) to the Procleix Ultrio discriminatory HBV test (dHBV) (70%) in low-titer samples from patients with occult Hepatitis B. Finally, in the comparison of ultra sensitive RTQ-PCR with the commercially available COBAS TaqMan HBV Test, the in-house assay identified 94.7% of the 94 specimens as positive versus 90.4% identified by TaqMan, while the quantitative results that were positive by both assay were strongly correlated (r = 0.979). CONCLUSIONS: We report a new ultra sensitive real time PCR molecular beacon based assay with remarkable analytical and clinical sensitivity, calibrated against the WHO 1st International standard.

OBJECTIVE: The phenotype associated with heterozygous HNF4A gene mutations has recently been extended to include diazoxide responsive neonatal hypoglycemia in addition to maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY). To date, mutation screening has been limited to patients with a family history consistent with MODY. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of HNF4A mutations in a large cohort of patients with diazoxide responsive hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (HH). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We sequenced the ABCC8, KCNJ11, GCK, GLUD1, and/or HNF4A genes in 220 patients with HH responsive to diazoxide. The order of genetic testing was dependent upon the clinical phenotype. RESULTS: A genetic diagnosis was possible for 59/220 (27%) patients. K(ATP) channel mutations were most common (15%) followed by GLUD1 mutations causing hyperinsulinism with hyperammonemia (5.9%), and HNF4A mutations (5%). Seven of the 11 probands with a heterozygous HNF4A mutation did not have a parent affected with diabetes, and four de novo mutations were confirmed. These patients were diagnosed with HI within the first week of life (median age 1 day), and they had increased birth weight (median +2.4 SDS). The duration of diazoxide treatment ranged from 3 months to ongoing at 8 years. CONCLUSIONS: In this large series, HNF4A mutations are the third most common cause of diazoxide responsive HH. We recommend that HNF4A sequencing is considered in all patients with diazoxide responsive HH diagnosed in the first week of life irrespective of a family history of diabetes, once K(ATP) channel mutations have been excluded.

PURPOSE: Colorectal carcinomas that arise proximal (right) or distal (left) to the splenic flexure exhibit different clinical and biological characteristics. Although various hypotheses have been proposed to explain these differences, their origin remains unclear. In this study we investigated the clinicopathologic differences between left and right colon tumors and comment on the possible explanatory theories behind them. METHODS: This study included a total of 388 retrospectively collected cases of colorectal cancer, surgically treated from 1999 to 2004. Differences of patients' demographic data and tumor micro- and macroscopic characteristics between left and right-sided tumors were investigated and analysed. RESULTS: Patients with right-sided colon cancer were significantly older (mean age 70 vs. 68 years; p<0.05) and had more lymph nodes examined than patients with left colon tumors (mean number of nodes 18.9 vs. 12.6; p<0.05). There was a lower proportion of T1 stage right-sided tumors (3.1 vs. 5%) and a higher proportion of stage T2-4 (96.9 vs. 95%) compared with left-sided tumors (p<0.001 for x2 test of all T stages). Furthermore, right-sided tumors had a higher mean width and depth (4.3 vs. 3.8 cm and 1.8 vs. 1.6 cm, respectively; p<0.05). Finally, there was a higher percentage of poorly differentiated right colon tumors (41.4 vs. 17.5%; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Right-sided colon tumors affect older patients and are diagnosed at more advanced disease stages. The underlying mechanisms that provoke these differences remain unclear. Further studies are needed in order to better understand the true nature of these differences and their possible clinical implications.

In two cross-sectional studies, we investigated to what extent elementary (Study 1) and middle school (Study 2) students pursue similar, yet distinct, mastery-related and performance-related goals in physical education. We found that students were more likely to endorse outcome goals in conjunction with mastery-related goals and ability goals in conjunction with normative goals. Rasch modelling suggested that students tended to endorse mastery-approach goals than learning and outcome goals and that they tended to favour ability goals than performance-approach goals. Differential item functioning analyses showed that autonomously motivated students were more likely to endorse learning goals and mastery-approach goals and less likely to endorse outcome goals than less autonomously motivated students. They were also more likely to endorse ability goals and less likely to endorse normative goals than controlled motivated students. Results are discussed within the achievement goal framework and the self-determination theory.

Division VII provides a forum for astronomers studying the Milky Way Galaxy and its constituents. Several meetings directly relevant to his subject were held at the General Assembly in Rio: IAU Symp. 262 Stellar Populations, IAU Symp. 265 Chemical Abundances in the Universe, IAU Symp. 266 Star Clusters, Joint Discussion 5 Modeling the Milky Way in the Era of Gaia, and Special Session 5 The Galactic Plane. Division VII therefore did not organize a separate science session at Rio, but business meetings were held for both the Division and for Commissions 33 and 37.

In the UapA uric acid-xanthine permease of Aspergillus nidulans, subtle interactions between key residues of the putative substrate binding pocket, located in the TMS8-TMS9 loop (where TMS is transmembrane segment), and a specificity filter, implicating residues in TMS12 and the TMS1-TMS2 loop, are critical for function and specificity. By using a strain lacking all transporters involved in adenine uptake (DeltaazgA DeltafcyB DeltauapC) and carrying a mutation that partially inactivates the UapA specificity filter (F528S), we obtained 28 mutants capable of UapA-mediated growth on adenine. Seventy-two percent of mutants concern replacements of a single residue, R481, in the putative cytoplasmic loop TMS10-TMS11. Five missense mutations are located in TMS9, in TMS10 or in loops TMS1-TMS2 and TMS8-TMS9. Mutations in the latter loops concern residues previously shown to enlarge UapA specificity (Q113L) or to be part of a motif involved in substrate binding (F406Y). In all mutants, the ability of UapA to transport its physiological substrates remains intact, whereas the increased capacity for transport of adenine and other purines seems to be due to the elimination of elements that hinder the translocation of non-physiological substrates through UapA, rather than to an increase in relevant binding affinities. The additive effects of most novel mutations with F528S and allele-specific interactions of mutation R481G (TMS10-TMS11 loop) with Q113L (TMS1-TMS2 loop) or T526M (TMS12) establish specific interdomain synergy as a critical determinant for substrate selection. Our results strongly suggest that distinct domains at both sides of UapA act as selective dynamic gates controlling substrate access to their translocation pathway.

It is known that non-cachectic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) respond well to pulmonary rehabilitation, but whether cachectic COPD patients are capable of adaptive responses is both important and unknown. 10 cachectic and 19 non-cachectic COPD patients undertook high-intensity cycling training, at the same relative intensity, for 45 min x day(-1), 3 days x week(-1) for 10 weeks. Before and after rehabilitation vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were analysed morphologically and for the expression of muscle remodelling factors (insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, myogenic differentiation factor D (MyoD), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB and myostatin) and key components of ubiquitin-mediated proteolytic systems (muscle ring finger protein (MURF)-1 and Atrogin-1). Rehabilitation improved peak work-rate and the 6-min walk distance similarly in non-cachectic (18+/-3% and 42+/-13 m, respectively) and cachectic (16+/-2% and 53+/-16 m, respectively) patients, but quality of life only improved in non-cachectic COPD. Mean muscle fibre cross-sectional area increased in both groups, but significantly less in cachectic (7+/-2%) than in non-cachectic (11+/-2%) patients. Both groups equally decreased the proportion of type IIb fibres and increased muscle capillary/fibre ratio. IGF-I mRNA expression increased in both groups, but IGF-I protein levels increased more in non-cachectic COPD. MyoD was upregulated, whereas myostatin was downregulated at the mRNA and protein level only in non-cachectic patients. Whilst rehabilitation had no effect on TNF-alpha expression, it decreased the activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB in both groups by the same amount. Atrogin-1 and MURF-1 expression were increased in cachectic COPD, but it was decreased in non-cachectic patients. Cachectic COPD patients partially retain the capacity for peripheral muscle remodelling in response to rehabilitation and are able to increase exercise capacity as much as those without cachexia, even if they exhibit both quantitative and qualitative differences in the type of muscle fibre remodelling in response to exercise training.

We report on the effective optical response of single- and multilayer periodic structures of metallodielectric nanosandwiches on the basis of rigorous, full-electrodynamic calculations by the extended layer-multiple-scattering method. It is shown that the complex photonic band structure and the reflection coefficient of the infinite and semi-infinite crystal, respectively, provide reliable bulk effective parameters, which can be used as a reference in order to resolve ambiguities and problems in the determination of these parameters for finite slabs by the S-matrix retrieval procedure. Our results show that the structures under consideration exhibit strong artificial optical magnetism and thin films consisting of a few layers already behave like the bulk metamaterial.

We study the interaction of a chirped electromagnetic pulse with intersubband transitions of a double semiconductor quantum well. We specifically consider the interaction of the ground and first excited subbands with the electromagnetic field and use the nonlinear density matrix equations for the description of the system dynamics. These equations are solved numerically for various values of the electron sheet density for a realistic double GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well, and the efficiency of population transfer is discussed with emphasis given to the effects of the detuning of the central frequency of the electromagnetic field from resonance.

Background: Studies indicate that myeloperoxidase (MPO) is associated with disease progression and severity in heart failure (HF), while it may provide a mechanistic link between inflammation and adverse cardiac remodeling. The mechanisms that regulate MPO are unclear, while it is unknown whether specific treatments such as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and xanthine oxidase inhibitors may modify MPO. Therefore in the present study we examined the effects of rosuvastatin and allopurinol on MPO levels in patients HF. Methods: Sixty clinically stable patients with systolic HF were randomized to receive rosuvastatin 10. mg/day, allopurinol 300. mg/day or placebo and followed up for 1 month. Plasma levels of MPO and serum levels of soluble CD40 ligand, interleukin-6, and oxidized LDL were determined using ELISA. All measurements were made before and after 1-month treatment. Results: Rosuvastatin significantly reduced plasma levels of MPO (p= 0.003), which remained unchanged in the other groups. Furthermore, the change of MPO levels in the rosuvastatin-treated group was significantly different compared with the other groups (p<0.05). Rosuvastatin administration also led to a significant decrease in oxidized LDL (p=0.009), while the other inflammatory markers remained unchanged in all groups. In the total population, a significant correlation was observed between the baseline levels of MPO and hsCRP (r=0.275, p=0.027), fibrinogen (r=0.278, p=0.025), and sCD40L (r=0.288, p=0.021). Conclusions: Short-term treatment with rosuvastatin regulates inflammatory process in patients with heart failure by significantly reducing plasma levels of MPO. This finding reveals a novel pleiotropic effect of statins in patients with heart failure, and provides further insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of MPO in heart failure. © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

BACKGROUND: In patients with multiple myeloma, renal impairment (RI) at the time of diagnosis is associated with poor survival. To the authors' knowledge, the current retrospective analysis presented is the first to assess the impact of various degrees of renal dysfunction on safety and efficacy outcomes in a large cohort of patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma who received treatment with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone. METHODS: Three hundred fifty-three patients from 2 large phase 3 trials were randomized to receive lenalidomide (25 mg) plus dexamethasone (40 mg). For the purpose of this analysis, RI was defined according to the calculated creatinine clearance (CLCr) level as follows: mild or no RI (CLCr ≥ 60 mL/minute), moderate RI (CLCr from ≥ 30 mL/minute to <60 mL/minute), and severe RI (CLCr <30 mL/minute). RESULTS: The RI subgroups did not differ significantly in terms of the overall response rate (range, 50%-64%) or response quality (very good partial response or better, 27%-37%). In all RI subgroups, the time to progression and progression-free survival did not differ significantly compared with the mild or no RI group. Patients with RI experienced an increased incidence of thrombocytopenia, required more frequent lenalidomide dose reduction or interruption, and had shorter overall survival than patients with mild or no RI (P = .006). Lenalidomide plus dexamethasone led to improvement in renal function in the majority of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study indicated that, with careful monitoring of the CLCr level and adverse events as well as appropriate dose adjustments, lenalidomide plus dexamethasone is an effective and well tolerated treatment option for patients with multiple myeloma who have RI. © 2010 American Cancer Society.

Objective: Second-line treatment options in advanced urothelial cancer are limited. We investigated the efficacy of a methotrexate/vinblastine/doxorubicin/cisplatin (MVAC) combination after failure of gemcitabine/platinum chemotherapy. Patients and methods: Twenty-five patients with advanced urothelial cancer, who received second-line MVAC after first-line gemcitabine/cisplatin (n = 9) or gemcitabine/carboplatin (n = 16), were included in this retrospective analysis. Results: Twenty-two patients (88%) relapsed within 6 months after first-line treatment. Following MVAC, there were 5 (20%) objective responses. Median follow-up was 20.2 months. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.8 months (95% CI: 2.3-5.2), and median overall survival (OS) was 9 months (95% CI: 6.6-11.4). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0.1 versus 2 was associated with longer PFS (5 months versus 3.3 months, P = 0.049). Response or stabilization of disease during second-line chemotherapy predicted for a significantly longer PFS and OS (7.4 versus 3.5, P = 0.005; 15.5 versus 7, P = 0.046). Conclusions: Second-line MVAC chemotherapy may result in prolonged survival in some patients with refractory disease. Further research in this field is necessary. © 2010 Karadimou et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd.

Most recommender systems usually have too many items to recommend to too many users using limited information. This problem is formally known as the sparsity of the ratings' matrix, because this is the structure that holds user preferences. This article outlines a collaborative recommender system, that tries to amend this situation. The system is built around the notion of k-separability combined with a constructive neural network algorithm.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess whether elderly patients (>65 years) with open tibial shaft fractures (OFs) have increased mortality rates than those with closed fractures (CFs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients admitted during 2003-2005 with open/closed diaphyseal (AO 42) fractures of the tibia were eligible to participate. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Pathological and peri-prosthetic fractures. RESULTS: A total of 54 patients (38 females) met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-six patients had sustained CF and 28 OF (Gustilo grade I (11), grade II (five), grade IIIa (two) and grade IIIb (10)). The OF group was statistically significantly different with higher injury severity score, secondary procedures and length of hospital stay (p<0.05). A higher rate of admission/length of stay to intensive care unit and complication rate was noted in the OF group. Mortality rate between the two groups was comparable (CF=2/26, OF=3/28). CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients with OFs of the tibial shaft have similar mortality rate to those with CFs.

We systematically examine all the tight-binding parameters pertinent to charge transfer along DNA. The pi molecular structure of the four DNA bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine) is investigated by using the linear combination of atomic orbitals method with a recently introduced parametrization. The HOMO and LUMO wave functions and energies of DNA bases are discussed and then used for calculating the corresponding wave functions of the two B-DNA base-pairs (adenine-thymine and guanine-cytosine). The obtained HOMO and LUMO energies of the bases are in good agreement with available experimental values. Our results are then used for estimating the complete set of charge transfer parameters between neighboring bases and also between successive base-pairs, considering all possible combinations between them, for both electrons and holes. The calculated microscopic quantities can be used in mesoscopic theoretical models of electron or hole transfer along the DNA double helix, as they provide the necessary parameters for a tight-binding phenomenological description based on the pi molecular overlap. We find that usually the hopping parameters for holes are higher in magnitude compared to the ones for electrons. Our findings are also compared with existing calculations from first principles.

Kamberidou, I. (2010). 'Eliminating the glass celing and the leaky pipeline: the ECWT and the EUD- European Directory of Women and ICT'. Presentation at the European Commission’s 'Women in ICT-Shadowing' conference, the Way Forward,  7-9 March 2010, Nicosia, Cyprus. European Commisson. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The purpose of this presentation is to promote the targets of the European Center for Women and Technology (ECWT), namely  to increase the number of girls and women in the knowledge based economy until the year 2015. To Accomplish this the ECWT  has developed the European Directory (EUD)  of Women and ICT (http:// www.ictwomendirectory.eu) an online directory, an ecospace – endorsed by the e-skills ILB as the meeting point for ICT women in Europe. The ultimate aim of these initiatives is to encourage young women to choose to study and work in the sector and to ensure their participation in the use, design and production of information and communication technologies and services.  This paper discusses the ECWT thematic-focus  areas—Education, Workforce, Entrepreneurship and Leadership. Additionally it presents a list of what the ECWT accomplished in 2009: increasing member organizations from 16 to 52; ECWT national point of Contacts (N-POCs) under start-up in 21 countries; discussions with HePIS- the Hellenic Professionals Informatics Society and members of CEPIS-to set up a National Point of Contact in Greece; trengthening collaboration with DG INFSO through signing of the Code of Best Practices of Women in ICT and DG Enterprise and Industry, opening a dialog with DG Research and DG Education, to name few.  

[...] Η παρούσα μελέτη του Miles gloriosus αποσκοπεί κατ' αρχάς να καταστήσει γνωστό στο ελληνικό κοινό ένα από τα δημοφιλέστερα έργα του Πλαύτου και της Ρωμαϊκής Κωμωδίας. Παράλληλα επιχειρεί να αναδείξει το αυθεντικό ταλέντο και την ευφυΐα του κορυφαίου Ρωμαίου κωμωδιογράφου, καθώς και την υψηλή ποιότητα του ιδιότυπου ρωμαϊκού θεάτρου. Η μετάφραση του κειμένου είναι η πρώτη που δημοσιεύεται στην ελληνική γλώσσα.Το πρώτο μέρος της μελέτης προσφέρει μια εκτενή εισαγωγή στο ρωμαϊκό θέατρο και τη Ρωμαϊκή Κωμωδία. Σημαντικό τμήμα είναι αφιερωμένο στη δομή, στη διάρθρωση της πλοκής, στα πρόσωπα, στους χαρακτήρες και στη θεατρική διάσταση του Miles gloriosus. Η εισαγωγή περιλαμβάνει επίσης και πιο εξειδικευμένες σύντομες ενότητες σχετικά με το μέτρο και τη χειρόγραφη παράδοση των κωμωδιών του Πλαύτου. Το δεύτερο τμήμα του βιβλίου ανήκει στο έργο καθαυτό. Πρωτότυπο κείμενο και μετάφραση παρατίθενται αντικριστά, ενώ το κείμενο της μετάφρασης έχει εμπλουτισθεί από μια σειρά πρόσθετων πληροφοριών εντός παρενθέσεων εν είδει "σκηνοθετικών οδηγιών".Το κείμενο ακολουθεί την έκδοση του Lindsay στη σειρά των στερεότυπων κειμένων της Οξφόρδης (Oxford Classical Texts) και συνοδεύεται από το κριτικό υπόμνημα του Lindsay. Προτάσεις διαφορετικών γραφών σε προβληματικά σημεία συζητούνται αναλυτικά στο ερμηνευτικό υπόμνημα, το οποίο καταλαμβάνει το τρίτο μέρος του τόμου.[...](από τον πρόλογο του βιβλίου)

Tumors metastatic to the heart (cardiac metastases) are infrequent and few systematic studies on this topic have been published. Urothelial carcinomas are among the rarest associated with heart metastases and all cases reported to date concern autopsy examinations. We present the first report of urothelial carcinoma metastatic to the endocardium diagnosed antemortem. Notably, the endocardiac infiltration was the only site of recurrence and occurred 6 years after original diagnosis of bladder carcinoma. Although rare enough, the possibility of heart metastases without any other signs of recurrence should be included in the differential diagnosis in cases of urothelial cancer with increasing fatigue and dyspnea. © 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.